"From a created hierarchy," Cadderly added. "A hierarchy that remains blind to the truth of Deneir." He gave a chuckle, unintentionally derisive. "A hierarchy that will hold us in check until the cost of a war with Castle Trinity multiplies tenfold, a hundredfold."
"Will it?"
It was a simple question, asked simply by a priestess who had not the strength to even rise from her bed. To Cadderly, though, the question's connotations became quite complex, implicating him and his future actions as the only possible answer. He knew in his heart that Pertelope was calling upon him to prevent what he had just predicted, was asking him to usurp the authority of his order's highest ranking priest and bring Castle Trinity's influence to a quick end.
Her coy smile confirmed his suspicions.
"Have>ott ever dared to overrule the Dean?" Cadderly asked bluntly.
"I have never been in such a desperate situation," the headmistress replied. Her voice sounded weak suddenly, as though her efforts to be strong had reached their end.
"I told you when you first discovered your gift," she went on, pausing often to collect her breath, "that many things would be required of you, that your courage would often be tested. Deneir demands intelligence, but he also demands courage of spirit so that intelligent decisions can be acted upon."
"Cadderly?" The quiet call came from the door, and Cadderly looked back over his shoulder to see Danica, her face grave. Behind her stood the beautiful Shayleigh, elven maiden, elven warrior, from Shilmista Forest, her golden hair lustrous and her violet eyes shining as the dawn. She made no greeting to Cadderly, though she had not seen him in many weeks, out of respect for the obviously solemn meeting.
"Dean Thobicus is looking for you," Danica explained quietly, her tone full of trepidation. "You did not give the Ghearufu..." Her voice trailed away as Cadderly looked back to the bed. to Pertelope, who appeared very old and very tired.
"Courage," Pertelope whispered, and then, as Cadderly looked on with full understanding, the headmistress peacefully died.
*****
Cadderly did not knock and wait for permission to enter the office of Dean Thobicus. The withered man was sitting back in his chair, staring out the window. Cadderly knew that the dean had just received news of Headmistress Pertelope's death.
"Have you done as you were instructed?" Thobicus snapped as soon as he noticed that Cadderly had entered, and by that time, Cadderly was already up to the man's desk.
"I have," Cadderly replied.
"Good," Thobicus said, and his anger faded, replaced by his obvious sorrow for Pertelope's passing.
"I have bid Danica and Shayleigh to assemble the dwar-ven brothers and Vander by the front door, with provisions for the journey," Cadderly explained, popping on his blue, wide-brimmed hat as he spoke.
"To Shilmista Forest?" Thobicus asked tentatively, as though he was afraid of what Cadderly was about to say. One of the options Thobious had offered to Cadderly was to go out and serve as emissary to the elves and Prince Elbereth, but he didn't think that was what the young priest was now hinting at
"No," came the even answer.
Thobicus sat up very straight in his chair, a perplexed expression on his hollow, weathered face. He noticed then that Cadderly wore his hand-crossbow and the bandolier of explosive darts. The spindle-disks, Cadderl/s other unconventional weapon, were looped on the young priest's wide belt, next to a tube that Cadderly had designed to emit a concentrated beam of light
Thobicus considered the clues for a long while. "You have turned the Ghearufu over to the library supervisor?" he asked directly. "No."
Thobicus trembled with mounting rage. He started to speak several times, but wound up chewing his lips instead. "You just said that you had done as you were instructed!" he roared at last, in as furious an outburst as Cadderly had ever seen from the normally calm man. "I have done as Deneir instructed," Cadderly explained. *You arrogant... you,.. sacrilegious - * Tliobicus stammered, his face shining bright red as he stood up behind the desk.
"Hardly," Cadderly corrected, his voice unshaking. "I have done as Deneir instructed, and now you, too, are to do Deneir's bidding. You will go down with me to the front hall and wish my Mends and me good fortune on our all-important mission to Castle Trinity." The dean tried to interrupt but something that he did not yet understand, something intruding into his very thoughts, compelled him to silence. Then you will continue the preparations for a springtime assault,"