walls were lined with bookshelves filled to overflowing with all manner of written works.
Zuhl was talking with another man about some obscure point of magic that Alexander didn’t understand. The man was old—judging from the magic swelling his colors, probably very old. He looked like the quintessential wizard, long white hair and beard, grey robes, and a staff leaning against the nearest bookshelf. The colors of the thin silver collar around his neck screamed of magic as well, dark and powerful.
As Alexander watched them from the firmament, Zuhl abruptly turned and looked right at him.
“Ah, hello,” Zuhl said. “I was wondering when you might pay me a visit. Welcome to Whitehall, we have some business to discuss.”
Alexander projected an illusion of himself in front of the two men.
“Quite impressive,” the other man said, turning to Zuhl. “You say he is still on Tyr with the dragons, Lord Zuhl, yet he’s capable of projecting all this way. Quite impressive, indeed.”
“Ah, that is much better, Alexander. May I call you Alexander?” Zuhl said.
“Call me whatever you want,” Alexander said.
“You and your sister certainly share one trait,” Zuhl said, somewhat bemused, “a lack of respect for your elders.”
“It isn’t your age I don’t respect,” Alexander said.
“Quite,” Zuhl said. “Allow me to introduce Mage Harkness. Aside from your Mage Gamaliel, I believe he is the only other enchanter mage in all of the Seven Isles.”
“Mage Gamaliel doesn’t belong to me or to anyone else,” Alexander said. “From the looks of that collar, it doesn’t seem that you can say the same, Mage Harkness.”
“Indeed,” Harkness said, absentmindedly touching the collar around his neck. “Lord Zuhl put this on me a very long time ago. The worst of it is the fact that I enchanted it myself. I was very bitter about it for many years, but in time I’ve come to see the value of my position within Lord Zuhl’s court.”
“You’re a slave,” Alexander said. “Whatever you get from Zuhl can’t be worth your freedom.”
“I have far more than most free people,” Harkness said. “A workshop that any mage would envy, perfect security, and the liberty to pursue any line of enquiry that catches my fancy. I could do far worse.”
“I suppose if you tell yourself that often enough, you might actually come to believe it,” Alexander said. Then he looked at Zuhl. “You have my sister.”
“Yes,” Zuhl said, “have you received my terms?”
“You want an old book from Malachi Reishi’s private collection,” Alexander said. “I believe I have it.”
“Your sister suggested that you would never part with it, not even for her.”
“She underestimates her value to me.”
“Huh, I was beginning to believe that both you and she were insane,” Zuhl said. “Your decisions up to this point have been most perplexing, and yet speaking to you face to face, so to speak, you seem quite reasonable, rational even. Shall we make arrangements for the exchange?”
“Yes,” Alexander said. “I propose that our representatives meet on the open plain south of the Iron Oak forest along the road to Irondale. No dragons, no wyverns.”
“Agreed,” Zuhl said. “I will escort your sister there myself so that I might verify the contents of the book.”
“Regrettably, I’ll be unable to make the exchange myself,” Alexander said.
“Quite understandable,” Zuhl said. “Your representatives will suffice. I must say, Alexander, I didn’t expect you to be so … practical. Perhaps there’s another matter we could discuss.”
“I’m listening.”
“Withdraw from Fellenden entirely, then open the Gate from Zuhl to Andalia, and I will wage war against your enemies, leaving Ruatha and Ithilian entirely unscathed.”
“An interesting proposal, but what about the people of Fellenden?”
“What of them?” Zuhl said with a shrug.
“I’ll consider your proposal,” Alexander said, fading into the firmament.
A moment later he appeared in Abigail’s quarters. “Hi, how’re you doing?” he asked.
“I’m bored silly.”
“All things considered, that’s good,” he said. “I’m working on a way to get you back.”
“I know,” Abigail said.
Alexander smiled at his sister as he faded back into the firmament and returned to his body and a splitting headache. He sat up and put his head in his hands.
“Oh Dear Maker, that hurts.”
“I didn’t see any bleeding,” Jack said, sitting forward.
“It’s not as bad as the first time, but it’s not good either,” Alexander said. “I think I’ll rest for a while before I go find the dragon that Abigail befriended.”
“Things didn’t go well with Zuhl, I take it.”
“No, he’s a liar,” Alexander said. “He has no intention of giving Abigail back, but I don’t know what his game is yet.”