head. “Why would he even expect something like that from you?”
“We disagreed on some things.”
“And he’s punishing you by putting the fate of thousands in your inexperienced hands?” demanded the professor.
Will shook his head. “I pleaded with him for a delay. If we can’t come up with a better solution, His Majesty is ready to implement some rather drastic measures tomorrow.”
“How drastic?”
“Very drastic. I can’t say more than that, but it will be very bad for most of the city if we don’t find a better solution.”
Dulaney ran his hands through his hair. “This kind of thing isn’t done in a day. I’m not even sure we can create such a ritual. Modern rituals don’t compare to what was supposedly done in the past. The old designs claim to get far more from fewer people. We would need to design a complex circle and use a ley line to achieve something on a city-wide scale.”
“And there’s no time for that,” said Will. “But we can do something like they did in the old rituals. I just don’t know how to design it.”
“How?”
Will pointed at himself. “Me. If I’m the center, I can provide the control that a ritual like that needs, though I’ll need to have a lot of people to support it and provide the power required.”
The professor stared at him for several seconds. “Mister Cartwright, if it wasn’t for all the peculiarities I’ve learned about you over the past few years, I’d think you were mad, but this—this just doesn’t make sense.”
“I’ve kept some secrets, Professor,” began Will. “My differences aren’t from some accident of birth, they came from the way my master trained me. Eventually I could teach others, if they’re young enough.”
His teacher squinted at him. “What are you saying?”
“I wasn’t taught by some ordinary hedge wizard. I was trained by one of the old masters, the kind you’d find in the history books.”
“Who then?” challenged Dulaney.
“Arrogan.”
“The Betrayer? He died. If he were alive, he would have had to be—”
“He was a little over six hundred and ninety years old when he died,” finished Will.
“Not only is that impossible, but even if it were true, do you expect me to believe you were taught by the Betrayer and yet you came to this school not knowing how to do even the simplest magics?”
Will nodded. “Imagine how frustrating it was for me. He refused to teach me anything until he thought I had what he considered to be the ‘foundations’ ready. I was just beginning to learn the runes when the Prophet invaded and my teacher died.”
“And this deludes you into thinking you can control something like one of the old rituals?”
“Yes, sir.”
The professor sighed. “At least you’re an honest lunatic. Here’s the truth, though. Unless there’s already a ritual designed, there’s no way I could create one quickly enough. My field is Spell Theory, but I’ve never put much time and energy into ritual design. You’ll need more expertise than I can provide.” Reaching into a desk drawer, he drew out a ring of keys, then headed toward the door. Tiny and Janice stepped aside to let him through. “Come with me,” he told them.
“Where are we going?” asked Will.
“To see Master Courtney. If anyone can design such a thing in such short time, it will be him. He’s also better qualified to decide if you’re insane.”
***
Lord Alfred Courtney’s office was a study in dark colors—dark wood paneling, dark maroon rugs, deeply stained bookcases, and a floral wallpaper that might once have been a light tan but had been stained by time and pipe smoke.
The Head of Research at Wurthaven had a desk that was massive and heavy, constructed of black walnut, and at the moment its owner sat behind it, his favorite briarthorn pipe in hand. The smoke curled up past his face, highlighting the man’s bushy brows, which had unruly tufts that reminded Will of a horned owl. Courtney exhaled, then leaned forward with an unsettling smile, his eyes fixed on Will. “I