With that, she turned abruptly and ran, nearly colliding with her somber students, to the nearest mansion door and disappeared inside it.
Samheed looked at Liam. “You really messed that up, didn’t you.” He grabbed Liam by the arm and pulled him toward the road to Quill, then shoved him in the direction of the palace. “You just put a big target on your back, buddy,” Samheed called out. “Next time I see you . . .” He didn’t finish the threat, making it even more ominous.
Liam didn’t respond. He shuffled toward the palace, head down.
Along the way Liam passed Sean Ranger heading toward Artimé. Sean narrowed his eyes, but kept walking. Finally Liam caught up with the others. They took a side path to the housing quadrants and snuck to Gondoleery’s house so she could release the spell on their shackles before Haluki or anyone else could track them down. And then they got back to work, harder than ever before.
The Mysterious Guests
Every day after Advanced Magical Warrior Training, Alex and Lani slipped into the hospital wing of the mansion to visit the strange collared guests, who remained unresponsive. Often Alex and Lani sat in chairs between their beds, wondering aloud what their story might be, while working feverishly to make new spell components. Mr. Today had put in a request for a thousand each of heart attack spells, backward bobbly heads, pin cushions, dementia, and bee swarms, which was a Cole Wickett design that Alex had taken a strong liking to.
Alex and his cohorts now carried supplies with them wherever they went so they could create components whenever they had a few extra moments, quite like someone might carry around a book, or a satchel full of knitting, to fill in the unexpected lulls of life.
On one such occasion Mr. Today came in and pulled up a chair next to Alex. They sat in silence for a while, Alex and Lani working, Mr. Today examining and admiring their products, and then Alex said out of the blue, “I think they were trying to escape.”
Lani nodded as if she’d been thinking the same thing at that very moment. “Me too.”
Mr. Today rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his fingers making a light scratching sound against the stubble. “What makes you say that?”
“It’s the raft, I think,” said Lani. “And they had nothing with them’no fishing supplies, no extra clothes. Who goes anywhere like that unless they’re in a massive hurry? And who would attempt anything at all on a junky raft like theirs?”
“Good questions, all,” mused the old mage. “Perhaps all their equipment was washed away in an unexpected storm.”
Lani considered it. “Maybe.”
“I wonder where they’re from,” Alex said for at least the tenth time since they’d drifted ashore. He stared at the girl.
“As do I,” Mr. Today said. “I can only guess they’re from one of the farther islands to the west, beyond Warbler.”
Lani raised an eyebrow, and Alex leaned forward. “Have you ever been to those other islands?” he asked.
“Yes. The two distant ones were inhabited by somewhat primitive people, as I recall, thus perhaps more capable of doing something like this. . . .” He swept his hand toward the unconscious ones, indicating their thorny collars. “I came from the nearest, Warbler, a beautiful place. Tropical and sunny, but with more rain than Quill has gotten these past years. It has majestic rocks jutting up near the center of it, like someone’s giant fist pushed a mountain through from the sea underneath. There’s a freshwater stream running through Warbler, too, and beaches all around. The people were friendly and welcoming.”
“It sounds dreamy,” Lani said wistfully.
“It was. Perhaps we were foolish to leave, but we had our plans and ideas, you know. We couldn’t have been convinced otherwise, even though we left some dear friends and family behind.” He paused. “Eva Fathom grew up there as well. It was one of the places we were hoping to visit, but now . . .” He trailed off.
Alex frowned. “But now what?”
“I’m not sure this is a good time for me to leave after all.”
The words hung in the air as if they wanted to be proven wrong, but Alex and Lani thought about everything’from the unconscious guests in the beds to the recent escalating attacks from Quill’and they couldn’t come up with a way to do it.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Mr. Today went on, “but I can hardly forgive myself for the loss of Arija. What if someone were to be killed while I was off having a holiday? There’s no room for forgiveness there.”
“But Arija died doing the job she loved, the job she was created for,” Lani said passionately. “If we all died doing the things we most believe in, we should die satisfied.”
“All the more reason for me to stay, don’t you think?” Mr. Today asked.
Alex was surprised to feel a little bit disappointed by Mr. Today’s news. “I don’t know about that,” he said. “I bet these visitors will want to leave eventually, once they’re well. Maybe while you’re gone you can figure out what island they came from, so that we know how to get them home. I mean, if that’s what they want.” Alex thought some more. “And maybe . . . well, I don’t know about this for sure, but maybe you could put the gate back up. For a short time, anyway. Just while you’re gone.” He hurried to add, “Not that Sean was right, or anything.”
Mr. Today tilted his head curiously at Alex, and he hid a smile with his fingers. “Interesting way to look at it, Alex. I’ll consider it.”