Competitions Read Free

strong. Oh, they were all
potential
Highs, just like the people in the practice sessions she’d attended before qualifying for
this
place, but they seemed just as stuck at this level as the other sessions people were at the lower level. Which brought Jovvi to the question she’d been asking herself all along: when it came to surviving that time of tests and competitions, how strong was strong enough? It would be foolish to stand out as being
too
good, she felt, but it also would be less than wise to be too ordinary. She hadn’t been able to answer the question this morning, but now she was getting a slightly better idea…
    “Did you enjoy your lunch, dear?” a voice came, and Genovir appeared beside Jovvi and then sat herself at the table. The Adept had taken her own lunch at a larger table with half a dozen others, people whose attitudes seemed to be just like hers. Genovir was perhaps ten years older than Jovvi and taller, handsome rather than pretty, brown-haired and eyed, and projecting an attitude of wise patience and full balance.
    “Lunch was wonderful, thank you,” Jovvi replied with a smile, feeling Genovir’s probes in her direction. The so-called Adept was apparently trying to be surreptitious about checking Jovvi’s state of mind and balance, but Genovir wasn’t strong enough to get past Jovvi’s awareness undiscovered.
    “I knew you’d enjoy it,” Genovir said with a smile and a nod. “We do work harder here, so we deserve to be treated better than those who haven’t accomplished what we have. And after half a day of doing that work yourself, I believe you understand now why it would be foolish of you to expect to reach the competitions very quickly.”
    “Actually, I realize more than that,” Jovvi said with the same smile, still turning aside the woman’s ever-strengthening probes. “I noticed a few of these others coming in to practice in the building this morning, but the rest seem content to rest on whatever they’ve already accomplished. Just like those others at the sessions, the ones who have been trying for weeks or months to qualify, but just haven’t managed to do it.”
    “What are you saying?” Genovir asked, clearly trying to fight away a frown. “That our people here are no better than those poor, useless souls of the lower level? But that’s ridiculous, my dear, utterly ridiculous. Many of our people don’t
have
to practice any longer, and some work better expending less effort. During the next weeks I’m sure you’ll find your own best pace, and then—”
    “Next
weeks
?” Jovvi interrupted to echo, raising one brow. “But we were told that no one will be allowed to try to qualify for the competitions beyond this week’s end. Surely that means there’s only a matter of days before the major competitions will be held?”
    “Actually … more than just a few days,” Genovir grudged, not terribly happy about parting with the information. “But that means nothing to someone at your level, my dear, and you shouldn’t let it disturb you. Disturbance will hamper your ability, you know, so when it comes time for you to try for mastery you’ll be at a severe disadvantage.”
    “I think that achieving mastery will take care of any disturbance there might be,” Jovvi said pleasantly after finishing her tea. “Just how do I arrange to go about that?”
    “I—I ask one of the other Adepts to witness your performance,” Genovir responded, her inner balance definitely gone now. “But you really should take more practice time first, to be certain … you…”
    The woman’s words trailed off as Jovvi calmly and simply shook her head, refusing to hear Genovir’s “words of wisdom.” There was no longer any doubt that moving ahead as quickly as possible was still the right thing to do, and she’d have to tell the others as soon as they all got back to the residence tonight. Tamma, and Vallant Ro, and Rion Mardimil, and Pagin Holter—and Lorand Coll. Lorand