One Realm Beyond Read Free Page B

years she spent educating him. The smell of fried fish and maizy bread wafted from the cabin. Odem played his fiddle. Ahma sang with a pure voice for one so old.
    The fiddling stopped as soon as Cantor crossed the threshold.
    “There he is,” said Odem. “Let’s eat.”
    “You ate a bowl of soup in the middle of the afternoon.” Ahma shook her stirring spoon at her guest. A blob of thick gravy splatted on Odem’s faded green shirt. Ahma reached over and swiped at the spot with a rag. “You shouldn’t be hungry for hours yet.”
    “Not hungry, dear woman. Craving the taste of your delicious meal on this old deprived tongue.”
    “Deprived tongue?” She scoffed. “You’ve a depraved mind, I’m thinking.”
    Cantor crossed the room, threw his dirty clothes into hisbed closet, and then gave Ahma the produce he had gathered. “The words aren’t the same, Ahma. Depraved means he commits evil deeds involving blatant turpitude.”
    Ahma squinted at him. “I never taught you the word turpitude. Where are you coming up with words I didn’t introduce you to? Have you been down to the village on your own? You know that’s dangerous.”
    Before he could remind her of the books Odem left with him, she continued. She addressed the kittens climbing the dog Tom and sliding down his sides as he lay on his blanket in a corner. “This Cantor thinks he’s smart. Time he went out into the world to learn how ignorant he really is. I’m hoping he lives through the disappointment of only having a mediocre mind, a limited talent, and no possible means of advancing his lowly life on his own.”
    Cantor sighed. So his role tonight was scoundrel and knave, not beloved sent by Primen to give her life purpose.
    Although the meal smelled and tasted wonderful, Cantor found it difficult to eat with his usual gusto. When would the initiation begin? How long would it take? If he flubbed an answer, would he get a second chance?
    He tried to think of a calm night sky filled with stars and distant platters floating in space. Soon he would be traveling to the planes alone. No Ahma to chaperone. No Odem to pull him out of an interesting exploration. Perhaps a mission assigned just to him. He’d helped Odem on several occasions when the old realm walker tackled a problem on some other plane. But in those cases, he’d helped by carrying knapsacks, setting up a camp, and fixing meals.
    “Now, son!” Odem’s voice boomed in the small cabin. “It is time to commence your initiation.”
    Ahma rose from the table. “Let me clear off all this clutter first.”
    Cantor clenched his jaw. That would delay them another hour while the old lady put every blessed object, after being scrubbed and polished, in its right place. Suppressing a sigh, he rose to help. Maybe nurturing a better mood in his mentor would hasten the beginning of his initiation.
    “Nah,” Odem said. “The boy’s waited long enough. Don’t exasperate the youth.”
    Ahma muttered but sat down again. She folded her hands on the tabletop and gave her attention to her friend.
    Odem winked her way, then turned a serious face to the initiate. “Question, Cantor. Answer me this. Who has first claim to your allegiance?”
    Cantor’s mind raced. He’d expected questions about herbs, travel safety, levels of guild standing, diplomatic tactics, history of the realms, but nothing like this. Perhaps it was a trick question. They’d never discussed allegiance. Surely if this concept was important enough to be the first question, they should have discussed it.
    Ahma patted his hand and gave him an encouraging smile. “Take your time, Cantor. We can wait as long as it takes for you to get comfortable with your answer.”
    At least he was back to treasured apprentice. Ahma’s kindness permeated her voice, her expression, and even her posture as she sat on the stool. All fine and good, but he had no answer.
    Think this through. Think. He must. He could come up with the right answer if he