The Quest for Saint Camber Read Free

attention now.”
    Setting his right forefinger on the first white cube, Tiercel breathed in deeply and spoke the cube’s nomen: “ Prime .” Light flared in the cube as the energy was set and bound, then spread to the other three as Tiercel proceeded to name them as well:
    â€œ Seconde .
    â€œ Tierce .
    â€œ Quarte .”
    Conall had grasped the procedure by the second repetition and glanced eagerly at Tiercel when the first four were complete.
    â€œI can do that,” he said confidently.
    â€œVery well, then, you name the black ones,” Tiercel said, sitting back with fists braced on hips in good-natured challenge. “Just keep to the same order, starting with Quinte .”
    â€œAll right.”
    Narrowing all his concentration to the cube set diagonal to the white Prime , Conall touched it with a tentative forefinger and spoke its name:
    â€œ Quinte .”
    The light that flared in the cube was an inky green-black rather than white like the first four, but Conall hardly even blinked as he shifted his attention to the black cube next to Seconde .
    â€œ Sixte .”
    The second black cube lit to match Quinte ’s.
    â€œ Septime … Octave ,” Conall continued, activating the remaining two black cubes in rapid succession. “Is that all there is to it?”
    â€œHardly,” Tiercel replied, though he was grinning ear-to-ear and shaking his head slightly as if in disbelief. “They want balancing next. Watch how I combine the elements—first, Prime to Quinte , with the intent to bring the pairs of opposites into harmony.”
    He closed his eyes for just an instant, re-collecting his focus, then picked up the white Prime and brought it down on its black counterpart, speaking the word of power as the two touched with a faint flash and bonded.
    â€œ Primus! ”
    When he withdrew his hand, an oblong, silvery rectoid stood where two cubes had been. Conall gaped.
    â€œNo questions yet,” Tiercel said, reaching for Seconde . “Just pay attention. Some magical systems equate the ward components with the Elemental Lords and their Watchtowers, or the Archangels of the Quarters. Some prefer the symbolism of the pillars. All are valid conventions. Watch again, now, while I do Secundus , and then I’ll let you have a go at Tertius and Quartus .” He quirked a pleased grin at the prince. “God, I’m glad you’re grown! Teaching this to children can sometimes be so tedious—but I think you’re going to get it right the first time.”
    â€œDo you do that often?” Conall asked. “Teach children, I mean?”
    â€œOften enough. Be still, now.”
    Tiercel brought Seconde just above Sixte , paused to draw a deep breath, then gently brought the white cube down on the black as he spoke its balance mnemonic.
    â€œ Secundus! Now you do the other two,” he added, as he drew his hand away from a second silvery rectoid.
    Conall complied without hesitation or difficulty, looking up expectantly as he drew his hand away from Quartus .
    â€œNow what?”
    â€œNow comes the tricky part, because there’s some very specific visualization involved,” Tiercel said. “May I borrow your signet for a moment?”
    The ring, richly engraved gold on Conall’s left little finger, bore the Haldane arms as differenced for a second son’s eldest son: Nigel’s bordured and crescent-charged Haldane lion overlaid with a label of three points. Conall removed it without discussion, setting it, at Tiercel’s direction, in the central space Tiercel made by moving the four towers a handspan farther apart.
    â€œNow, just watch, this first time,” Tiercel said, poising a forefinger above the tower that was Primus . “I want you to observe the effect before you’re involved with it.”
    As Conall sat back a little with a nod, Tiercel drew another deep breath, his tawny eyes going hooded, and