Valdemar Anthology - [Tales of Valdemar 02] - Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar Read Free Page A

permission for this plan. Do you really think that the predators will be so intelligent?”
    â€œYes, I do. Even before the storm, it was thought that some predators in the known world were remarkably cunning, if only in pursuit of their prey. I think that any new ‘smart’ predators will be a real threat to us, if not now, then when we settle down. It is vital for us to establish that we are not prey and should be avoided.”
    Master Thomas nodded his head but still looked doubtful.
    â€œBetter figure out how you are to disable predators, though. They will be fast, deadly, and intelligent, while you are just intelligent. You need a spell that can tell if something really is intelligent.”
    In all my studies, I had not come across anything like that.
    â€œIt’ll be tricky, but I’m sure I’ll think of something, Master Thomas,” I said, not at all sure if I could actually do it.
    I lay in my tent that night, furiously studying the spell books I had brought. I had an idea that would use a really simple spell. Predators are curious, and did a lot of patient stalking. Thus, my trap worked on curiosity and would certainly disable anything watching me. It was the sensing of large animals that I needed to work on. I stayed up most of the night, figuring out how to combine shields together, how to get the right range, and the search requirements. I got it together eventually, then crawled gratefully to my bed roll. I needed all the sleep I could get, because I knew that some night soon we would have company.
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    The following day everything seemed to go fairly normally. We noticed no large shapes in the distance, and saw no unusual tracks. I still felt as if we were being watched, though. Any truly smart animal would stay on rocky ground or the trunks of fallen trees. It was nightfall that I was waiting for. That was when we were not moving and the shields would be up. It would be then that I would be prowling—just like a predator.
    After we had found a suitable spot to camp, I immediately cast my sensing spell, but it wasn’t till halfway though the night that it alerted me. I sneaked out of camp, using a simple camouflage enchantment on my clothes and carrying a rope. The magical sensor that I carried told me when I was fairly close to the animal, and it “felt” only one animal in a hundred-yard radius. This made everything a lot easier for me. I sat down a few yards from the bushes where my sensor amulet had shown the animal was. Now I prepared the spell that I had thought of using the night before. I took my time. Anything nearby that was curious would be watching intently as I waved my hands and conjured energies. Then closed my eyes and set it off.
    Even with my eyes shut, the blinding flash of light still hurt. Judging from the thrashing noises and growls from the bushes, whatever had been lurking there had been staring at what I had been doing with intense interest. I conjured a globe of light and set it hanging in midair. It showed a huge cat with a high forehead. Its fur was a very deep shade of green.
    Using my rope, I ensnared the thrashing limbs and tied up the cat before it could see again. Then I sat down in front of it, weaving a rather delicate and tricky translation spell. Soon I could hear that the animal’s noises were not really just yowling, but some very nasty swear words.
    After it had blinked a few times, and seemed to be able to see a bit, it focused its gaze on me.
    â€œSpeak, I can understand,” I told it.
    For a moment it just stared in surprise.
    â€œWell? Why haven’t you killed me?” it asked.
    â€œI could ask why you have not attacked our other scouts,” I replied. “But I already know why. You are intelligent, and you were being sensible and cautious. Because of that, I caught you with a spell that would have worked with any truly intelligent species. A more stupid predator would have just attacked me because I