The Seventh Mountain (21 page)

The map showed the streets and buildings as
if looking down from above at an angle. The objects on the map
appeared three-dimensional and in their natural colors.

Mark said, “What’s this way over here?” He
touched the map and ripples of distortion spread out over the map
from where his finger touched it.

The electronic voice said, “That is Magi
City.”

“Can we go there and get back in twenty
minutes?”

“The distance is twenty-two point five
miles. Fast cruise speed, round trip, with no stops, will take
fourteen point six minutes.”

“Okay, let’s go there.”

“Destination set. Please sit back in your
seats. You will experience two point seven five gees while I
accelerate.”

They sat back and the car accelerated.
Everything whizzed by at a mind-blowing rate.

Seven minutes passed and the little car
started slowing down. The electronic voice said, “Magi City, please
sit back in your seats while I turn and accelerate. You will
experience two point seven five gees on acceleration.”

Mark said, “Stop. Can you display a map of
Magi City?”

“Vehicle stopping. Map function active,
displaying Magi City.”

The mid-air display changed, the scale was
much smaller. It looked like the overall map that they had seen in
the map book. It was hard to see where Magi City was.

“Can you highlight Magi City?”

The outer ring became brighter and the rest
of the map became dimmer.

“Magi City highlighted. Five minutes
remaining before stated twenty minute return deadline becomes
unachievable.”

“You guys want to see some of Magi
City?”

Nick said, “Yeah, let’s go.”

Chenoa said, “Not now. We can see it later.
I don’t want to take a chance and make Mrs. Shadowitz mad.”

Jamal said, “She’s right. We should get
back.”

Mark said, “Okay, let’s get back.”

“Return course resumed. Please sit back in
your seats–”

“Yeah, yeah, we know, two point seven five
gees.”

Do what you can, prepare for what you
must.

Do what you must, prepare for what you
can.

Mark was well rested for the start of his
first class at The Seventh Mountain. He, along with Jamal, Nick,
and Chenoa, walked into Mr. Diefenderfer’s lecture hall. It was
large enough to accommodate the entire group of freshmen. There
were twelve large, oval tables mostly surrounded by couches, all
arranged in a semi-circle and facing the blackboard. Each couch was
separated from the other couches with enough space to easily walk
through. The blackboard was set above the low stage that Mr.
Diefenderfer stood on. There was a group of people standing beside
him. They were all dressed in black tunics and black hooded cloaks.
They had the hoods over their heads, which effectively hid their
faces. It looked to Mark like everyone had made it to class on time
when Mr. Diefenderfer spoke.

“Ah… it is time to begin. Close the door
please. It will be most beneficial… for new students… to be seated
in groups… with their own tribe. Take the time now… to affirm… that
this is so.”

No one moved from their seats. The marble
tables were in tribe colors. Each student had chosen to sit at the
proper table in the first place.

“Very well. This is a mandate… to be
performed… whenever you begin a new page… in your notebooks. You
will write… at the top of each page… words… to this effect… ‘The
Magi’s power is derived from… the secret acts of kindness… shown
to… another individual.’ This will be done… when the page is
turned. It will not be… pre-inscribed… on any page. Fail to do
this… and you will… fail this class.”

Mark already had his notebook open. He wrote
the words on the top of the page.

“We will study… in this hour… at great
length… and depth… this year… the meaning of those words.
Everything… that you will learn this year… will relate back to this
one precept. With that firmly in mind… I will now… set you upon a
path… that will guide you… to the understanding of the why’s… and
how’s… that you do things. We will study… motivation… and
methodology. This one study… will have… many profound… and
practical benefits.”

The people who had been standing beside Mr.
Diefenderfer were instructors. There were two per tribe. Their
function was to help individual students who had questions or were
having trouble. Occasionally they would stop Mr. Diefenderfer in
his lecture so that they could help a student.

The second hour was devoted to the history
of Magi skills and powers. The third hour began the first lesson in
developing the first skill that they would learn, Aaron’s
Grasp.

Aaron’s Grasp, the ability to carry things
invisibly, was supposed to be the easiest skill to learn. Freshmen
typically had a hard time with it because it was so different from
everyday experience and, as with all Magi skills, was a closely
guarded secret. It wasn’t something that your parents were likely
to teach you unless they were both Magi. Magi kept the fact that
they were Magi secret as well, even from their spouse, if that
spouse wasn’t a Magi too. The one standard exception was that the
non-Magi spouse would be told if they had a child who was called to
be a Magi.

After class, Tim met the group toward the
end of lunch. “You will want to wear work tunics to your next
class. I imagine that you will do a lot of perspiring. And the
trick is to lean into the corner. You will understand what I mean
when you get to class.”

Chenoa said, “Well, I guess that we had
better hurry if we want to change and get to class on time.”

Tim said, “Yeah, I guess you should.”

Mark said, “Thanks, Tim. Is combat class
hard?”

“Well, yes and no. For the first few weeks
you are going to think that what Ms. Vanmie asks you to do is
impossible. That is normal. Once you start to realize what you have
already accomplished, things start to seem easier. You start to
enjoy the challenge.”

“What are some of the things that we have to
do?”

“Sorry, I cannot tell you that. Ms. Vanmie
insists that each new student comes to class with no knowledge of
what lies before them. I might have told you too much already.
Well, I need to go and talk to my other students now.” Tim turned
and walked off.

Nick leaned toward Mark. “What on earth do
you think she is going to make us do?”

Mark shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Jamal added, “Whatever it is, it is possible
to do and you don’t get killed.”

Nick perked up. “That’s right, my brother,
Ivan, said that I would love combat class but he couldn’t tell me
anything about it, it’s against the rules. He made it through all
right. He used to be a wimp.”

 
* *
* 

The first formidable undertaking was
presented when they arrived for class. Joramina Vanmie was there
with a group of instructors waiting for them. When the time came
she made the announcement that set the first task.

Ms. Vanmie waved her arm at the wall.
“Before you, you see an inside wall corner. Inset into this corner
are stones protruding two inches and eight inches thick.” She
stepped up and touched the stones.

“You will notice that the protruding stones
on opposite walls alternate. This forms a type of ladder or
stairs.” She walked up a few stones, stopped and jumped back
down.

“You will use this to get into class.” To
demonstrate, she walked all the way up the wall corner with seeming
ease. She walked back down just as easily.

“There are seven other corners here. This
corner is for freshmen. The next corner is for sophomores, level
one. The corner after that is for sophomores, level two and so
forth.” She walked to each corner and pointed as she spoke.

“You will notice that the protruding stones
get progressively smaller as you go. The eighth and final corner
has smooth walls. You are free to use any corner at or above your
year level.” She walked back up to the first corner.

“For those of you that are counting the
stones, the walls are forty feet high. There are thirty protruding
stones in each wall, sixty total. For the next class, I expect each
and every one of you to be in class, on time. If it takes two hours
for you to get up the wall, then I expect you to skip lunch.
Whatever it takes, however you do it, I expect you in class, on
time.”

She turned and nodded to the instructors.
She started to walk off but paused. “One other thing. Gravity works
just fine here and you will notice that there are no rubber mats on
the floor.”

She started walking again and stopped at the
last corner. She walked up the absolutely smooth corner just as
quickly and just as easily as she had the first corner.

One of the instructors said, “It’s easier in
bare feet. You might want to take your sandals off… Now, who wants
to go first?”

There was a long pause while everyone
removed their sandals. No one volunteered. The instructor was about
to pick someone when Mark said, “I’ll try it.”

Mark turned to Jamal. “Will you hold the
staff for me?” It was the first time that Mark had ever considered
relinquishing the staff.

Jamal had a sense of how important this was
to Mark. He took the staff and said, “I’ll keep it safe.”

Mark smiled. “I know you will.”

Mark stepped up to the corner. He placed his
right foot on the lowest protruding stone. He stepped up and put
his left foot on the next stone. He stepped up again and his body
started leaning backwards. He started to lose his balance and
kicked off of the wall so that he would land on his feet.

He went straight back to the wall and
started again. This time he stepped in closer to the corner. This
made it so that he would be leaning into the corner like Tim had
said. He used his hands to brace himself against the wall. Climbing
the corner was relatively easy after that. It was like walking up a
strange stone ladder.

At the top he saw the classroom. It was a
huge platform. Students were paired up and practicing sword
fighting. In each pair, one student had a sword and the other had a
riotous. The sword wielder defended against the baton wielder.

Mark heard the instructor call up to him.
“Come on back down.”

He crawled backwards up to the ledge and let
his feet dangle over the edge. His right foot found one of the
protruding stones. He slowly eased his weight onto his right leg.
He made a conscious effort to keep leaning into the corner while he
made his way down.

He stepped onto the floor and the instructor
said, “When you’ve done this two more times then you can leave. If
you want to, you can try the second or third year corners.”

Mark looked at the instructor. “Thanks.” He
used his sleeve to wipe his face. The task hadn’t seemed that
strenuous, but he was perspiring anyway.

Jamal handed his staff back to him. “That
was pretty good. Was it as hard as it looks?”

“No, not really. Just do like Tim said, lean
into the corner.” Mark leaned his back against the corridor wall.
He slid down and sat on the floor. He noticed that his legs were
throbbing and started rubbing his calves.

An instructor came over to him. “That’s
normal. It should pass in a few minutes. If it doesn’t, then let an
instructor know. We have some stuff that will relax your
muscles.”

“Thanks, I will.” Mark continued to massage
his muscles.

He watched as other students made their
attempts. Slone Voif was the next to try. He walked up the wall
with seeming ease. Jamal tried next. It was obvious that it took a
little effort but he made it up and down the wall on his first try.
Chenoa climbed up and down the wall like it was nothing. Nick was
the only one of the group who had any trouble at all. It took him a
little bit to find his foothold when he was starting to come back
down. Ralph Lawrence was a complete failure. He couldn’t make it
more than five steps, in half a dozen attempts, up the wall, before
he fell off backwards.

The group completed their next two climbs on
the second year’s corner. The stones there protruded only about an
inch. It didn’t feel like there was enough of the stone protruding
to get a good purchase. Mark looked at the third year’s corner. The
stones there stuck out about a half of an inch. That was only
enough to put his toes on.

He decided to try the third year’s corner.
He found that he couldn’t support his weight with his toes alone.
He tried bending his toes up and resting the ball of his foot on
the little ledge. He was able to step up and put his other foot on
the next ledge. That’s when the cramp hit him. He dropped to the
floor and grabbed his foot. He rolled onto his back only to find
himself looking up at an instructor.

“Looks like you got yourself a cramp. Let me
rub some of this on it.” He showed Mark a small bottle.

The instructor bent down and Mark moved his
hands. The instructor tinked out a single drop of liquid from the
small bottle onto each of Mark’s ankles. He rubbed it in and the
pain was instantly gone.

“You’re using muscles in ways that you never
have before. You’re going to get cramps until your muscles get used
to it. The best advice that I can give you is to not overdo it. For
the first few weeks, don’t do more than the instructors tell you
to.”

Mark stood and bounced to test his muscles.
“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

Chenoa came up to
Mark.
“
We’d
better hurry or we’ll be late for practice.”

The instructor said, “She’s right. You’ve
got about fifteen minutes. You can make it if you hurry.”

Flags practice was easy on Mondays. It
consisted of learning about strategy. Krisa drew diagrams on a
chalkboard and explained the concepts. Wednesdays were for riding
technique lessons and practice. Fridays were for actual practice
games. The group also learned that everyone who had tried out for
the Emerald Tribe Team, and didn’t make it, was allowed to
participate as corral workers and guards. The benefit of that was
that they were used as alternates and replacements when needed.
They were at practice as well.