True Magics (22 page)

“No, you see here!” shouted Wilson. “Eileen’s one of us and you insulted every member of the Student Company who fought beside her in Frostmire when you didn’t let her salute you!”

The Fencing Master’s head started going red again. “It is an abomination for a woman to fence!”

“By the Four!” Eileen shoved Wilson aside. The master was easily half a foot taller than her, and Eileen didn’t care in the slightest. “What, then? We should be left helpless? We should be raped and murdered in the streets? Is that what you would like to see?”

“I did not say that! True men defend women…”

“True men don’t stop women from defending themselves!” Eileen yelled. “They don’t leave them helpless, and they don’t try and stop them from helping their friends!” She turned to the Headmaster. “I did not start this duel. I am not the cause of this duel, and I will not be blamed for this duel by
him
,” she jabbed a finger in the Fencing Master’s direction, “or by anyone else!”

The Fencing Master grabbed her arm and spun her back towards him. “Don’t you take that tone with me, girl!”

Eileen kicked the man in the shins and shoved him backwards. “Get
OFF
me!”

The Fencing Master raised his hand and stepped forward to hit her. Without thinking, Thomas caught Master Brennan’s arm, yanked him off balance, and kicked out the man’s leg. Master Brennan hit the ground hard enough for everyone to hear.

Well,
thought Thomas, who’d learned the move from Sir Walter the day before,
that works.

All the students were frozen in place. Even Eileen, who had her own fists up, ready to attack, stared in shock at Thomas.

“That is quite enough,” The Headmaster’s voice cut through the air like a razor.

The Fencing Master pushed himself to his feet, his hand going to the rapier on his hip.

“I said, enough.” The Headmaster’s voice was quieter this time, but no less sharp.

The Fencing Master let go of his weapon and turned to the Headmaster. “You see?” he said. “You see what happens with this girl around the Academy?”

“On the contrary,” said the Headmaster. “Eileen has been nothing but unfailingly polite and has caused no trouble of her own accord.” He surveyed the crowd. “I know what has been going on today. I know of the attempts to block Miss Gobhann from class. I know of the insults and threats that have been driving wedges through the fraternity of our institution. And now, we have this.” The Headmaster’s gaze swept over them. Most had the decency to look embarrassed. “This is unacceptable. You are students and I expect you to behave as such. I expect you to argue as such and when there is a matter that you feel strongly about, I expect you to support that matter as
students
, no matter which side of it you happen to be on.

“Therefore, there will be no more brawling, there will be no more duelling, and there will be no more attempts to block Miss Gobhann from attending her classes. She is a guest of the Academy and will remain so until I say otherwise. Is that understood?”

Two dozen heads nodded.

“You will disperse home tonight, and tomorrow morning each one of you will hand in to me three hundred words on the subject of honour and fraternity. And if there is another incident the participants will be writing a thousand words on the salutary effects of the flogging they received. And Thomas?”

“Yes, sir?”

“In the future, do not knock down the faculty. Now all of you, go. Master Brennan, a word please?”

Hanley and Wilbur and their supporters dispersed and grumbled their way towards the Academy gates. Master Brennan stepped in front of Thomas. “You don’t come near my classes,
boy
,” he said. “You do not speak to me. And be thankful you are forbidden from duelling, or I would demand satisfaction.”

“Five gold on Thomas,” said Henry.

“Shut up,
Lord
Henry.” The Fencing Master spat on the ground, turned on his heel and stalked toward the Headmaster’s porch.

Eileen grabbed Thomas’s hand and dragged him away from the Headmaster’s house. “Are you trying to get kicked out of school?”

“No!”

“Then what were you thinking?” She glared at them other students. “What are any of you thinking? I don’t need my honour defended and I don’t need you getting in trouble! Got it?”

Heads nodded, and Mark and Wilson had the good sense to look embarrassed. Eileen shook her head. “You are all idiots,” she said. She turned her glare back on Thomas. “Especially you.”

She didn’t, Thomas noticed, let go of his hand. He decided to keep quiet.

“Agreed,” said Henry. “Let’s go to the Quill.”

“We have three hundred words to write,” Michael reminded him.

“And we can do it in the tavern as well as in the apartment,” said Henry.

“Here, here,” said Wilson. “We fight together, we write together! Come on!”

Eileen shook her head in disgust but headed for the gate, her hand still tight in Thomas’s.

They were halfway across the campus when Thomas realized who was missing. “Where’s Charles? And Liam and Jonathan?”

“I haven’t seen Charles since Festival,” said Michael. “And I haven’t seen Liam and Jonathan since yesterday.”

The Archbishop said they were waiting. They can’t have gone after them yet.
Thomas frowned at the thought. “Has anyone seen Charles since Festival?”

No one had.

“I’ll look in on Charles,” said Mark. “I left my paper at home when I got my rapier, and he’s on the way to my place. I’ll meet you in the Quill after.”

Halfway to the Quill, Thomas spotted the man with the green coat under the blue cloak following them. Thomas swore and told Eileen.

Eileen glanced back. “Where?”

“The doorway half-way up the block,” said Thomas, keeping his voice low so the other students wouldn’t hear. “Standing in the shadows. Don’t tell the rest of them.”

“I only see shadows,” said Henry. “Nothing else.”

“Me, too,” said Eileen.

Thomas looked over his shoulder and saw the man clearly in the shadows of the doorway. “He’s fifty feet away. Stone arch doorway, slight recess, blue door. See him now?”

“No.”

“No.”

“How can you miss…?” Thomas stopped dead in the street, his mouth dropping open.
No. That would be too simple.
He glanced over his shoulder again and saw the man, plain as day, walking behind them.

“Thomas,” said Eileen. “What is it?”

Thomas picked up Eileen, and spun her around, landing her facing back the way they had come. “Kiss me.”

“Here? Now?!”

“Here and now,” said Thomas, smiling. He leaned in close to her. “Tell me if you see him.”

He leaned in and kissed her. Eileen resisted a moment then kissed him back. When they parted, she said. “He’s not there.”

Thomas picked her up, spun her again, ending with him facing backwards, and kissed her soundly on the mouth once more.

“What are you doing?” Eileen demanded as soon as he lifted his lips away from hers. Her face was flushed, and not only with confusion.

I am an idiot,
thought Thomas
.
A complete idiot.
“He’s right there.”

“Where?” said Henry.

“Doesn’t matter,” said Thomas. “I know who he is.”

“Who?” asked Henry and Eileen simultaneously.

For the first time in several days, Thomas actually felt happy. “I’ll tell you later, I promise.”

An hour later they were drinking and writing with the rest of the company. Thomas did his best to write the essay, but his mind was on the man in the blue cloak. He found himself pausing on every second sentence to wonder
, how do I get to talk to him?

“Not bad at all,” said Henry, looking over Thomas’s shoulder. “I may just copy that.”

“I wouldn’t,” said James. “The Headmaster tends to be put out by such things.”

“The Headmaster tends to be put out by nearly everything,” said Henry.

“He could have done much worse to us,” said Wilson. “Last time two students were caught duelling, they each had to spend a day in the stocks.”

“Which is no less than they deserved,” said Eileen. “Idiots. All of you.”

“They were fighting on the grounds of the Academy,” grumbled Wilson. “We were outside the city, minding our own business.”

“We still shouldn’t be doing it,” said Eileen. “We can’t afford to lose anyone to something as stupid as that duel.”

“So we should have let them insult us?” demanded Wilson. “Let them ridicule us?”

“Better than letting them kill you,” retorted Eileen.

“Remember what the Headmaster said,” said Thomas. “We need to fight like students. We need to use our heads, not our swords.”

Wilson muttered something about swords being far easier, but turned back to his work.

“Finished!” shouted James. “Slowpokes!”

“Says you,” said Eileen, blowing gently to dry the ink on her own essay.

Thomas shook his head and went back to work. He was nearly finished when Mark came in. “I can’t find him!”

“Who?” said Wilson. “And where have you been?”

“Charles,” snapped Mark. “Where do you think I’ve been?”

“No need to get snippy.”

“Where have you looked?” asked Thomas.

“His apartment first. Neither of his roommates has seen him since the Festival. Then I went to William Traverse’s place. He said Charles stumbled out after the second bell of the night. He hasn’t seen him since.”

“That’s an impressive bender,” said James. “Even for Charles.”

“That’s impressive even for Henry,” said Wilson, earning himself a glare.

Unless something is wrong.
Thomas looked down at his essay. “Mark, you stay here and write your essay. I’m finished in ten words then Eileen and I can check the hospitals nearby. Kevin, can you and Wilson go to the City Watch, see if anyone has seen him?”

“You mean arrested him for doing something drunk and stupid?” said Kevin. “Sure thing.”

“The rest of you, divide up into pairs and hit his favourite spots. We’ll meet back here in three hours.” Thomas looked over the concerned faces of the rest of the company and lied, “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s probably just with some girl or other.”

“He usually is,” said James. “For a guy with one hand, he certainly gets around.”

“Proof that girls like personality,” said Wilson.

“You just say that in the hope that there’s one who doesn’t notice your face.”

“Finished,” said Thomas, blowing on the ink to dry it. “Eileen?”

It was full night when they stepped out into the street. The air was damp and chill, and the wind carried the smell of the harbour. The man in the blue cloak was nowhere to be seen.
Of course not. He’s probably gone home.

“There are two hospitals close to the student quarter,” said Thomas. “There’s a bunch of surgeons and physics around, but they either treat patients in the patient’s home or send them to the hospital.”

“You think he’s in the hospital?”

“I hope he is,” said Thomas.
I doubt it.

Three hours later they came back to the tavern. Kevin and Wilson were already back. “Any sign of him?” asked Thomas.

“None,” said Kevin.

“He wasn’t at either of the hospitals.”

“I’m worried,” said Mark. “Something must have happened to him.”

“Something
might
have,” corrected Thomas. “We’ll wait until the others come back before we say ‘must’.”

The others came back in dribs and drabs. Charles hadn’t been seen in the bath-houses in the last three days. He hadn’t been to any of his preferred taverns since Festival. The girls that he knew hadn’t seen him either. “And their parents weren’t too happy to see us at this hour,” said James. “One girl’s father threatened to beat me with a stick.”

Henry and Marcus came back last. Both looked grim.

“Let me guess,” said Mark. “You haven’t seen him either.”

“No,” said Henry. “And we couldn’t find Liam or Jonathan, either.”

By the Four…
Thomas felt his heart sinking. “What’s chance that they’re all hiding and drinking somewhere?”

“Slim?” suggested Henry.

“They wouldn’t have run away from the Academy,” said Marcus. “They were all doing well in their classes, and I know Charles was messed up about his hand, but he was doing all right.”

“He was sulking a lot,” said James. “Feeling sorry for himself and all that. But he wouldn’t just run off.”

“Would he have thrown himself in the sea?” asked Henry.

“No!” James thought about it. “I mean… I don’t think so.”