Contractor by Andrew Ball Read Free Book Online Page B

no."
    "…yes. Probably," Xik added quickly.
    Daniel swiveled to face his desk. He
    dragged a piece of scrap paper over and
    carefully began to read, copying parts as he
    went along. He expected tricks, or at least
    some vaguely worded clauses, but it was
    open and direct. By the end of it, he’d
    written a short summary of the entire
    contract.

    - On condition of agreement, the
    contract manager will advise the
    contractor in matters pertaining to magic
    and the Vorid.

    - The contractor agrees to use his
    magic for the purpose of combating Vorid.
    If it is judged by council that this
    responsibility is neglected to serious
    extent, the contractor shall become an
    enemy of the state and treated as Vorid; on
    this account, there will be no quarter or
    appeal.

    - In exchange for this service, when not
    in combat against our mutual enemy, the
    contractor shall be free to use his powers
    at his discretion. However, if the
    contractor’s actions violate local laws or
    otherwise earn the enmity of those in his
    universe or any universe to which he
    travels, the Klide will offer no special
    protection or guarantee of safety. The
    contractor is solely responsible for the use
    of his powers.

    - The artificial unlocking of magical
    talent provides the contractor with unique
    magical skills, but does not necessarily
    enable the contractor to learn any and all
    forms of magic.

    - The contractor will be unaffected by
    Vorid spells that replace extracted souls
    with magic shells. He shall be able to tell
    them from real people, and his memory will
    remain unaltered.

    "…Xik."
    "Yes?" Xik leaned forward. "Finished
    reading?"
    "There’s nothing in here about the
    magic."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Say I accept the contract," Daniel said.
    "What can I do? Breathe fire? Wear pinstripe
    suits? Conjure tea?"
    "Well, about that." Xik fiddled with the
    collar of his suit. "I’ve no idea."
    "…you’re serious, aren’t you?"
    "Deadly," Xik said. "Magic can be
    learned by those with the talent for it, but it
    takes years of study to master. You are
    different." Xik lifted his index finger. "I know one thing for sure: you gain what you
    would call an enchantment. Any tool you use
    will be very sturdy and have the capacity to
    harm Vorid. The efficacy of said device will
    depend on your weapon of choice and the
    strength of your powers. Secondly." He
    flicked his middle finger up. "It gives you
    your own particular magical talent."
    "Xik, you’re killing me. Be specific."
    The frog shook his head. "I told you—I
    don’t know. It depends on the individual.
    Amongst the species I’ve visited, I’ve seen
    flight, telekinesis, accelerated healing,
    transmutation…it could be anything. Unlike
    normal mages, you will have an intuitive
    grasp of your power without the need for
    sigils."
    "Sigils?"
    "The monkey wrench, as it were, of the
    magician," Xik said. "A sigil serves to focus magical energy into a defined purpose. It’s
    like a magic word…just more complicated.
    Point being, you don’t need them."
    "…one last question."
    "Yes?"
    "Is it really random? Picking me out of
    seven billion people?"
    Xik unfolded his legs and knitted his
    hands between his knees. "Natural magical
    talent is a link of the soul into the energy grid
    that underwrites all reality. Magic is the
    ability to call upon and manipulate that
    energy. Few in your universe are so lucky.
    Fewer still occupy your position—more
    talent than the average person, but not so
    much that it manifested as magical power."
    Xik looked at him. "You are one of those
    people. In a sense, it was random."
    "In a sense." Daniel nodded. "And that solves the mystery of your persistence. I’m a
    rare breed, and you need every soldier you
    can get."
    "You have an incisive manner of finding
    out what you want to know."
    "I just hate bullshit."
    "I see."
    Daniel sighed. He held his head in his
    hands. He fiddled with the lock of hair that
    hung over his eyes, spinning it in circles with
    a