any alphabet; a name or quote or phrase, in any language; an image – or any combination. He tried whatever came to mind: the name of the corporation, the name of the corporate president, the words of the Code, and on, in different languages, different encryptions. The ring did not respond. His father, he now recalled, had always argued against the use of significant numbers or phrases, asserting that keys should be completely random. Otherwise, with sufficient effort, an intruder could discover them.
Galen continued desperately, pointlessly. Fa and Razeel reached the moss-covered plain of rock where Galen and Elric had once lived. Out of the dusky mist, like a nightmare, emerged Elizar, with his long, masterful stride, his head tilted slightly back. For two years Galen had struggled to block out all thought of him. The tech's energy welled up with a rush. Behind Elizar came Bunny, in a short green dress.
Galen had hoped he'd killed her on Thenothk. He wondered what she had to do with this. Could she have seen something when she invaded his thoughts, something he'd forgotten here? His mind raced to discover what it could be. Fa stopped short at the sight of Elizar. She would remember him, Galen knew, from the convocation. She'd seen Galen attack him with the spell of destruction, and she'd been terrified. Razeel seized Fa's hand, held it up.
"Say hello to Galen, brother." Elizar approached.
He wore a long coat of black velvet, a gold and black vest beneath. The dark goatee scoured into the shape of the rune for magic stood out against his pale skin. At the sight of the ring, he gave a truncated laugh. The planes of his angular face carried a cold arrogance.
"It's too perfect, isn't it. Hello, Galen."
"Will you take me to Gale?"
Fa's question sounded more like a demand.
"She can't remember anything they might have left behind," Razeel said.
Elizar nodded, crouched before Fa.
"Gale didn't like you," Fa said.
"You mean that fight we had?"
Razeel was still clutching Fa, and Elizar pulled his sister's hand away, released it. He continued.
"Galen apologized for that. He felt very bad for hurting me. It was all a misunderstanding. I forgave him long ago. I was glad to offer to come here in his place. Galen would like us to bring you to him. There's just one problem. You know he went away with all the rest of us, all the techno-mages."
Fa nodded.
"You can't come with us unless you can do magic like we do."
"But I can," Fa said. "A little. I've been practicing."
She took a small stone from the pocket of her jumper, and from the movements of the ring he could tell she was going through a rapid sleight of hand.
"Where is it?" she said, spreading her palms.
She tilted her head to one side.
"Oh. But what's that behind your ear?"
She reached out to Elizar, produced the stone with a flourish. She'd gotten much better. She must have worked long hours since he'd been gone.
"Very good!"
Elizar said with a smile.
"Galen taught you that? You're a good student. Did he teach you anything else?"
"Lots of things," Fa said. "He showed me his spells."
"And do you remember them?" Elizar asked. Galen closed his eyes, though it made no difference. Here, he realized, was the purpose of Elizar's visit. He had left something behind. He had left Fa. She had seen his spells. He desperately tried to remember how much she had seen, whether she had seen the spell of destruction. Then he remembered.
The night he had discovered it, the first night of the convocation. She had come in through his window raving about the pretty light show outside, had annoyed him while he tried to work. And to show her the difficulty of what the mages did, to teach her more respect, he had shown her his spells, explained the progression from which he had derived his first basic postulate.
Bunny must have glimpsed the memory when she scanned him. Now they were going to rip the spell out of Fa's mind.
"We're going to test your memory," Elizar said. "Then
Galen continued desperately, pointlessly. Fa and Razeel reached the moss-covered plain of rock where Galen and Elric had once lived. Out of the dusky mist, like a nightmare, emerged Elizar, with his long, masterful stride, his head tilted slightly back. For two years Galen had struggled to block out all thought of him. The tech's energy welled up with a rush. Behind Elizar came Bunny, in a short green dress.
Galen had hoped he'd killed her on Thenothk. He wondered what she had to do with this. Could she have seen something when she invaded his thoughts, something he'd forgotten here? His mind raced to discover what it could be. Fa stopped short at the sight of Elizar. She would remember him, Galen knew, from the convocation. She'd seen Galen attack him with the spell of destruction, and she'd been terrified. Razeel seized Fa's hand, held it up.
"Say hello to Galen, brother." Elizar approached.
He wore a long coat of black velvet, a gold and black vest beneath. The dark goatee scoured into the shape of the rune for magic stood out against his pale skin. At the sight of the ring, he gave a truncated laugh. The planes of his angular face carried a cold arrogance.
"It's too perfect, isn't it. Hello, Galen."
"Will you take me to Gale?"
Fa's question sounded more like a demand.
"She can't remember anything they might have left behind," Razeel said.
Elizar nodded, crouched before Fa.
"Gale didn't like you," Fa said.
"You mean that fight we had?"
Razeel was still clutching Fa, and Elizar pulled his sister's hand away, released it. He continued.
"Galen apologized for that. He felt very bad for hurting me. It was all a misunderstanding. I forgave him long ago. I was glad to offer to come here in his place. Galen would like us to bring you to him. There's just one problem. You know he went away with all the rest of us, all the techno-mages."
Fa nodded.
"You can't come with us unless you can do magic like we do."
"But I can," Fa said. "A little. I've been practicing."
She took a small stone from the pocket of her jumper, and from the movements of the ring he could tell she was going through a rapid sleight of hand.
"Where is it?" she said, spreading her palms.
She tilted her head to one side.
"Oh. But what's that behind your ear?"
She reached out to Elizar, produced the stone with a flourish. She'd gotten much better. She must have worked long hours since he'd been gone.
"Very good!"
Elizar said with a smile.
"Galen taught you that? You're a good student. Did he teach you anything else?"
"Lots of things," Fa said. "He showed me his spells."
"And do you remember them?" Elizar asked. Galen closed his eyes, though it made no difference. Here, he realized, was the purpose of Elizar's visit. He had left something behind. He had left Fa. She had seen his spells. He desperately tried to remember how much she had seen, whether she had seen the spell of destruction. Then he remembered.
The night he had discovered it, the first night of the convocation. She had come in through his window raving about the pretty light show outside, had annoyed him while he tried to work. And to show her the difficulty of what the mages did, to teach her more respect, he had shown her his spells, explained the progression from which he had derived his first basic postulate.
Bunny must have glimpsed the memory when she scanned him. Now they were going to rip the spell out of Fa's mind.
"We're going to test your memory," Elizar said. "Then
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