The Wizard by Gene Wolfe Read Free Book Online

here, I'm sorry to say." Mani did not sound the least bit sorry. "He can make himself useful by watching for intruders. Don't worry about me, I'll ride on your shoulder." "I'm not worrying about you," I whispered. "I'm waiting for the intruder. Talk about something else." "In that case I'll go up." Mani climbed to my shoulder. "And make sure she's still alive." From the hayloft, someone called, "L-Lord?" I was listening to the squeaking of feet in the new-fallen snow outside, and did not reply. Slowly, almost silently, the big barn door swung, and a vertical bar of starlight appeared. Toug slipped through, and I caught him by the shoulder, making him squawk. "If you want to be a knight, you mustn't scare so easy," I told him. "It helps not to shut your eyes tight, too." "I didn't mean any harm, sir." "I never thought you did, and a talking cat's bound to make anybody curious." "It wasn't that. I knew Mani could talk. He talked to me, and I think he talks to Lady Idnn. It was you, talking about Skai. It sounded so wonderful. I wanted to stay with you and learn more if I could." Above, the voice whispered, "Please, L-Lord Able . . ." Mani leaped, hitting the logs of the wall with a thump. After a few seconds, he called, "I think her back's broken." "I can't help her," I told Toug, "but you can. This is why you were awake when you should've been asleep, and why you followed us. Go up and heal her." As Toug mounted the ladder I told Gylf, "I'm going back in for a minute. You can come with me or wait here." "I'll come," he rumbled. We returned to the house and found a cup, and a big lamp made for Bymir. Outside, its flame fluttered in the wind, and I had to shield it with my hand. "I want you up there," I told Gylf when we regained the shelter of the barn, "and the hole Toug went through won't be big enough. See the big one where they throw hay down?" "Yep." "Put your forelegs on the edge and jump a little, and you ought to be able to get up pretty easily." Gylf said nothing. "The giant who owned this place stuck his head through there. So it's around twice my height." To see it better, I held up the lamp. "Say half a rod and a bit more. Still, it won't be too hard for you." "Can't jump that high." Gylf would not meet my eyes. "Maybe if I go up first, and call you?" After a long moment, Gylf nodded. Climbing the ladder without spilling oil from the lamp was anything but easy; yet I managed it, mostly by balancing myself, releasing the rung I held, and grabbing the next. It was a relief when Toug reached down and took the lamp. "There's an Aelf up here," Toug said. "I know. It's Baki, isn't it?" Mani peered over the edge. "That's right, Sir Able, and she's suffering terribly. She's most grateful to my mistress and me, but we've done all we can." "She wants you," Toug added. "She can't have me," I told him as I climbed into the loft. "I was hoping you'd fixed her by now." "I don't know how!" Somewhere beyond the lamplight, Baki moaned. I found her and sat on the straw beside her. "She's in pain," I told Toug, "and you're wasting time. Kneel here." He did. "Run your fingers over her. Gently! Very gently." "I can't do this." "Yes, you can. That's the point. You're a god to her. Not to me and not to Mani. But to her you're a god. This world of Mythgarthr is a higher world than hers." Toug tried, and nothing happened. "Think her whole. Healed. Imagine her healthy and well. Jumping, dancing, turning cartwheels. She did all that before this happened. Think about how she used to be." Toug tried, eyes tightly shut and lips drawn to a thin hne. "Is anything happening?" "No. It won't happen gradually. When it happens, it'll be over before it starts, and you'll know. You'll feel the rush of power that did it." "L-Lord," Baki gasped. "I can't help you," I told her, "but Toug can and will. Have you got faith in Toug? You've got to, or die." "You . . . drank my blood, Lord." "I remember, and I'd repay you if I could. I can't help you now. Toug has