“No, you can’t eat them, but you can buy food with them, and other things.”
Aaron shrugged, disinterested. “What else is there to need except food? It sounds like extra work, trading coins for other things when you can just go get the other things.”
Gondoleery wolfed down some grapes and nodded. “They kept making coins until everyone had hundreds and thousands of them, and then they weren’t valuable at all anymore.”
Aaron furrowed his brow trying to make sense of it, but it sounded completely crazy to him. And soon he forgot all about it. They picked their four items each that they were not stealing, showed them to the guard, and went on their way.
There was something else Aaron wanted to ask Gondoleery, and finally he ventured. “You said that when Mr. Today gave you back your memories, he also gave you back your magic. Does that mean you have magical powers, like Mr. Today and the Artiméans?”
Gondoleery hobbled along next to him. “Maybe,” she said.
Aaron salivated. As much as he hated the creativity behind magic, it was still a powerful weapon to have on their side. “You aren’t . . . sure?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not sure of anything,” she said, “including you. So I’m not going to answer that question.”
Aaron bristled slightly. “Fair enough,” he muttered. “I thought that you might have noticed how much trust I’ve put in you, how much food I’ve given you, and now I’ve showed you the secret of the Favored Farm, which is practically our own private stash. But no matter.” He tried not to feel vulnerable, but he was suddenly afraid he’d made a big mistake in showing Gondoleery the farm.
“Keep doing what you’re doing to upend Artimé and maybe one day I will tell you,” the old woman said. As it stood, she wasn’t quite sure what she could do magically. So far, it wasn’t much. But Aaron didn’t need to know that.
“I have no other plans than to do just that,” Aaron said lightly. “We have ourselves quite a group of supporters now who have already enthusiastically made a mark on Artimé. Thirty-three at last count, including two governors’ sons, which I’m very pleased about. I intend to grow our group to a majority in Quill so that we might take over the palace, get rid of Haluki and Artimé, and return to the beautiful peace we once had in Quill. Do I have your full support?”
“Of course,” Gondoleery said. “You have my full support to restore Quill. But that doesn’t mean you get all my secrets.”
Aaron almost sniped back, “I don’t want all your secrets’just the one!” but he held his tongue and nodded, returning his demeanor to caring and friendly.
As they approached the gate for the second time that day, Aaron saw a familiar figure waiting for them. They drew near, and Aaron held out his hand to the woman in greeting. “Ahh,” he said grandly. “My dear Eva Fathom.” He bowed over her fingertips. “What news do you bring us from the mansion?”
A New Spell
Alex, Lani, Meghan, and Samheed stood with hundreds of other Artiméans in two rows that stretched from the side lawn of the mansion all the way to the edge of the jungle. The rows faced each other, twenty yards apart, and Florence thunder-stepped between them, giving instructions on Advanced Magical Warrior Training.
She called this session “Advanced,” though last year it was just called regular old ordinary Magical Warrior Training, because, after several very frustrating sessions with Necessaries and Unwanteds together, it became clear that certain new Artiméans were in need of a very basic class. More of a let’s-see-if-you-can-actually-pull-this-off-before-we-put-you-in-the-action sort of class.
Lani’s little brother, Henry, ten years old but still about the size of a gargoyle (and, if you asked Lani, similar to a gargoyle in looks as well), was a quirky boy who asked a lot of questions and carried around a magnifying glass in case he needed to examine things, which he often stopped to do, to Lani’s exasperation. But Henry was also exceptional at magic and took to it very quickly, so he joined the advanced class with his sister and her friends. They actually really liked the boy. He was clever and a hard worker and took his spells very seriously.
But Lani’s mother was one such Artiméan who perhaps “needed improvement” in Florence’s eyes. And there were many others’most of them adults, curiously enough, while the younger Necessaries were quite able to pick up the art organically. So the Beginning Magical Warrior Training class was born.
The beginners were originally assigned to watch the advanced students, taking notes and trying things, but after several accidents around the community, it was decided that they were no longer allowed to actually touch any components at this time.
So Alex and his friends waited patiently while Florence instructed the beginners, young and old alike, on what to watch for. Even Eva Fathom was there, watching with interest on the sidelines and taking notes.
Alex fingered the new heart-shaped component in his pocket, eager to give it a try. He was very proud of this particular creation’it was likely his most powerful spell yet, and he was already working on a lethal level spell to it. It scared and thrilled him just to think about it, and a little chill ran up his spine and quivered at the back of his neck. He hadn’t felt this excited since . . . well, since the last time he began Magical Warrior Training. Maybe it was because he had worked so hard for it back then, or because he’d been somewhat unfairly held back from it originally, but deep down, Alex thought he knew what was so exciting about battle. It was because he was, to put it boldly, quite amazingly good at fighting.