Poor World by Sherwood Smith Page B

wrong with promotion by merit?
    But not by force, I thought hazily. People have to want change, and then wouldn’t they choose it for themselves?
    No answer — of course. My thoughts were also slowly growing distant, though strangely, a portion of my attention remained curiously clear. It was as if, for a moment, I heard all the voices of the world, or an echo of them. Happy, sad, busy, sleepy, angry, dull, making music, making food ... everyone and everything. I knew then, I knew I had no right to choose for them all.
    And so I let go the dizzying prospect of all that knowledge. The surge of regret and longing and sorrow and fear snapped my wits back to the here-and-now.
    I looked through my own eyes again, instead of inside, and discovered I had been watching her move from object to object as she briefly explained its purpose.
    â€œYou’ll need to study my books, of course, and I will presently begin you on an appropriate sequence of preliminary studies. First, though, I suspect Kessler will require you to learn the world’s map, so that he can instruct you in the rudiments of strategy. Temporal strategy.” She smiled sweetly, and laid her hand on the table. “I have my own strategy. For example here, and elsewhere, I can assemble all the basic components of a person. To create life, a mind, now that is an intriguing goal!” She turned back to her concoction. “My goals for now are contiguous with Kessler’s. I provide magical services, and he supplies me with subjects for experimentation from among his prisoners.”
    My blood turned into ice.
    â€œHave you any questions, child?” she asked. “I have been talking for a long time, and I hope to some purpose.”
    She wanted a response. Pure fright cleared my head enough to enable me to say, “No, ma’am. As you say, I’ve lots to learn from Kessler first.”
    Right then, he seemed the saner, safer choice between the two!
    Dejain smiled again, and dipped her pretty chin in a nod. “As well. His expectations are high. You’d do well to put your energies into his work for a time. You’ll have more leisure to begin our work soon enough.”
    â€œAll right,” I said, about as subdued as I’d ever spoken to any adult I didn’t trust. I was thoroughly spooked.
    â€œCome back if questions do occur, child. In the meantime, do not dismiss Alsaes so lightly. He has none of Kessler’s brilliance, but he’s adept with petty cruelties. He already sees you supplanting him in the place he deemed his, and if you overtly make of him an enemy he will do his best to make trouble for you. And Kessler does have a temper.”
    â€œThanks for the warning,” I said, and left.
    Even though the outside air had gotten even hotter, I was glad to get away from the bone-aching chill of Dejain’s rooms.
    I wandered back up the street, watching groups of people at various chores, from unpacking or transporting supplies to running in those neat, orderly lines. Brilliance? I thought skeptically. He just seems crazy to me. But then, so does she. Of course two crazies would think each other great.
    Me, I just had to figure how to get myself, the girls, and the itchfeet out of there, preferably with our hides intact.
    Diana ran by with one of those squads. They flashed across a street and disappeared behind a barracks building, moving in the direction of the practice areas. I was tempted to follow, and then wondered if that was a good idea.
    Why not? I stopped, uncertain what to do next. So far it seemed I was free to do what I wanted, except Kessler hadn’t told me where the girls were staying or what jobs they’d been assigned to. All that stuff about being his heir — maybe he expected me to just ignore the girls and devote myself to learning his tasks.
    So that I could launch my career by killing Clair.
    Again that cold nastiness trickled through my veins.
    Would I get the girls in