delights, the Zinul and Queng — the mystery was rapidly explained.
“A damned Wizard of Walfarg!”declared Hwang, the master. “We got rid of him the moment we found out the truth.”
“In that case—” said Nath the Bollard, doubtfully.
Chang-So burst out: “Chuck him in!”
At that point the workings of fate, or chance, became more apparent to me. Had that unpleasant rast, Pondro the Pin, not been so unpleasant and I had been able to stay aboard
Quaynt’s Fortune
, then I would have been well down the river, and would not have fished this young Wizard of Loh out of the water.
Not for a single moment did I believe the Star Lords or the Savanti had anything to do with this meeting.
I said: “Let me have a word with him.”
No one objected. Back aboard
Garrus
I let the lad out of the bosun’s cabin. I frowned at him, and he remained still.
Now if you are already way ahead of me in this my newest design I am not surprised. When I’d been counting up the ways of reaching Tsungfaril, far down in the south of Loh, I’d completely overlooked this obvious way.
“You are a Wizard of Loh.” He flushed up at this, but kept his mouth shut. I decided to test him. “Why didn’t you turn the people who threw you overboard into little green frogs?”
“Oh,” he began airily, with all a spirited young man’s arrogance. “I would have done so; but—” He saw my face and stopped speaking. He took a breath, and then in an entirely different tone of voice said: “I believe you know why I did not.”
“Yes.”
“So what do you want of me?”
“That is simple for a Wizard of Loh. If you would be so kind as to oblige me, I would ask you to go into lupu and contact a friend.”
He made a face. “Lupu. That was an exercise I always—”
“Was?”
There were as I knew a number of ways a sorcerer could go into lupu, that magical trance-like state in which they could communicate and spy over vast distances. What did he mean, ‘was’?
He looked down at his feet. “They threw me out.”
“Threw you out?” I repeated like a loon. “What do you mean, they threw you out?”
“What I say. I didn’t pay enough attention to the lessons. I failed to pass an interim exam.” He looked up, hotly. “It was all the fault of that Pynsi! She promised me and then she gave her favors to that lout, Ul-ga-Sorming!”
“By the disgusting despicable deliquescing bowels of Makki Grodno! You mean you’re a damned Wizard of Loh and you can’t get into communication with a brother or sister wizard?” I fairly howled with mortification.
“Not really. Anyway, I’ve given it all up. I am going for a Bowman of Loh.”
“And I suppose you failed in an examination to hit the Chunkrah’s Eye!” I flamed out bitterly.
“No! I can shoot in my bow with the best!”
“And a fat lot of good that’ll do me now!”
“Well, if that’s the way you feel, I suppose you’d better throw me in the water again!”
I controlled my breathing. “Anyway, what’s your name?”
“Nath the Ready.”
“Yes, yes. Your real name, fambly.”
Again he gave me that appraising glance. I suppose I was a trifle wrought up. Just as I thought I had a capital scheme to reach my friends, this jackanapes ruined it all because instead of studying his lessons he’d been mooning after a girl. I didn’t have a hat on; if I had I’d have ripped it off and thrown it down on the deck and jumped on it. Too true, by Vox!
“I am Ra-Lu-Quonling.”
“Ha!” I was already working out what to do with this fine fellow. “D’you know Deb-Lu-Quienyin?”
“Not personally. He left Whonban long before I was born.”
“Ah — then you’re related.”
“All Wizards of Walfarg are related.” That was said with a little sniff, not so much of contempt as of recognition of my ignorance.
“I suppose so, more or less. D’you know Khe-Hi-Bjanching, or Ling-Li-Lwingling?”
“They were arriving in Whonban as I was leaving.”
Quite
“A damned Wizard of Walfarg!”declared Hwang, the master. “We got rid of him the moment we found out the truth.”
“In that case—” said Nath the Bollard, doubtfully.
Chang-So burst out: “Chuck him in!”
At that point the workings of fate, or chance, became more apparent to me. Had that unpleasant rast, Pondro the Pin, not been so unpleasant and I had been able to stay aboard
Quaynt’s Fortune
, then I would have been well down the river, and would not have fished this young Wizard of Loh out of the water.
Not for a single moment did I believe the Star Lords or the Savanti had anything to do with this meeting.
I said: “Let me have a word with him.”
No one objected. Back aboard
Garrus
I let the lad out of the bosun’s cabin. I frowned at him, and he remained still.
Now if you are already way ahead of me in this my newest design I am not surprised. When I’d been counting up the ways of reaching Tsungfaril, far down in the south of Loh, I’d completely overlooked this obvious way.
“You are a Wizard of Loh.” He flushed up at this, but kept his mouth shut. I decided to test him. “Why didn’t you turn the people who threw you overboard into little green frogs?”
“Oh,” he began airily, with all a spirited young man’s arrogance. “I would have done so; but—” He saw my face and stopped speaking. He took a breath, and then in an entirely different tone of voice said: “I believe you know why I did not.”
“Yes.”
“So what do you want of me?”
“That is simple for a Wizard of Loh. If you would be so kind as to oblige me, I would ask you to go into lupu and contact a friend.”
He made a face. “Lupu. That was an exercise I always—”
“Was?”
There were as I knew a number of ways a sorcerer could go into lupu, that magical trance-like state in which they could communicate and spy over vast distances. What did he mean, ‘was’?
He looked down at his feet. “They threw me out.”
“Threw you out?” I repeated like a loon. “What do you mean, they threw you out?”
“What I say. I didn’t pay enough attention to the lessons. I failed to pass an interim exam.” He looked up, hotly. “It was all the fault of that Pynsi! She promised me and then she gave her favors to that lout, Ul-ga-Sorming!”
“By the disgusting despicable deliquescing bowels of Makki Grodno! You mean you’re a damned Wizard of Loh and you can’t get into communication with a brother or sister wizard?” I fairly howled with mortification.
“Not really. Anyway, I’ve given it all up. I am going for a Bowman of Loh.”
“And I suppose you failed in an examination to hit the Chunkrah’s Eye!” I flamed out bitterly.
“No! I can shoot in my bow with the best!”
“And a fat lot of good that’ll do me now!”
“Well, if that’s the way you feel, I suppose you’d better throw me in the water again!”
I controlled my breathing. “Anyway, what’s your name?”
“Nath the Ready.”
“Yes, yes. Your real name, fambly.”
Again he gave me that appraising glance. I suppose I was a trifle wrought up. Just as I thought I had a capital scheme to reach my friends, this jackanapes ruined it all because instead of studying his lessons he’d been mooning after a girl. I didn’t have a hat on; if I had I’d have ripped it off and thrown it down on the deck and jumped on it. Too true, by Vox!
“I am Ra-Lu-Quonling.”
“Ha!” I was already working out what to do with this fine fellow. “D’you know Deb-Lu-Quienyin?”
“Not personally. He left Whonban long before I was born.”
“Ah — then you’re related.”
“All Wizards of Walfarg are related.” That was said with a little sniff, not so much of contempt as of recognition of my ignorance.
“I suppose so, more or less. D’you know Khe-Hi-Bjanching, or Ling-Li-Lwingling?”
“They were arriving in Whonban as I was leaving.”
Quite
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