Gene Wolfe - The Wizard

To test him, I asked whether he had conjured up Uri.

“That’s the girl talkin’, I know. I listen, even these days when I can’t see. More’n ever these days, really. No, Master, I didn’t. I heard her and sounds like she’s crazy, but I didn’t have to do with that, neither.”

Uri grinned like a wolf.

I am afraid I smiled, too; but I told him that he was not to call me Master, that Toug was his master, not I.

“I’m main sorry, Sir Able, it slipped out. It’s square on my tongue. But you’ve the right of it, I belong to Master Toug now. Only he don’t seem to have much use for me.”

I told him that would change.

“That’s so, Sir Able. Can I ask now?”

“No. When I’ve finished with Uri here, perhaps. But before I go back to her, what was it you did for Etela that frightened her?”

“Nothing, Sir Able. Just little things, you know. Took a coin out of her ear, and a egg once. Things like that.”

Uri sniffed.

“Could you take a coin out of my ear?”

“Not now, Sir Able, ’cause I don’t have one. Maybe you could lend me? Just for a moment, you know? Gold’s best, if you got gold.”

I did, of course, in the purse Duke Marder had given me. Nevertheless, I turned to Uri. “Bring us a gold coin, and promptly. Any minting will do—whatever you can find.”

“For this?” She sounded angry.

“Are you my slave, or have you dropped that pretense?”

She knelt as Vil had. “There is no pretense, Lord.”

“Then do as you’re told, and quickly.”

When she was gone, Mani muttered, “She’ll steal it.”

“Of course she will.”

Vil cleared his throat, his homely, sightless face not quite turned to mine. “Maybe now? My arm’s got wrenched—”

“In the fight at the marketplace.”

“Right. One hit me, maybe. I never done much.”

“A blind man fighting giants.”

“I can hear, and I can feel. I’m strong, too. I always was. In my trade it helps, but smithing got me stronger than I was when I come. Hammering, you know, and all that. So I thought maybe I could help, so I got one by the leg and threw him. Only the next one hit me or fetched me a kick and after that I couldn’t do much. What it is, Sir Able—”

Uri returned, proudly holding a gold coin stamped with the features of King Gilling.

“Here is a gold coin.” I handed it to Vil. “Now take it from my ear if you can.”

“Ain’t easy, Sir Able, conjuring when you can’t see.”

“I never supposed it was easy, even for the sighted.”

“Is it real gold?” He bit the coin and swallowed it. “Not bad! ‘Bout twelve carat. From the taste, you know. Want me to try to get it out of my belly?”

Though he could not see me, I nodded. “If you can.”

“I’ll try.” His hands groped for me. “I got to touch your ears, Sir Able. Main sorry for that, but I got to, so’s to know where they is. Hope my hands ain’t too dirty.”

I told him to go ahead.

“Taller’n I thought.”

It was somehow disquieting to have a face that showed evidence of many beatings this close to mine.

“You can hear me, can’t you?”

I said I could.

“Ought to hear better in a minute. Where’s that Uri?” She said nothing until I told her she must answer.

“Come here, Uri. I can’t see, so you got to be eyes for me. Look in his ear, will you? You see that gold in there?”

“Only his thoughts,” Uri said, looking into my ear.

“Why, you’re blind as me. Watch sharp.” He displayed a coin. “Where’d that come from, Uri? Tell Sir Able here.”

“From your ear, Lord.” She grimaced. “So it appeared.”

I said, “May I see the coin again, Vil?”

He handed me a large coin, much worn and tarnished.

“This is a brass cup of Celidon,” I told him. “The coin you had just now was gold.”

“No, it warn’t, Sir Able. I know I said, but I didn’t want you show you up in front of this girl and the boy that makes his cat talk. You see, Sir Able—”

“I do, and I saw it was gold. Produce it!”

He knelt again, his blind eyes upturned, his hands outspread. “Am I a man would lie to you? Not never! Truthful Vil’s what they call me, Master. You ask anybody.”

“And you, Truthful Vil, say the coin wasn’t gold?”

“I do, Master. Look here.” He held out an empty hand.

Uri said, “The coin I brought was gold, Lord.”

I nodded. “I’m looking, as you asked, Truthful Vil. But there’s no gold in your hand.”

“There ain’t?” He seemed genuinely puzzled.

“No. None.”

“I can’t see myself, Sir Able, being blind, you know. Only I feel it this minute—feel the weight.” He clenched his fist. “There! I got it!” He opened his hand once more, and a shinning coin lay in the palm.

I took it. “This is a brass farthing, polished bright.”

“I know, Sir Able, ‘twas the coin I showed you, Master. A brass one, only I’d rubbed it clean.”

“I had heard of conjurers, but until now I had never seen one. You must be one of the best.”

He bowed and thanked me.

“Now I must require that gold piece of you. Uri and I will be through in a few minutes. When we are, she will have to return it to its owner. Do you know where it is, Uri?”

She shook her head. “You must beat him, Lord.”

Vil raised his hands as if to fend off a blow. “You wouldn’t hit a man what can’t see, Sir Able. Not you!”

“You’re right,” I told him, “I wouldn’t. But I’d cut one open to see whether he’d really swallowed my gold.” I drew my dagger so that he might hear the blade leaving the scabbard. “No one calls me Truthful Able, but I’m truthful in this: what I say I’ll do, I’ll do. Produce that coin.”

“I hid it under the cat, Sir Able.”

Mani rose and took two steps to his left, and the big gold coin of Jotunland Uri had brought lay on the windowsill.

She picked it up. “Do you want to examine it, Lord?”

I shook my head. “If you’re satisfied, I’m satisfied.”

Vil said, “That’s how we do, Sir Able. Only what we do is tell them it’s a good ways away. Under that wagon over there, we’ll say, or in the shoe of that man with the red hair. Him being, you know, the one that looks like he can run fast. If you’ve done everything right, why they believe it and look, and while they’re doing it you run. Hide, if you can. I used to be good at it. Course I couldn’t, now, but it’s how I used to do anytime somebody fetched gold.”

Uri said, “Surely you have seen enough now, Lord, to understand why the child fears him.”

“Seen enough, but not heard enough. I’ll do that later. You want me to come to Aelfrice at once?”

She nodded.

“To fight Kulili for you. Not long ago, Baki wanted me to come to Aelfrice to fight Garsecg. I won’t do either one ‘til I finish here.”

“You say years would pass here, Lord, but the difference is not as great as you suppose. You may take a year here—ten!”

“I’ll come when I’m ready. When I do, I’ll fight Kulili as I promised. If I live, I may or may not lead you against Garsecg—no promises. Now take that coin back.”

She faded as I spoke, and was gone.

Mani said, “Just between the three of us, and before she comes back to spy, do you think you can beat this Garsecg?”

I shrugged. “I killed Grengarm.”

“And he killed you, dear owner.”

I could not help smiling. “You see, you know more about it than I do, Mani.”

“I don’t even know who Kulili is.”

“You won’t learn it from me today. Do you know who Garsecg is?”

Mani looked smug as only a cat can. “He’s a dragon.”