Jean Lorrah - Empress Unborn

“Of course!” said Master Clement, relief clear in his voice. But he did not spoil Pyrrhus’ explanation.

Seeing that neither Aradia nor Wicket understood, Pyrrhus continued, “Sometimes a person with mental illness is violent, toward others or himself. It may take months or years for Readers to cure him-and in the meantime the person would have to be locked up to protect himself or others, were it not for implanted commands. Usually it is simply ‘Whenever you hear a key word, stop what you are doing and become completely calm.’ And then some uncommon word is given as the key, and the person can return to his family between treatments. If he becomes violent or self-destructive, anyone can stop him by shouting the key word.”

“Ingenious,” said Aradia. “By the way, a Lord Adept can also implant commands in people’s minds; we are not necessarily dealing with a Reader. But either way, we could not Read anyone driving that roomful of people, because nobody was driving them at the time they became violent.”

She nodded, working it out. “I see how it was done. Ahead of time, each one had the command implanted to go to Capero’s this evening, and try to kill Julia when she was revealed as a Reader. The ones who were confused and afraid,” she added, “were people who just happened to go to Capero’s tonight, not part of the plan-but they were outnumbered.”

“It’s not quite that simple,” said Master Clement. “An implanted command that goes strongly against a person’s feelings and beliefs doesn’t work very well. Sometimes not at all. Sometimes it sends the person into shock because what he believes opposes the command he must obey.”

“Ah, but the people at Capero’s tonight were gamblers, brothel owners, merchants who resent Readers keeping their measurements and accounts honest,” said Aradia.

She smiled at Pyrrhus. “That’s twice in one evening you have served me well-first rescuing Julia, and now assuring us that we are not dealing with some supernatural force. I will reward you with gold, of course-in fact, I would like to reward you with a house, if you will stay in Zendi and work for me.”

“Work for you?”

“First, help me find this renegade Reader or Adept who is attacking our people. It may be someone with both powers, but if so he will have one strongly, one only weakly. “

“Why is that?’ Pyrrhus asked.

“The two powers are the same,” said Master Clement, “and yet they are in conflict. Usually a person becomes proficient in the talent which manifests earlier, and develops the other weakly or not at all. Using Adept powers depletes the body, which reduces Reading ability. That is why, at my age, I see no reason to attempt to waken my Adept powers.”

Pyrrhus’ lip curled into a sneer as he asked, “You really think you have Adept powers?”

“Oh, there is no doubt of the potential,” the Master Reader replied. “Except for the most minor talents, anyone who has one power has both. Aradia has just succeeded in awakening Adept powers in Decius, one of our young Magister candidates.”

Wicket was staring, wide-eyed. “But that means-”

Aradia could not help smiling at him. “Yes, Wicket, that’s what it means.”

Wicket jumped up, and thumped Pyrrhus so hard on the back he almost knocked the man over.

“Pyrrhus- that’s how you do it! How I did it tonight, after Julia told me what it was!”

Regaining his balance, Pyrrhus stared haughtily at his friend, who was practically dancing with joy. “Do what?”

“Always hit your mark. Never miss. Pyrrhus-you’re an Adept! Just like me!”

Pyrrhus shook his head in mock sorrow. “Wicket, I always feared that you would go mad one day.”

“Wicket is right, Pyrrhus,” said Aradia. “Both Master Clement and I Read what happened at Capero’s.

You used Adept power to control your weapons, and so did Wicket.”

For the first time, Aradia saw Pyrrhus at a loss for words. He stared first at her, then at Master Clement, then Wicket, went to the couch Wicket had vacated, and sat down as if he didn’t trust his legs to hold him. “It’s not possible,” he said finally.

“Of course it’s possible-in fact, it is a natural compensation for losing your ability to Read,” Aradia said.

“Compensation?” He nearly choked on the word. “For Reading? How can you Read at all and say that?”

“That’s not how I meant it, Pyrrhus,” she replied gently. “I meant that the body and mind compensate when any sense is taken away, the others becoming sharper. Certainly no blind nonReader would feel that more acute hearing makes up for lack of sight, but it is still nature’s way of attempting to do so.

When you lost the ability to Read, you naturally began to develop the other half of your power.”

“Then why didn’t I know it?” Pyrrhus asked.

“Because you continued to think of yourself as a Reader,” said Master Clement. He smiled. “Look at you. You still eat like a Reader, don’t you?”

“Why not?” Pyrrhus shrugged.

“Because,” said Aradia, “a Reader’s diet doesn’t give an Adept adequate nutrition. That’s why you’re too thin, and why you’ve never had enough power to manifest anything that could not supposedly be accomplished with a strong arm and a good eye. And of course you didn’t know you were an Adept.

What you believe determines what you can do.”

Master Clement added, “If you had known you have Adept powers, and been trained to use them efficiently, you would not have been injured in the marketplace.”

“True,” said Aradia. “When you saw the vat of oil about to spill on the child, you would have directed the flow another way, protecting both the child and yourself. You’ll soon learn to accomplish what you want with the least expenditure of energy. Even Lords Adept do so, since we prefer not to spend half our lives in recovery sleep.” A new thought occurred to her. “Pyrrhus, you were a Master Reader in all but final testing and ceremony.”

“That’s right,” Master Clement agreed.

Aradia continued, “If you stop mourning the powers you have lost, and practice the powers you have gained, you have the potential to be a Lord Adept. “

“A Lord Adept!” Wicket whispered reverently. Then he sat down beside Pyrrhus, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Think what we could do with that kind of power, Pyrrhus!”

Pyrrhus turned his head to look at Wicket, and closed his eyes for a moment in a frown, shaking his head just slightly. “Like you. You said, just like you.”

“Yeah!” Wicket said brightly. “Julia told me the way I make money or dice fall right the way I want-that’s Adept power. Never knew till yesterday. But tonight I used it in the fight-just feeling the same as when I want somebody’s money pouch to fall in my hand-and my knife went right where I told it to. Good a fighter as you are now!”

Pyrrhus stared at his friend for a long moment. Then, helplessly, he smiled. The smile became a chuckle, and finally he threw his head back and laughed.

Julia woke to a touch on her forehead, between the eyes, and looked up to find Aradia sitting on her bed. “How are you feeling?” her stepmother asked.

Before she could unstick her tongue from the roof of her mouth to answer, memory flooded back. She had been tricked. The people she had thought loved her hated her.

And-because of her foolishness-Galerio was dead.

“You can Read for yourself,” she replied sullenly.

“Julia,” said Aradia, “you know you did wrong, but you paid a terrible price for your mistake. I need add no further punishment. I was also wrong. It was convenient for me to treat you as if you were grown up.

But you are still a child in so many ways, and I should have allowed for that. For the moment you are relieved of all your duties except your lessons. Later, with Master Clement’s help, and your father’s as soon as he gets home, we will determine a work load appropriate for your years and experience.