Robert Newcomb - The Scrolls of the Ancients

"It's really quite simple," Wigg explained. "First, the criterion is placed upon a piece of parchment. Then a drop of the subject's blood is placed on the parchment a specific distance from the criterion. The hourglass is turned over at the exact moment a single drop of cave water is released from the vial and lands on the parchment. As you have already been taught, endowed blood and water from the Caves immediately attract, but to varying degrees, depending upon the quality of the blood. The stronger the blood, the faster the two seek each other out and join to form a signature. The number of spheres that drop in the time it takes for the two fluids to meet equates to the number of the blood quality."

"Ingenious," Celeste said.

Shailiha reached out and drew the tripod device toward her. Standing, she closed one eye and looked down through the lens.

"Although simpler in design, this tool is as valuable as the criterion," Wigg went on. "The plans for it were also found in the Tome. Called a signature scope, it is used to determine whether the blood signature on the parchment beneath it leans to the left or the right, and to what degree. A high blood quality rating, coupled with a severe degree of lean one way or the other, results in a person of very great potential power, indeed."

Reaching out, Shailiha took up one of the parchments on the table that held a blood signature. Sliding it beneath the tripod, she squared it up as best she knew how, then looked down again. Sure enough, she could see a slight tendency to the right. She raised her face back up to Wigg.

"And you have said that both my signature and Tristan's lean to the right," she mused.

"Correct," the lead wizard answered.

"And Wulfgar's blood signature leans as far to the left as you have ever seen."

"Regrettably, also correct. And his blood assay is one and one-half-equal to yours and second only to your brother's, which has a blood-quality rating of one. Wulfgar's blood, given these particular traits, is most probably the most dangerous in the world."

"Is there a copy of his signature registered here?" she suddenly asked.

Nodding, Wigg caused the appropriate drawer to slide open. But this time, instead of only the parchment floating over to the table, the entire drawer did. As it landed, Shailiha could see that it contained not only a copy of a blood signature, but a lock of sandy-colored hair bound together with a red ribbon.

She picked up the lock of hair. "This came from Wulfgar, didn't it?" she asked.

Wigg nodded. "It was taken from him the morning of the day your mother gave him up," he replied softly. "It was one of her most prized possessions, and she felt it rightly belonged here, alongside his blood signature."

"Wulfgar is the reason why the R'talis are being taken, isn't it?" she asked. "They are searching for him."

"Yes," Wigg said, "we believe so. In truth, they may already have found him."

"But why also take the unendowed?" Celeste asked, looking over at her father. "Or the endowed women, for that matter? If Wulfgar is the only one they seek, then what they're doing doesn't make any sense."

"That is still unknown," Faegan said. "But considering all of the effort it takes, they must have a reason."

"Why Farpoint?" Shailiha mused quietly.

"What?" Wigg asked.

"Why Farpoint?" Shailiha repeated. "Why would Krassus concentrate his search there, and not elsewhere?"

"We don't know that he has," Wigg answered. "But your question is a good one. For the moment, we can only suspect that Nicholas told him to search there, just before he died."

"And where did the demonslavers come from?" Celeste asked. "From what everyone tells me, their like has never been seen in Eutracia before now."

"Another unknown," Faegan answered. "But from what the princess and I saw that night in Farpoint, I think it safe to assume that though they appear to be a product of magic, they have no command of it. Much like the Minions, they represent only a blunt instrument-one that is most useful when wielded by others. They may be what remained of the consuls, mutated by Krassus. Or they may have sprung from another source entirely-conjured, perhaps. Be that as it may, it is abundantly clear that they serve only him." He paused and sighed. "Unfortunately, only time will answer your questions. And as I said, time is not on our side."

Something suddenly occurred to Shailiha. "Can Abbey locate Wulfgar?" she asked quickly. "If he has already been captured, perhaps he and Tristan are together."

Wigg raised an eyebrow. "Well done," he answered. He turned to Abbey. "Can you view Wulfgar from the blood dried on this certificate, or from the lock of his hair? I'm afraid it's all we have of him." He passed them over to her.

Abbey looked intently at them. "Perhaps," she answered. "How old are these samples?"

"Thirty-five years," Wigg answered.

Abbey sighed. "I won't know until I try. Blood tends to lose its vibrancy far more quickly than hair, so the latter will afford the better chance of success."

Gently touching the locket that hung around her neck, she gave Wigg a coy smile. A slight blush spread across the lead wizard's face.

"But as I said before, all of this is academic until I have a sufficient quantity of the right ingredients," she added.

Wigg looked at Faegan. "Clearly, our first priority must be to secure from Shadowood the goods Abbey needs to construct her gazing flame."

"There is something else that must be done," Shailiha said adamantly. "I want to lead a party of Minions to Farpoint. We'll turn the city upside down, if we have to, to find my brother and bring him home-if he's still there." Sitting back in her chair, she angrily folded her arms over her breasts.

Wigg looked at Faegan. They had been expecting something like this from her, and they also knew that under no circumstances could they allow it. In the first place, should Tristan already be dead, it was vital that they not put Shailiha in harm's way. And second, it might well be exactly what Krassus wanted: the opportunity to capture the second of the Chosen Ones, and perhaps to take the palace, which would be far too vulnerable without sufficient Minion guards to protect it.

Taking a deep breath, Wigg placed his hands flat on the table and calmly explained to the princess why they could not go through with her plan. As he did, it was easy to see the anger and frustration build in her face once more.

For a long time she sat there seething. Looking down, she gently touched the gold medallion lying around her neck. Then she finally spoke.

"Very well," she said softly. "But I refuse to sit here and do nothing while my brother is out there somewhere, and in danger." She looked at Abbey, and the herbmistress felt Shailiha's hazel eyes go straight through her.

"Give me a list of things you need, and I'll go to Shadowood myself," the princess said. "I've already been there once-the gnomes know me. The journey is safe enough. Even you and Faegan can agree with that much, I should think!"

"And I will go with her," Celeste announced enthusiastically. "Together we will be stronger."

A slight smile came to Shailiha's lips.

"Absolutely not!" Wigg thundered. He glared at the two women as if they were completely mad. The telltale vein in his right temple had begun to throb again.

"I can use my gift to protect us, if need be," Celeste said quickly. "And if we employ Faegan's portal, we won't be gone long at all. What could be safer?" Smiling, she mischievously tugged the sleeve of her father's robe-a gesture she knew always softened his heart.

"You'll never even miss us, especially given the fact that you now have an old friend here to keep you occupied, so to speak," she added coyly. At that reference to Abbey, Faegan grinned widely.