Robin Hobb - The Golden Fool

I was too shaken and angry with both Chade and myself to admit to the Prince that I didn’t know. ‘Let it be a lesson to the both of you as well,’ I scolded. ‘Any one of us who commits such a foolish act risks all of us. Well do I understand now why the Skillmasters of old might put a pain barrier between the Skill and a willful student.

The Prince looked shocked. ‘You would not do such a thing to Lord Chade?’ His tone was as if I had proposed clapping the Queen in irons for her own good.

‘No, I admitted grudgingly. I rose shakily and circled the table. I nudged the snoring old man, and then prodded him. His eyes opened to slits. He smiled at me, head still on the table. ‘Ah. There you are, my boy. His smile grew fatuously wider. ‘Did you see me? Did you see me fly?’ And then, I was not sure if his eyes rolled up or his lids closed, but he was gone again, as exhausted as a child after a day at a fair. I despaired that he seemed to have carried away no sensation at all of tragedy narrowly averted. It was an hour before he awoke, and then, for all his apologies, there was a gleam in his eye that filled me with trepidation. Even after he promised me to make no wild experiments on his own, I privately impressed on Thick that if he sensed Chade Skilling, he must contact me at once. Thick’s earnest assent was a bare comfort to me; such promises did not usually stay long in his mind.

The next morning was to bring me no greater serenity. Exhorting Chade to do nothing this time, save witness as best he could, I attempted to guide Dutiful in borrowing Thick’s strength to increase his own use of the Skill. Although they all had experienced in my healing what their joined strength could do, none of the three could really explain how they had tapped it or what had happened. It seemed to me that Dutiful at least needed to be able to reliably draw on Thick’s power. So I set them a simple exercise, or so I thought.

Alone, Dutiful could reach Chade’s mind only as the barest whisper. He could make Chade aware of his efforts, but not of the message he sought to convey. I was not sure if this indicated that Chade was still too closed to the Skill, or if Dutiful could not sufficiently target him. I wanted to see if by tapping Thick’s strength, Dutiful could make Chade hear him. ‘Prince Verity told me that a coterie member or solo used in such a fashion was referred to as a King’s Man. So. Thick will be serving as King’s Man to Dutiful. Shall we try this?’ I asked them.

‘He’s the Prince. Not a king,’ Thick interrupted anxiously.

‘Yes. And?’

‘Can’t be a King’s Man then. It won’t work.’

I found my patience. ‘It’s all right, Thick. It will work. You will be serving as a Prince’s Man.’

‘Serving. Like a servant? He was instantly affronted.

‘No. Helping. Like a friend. Thick will be helping Dutiful as a Prince’s Man. Shall we try this?’

Dutiful was grinning, but it did not mock his man. Thick turned to him, caught the grin from him and settled himself next to the Prince. ‘It should be easy for both of you,’ I suggested. I didn’t know if I lied or not. ‘Thick must simply be open to the Skill, but not making any effort. Dutiful should draw strength from him and use the Skill to try to reach Chade. Dutiful. Go slowly. And if I tell you to stop, you must break the contact immediately. Now. Begin.’

I thought I had planned for every possibility. I had sweet foods such as Thick loved and brandy if we needed a restorative. Both waited on the table. I wondered now if that had been a bad idea. Thick’s eyes kept wandering to some current buns. Would they distract him too much from his Skilling? I had wanted to have elfbark and hot water ready as well, but Chade had sternly over-ruled me. ‘Far better if the Prince’s coterie is never exposed to such a destructive drug,’ he opined righteously. I didn’t remind him that he had taught me the use of it.

I hovered anxiously behind the Prince as he set his hand upon Thick’s shoulder. If it appeared he were draining the little man, I was prepared to physically break the link between them. Well did I know that a Skill-user could deliberately kill that way. I wanted no tragic accidents.

We waited. After a time, I gave Chade a significant look. He raised his eyebrows.

‘Begin,’ I suggested to the two of them.

I’m trying,’ said Dutiful in exasperation. ‘I can Skill to Thick. But I don’t know how to draw his strength off and use it.’

‘Hmm. Thick, can you help him?’ I suggested.

Thick opened his eyes and looked at me. ‘How?’ he asked.

I didn’t know. ‘Just be open to him. Think of sending him your strength.’

Again, they settled. I watched Chade’s face, hoping for some sign that Dutiful had touched minds with him. But after a short time, Dutiful lifted his eyes to mine. His mouth twisted in a small smile. ‘He’s Skilling “strength, strength, strength” to me,’ he confided.

‘You said to!’ Thick protested angrily.

‘Yes. So I did,’ I assured him. ‘Calm down, Thick. No one is mocking you.’

He glared at me, breathing through his nose. Dogstink.

Dutiful flinched. Chade’s lips twitched but he managed not to smile. ‘Dog stink. Is that the message you wished to convey to me?’

‘I believe Thick intended that comment for me,’ I said carefully.

‘But it went through me to Chade, my target. I felt it,’ Dutiful said excitedly.

‘Well. At least we make progress,’ I said.

‘Can I have a bun now?’

‘No, Thick. Not yet. We all need to work on this.’ I pondered a moment. Dutiful had directed Thick’s Skill. Did that mean he had actually taken strength from Thick to break through to Chade, or that he had simply diverted Thick’s message intended for me to Chade?

I didn’t know. I didn’t think there was any way I could be absolutely certain of what had happened. ‘Try it together,’ I suggested. ‘Both of you attempt to send the same message to Chade, and only Chade. Try to make a concerted effort.’

‘Concerted?’

‘Do it together,’ Dutiful supplied to Thick. There was a moment of silent conference between the two. I suspected they chose a message. ‘Now,’ I suggested and watched Chade’s face.

He furrowed his brow. ‘Something about a bun.’

Dutiful gave a sigh of exasperation. ‘Yes, but that wasn’t what we were supposed to be conveying. Thick is having a bit of difficulty concentrating.’

‘I’m hungry.’

‘No, you aren’t. You just want to eat,’ Dutiful told him. Which put Thick into a sulk. No amount of prodding or persuasion would induce him to try again. We eventually allowed him the food and resolved to take a lesson from it on the morrow.

Yet the next morning we seemed doomed to have as little luck as before. Spring was in the air. I had thrown the window shutters open wide to the dawn. As yet, the sun was only a promise on the horizon, but the wind off the ocean had a lively and freshened air to it that spoke of life and change in the seasons. I stood breathing it in for a long time while I waited for the others to arrive.

I was no more at ease in conscience over what I had planned against Lord Golden. I had begun to wish I had not divulged that conversation to Chade, nor told him of the Fool’s tattoos. Surely if he had wished Chade to know of them, he would have told him during the course of their conversation about the Narcheska’s tattoos. I had a deep and profound sense of having made a wrong choice. There was no way to undo it, and confessing it to the Fool seemed unimaginable. The only thing more unimaginable was to allow him to go to Aslevjal if he believed he would die there. So, childish though it felt, I had decided that I would simply hold my tongue and leave the matter in Chade’s hands. He would be the one who would not allow Lord Golden to accompany us. I drew another deep breath of spring air, hoping it would make me feel rejuvenated. Instead, I only felt more deeply anxious.