CHAPTER 3
The council decided that Dr. Dannett was to be summoned back to the castle by the most expedient manner possible. Unfortunately, while the Travelling Mirror Network was out of commission, the most expedient manner of travel was by magic carpet. Since Dr. Dannett was just across the Elden border in... she wouldn’t arrive back at the castle for another week. Although Tobin was rather anxious to return to his home, and put this unsettling experience behind him, King Gerald had personally requested that he remain until Dr. Dannett arrived back at the castle.
“She’s very thorough, you understand,” King Gerald had told Tobin, his resonant voice echoing through the hall. “I have no doubt she’ll want to question you personally. You don’t mind, do you?”
Tobin had nodded his head compliantly, and sighed; what else could one say to a king?
While they waited the seven days it would take for Dr. Dannett to arrive, Tobin explored the castle, with Elbert as his guide. Tobin had always imagined the castle to be a foreboding and rather formal place, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that instead, it was filled with large windows, and bright light. The bustling personnel seemed relaxed, and happy, and it filled the castle with a pleasant atmosphere of camaraderie, and hominess.
The layout of the castle was complex and convoluted. Grand staircases often led to broom closets, and if one left from the fourth floor dorms, it took three narrow corridors, two staircases, and a reconverted laundry chute to get to the kitchens.
Tobin had been given quarters on the East side of the castle and awoke every morning to a delightful ray of sunshine streaming merrily through his window. His wardrobe had been filled with several tunics, and trousers, and a pair of wonderfully fitted brown leather boots. Since Tobin had arrived with only the clothing he had been wearing, he was most grateful for the new garments.
The castle grounds were lovely; immaculately pruned with obvious pride by the grounds staff, led by a charming and gregarious lady named Josie, who delightedly told Tobin about every single plant housed in the castle gardens. This included a myriad of diverse and exotic plants, which could be rather dangerous. Josie shook her head in exasperation when Tobin showed her a small burn on the back of his hand. He had acquired the burn after attempting to get a better look at a lovely, but rather irritable Inferno Iris, which had taken an intense disliking to him. Josie took him to the castle clinic to have a rosemary salve applied to the burn, and then to the kitchens for a comfort cookie.
Warm and friendly, the kitchens always smelled of delicious baking bread. The cooks and kitchen helpers were friendly, and willing to provide any possible type of food Tobin could imagine. Directly adjacent to the kitchens was a large sitting room, in which all the castle personnel could eat meals together. It was bustling, and noisy, and full of laughter at meal times, and was a cosy place to sit and read a book, or chat with friends in between meals. On his first day at the castle, Tobin had spent almost two hours sitting with Elbert eating a plate of the best muffins he had ever tasted, while Elbert explained some of the inner workings of the castle to him.
There was a myriad of different systems that all worked within the castle to help make Elden Forest run as efficiently as possible. Castle Council was the governmental body that oversaw all of the essential affairs of the kingdom. Magical Affairs was one of the most important branches of the Castle Council, and was overseen by Elvira, the Principal Magician. She held the Council Chair directly to King Gerald’s right. The Council Chair to the left of King Gerald was held by the Chief Economist, a rather portly gentleman named Wallace. Edwin, a middle aged man with raven black hair held the Judicial Chair, directly to Elvira’s right, and Tavelle, head of Agricultural Affairs, held the last Council Chair on the right. Rounding out the left side of the Castle Council was Lucy, the Transportation Chair, who was having a rather stressful week, and General Eleanor who commanded Elden’s military. Tobin was surprised to learn that only a small military contingent remained at the castle. The rest of Elden’s forces were barracked along the westernmost border. Elbert took Tobin to the Atlas Room to demonstrate exactly where their forces were positioned.
Tobin was completely intrigued by the Atlas Room, which contained large, and quite detailed, maps of every kind. The castle had an enormous catalogue that included all the maps throughout the history of known cartography. By far, the most interesting thing in the room was the massive table, made entirely of glass, which sat in the centre of the room. On the surface of the table was an intricately detailed aerial illusion of Elden. It was such a sophisticated illusion that the trees and other features of the landscape appeared to be real, standing out from the table surface by at least a hand span. Elbert explained to Tobin that the image was not an instantaneous image of Elden, rather it was a static visual representation of the magical forest.
“Maven Gustav is working on a project that would allow us to see an instantaneous facsimile of Elden. He’s quite excited about some recent progress he’s made,” Elbert finished.
While there were many fascinating places to visit in the castle, by far, Tobin’s favourite were the magician’s laboratories. The laboratories were a series of large rooms with great wooden doors between them that could be opened to create one massive hall.
“It encourages collaboration, and the flow of ideas, while still allowing the magician’s privacy, if they so desire,” Elbert explained, when Tobin inquired about the unusual design.
All of the laboratories had large floor to ceiling windows, to allow the natural light into their workspace. There were plush chairs, and tables around which the magicians and their assistants could have discussions. Long tables in the labs were filled with complicated instruments and intriguing vials, and beakers, containing mysterious elixirs. The shelves running along the sides of the rooms were piled high with exotic ingredients and magical devices. The laboratories were almost always filled with people, laughing, chatting, or debating. Occasionally the sound of a concussive detonation, followed by the tinkling sound of glass as something exploded could be heard from the laboratories.
What Tobin loved most about the laboratories was the feeling of possibility. As if anything could happen there, if one simply had enough imagination. The feeling of instant inspiration whenever he was near the laboratories was intoxicating.
Tobin considered himself extremely fortunate to have Elbert as a guide. His old friend was extremely knowledgeable about anything castle related, and was more than eager to answer any and all of Tobin’s questions. He questioned Elbert extensively on castle functions, personnel, and especially about the magicians. He found them fascinating, and elusive.
When Elbert could no longer keep up with Tobin’s voracious appetite for knowledge, he showed him to the castle library, where Tobin spent a great deal of time, reading as many of the fascinating books as he could. The libraries were extensive, and offered a quiet, warm and welcoming space to read. Plush armchairs and thick oak tables provided study areas for both the magicians and the students. There was a fabulous domed ceiling in the library, and at noon, a brilliant column of light shone down on a map of Elden that had been created using small pieces of glass. It was quite beautiful.
The soaring bookshelves held countless tomes in beautiful, multicoloured, leather bound covers. Elbert explained the significance of each colour.
“The books bound in blue are Histories, the ones bound in black are Manuals. Yellow texts are Political Science and Geography, and the orange texts are for the Natural Sciences. Those texts bound in the bottle green are on Magic. Oh, and watch out for the ones bound in red – they’re Living Books.”
“Living Books?”
“Yes. You are pulled into the story through the magic of the book, and play the role of one of the characters. Very exciting, but you can get lost in there for days.”
Still, Tobin saw very little of the magicians, whom he was most fascinated by, until one afternoon, while searching in the back corner of the library he found a small metal door. Exp
ecting to find more books inside, Tobin excitedly pushed the door open, and nearly ran over a tiny little man.
“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” Tobin sputtered awkwardly, bending over hurriedly to pick up the papers the old man had dropped, and nearly bumping heads with him.
“Quite all right, young man. I’m perfectly fine, please don’t fuss,” the elderly man replied in a high piping voice.
And that was how Tobin met Maven Gustav. Quickly, Tobin established a close friendship with Gustav, a diminutive magician, with wispy white hair, and small spectacles perched on the end of his nose, which looked like a bird about to alight. Maven Gustav held a vast store of magical knowledge in his wizened head, and despite his occasional lapses of memory, became a trusted friend for Tobin.
Tobin had many questions about magic, as well, as a powerful curiosity about Celeste, the magician who had disappeared, which Gustav was happy to accommodate.
“So she was here one moment, and then gone the next?” Tobin asked.
“It was very strange. She went to bed one evening, and was gone in the morning. We would have thought she’d just left of her own accord, except Darcie’s magical instruments registered a massive surge of magic in Celeste’s quarters,” Gustav replied.
“Wouldn’t there normally be magic around a magician?” Tobin asked.
“Of course, but this was far greater than any magic normally found around a magician. Most interesting of all, this magic surge had a very distinctive signature. It was a unique kind of magic, and the signature it left was like a trail. That is what Darcie began following. It was so strong, when she left, that she assumed she’d be able to find Celeste quickly. Unfortunately the signal faded only a few weeks after Celeste disappeared.”
“Then why has Dr. Dannett still been searching?”
Gustav looked pained. “Not only is Celeste Darcie’s grandmother, but she is one of the greatest magicians Elden has ever known. Darcie has been searching for almost a year, and we’re all starting to lose hope.”
“Didn’t anyone wonder if maybe Celeste left by herself?”
Gustav nodded. “It is possible, and there are a few magicians who think that’s exactly what happened, although I don’t prescribe to that theory myself. Most importantly, Darcie is convinced that Celeste was abducted, and she is an especially determined young lady.”
Gustav’s study soon became a frequent visiting spot for Tobin. He would bring his lunch on a tray, and spend hours with Gustav, discussing magical theory, and the history of Elden Forest.
“It’s too bad you’re not a magician, Tobin,” Maven Gustav said one day during one of their discussions.
“Why’s that?” Tobin asked, startled.
“You have a voracious appetite for magical knowledge, and it would be nice if we had some new magicians with your inherent love for learning,” Gustav replied, pushing his spectacles back up his nose. “You should think about becoming a magician’s assistant, at least. We could use somebody with your talents here at the castle.”
Tobin smiled politely. He had never considered becoming a magician’s assistant before. Everybody in Belvedon had been so excited when Elbert had been accepted to the program, but Tobin didn’t know if life at the castle would suit his quiet disposition, and need for solitude.
Despite Tobin’s enjoyment of the castle, there was a distinct tension in the air. The destruction of the Travelling Mirror System had created a great deal of anxiety for everyone. Tobin often saw groups of castle personnel, and magicians grouped together, whispering worriedly. Gustav assured him that Dr. Dannett’s arrival would change that.
Dr. Dannett arrived early in the morning, seven days after she had been recalled, on her borrowed magic carpet, without any fanfare or fuss, and immediately asked Elvira to take her to the Mirror room. Per her instructions, the room had been kept exactly as it had been since the destruction of the Travelling Mirror System. That afternoon she conducted a meeting of the most senior magicians, including Elvira, Thom, and Gustav, before presenting her findings to the Castle Council.
Tobin, Murphy the mole, and many of the senior magicians all gathered in the throne room, awaiting her arrival. This meeting was much less formal than their petition of the King had been. A long council table had been moved to the centre of the room, with King Gerald at one end of the table, and Maven Elvira at another.
Dr. Dannett was a tall young woman, with long dark hair, which she wore in a simple plait, and the same gentle grey eyes as her father. She wore a plain, cream, belted tunic, covered by a vest, and breeches tucked into soft leather boots. Over her shoulder was an intricately embossed leather case. She greeted her father and the magicians warmly but unceremoniously, and was polite but curious when introduced to Tobin.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Dannett,” Tobin said earnestly, shaking her hand.
She smiled briefly. “Please, call me Darcie,” she replied, taking a seat at the table, next to her father, King Gerald. “All right, I have been able to ascertain definitively that there has been a large surge in magic, which travelled through several of the Travelling Mirrors, destroying them.”
“How can you be so sure?” Maven Thom asked.
“The mirrors are Elven made, which means they’re magically insulated against any physical harm. The only thing that could possibly have shattered them is magic,” Darcie said clinically. “Elvira tells me that you’ve been able to determine that every single mirror in the system has been shattered?”
Elvira nodded affirmation.
“And yet, no other magical devices, such as the Communication Network have been disrupted?” Darcie asked.
“That’s correct,” Elvira confirmed.
“What that suggests to me, is that what broke the entire network of mirrors was not an event that encompassed all of Elden Forest,” she mused. “No. My guess is that the surge began in one mirror, and transmitted itself along the entire Travelling Mirror network.”
“What could have caused such a surge?” Tobin wondered out loud, before flushing in embarrassment as every head at the table turned to look at him.
“That is the important question, isn’t it?” Darcie asked, with a strange smile on her face. “And yet, it’s not even the most important question of all.”
They all looked at each other, confused.
“The question we should be asking, is who caused the surge. I was able to measure the signature of the magical surge. We’ve seen it before. Eleven months ago, when Celeste disappeared.”