Page 22 of Enchanted Net
Thessaly blinked several times, then ventured, “And also, whoever you might take up with might have political aspirations, and that’s exhausting?”
Her aunt laughed, though it was a bit hollow. “That too. That’s the trouble with ageing. You know far too many people’s quirks and, even worse, the things that entirely put you off them, in any form of congress. Perhaps the seasons will change and I will be inclined. Perhaps I will not. Either way, I have had my grand times.” She waved a hand. “You should have some too, that is all I am saying. And if Childeric is not forthcoming, he knows what the agreements are.”
Thessaly ducked her chin again. “I prevailed on Vitus to call me Thessaly. And he’s coming around this week to talk about the lapis lazuli illusion. Finally.” Then she sat bolt upright. “I think I have an idea. Can you give me five minutes to set something up?” One of the articles she’d been reading at the library touched on what she wanted, a way to better lay groundwork for an illusion, but she’d need to work through how it felt in practice. Reading about it was not remotely the same as doing it.
“Of course. I’ll be along then.”
Thessaly brought the last fragment of Welsh cake to her mouth, chewed, and abandoned her tea as she went back to the workroom.
Chapter16
MAY 30TH IN TRELLECH
Vitus was, honestly, only half paying attention to the conversation at the start. He’d spent the afternoon at Magistra North’s workshop, talking through the problem of lapis lazuli and illusions with Thessaly. The actual conversation had been extremely informative.
Vitus brought several samples of different grades of lapis with him. Niobe’s lectures on the topic had been exceedingly thorough, and he’d also made excellent notes at the geological specimen collections he’d visited over the past few years. Vitus had taken pages of notes, but also come away with several samples of Thessaly’s work, all carefully layered into a folder with sheets of protective paper between them.
He was supposed to decide which he’d like embedded into fabric and provide a suitable outfit for it. The one he’d worn for the gala would do once Mama picked out the amethyst work and pieced in something suitable for the base for the illusion work. Thessaly had made it clear she wasn’t intending to charge him for anything other than the materials. That would involve some lapis that would become powder, but he’d expected that. The best way to make something seem real was to anchor it in reality, after all. Once the illusion was set, he’d be able to call it up again with a little more powdered stone.
It would give him an excellent excuse to call again, though perhaps not until after Solstice. It had become clear during the conversation that Magistra North was tolerating his visit as a useful educational moment, but that Thessaly had limited time for such endeavours. The time wasn’t a problem, there wasn’t another masked ball until autumn. Costumes could so often get too warm and unwieldy in the summer months.
They hadn’t had time for any private conversation, and Vitus kept telling himself that was entirely to be expected. And for all Thessaly had made it clear she was not letting herself be limited by gossip, he was still entirely wary of someone objecting on her behalf. That was a problem he absolutely didn’t need. He already had more than enough challenges to be going on with.
So, apparently, did other people, because Vitus caught a snippet of a complaint. “I still don’t understand why it didn’t work. It was splendid on Thursday. Then, when I was demonstrating it last night, nothing worked properly. It was as if all the magic were drained out, and when I tried to replenish it, that too drained out like nothing I’ve seen.”
That sort of comment was quite common in the Stream’s conversation rooms. Salmon House was known for people not only with many skills, wide-ranging skills, but also a desire to tinker constantly. Normally, though, the experimentation wasn’t so ardently mechanical. Vitus cleared his throat, turning around to the people just behind him who’d been talking. “Pardon, I couldn’t help overhearing. Perhaps explaining it to someone else might help? I find that in my own work.”
Two women and two men stood there. He didn’t know any of them entirely by sight. Vitus thought that one pair - a dark-haired man and woman maybe six or seven years older than he was, going into their middle thirties - must be Olivia and Oscar Hemmings. They were twins who’d been the scourge of several teachers at Schola. They were also the reason for about thirty specific rules about what not to do in Salmon House proper or with the provided materials. They were apparently responsible for at least half Professor Marrington’s hair being pure white.
He made a slight bow. “Vitus Deschamps. Recently returned from the Continent and finishing my apprenticeship with Magistra Niobe Hall.”
The four of them nodded, and the other man stuck out his hand. “A few years behind me, then. Marius Collins. You know of the Hemmings. I suspect everyone does, even if you’ve not been properly introduced. They were travelling before you were. This is Aline Holder, enchantments.”
Olivia grinned, the sort of sharp grin that put people on notice. “Oscar and I find our hands in all sorts of particular novel problems. Marius is working on some devices to better detect poisons in the water from industrial processes. He’s hoping to bring it to the Council and the Ministry for broader deployment.”
“If I can get it to work reliably.” Marius looked entirely beleaguered. “The most recent trials have been going swimmingly. We’ve been able to verify the results through other methods. The device is meant to be much faster, and allows us to pinpoint the source of problems so that the proper people can go in and take steps.”
Vitus considered for a moment. “That is the sort of thing that Council Head Rowan is interested in, I know that. And Council Member Warren, too.” There’d been a number of pieces in the Trellech Moon about that. It was a particular focus of his. “Where were you testing it successfully, and where did it have problems?”
“It’s been quite solid approaching cities. We did some trials around Sheffield, at different distances.” Something in the way Vitus had gone about the question had apparently been reassuring to Collins. “And then some in London, though of course, London has its own complications. And some here in Trellech, to confirm that it would work when there was a great deal of magic in the vicinity.”
That answered a question Vitus had been about to ask. Substantial magic, whatever form it took, could warp magical devices if you weren’t quite careful. “Schola island?”
“A few quirks to the results, but within norms.” Marius folded his hands behind his back, the sort of gesture people made when they were inclined to gesticulate and knock things over. Lucas did it, when he was trying to be proper or when there were delicate objects about. “That’s what made today so frustrating. It was if all the ordinary rules of magic stopped working, at least for a little.”
“May I ask where you were testing?” Vitus said.
“Out in Sussex, the southern Weald.” Marius shrugged. “And I can’t think why it would have changed there.”
Vitus tilted his head. “The Weald’s an odd place, magically. It remembers being a forest, for one thing, and, blast, what’s the word?” He searched back through his memory. This was not made easier by the fact he was fairly sure the last time he’d discussed it was in French, and rather in passing. “Anticline.” At the last moment, he managed to give it the English pronunciation.
“Pardon?” That was Oscar.
“Anticline. That’s the name for the formation. It runs through the Weald across the Channel to Dover. Unusual landscape, and a number of magical implications.” Vitus blinked several times. “Pardon. I’ve just been terribly esoteric, haven’t I?”
“Yes.” Three of the four of them said it in unison, with Aline trailing by half a beat.
Vitus tried to gather himself. “Um.” That was not gathered at all, that was far too close to imitating a gaping fish, and The Stream had plenty of other fish already, in a variety of forms. “I’m a talisman maker.” The twins twigged to it fairly quickly, and he added for the others. “Knowing the geology of where the stones comesfrom sometimes matters a great deal. And I am just back from seeing an awful lot of mines and mineral specimens, as well as the insides of dozens of workshops and such.”
