Page 87 of Polestar
“No.Yvan Putinovski.Mother’s human magician that she brought back from Grandfather Matochkin’s court after you left—were banished.”
“The king allowed a human magician in his stronghold?”Magnus gaped again.
“He’s mother’s trusted… friend.She was lonely, and he keeps her entertained with his tricks and illusions.”
“Illusions?”
Awe slid across Elias’ face.“Oh yes!He can create such wonderful images.Fill a room with beautiful colors, or make you believe you’re in a place you’re not.Even make himself seem invisible to the eyes.”
“What else can this human magician do?”
“Oh, I have no idea, but he’s very good at alleviating boredom.Or was, before mother had satellite television brought to the stronghold.”
“What?”Magnus paced to the end of his chains, palms to face.“Forgive me, Elias.Did you say satellite television?”
“Yes, of course.Once the electricity was installed and proved to work, she arranged for other comforts.”
Magnus glanced back at the light bulb.“What othercomfortshas your mother brought to Barentia?”
Elias smiled now.“We have internet from a satellite.The humans use snowmobiles to get around the island.”
Humans plural?Snowmobiles?
“This doesn’t make any sense.How long has all of this been going on?”
“Maybe a year or two?It took some time to have the work done to build the windmills and solar panels and run all the wiring through the stronghold.”
“And your grandfatherallowedall of this?”
“Ithinkso?”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Magnus said again as he resumed his short-strided pacing.
“He banished me for trying to encourage him to bring twenty-first century technology to Barentia.”
“Mother has done a lot to negotiate with himandon his behalf.She arranged it all with this company that specialized in remote environmental access.They’ve done so much work, Grandfather gave them use of the smallest island at the northeast end of the archipelago.”
“I see.”But he didn’t, really.Magnus’ hands shook as he drew deep, steadying breaths.“Your mother arranged all of it?”
“Yes.”Elias frowned.“She told him all about how this same company installed infrastructure all across Grandfather Matochkin’s territory with brilliant success.”
“And your grandfather didn’t object to the idea of humans coming here?”
“Any outsiders that came into the stronghold were closely guarded by our men.Otherwise, they did most of the work outside.”
“And they stay in Barentia?”
“Mostly at the base set up on the little island.But they periodically come onto the island proper, to train our people on how to do the maintenance.”
Magnus snorted.
Un-fucking believable.
“What?”
Magnus just shook his head.
Bjorn Thornsson was so adamant that the island’s borders remain closed—technological benefits or not — that he argued pretty damned hard with Magnus over it.
