Page 59 of Potions & Pints
“You can come out now,” he said several minutes later. “It’s under control.”
Vir did not want to let Tan up. Tan crawled under Vir’s arm. The Librarian was standing over the book, which was burning merrily. As Tan watched the flames got lower and lower, changing in color from red, to yellow to a soft blue. Finally, they went out with a soft whoosh.
“It wasn’t happy with me,” the Librarian said. “That’s all. It’s fine now. Well, the book is fine. But all of this is very…not fine. Why is this happening?”
“The magic is back,” Tan said tentatively.
“Obviously.”
“So that’s good,” Vir said, standing up next to Tan.
“This is too unstable,” the Librarian said grimly. “I need to figure out why this happened. There must be an answer somewhere in the Library. I will start over there, in the archives. No, maybe over there.’
The Librarian made a quick circle around the room.
“You need some help, is what you need,” Tan said.
“We’ll help you,” Vir added.
“Not everyone can understand the ancient texts,” the Librarian said.
Tan snapped his fingers.
“Ruven,” he said. “He’d be brilliant at this.”
“Who’s Ruven?” Vir asked.
Tan shook off the question.
“Sir, we will get it done, if you want Ruven, he’s in the Sunfall Library. You could portal there —.”
“And if the portals close?” The Librarian frowned. “The magic is too unstable.”
“Then I will find him.”
“Perhaps,” the Librarian said.
“Well, can you think about it over some food and drink maybe? We do have something to celebrate. The assassination plot has been revealed. That’s a good thing.”
“Tis,” the Librarian agreed.
“So,” Tan said, clapping him on the back. “How about a party then?”
27
Tan had to wait a little longer than he thought for the party. As it turned out, there was still some much more solemn business to attend to.
The Librarian had called an assembly of the whole city and when all the water elves were gathered, Pili took his place at the top of the palace steps to address them. Tan, Vir, and the Librarian stood behind and to one side of him and when Tan looked across the top step to Pili’s other side, he saw the chieftain in magical bonds, guarded by several soldiers.
Sinifris wore a scowl, clearly furious at how his plan had been thwarted, but Pili’s face, Tan had glimpsed, was pained.
“Citizens of Laeve Taesi,” Pili began, and Tan heard his voice was heavy with grief. “It is of great regret that I must inform you of how our chieftain, my father, has betrayed us.”
At this, though, Pili didn’t bow his head. Instead, he stood tall, clearly intent on maintaining his own dignity, even if his father had sullied his.
“Chieftain Sinifris would have us believe that my brother Idrulo’s killer is unknown,” Pili continued. “Or perhaps that he was killed by one of the royal family in a bid for the throne of the Northern Kingdom. This is not so.”
A murmur ran through the crowd as citizens wondered aloud at what was happening. Their chieftain was in bonds and now Pili was speaking of the assassinated prince. Tan thought he’d be murmuring too if he were them.
