Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2016 21:01:38 +0000 (GMT)
From: ovote@unseen.is
Subject: The Magician and the Prince - 6

A tale of magicians, magick and a lost boy. This started off just as a one
off story, but as I was writing ideas kept popping up and by the end of
this first part I could see quite a long saga ahead. It is my very first
time venturing into a realm of fantasy, a much loved genre, and I fear not
doing justice to some of the wonderful writers who's works grace my
bookcases. By saying this is a fantasy I don't really need to stress that
it is a work of fiction. Set in a nameless land, maybe even a nameless
world, our rules and conventions do not apply here.

As always this free resource needs your donations to keep it alive, so
donate as much or little as you can afford.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

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The world outside the library window was white, more snow fell to join that
already covering the ground. Ghostlike figures could be seen through the
window, hair made from straw and coals for eyes. The three children had had
a grand time, muffled in heavy coats to keep out the cold, but once evening
fell their reddened noses soon faded once they spent time in the warm
bathing pools. Tancred and Jamil, as always, proudly displaying to each
other the increasing signs of maturity, the sproutings of hair under arms
and the downy crown above their boyhood charms. Donae, becoming a more
modest little lady by the day, soaking in bubbles in her own tub up on the
top floor. But now, all abed in the house, Jacob sat alone and content in
the dimly lit library, his thoughts ranging from what had already been
achieved to what was ahead in the game being played out by him and Tancred.

Another sat with him that winter's night might have been prompted to ask
why. Why was he going about things in this fashion, with the power of his
magick he could have brought about his goals in a single day. If Jacob
chose to answer such a question the answer would have surprised none who
knew him well. Because it was fun, and he liked having fun. None but a
handful of mortals knew that a great mage still lived in the world. The
legends of mages being long lived was common. But if mages were long lived
why had they died, was a question he often mused when the talk turned to
such things, as he sat in an alehouse posing as a travelling stranger. His
role as a sentinel, left to watch over the world, had seen him in many
positions over the generations. Sometimes as an austere figure stood beside
the king, other times never seen, remaining in isolation scrying abroad
many lands watching and influencing events. Once he had even sat on the
throne as regent until the crown prince came of age. His present role, as
tutor to the royal princes, greatly satisfied his love of people. He loved
being among mortal folk as they laughed, lived and loved each other. To
watch a babe in arms grow to manhood and start the cycle of life all over
again was sustenance to his heart. People were good, well most were good he
would have qualified, and in order to be good they needed to find their
strengths and to push further all the time. He could never be happy stood
behind a backcloth, controlling like a puppeteer. No, Jacob would be found
on the stage of life as a player as often as not. Taking all the decisions
made things too easy for people, and it led to weakness, far better for
them to develop their own strengths, although, if pressed, he would have
admitted pushing things in a certain direction at times. Some of the little
ways he had pushed events were going on this very night. Churches opening
their cellars to the homeless, a roaring fire and bowls of hot soup to feed
those unfortunates finding that open door. A dose of winter flu raging
through the night watch, keeping many of them home in bed rather than
patrolling and rounding up urchins sleeping in alleyways. The man newly in
charge of the city goal signing an order giving extra rations to his
prisoners.

Another way in which he pushed people could be seen to one side of the
library. Tutoring Tancred had gone on all through the time they had been in
this city. Whenever that sad day came the prince needed to be ready to take
the burden of kingship. The war game the two boys had played that first
night they discovered their love for each other had become a firm favourite
between them, Tancred learning Jamil's method of fighting a war of
insurgency, and Jamil learning more of conventional warfare on the
board. Stalemate was becoming more and more the result of the
games. Setting out the playing pieces of the game on a large desk Jacob
then took Jamil's box and added his green pieces to those already in
position. Placing a number of books, inkpots and such in the space between
the two opposing carved armies he outlined the situation to the two
boys. How could Tancred's red army fight and overwhelm the green forces of
the other side, The books and pots placed on this board being natural
boundaries, mountain ranges, rivers and such. He told the boys they were
playing together, both in command of the red force, decisions were to be
taken that both had worked out. They could, if needed, ask for the advice
of Zachary, for he had played this game since childhood. Over the next days
following commencement of wooden hostilities much of Jacob's letter paper
was scribbled on and discarded as the boys tenaciously worked to find a
solution.

In due course the two boys came to Jacob and asked if they could add
Jamil's red pieces to Tancred's that were already in position. Jacob gave
them permission to do so, provided they had a way of supporting that
increase in the army. More food would have to be provided, more horses for
the cavalry, and more weapons and uniforms. If the extra forces were
presently citizens of the red country then this meant less workers to till
the land to grow that food. Less people engaged in husbandry to provide
those animal, not only horses for cavalry but livestock to fill the army's
stomach. More trees needed to be grown for lumber to build barracks, again
more forests meant less land to grow food. If all these extra provisions
were to be bought from another land then taxes had to be raised to fund the
purchases, therefore they had an unhappy citizenry, increasing the risk of
unrest in the land.

"But all this isn't fair" was Jamil's immediate reaction "You have placed
those books further to one side, we have less land than green land"

"Who has ever said the world is fair? A general cannot move mountains to
make his battlefield better suited to him winning, his strategies are
always controlled by the geography where he finds himself fighting. His
resources are never limitless"

He then added further woe to the crestfallen young generals stood with him
in the library and placed different coloured napkins at points around the
desk. Telling them that a general could face the chances of another land
that could push into red land's territory and seize parts if they saw
weakness. And in this way Tancred learned of the problems his father had to
contend with, faced with a larger, aggressive neighbour that had carried
out border raids or attacks on a regular basis. Jacob's long term aim in
staying in this city was to bring change from within, to put in place men
who would treat with other lands as peaceable rulers and not look to wars
between countries as the first option. Keeping Tancred here with him during
this was invaluable experience for the king to be who would reign in that
new time ahead. And if the rigid, structured upbringing of a young royal
was put aside, and he could be a normal boy for a time, then he also learnt
far more of the normal lives of the subjects he would one day rule
over. Never spoken about, even to Tancred's father the king, was his prime
reason for being, The long hidden secrets that lay hidden deep in the land
he had protected for all those countless years.

As soon as the snows covering the city had cleared work on emptying Sir
Samuel's mansion would start. Clerks had spent time itemising and marking
all items. In the meantime the doors between the servant's wing and the
main house had been secured so no pilfering would go on. Needless to say,
wards put in place by Jacob would beat any attempt to tamper with the
locks. The contents were after all Thomas and Simon Alver's property, and
servants with an uncertain future wandering about unobserved was not an
ideal situation. They had been told they would be allowed to remain in
their quarters for the winter months, and would be paid, but the house was
to be vacated by the first day of summer at the latest. Jacob was taken by
Zachary in the small carriage to the mansion, where he found a number of
documents and ledgers written in Sir Samuel's hand. Returning to his own
home he set about recreating those ledgers, weaving in among the records a
trail of corruption, and misappropriation of a large amount of the city's
revenue from the slave trade and other financial penalties levied by the
justice system of the city. Records of large amounts of coin paid to a ring
of co-conspirators, all of whom referred to only by initial or mark. Any
who knew Sir Samuel's hand would swear that these records were clearly
written by him, comparisions between genuine documents being beyond
doubt. Returning to the mansion he left them in various desks and cabinets,
locking the drawers and taking away the keys. These desks, being of
outstanding quality, would only be sold at auction to the moneyed class of
the city, and when locksmiths were engaged to open the locked drawers the
web would be exposed to the city authorities. It was also inevitable that
some buying this beautiful furniture would actually have been complicit
with Sir Samuel, they would not only be fearful of the code being broken,
but after reading those amended records, would be looking at the rest of
the cohort in suspicion, convinced he had been cheated by them. A dark mood
came upon Jacob as he stood in the room where he had sat sharing a supper
with Sir Samuel, looking at the artwork that still hung on the walls he
decided to leave them be. The workmen used to empty the house would spread
the story of what they found here, instead he would give instructions for
them to be removed and immediately burnt.

News of Thomas Alver's visit to the city had never become public knowledge,
he had arrived unannounced, the business had been agreed in secrecy, and he
had boarded the same schooner for it's return to his home isle. He had no
wish to meet any of his father's friends, who he looked at as being every
bit as despicable as his father. And with the inn being quietly owned by
the trading house his name had never appeared on any bill of charges. Those
who had coveted Sir Samuel's house were anxiously awaiting the brothers
arrival on the first schooner arriving at the city docks after the winter
hiatus. That wait would carry on long after that schooner tied it's mooring
ropes to the wharf though. All involved had readily agreed that the sale,
and the new purpose for the mansion, would remain a strict secret. When
workmen were seen at the house it would not be known if they were preparing
it for sale, or for the brothers to return and take up residence. With
Jacob now going to be taking many more trips to the mansion, all in the
small plain carriage, Zachary needed to be brought further into the inner
circle. Calling him into the library Jacob went through the events that had
already taken place regarding the mansion. Hearing about the home for the
foundlings he was full of enthusiasm for the plans to educate them and show
them a way in life. He had thrown himself into helping with Jamil, having
him sit beside him up on the front of the carriage, showing him the
rudimentary ways of driving it and with the care of the horses. Then came
to the best part of his news. The king's spy master had already intimated
to Jacob his hope of being able to retire in the not too distant future,
return to the kingdom and spend time with the family he had been away from
for many years. If the hope that a number of these young orphans proved to
be suitable to life as an agent for the king then it would also mean a much
larger workload for the spy network. To this end it had been decided to
separate the tasks of spying from the trading house. Zachary had already
been marked as a suitable candidate to take over the network after the
current head retired, so now Jacob formally offered him the post, based at
the children's home. Whoever was given charge of the trading house would
remain aware , but not involved in operations, except for the passive
passing on of useful information that came to light through it's legitimate
trade.

Sitting together with glasses of wine to celebrate Zachary's promotion
Jacob turned the conversation to Jamil. "Tell me, how would you assess our
young man's suitability as our first recruit?"

After considering for a short time Zachary answered "He's very bright and
quick to learn. And I like the way he can be so unpredictable on the battle
board. Add to that his tremendous loyalty we saw with looking after little
Donae, I would likely picked him from a classroom of boys as worthy of
investing the time to train him"

"Let us start doing some early work, informally so he sees it all as a
game" Jacob suggested to Zachary.

Coming into the dining room the following morning Jacob found the two boys
making short work of the food had laid out. He told them he thought they
had gone as far as it was possible playing battles against each other with
wooden pieces on the board. When time and weather allowed he would set each
of them missions against the other, and instead of the board they would use
the city streets as the playing area, or sometimes he might even set them
working together on a task. One may be instructed to follow the other when
carrying out a task around the city. If one of them spotted his friend
following him his task would be to shake loose and foil his friend's
efforts. They may also be asked to follow Zachary or be asked by Zachary to
follow Jacob without being seen. At a later stage in the games Jacob
intended to bring in things like secreting messages in hidden places for
the other to recover. Jacob had little doubt as he started all this off of
Jamil being more than able, the boy had not survived these city streets on
good luck alone. Later that morning Jacob took Jamil to one side and gave
him a bag of coin, he told him to accompany Zachary into the city when he
went about today, go to the markets and buy for himself a number of
different style caps and coats of various colours. Also that his purchases
were not to be seen by Zachary, or anyone at the house upon his return. He
was to take the parcels to his own room so he could change his appearance
when engaged in the game. By the time he had provided the same for Tancred
it would amount to a tidy sum, but knowing the children's home would need a
large amount of children's clothing when it started, and with the boys
growing at the rate they where, it would all remain serviceable for another
child within a short time.

It was a time of little activity as they waited for the snows to clear. It
took Jacob a lot of hours sitting alone in the library and writing an
extensive accounting of all that had gone on, and all that was still
planned for the months ahead. He asked leave for Tancred to stay with him
through the coming summer as those plans developed. He put the case that
with Tancred conceiving the plan it was only just that be saw at first hand
the success. He also stressed the value of such experience for him to have
in future years. Having spoken openly to the king about his worries over
Tancred not feeling himself suitable for his pre destined role as sovereign
the maturity he was seeing now allowed him to assure the king that those
fears were substantially eased as he worked with the boy here. Once
completed he encoded it and sealed the bulky letter with a ward so it could
only be opened by Tancred's father the king. It would leave the city
onboard the earliest ship leaving for a different shore once the docks
reopened, From wherever that place would turn out to be it would then be
carried to their homeland. Needless to say Tancred's bedroom activities
were not mentioned to his father. Asking permission was merely a formality,
as he knew that the king would be eagerly watching events from a distance,
and wishing it was he instead of Tancred having such a wonderful time
making mischief among their enemies. Knowing much about Jacob's magery he
would have no fears at all about his son's safety. And with the royal
children having a private upbringing, until being formally presented to the
court at sixteen years of age, any absence could continue unnoticed.

The news of Sir Samuel's serving staff being discharged from service was
already around the city. So when wagons started moving through the streets
taking the furniture to a warehouse, where an auction was to be held, there
was renewed speculation about his sons returning. The latest story was of
the large house being converted into two dwellings for the brothers to live
in side by side. Hearing the way people remembered the young men before
they both fled, both they and their mother had been held in great
affection, the first glimmerings of an idea came to Jacob. Could these
brothers possibly be the men who were able to heal this city, and be
persuaded to return and head a council of new leaders once he had
engineered the fall of the Grand Duke.

The movements of the wagons having now become commonplace it was of no
significance when three empty wagons made their way into the, now empty,
mansion's grounds. Zachary had carried Jacob there earlier in the small
carriage. The group of eight men made their way to the empty wine
cellar. Taking the tools they had brought with them they broke down the
racks as Jacob directed them to. With picks and shovels they made short
work of the tiled floor. Jacob, still appearing as a frail elderly man
could not set to with them, but he did better than that and spelled them to
work through the day without feeling the effort. They had soon cleared down
to uncover twelve large chests wrapped in waxed sailcloth. These chests he
had the men carry and load four to a wagon and taken directly to the king's
trading house. Looking at the large hole before he closed the cellar door
Jacob smiled to himself, thinking of another night time run through the
streets to return and make good the cellar floor bringing earth in from
outside to replace the space left where the chests had lain.

In the vaults of the trading house Jacob and the trade master stood and
looked at the opened chests, the gold stolen by Sir Samuel glittering in
the lamplight. Even after paying back the King's exchequer the sum paid to
Thomas and Simon Alver the amount remaining would be ample to do everything
and more that he planned, without it costing his homeland a single coin.