vanished.
'Stop messing about, old man,' George called. 'I'm in a
spot of bother here.'
Dazed, Aubrey stared at where the shreds had fallen. It
was a simple spell. He should have been able to cast it in
his sleep.
He realised his hands were trembling. Pain burned in
the small joints of his knuckles. He clenched his teeth
and then hissed as his jaw became two bright spots of
agony where it hinged. A wave of terrible fatigue swept
through him and he thought he was about to collapse.
A grunt brought Aubrey back to his surroundings.
George was backing away from the shambling woman.
With the back of one hand, he smeared at a trickle of
blood on his cheek, his face a grimace that combined
fear and uncertainty.
Aubrey shook himself. His condition might be
parlous, but his friend was in danger. Ignoring the pain,
he brought his hands together and clasped them, tightly,
to stop the trembling. Then he began the spell again.
This time, the syllables rolled smoothly off his tongue,
each one articulated clearly, with no dangerous elisions
or slurring. After uttering the final element, a glowing
ribbon flipped through the air and wrapped itself around
the woman's ankles.
Aubrey let out a sigh of relief, but before he could
examine his condition again the woman tottered and
started to fall backward, making no effort to cushion her
fall. Aghast, Aubrey saw that her head was going to smash
on the stone.
He flung himself, catching her by the shoulders and
grating his elbows on the flagstones. But instead of being
grateful, she reached up and clawed at his face, snarling.
Without letting go, he jerked his head back and tucked
in his chin to protect his throat. 'George!'
'Right here.'
George grabbed at the woman's arms, but she
wrenched them away. 'Look out!' Aubrey cried and
George barely avoided having his ear bitten off.
Aubrey eased her to the ground then leapt back. 'Hold
up her arms!'
George struggled, then seized both wrists. Aubrey
chanted the spell again. Another glowing loop appeared
and bound the woman's wrists.
Panting, George stepped back and glared at her. 'She
tried to make a meal of my ear.' He sounded more
offended than afraid.
The woman thrashed on the ground. Aubrey wiped
his brow. The pain in his joints had receded somewhat,
but still lay there like coals ready to burst into flame.
'I should have done the hands first. Idiot.' The woman
settled and growled. Her face and eyes remained as blank
as new paper.
Aubrey became aware that people were drawing
closer. They were fearful, but curious, and soon were
crowding around the unfortunate woman. Students, he
decided, with a few professors elbowing for room and
trying not to appear undignified.
A figure at the rear caught Aubrey's gaze. A slender
man in a grey flannel suit and a grey trilby. He had one
hand in his pocket and, when he noticed Aubrey's attention,
he stepped back behind a pillar. Aubrey went to
move in that direction, but before he could follow, a
uniformed police officer stepped through the crowd.
'Ah, Fitzwilliam,' he said, in his stylishly accented
Albionish. 'It is you again.'
'Inspector Paul.' Aubrey straightened his tie and tried
to look as law-abiding as possible.
Inspector Paul gestured and four constables appeared
with straps and heavy belts. 'I take it this is your spell
work?' Inspector Paul asked Aubrey. 'Would you please
cancel it?'
'Do you think that's wise?'
'My men are experienced. There will be no danger.'
Aubrey gathered himself and cast the short negation
spell. Before the soulless woman could react, Inspector
Paul's squad bound her until she couldn't move. With
smooth efficiency, they lifted her and disappeared
through the crowd.
'Now,' Inspector Paul said, 'I believe I will have to ask
you to come with me to the police station. I have some
questions that need to be asked.'
Not a good time, Inspector . 'I'm afraid I can't do that. Not
at the moment. I have business to attend to.' Some rest and some restorative spells, for a
'Stop messing about, old man,' George called. 'I'm in a
spot of bother here.'
Dazed, Aubrey stared at where the shreds had fallen. It
was a simple spell. He should have been able to cast it in
his sleep.
He realised his hands were trembling. Pain burned in
the small joints of his knuckles. He clenched his teeth
and then hissed as his jaw became two bright spots of
agony where it hinged. A wave of terrible fatigue swept
through him and he thought he was about to collapse.
A grunt brought Aubrey back to his surroundings.
George was backing away from the shambling woman.
With the back of one hand, he smeared at a trickle of
blood on his cheek, his face a grimace that combined
fear and uncertainty.
Aubrey shook himself. His condition might be
parlous, but his friend was in danger. Ignoring the pain,
he brought his hands together and clasped them, tightly,
to stop the trembling. Then he began the spell again.
This time, the syllables rolled smoothly off his tongue,
each one articulated clearly, with no dangerous elisions
or slurring. After uttering the final element, a glowing
ribbon flipped through the air and wrapped itself around
the woman's ankles.
Aubrey let out a sigh of relief, but before he could
examine his condition again the woman tottered and
started to fall backward, making no effort to cushion her
fall. Aghast, Aubrey saw that her head was going to smash
on the stone.
He flung himself, catching her by the shoulders and
grating his elbows on the flagstones. But instead of being
grateful, she reached up and clawed at his face, snarling.
Without letting go, he jerked his head back and tucked
in his chin to protect his throat. 'George!'
'Right here.'
George grabbed at the woman's arms, but she
wrenched them away. 'Look out!' Aubrey cried and
George barely avoided having his ear bitten off.
Aubrey eased her to the ground then leapt back. 'Hold
up her arms!'
George struggled, then seized both wrists. Aubrey
chanted the spell again. Another glowing loop appeared
and bound the woman's wrists.
Panting, George stepped back and glared at her. 'She
tried to make a meal of my ear.' He sounded more
offended than afraid.
The woman thrashed on the ground. Aubrey wiped
his brow. The pain in his joints had receded somewhat,
but still lay there like coals ready to burst into flame.
'I should have done the hands first. Idiot.' The woman
settled and growled. Her face and eyes remained as blank
as new paper.
Aubrey became aware that people were drawing
closer. They were fearful, but curious, and soon were
crowding around the unfortunate woman. Students, he
decided, with a few professors elbowing for room and
trying not to appear undignified.
A figure at the rear caught Aubrey's gaze. A slender
man in a grey flannel suit and a grey trilby. He had one
hand in his pocket and, when he noticed Aubrey's attention,
he stepped back behind a pillar. Aubrey went to
move in that direction, but before he could follow, a
uniformed police officer stepped through the crowd.
'Ah, Fitzwilliam,' he said, in his stylishly accented
Albionish. 'It is you again.'
'Inspector Paul.' Aubrey straightened his tie and tried
to look as law-abiding as possible.
Inspector Paul gestured and four constables appeared
with straps and heavy belts. 'I take it this is your spell
work?' Inspector Paul asked Aubrey. 'Would you please
cancel it?'
'Do you think that's wise?'
'My men are experienced. There will be no danger.'
Aubrey gathered himself and cast the short negation
spell. Before the soulless woman could react, Inspector
Paul's squad bound her until she couldn't move. With
smooth efficiency, they lifted her and disappeared
through the crowd.
'Now,' Inspector Paul said, 'I believe I will have to ask
you to come with me to the police station. I have some
questions that need to be asked.'
Not a good time, Inspector . 'I'm afraid I can't do that. Not
at the moment. I have business to attend to.' Some rest and some restorative spells, for a
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