The Witch & the Cathedral - Wizard of Yurt - 4 by C. Dale Brittain Page A
Authors: C. Dale Brittain
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hoping to play a role in the first election of a new bishop here in forty years, although I discount that."
"That reminds me." I was uninterested in the political relationship between a hypothetical new bishop and a kingdom’s heir but wondered if it was only coincidence that a bat-winged monster had appeared just before Vincent's brother Lucas arrived in the city. I reminded myself firmly not to let my dislike for Vincent cloud my judgment. "The queen is planning to marry the younger son of the king of Caelrhon." I tried to keep my voice casual and natural.
But I should have known better. Joachim looked at me sharply. "Is Prince Vincent in Yurt now?"
"He arrived the day after I did."
"And you do not approve of him?"
At least, I thought, whatever Joachim suspected it was highly unlikely to be me kissing the queen at twilight. "It's hard to think of her married to someone else, after the old king," I said. This was something I wasn't even going to try to explain. "Paul feels the same way, I think, although he seems to like Vincent personally."
Joachim appeared to accept my words at face value. "It's just as hard for me to imagine Paul as king of Yurt," he said. "You know, I've scarcely seen him since I left the court."
"You may not recognize him," I said. "He's really grown."
"I may go to Yurt for his coming of age ceremony," said Joachim. "The queen invited me, and I would enjoy seeing everyone again."
Paul I could talk about with no problem. For a moment, the apparition on the cathedral tower seemed comfortably far away. I mentioned Vincent’s gift to Paul of a roan stallion.
"I wonder if it's the same horse," Joachim surprised me by saying. "I may have seen it earlier this spring. For a while the Romneys had a magnificent red roan for sale."
"Does anyone know where they've gone?"
"Not that I've heard." He paused, then looked at me soberly. The monster was not going to be far from his thoughts for long. "I know we'd hoped that whatever wizard was here had left town with the Romneys, but if so he must have returned on his own."
"I'll find him," I said with my best effort at confidence. "A wizard—much less a magician—shouldn't be able to hide for long from another wizard. By the way: is your servant mute?"
Joachim shook his head, a faint amused glint in his eye. "He served the old dean before me, and one night many years ago, having I believe drunk unwisely, he stood in the middle of the market square shouting the most scandalous things. Since that one lapse he has spoken as little as possible. He imagines that I never heard about the incident." He rose. "I have to get back to the cathedral."
"And I need to begin my search for renegade magic." We were interrupted by a banging on the door. "Father Joachim! Come quickly! It's back!"
II
Joachim took the young man at the door firmly by the shoulders. "Tell us exactly what you saw."
He wore the uniform of the municipal guard. "Maybe it wasn't the same one," he said, breathing hard, "but it was horrible! It was a whole lot smaller—maybe the size of a hound." I could see him trying to concentrate under the dean's intense eyes. "It was red, like an enormous red lizard, with maybe eight legs. It had wings—and when it saw me and reared up, I could see that on its front legs it had hands."
A red winged lizard with hands. No wonder the young guard's eyes were so round. "Go on to the cathedral," I told Joachim. "Keep everyone calm. I'll deal with this." I might not be Royal Wizard of Yurt anymore, but when it came to magical apparitions I was still in command.
The construction site swarmed with activity as the guard and I pushed our way through. No one else seemed aware of the winged lizard. Cartloads of cut stone were arriving, drawn by oxen, and workmen unloaded and stacked them, easily levering the stones up and down ramps. The new tower's light-colored stonework was almost white against an azure sky. There was nothing ominous here in daylight, but it did
"That reminds me." I was uninterested in the political relationship between a hypothetical new bishop and a kingdom’s heir but wondered if it was only coincidence that a bat-winged monster had appeared just before Vincent's brother Lucas arrived in the city. I reminded myself firmly not to let my dislike for Vincent cloud my judgment. "The queen is planning to marry the younger son of the king of Caelrhon." I tried to keep my voice casual and natural.
But I should have known better. Joachim looked at me sharply. "Is Prince Vincent in Yurt now?"
"He arrived the day after I did."
"And you do not approve of him?"
At least, I thought, whatever Joachim suspected it was highly unlikely to be me kissing the queen at twilight. "It's hard to think of her married to someone else, after the old king," I said. This was something I wasn't even going to try to explain. "Paul feels the same way, I think, although he seems to like Vincent personally."
Joachim appeared to accept my words at face value. "It's just as hard for me to imagine Paul as king of Yurt," he said. "You know, I've scarcely seen him since I left the court."
"You may not recognize him," I said. "He's really grown."
"I may go to Yurt for his coming of age ceremony," said Joachim. "The queen invited me, and I would enjoy seeing everyone again."
Paul I could talk about with no problem. For a moment, the apparition on the cathedral tower seemed comfortably far away. I mentioned Vincent’s gift to Paul of a roan stallion.
"I wonder if it's the same horse," Joachim surprised me by saying. "I may have seen it earlier this spring. For a while the Romneys had a magnificent red roan for sale."
"Does anyone know where they've gone?"
"Not that I've heard." He paused, then looked at me soberly. The monster was not going to be far from his thoughts for long. "I know we'd hoped that whatever wizard was here had left town with the Romneys, but if so he must have returned on his own."
"I'll find him," I said with my best effort at confidence. "A wizard—much less a magician—shouldn't be able to hide for long from another wizard. By the way: is your servant mute?"
Joachim shook his head, a faint amused glint in his eye. "He served the old dean before me, and one night many years ago, having I believe drunk unwisely, he stood in the middle of the market square shouting the most scandalous things. Since that one lapse he has spoken as little as possible. He imagines that I never heard about the incident." He rose. "I have to get back to the cathedral."
"And I need to begin my search for renegade magic." We were interrupted by a banging on the door. "Father Joachim! Come quickly! It's back!"
II
Joachim took the young man at the door firmly by the shoulders. "Tell us exactly what you saw."
He wore the uniform of the municipal guard. "Maybe it wasn't the same one," he said, breathing hard, "but it was horrible! It was a whole lot smaller—maybe the size of a hound." I could see him trying to concentrate under the dean's intense eyes. "It was red, like an enormous red lizard, with maybe eight legs. It had wings—and when it saw me and reared up, I could see that on its front legs it had hands."
A red winged lizard with hands. No wonder the young guard's eyes were so round. "Go on to the cathedral," I told Joachim. "Keep everyone calm. I'll deal with this." I might not be Royal Wizard of Yurt anymore, but when it came to magical apparitions I was still in command.
The construction site swarmed with activity as the guard and I pushed our way through. No one else seemed aware of the winged lizard. Cartloads of cut stone were arriving, drawn by oxen, and workmen unloaded and stacked them, easily levering the stones up and down ramps. The new tower's light-colored stonework was almost white against an azure sky. There was nothing ominous here in daylight, but it did
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