Sorcerer on the Street

Case 4. A Place of His Own

As the residual energy from our first spell dissipated, the fog in my mind didn't clear so quickly. It seemed that I was very much out of practice since the last time I had channelled something like that, and the whole process left me dizzy and disoriented. It took precious seconds for me to remember the next phase of my plan, wasting time when my theft could have been discovered at any moment. I didn't know how much time had passed when I remembered where we were, and the danger we were in. John's face was only inches from my own now, and I could see how worried he was. I reassured him quickly, and then tried to remember what else we needed.

He needed a focus. It was the simplest, most essential tool for any wizard, especially at the start of his enlightenment. A man who could call upon his innate magics with just words and gestures must be immeasurably skilled already. We had cheated somewhat in our first attempt, by relying on the enchanted qualities of the very treasure he sought to liberate. But if I was to teach him, he would need a proper focus. I knew that there was a pendant in one of the cabinets which would serve perfectly, so I described it to John. He knew the piece I meant immediately; he had noticed its power on his first visit to this room, even if he didn't know why. But when he started moving towards it, something stopped him. He stood in the middle of the room, and lowered his left hand to rest on the table in front of him. A glass case protected a whole selection of exhibits, but John was caressing the glass over an incomplete set of tarot cards.

"These are important," he said. "Madame Rosa had a set of these cards. But not like these, they weren't... alive? I need them."

I wanted to argue. A pendant or a crystal were natural focuses; neutral in meaning, and therefore easy to master. But it could be that he was right. I didn't know what the fortune teller had told him, or whether that was relevant here. And I didn't know what he was sensing now. But I could give him a clear answer.

"They have power," I told him. "You could use them. But they have a personality as well. Items like these are often capricious; they will try to direct you rather than following your lead. It will be so much harder to learn. I don't know if I can help you to take two items. In fact, I'm not even sure if I have the strength to help you one more time, but I have to try. We'll try the pendant first. That will serve you better, a servant you can direct rather than a trickster to negotiate with. And if I am still capable, we can look for..."

I didn't know what to think when his questing fingers carefully snapped off a strip of wax from the side of the candle. The crack sounded almost like a shot in the silence of the museum. But John had a sense of purpose, and I was already starting to respect him enough to watch what he had in mind. He moved close to the table, and ran his hands around the edge. His fingers moved deftly, making motions I couldn't possibly follow, while he whispered in silence.

"When I was a child," he said, "I was expected to read only magazines describing how to move elegantly, so that I could dance and marry well. It was all my parents dreamed of for me. But I wanted to know more. I wanted to read books from the restricted sections in their library. And so, from one particular detective novel, I taught myself some simple tricks. I've seen a table like this used to display books before, and I doubt the lock is particularly secure. More like something to stop kids playing with the cards. For a ward lock, just pressing wax into the keyhole can be good enough. It's soft enough to take the shape of the lock, but firm enough to push against..."

He seemed deep in concentration, but a second later there was a faint click from the mechanism. It was a technique which would never have occurred to me, even if I'd had the skills. This boy was to become my apprentice, but he'd already taught me something new. He opened the cabinet slowly, and reached inside. I felt the cards react as he touched them, and I thought that they were probably important to him. He just needed his skills to catch up with his instincts, and I was sure he would make a great wizard.