Alfred Courtney lifted his brows and sat back with an air of resignation. “Go ahead and do a rough estimate of how many sorcerers we will need to do it in ‘modern’ terms.”
Elizabeth and David both set to with pens and paper, muttering and drawing. In the end, after fifteen minutes of figuring and quarreling with each other, they had reached different conclusions. David spoke first. “It can’t be done.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, it can, but we need time to build a ring and significant control structure.”
David glared at her. “He just told us we don’t have the time for that.”
“But it is technically possible,” she remonstrated her colleague.
“Don’t be such a pedant!”
Master Courtney leaned in to stop the fight that was brewing. “We are going to do it and we will only rely on quick chalk markings and human participants. Pretend you’re making this thing according to the theoretical tolerances we’ve discussed in my research.”
“But that’s all speculative,” argued David. “We don’t really know how they did those things.”
“We will when we succeed,” said Lord Courtney. “Because we have here someone that can replicate what our forebears used to do routinely.” His eyes fell on Will.
“Surely you jest,” said David. “He’s just a student!”
Master Courtney ignored him. “We should get to work. It might take the rest of the day to work out the details.”
Janice and Will looked at each other, then she asked a question. “Should we leave? We don’t really know enough to help.”
Elizabeth gave her a stern glance. “Stay quiet and do as you’re told. There’s no better time than the present for you to learn a little.” She addressed the Head Researcher. “They might be handy doing some of the brute work.”
Will frowned. “Brute work?”
Master Courtney chuckled. “Figuring large products and quotients.”
“Oh,” said Janice. They wanted them to solve simple math problems while they dealt with the more complex results. “We can do that.”
In the end their contribution turned out to be mostly symbolic. All three of the researchers were blazingly fast when doing simple figures, the result of many long hours doing such rote work. They gave Will and Janice token problems now and then, but it was clear they weren’t really needed. For the most part they simply redid problems to make sure the others hadn’t made a mistake in their haste.
Watching them work was instructive, though. Janice and Will both learned a lot regarding how spell theory related to ritual theory, and how those principles were applied in a practical sense. Sadly, sunset was only two hours away when they finally were satisfied with the ritual they had planned out.
“This is the best we can do,” said Elizabeth with a sigh. “A hundred and seventy-two sorcerers will be required.” She dipped her head in Will’s direction. “And of course, our good luck charm over there. If he can’t perform the way you think, all of this is pointless.”
David nodded. “And it will have to be performed in the cathedral. The Church of the Holy Mother is the most central location in the city.”
That point had been made several times over during the afternoon. Any other location would require vastly more manpower because of the increase in area that would need to be covered. The cathedral marked the center of the city, which meant that the radius of the circle that contained the entire city would be smallest from that point, conserving power.
“The last question,” said Will, “is who will be involved in actually performing this thing?”
David glanced at the others. “You’ll need one of us to help organize everyone. Master Courtney is too old, not to mention important.” He glanced at Elizabeth.
She spoke before he could say anything else. “Don’t try to be heroic, David. You have children at home. I’m a spinster. It’s obvious I should go.”
“But…”
Elizabeth shook her head, and then Janice spoke up. “I’ll go as well.”
“You don’t have an elemental,” Will pointed out.
“Neither do you.”
“I don’t need one.”
“They’re handing them out to two hundred students. I’ll take one of those,” she replied quickly.
Will’s eyes grew round. “Even though you know how they’re made?”
Janice smiled. “At least I can guarantee mine will be freed after this is over. One fewer soul suffering, isn’t that a worthwhile goal?”
He hadn’t thought of it that way. “I can’t fault your logic,” he admitted. After that they split up, agreeing to meet at the main gate that led from Wurthaven in an hour. Will, Janice, and Tiny headed for Will’s home, but along the way they noticed a large increase in the number of people walking around, most of whom didn’t look like students.
“I wonder what that’s about?” said Janice, but Will hardly paid heed. His mind kept returning to Rob’s warning note. ‘We are merely decoys.’ What did he mean? Is there another threat?
At his home he found the Nerrow family appeared to be preparing for another pilgrimage to their old home to hole up for the evening. Laina and her father seemed to be in the midst of yet another argument, while Agnes and Tabitha looked on worriedly. The baron glared in Will’s direction when he approached. “Are you the one who put these foolish ideas into her head?”
Taken aback, Will wasn’t sure what to say. “Huh?”
“She wants to release her elementals! That sounds an awful lot like your nonsensical philosophy has infected my daughter’s mind to me,” accused Mark Nerrow.
“It’s slavery!” insisted Laina, her determination unwavering.
Will looked at his father. “I didn’t suggest anything, but I agree with her. Did she tell you why she believes that?”
“If she would talk reason, I would listen,” said the baron angrily. “As it is she—”
“The king used her graduation seal to command her to slit the throats of three men last night. She very nearly did it, too.” Laina’s eyes were panicked as she heard the words leave his lips.
“That’s impossible!”
“Selene nearly died trying to murder me when I interrupted her marriage to Count Spry,” added Will. “She fought the control so hard it nearly ripped her soul in two. That’s why she’s not here. She left to go somewhere the king couldn’t use her.” He had their full attention then. Silence reigned for a few seconds as everyone tried to process what he had said.