Chapter 24

We all used our mind-cloaks as we approached the entrance to the manoir; Jukar using the amulet version which she could switch on herself, though wasn’t yet in a position to actuate her own version. At the door Arch pulled the bell-pull and we awaited an answer, which came quickly.

“The Comte is not receiving visitors at the moment,” came a very snooty reply from a senior manservant.

“Oh, I think he’ll be receiving us,” Arch stated flashing a blank piece of paper in front of the man and fooling his brain into seeing a directive from the planète noblesse comitat granting the holder supreme power over the laeth (district) of Jucaarta.

“I will announce you,” the suddenly sweating man stated.

“And we will accompany you as you do,” Arch replied coldly.

“Of course,” he swallowed nervously.

He led us into a library of some sort, though there were books and scrolls strewn all over the place and not in any particular order either.

“My Comte, these haut noblesse demanded to see you,” he announced to one of three people in the room.

“And who might you be to force yourselves into my house?” came a stern reply.

“Those who seek answers for the planète noblesse comitat regarding the sighting of an erdalun (Falian term for foreigner),” Arch replied. The rest of us remained silent if watchful.

“You cannot possibly be of the planète noblesse comitat. You have women amongst you,” came a snide remark from a burgundy-dressed fop, who my senses were telling me was the Magicien we’d sensed.

Morgana simply let a sputtering electroball form an inch or so above her palm, rapidly followed up by the rest of us except Arch, whilst giving the fop a baleful eye.

“You are Magiciens?” the fop replied in shock. “I cannot detect you!”

“Like we would announce our presence to any petty Magicien in pursuit of our enquiries,” Arch stated making the fop flush with chagrin.

“Forgive me, Brichtu (Magicien of law). I was caught unawares. I am Segoville Astarte of the haut-Magicien cabale of Tuatha,” he replied in grovelling tones.

“That remains to be seen,” Arch replied offhandedly, giving nothing away as to who or what we really were, such was the fear and awe magic users were held in by the Tuathans. “Now, you will tell us of this man and why he was here,” Arch added, creating a 3D image of Clarence.

“He came seeking our aid, a foreign Magicien,” the Comte replied carefully as dealing directly with erdalun was tightly regulated.

“Hold, Comte. Why have you not shown your badge of authority?” the third man in the room enquired of us.

‘There is no badge of authority. It’s a test. They carry a letter of marque, ‘ Jukar mentally sent.

‘I can show you my letter of marque. However, asking for a badge suggests no knowledge of the planète noblesse comitat and looks rather like an attempt to prevaricate, as who and what we are is well known. So, Sieur, just who might you be?” Arch finished in threatening tones.

“A simple test, Brichtu, to ascertain that you are who you say you are. I am the scīrgerefa (approximately a sheriff) of Jucaarta,” the man replied, showing no fear of us at all.

“Interesting that you thought to test,” I stated in freezing tones. “One does wonder at your reasons.”

“Please, Brichtu, the scīrgerefa was merely being cautious. After all, a foreign Magicien would like as not draw attention from those from whom he was running,” Astarte temporised.

“None of which answers our question,” Arch replied sternly.

“I’m still waiting to see your letter of marque,” the scīrgerefa added.

Morgana stepped forward and handed him a copy taken from his mind and created by her for this situation, which he looked at then handed back.

‘Something is not right, they are stalling. Also, this Magicien is not guarding the pair of them from being scanned, ‘ Jukar warned.

‘Yes, I noticed, ‘ Morgana replied.

“Where is this foreign Magicien?” Arch demanded.

“He left to seek aid regarding a mérmeros (memory crystal),” the Comte replied.

“Who is he and why you?” I enquired.

“He is an Earth Magicien. A pompous oaf but occasionally useful to us for intelligence gathering as he was always complaining about what his ruling body were up to whenever he had occasion to call at our embassy portale.”

“And you permitted him to run loose upon our planète?” I asked.

“He was too powerful,” Astarte added.

“More powerful than a member of the haut-Magicien cabale?” Morgana spoke for the first time in incredulous tones.

“He caught us by surprise after requesting a meeting of the town elders,” the Comte added. “When we sought to hold him for questioning he vanished in front of our eyes.”

“He’s telling the truth, but this Mage has manipulated their view of things. He was the one who permitted Clarence to escape, ‘ Róisín sent out.

‘Tell me, Astarte, why did you not lay down spells to prevent escape? Why is there evidence of memory tampering going on with the Comte and the scīrgerefa along with no attempts to guard their minds?” Arch asked in ominous tones as we all turned to face the foppish young man.

“Damned fools, I told them this wouldn’t work,” Astarte sighed.

“Please stop stalling. We have a foreign Magicien running loose and we need to find and question him,” I stated.

“He’s called Klarenz. He came seeking information on the whereabouts of our Klarosi (Seers). He warned of a terrible threat to our planète caused by the meddling Magiciens of Earth unless we stopped them. He also warned that the Magiciens of Earth and the planète noblesse comitat would likely try to stop him.”

“And you believed him?”

“He is a foolish man, but has never lied; he simply believes that he is right and acts accordingly,” the Comte added.

“Klarenz is a member of the Council of Magiciens ruling the Earth,” Morgana stated out loud. “He has the reputation of being a headstrong idiot and believes that the Ancient Ones could be talked to peacefully.”

“Oh, mon dieu!” Astarte sighed.

“What have we done?” the Comte stated, looking aghast.

“Forgive us, Brichtu, we did not know,” the scīrgerefa added as all gabbled out their shock at being taken in by Clarence.

“If he is loose here he must not be permitted near the Klarosi. We will deal with you miscreants later. Now we have a foolish and possibly dangerous Magicien to catch, before the Magiciens of Earth come looking for him themselves,” Arch stated sending a mental message to the Seers back in Guisson.

“I gave him the address of a friend of mine in Tressene,” the Comte added giving us the address as Morgana formed a portal in thin air, making Astarte gasp in admiration.

We quickly stepped through and went into conference mode.

“What a bunch of idiots. Clarence is nowhere near that persuasive!” Morgana stormed.

“Or smart enough to lie or be evasive, my Mage. That I believe is what swung it.”

“You’re probably right, John,” Arch sighed as Morgana nodded.

“They believed him and his warning that the authorities here would try to stop him unless he could present his evidence to the Klarosi, or Seer group,” Róisín added.

“He won’t get near their Seer group. No one but their planète supreme comitat can see them at all,” Seer Alameda explained.

“What do we know of the Magicien Dutoq that this Comte sent Clarence to?” Morgana asked.

“Nothing, Mage Morgana,” she replied after a quick check on the gestalt.

“Dutoq?” Jukar said pensively.

“Yes, is the name known to you?”

“There were rumours of a powerful group of Magiciens dedicated to ruling Tuatha justly over and above the planète supreme comitat. Just whispers, but their leader was known as Dutoq. He was a hero to the ordinary people, a sort of ... Robin Hood character ... a myth, I guess.”

“Wondered why Jude insisted on her coming, now I know,” I replied, looking fondly at Jukar.

“Yes, John,” Morgana added with a smile. “Could you scan this Tressene place ... carefully?” to the Seers.

“Of course, Mage Morgana.”

“He may not be the same person, Mage Morgana. It’s not a common name, but it is not so rare either,” Jukar warned.

“I suspect with Jude involved, this Dutoq will be one and the same as this mysterious Magicien you know of,” Róisín replied with a slight giggle.

“Yes, he doesn’t do coincidences,” Morgana added with a gentle smile.

“Wonder if this Comte knew ... then again, he didn’t seem the type. I suspect he just wanted Clarence away from Jucaarta,” I mused.

“More than likely, John. Someone handing power over to the lower classes wouldn’t appear to go hand in hand with a local ruler. Still, it is interesting that the Comte knew Dutoq,” Arch agreed.

“We have located a heavily shielded area in Tressene, Mage Morgana. It’s on a private estate and very out of character for the area,” Alameda announced. “Quite elegant really and well beyond normal Tuathan capabilities, even that of their Seers.”

“Interesting, can you get us close?” Morgana requested.

“Yes, Mage Morgana. There is an empty dwelling within a mile of the place, from which you will be able to leave unnoticed.”

“Let’s go,” Morgana nodded as Alameda opened a portal.

Tresenne was actually quite pleasant and didn’t have the tension and forbidding effect that all the previous Tuathan towns I’d visited had had, with the exception of the now free Murias and Finias. Most noticeable was the complete absence of the Moralité Gendarmerie as well as there being very much fewer in the way of patrols by the militia. The other thing we noticed when we emerged from the cellar is that we were also being observed as strangers.

“I think this town is the centre of a possible resistance to the Tuathan regime and that they are keeping an eye on us,” I murmured.

“Matches my thoughts,” Arch agreed.

“Well, the enemy of my enemy...” Róisín began.

“We first need to prove that we have the same enemy,” chuckled Morgana.

“True,” Róisín grinned.

“Still, so long as they look and don’t interfere, we will proceed with our mission.”

Arch as ever led the way, looking as regal and dignified as the most upper of the haut classe ranking his clothing would have told an observer he was. The ladies other than Jukar glided along with the hem of their skirts not touching the ground by a couple of millimetres and not once swaying to reveal an ankle by mistake. Jukar, dressed way more comfortably, followed up in the rear position, as a maidservant was required to keep, and carefully observed us to ensure we didn’t inadvertently give ourselves away.

“Nasty set of wards,” I said quietly as we approached the estate.

“Very,” Morgana nodded. “I suspect we’ll simply have to knock and hope as I doubt your ward-breaker would get us in past those.”

“Not on a first attempt, no. These are fixed-fortress grade.”