Chapter 3

"Well, Herc, now that you have heard my plan, what do you think?"

"Sam, the plan is brilliant! It should work, too, if we can keep the wizards in line. That's the part that worries me."

"Yeah, me too. I am afraid that one of them will get the idea that he can improve on the plan and do something stupid. I have asked the princess and Wizard Agar to speak to the young wizards to try to impress on them the necessity of everybody working together. They both agreed to try."

"OK, what do you want to do first?"

"I would like to try out the crowded wall illusion. If that doesn't work, then the whole plan has to be changed. How long is the wall we have to cover?"

"It's 38,000 feet long, counting all the nooks and crannies."

"Let's start out by trying for a 1,000-foot-long illusion. Then we'll scale from that. Do you have enough troops to pack that much wall?"

"Yes, I think that we can do that. I'll order it to be done, immediately."

"OK, while you are doing that, I'll collect the wizards and explain what I want. Let me know as soon as you are ready."

Sam walked out of the General's office to his flying carpet. Teekay was there, amusing himself by juggling bits of rock. He had 32 in the air at one time and was about to add another when Sam walked up. Sam said, "That's fantastic! How many separate objects can you move at one time?"

Teekay let the rocks fall to the ground and said, "I really don't know. I can move at least 300 items, if they are all going to the same place and can be kept in the same relative position all the way. But I don't know how many I can move to different places or arrange in different order before they get there; my guess is about 50 at one time."

Sam whistled in awe. "Man, am I glad I found you! You are really going to come in handy!"

Teekay beamed at this praise. He wasn't used to it. Most people couldn't see much value in his talent, so he was happy to find at least one person who could.

Sam boarded the flying carpet and said, "Carpet, take us to Wizard Agar, please."

"Yes, Master. Do you want the fastest route or the most scenic?"

"The fastest, please."

Sam and Teekay were totally untroubled by inertia while they were standing on the carpet. It rose and blasted off at treetop level or higher, as necessary, directly to Agar's location without causing any sway or jerkiness to either of the men riding it. Agar was sitting in a local beer garden when the carpet pulled in beside him and settled to the ground.

"Ah, Sam, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Agar, I'm ready for you help with the young wizards. Specifically, Herc and I are ready to try out the soldiers-on-the-wall illusion. Please gather the illusionists in one place. I'd like Teekay to demonstrate his ability to move them all at once."

"Very well. Teekay, is Rafferton Park a suitable location for your test?"

"Yes, sir."

Agar mumbled something and said to Sam, "OK, the ones you wanted are on their way. They should all be gathered there within 20 minutes."

"Thank you. Please ask a couple of the teleporters to join us here. I expect to need their courier services, starting today."

Within a few seconds: PUFF! PUFF! Two wizards were standing beside Sam, looking at him expectantly. Sam said, "I don't want to hurt your feelings later on, so I'll tell you two now, I have a lousy memory for names, so I'm going to call you TP1 and TP2. That way, in the heat of the moment, I don't have to struggle to remember your names. Please don't be insulted, but that is just the way I am.

TP1, please go to General Zaxos and tell him that the illusionists are gathering in Rafferton Park. Tell him that they will be ready to start the illusion trials in about 30 minutes. You stay with him and come tell me when and where he wants us to meet him. My current plan is to have Teekay shift everybody to his location when he is ready. OK, go ahead." PUFF! TP1 was gone! "TP2, you stay with me in case there is a change in plans I have to relay.

"Gentlemen, if you please, join me on the flying carpet, and we will go to Rafferton Park... Carpet, please take us to Rafferton Park by the fastest route."

They arrived at the park as the last of the young wizards were coming in. Sam did a quick count and saw 184 wizards there, with a few left to arrive. In a few more minutes, the last one trickled in, and they were ready to begin. Sam asked Agar to give his anti-embellishment speech at this time.

Agar said, "I'll keep this short and to the point. You will follow orders and not try to make your own personal improvements. It is important that the illusion look completely natural. Anybody who can't live with that better speak up now, because Wizard Sam has asked that I turn any of you who screw up into toads, and, rest assured, that is the least I will do. Anybody want to back out?... OK, now you are committed!"

Agar stepped back with a glare at the assembled young wizards, and Sam stepped forward. "Everybody will have an important job, though some will be more spectacular than others. Some will work on the wall-protection illusion, but others will work with the artillery—I'll cover that later.

"The wall illusionists will have to cover a long area of wall, I hope you can manage 1,000 feet. Is there anybody that is not sure that he can cover that much?... OK, I had hoped that all of you would have that much self-confidence. We will line up troops along a section of wall so that you can see exactly the effect we are looking for. The first step will be for you to copy the appearance of the real troops on the next section of wall. Once you have done that, you will make them mill around and act as nearly like a bunch of real soldiers as you can. General Zaxos, Wizard Agar, and I will judge you on the quality of your illusion. Perfection is the only acceptable standard.

"Those not selected for this illusion will be tested for their ability to support the artillery. We will only have a limited number of trebuchets and onagers, but we want to have the effect of many more. Our object will be to confuse and terrify the enemy troops that we don't wound. We are not out to kill. A wounded man is a much greater drain on an army's resources than is a dead man, and we are trying for this drain.

"Remember, there is no difference in the importance of the two illusions, both are needed. Never forget, you are the major part of our fighting forces and we will be depending on you to do your best. Any screw ups can get us all killed! So, pay attention to your job!"

Sam turned to Teekay and said, "Teekay, please move every one of the young wizards 10 feet to the right and set them down carefully. We don't want anybody hurt."

Teekay concentrated for a moment and every one of the young wizards rose about 6 inches off the ground and moved 10 feet to their right. They were set gently to the ground to a round of applause from all those on hand. Teekay blushed and bowed his acknowledgment.

"Wizard Agar, will the flying carpet obey anyone besides me?"

"Yes, it will, if you order it to."

"Very good. TP2, please take the flying carpet and find the princess. Ask her to grace us with her presence. Use the carpet to transport her with the dignity she deserves. Carpet, obey TP2 until I order otherwise."

"Yes, Master."

TP2 left on the carpet while everybody waited on the princess. Sam said, "Let's get in some practice time while we wait." He pointed to a wizard at random and said, "You, please come here and demonstrate your talent for me. I want you to create an illusion of these wizards as if they were standing over there. Have the illusion move around as people normally would."

The wizard came to Sam and turned to face the crowd. He mumbled a few words and a duplicate crowd appeared where Sam had pointed. The people wandered around and talked to each other, scratched, and one even laughed. Sam said, "Very good. Now, I want to see how long the illusion will last while you are distracted. Teekay, please transport this wizard over there and stash him in a tree where he can't see his illusion."