Chapter 18

It was July before more checks showed up. It was Wednesday, the 13th, to be exact. On Thursday, the 14th, we returned to Nassau to deposit the latest checks and some excess funds from our parents' regular bank account in Georgia. Our parents were maintaining a large reserve of cash on hand in their house now. They had built it up over the last eleven months. This deposit brought them to over 225 million dollars in the two Nassau banks.

It would appear that we weren't the only ones moving assets out of the country. While in Nassau, we met several members of the Boston Council there. We talked with them for a short time, but money was never one of the subjects brought up.

Even though it was only mid-July book orders were heavy already. Whether this was because people were afraid that the Government would ban the books or not we weren't sure, but it was apparent from the numbers of orders that we were receiving that there was a heavy demand for not just our books, but for all books on Magic, Witchcraft, and Voodoo. It was very apparent that many citizens disagreed with the stand that the Government had taken on Magic.

With all of the protective wards and the defensive shells now in place, it left us more time to concentrate on other things. We still had our school studies each day and our Magic studies at night to take care of. There was work on the fields and in the printing plant to be done, but we did take some time each day to practice with our swords. We were way beyond basic cuts now and occasionally engaged each other in mock combat with the swords sheathed and not making strong contact. We had gotten fairly good with our swords.

Also during July there were more reports in the media about crackdowns by the FBPI on Witches, Shaman, minor Wizards, and others involved in Magic. So far none of the major players in the Magic community had been bothered. All of the attention had been on low level basic practitioners of Magic. We were sure that it wouldn't remain that way. We were also fairly sure that most if not all of those people arrested had done little or nothing wrong, at least nothing to be jailed for other than that the Government was making an example of them. This didn't sit well with us.

It was mid-July before we felt confident enough to go for our Senior Master's Level test. It was more than a year since we had achieved Master's Level accreditation and we had done a considerable amount of studying. Dad contacted Brian in the Otherworld and set up the date for the examination. We left home on the morning of Monday the 18th of July. We were greeted in the grove by just Brian.

"Hello!" he said, as we stepped through the portal from Statesboro.

"Hello!" we all returned, and Dad shook Brian's hand.

"The examination shouldn't take overly long," Brian told us. "I couldn't convince any of the other Senior Masters to join me for a Panel of Examiners. It seems that the word has spread about your last exam, and none of them wanted to participate. You'll have to deal with just me.

"Before we begin, let's adjourn to my cottage and have some ale while I explain what I intend to have you do," Brian finished. We left the grove and sipped some ale while Brian explained how the examination would proceed.

"If I remember correctly, the last time you said that all of you had received the same instructions from the 'Book of Dreams'. Is that correct?" he asked.

"Yes, that's correct," Sean answered.

"And you have all been studying from the same books. Is that correct also?"

"Yes, we have all used the same books, but in a different order," Sara answered. "Does that make a difference?"

"No, I wouldn't think so," Brian told her.

"Since those assumptions are correct, I will proceed by going down the line asking each of you a question, since all of you have studied the same information, I can reasonably assume that all of you know the answer if one does. If one of you has a problem answering a question, one of the others can volunteer the answer, unless it's something that none of you know the answer to.

"On questions involving spells, all that you need to do is start the first line of the spell to show that you know it. Do not complete any of the spells and be sure to cancel what you have started. On glyphs, just the initial stroke is all that I require. We don't need major Magic performed here in the Otherworld," Brian assured us.

"Will you be able to start in two hours?" he asked next.

"Yes, we can start anytime that you wish," I told him.

"Good. Go to the regular cottage that you have used, and change clothes. We'll start in the glen in two hours," Brian told us.

We changed clothes in the cottage that we had used previously, then went to the pool and soaked for a time in the warm water. On the way back to the cottage, Annie and Sara picked up some food for later after we had finished for the day.

Dad had stayed to talk with Brian, and we saw both of them sitting in the glen as we approached.

"Enter," Brian told us as we neared the entrance, and we marched in and formed a line standing on several stones facing him and Dad. We all bowed to them.

"It seems that I have located a Senior Master that isn't afraid to join me," Brian told us and indicated Dad. "We will both question you. There is no need for preliminary questions, as we know all of your names and why you are here."

The questioning started then with Brian and Dad alternating asking the questions. They went through our line a number of times, and we had no trouble with any of the questions. They all covered things that we had studied or learned from the 'Book of Dreams'. It was a considerable time later when the questions stopped, and I noticed that the shadows in the grove were now quite long. I was surprised to see the sun setting. Brian stood then and bowed to the setting sun.

"That concludes the examination," he stated. "I must say that you are the most knowledgeable applicants for Senior Master that I have examined. Often it takes a Master two or three tries before he can answer the questions the way that you young people have and with no wrong answers, I might add.

"Return to your cottage for the night. In the morning, I will hold a ceremony with the local people in attendance and you will be installed as Senior Masters for all to see and acknowledge," Brian finished.

"All right," I said. "Would you care to dine with us?" I asked.

"No, Mark and I have much to discuss and we will dine alone. Thank you for the offer," Brian told us, and he and Dad left.

"Well, let's go back to the cottage. I'm hungry," Sean told us.

"Does this mean that we can stop studying?" Sara asked as the sisters prepared the food that they had gotten earlier.

"Do you think that you know everything that a Senior Master should?" I asked.

"Ah ... well ... no!!" Sara answered after some thought.

"It just means that we don't need to study quite so hard. We can do some other things," Annie said.

"Remember that Senior Masters are the ones that are supposed to advance the frontiers of Magic," I told them. "They are the discoverers of new ways to do things and ways to simplify things."

"Are you saying that we need to continue studying?" Sean asked.

"Yes, studying and experimenting, but go easy on the experimenting," I told him.

"I guess if it was easy anyone could do it," Annie said repeating an often heard quote.

"Yes, yea!!" Sean said in disgust.

"Maybe you will discover something to write a book about, Bro," I told Sean with a smile.

"Yea, a book!!" Sean acknowledged before we all sat down to eat. Later that night Annie and I made soft quiet love after I set the privacy spell.

The next morning, we were awakened while it was still dark out by our Dad.

"Rise and shine in there," we heard him say. "The ceremony is scheduled for sunrise."

"Sunrise?" we four said in shock.

"Yes, you have maybe an hour," Dad told us. We all quickly got up and used a cleaning spell on ourselves and then hurried to the pool for a reasonably quick dip in the dark. We found that we had no trouble seeing in the dark with our enhanced Talent. The water was warmer than usual this morning, and few were there to take advantage of it this early.

We hurried back to the cottage after the relaxing soak, and were tempted to use the transportation spell, but resisted the temptation. We quickly checked our clothes and then proceeded to the grove. We arrived there a little early along with many others now out in the increasing light of early dawn.

Brian and Dad were already in the grove, and as the level of light grew, they signaled those gathered to enter the grove. The people flooded in and took up positions around the perimeter of the grove. In the meantime, Brian saw us and waved us to join him and Dad at the center of the grove.

"Stand on the large flat stone," Brian instructed us. Dad joined us there. Etain had joined Brian while we were taking our positions.

"Turn to face East, toward the Rising Sun," Brian instructed us. I had seen the east side of the grove often, but had paid little attention to it, as most ceremonies were performed at Sunset and the grove had a wonderful view down the hill to the valley and Sunset.

I now noticed that there was a distinct break in the ring of trees that formed the grove where the entrance was on the East side of it, and I could see the sky there grow perceivable lighter as the sun rose closer to the horizon.

Everyone in the grove had grown quiet as this happened, and as the tip of the sun rose above the horizon, Brian and Etain began to chant in the oldest, most archaic Gaelic that I had ever heard, but I could still understand it despite that.

Brian called on the Rising Sun to look upon the people gathered here and especially the four young people at the center of the grove for these four young people were being raised to the Senior Master Level with the rising of the new Sun on this day. We could hear the excitement and surprise of the people in the grove at this news.

Etain then recited a long blessing on us and the entire community. By the time she finished, the Sun was part way above the horizon and the ceremony ended with congratulations from many of the people present.

We were the last to leave the grove along with Brian, Etain, and our Dad. At Brian's cottage we all had some ale and some breakfast that had been prepared for us while we were at the ceremony. After breakfast, Brian removed something from a wallet at his waist and rose to stand at the head of the table.

"This morning we welcomed four Masters to the rank of Senior Master. I have in my hand four rings that may only be worn by Senior Masters. They cannot be seen by others because of the spell that they carry. Only other Senior Masters can see them unless you temporarily cancel the spell. These rings are now yours. Wear them long and with pride for you have achieved something that few Sorcerers can ... the Rank of Senior Master!" he finished and handed each of us our rings. As soon as we put them on, we could see that Dad, Brian, and Etain had similar rings on their right hands.