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"I think it best that I explain matters from here on." Carolinus's old but
authoritative voice broke in on the words of the French knight. "There are
things involved here that all of you should better understand. As I once told
James, here, perhaps it is time for one of my lectures. I charge you all sit
still and listen and remember.Particularly you, Edward. For all of you have
things to learn from this."
His words had a strange solemnity, spoken above the flickering flames of the
fire.A stillness fell upon the rest of them, that Jim at least felt was not
completely of their own doing. Carolinus had not merely asked them tolisten,
he was compelling them to listen.
Carolinus was silent for a moment. He picked up a small length of wood and
prodded the fire, so that sparks flew upward to be lost in the darkness.
"There are matters about Magic, the Art of it, and those who practice it," he
said slowly, "that those of you who do not know it will never completely
understand; and in the ordinary course of events would never need to
understand. But now time has brought you to a point where you need to be made
acquainted with some part of it."
Jim felt a shiver run down his back. Carolinus's eyes were on the fire, and
his voice was abstracted, but his words had a strange power about them that
seemed to draw them all more tightly together.
Chapter Thirty
A little cold wind sprang up from nowhere and circulated around them. The
dark sky with its stars seemed to move down and draw in more closely about
them.
"There are many kingdoms," Carolinus's eyes were on the fire and his voice,
although low-pitched, sounded clearly in their ears, "and you've been made
acquainted with at least a couple of them just recently.The Kingdom of the
Dead, and theKingdomofWolves , with its freedom from the powers of human
magicians such as even myself and Malvinne. The law is that whoever rules any
such kingdom if any does may have direct power over only those in it. Those
outside he or she may touch and control only by that part of magic that has
ceased to be magic and become a part of ordinary life and ordinary ways."
"But, Mage," blurted Giles, "how can you know this about Aragh and the
Kingdom of the Dead? It was but hours since that we had to do with both
things."
"How I know is not for you to know," said Carolinus, raising his eyes briefly
to Giles. "There are laws beyond laws that none of you, even James as yet,have
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discovered. I will not tell you how I know. I couldn't, and I wouldn't. All
that need concern you is that I do know. And all that need concern all of us
now is that you know that there is this separation of places and kingdoms; and
that each one has its own laws and its own rights and its own powers but
nothing beyond that."
He prodded the fire again; and there was a little space of silence before he
went on, his eyes once more on the flames.
"There is the Kingdom of the Dead," he said, "and there is the Kingdom of the
Animals. But within many of these kingdoms there are other kingdoms. Within
the Kingdom of the Animals there are smaller kingdoms where different laws
apply. Among the animals this is true of both theKingdom ofWolves and
theKingdomofDragons , because they are something more than simple animals.
They are peoples. Over the simple animals themselves you have seen me with a
watch-beetle, James, so you'll remember a human magician may have some power.
But not over wolves or dragons, or some others which I will not name now."
He paused again.
"Some of these kingdoms," he went on, "hold entities the rest of you will not
know that word, but James will that are not like the rest of us. Not like
humans or wolvesnor dragons, nor naturals like the fairy Melusine "
He lifted his eyes briefly to Jim.
"Who still pursues you, by the way, James," he said. "You have made an
impression on her as no other man has, and she has been tracking you ever
since she lost you. She may not have you because you are a magician, though a
small one. But she doesn't know that yet." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]