Savage Empire

They said he had changed. Lenardo had to agree: now that he saw all there was to do in the world, he would never again be satisfied to live apart from it. The academies were necessary, but so would be the liaison position he would hold. Best of both worlds, he thought, smiling to himself. You're as bad as the Adepts: all you want is everything!

But it was in a cheerful mood that he left the celebration, returning to his room in the castle. It occurred to him that he ought to try to report back to the empire, to let Masters Clement and Portia know that Galen was dead. He thought he could reach Adigia from here-it was farther away than Drakonius' stronghold, but he had spent most of his life there. Perhaps Master Clement was still there.

The stone castle was cooler than the night outside. Lenardo was the only one indoors, except for the cook's staff bustling in and out lest anyone lack for one more bite of some delicacy.

He went up to his room, lay down, and left his body. He needed no landmarks to guide him to Adigia-a moment's concentration and he was "there," in his own room at the academy. The building was deserted. Unless he found a focus, he would have to retreat.

Reading through the town, though, he quickly found the active mind of the blind boy who was always Reading. Torio was in a room at the inn-safe enough now, as the innkeeper's daughter had long since married and grown into a plump and proper matron with three children. If it was hot where Lenardo was, it was even hotter in Adigia, and Torio was sitting at the open window in his nightshirt, contemplating going down to sleep in the plot of grass around the fountain in the square, where a number of people had already gathered.

//Torio-//

//Master Lenardo!// The leap of joy in the boy's mind was almost painful in its intensity. //Are you all right? At least you're still alive.//

//I am alive. Galen is dead.//

//Oh.// Shock and sorrow, followed by hope. //Then you're coming home!//

//Not yet Torio, are you the only Reader in Adigia? Why are you there alone?//

//There were complaints when Master Clement insisted I remain alone, but how else guarantee privacy if you contacted me? The people are afraid of further attack, here on the border. A single Reader can't help very much.//

//I know,// Lenardo replied. //I wish you could reassure them there is no danger of attack. It's true, for the Adept who was so determined to beat back the walls of the empire is also dead. But you cannot tell the people of Adigia that. Where is Master Clement now?//

//Tiberium. They've housed the academy in a villa there, and the last I heard the senate was refusing funds to build elsewhere.//

//Despite the women's academy in the same city?//

//They say, "You're Readers-avoid each other!" They claim the savages have taken so much land, and it costs so much to mount the army against them, that the money simply isn't there.//

//There will soon be a change in their attitude. Now, you have one final duty in this plan, and then back to your studies. You are at a crucial point in your education, Torio. I'm sorry it was interrupted, even for these few weeks.//

//I don't know,// said Torio. //Master Clement told me not to get my hopes too high-those who show promise at my age often fail dismally.//

//Torio-he was reacting to Galen's betrayal. You are the best Reader for your age that I have ever seen-and that means you have the potential to grow into a better Reader than either Master Clement or I. Come now- you're old enough to know that teachers are human, too, and sometimes say things in the bitterness of disappointment that they regret later.//

//Yes… I suppose I do know that. I'll be a teacher myself as soon as I get back to the academy. Master Clement has let me keep the title of tutor and has promised me a class of novice swordsmen once my duty here is done.//

//It is done. But tell me… how is Decius?//

//Still healing. Master Clement says he is bravely facing his pain and has determined to turn all his energies to becoming a great Reader.//

Still in pain! Lenardo was certain Aradia could have saved Decius' leg, but even if she could not, she would have been able to take his pain away at once and heal the wound within a day or two.

//Torio, there are so many things I wish I could tell you. I will when I return. Now you must go tell Master Clement that Galen is dead, and the savage threat to the empire is over-permanently, if I can accomplish all I want to.//

//But when will you come home? Master Lenardo-are you a prisoner?//

//No-far from it. But it will be weeks, perhaps months, before I return to the empire.//

//Branded as an exile-how will you return unless someone is here in Adigia for you to contact? Whoever replaces me here will not know about you.//