Circles, Chapter 1.2

Circles
Chapter 1.2
Maze of Madness

"It can't be true," I said again.

"It is," said Derry. He stood in the doorway. "I broke into the Archives."

"We did," Alissa said.

Derry reached out his hand, and Alissa took it.

I gaped at them. No Aspirant was allowed in the Archives. It was expressly forbidden, and two people who had done so would be Tested with me.

And because I was so shocked -- at least that's what I'm going to say -- it took me another few moments to register they were holding hands and what that implied.

"It's forbidden for Aspirants--" I started, but stopped. They knew the Strictures. They both gave me a humoring look.

"Yes, but few of us keep it," Derry said. "Perhaps we should, but rather than distracting from our Writtens, we found it helped us."

"We're both strong in different Writtens," Alissa said.

"Does everyone ... know about the tenth?" I asked, stopping myself from asking if every other Aspirant had a companion while I did not. And besides, I wasn't completely oblivious. I would have noticed. Wouldn't I?

"No," Derry said. "Just Alissa and I and a few others. And now you."

"Why tell me?" I asked.

"Because the more of us know, the more chances we have of the information spreading," Alissa said. "There have to be Journeymen who realize the attrition rate is higher than we had been told."

"Do the Mages know?" I asked, but as soon as I said it, I realized how stupid it was. "Of course, they do. They could have to."

"We think they're sending in quintets to give us a better chance to survive," Derry said.

"Why don't they stop the Testing?" I asked. "Find out what's going wrong before more of us die."

Derry looked at Alissa. "We don't know. Obviously, the Empire insists on the Testing."

"But whether or not that is the reason the Mages allow this to continue..." Alissa spread her hands.

"The Empire has always distrusted the Mages," Derry said. "And Emperor Tanalos is open about it. Like magick, apparently there is only so much political power available. The Emperor doesn't want to share."

"Then why doesn't he order his armies to kill us?" I asked. People think Mages are invulnerable, but they are not. A knife in the back, a poisoned cup of soup, a carefully shot arrow, a concubine with venomed lips ... all those and more had been used in the past to remove a Mage who sought the Blackened Throne of the Empire. And Aspirants and Journeymen died like other men. We would inflict much damage and kill many troops, but we would die.

"I don't know," Derry said. "This game is beyond me. Perhaps he only wants to keep our numbers down. Mages are useful for many things."

"I don't think it's the Emperor," Alissa said. "How could he interfere with the Testing? How could anyone? The Empire may be the reason the Testing continues, but I cannot see how they could manipulate the Testing when even the Mages cannot do that."

The sun had set while we talked, and I shivered in the rapidly cooling air. In another month, the snows would sweep down from the Glori Mountains. I suddenly realized I might not be alive when that happened. And I shared a sudden terrible thought.

"Perhaps the Mages want the Testing to continue for their own reasons," I said slowly. "Perhaps it is in their best interests if we don't survive."

From the looks on their faces, I realized Derry and Alissa had already thought of this. I shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying of any kind without express prior written permission.

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