The Wise Man's Fear Part 35

"Vhenata," Wilem said. Wilem said.

Simmon shrugged. "Fine, I'll do it. I guess."

I handed the block of wax to Fela, and she began warming it with her hands. "Do you want to use hair or blood?" she asked softly.

"Both," I said, trying not to let my growing anxiety show."I need to be absolutely sure of it if I'm going to be able sleep at night." I pulled out a hatpin, p.r.i.c.ked the back of my hand, and watched a bright bead of blood well up.

"That won't work." Fela said, still working the wax with her hands. "Blood won't mix with wax. It'll just bead up and squish out."

"And how did you come by that tidbit of information?" Simmon teased uneasily.

Fela flushed, ducking her head a little, causing her long hair to cascade off her shoulder. "Candles. When you make colored candles you can't use a water-based dye. It needs to be powder or oil. It's a solubility issue. Polar and nonpolar alignments."

"I love the University," Sim said to Wilem on the other side of the fire. "Educated women are so much more attractive."

"I'd like to say the same," Mola said dryly. "But I've never known any educated men."

I bent down and picked up a pinch of ash from the fire pit, then dusted it over the back of my hand where it absorbed the blood.

"That should work," Fela said.

"This flesh will burn. To ash all things return," Wilem intoned in a somber voice, then turned to Simmon. "Isn't that what it says in your holy book?"

"It's not my my holy book," Simmon said. "But you're close. 'To ash all things return, so too this flesh will burn.' " holy book," Simmon said. "But you're close. 'To ash all things return, so too this flesh will burn.' "

"You two are certainly enjoying yourselves," Mola observed dryly.

"I am giddy thinking of a full night's sleep," Wilem said. "An evening's entertainment is coffee after cake."

Fela held out the blob of soft wax, and I pressed the wet ash into it. She kneaded it again, then began to mold it, her fingers patting it into a manshaped doll in a few deft motions. She held it out for the group to see.

"Kvothe's head is way bigger than that," Simmon said with his boyish grin.

"I also have genitals," I said as I took the mommet from Fela and fixed a hair to the top of its head. "But at a certain point realism becomes unproductive." I walked over to Sim and handed him both the simulacra and the long hatpin.

He took one in each hand, looking uneasily back and forth between them. "You sure about this?"

I nodded.

"Fair enough." Sim drew a deep breath and squared his shoulders. His forehead furrowed in concentration as he stared at the doll.

I doubled over, shrieking and clutching at my leg.

Fela gasped. Wilem leaped to his feet. Simmon went wide-eyed with panic, holding the doll and pin stiff-armed away from each other. He looked around wildly at everyone. "I ... I didn't ..."

I straightened up, brus.h.i.+ng at my s.h.i.+rt. "Just practicing," I said. "Was the scream too girly?"

Simmon went limp with relief. "d.a.m.n you," he said weakly, laughing. "That's not funny, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d." He continued to laugh helplessly as he wiped away the sheen of sweat from his forehead.

Wilem muttered something in Siaru and returned to his seat.

"You three are as good as a traveling troupe," Mola said.

Simmon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He reset his shoulders and brought the doll and the pin up in front of him. His hand shook. "Tehlu anyway," he said. "You scared the h.e.l.l out of me. I can't do this now."

"For the love of G.o.d." Mola stood and walked around the fire pit to stand over Simmon. She held out her hands. "Give it to me." She took the mommet and pin and turned to look me in the eye. "Are you ready?"

"Just a second." After two span of constant vigilance, letting go of the Alar that protected me felt like prying open a fist gone stiff from clutching something too long.

After a moment, I shook my head. I felt strange without the Alar. Almost naked. "Don't hold back, but hit me in the leg, just in case."

Mola paused, murmured a binding, and drove the pin through the leg of the doll.

Silence. Everyone watched me, motionless.

I didn't feel a thing. "I'm fine," I said. Everyone started to breathe again as I gave Mola a curious look. "Was that really everything you had?"

"No," Mola said frankly as she pulled the pin out of the doll's leg and knelt to hold it over the fire. "That was a gentle test run. I didn't want to listen to your girly scream again." She pulled the pin back out of the fire and stood up. "I'm going to come charging in for real this time." She poised the pin over the doll and looked at me. "You ready?"

I nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment, then murmured a binding and stabbed the hot pin through the mommet's leg. The metal of the gram went cool against the inside of my arm, and I felt a brief pressure against my calf muscle, as if someone had prodded me with a finger. I looked down to make sure Simmon wasn't getting some revenge by poking at me with a stick.

Because I wasn't watching, I missed what Mola did next, but I felt three more dull prods, one in each arm and the other in the thick muscle just above my knee. The gram grew colder.

I heard Fela gasp and looked up in time to see Mola, grim-faced and resolute, toss the mommet into the heart of the campfire, murmuring another binding.

As the wax doll arced through the air, Simmon let out a startled yelp. Wilem came to his feet again, almost lunging at Mola, but too late to stop her.

The mommet landed among the red coals with an explosion of sparks. My gram went almost painfully cold against my arm and I laughed crazily. Everyone turned to look at me, their expressions in various stages of horror and disbelief.

"I'm fine," I said. "This feels really weird though. It's flickery. Like standing in a warm, thick wind."

The gram grew icy against my arm, then the odd sensation faded as the doll melted, destroying the sympathetic link. The fire leaped up as the wax began to burn.

"Did it hurt?" Simmon asked anxiously.

"Not a bit," I said.

"And that was everything I had," Mola said. "To do any more I would have had to have a forge fire at my disposal."

"And she's El'the," Simmon said smugly. "I bet she's three times the sympathist Ambrose is."

"At least three times," I said, "But if anyone was going to go out of their way to find a forge fire, it would be Ambrose. You can overwhelm a gram if you throw enough at it."

"So we're going ahead with things tomorrow?" Mola asked.

I nodded. "I'd rather be safe than sore."

Simmon poked a stick at the spot in the fire where the doll had landed. "If Mola can do her worst and it just rolls off you, it might be enough to keep Devi off your back too. Give you some breathing room."

There was a brief moment of silence. I held my breath, hoping Fela and Mola wouldn't take any particular note of his comment.

Mola raised an eyebrow at me. "Devi?"

I glared at Simmon, and he gave me a piteous look, like a dog that knows it's going to be kicked. "I borrowed some money from a gaelet named Devi," I said, hoping she'd be satisfied with that.

Mola continued to look at me. "And?"

I sighed. Ordinarily I would have avoided the subject, but Mola tended to be insistent about this sort of thing, and I desperately needed her help for tomorrow's plan.

"Devi used to be a member of the Arcanum," I explained. "I gave her some of my blood as collateral for a loan at the beginning of the term. When Ambrose started attacking me, I jumped to the wrong conclusion and accused her of malfeasance. Our relations.h.i.+p went sour after that."

Mola and Fela exchanged a look. "You do go out of your way to make life exciting, don't you?" Mola said.

"I already admitted it was a mistake," I said, irritated. "What else do you want from me?"

"Are you going to be able to pay her back?" Fela interjected into the conversation before things became heated between Mola and me.

"I honestly don't know," I admitted. "With a few lucky breaks and some long nights in the Fishery, I might be able to sc.r.a.pe enough together by the end of the term."

I didn't mention the whole truth. While I might have a chance of earning enough to pay Devi back, I wouldn't have a chance in h.e.l.l of making my tuition at the same time. I didn't want to spoil everyone's evening with the fact that Ambrose had won. By forcing me to spend so much time hunting for a gram, he'd effectively driven me out of the University.

Fela tilted her head to one side. "What happens if you can't pay her?"

"Nothing good," Wilem said darkly. "They don't call her Demon Devi for nothing."

"I'm not sure," I said. "She could sell my blood. She said she knew someone willing to buy it."

"I'm sure she wouldn't do that," Fela said.

"I wouldn't blame her," I said. "I knew what I was getting into when I made the deal."

"But sh-"

"It's just the way the world works," I said firmly, not wanting to dwell on it any more than necessary. I wanted the evening to end on a positive note. "I, for one, am looking forward to a good night's sleep in my own bed." I looked around to see Wil and Sim nodding weary agreement. "I'll see everyone tomorrow. Don't be late."

Later that night, I slept in the luxury of my narrow bed in my tiny room. At some point I stirred awake, dragged into consciousness by the sensation of chill metal against my skin. I smiled, rolled over, and slid back into blissful sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE.

Fire I PACKED MY TRAVELSACK carefully the next evening, anxious that I might forget some key piece of equipment. I was checking everything a third time when there was a knock on the door. PACKED MY TRAVELSACK carefully the next evening, anxious that I might forget some key piece of equipment. I was checking everything a third time when there was a knock on the door.

I opened it to see a young boy of ten or so standing there, breathing hard. His eyes darted to my hair and he looked relieved. "Are you Koath?"

"Kvothe," I said. "And yes, I am."

"Got a message for you." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a bedraggled piece of paper.

I held out my hand, and the boy took a step back, shaking his head. "The lady said you'd give me a jot for bringing it to you."

"I doubt that," I said, holding out my hand. "Let me see the note. I'll give you ha'penny if it's really for me."

The boy scowled and grudgingly handed it over.

It wasn't even sealed, just folded over twice. It was also vaguely damp. Looking at the sweat-soaked boy, I could guess why.

It read: Kvothe,Your presence is graciously requested for dinner tonight. I've missed you. I have exciting news. Please meet me at the Barrel and Boar at fifth bell.Yours,Denna Pstsrpt. I promised the boy ha'penny.

"Fifth bell?" I demanded. "G.o.d's black hands! How long did you take to get here? It's past sixth bell already."

"That en't my fault," he said, scowling fiercely. "I been lookin' all over for hours. Anchors she said. Take it to Koath at Anchors on the other side of the river. But this place en't by the docks at all. And there en't any anchors on the sign outside. How's a one supposed to find this place?"

"You ask someone!" I shouted. "Black d.a.m.n boy, how thick are you?" I fought down a very real urge to strangle him and took a deep breath.

I looked out the window at the fading light. In less than half an hour my friends would be gathering around the fire pit in the woods. I didn't have time for a trip to Imre.

"Right," I said as calmly as I could manage. I dug out a stub of pencil and scratched out a note on the other side of the piece of paper.

Denna,I'm terribly sorry. Your runner didn't find me until past sixth bell. He is unutterably thick.I have missed you as well, and offer to put myself entirely at your disposal at any hour of the day or night tomorrow. Send the boy back with your response to let me know when and where.Fondly,Kvothe.

Pstcrpt. If the boy tries to get any money off you, give him a sharp cuff round the ear. He'll get his money when he returns your note to Anker's, a.s.suming he doesn't get confused and eat it along the way.

I folded it over again and pressed a blob of soft candle wax over the fold.

I felt my purse. Over the last month I'd slowly burned through the extra two talents I'd borrowed from Devi. I'd squandered the money on luxuries like bandages, coffee, and the materials for tonight's plan.

As a result, all I had to my name was four pennies and a lonely s.h.i.+m. I shouldered my travelsack and motioned for the boy to follow me downstairs.

I nodded to Anker standing behind the bar, then turned to the boy. "Okay," I said. "You bollixed things up getting here, but I'm going to give you a chance to make it right." I pulled out three pennies and held them out for him to see. "You head back to the Barrel and Boar, find the woman who sent you, and you give her this." I held up the note. "She'll send back a reply. You bring it here and give it to him." I pointed to Anker. "And he'll give you the money."

"I en't an idiot," the boy said. "I want ha'penny first."

"I en't an idiot either," I said. "You'll get three whole pennies when you bring her note back."

He glared at me, then nodded sullenly. I handed him the note, and he ran out the door.

"Boy seemed a little addled when he came in here," Anker said.

I shook my head. "He's witless as a sheep," I said. "I wouldn't use him at all, but he knows what she looks like." I sighed and put the three pennies on the bar. "You'd be doing me a favor if you read the note to make sure the boy isn't faking."

Anker gave me a bit of an uncomfortable look. "And what if it's of an, um, personal nature?"