The Woodward Academy, Year 7

Chapter 1: June

David Stroud sat in Healer Annie Hall's office, looking through one of her healing encyclopedias.  It was the sixth such book he'd looked through since Ellen Abernathy had been hexed the day before.

David had positioned himself at Annie's desk in such a way that he could look out the office door to see where Ellen lay on the hospital bed.  She showed no signs of waking, but at least she also wasn't getting worse.  His own headache from the day before had gone, but he definitely wasn't about to try to possess her again.

As he returned to reading through one of the few entries that mentioned coma or catatonia as a symptom, his mirror buzzed.  Grumbling, he pulled it out to find Joe looking out at him.

"Hey, Joe," David said.  "What do you need?"

His tone told Joe there was a problem.  "You okay, David?"

"No, not really.  Another one of my friends has been attacked."

"Well, shit.  Is it bad?"

"She's in a coma," he said.

"Dammit.  We need to figure out who's doing that to your friends.  Who is it this time?"

"Ellen Abernathy."

"Madame Abernathy?  The animal caregiver?"

"Yeah."

"Shit.  That's messing with more than just her, or even just her and you.  Without their caregiver, the school's familiars and other hosted animals are not receiving proper care."

"That's true, but there aren't too many familiars hanging around at the moment."

"Right.  No school."

"So what was it you called about?" David asked.

"Oh, yeah.  You'll need to come down to headquarters tomorrow afternoon at three.  There's a division-wide meeting, and all personnel are required to attend."

"Joy.  Just what I need, to listen to Wilson spew bullshit at us for an hour.  What's it about?"

"No idea.  I haven't actually seen Wilson all week.  Whatever it is, it's important.  They rarely call division-wide meetings."

"Fine.  I'll be down there tomorrow.  You need anything more from me today?  I've got about a hundred books to read through to try to find a cure for Ellen."

"No, things are quiet for the moment.  The cases we're dealing with aren't in any way interesting, so since you've got something else you need to do, no reason to bother you with them."

"I appreciate that," David said.

"Oh, don't worry.  When you get things fixed up there, you'll have plenty of boring casework waiting.  And, of course, loads and loads of newspapers to read."

"You ass," David said with a scowl that was the perfect complement to Joe's mischievous grin.

"Good luck with the cure.  I'll let you get back to work."

"Yeah.  See you tomorrow."

David fogged off and put his mirror away.  He stared off into the distance for a long moment, wondering what the hell could be so important as to call a meeting of all the division's personnel.  David knew it was rare to actually have everyone in the office all at once.  Since the Bolmont Division ranged over more than five hundred miles, officers very often stayed in the cities where their investigations were happening.

Shaking off the irrelevant thoughts, he set aside the next day's meeting, and returned his attention to the healing book in front of him.

"Hey, Vivian," David said in greeting when he came into the Rimohr office the following day.

"Hey, David," she replied brightly.  "Joe said you were having a problem with a friend.  Is she doing any better?"

"No.  I haven't found a damned thing to fix her problem.  I don't know what hex was used, which just makes it all the more difficult."

"I can imagine.  It's like another one of our cases, just the clues are medical symptoms."

"And the patient can't tell me what all the symptoms are.  I really only know one of the symptoms: catatonia."

"Joe said she was in a coma."

"Coma, catatonia... she's completely unresponsive to anything.  She doesn't react to light, pain, cold, heat...  She could be a statue if it weren't for the fact that she's breathing and has a heartbeat."

"Hmm.  It's a puzzle, all right.  Good luck solving it."

"Thanks.  You know what this meeting's about?"

"Nope."

"Great," David grumped.

The two chatted as they waited.  Joe showed up a while later, but he didn't engage them in conversation.  Instead, he sat at his desk and organized his paperwork, setting it into piles and putting them in his desk trays.

"Someone coming for an inspection?" David asked Vivian, motioning to Joe.  "He only cleans his desk when he gets yelled at."

Vivian chuckled.

Joe just looked at him, then looked over toward Wilson's office, as the door was just then opening.

"You're about to find out," Joe said.

Out of Joe's office stepped two men.  The one he recognized as the Bolmont District Chief.  The other, he didn't know.  The room grew quiet as the chief cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for coming, I know that some of you have active cases that this is pulling you off.  I'll try to keep this as brief as possible.

"Supervisory Agent Fred Wilson has been reassigned.  This leaves the Bolmont District leaderless.

"Agent Garibaldi, I want you to know that we did consider promoting you to the position, but it was felt that you had not been an agent long enough to rise to supervisory agent.  The quality of your work was not an issue, merely your time in grade."

Joe nodded understanding.  "Didn't want the goddamned job, anyway," he muttered so that only David and Vivian could hear him.

"With no other agents stationed here, the Commissioner has transferred in Supervisory Agent Adam Keef as the new head of the Bolmont District.  This is him, to my left.

"Agent Keef has been with the agency for fourteen years now.  He has served in four large field divisions, as well as several smaller offices.  He started with the agency in Mirelia, and so is familiar with that land.  He served a brief tour in headquarters, but asked for a transfer back into field work, rather than as part of the bureaucracy.

"Adam, you have anything you want to say to the men?"

Agent Keef stepped forward.  "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm an easy man to work for.  You do your job to the best of your ability, and we'll get along just fine.  If you've got a problem, my door is always open.  Except, of course, when it's not."

The collected officers chuckled, as expected.

"I don't give speeches, so really, all I've got to say is, let's get to work."

With that, the district chief shook Agent Keef's hand, and left.  The other Rimohrs in the office started to talk amongst themselves about this new development.

"So what happened to Wilson?" David asked.

Before Joe could say anything at all, Agent Keef called out, "Agent Garibaldi, Officer Stroud, in my office, please."

David looked worriedly at Joe, who shrugged, and then they both stepped into the office.  Agent Keef closed the door, then stepped around his desk.  David and Joe both remained at attention.

Seeing this, Agent Keef waved them down.  "Relax.  Sit down, sit down."  As David and Joe sat, Agent Keef said, "I wanted to go over your record, Officer Stroud, to see if there were any areas in which you weren't getting enough experience."

Seeing the look on Joe's face, Agent Keef quickly said, "Not that you're not doing a great job, Agent Garibaldi.  You seem to have covered all the basics well, and you've given your trainee a lot of experience.  But let's face it, you can only show him what comes your way.  I'm wondering if there's any way for us to expand his experiences, and help him get more out of his extended stay in the internship program.

"I'll be honest, Officer Stroud.  If I didn't know the reason for your remaining in the internship program for so long, I'd be pushing you to graduate and become a full-fledged officer.  Your record is exemplary when it comes to results, you seem to handle procedure fairly well, and you've only got a handful of complaints."

"I'd have thought that last one was more of a problem," David admitted.

Agent Keef smiled, and then closed David's file.  "Okay, so, I've been officious.  Let's cut the crap.  I'm not Wilson.  I don't even know where my copy of the regulations manual is.  My primary interest is in putting bad guys in prison.  That seems to be your primary interest, as well.  Sometimes, when your focus is on one thing, other things tend to take a back seat.  Things like being nice to everyone you meet, or treating suspects with kid gloves so they don't complain to the magistrate when you bring them up on charges.

"The Commissioner told me, when he sent me here, that what he wants are more officers like you, and fewer officers worried about nothing more than advancing their careers by making points with the right people.

"Do you see yourself as Commissioner one day?"

David shrugged and said, "Maybe thirty, forty years from now, if I'm still doing the job.  I'm not that interested in administration, to tell you the truth."

"And yet you took your A1 exam," Keef said.

David shrugged again.  "If you attend Woodward Academy, you're expected to take the exam available to you at the end of the year, whether you want it or not."

"So why are you still at the academy, if not for the exams?"

"Because I still have stuff to learn."

"You will always have stuff to learn," Keef replied.

David nodded, and said, "Yes, but they kick you out after eight years."

Keef chuckled.  "I see.  Okay, well, here's the way things are going to go from here on out.  You will continue working with Agent Garibaldi and Officer Columbo.  You will be given a bit more latitude on handling assignments on your own, so long as arrests are not necessary.  That is a legal requirement that we don't have the authority to break."

Turning to Joe, he said, "What this means is, if you think he can handle the case on his own, let him."

"But he doesn't really have any authority without one of us with him, does he?"

"The Commissioner and the Academy Commission have committed to backing him up on his actions, should they need to do so."

"What the hell did I do?" David asked.  "There's an awful lot of positive coming my way.  Not that I'm complaining, but I'd like to know what I did, so I can do it again..."

Keef chuckled at David's joke.  "Becoming a Royal Paladin didn't hurt.  Let's just say that you've received high-level scrutiny, and that has led to the decisions regarding your new training methods."

David raised an eyebrow, but kept his peace.

"Anyway, I will let you and Agent Garibaldi work things out as far as your training is concerned.  If you have any questions, feel free to drop in."

"Just one," David said.

"Go ahead," Agent Keef said, almost knowing what it had to be already.

"What happened to Agent Wilson?"

Agent Keef smiled at having guessed correctly.  "When Agent Wilson was informed of your continuance in the internship program, he demanded a transfer, making it quite clear that he would not continue to work with you.

"He is now in charge of the Ramius Division."

Joe gaped.  "There's, what, two people working in Ramius?"

"Three, now," Agent Keef said with a grin.  "Agent Wilson over-estimated his importance to the agency.  The Commissioner decided to educate him on the issue."

David grinned.  "Serves him right."

Agent Keef just nodded.  "Now, let's get back to work, shall we?"

"Yes, sir," Joe and David said together, then left his office.

"Holy shit... working alone?  I'm not supposed to do that," David said.

"Yeah, well... you're not supposed to be an intern for three years, either," Joe said.  "If you were a normal intern, you'd have been promoted to officer by now, and you'd be working alone all the time."

"Working alone?" Vivian asked.

Joe explained the new situation to her.

"We'll start out this concept by staying in the coach while David goes in to do the interviews.  That way, he's working alone, but we're still nearby in case he needs us," Joe said.

"Sounds good," Vivian said.

"However you want to do it," David said.  "You need me for anything today?  I'm still trying to find a cure for Ellen."

"No.  When you have a free moment, however, I want you to write down the circumstances of all the attacks on your friends.  We might want to open a case on that.  It's too coincidental for my taste."

David nodded.  "See you later.  Give Zyla a hug for me."

"Will do."

"She'll see you now," Tracy said to David.

"Thanks," he replied, then went over to the office door and knocked.  When he received the invitation to enter, he did so.

"Back to knocking and waiting?" Dean Lengel asked with a smile.

"I'm not an employee anymore," David replied.

"You're still my friend, though..."

"True, but I was your friend several years ago, and I was knocking then."

Dean Lengel shook her head, but continued to smile, and motioned him to take a seat.  "So, what can I do for you today?" she asked.

"Is there an empty office someplace?"

"Probably.  I wouldn't know, offhand.  Why do you ask?"

"I've been assigned, temporarily, as the school's resident Rimohr officer."

"So you're still head of security, just with a different title," she said.

David shook his head.  "No.  Those things that should be handled by school security, still will be.  I'm here for those times when you would call for a Rimohr."

"But... don't you just have to call for Agent Garibaldi, and wait for him to arrive, anyway?"

"No.  My training has been altered.  I'm allowed to act alone as long as my TO approves it.  Joe said I'd been working investigations at Woodward long enough that there was no point in wasting another Rimohr's time up here.  I do have the authority to transport suspects, as well, so I can detain them here and transport them to Bolmont, where they will be officially arrested."

"Why don't you just become a full Rimohr and get it over with?" she asked him.

"Because I'm not done with my schooling."

"There's no stipulation that says you can't work and attend school.  Most students do it, in fact."

David shook his head.  "As a full-fledged Rimohr, I would not have time to work on my DS.  I handle maybe a quarter the cases that Joe does.  No, until Woodward won't let me be a student, I'm taking the opportunity that's presented."

Dean Lengel nodded.  "Well, I'm not going to say we don't want you here.  You're an excellent student, and a role model to the younger students, as well.  As to finding you an office, have you asked Tanya?"

"Fensterman Hall is full.  What offices were available, the Maintenance Department has snatched up in a sign of bureacratic spread."

The dean chuckled at that, and nodded.  "Did you ask Maintenance to give one back?"

"No.  I was trying to avoid a turf war."

She nodded, then said, "Well, they're the ones who would know where there are empty offices, so you'll have to go talk to them, anyway.  Just tell them you have my authority, and they'll cooperate."

"Okay."

"See?  It wasn't so long before you saw me again..."

David grunted.  "Yes, well... I'm spending a bit more time on campus this summer than anticipated."

Dean Lengel frowned.  "Any luck with Ellen?"

"No."

"Well... keep trying."

"Of course.  I'm spending every free moment that I have working on it."

"I knew you would be.  But don't burn yourself out over it.  Give yourself permission to take a break now and again."

"Right."

Dean Lengel smiled tolerantly, knowing he would not heed that advice, and waved him out of her office.

"So what used to be here?" David asked.

"Nothing.  It was designed for a position that never materialized."

"Oh?"

"When they built the student center, they anticipated it having an activities director, to bring in musical groups, or magic troupes, other kinds of entertainment, and also to create opportunities for student activities such as fairs and contests and that sort of thing."

"Doesn't the OSA do that?"

"Yes, but the OSA didn't exist yet when this building was built."

"Wait... this building's not that old."

"Neither is the OSA.  Before that, the office of the registrar handled that sort of thing, and it was a mess.  When they looked into having an activities director, they realized it was more than a one-person job, so they crammed OSA into Beckett Hall, and this office went unusued.  No one's found a purpose for it until now."

David looked at the room.  It was empty space, without even a chair to sit on.  It seemed plenty large enough.  A door at the back of the room led to another space, roughly the same size as the office.

"Hell, this is more than I need.  But it'll do.  I'm sure I can find a use for the space."

The maintenance worker nodded.  "What do you need us to supply?"

"In here, a desk, a desk chair, and... say three visitor chairs.  In the back room, two tables and three filing cabinets.  Oh, and a writing board, both out here and in there.  Plus the standard desk accoutrements."

"Quills, RubOuts, blotter, that sort of thing?"  David nodded.  "Anything special?"

No, that should do it.  Anything I discover I need later, I can go get myself."

The worker nodded.  "We'll have it done in an hour."

"Okay.  I'll go have lunch, then."

"Yes, sir."

"All right, if we could call things to order," David said.  "I'd like to begin the June meeting of the Peg Riders Guild.

"For those of you not aware, our co-founder, Ellen Abernathy, is in the infirmary at Woodward Academy.  She has been cursed with an unknown spell by an unknown assailant, and is in an unresponsive state.  Hopefully she'll be back with us for our next meeting in August.

"Now, in this meeting, we needed to review three petitions for membership.  It has also been asked that we begin discussion of expanding the guild into Senesty, so as to make our deadline for royal recognition.  Should we receive such recognition, we would become the Royal Peg Riders Guild, and we would receive official authority over peg riding, as well as the ability to receive funds from the government.  We don't need the funds, but the authority would be a good thing.  As of right now, we only set the rules for dealing with pegs in our immediate area.  If we received royal recognition, we would set rules for the entire kingdom, and those rules would have the force of law.

"Before we get any further into that discussion, however, I need to ask if there's any old business that needs to be dealt with?"

No one raised their hands or spoke up, so David assumed there wasn't anything.

"Okay, then.  First, let's get on with our petitions for membership..."

"Good evening, David.  It's good to see you again.  Back to your old school uniform?"

"Hey, Penny," he said, kissing her and giving her a hug.  "I'm not a member of security anymore, and I'm off duty as a Rimohr, so..."

"Hmm," she said.  "Well, I think you look better this way, anyhow.  What are you doing up here so late?"

"I need to speak with Lord Woodward.  Would you happen to know where he is?"

"Up in the North Tower, as usual these days."

David nodded.  "Keeping watch," he said, not asking a question.

"Yes."

"Well, I hate to kiss and run, but..."

"As long as you don't forget the kissing part," Penny said with a smile.

David kissed her again, for a long moment, then said good-night and headed into the castle.  He climbed the North Tower stairs, and emerged onto the top a couple minutes later.  He had been working on finding a cure for Ellen all day, but he had decided to give himself a break.

Of sorts.

"Good evening, David," Lord Woodward said as soon as David stepped out onto the tower proper.

"Good evening, My Lord," David said.

Lord Woodward snorted.  "I'm hardly your lord now.  I never achieved the rank of Paladin.  I dare say it won't be too long before you become Lord Stroud if you keep up your current activity pattern."

"I have no interest in being lord of anything, except perhaps my own house."

"Yes, well... what you want, and what the king does, are often not the same thing.  Unless, that is, you happen to be king," Lord Woodward said with a chuckle.

David grinned.

"So, what can I do for you tonight?"

"Teach me."

Lord Woodward raised an eyebrow.  "I believe we covered ghost magic rather fully..."

"Yes, sir, but there are other things you can teach me that no one else in the area can."

"And what would those things be?"

"Military tactics, siege defense... how to defend my home."

"Now, why would you need such things?" Lord Woodward asked in an entirely unconvincing offhanded manner.

"For the same reason you're up here standing watch, My Lord.  You know what's going on at least as well as I do."

"Perhaps not.  I do not possess the power of divination as you do."

"Everything I know I've told the king's people.  I would be outright shocked if every word I've uttered to them wasn't repeated to you less than a day later."

"You think me a spy?"

"I think you're the lord of a castle that is probably going to end up getting attacked before this is all said and done.  And I think you're just as worried as I am about the possible outcome of that."

Lord Woodward turned then, no longer smiling lightly, but frowning in deep concern.  "If the werewolves come to this school, there will be bloodshed on a massive scale."

"It's my job to make sure that all of that blood is Vrudenan," David said.

"Your job?" Lord Woodward asked skeptically.

"This is my home.  These people are my family.  As much as I swore an oath out loud to my king and my kingdom, I swore an oath in my heart to this school.  If this school falls to the enemy, it won't be because no one tried to stop them.  It will be because I am no longer capable of fighting them."

"I see," Lord Woodward said with no derision in his voice at all.

"But while I have the commitment, and I have the tenacity... I don't have the knowledge.  I don't know how to defend a castle.  I don't know how to fight huge battles."

"You did rather well a year ago..."

"That was a piddly little skirmish, and you know it.  And I didn't do well.  If I had done well, I wouldn't have lost a single man on my side.  We had them outpowered from the beginning.  I chose not to use that power, and it got people killed.  I won't make that mistake again.  If people have to die, then those people need to be my enemies, not my friends."

"You have already learned the first and most important lesson, then," Lord Woodward said.

David grunted.  "There's a quote from a fictional account of a general from one of Earth's wars.  I don't know if he really said it or not, but it goes something like this: 'No man ever won a war by dying for his country.  Wars are won by making the other poor bastard die for his.'"

Lord Woodward looked at David, and a smile broke across his face.  "That, my dear David, is the goal in a nutshell."

David nodded.  "I know.  Now, please show me how."

"Are you planning to come home anytime soon?" Olissa asked David over the mirror connection.

"When she gets back," David said without any malice in his voice, "ask Annie how many times she had to kick me out of the infirmary when you were in that coma from Gelert Potion.  Well, Annie's not here to kick me out this time.  Except for my scheduled time with Lord Woodward, I plan on working on this problem until I find an answer."

"And if Joe calls you to work a case?"

"Obviously that has to take priority, since Ellen's condition isn't life threatening.  But wasting forty minutes a day traveling is silly.  If you want to see me more, you could come up here and help me..."

"I'd have no place to sleep," she objected.

"There's a bed in the back," David replied.  "Or you could just sleep on one of the infirmary beds.  There's no one but Ellen here."

"Do you want me there, Master?"

"Olissa, given the choice between having you near me and not having you near me, I will always want you around unless it's dangerous for you to be.  But I can't say we'll talk much if you're here.  I'm doing a lot of reading, and not much else."

"You want me to bring the glide car, or Cupcake?"

"Bring the car.  Cupcake can bring herself.  Just tell her what's going on."

"Right.  I'll be there in an hour."

"Okay.  See you then."

David fogged off with Olissa, and turned back to what he was doing.  Despite what he told her about his work trying to help Ellen, at that very moment, he was working on something for himself.  He'd needed a break from the reading, and so he was trying to put the finishing touches on the improved Incognizance Potion.  He'd discovered that changing a couple ingredients and adding a timing spell worked wonders on fixing the potion's problems.  He only had to put it through one last test to make sure it worked as expected.  He'd do that when Olissa arrived.

As he wrote up the changes he'd made in his potion-making journal, he looked over at Ellen, checking - as he did every ten minutes or so - to see that she was unchanged.  Sighing, he returned to his journal.

David was walking down the main street of Gorumshead, but then he turned down a side street.  This street was narrow and slightly unfriendly, but it was filled from end to end with small shops of various purpose.

The one he entered was Everhard's Elixirs.

The man at the counter glanced up while reciting, "Welcome to Everhard's.  Please feel free to look around.  Don't hesitate to ask if you need assistance."

Once the man had uttered this thoroughly memorized phrase, he started to look back down into his ledger, which he was clearly working on.  Having caught just enough of a glimpse of his customer, however, his head came back up.

"Mr. Stroud!  Welcome, sir!  I'm not behind on my licensing payments, am I?  I've been having a horrible bout of...."

David waved the man down.  "I check my accounts like once a year, Jerry.  I couldn't tell you if you're behind on your payments or not."

"Oh.  Well, in that case, what can I do for you, sir?  I can't imagine there's anything here in the shop that you can't make for yourself..."

David withdrew a parchment from his pocket and set it on the counter.  "I need you to endorse this application."

Everhard looked down, to see an application for advancement within the Royal Potions Guild.  "Sir... why me?  Shouldn't this be handled by your original sponsor?"

"She's on vacation, and I'm not sure when she'll be back.  Since the guild meeting is next week, I'm already cutting it awfully close."

"And... you're certain that your potions work, sir?  I don't mean to question your abilities!  I mean, you're two levels ahead of me already, so I have no place to think they wouldn't, but... you are asking me to put my reputation on the line by endorsing you..."

"You want to take a day to try out the potions?" David asked.  "I don't mind waiting that long... but I can't afford any more than that."

Everhard shook his head.  "No... I couldn't guarantee that any non-working potion wasn't down to my own haphazardness."

"Don't you make the potions here in the shop?" David asked.

"Yes.  But I verify that each and every one works before I put it up for sale.  That's why my selection is so limited: I can't test some things, so I won't sell them."

David nodded.  "In any case, the application..."

"Yes.  I'll sign it.  I just hope you've gotten all your potions right, Mr. Stroud."

"Tell me something, Jerry," David started.  "Do you refuse to use my first name because I'm a Paladin, because I outrank you in the guild, or because you're afraid of me as a demighost?"

Everhard paled slightly in embarrasment.  "Um... a bit of all three?"

David grinned at him as he took the signed parchment back.  "Have a good day, Jerry.  Thank you for the endorsement."

"Any time, sir!"

David shook his head in bemusement as he walked down the street.  He didn't think he'd ever get used to dealing with people like Jerry Everhard, who treated him like he was some sort of tivaru or something.

I'm a demighost, not a demigod, dammit...

David tried to set the thought aside and refocus on the application.  Now that he had an endorsement, he would send it off as soon as he got back to the school, to give the guild as much time as possible before next Saturday's meeting.  He hoped Sam wouldn't be mad that he'd asked someone else to endorse his application.  She was still vacationing in Donunda, and wouldn't be back before the day of the guild meeting.

I'll find a way to make it up to her, I guess, David thought, knowing the easiest - and most fun - way to do so.  He smiled at the idea, and hummed to himself the rest of the way back to campus.

David was once more working on finding a cure for Ellen when his mirror buzzed.  He picked it up, expecting Joe to be on the other end.  He was surprised to see Bridget's face.

"Hey, Bridget.  How are you today?"

"I'm good, Handsome.  You?"

"Been better.  Struggling with a puzzle.  What can I do for you?"

"Hmm.  I could answer that in so many fun ways..."  David and Bridget had gotten together a couple times, but they both knew it wasn't going anywhere.  That didn't stop them from having fun.  Bridget said, "I think you should maybe come down here.  There's someone here you should see."

"Okay.  I'll be there in a few minutes."

David fogged off, and then turned to Olissa.  "Keep reading.  And keep an eye on Ellen.  I'll be back in a while."

Olissa nodded, then went back to her reading.

David walked out of the infirmary, and Jailla flew down to his shoulder.

"Where are we off to?" Jailla asked.

"Bridget said there was someone I needed to see down at the Mystic Wolf.  I don't know any more than that."

Jailla chirped in acknowledgment.

The trip to the pub was swift and uneventful.  When David walked in the door, however, he knew that was about to change.

Sitting at the bar, swigging an ale with his arm around a young lady and loudly boasting about his favorite person - himself - to anyone who would listen, sat Paul Andros.

Bridget came over to David.  "Hey, Handsome.  Bonnie told me about him... and about what you did to him.  I figured if he was back in town, it can't be good."

"Right," David said, nodding.  He surreptitiously gave Bridget's butt a squeeze, then headed over to Andros.

"And then I clobbered him, knockin' out his fuckin' teeth.  Taught him to mind his business."

"And he was a demighost, you said?" another patron asked.

"Yeah.  Went to this very school.  But he's probably not recovered, after the whoopin' I gave him."

David asked, "Was that 'whoopin'' before or after I put you in the infirmary for six months?"

Andros' head whipped around so fast that he nearly fell off his chair.

"You just stay the hell away from me!" Andros spat.

"Miss," David said to the woman, ignoring Andros, "you should know that your date has a habit of beating the women he goes out with.  In public."

"You little shit!  That's slander!"

"Andros," David said with a condescending sigh, "In order for it to be slander, it would have to be non-factual.  You've been convicted of the crime five times."

"Wrongly convicted!" Andros demanded.

"Bullshit," David replied.  "Care to take a truth serum to prove it?"

"You can't make me, badge or no badge!"

"You're right.  I can't make you.  But if you've been wrongly convicted, I would think you'd be demanding one, to prove your innocence."

"Go fuck yourself."

"I don't have to, I have a girlfriend.  Several, in fact.  And, you know, I've never found it necessary to punch any of them..."

"You fucking son of a-" Andros started toward David.

David simply raised his wand and pointed it directly at Andros' nose.  "Go for it, chump.  I wiped the floor with you last time.  I've spent the two years since we last tangled fighting people a lot nastier - and more competent - than you.  You think you're going to miraculously win this time?"

Andros stopped and stepped back, slumping onto his stool.  "So what the fuck do you want?"

"I want you out of my town.  Within the next ten minutes."

"Or?"

"Or I'll probably be spending time in jail again, and you'll be spending upwards of a year in the infirmary this time."

"You can't threaten me!  I have witnesses!"

"Anybody hear me say anything?" David asked loudly.

There were plenty of negative responses.  David turned back to Andros. "This is our town.  You don't belong here; we throw our trash out.  So you can leave upright, or you can leave on your back.  I don't really care which, but you are leaving."

"If I had my teammates with me, you wouldn't dare talk to me that way."

"Your teammates are with you, you jackass," someone said from over in the corner.  "And I'm hoping to get to see him mop the floor with you this time."

Andros shot the man a dirty look, then looked back at David.  "You aren't some goddamned royal guardian, deciding who can stay in the town and who can't."

David looked over to Bridget. "Royal Guardian... that wouldn't be the same thing as a Royal Paladin, now would it?"

She could tell he was being facetious.  "Pretty close," she told him with a grin.

"Oh."  Turning back to Andros, David said, "In that case, yeah, I am.  And you're a royal waste of space."

"I haven't paid for my drinks yet," Andros tried.

"Drinks are on the house as long as you're gone in the next sixty seconds," Bridget told him.

"Got no more excuses, dirtbag."

Andros slammed his glass down onto the table.  "Come on, Babe.  Let's blow this shithole."

"I think I'll stay here," she told him hesitantly.

"You filthy little whore bitch," Andros spat.  He tried to get up, but he suddenly found his head propelled forward until his face contacted the table rather hard, busting his nose.

"Apologize to the lady.  She has every right to refuse to be with a maggot sandwich like yourself."

"I don't apologize," Andros spat.

"You'll apologize now, or after I drive your face through this table top.  Your choice."

"Sorry, love," Andros forced out.

"Thank you," David said, hauling Andros upright.  "Now get the hell out of our town, and stay out.  If I catch you here again, I'm not going to give you a warning."

"You don't run Gorumshead!" Andros shouted.

David flicked his wand and muttered, "Pichac."

Andros went flying backward fifteen feet before hitting the front door.

"Don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out," David replied.

As Andros scurried out of the bar, the patrons applauded.

"You want a mead, Handsome?" Bridget asked.

"I can't.  I really need to get back to work."

"Aw.  I could use a little playtime soon..." she told him.

David grinned.  "I'll see what I can do about that."  Turning to the lady who had been with Andros, he said, "Sorry to spoil your afternoon, ma'am."

"Don't worry about it.  He was slime, huh?"

"He put a friend of mine in the infirmary for four days."

"I think I should be grateful, not annoyed," she said.  "Thank you."

David nodded, then he left the pub.

"A bit aggressive, weren't you?" Jailla asked.  Though he'd left David's shoulder when they entered the pub, he'd seen the whole thing.

"Anyone stupid enough to come back to a spot where he knows he's gonna get his ass kicked deserves what he gets."

"He didn't go back to the Slyther Inn..." Jailla objected.

"He came back to Gorumshead.  He knows I live here.  He had to know I'd find out he was here."

"Perhaps he's not that smart?"

David grunted.  "That's pretty much a given."

"And, truthfully, you needed a release for your aggravation over Ellen," Jailla said astutely.

"Stay out of my head, bird," David growled.  Jailla knew he was kidding, and merely chirped in triumph.

"Our final petition for advancement this meeting is an important one.  David Stroud has applied to advance from Master Level 2, to Master Level 1.  As we're all aware, the Level 1 masters control the guild, to a large extent.  Though this board is elected by the members to handle guild business, and may be composed of members of Master Level 3 or above, most of us will defer to a higher-ranking master for most things, so that the Level 1 masters have a great deal of influence.  As such, we do not grant this advancement lightly.

"Master Stroud, if you'd step up to the podium, please."

David made his way down the aisle to the podium.  It faced the assembled mass, rather than the Board of Governors, who were now behind him.  This was awkward and uncomfortable for David, but it was the method the guild used.

"Is your sponsor here today, Master Stroud?"

"I am," Sam said, making her way to a place at the side of the room set aside for those who would speak during such events.

"Your name, for the record, and your rank."

"Samantha Stott, Master Level 3."

"Why did you choose to not endorse this application for advancement?"

"It wasn't a choice," Sam said.  "I was out of the country, and so unavailable, when David needed to have his application endorsed.  Had he been able to ask me, I would have readily given my approval."

"And could Master Everhard please come forward?"

Jerry Everhard joined Sam at the side of the room.

"Your name and rank, for the record."

"Jerry Everhard, Master Level 4."

"You endorsed Master Stroud's application.  Do you know him well?"

"Mainly by reputation.  We have talked on various occasions when he's stopped into my shop.  And, of course, I am paying him licensing fees to sell his potions."

"So, you would consider him an acquaintance, but not really a friend."

"That would be fair to say, yes," Jerry confirmed.

"When he asked you to endorse his application, did you test his potions?"

"No, sir.  He offered to give me the time to do so, but my skills as a potion-maker are so haphazard that I decided to simply take him at his word."

"Why would you do that?"

"As I said, he has a reputation.  Mr. Stroud doesn't lie.  And, really, there would be no benefit to him to lie, as he knows that you will test his potions, anyway."

"So you endorsed him on the strength of his personality, as known to you, alone?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good.  You may step down."

As Everhard left, the board member said, "It says something that you are trusted that much, Master Stroud.  Had your potions turned out not to work, Master Everhard would have also suffered penalties, for endorsing you.  Strength of character is another factor to be considered when advancement to Level 1 is decided.

"Let's make clear right now, however, that your potions all worked flawlessly.  We'd have expected nothing less from someone who can make base potions in a few weeks, of course.  So, that particular criteria has been passed.

"Have you entered into any new business commitments since achieving your Level 2 Mastery?"

David replied, "No, sir.  I haven't had the time, as I've been attending school, working for the school, and training as a Rimohr.  I am still fulfilling my contract with the Travaysal vampires, and occasionally I provide the necessary Bloodbank potion for the lamias.  The area I live in is well-served already, both by shopkeepers such as Master Everhard, and by the school's potions department."

"You are training as a Rimohr, while attending school?"

"Yes, sir.  I'm a part of the Rimohr Internship Program, which allows me to continue my schooling.  Up until recently, I was also the school's Chief of Security."

"How did you manage to finish your Level 1 petition at all?" the board member asked in dismay.

"With great difficulty.  I'd have had it done months ago, if not for the distractions."

The board member chuckled.  "Well, life must occasionally take precedence over the guild and your craft.  In any case, you've been at Level 2 for less than three years.  You could hardly be said to have been dawdling.  I note, however, that you've received another chevron from the king.  May I ask what that was for?"

"Something non-potions related," David dodged.  He didn't really want to rehash that event already.

"Perhaps not, but I'm sure it spoke to the nature of your character.  What did you do to receive that chevron?"

"I saved the king from an assassination attempt," David said.  There were murmurs throughout the room.  Not everyone was aware of the attempt on the king.  Though the king had publicly rewarded David, the ceremony had not been mirrorcast, and the newspapers had not made a big deal out of it, at the king's request.

"I see," the board member said.  "And that accounts for your status as Royal Paladin, as well?"

"Yes, and my crescent."  There was further murmuring in the room.

"Very well."  Raising his eyes to the crowd, the board member said, "So.  It is now up to the guild as a whole.  Level 1 Mastery must be approved by a majority of all guild members present.  Each of you has been given two marbles.  One white, one black.  In front of the podium, you see a cauldron covered with a cloth.  The cloth has a slit cut into it.

"You will each come forward and deposit a marble to reflect your choice.  If you believe that Master Stroud should be granted advancement to Level 1, you are to place the white marble into the cauldron.  If, however, you feel that he has not yet earned advancement, and wish to deny him Level 1 status, place the black marble into the cauldron.  Once everyone has voted, the marbles will be counted, and the decision will be announced.

"Should Master Stroud fail to achieve advancement today, he may not petition again for two years.  Of course, if he does achieve advancement, he may never petition again," the man said with a chuckle.  "So.  The voting begins now."

David remained standing at the podium.  He tried to meet the eyes of each person who came up.  Some of them were uncomfortable looking at him.  They clutched their marble tightly in their hands, making sure he couldn't tell what it was.  Others were more nonchalant, giving him a glance and perhaps a nod before depositing their marble.

Sam made a great show of holding up her white marble so he could see it, before she dropped it into the cauldron.  She then went and stood beside David, doing her best to encourage him, as she could tell he was nervous.

There were a couple hundred guild members present, as this was their annual gathering, so it took several minutes for the voting to finish.  After that, the cauldron was taken away by five men who each counted the marbles separately.  Only if the counts were identical would they be considered accurate.

The counting took much less time than David expected.  The five men returned to the room in fewer minutes than it had taken for the voting itself.  The leader of the five men handed a note to the leader of the board, who read it, then passed it around the other board members, who all nodded as they read it.

The board leader intoned, "Of the 268 people present, 266 of them voted.  Master Stroud is not, of course, allowed to vote, thus there was one abstention.  Does that person wish to speak up?"

There was silence throughout the hall.  Obviously the individual did not.  After a long breath, the board leader continued.  "By a vote of 265 to 1, David Stroud is hereby granted advancement.  Master Stroud, you are now a Level 1 Master of the Royal Potions Guild.  You are entitled to charge a larger percentage for any new potions you create.  You will be consulted concerning guild activities, new members, and requests from the crown.  And, of course, your guild badge will change.  It does this automatically; no need for you to worry about it.

"We welcome you, Master Stroud, as one of our best, one of our brightest.  You are the eighth living Level 1 Master in the guild.  It is a select group, and you are the youngest of them to have achieved it.  May your tenacity and commitment to our trade be an inspiration to all who follow you."

The man raised his hand, and the guild members all did likewise.  With a single voice, they all cheered, "Excelsior!"  With that, there was applause and many people wanting to shake David's hand.

"See?" Sam told him.  "I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say," David said, but couldn't remove the smile from his face.  Among all the things he had done since becoming a demighost, achieving top ranking in his potions guild made him feel like he had truly accomplished something.  And he'd done it on his own: Sam had not helped with his potions, had not advised him on how to proceed.  This was something that was all his.

For a few moments, he could even forget about Ellen.

David stared out into the street, watching the revelers enjoy the show.  He was in Senesty, still.  He had decided to stay for the Litha Festival, since it was only two days after his guild advancement.  He felt like he needed a break from the mental stress of trying to find a cure for Ellen.  Healer Hall had returned from her vacation, and while she had not had a solution for Ellen's hex either, she could at least watch over her while he was gone.

He was currently sitting in a small sidewalk cafe having lunch.  Despite the festival, he had chosen not to partake of the cafe's spicier fare, and had settled on a safe soup-and-sandwich combo, instead.  He just let his mind wander as he ate.  He was, therefore, surprised when someone spoke to him.

"Excuse me, can we sit with you?  All the other tables are full."

David jerked in surprise, then looked up to see two young ladies, apparently sisters.  They both looked nervous, and the one looked ill.

"Please," the one said.  "My sister really needs to eat; her blood sugar is low.  Do you even know what blood sugar is?" she asked suddenly, obviously confused.

"In order," David said, "Yes, you may sit down, and yes, I know what blood sugar is.  I was born in Earth.  Are you not a wizard?"

"No.  My sister is.  I'm sorry, I didn't introduce us.  My name is Anna.  This is Donna."

"David.  Do you not talk?" he asked Donna.

Donna blushed.  "Sorry.  I just don't feel well."

David raised his hand to get the waitress' attention.  She came over quickly.

"What can I get for you, Mr. Stroud?"

"They need some menus... but bring us some bread rolls with the menus, if you would.  She needs something in her stomach immediately."

The waitress nodded and went away, returning quickly with menus and a basket of rolls.

"Thank you," Anna said when the waitress departed.

"How are you enjoying the festival?" David asked her.

"Festival?" Anna asked, confused.

"I told you about it," Donna told her.  "It wasn't a good time to come here."

"So you're not here for the festival?" David asked.

"No.  We came to see one of your healers... the quack..."

"He's not a quack," Donna objected.  "He's just greedy."

David tilted his head in confusion.  "What happened?"

"We came to see if they could cure her diabetes.  That bastard wanted over ten thousand granas!" Anna fumed.

"Wait... did he diagnose her as diabetic?"

"He confirmed it.  She was diagnosed back home a long time ago."

"How much did he charge for his diagnosis?"

"A hundred granas.  I don't care about that, it was no big deal.  But ten thousand granas to fix it?  That's inhuman!  That's insane!  That's unethical!  That's... That's... That's...."

"The word you're looking for," David said calmly, "is illegal."

"What?" Donna asked, surprised.

"The cure for diabetes is a potion.  It's not even a complicated potion.  The going rate for that potion is... hang on, let me check."

David conjured up his sales guide, produced by the Royal Potions Guild, for what potion makers were allowed to charge for their work.  He flipped through it until he found what he wanted.

David snorted.  "A hundred twenty-five granas, maximum.  Most of us wouldn't charge anywhere near that much.  Charging ten thousand granas to administer a potion that costs just over a hundred is illegal in Callamandia.  When you're done with your lunch, we're going to pay this healer a visit."

"I don't want to cause you any trouble," Donna said hesitantly.

"Ma'am, I'm a Rimohr.  This is my job."

"Oh!"

"Rimohr?" Anna asked in confusion.

David looked at her and said, "I'm a cop."

"Ah.  I don't see a badge..."

"I'm off-duty.  But I'm not about to let something like this slide when it winds up right under my nose."

"Thank you," Anna said.

"Don't worry about it.  Enjoy your lunch."

As the two ate lunch, they all chatted.  However, at one point during lunch, Donna jolted, throwing soup on David and causing her to drop the spoon on the floor.

"Oh, damn!  I'm sorry," Anna said.  Donna wasn't yet aware enough to be mortified.  That, her sister knew, would come in a second or two.  "My sister is epileptic.  She can't control it when she does that."

"No harm done," David said.

"Your shirt..."

David snorted.  He pulled out his wand, pointed it at the stain, and uttered a quick spell.  The stain was immediately gone.  Anna was shocked.

As he put his wand away, he smiled at her.  "Learned that spell in my first year MagEc class."  Turning to Donna, he asked, "Didn't the healer offer you a cure for your epilepsy?"

"I didn't mention it to him.  After he told us what the cost to fix diabetes was, I was afraid to."

David nodded.  "I'm not sure how to fix epilepsy.  There isn't a potion to do it, so it's either a combination of a potion and a spell, or just a spell.  I'm not a healer, just a potion master, so I don't know how you would fix the electrical jolt that just disrupted your..."

"What?" Anna asked, noting David's far-away look.

"That's it!" David enthused.  "That's how to fight it!"

"Huh?" both Donna and Anna asked in confusion.

David finally returned to the present.  "Oh!  Sorry.  I just had a thought about how to help a friend of mine who has been hexed.  If you'll excuse me, I need to make a mirror call.  I'll be right back."

The two women looked at each other, perplexed at their lunch partner's behavior, until he returned to the table.

"Ever been to Woodward Academy?" David asked Donna.

"I wasn't quite that good a wizard," Donna said.

"You do fine," Anna encouraged her.  Turning to David, she asked, "Why would she go to school?"

"To get her diabetes - and her epilepsy - fixed.  I just spoke with Healer Hall.  She has agreed to take care of both problems."

"And how much will she charge?"

"She works for the school.  She doesn't charge her patients."

"What about the cost of the potions?" Diane asked.

"Those have been taken care of.  And as to transportation, you can ride back to Gorumshead with me.  Right after we have a chat with that 'healer' you went to."

"Why are you helping us?" Anna asked.

"Well, one, I like helping people.  Two, you seem like nice folks, and three, because you may have just helped me bring someone out of a coma.  C'mon, I'll tell you about it on the trip."

"Hey, Annie."

"Good morning, David.  Back from Senesty... and with a rank increase, I see."

David smiled.  He appreciated the recognition from someone whose opinion mattered to him.

"Is this the young lady you asked me about?"

"Yeah.  Donna, this is Healer Annie Hall.  She's the school's healer... and the best healer in the area."

"Pffft," Annie scoffed.  "You just want to butter me up so I'll keep treating you when you get injured."

"Is it working?" David asked with a grin.

"Yep," she said with a smile.  Turning to Donna, she grew a bit more serious.  "Okay, so, let's get you lying on the bed, and I'll do a thorough exam.  Once we see all of what's wrong, we'll know what we have to fix."

Donna calmly lay down on the bed, and David motioned Anna to step back and give Annie the room she needed to work.

"Will she be okay?" Anna wanted to know.

"All the healer is doing right now is an evaluation.  In Earth, this would be the part where they put her through MRIs and CT scans and enough blood work to make a vampire drool."

"How long will it take?"

"Oh... half hour, maybe an hour.  Depends on how much she sees that's out of whack."

Anna nodded, and turned to survey the room.  "Is this the woman you were telling us about?" she asked, pointing to where Ellen was lying.

"Yeah."

"And you think that giving her epilepsy is the cure?"

David chuckled quietly.  "Not quite giving her epilepsy, but if I can figure out how to cause one of those electrical misfires in her brain, it might break the cycle her mind is stuck in."

"How do you do that?" Anna wondered.

"I don't know yet.  But that's one more step than I had when I left here."

"Good morning, sir," a voice said behind them.

David turned and smiled.  "Good morning, Olissa.  Anything change while I was gone?"

"No.  Healer Hall and I have looked through pretty much every encyclopedia she has, with no clues so far."

"Okay.  I want you to start looking for something different.  Try to find a way for me to safely induce an electrical shock to her brain."

"Wouldn't electro-shock therapy work here?" Anna wanted to know.

"It might," David acknowledged.  To Olissa, he said, "See if we can get one of those devices... don't ask me how, 'cause I don't know.  Don't worry about what it might cost, you know that's not an issue."

Olissa nodded.  "Anything else?"

"Obviously," David replied.  "You haven't yet said good morning properly."

Olissa smiled, then stepped to him and kissed him warmly for a long moment.  David ran his hand along her hip as they kissed, and smiled at her when they separated.

"I missed that."

Olissa smiled at him.

"Okay, now see if you can find that stuff for me."

"Yes, sir."  Olissa nodded to him, then to Anna, and then left the room.

"Strange way to treat your lab assistant," Anna mused.

"She's not my lab assistant.  I don't even work here."

"Could have fooled me," Annie called out from where she was working.

"You hush and deal with your patient," David retorted good-naturedly.  To Anna, he said, "My relationship with Olissa is complicated.

Anna nodded.

After a short wait, Annie motioned them over to the bed, then helped Donna to sit up.

"Well, young lady, you have diabetes, all right.  And epilepsy.  You also have the start of multiple sclerosis."

"Oh my god," Anna breathed.

"Not to worry.  MS isn't a difficulty for us... though you'll need to come back yearly until we're sure it's been corrected.  It might take three or four years to be completely certain."

"How long will treatment take?" Anna asked.

"The diabetic cure is just a potion, as I'm sure David told you.  The cures for epilepsy and MS are both fairly involved enchantments, so those will each take about an hour.  If you'd like to go get some breakfast or tour the campus, watching this process can be a bit disturbing."

Anna looked at David.  David said, "Don't worry.  She's the best there is.  She's the only one I'll let treat me."

"The only one crazy enough to treat you," Annie mumbled, loud enough for them to hear her.

Anna smiled and nodded.  "I could use something to eat.  You sure you'll be okay, Donna?"

Donna nodded.  "It'll be fine.  Go take a tour of the school.  You can see what real wizards are like... not mediocre ones like me."

Anna looked at David, who said, "Come on.  I'm sure you'll love the food here."

David was in his SUV, driving back toward school.  He had flown Anna and Donna home, and was now returning from that trip, when his mirror buzzed.

Holding a mirror while driving wasn't any safer than holding a cellphone, so David pulled his mirror out and placed it in the holder he'd crafted that attached to his dashboard.  He then answered the call.

"Hey, Joe," David said, keeping his eyes on the road.  "What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"In Earth," David answered.  He didn't figure any further information would help Joe much.

"Anywhere near Boston?"

"Just left there about five minutes ago."

"Well, turn around and go back there."

"Why, what have we got?"

"A disappearance."

"I imagine people are disappearing from Boston all the time.  What makes them think this involves us?"

"There is damage at the home that appears to be blast damage.  No one heard or saw explosions, so it seems unlikely to be technologically based.  In any case, you know how to check for remnant magic."

"Yeah.  Okay, give me the address."

As Joe did, David typed it into his cellphone's navigation app.

"Is anyone coming to join me?"

"No.  You're there.  You deal with it.  If it develops into more than just asking a few questions, call me."

"Will do.  Talk to you in a while."

David fogged off with Joe, then found a place to turn around, heading for his next case.  Looking around, there were only a couple cars on the road near him, and none close enough to be a real problem.

"Insignium apocalypsis," David intoned, while placing his hand against his driver's side window.  Nothing happened inside the vehicle, but on the outside of the SUV, several Rimohr logos appeared, and the words "Special Investigative Unit" were now written on the back lift gate.  David also reached into his console and pulled out a red rotating light.  He plopped it on the dashboard, but didn't turn it on.  He didn't even have it plugged in, but he knew that if the officers saw it there, it would give a certain impression, and it would make his life easier.

As he pulled up to the yellow tape surrounding the scene, an officer automatically lifted it to let his truck pass through.  David nodded to the woman, then pulled to the curb and stopped.  As David exited his truck, his clothing switched from his Woodward uniform to a Rimohr one, and he turned to the nearest police officer.

"Excuse me, where can I find the lead detective?"

"In the house someplace, sir.  His name is Dasgupta."

David stopped short and turned.  "Really?"

The officer smiled.  "Really."

David tilted his head as if to say, "Well, whatever," and then walked up to the house.  He noticed the front door had a perfectly circular hole in it.  There was scorching on the core wood of the door, inside the hole, but there were no marks at all on the face of the door.  A quiet spell, and David could tell that magic had definitely been used here within the last twelve hours.  Perpetrator or victim, he didn't know, but either way, the use of magic made it a Rimohr case.

David noted a few other signs of magical use.  There was a scorch mark on one wall, and several broken items.  It seemed to David as if the wizard may have been demonstrating his power to intimidate his victim into cooperation.  If, that is, the victim had not gone willingly, which wasn't something they actually knew for sure, yet.

"Can I help you?" a man in a suit asked.  He looked to be about David's age.

"Looking for Detective Dasgupta."

"You are?"

"David Stroud.  Rimohrs."

The guy's eyes went a little wide, then called into another room, "Daz, there's a guy out here to see you."  To David, he said, "I suppose you're gonna explain that weird hole in the door?"

"Who you got, Jeff?" a man asked, coming in from the hallway.  Det. Dasgupta saw the emblem on David's coat and came up short.  "Oh, so that's what's going on.  Rohan Dasgupta.  You are?"

"David Stroud."  The two shook hands.  "Someone, not sure who, called us to look at this case.  What have you got so far?"

"Ellen Lasbury, age twenty-eight.  Last seen at nine o'clock last night when her assistant dropped her off here at home.  Ms. Lasbury is an executive at a Boston financial firm.  Her assistant is apparently on her way here now.  You see the damage.  No one heard or saw anything, including the neighbors, who were home all night, and the husband is a light sleeper.  They are certain he would have heard something loud enough to make that hole in the door."

"If a wizard is involved, there are a half-dozen ways he could have done that quietly," David replied.

"How would he have done it at all?" the other detective wanted to know.

"An energy ball is the easiest method."  David held up his hand and silently cast a charm.  A bright orange globe of light appeared in his hand, just floating there.  "If I launch this at the wall, it's going to make a hole.  You'll hear some noise of the wall disintegrating under the impact, but it won't be an explosion.  It would be more like... like kicking the door in, at least in volume."

"He might not have heard that," Dasgupta said.  "And this other damage?"

"Same thing.  In fact, that scorch mark looks very much like a small energy ball strike.  The objects here, thrown to the floor... but from the dust on the shelves, this one was sitting all the way over here, while this one was right there... the pattern's not right for someone physically picking them up, but a wizard can just... sem!" David said, holding his hand out.  A picture frame flew to his hand from fifteen feet away.  It stopped right above his hand.  He didn't want to touch it, just in case there were fingerprints on it.  Instead, he levitated it back to its original position.  "All of what you see here can easily be explained if a wizard's involved."

"Do you think one is?"

"I'd have to say yes.  There are traces of magical energy in the area.  Unless there is a wizard living nearby, there'd be no other reason for such energy to be here."

"So what now?" the other detective asked.

"Sorry, what's your name?" David asked politely.

"Detective Jeff Bozinski.  They call me Boz.  Well, except him.  He calls me Jeff."

David grinned.  "Well, with a wizard involved, we'll have to take over the case.  Trust me, you wouldn't want to face this guy if he's violent... though his behavior here says he's trying not to be."

"How do you figure?  He trashed the place."

"Trashed the place, but probably not the person.  There are no signs of a struggle, really.  He either used a binding spell on her, or, more likely, given the damage he did do, he intimidated her into coming with him on her own."

"She would never do that," a voice said from behind David.  The three turned to see a young woman.

"You are?" Det. Dasgupta asked.

"Kelly Cronkite.  I'm Ms. Lasbury's assistant.  She wouldn't be intimidated by some punk."

"Even if he had a gun pointed at her head?" Det. Bozinski asked.

"She's been in that situation before.  Ms. Lasbury is not well liked."

"Why is that?" David asked.

"We work for Global Acquisitions."

"And..." David prompted.

Det. Dasgupta said, "Global is a company that makes its money by buying companies and selling off their parts to other companies.  They have a knack for putting people out of work.  It makes them unpopular to anyone with a conscience."

"So Ms. Lasbury has been threatened before," David said to the assistant.

"Several times.  It's almost normal for the executives at the firm.  I've been harassed myself a few times, because I've been seen with her."

"Then why work there?" Det. Bozinski asked.

"Because they pay twice what my next-best job offer was."

"Okay, so we have a 'tough' woman, unfazed by a gun pointed to her head," Det. Dasgupta said.  "What about something she was unfamiliar with?"

"Like what?" Ellen asked.

David pulled out his wand and let the energy crackle from the tip.  "Like how about one of these?"

Even the detectives looked a little nervous, and it wasn't pointed at them.

"What the hell is that?" Ellen asked, backing up.

"Not important.  Point is, would Ms. Lasbury have been intimidated by such a thing?"

"I'm not sure.  Maybe.  She likes to be in control.  She likes to know what's going on.  Seeing something she really couldn't explain... is that some kind of weird stun gun?"

"No."

"It might have gotten her to cooperate.  Maybe."

"Thank you," David said, lowering his wand.  "Was anyone in particular threatening her recently?"

"I don't know.  Those calls are logged in her office, I haven't looked at it."

"We'll need to do that," David said.  Turning to the detectives, he asked, "Will the department cooperate with this investigation?"

"What are you going to need?"

"It would help if your forensic team could go over this.  I'd do it myself, but I want to follow up on this threat angle."

"You know forensics?" Det. Bozinski asked.

"I know... our kind of forensics," David replied.

"Oh."

Det. Dasgupta said, "CSRU should be here shortly."

"Okay.  Can I ask you to keep this scene secure until they get here?"

"Sure.  Where do we send the reports?"

"I'll call in for them.  Since this is in your district, I'll also keep you up to date on whatever we find out.  Though we have to take the lead on the case, we're probably still going to need your help on some things."

"Okay.  Here's my office number and my cellphone number," Det. Dasgupta said, handing him a business card.

"Thank you, Detective."

"Call me Daz.  Everyone does."

David took out one of his own business cards.  He'd made them up for eventualities like this one.  "If you need to get a hold of me, call the cell number first.  If that doesn't work, call the other number.  It's... an answering service, for when I'm out of cellphone range."

Ellen asked, "Where would you go that's out of cellphone range?"

David just looked at her and smiled.  "You don't want to know."

David spent the next two days running down every person who had made a threat against Ellen Lasbury within the last year.  All of them had been ruled out by either being in jail, having witnesses to their location for the evening or, in two cases, being dead.  Having exhausted all of those names, he now wasn't sure what to do.

Returning to the victim's house, he looked things over again.  There didn't appear to be any new information.  He looked into her car, which was in the driveway, but saw nothing important there.  A quick avata charm allowed him to look in the trunk, but that, too, proved unfruitful.

David was once more wandering through the house, just examining everything, when Det. Dasgupta walked in.

"Oh, it's you," he said.

"Problem?" David asked.

"We had a report about someone looting the victim's home and car."

"Sorry.  Guess I should have let you know I was coming back here."

"Looking for something specific?"

"Yeah.  A place to go from here.  I ran down the whereabouts of every one of her vocal enemies.  None of them could have done it."

"You're sure their alibis are solid?"

"Yeah.  I... have ways of checking."

Dasgupta nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" David asked.

"Sure, but I think I already know your question."

"Oh?"

"Why is an Indian working as a detective for the Boston Police Department?" Dasgupta guessed.

"That was the question," David said with a grin.

"I get that question a lot."

"Well, it doesn't seem to be a common profession for Indian-Americans."

"Perhaps not.  But I never wanted to be a doctor, and I suck at technical support."

They both laughed at that.

"Sorry, I know it's a stereotype."

"Not to worry.  I chose to be a police officer because I was unfortunate enough to see my older brother killed by an intruder.  I didn't want other children to have to go through what I did."

David nodded.

"What about you?  Why did you choose to be a... what is it, Rimohr?"

"I don't like bullies," David said simply.

Daz nodded.  "Is there anything I can help you with on this case?" he asked, getting back to business.

"A clue?  An idea?  A wild-assed guess?"

"Kidnapping these days of a woman that age is usually for sexual purposes, followed by murder," Daz replied.

"Yeah, I hope not.  I handled one of those last year."

Daz nodded.  "Other than that, I don't know.  And even if it is that, it doesn't give you any more place to look than you already have."

"Which is noplace."

"That's the way it goes sometimes."

David glared at him.  He didn't like these unsolveable cases.

"Well, I have to get back to the precinct.  Call if you need anything."

"Will do," David said with a sigh.  "Guess I'll head back home.  I need to think of a way to proceed on this case, but there's no more information to be had here."

"Good luck," Daz said.

David nodded, and the two parted, closing up the house and leaving in their respective vehicles.

Shit, David thought to himself on the way up to Newburyport.

"So... big issue with getting the electro-shock therapy equipment here," Olissa said to David.  The two were in the infirmary again, discussing possibilities for Ellen.

"What's that?" David asked.

"They require a medical degree to be able to understand how to use the damn things."

"Hmm.  Good point.  And finding a wizard doctor could be difficult.  Anything on the magical front, then?"

"Some stuff.  I'm still looking into it.  It's not a well-covered subject."

"Well, keep plugging away at it.  I do not want to try something that is going to make things worse.  I can't just zap her head and hope for the best."

"I know.  I'll keep reading."

"Thank you."

Olissa closed the book she had been working on and said quietly, "Master, I have a question."  Her voice was lowered because Annie was in her office.

"What is it?" David asked.

"I know that you're very busy, and this is not really the time to bring it up, but when will you be punishing me for my disobedience?"

David sighed.  "You're right.  This isn't the time to bring it up... but it's a fair question.  I simply have not had the time to do the research I need to do in order to prepare the punishment I want for you.  Until I get at least a couple of days to work on it, I'm afraid it will have to be postponed.  Why are you so eager to be punished?"

"I'm eager to have my failure behind me," she said quietly.

David nodded.  "Well, I promise we'll get to it as soon as we can, but it is going to have to wait for a little while."

"I understand."

"Good."  David kissed her softly, and she enjoyed that immensely.  After they separated, he said, "I'll let you get back to your reading.  I have to figure out how to find a missing woman when I have no clues."

"Good luck," Olissa said.

"Thanks.  I'll be in my office if you need me."

David made his way slowly up the tower steps.  Given what he was hoping to be doing soon, he didn't want to wear himself out just by getting where he was going.

Finally, he made it to the top of the north tower of the castle.  He emerged to a blustery wind coming off the ocean.  He could see no clouds in the distance, but with the strength of the wind, he knew a storm could come in at any time.

Raising his voice over the wind, he called out, "Goliath, I need to speak with you!"

The large gargoyle, seemingly petrified, awoke and turned to face David.  He jumped off the parapet and landed with surprising lightness on the floor.

"How may I be of service?" Goliath grumbled.  He didn't need to raise his voice, it cut through the wind without any trouble at all.

"Will there be more gargoyles arriving to protect the castle in the future?"

"That is most unlikely.  There are few of us, many castles to protect, and creating us takes a very long time."

"Wait... you're created?"

"Yes."

"But you seem sentient.  I didn't think that was possible."

"With magic, almost all things are possible.  The gargoyles are a collaboration between the humans, the fairies, and the magical force itself.  The humans craft us, the fairies prepare us, and the magical force gives us life.  The process takes a generation."

"Why was something like that undertaken?  For that matter, how did we figure out how to do it?"

"How it was learned is lost to the mists of the past.  Why should be obvious.  Our role is to defend."

"But there aren't enough of you to truly defend this castle, are there?"

"No.  We can but slow the inevitable.  It would take many times this number to repel a major attack.  More, in fact, than there are of us currently existing."

"Then I need your help," David said.

"What can I do to help you?" Goliath asked.

"Train me to fight."

"You have not been taught this already?"

"I know how to use my sword, and my staff.  But... let's just say that my training in class was aimed more at honorable contest.  I need to be ready to fight an enemy that will come en masse, will fight a melee battle, and probably won't be too concerned with honor."

"Why come to us?"

"The whole reason you're here is because you are known as the best fighters in the land.  I need to learn what you know."

"This could hurt you," Goliath warned.

"I'm a demighost.  I'll heal."

"Very well.  Your lessons will take place in the courtyard below.  We will work at night, to reduce your vision, thus making the training harder.  You will come every night at midnight."

"I'll be here.  Thank you."

"Don't thank me until you've seen what you've just gotten yourself into."  Goliath smirked, then climbed back up to his post and settled, once again taking on the appearance of a statue.

With a bit of trepidation, but a lot of anticipation, David made his way back down to the ground.  If there was going to be a battle at this school, David was going to make sure the werewolves regretted it.