Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [83]
“Just listen to you,” Ellie scoffed. “You sound like the children are an enemy and you’re making plans for battle.”
“I have to admit that I do think of them in terms of minimizing losses during an engagement.”
He held up a hand to ward off her protests. “The assumption may be the aftereffects of spending a lot of the last two years in the service of our king, defending Chiril.”
“Our community wasn’t much affected by the war. Some of our neighbors experienced odd shifts in attitude. My brothers became extra feisty, Gramps was morose, my sisters and I lacked the energy to do our chores.”
“That strange malady of soul struck all over Chiril. The three statues being out of alignment caused the personality disorders. The invading army took advantage of our weakness, but they didn’t trigger the disruptive behavior.”
They walked back to the library and joined Tak in the library park. The goat jumped and skittered and playfully head-butted the tumanhofers.
“He sure is glad to see us,” said Bealomondore.
“He’s definitely a people goat.”
“How’s that?”
“He prefers to be with people more than with other goats. I hand-fed him as a kid, and I think he assumes he is more tumanhofer than goat.”
Bealomondore gave Tak a vigorous back scratch. “He is unquestionably intelligent.”
Ellie frowned. “He acted more like a goat at home. He liked to be around people, but he didn’t interfere with what I had to do. There have been times since we came into the bottle … He’s directed me.”
She didn’t want Bealomondore to think she was tetched, so she hedged her statement. “Sort of, you know. Not really, but kind of.”
Bealomondore laughed out loud. Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and thrust her chin out.
He stifled his laughter. “Since I met Tipper Schope and, through her, Verrin Schope, Lady Peg, Wizard Fenworth, and Librettowit …” He chuckled. “Well, things have not been what they seem, ‘sort of, not really, but kind of.’ I know exactly how you feel. Any time a wizard is involved, reality slips and slides and has a hard time staying steady.”
“And that’s the magic at work?”
“No, no, wizards, good wizards, don’t delve into magic.”
“But—”
“Wizards like Verrin Schope and Fenworth spend years developing an intimate knowledge of how Wulder organizes the universe. Then they facilitate His order without going out of the boundaries of His regulation.”
“If that’s what good wizards are doing, what are bad wizards doing?”
He pulled her into his arms and swung her around, then kissed her.
She protested halfheartedly. “What was that for?”
“For asking intelligent questions and for believing I have the answers.”
“Kissing me is a fine distraction, but I haven’t forgotten the question.” He stood smiling at her until she felt the urge to prod him back to the conversation. “So what do bad wizards do?”
“First, what they do, they do with dreadful motives. A core of selfishness colors all their actions. Good wizards desire to serve. Bad wizards desire power to make others subservient to them. Good wizards improve the situations of others. Bad wizards improve their own situations without regard for whom it may hinder or harm.”
Old One’s roar from the library startled them. They turned as one to learn what caused the commotion. The urohm stood at an open window at the very top of the building, his face red and his white hair streamed around his head as if tousled by a strong wind. The calm air in the garden chilled Ellie.
“Come. I need your help,” he called. “Hurry! There’s more than ever before!”
Bealomondore, Ellie, and Tak all ran for the gate, then down the short walkway to the back entrance. Tak led the way and clambered up the grating with no help. Ellie followed, with Bealomondore giving her a hand.
Old One’s bellows reverberated through the library. By the time Ellie and Bealomondore ran into the rotunda, Tak was bounding up the last few