The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [92]
Olive was just finishing her third pot of tea when Thomas, looking distraught as well as pale, returned to the dining room. "It appears we've had some vandalism in the carriage house, sir," he informed Giogi in a tight, level voice.
'The deuce you say," Giogi replied, rising with alarm. "Not the animals?"
"Daisyeye appears to be unaffected. The buggy is damaged, though, sir, and it appears someone started a fire but extinguished it before it did much damage."
"What about Birdie?"
"Birdie, sir?"
"The burro. I named it Birdie. Did it have another name already?"
"Uh…" Thomas looked like a man whose ordered life had been disrupted by a visit to another plane. "What burro, sir?" he asked with confusion.
"The one I took into the catacombs yesterday."
"Oh, yes. You mentioned a burro, I recall. Did you rent the burro from a local stable, sir?"
"Did I-? I thought you bought the burro for me, Thomas." Giogi replied.
"I, sir? No, sir. Why would I buy a burro for you, sir?"
"Look here, Thomas. If you didn't buy the burro, what was it doing in my garden the night before last eating my roses?" Giogi demanded.
"It's only Ches, sir. Barely spring. There aren't any roses in bloom yet," Thomas pointed out.
"Eating my roses was only a figure of speech, Thomas," Giogi said sternly. Then he sighed. "Please, send down to Dzulas's Stables for a carriage and four while I go search for the burro. Perhaps you ladies would care to wait in the parlor while we get this straightened out," Giogi suggested.
"Poor little Birdie," the nobleman murmured as he followed Thomas from the room. "She must be scared out of her mind."
Cat rose from her chair. "If you would excuse me, Mistress Ruskettle," she said, "I should take advantage of this delay to study mv spells further. If we are going to a wizard's tower-"
"Sit back down, if you please, Mistress Cat," Olive interrupted. "I need to speak with you."
Cat hesitated for a moment, but she seemed to think better of offending this strange halfling that Giogioni held in such high regard. She returned to her chair.
"As I understand scrying crystals, the distance between the observer and subject is no obstacle, correct?"
"Essentially," Cat said with a nod.
"But the knowledge the viewer has of the subject makes a big difference, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"Persons not known are actually very difficult to locate, and the time they can be spied upon is much reduced, right?"
Cat nodded curtly. "You seem well versed on the topic, Mistress Ruskettle. I do not think you need my advice on the matter"
"No, I don't. I needed to be sure you were well versed on the topic. Based on what we have just established, who is in the most danger of being scried by your master?" Olive asked.
Cat took a deep breath. "Myself," she said at last.
"Exactly. So you are the one we need to protect the most. If he can't spy on you, he is unlikely to discover the doings of Master Giogioni and myself. I have something for you."
Olive reached into the pocket of her skirt and drew out Jade's magic pouch. She undid the laces and felt around inside for the "amulet." Stern-faced, Olive drew it out. She laid the object, still tied up in the purple silk scarf, on the table between herself and the mage, as if presenting an ancient artifact.
"What is it?" Cat asked, reaching over for it.
"An amulet to protect against detection and scrying. A very powerful one."
Cat began unknotting the scarf.
"No! Don't unwrap it!" Olive warned. "The magic is so strong, it must remain covered. The last person that tried to look at it went blind and mad. Just keep it with you at all times."
"That's very generous of you, Mistress Ruskettle," Cat said with surprise, slipping the amulet into her skirt pocket.
"Well, yes. It's just a loan until we complete this mission. Try not to lose it. Elminster would never forgive me."
"Who is Elminster?" Cat asked.
Olive's eyebrows shot up. "Elminster. The Elminster. Elminster, the sage.