“I’m sorry.”
Rupert sniffed. “Yeah, well, anyway, I managed to lock my old form in, from before I started to change. I then managed to get myself enrolled in Lenamare’s school. It wasn’t easy, but by passing myself off as two years younger than I really was, I looked like a prodigy.”
“Why would you enroll yourself in Lenamare’s school.” Tom was curious at such a notion. Seemed rather antithetical for a demon, or half-demon as Rupert claimed to be.
“Well, I had to do something to eat, and have a shelter.” Rupert said. Tom decided not to mention the fact that demon’s didn’t need to eat, nor did they really need shelter. “Besides, I wanted to become a great conjuror.”
“Conjuror! Why in the world would you want to become a conjuror!” Obviously the kid was a bit strange even for a demon.
Rupert paused at this. “Tom, tell me, what do I look like?”
Tom did a double take at this evasion. Since Tom hadn’t answered this question yet though, he did now. “Quite handsome really,” he said with a smile, “you look exactly like a smaller version of me.”
Rupert smiled widely then, and seemed suddenly to relax a great deal. Any human would have been terrified by the smile, Edwyrd got chills down his spine, but Tom recognized the expression. “I wanted to be a great conjuror... so I could summon you.”
Tom’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “Why? Why would you want to conjure me?” Tom was completely flabbergasted. This was not at all the sort of answer he’d expected.
Rupert smiled again, and when he spoke, Tom finally thought he understood what it was that Jenn and Gastropé seemed to enjoy about fainting. “Why,” Rupert answered, “doesn’t every kid want to meet his father?”
Chapter 56
His father? What? Tom didn’t know what to make of that response; he was completely at a loss. Why would the kid think... “Jesus...” was all he could say.
Rupert tilted his head on the pillow, “Who?”
Tom waved his hand, “never mind...”
“Where is he? I’ve got to see him!” Jenn’s voice came loud and clear from outside. She was apparently trying to enter the sterncastle. “Get away from the door!” Tom couldn’t hear Evert’s response; Jenn was obviously screaming for her voice to carry so well. He looked to Rupert, Rupert looked rather concerned.
“Can you shift back yet?” Tom asked. Rupert seemed to gulp and concentrate, then shook his head negatively. Tom closed his eyes for a moment, thinking what to do.
“Let me through, I said. Maelen claims he’s dead for Goddess’ sake! Then this captain claims Edwyrd took his body to the cabin! I’ve got to see him, I know healing, I can help!” There seemed to be a small scuffle. “Curse you to the Abyss, I’ll summon a demon so damn big it’ll bite your stone-filled head off in one chomp! Get out of my way!”
“I’d better see to her. You just rest, she won’t get through.” Tom stood.
“Thanks.”
Tom just nodded and turned to open the door. As he did so, he realized that he was completely naked. He stopped, looking around. He shrugged slightly to Rupert, then borrowed his blanket. While Tom didn’t care about being naked, he suspected it wouldn’t improve his credibility when trying to convince Jenn to stay away. He wrapped the blanket around his waist and slid out the door, firmly closing it behind him.
As he opened the outer door, it bumped slightly into Evert’s back. Evert, surprised, stepped aside. As he stepped out, again closing the door firmly, he noted that the second door to the stern castle was being guarded by another soldier. Jenn was glaring evilly at Evert, and now at Edwyrd. Maelen and Gastropé were standing a ways away watching the situation.
“What seems to be the problem?” He looked directly at Jenn, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“He,” she pointed to Maelen, “claims Rupert is dead! He!” she pointed to the captain, also watching from nearby, “claims you took his body inside.” She put her fists on her hips. “I will see him now!”
“No,” Edwyrd replied equally forcefully, “you will not!” He raised his hand before she could utter another protest. “Rupert is very much alive, but he was hurt very badly. I’ve done what I can to heal him, but he needs to rest. In private and with no interference.”
“You! heal him? What do you know about healing. If he’s really that bad he surely needs more than a few bandages.”
“You’re right, he did.” Edwyrd admitted. “However, I am an animage. I can also do some healing.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maelen looking on suspiciously. “I’ve done all that is needed. You have my promise that he will be fine. He just can’t be disturbed, by you or anyone.”
“But I can help! I should at least check your work!” Jenn protested.
“No. It’s a very tricky process and you’d only be tempted to interfere. While you probably wouldn’t do him direct harm, you would disturb him. That would be bad. He needs all his concentration and all the power I can give him to heal properly. If you go in and disturb him now, it will only slow the process and prolong his pain.”
“But...”
“No. I am his cousin. I really care for him.” Edwyrd was looking very intently into her eyes, trying to be as earnest as possible. This last was really true, he did care for Rupert, even if everything else he said was a lie. “I will not let any harm come to him.” He already had of course, but that was another story. “You must believe me when I say he’ll be fine shortly. You just have to wait. Maybe in a few hours you can see him.”
“Edwyrd...” Jenn said with a sigh.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Jenn, you know as well as I that undisturbed rest is essential in any healing. In just a couple hours you can check on him. If you prove me wrong then, and everything isn’t OK, you can exact whatever punishment you want. Including a demon to bite my head off.” She blushed with embarrassment at this last.
She nodded slowly, then looked at him with a determined glare. “If you are wrong, Edwyrd, you won’t face any demon but me. You should fear me worse.” She then turned and walked back to Gastropé and Maelen. Gastropé took her arm and led her off to a far rail. Edwyrd turned to Evert and nodded.
“Thank you for doing as I asked. If you could stay a little bit longer as an added precaution, I’d appreciate it.”
“Certainly, Master Edwyrd. Anything sir.” Evert made a sort of saluting motion with his hands. Tom was slightly disconcerted by the obvious respect in the young man’s voice. He turned his head and smiled and nodded to the other guard. That man also returned the nod with a small salute.
As he shook his head and turned to look out again at the ship, he found Maelen had snuck up on him again. “Healer as well? Is there any limit to your abilities, Tom?”
“Aaahh,” Edwyrd didn’t know how to respond. He was sure Maelen had seen the whole fire thing.
“Rupert was dead. I know. I’ve been healing people for seventy-five years now; I think I know dead when I see it. His spirit had evacuated his body.” Edwyrd tilted his head back and forth, trying to come up with an answer. “Even I can’t cure death yet.
“Not that I wouldn’t like to, mind you. And not that some people can’t. Physically, of course, the mechanics aren’t so bad. It’s just getting the soul back somehow that takes work. That can be difficult, you have to find it and bring it back to the planes of men. Then even after healing, you’ve got to reattach the soul to the flesh.” Maelen scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“I have to admit, you impressed me mightily with the Living Flame. Further, your final all-out attack proves to me that what my sight read of your aura is true. You are a very good animage. However, in order to bring back the dead, you’d have to be at least as good in at least three other disciplines as you are in Pyromastery, and nearly as good in a few others. While there are probably less than few dozen animages in the world capable of your level of Pyromastery, there are not many more animages capable of raising the dead. I don’t know of anyone that overlaps between Pyromastery and healing to that level.”