Keff beamed at her pillar. Her Lady Fair image beamed happily back at him. Plennafrey fumed visibly at the interplay. If Carialle was human, then the Ozran had a genuine rival. This, combined with her lovers liberal attitude toward the lower class, obviously dismayed the young woman. As she had proved before, she was resilient and adaptable. Plenna seemed to be considering Keff's point of view, but she thoroughly disapproved of Keff having another woman in his life. To disarm the magiwoman, Carialle made her image step back onto the wall. Plennafrey relaxed visibly.
«So I think you should understand that Brannel deserves an explanation if he is to help us.»
«Well . . .» Plennafrey said.
«I heard that some of the mages are descended from Brannel's kind of people,» Keff said persuasively. «Isn't Asedow's mother one like that? I heard Potria call her a dray-face.»
«That's true,» Plenna said, nodding. «And he is intelligent. Not good at thinking things through, but intelligent.» She smiled ruefully at Keff. «I don't wish to make things harder for my people or for myself. I will cooperate.»
«For what am I risking myself?» Brannel asked hoarsely, looking from one mage to another.
«For a sheaf of papers,» Keff said. «I need to see them. Magess Plenna will describe them, and Carialle will create an image for you to see.»
Brannel seemed unsatisfied. «And for me? For what am I risking myself?» he repeated.
«Ah,» Keff said, enlightened. «Well, what's your price? What do you want?»
Plennafrey, losing her newfound liberalism, drew herself up in outrage. «You dare ask for a reward? Do the mages not give you food and shelter? This is just another task we have given you.»
«We have those things, Magess, but we want knowledge, too!» Brannel said. Having begun, he was determined to put his case, even in the face of disapproval from an angry overlord, though somehow he was begging now. «Mage Keff, I . . . I want to be a mage, too. For a tiny, small item of power I will help you. It does not need to be big, or very powerful, but I know I could be a good mage. I will earn my way along. That is all I have ever desired: to learn. Give me that, and I will give you my life.» Keff saw the passion in the Noble Primitives eye and was prepared to agree.
«To give a four-finger power? No!» Plenna protested, cutting him off.
«Not good for you, Brannel,» Carialle said, emphatically, siding unexpectedly with Plennafrey. «Look what a mess your mages have made of this place using unlimited power. How about a better home, or an opportunity for a real education, instead?»
«What about redressing the balance of power. Cari?» Keff asked under his breath.
«It doesn't need redressing, it needs de-escalating,» Carialle replied through her brawns mastoid implant. «Could this planet really cope with one more resentful mage wielding a wand? We still don't know what the power was for originally.»
Brannel's long face wore a mulish expression. Carialle could picture him with donkey's ears laid back along his skull. He was not happy to be dictated to by the flat magess, nor was he comfortable being enlisted by a genuine magess.
«No one speaks of what went before this,» he said. «The promises of mages to other than themselves always prove false. I served Klemay, and now he is dead. Who killed him? I know whoever kills is not always the newest overlord in a place.»
Plenna's mouth dropped open. «How do you know that? You're uneducated. You've never been anywhere but here.»
«You talk over our heads as if we aren't there,» Brannel said flatly. «But I, I understand. Who? I wish to know, for if it was you, I cannot help.»
Plennafrey looked stricken at the idea that she could willingly commit murder. Keff patted her hand.
«He doesn't know, Plenna,» Keff said soothingly. «How could he? It was Ferngal,» he told Brannel. «Chaumel said so last night.»
«Yes, then,» Brannel said eagerly, «I will do what you want. For my price.»
«Impossible,» Plenna said. «He is ignorant.»
«Ignorance is curable,» Keff said emphatically. «It wasn't part of his brain that was removed.» He made a chopping motion at his hand. «He can learn. He's already proved that.»
Brannel looked jealously at Plenna's long fingers. «But I cannot use the power items without help.»
Carialle was immediately sorry Keff had mentioned the amputation. «Brannel, there's nothing that can be done about that now. Some of the other magimen use prosthetics—false fingers. You can, too.»
«If we were home,» Keff said thoughtfully, «surgery could be done to regrow the fingers.» He glanced up to find Plenna gazing at him.
«I must see these wonders,» Plenna said, moving closer. «Should I not come back with you? After all, you said you are here to learn about my people on behalf of your own. I can teach you all about Ozran and see your world. Someday we can come back here together.» She laid one long hand on his arm.
«Uhhh, one thing at a time, Plenna,» Keff said, his smile fixed on his face. Her touch sent tingles up his arm. Her scent and her lovely eyes pulled him toward her like a magnet, but the sudden thought of having a permanent relationship with her had never crossed his mind. Evidently, it had hers. He reproached himself that he should have thought of the consequences before he took her to bed. «Carialle, we may have a problem,» he subvocalized.
«We have a problem,» Carialle said aloud. «The eyes are back. They're circling around outside.»
«Oh!» Plenna ran to the screen. «Nokias, Chaumel, and the other high mages. They are trying to decide what to do.»
«Have they figured out that we're in here?» Keff asked.
«No,» Plenna said, after listening for a moment. «All of their followers are still searching.» Carialle confirmed it.
«Then we'd better make our move, pronto, if we want a chance at those papers,» Keff said. «All that remains is for our agent here to agree to fetch them for us.»
Brannel had been standing beside the console, listening to the three bare-skins talk. He folded his arms over his furry chest.
«I would do anything for you. Mage Keff, but such a chance comes only once to one such as myself. You asked me my price. I told you my hearts desire. Will you pay it?»
Keff appealed to Plennafrey.
«I think he deserves a chance.»
Clearly uneasy, Plennafrey eyed the Noble Primitive. «If all goes well, I agree he will be worthy of an opportunity,» she said slowly. «I do not know where to find him an object of power yet, but I will try.»
«All right, Brannel? Magess Plennafrey will teach you how to use a power object. She'll be your teacher, so she will control what you do to a certain extent—but you'll have your chance. She'll also teach you other things an educated man needs to know. Agreed?»
«Agreed,» Plennafrey said.
Brannel, his eyes shining, fell to his knees before the magiwoman. «Thank you, Magess.»
«There may be no power left for anyone,» Carialle reminded them. «If those power drops have been increasing in frequency over time, it may mean that whatever's powering the magic here on Ozran is finally running down.»
«What do I look for?» Brannel asked meekly.
Following Plenna's instructions, Carialle created the holographic image of a sheaf of dusty documents, yellow with age, and rotated it so the Noble Primitive could see all sides.
«They are very fragile,» Plenna said. «They could shiver to dust if you breathe on them.»
«I will be careful, Magess, I promise.»
«We're left with only one problem,» Keff said. «How do we get Brannel to Plennafrey's stronghold?»
Carialle's Lady Fair image drew an impish smile. «It might be worth a try to count on one of those power drops. If we can attract everyone's attention again, I might be able to break loose when the lights go off. After all, I'm not dependent on the Core of Ozran. I only need a moment. I can be set to launch at any second, and you'll have your diversion to teleport there in peace.»