Slipping

U P UNTIL THIS POINT in the term, Elxa Dal had been teaching us theory in Adept Sympathy. How much light could be produced from ten thaums of continuous heat using iron? Using basalt? Using human flesh? We memorized tables of figures and learned how to calculate escalating squares, angular momentum, and compounded degradations.

Simply said, it was mind-numbing.

Don’t get me wrong. I knew it was essential information. Bindings of the sort we’d shown Denna were simple. But when things grew complicated, a skilled sympathist needed to do some fairly tricky calculations.

In terms of energy, there isn’t much difference between lighting a candle and melting it into a puddle of tallow. The only difference is one of focus and control. When the candle is sitting in front of you, these things are easy. You simply stare at the wick and stop pouring in heat when you see the first flicker of flame. But if the candle is a quarter mile away, or in a different room, focus and control are exponentially more difficult to maintain.

And there are worse things than melted candles waiting for a careless sympathist. The question Denna had asked in the Eolian was all-important: “Where does the extra energy go?”

As Wil had explained, some went into the air, some went into the linked items, and the rest went into the sympathist’s body. The technical term for it was “thaumic overfill,” but even Elxa Dal tended to refer to it as slippage.

Every year or so some careless sympathist with a strong Alar channeled enough heat through a bad link to spike his body temperature and drive himself fever-mad. Dal told us of one extreme case where a student managed to cook himself from the inside out.

I mentioned the last to Manet the day after Dal shared the story with our class. I expected him to join me in some healthy scoffing, but it turned out Manet had actually been a student back when it had happened.

“Smelled like pork,” Manet said grimly. “Damnedest thing. Felt bad for him of course, but you can only feel so much pity for an idiot. A little slippage here and there, you hardly notice, but he must have slipped two hundred thousand thaums inside two seconds.” Manet shook his head, not looking up from the piece of tin he was engraving. “Whole wing of Mains reeked. Nobody could use those rooms for a year.”

I stared at him.

“Thermal slippage is fairly common though,” Manet continued. “Now kinetic slippage . . .” He raised his eyebrows appreciatively. “Twenty years back some damn fool El’the got drunk and tried to lift a manure cart onto the roof of the Masters’ Hall on a bet. Tore his own arm off at the shoulder.”

Manet bent back over his piece of tin, engraving a careful rune. “Takes a special kind of stupid to do something like that.”

The next day I was especially attentive to what Dal had to say.

He drilled us mercilessly. Calculations for enthaupy. Charts showing distance of decay. Equations that described the entropic curves a skilled sympathist needs to understand on an almost instinctive level.

But Dal was no fool. So before we grew bored and sloppy, he turned it into a competition.

He made us draw heat from odd sources, from red-hot irons, from blocks of ice, from our own blood. Lighting candles in distant rooms was the easiest of it. Lighting one of a dozen identical candles was harder. Lighting a candle you’d never actually seen in an unknown location . . . it was like juggling in the dark.

There were contests of precision. Contests of finesse. Contests of focus and control. After two span, I was the highest ranked student in our class of twenty-three Re’lar. Fenton nipped at my heels in second place.

As luck would have it, the day after my assault on Ambrose’s rooms was the same day we began dueling in Adept Sympathy. Dueling required all the subtlety and control of our previous competitions, with the added challenge of having another student actively opposing your Alar.

So, despite my recent trip to the Medica for heat exhaustion, I melted a hole through a block of ice in a distant room. Despite two nights of scant sleep, I raised the temperature of a pint of mercury exactly ten degrees. Despite my throbbing bruises and the stinging itch of my bandaged arm, I tore the king of spades in half while leaving the other cards in the deck untouched.

All of these things I did in less than two minutes, despite the fact that Fenton set the whole of his Alar to oppose me. It is not for nothing that they came to call me Kvothe the Arcane. My Alar was like a blade of Ramston steel.

* * *

“It’s rather impressive,” Dal said to me after class. “It’s been years since I’ve had a student go undefeated for so long. Will anyone even bet against you anymore?”

I shook my head. “That dried up a long time ago.”

“The price of fame.” Dal smiled, then looked a little more serious. “I wanted to warn you before I announce it to the class. Next span I’ll probably start setting students against you in pairs.”

“I’ll have to go against Fenton and Brey at the same time?” I asked.

Dal shook his head. “We’ll start with the two lowest ranked duelists. It will be a nice lead-in to the teamwork exercises we’ll be doing later in the term.” He smiled. “And it will keep you from growing complacent.” Dal gave me a sharp look, his smile fading. “Are you all right?”

“Just a chill,” I said unconvincingly as I shivered. “Could we go stand by the brazier?”

I stood as close as I could without pressing myself against the hot metal, spreading my hands over the glimmering bowl of hot coals. After a moment the chill passed and I noticed Dal looking at me curiously.

“I ended up in the Medica with a bit of heat exhaustion earlier today,” I admitted. “My body’s just a bit confused. I’m fine now.”

He frowned. “You shouldn’t come to class if you aren’t feeling well,” he said. “And you certainly shouldn’t be dueling. Sympathy of this sort stresses the body and mind. You shouldn’t risk compounding that with an illness.”

“I felt fine when I came to class,” I lied. “My body is just reminding me I owe it a good night’s sleep.”

“See that you give it one,” he said sternly, spreading his own hands to the fire. “If you drive yourself too hard you’ll pay for it later. You’ve been looking a little ragged lately. Ragged isn’t the right word, really.”

“Weary?” I guessed.

“Yes. Weary.” He eyed me speculatively, smoothing his beard with a hand. “You have a gift for words. It’s one of the reasons you ended up with Elodin, I expect.”

I didn’t say anything to that. I must have said it quite loudly too, because Dal gave me a curious look. “How are your studies progressing with Elodin?” he asked casually.

“Well enough,” I hedged.

He looked at me.

“Not as well as I might hope,” I admitted. “Studying with Master Elodin isn’t what I expected.”

Dal nodded. “He can be difficult.”

A question sprang up in me. “Do you know any names, Master Dal?”

He nodded solemnly.

“What are they?” I pressed.

He stiffened slightly, then relaxed as he turned his hands back and forth over the fire. “That isn’t really a polite question,” he said gently. “Well, not impolite , it’s just the sort of question you don’t ask. Like asking a man how often he makes love to his wife.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be,” he said. “There’s no reason for you to know. It’s a holdover from older times, I think. Back when we had more to fear from our fellow arcanists. If you knew what names your enemy knew, you could guess his strengths, his weaknesses.”

We were both silent for a moment, warming ourselves by the coals. “Fire,” he said after a long moment. “I know the name of fire. And one other.”

“Only two?” I blurted without thinking.

“And how many do you know?” He mocked me gently. “Yes, only two. But two is a great number of names to know these days. Elodin says it was different, long ago.”

“How many does Elodin know?”

“Even if I knew, it would be exceptionally bad form for me to tell you that,” he said with a hint of disapproval. “But it’s safe to say he knows a few.”

“Could you show me something with the name of fire?” I asked. “If that’s not inappropriate?”

Dal hesitated for a moment, then smiled. He looked intently into the brazier between us, closed his eyes, then gestured to the unlit brazier across the room. “Fire.” He spoke the word like a commandment and the distant brazier roared up in a pillar of flame.

“Fire?” I said puzzled. “That’s it? The name of fire is fire?”

Elxa Dal smiled and shook his head. “That’s not what I actually said. Some part of you just filled in a familiar word.”

“My sleeping mind translated it?”

“Sleeping mind?” He gave me a puzzled look.

“That’s what Elodin calls the part of us that knows names,” I explained.

Dal shrugged and ran a hand over his short black beard. “Call it what you will. The fact that you heard me say anything is probably a good sign.”

“I don’t know why I’m bothering with naming sometimes,” I groused. “I could have lit that brazier with sympathy.”

“Not without a link,” Dal pointed out. “Without a binding, a source of energy . . .”

“It still seems pointless,” I said. “I learn things every day in your class. Useful things. I don’t have a thing to show for all the time I’ve spent on naming. Yesterday you know what Elodin lectured about?”

Dal shook his head.

“The difference between being naked and being nude,” I said flatly. Dal burst into laughter. “I’m serious. I fought to be in his class, but now all I can do is think about all the time I’m wasting there, time I could be spending on more practical things.”

“There are things more practical than names,” Dal admitted. “But watch.” He focused on the brazier in front of us again, then his eyes grew distant. He spoke again, whispering this time, then slowly lowered his hand until it was inches above the hot coals.

Then, with an intent expression on his face, Dal pressed his hand deep into the heart of the fire, nestling his spread fingers into the orange coals as if they were nothing more than loose gravel.

I realized I was holding my breath and let it out softly, not wanting to break his concentration. “How?”

“Names,” Dal said firmly, and drew his hand back out of the fire. It was smudged with white ash, but perfectly unharmed. “Names reflect true understanding of a thing, and when you truly understand a thing you have power over it.”

“But fire isn’t a thing unto itself,” I protested. “It’s merely an exothermal chemical reaction. It . . .” I spluttered to a stop.

Dal drew in a breath, and for a moment it looked as if he would explain. Then he laughed instead, shrugging helplessly. “I don’t have the wit to explain it to you. Ask Elodin. He’s the one who claims to understand these things. I just work here.”

* * *

After Dal’s class, I made my way over the river to Imre. I didn’t find Denna at the inn where she was staying, so I headed to the Eolian despite the fact that I knew it was too early to find her there.

There were barely a dozen people inside, but I did see a familiar face at the far end of the bar, talking to Stanchion. Count Threpe waved, and I walked over to join them.

“Kvothe my boy!” Threpe said enthusiastically. “I haven’t seen you in a mortal age.”

“Things have been rather hectic on the other side of the river,” I said, setting down my lute case.

Stanchion looked me over. “You look it,” he said frankly. “You look pale. You should get more red meat. Or more sleep.” He pointed to a nearby stool. “Barring that, I’ll stand you a mug of metheglin.”

“I’ll thank you for that,” I said, climbing onto a stool. It felt wonderful to take the weight off my aching legs.

“If it’s meat and sleep you need,” Threpe said ingratiatingly. “You should come to dinner at my estate. I promise wonderful food and conversation so dull you can drowse straight through it and not worry about missing a thing.” He gave me an imploring look. “Come now. I’ll beg if I must. It won’t be more than ten people. I’ve been dying to show you off for months now.”

I picked up the mug of metheglin and looked at Threpe. His velvet jacket was a royal blue, and his suede boots were dyed to match. I couldn’t show up for a formal dinner at his home dressed in secondhand road clothes, which were the only sort I owned.

There was nothing ostentatious about Threpe, but he was a noble born and raised. It probably didn’t even occur to him that I didn’t have any fine clothes. I didn’t blame him for assuming that. The vast majority of the students at the University were at least modestly wealthy. How else could they afford tuition?

The truth was, I’d like nothing better than a fine dinner and the chance to interact with some of the local nobility. I’d love to banter over drinks, repair some of the damage Ambrose had done to my reputation, and maybe catch the eye of a potential patron.

But I simply couldn’t afford the price of admission. A suit of passably fine clothes would cost at least a talent and a half, even if I bought them from a fripperer. Clothes do not make the man, but you need the proper costume if you want to play the part.

Sitting behind Threpe, Stanchion made an exaggerated nodding motion with his head.

“I’d love to come to dinner,” I said to Threpe. “I promise. Just as soon as things settle down a bit over at the University.”

“Excellent,” Threpe said enthusiastically. “I’m going to hold you to it, too. No backing out. I’ll get you a patron, my boy. A proper one. I swear it.”

Behind him, Stanchion nodded approvingly.

I smiled at both of them and took another drink of metheglin. I glanced at the stairway to the second tier.

Stanchion saw my look. “She’s not here,” he said apologetically. “Haven’t seen her in a couple days, actually.”

A handful of people came through the door of the Eolian and shouted something in Yllish. Stanchion waved at them and got to his feet. “Duty calls,” he said, wandering off to greet them.

“Speaking of patrons,” I said to Threpe. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask your opinion about.” I lowered my voice. “Something I’d rather you kept between the two of us.”

Threpe’s eyes glittered curiously as he leaned close.

I took another drink of metheglin while I gathered my thoughts. The drink was hitting me more quickly than I’d expected. It was quite nice, actually, as it dulled the ache of my many injuries. “I’m guessing you know most every potential patron within a hundred miles of here.”

Threpe shrugged, not bothering with false modesty. “A fair number. Everyone who’s earnest about it. Everyone with money, anyway.”

“I have a friend,” I said. “A musician who is just starting out. She has natural talent but not much training. Someone has approached her with an offer of help and a promise of eventual patronage. . . .” I trailed off, not sure how to explain the rest.

Threpe nodded. “You want to know if he’s a legitimate sort,” he said. “Reasonable concern. Some folk feel a patron has a right to more than music.” He gestured to Stanchion. “If you want stories, ask him about the time Duchess Samista came here on holiday.” He gave a chuckle that was almost a moan, rubbing at his eyes. “Tiny gods help me, that woman was terrifying.”

“That’s my worry,” I said. “I don’t know if he’s trustworthy.”

“I can ask around if you like,” Threpe said. “What’s his name?”

“That’s part of the issue,” I said. “I don’t know his name. I don’t think she knows it either.”

Threpe frowned at this. “How can she not know his name?”

“He gave her a name,” I said. “But she doesn’t know if it’s real. Apparently he’s particular about his privacy and gave her strict instructions never to tell anyone about him,” I said. “They never meet in the same place twice. Never in public. He’s gone for months at a time.” I looked up at Threpe. “How does that sound to you?”

“Well it’s hardly ideal,” Threpe said, disapproval heavy in his voice. “There’s every chance this fellow isn’t a proper patron at all. It sounds like he might be taking advantage of your friend.”

I nodded glumly. “That was my thought too.”

“Then again,” Threpe said, “some patrons do work in secret. If they find someone with talent, it’s not unknown for them to nurture them in private, and then . . .” He made a dramatic flourish with one hand. “It’s like a magic trick. You suddenly produce a brilliant musician out of thin air.”

Threpe gave me a fond smile. “I thought that’s what someone had done with you,” he admitted. “You came out of nowhere and got your pipes. I thought someone had been keeping you hidden away until you were ready to make your grand appearance.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” I said.

“It does happen,” Threpe said. “But strange meeting places and the fact that she’s not sure of his name?” He shook his head, frowning. “If nothing else, it’s rather indecorous. Either this fellow is having a bit of fun pretending to be an outlaw, or he’s genuinely dodgy.”

Threpe seemed to think for a moment, tapping his fingers on the bar. “Tell your friend to be careful and keep her wits about her. It’s a terrible thing when a patron takes advantage of a woman. That’s a betrayal. But I’ve known men who did little but pose as patrons to gain a woman’s trust.” He frowned. “That’s worse.”

* * *

I was halfway back to the University, with Stonebridge just beginning to loom in the distance, when I began to feel an unpleasant prickling heat run up my arm. At first I thought it was the pain of the twice-stitched cuts on my elbow, as they’d been itching and burning all day.

But instead of fading, the heat continued to spread up my arm and along the left side of my chest. I began to sweat, as if from a sudden fever.

I stripped off my cloak, letting the chill air cool me, and began to unbutton my shirt. The autumn breeze helped, and I fanned myself with my cloak. But the heat grew more intense, painful even, as if I’d spilled boiling water across my chest.

Luckily, this section of road ran parallel to a stream that fed into the nearby Omethi River. Unable to think of a better plan, I kicked off my boots, unshouldered my lute, and jumped into the water.

The chill of the stream made me gasp and sputter, but it cooled my burning skin. I stayed there, trying not to feel like an idiot while a young couple walked past, holding hands and pointedly ignoring me.

The strange heat moved through my body, like there was a fire inside me trying to find a way out. It started along my left side, then wandered down to my legs, then back up to my left arm. When it moved to my head, I ducked underwater.

It stopped after a few minutes, and I climbed out of the stream. Shivering, I wrapped myself in my cloak, glad no one else was on the road. Then, since there was nothing else to do, I shouldered my lute case and began the long walk back to the University dripping wet and terribly afraid.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 740