FIVE minutes passed before Ella gave up. The sheaf of paper on the desk was as thick as her finger; she wouldn’t have time to answer every question even if she wrote constantly.
She looked up. The three masters sat along one side of a long desk, each with a stack of papers piled high in front of him. The centremost looked up at the glowing timepiece on the wall, and then frowned at Ella and her untouched examination paper. Each man wore the green robes of an enchanter, but because these were masters their sword and flower raj hada was lined with gold. Master Lodley, on the left, had sad eyes and a drooping mouth, and while they all had greying hair, he seemed older than the other two. The centremost was slim with sharp hawkish features, dark eyes and frown lines. He wasn’t someone Ella would like to see angry. In contrast to the other two, the man on the right was younger and a little overweight, with a round face, shaggy eyebrows and an absent expression.
"Excuse me?" Ella said.
Master Lodley’s sorrowful eyes opened with surprise, and he leaned back a little. "What is it, young lady?"
"I don’t have time to do this test."
The slim master in the centre’s frown deepened. "Yes, I think that’s quite clear. Master Lodley, would you agree with the girl’s estimation?"
"Now, Master Goss," Master Lodley said. "No need to ridicule the girl."
"I can do this," Ella said. "I just don’t have time to write. Can you just ask me the questions? This is my only chance — you all know that. Please." Ella felt her eyes burning and struggled to hold back the tears.
"I’m sorry, young lady," the younger master on the right spoke for the first time. "I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that."
Ella knew they were unlikely to bend the rules for her, but she also knew this was her only chance. "Just let me try? I can answer these questions. I really can."
Master Lodley looked at Master Goss. "What harm could it do? Perhaps we should let her try."
Master Goss snorted. "It’s ridiculous. I don’t know how you can even suggest it."
Master Lodley fixed his gaze on the younger master. "Master Samson?"
Ella held her breath. If Master Samson agreed, her intuition told her Master Goss would have to accept.
Master Samson thought about it for a moment. Ella looked again at the timepiece on the wall. She had minutes left.
"I’m sorry, young lady, but I have to agree with Master Goss," Master Samson said.
Ella felt her heart sink. To have come so close, that was worst of all.
A shadow moved in the mezzanine above the desk where the masters sat. Ella realised someone had been watching. A moment later there was a knock at the door. Master Goss’s expression grew even more irritated, as he stood and opened the door abruptly, his mouth open to let whoever it was know they were not to be disturbed.
Ella couldn’t see who it was Master Goss spoke to, but his attitude changed dramatically.
"Of course," she heard him say. "Yes. I understand."
He closed the door and walked back to his chair, seating himself with a sigh of exasperation.
"Looks like you have your chance, young lady. Don’t think we’ll make this easy — enchantment is dangerous and we can’t afford fools. Stand up and come closer would you? Yes, stand there. Now, we’re each going to test your knowledge of the material, the mental, and the magical. Master Lodley, perhaps you’d like to start your verbal examination? Let’s get this over with."
Master Lodley nodded, and was pensive for the briefest moment. With a shiver of fear, Ella realised the formidable intellect that hid behind his drooping eyes.
"What is the composition of bronze?" he asked without preamble.
"Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. No more than one third tin," Ella said.
"And steel?"
"An alloy of iron and carbon."
"How much carbon?"
Ella hesitated. "A very small percentage."
Master Lodley’s response didn’t tell her what he thought of her answer. "Order these by weight. A Petryan ounce of copper. A fifth-thimble of silver. An imperial dram of sulphur. A jeweller’s droplet of gold. A regular ounce of iron. An alchemist’s ounce of phosphorous."
Ella thought for a moment. "Well, imperial drams are the same as ounces, and as far as I know there’s no difference between a Petryan ounce and an ounce anywhere else in the empire. You would know that, and I’ve never heard of a jeweller’s droplet in all my time working in the market." Her gaze met Master Lodley’s grey eyes. "I think all the measurements are the same." Her mind worked furiously. "But also they are all elements. So I think you’re asking me which element has a greater elemic weight. In order from lightest to heaviest they are phosphorous, sulphur, iron, silver and gold."
Master Lodley sat back in his chair. She couldn’t tell if he was impressed or not. Ella’s heart was racing. She had worked so hard to be here. She could afford to fail, not once.