Calis did as Anthony instructed, and suddenly sneezed. ‘What was that?’
‘Sorry, one of the ingredients is pepper. Don’t wipe your eyes.’
Trying to blink away tears, Calis looked through the lens. For a moment he could see two figures upon the dais in the center of the ship, the illusion of the Emerald Queen and the demon. That might explain what happened to Pug.’
‘I’d like someone to explain to me what happened to Pug,’ said Anthony. ‘I’m a simple magician. Truth to tell, I haven’t worked very hard at it since I got my title.’
‘That’s what comes of marrying into nobility,’ said Calis.
‘There’s little call for magic when you’ve got estates to manage.’
‘You’ve filled in for Pug admirably so far,’ said Calis, dryly. ‘Think you could drop down there and dispose of that creature?’
Anthony closed his eyes and incanted a silent phrase, then he made a loud snorting noise as he smelled deeply. He made a face and said, ‘No, and I doubt Pug could either.’
‘Really, why?’
‘Because I may not have as much power as Pug or be as clever as some of those fellows down at Stardock, but one thing I’m very good at is smelling magic’
‘Smelling magic?’
‘Don’t ask. Secrets of the trade and all that.’
‘Anyway, you were saying?’
Anthony said, ‘I’m serious; I can smell the reek all the way up here, and we’re miles away. Something big went off around that ship, and it could have been Pug. If what I smell lingering is what’s left over, it was a magical exchange of tremendous powers. Given that creature is still there, and Pug’s nowhere to be seen, we can only assume the worst.’
Calis sighed. ‘That seems to be the way things have been working, hasn’t it?’
‘Can we leave? I’m getting cold.’
‘In a while. Move this thing back to the left; I want to look down across the southwestern horizon if you can manage that.’
‘It’s like a glass; you can see only as far as you could with your own eyes from this perspective, if your own eyes could see that far. For what you’re asking, you need a crystal, and I neglected to bring one. Besides, if I had a crystal, which I don’t, the first person who turns it on that creature is likely to get his eyes blistered for trying.’
‘Well, as far that way’ - Calis pointed - ‘as you can manage.’
Anthony did as he was asked, and heard a satisfied, ‘Ah,’ from Calis.
‘What?’ asked the magician.
‘The Queen sends a skirmish line up the northern coast toward Tulan. But she only lightly guards her southern flank.’
‘Well, there’s a lot of deserted islands and the Trollhome Mountains to the south of the Straits. I doubt she fears a troll navy, as they haven’t evidenced one in recent memory.’
‘No, but Keshian Elarial is but a week’s sailing down the far Keshian coast, and Li Meth is only two days’ travel to the west of her vanguard. And those deserted islands are just the place for pirates to hide.’
Anthony was silent a moment. Then he said, ‘James?’
‘Most certainly. He’s been spreading rumors for months of a treasure fleet from a fabled land coming this way.’
‘He is a sneaky bastard, isn’t he?’
Calis said, ‘I think I see sails.’ He extended his hand to the southeast. ‘Please move the lens that way.’
‘I get a headache every time I do.’
‘Please,’ Calis repeated.
‘Very well.’ Anthony did as he was asked, and Calis said, ‘It’s a raiding fleet from Durbin and Ii Meth! Must be a hundred warships!’ He laughed. ‘It must be every Keshian pirate between Elarial and Durbin.’
Anthony looked. ‘And a few of them appear to be irritated to discover they have neighbors visiting.’
‘The captains of Durbin are not exactly what you’d call welcomed guests in Li Meth, as often as not. Move the lens over there, please.’
Calis watched as the lens swung around to an orientation slightly north of west. ‘Ah, the Quegans!’
‘How far?’
‘Two days, maybe, if I judge the magnification.’
Anthony waved his hand and the lens vanished. ‘Good. Now can we go home?’
‘Yes. I need to see my father. If something has happened to Pug he’s the most likely to know about it.’ Silently he thought that his father would also know if something had happened to Miranda. Nakor had indicated that Pug and Miranda were together, and something about the little man’s silence after he said that set Calis’s mind to worry.
Calis reached into his cloak and pulled out an old-looking metal sphere. He motioned for Anthony to stand next to him and the magician put one hand upon his friend’s arm and activated a lever in the side of the sphere with his thumb.