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David McLeod

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  1. David McLeod
    Chapter 28: I Don’t Want to Grow Up Two days of patient triangulation later, the gnome had his answer. The sword—and the boys he pursued—were not in the temple. They were at the College of Magic. The gnome knew he could not easily enter that place. There will be wards and warnings, he thought. He sat at a table across the square. He drank tea. He watched, and he planned. ***** Arthur and his companions had moved from the room first assigned them into a larger room that they shared with Pet
  2. David McLeod
    Chapter 27: The College of Magic “I’ve missed the ocean,” George said. He and the others had moved off the road while the Rom with whom they’d traveled for so long, rode past. The boys had said their goodbyes, and their eyes were on the city and the sea. “I’ve never seen the ocean,” Gary said. “It’s really big.” he looked at Arthur, who smiled, and took the boy’s hand. “It’s awesome,” Larry said. “But, it’s a little, uh, flat, isn’t it?” “You are a doofus,” George said. “Is that like a dick
  3. David McLeod
    Chapter 26: The Rom “You’ll be going east?” Alvie asked. “Yes,” Arthur said. “In a day or two—when the weather clears.” Rain had fallen steadily for three days. The courtyard of the inn, the streets, and the public square presented an unbroken morass of gray mud. The boys had carefully cleaned their boots, clothes, and mud-spattered faces and hands before entering the inn. Not all patrons had been as diligent, and Gary made a face as he brushed a lump of mud from the bench. The smallest tra
  4. David McLeod
    Chapter 25: Death of a Salesman It might have been the weather, which had been overcast for a tenday. It might have been the proximity to the mountains over which a current of darkness seemed to flow. It might have been the people of the town: dour and dark. It might have been the inn, at which a small fire of smoky peat did nothing to drive away the damp. It might have been the bath, which was only moderately warm. It might have been the stew, which was watery and bland. It might have been any
  5. David McLeod
    Chapter 24: Hot Springs/Cold Snow Clouds in the eastern sky had delayed the dawn and then raced the sun to the zenith. By early afternoon, slate completely covered the sky. The wind that had pushed the clouds dropped to the ground. The boys shivered despite their travel cloaks. Tiny pellets of ice, driven into their faces by the wind, stung their cheeks. “This is going to get bad,” Arthur said. “We need to find shelter.” George thought for a moment. “That way,” he said, pointing to a path
  6. David McLeod
    Chapter 23: Algoropolis “The magic around here is warped,” Arthur said. “Can you see it?” Each of the boys looked in his own way, and then nodded. “It sounds like chalk screeching on a blackboard,” George said. “What’s a blackboard?” Larry asked. “It’s like a slate,” Gary guessed, “…isn’t it?” George nodded. “What do you see, Gary?” Arthur asked. “Like charcoal that’s about to burn out…it glows in the center, but it’s covered with crumbs of ash,” the boy explained after a moment. “I can r
  7. David McLeod
    Chapter 22: Gateway “We’re coming in on this road. Three other roads leave Gateway,” Arthur said. “One goes to Eblis, the country south of the Iron Range. Another goes northeast to Brody; the last is the Southern Mountain Road. It goes east through the foothills of the Iron Range, to the sea.” Arthur had opened one of his maps and spread it out while the horses grazed. The grass had gone to seed with the approach of winter. The horses were busily cropping the seed heads. “There’s a lot of traf
  8. David McLeod
    Chapter 21: Endymion Happy I deem Endymion Who sleeps the sleep unturning… —Theocritus, Idylls The companions were two and a half days southeast of Morrow, and had spent the past two nights in the woods. They had passed only a few farms or holts along the road; the next town—Mountainmass—was a day or two ahead. They were looking forward to a hot bath. George, who was in the lead with Larry, raised his hand and pointed. Ahead, over the trees, a column of black smoke rose straight into the sti
  9. David McLeod
    Chapter 20: Murder in Adelaide Three tendays of travel over farm roads and through tiny farm villages brought the companions to the first town and the northern terminus of the Royal Road…the paved part of it, that is. The town’s name was Adelaide, and it was a center of mining, forestry, and farming. The guards were apparently accustomed to dirty, disheveled, and somewhat disreputable people entering the town, and did not challenge them, but merely waved them through. “Where are we going to st
  10. David McLeod
    Chapter 19: Healing Body and Soul It was mid-afternoon when they spotted the farm. This far from any town, the farm was understandably fortified. It consisted of several large buildings surrounding a central yard. The outer walls of the buildings were part of a palisade that surrounded the complex. The gates were open. The companions saw men and boys working in the fields. At Arthur’s signal, they dismounted and led the horses down a path between two fields. They were about two furlongs from t
  11. David McLeod
    Chapter 18: Arsenic and Broken Faith The difference between a medicine and a poison is the dose thereof. —Paracelsus, Earth-analogue, fl. 16th century CE Larry was alone in the shop when Zondovon, Guildmaster of the Brewer’s Guild and Senior Guildmaster of Questa, came in. The boy bowed politely, and said, “Master Scroop is not in at present, Master Zondovon, may I tell him that you called?” “Not necessary, boy,” the man said. “I just need something for this headache. What would your master
  12. David McLeod
    Chapter 17: A Bug in Amber Albion lay a month behind them. Peter, Hadr, and their father the king, with a company of dwarves, had traveled with Arthur and his companions to Albion to reopen relationships with that human city. Afterwards, their farewells had been long. Gary and George scarcely spoke for two days after their departure. Arthur had said little, himself, but offered quiet hugs until youthful enthusiasm brought smiles to the boys’ faces once more. They had spent only a day in the fa
  13. David McLeod
    Chapter 16: Kingdom of the Dwarves The smith and the cleric led the expedition. They were accompanied by two soldiers and the two men who had inspected the aqueduct 30 years ago. Pack horses carried supplies. Arthur and George rode at the rear of the column; Gary, with Theo sitting behind him, followed the smith. “Gary likes Theo,” George said. “I can tell.” “I’m glad he can make a friend,” Arthur said. “Gary’s not had much opportunity, save Cooper, to know boys his own age.” “I know how tha
  14. David McLeod
    Chapter 15: The Boy without Eyes “Gary, do you remember what I said about destiny, and why that makes it dangerous for you and George to be with me?” Arthur asked. When the boy nodded his head, Arthur continued, “I had planned for us to go to the city of Arcadia. That is where I thought I was going when I left Elvenhold 70 years ago. I have been forced—and now, you along with me—to go west. I thought we were going to Questa. Now, it seems, we must go south. I don’t know what destiny has planne
  15. David McLeod
    Chapter 14: Road to Arcadia “We’re going south?” George said. “Farther into Arcadia?” “We’re going to try,” Arthur said. “I’ve been in Elvenhold for nearly 70 years; maybe they’ll think we have gone back there.” “They.” Gary said. “You mean the ones who are after us.” “Yes,” Arthur said. He watched Gary’s reaction. The boy frowned, but only briefly. Then he smiled. “They’ll be looking for two people, won’t they? Three will fool them really good,” he said. Arthur returned Gary’s smile. “It
  16. David McLeod
    Chapter13: The Constable of Bowling Green The sole foundation for belief in the natural sciences is this idea, that the general laws directing the phenomena of the universe, known or unknown, are necessarily constant. —Marquis de Condorcet, The Future Progress of the Human Mind (published posthumously, Earth-analogue, 1795 C.E.) There was a new constable in Bowling Green, and notice had been read in the town square and the temple that all persons not citizens of the town were to register w
  17. David McLeod
    Chapter 12: Best Friends …come hither; here we’ll sit Beneath the leaves, where shepherds sit and oaks Spread their broad boughs… —Theocritus, The Song of Thyssis George and Arthur sat under a tree. A brook ran through the meadow where they had stopped to rest the horses and were letting them crop fresh grass as a reward. George sat in Arthur’s lap. Arthur wrapped his arms around the boy, and George rested his head on Arthur’s chest. “Arthur,” the boy asked, “what does Gary mean when he ta
  18. David McLeod
    Chapter 11: The Smith of Bowling Green It is with fire that blacksmiths iron subdue Into fair forms, the image of their thoughts… —Michelangelo, Sonnet 59 Following the directions the stable boy had given them, Arthur and George easily found the blacksmith’s forge. The rhythmic clank of hammer on anvil echoing down the street guided them the last hundred yards or so. The forge was behind a shop which bore a sign with both a large and a small hammer and anvil. “Wonder what that means,” Georg
  19. David McLeod
    Chapter 10: Enemies and Friends Paxunt was the first Arcadian city of any size that George had seen. “It’s a little disappointing, after Barbicana,” he said as they approached. The walls of the city were gray stone, unlike the bright, white stone of elven cities and towns. There was only one flag visible. It was white. In the center was an escutcheon. “Argent, in base a chevron gules?” George recited. “Gold, with a red chevron at the bottom.” “Good, except the chevron is understood to start a
  20. David McLeod
    Chapter 9: Breaking the Trail By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. —Second Witch in Macbeth, Act IV Scene I For two days, the road ran next to the river. On the third day, the river turned south and then east to the sea. By mid-morning, Arthur and George were riding through forest thick with oak and cedar. The road rose and fell gently. Just before dusk, Arthur called a halt. “I don’t think we’ll find a farm or village tonight, George. Looks like another night in th
  21. David McLeod
    Mithral George shivered. Frost covered the ground. The hardwood trees had begun to turn colors. George stood by the fire, dressing. “You have to show me that spell that keeps you warm,” he said. “I offered to cast it for you,” Arthur said. “No, I want to know—” “George, it’s too dangerous,” Arthur said. “It could kill you as quickly as warm you.” George sighed. “You must think I’m awfully stupid.” “Because I won’t teach you the spell, or because you can’t see magic after a year and a half
  22. David McLeod
    Chapter 6: Poltergeist “It’s huge!” George said. “It’s beautiful!” The road crested the hill. George and Arthur were facing west; the sun was high in the northern sky. Before them, the road ran in switchbacks down the hill that fell steeply toward a broad plain. A city stood in the center of the plain. It was the largest city George had seen. Like the towns and villages they’d visited, the city was surrounded by stone walls. Here, their outline was like that of a ship whose prow pointed to th
  23. David McLeod
    Chapter 5: Good Attracts Evil Experience is a hard school, but it has the best teachers. —Attributed to Ardrey of Elvenhold Fifty or so years ago, a human tween woke on a snow-covered meadow. Note to self, Arthur thought, don’t cross the Gray Mountains again during the winter, if it can be avoided. He dug through the snow to reach dry ground. He’d learned the hard way that although he could warm himself with magic, warming himself also melted the snow. He’d managed to soak his blanket and clo
  24. David McLeod
    Chapter 4: Elven Archers—and a Troll Color and movement filled a large field outside the elven town of Dundee. Pennons flew from poles along the road. The road was crowded with people. Arthur and George dismounted and walked, leading their horses. George addressed a boy beside them, one member of a family which was walking toward the field. “Is it a market?” George asked in Elvish. “An archery competition,” the elven tween answered, “and a festival. The market will be inside the town.” Helpl
  25. David McLeod
    Chapter 3: The Book of Heroes The town of Kirkwood lay in a hollow. The hills that surrounded the town were lush with spring foliage. A spur road led south toward the town. When Arthur and George reached the intersection, Arthur stopped his horse and dismounted. George dismounted and stood beside him. “Remember what I said about destiny? That sometimes it forced me to make choices…or led me into places where I did not want to go?” “Yes,” George replied. “Is it happening now?” “Yes. I believe
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