Page 22 of Elemental Truth (Mysterious Fields #3)

22

JANUARY 9TH IN TRELLECH

“ I beg pardon, what?” Vitus felt he had not handled that at all smoothly, but he couldn’t think of anything better to say. Florent Montague had asked to speak to him, a consultation for other work. Fortunately, they were in Vitus’s consulting room, behind his own warding, rather than at one of the clubs.

“Are you available to help with a somewhat urgent question? I don’t have all the necessary skills for it. For the Fortiers. Or, these days, the steadiness of hand I’d prefer.”

“Lord Clovis and Sigbert Fortier,” Vitus said. “Did you mention you were asking me?”

“I said that you taking it on was my requirement for my part of it.” Florent settled back, unreadable other than the surface politeness he made visible. Vitus had, in fact, followed up on the invitation he’d made after Vitus had finished his apprenticeship. He’d had drinks a couple of times with Florent and Dagobert in various combinations, but this was different.

Now Vitus took a breath. “What is the project, then?”

“There will be oaths required on it when we get to that stage. They have a long-term project in play, one where the next step involves stabilising certain energies and magics. A different range than the pieces you did for the Council, for the challenge, but somewhat similar. The other aspect involves figuring out what stones might work, to be done from samples and sympathetic resonances. I certainly have some expertise in that, but I think it needs your eye as well.”

“And they know you’re asking me. In specific. I would not have thought that would be acceptable.” Vitus said it outright.

“I am doing them the favour. I gather they were not sure who else to ask, and my being open to the request is of help to my daughter and her husband. For my part, I said I needed your touch with several aspects. Clovis is not precisely pleased but accepted my terms. Sigbert was agreeable. I do not expect Maylis will invite you to stay to tea.”

That was the sort of mess that Vitus very much wanted to discuss with Thessaly. “And the scope of the project, in terms of the work, time involved, and contractual considerations?”

“If you’re willing, a visit to Arundel this afternoon to see the space. It is outside their estate wards, but not far from the portal, on the Arun. I’d like you to consider what the land tells you. At a suitable time, we could meet to select specific stones and approaches to try. Next week, perhaps.” Florent looked amused. “The other condition I made is that they pay well.” He laid out the amounts - for the planning, for the creation of the talismans, for the setting of them, then added. “That’s per person divided evenly. If you’d like, I’d be glad to defer most of the creation to you and handle that portion proportionately. You have more freedom in your schedule.”

Vitus did some rapid calculations. He had done the enchantments for the stones against lightning. He was working on setting them, in sequence of when the order had been made. Vitus had plans to see Thessaly that evening, and his brother on Sunday. Other than that, he could work straight through Friday and Saturday and much of Sunday, as long as his magic and focus would hold. And if so, he could get more time clear next week.

“I’ve a number of projects at the setting stage, but yes, after that, I will have more time, likely by the middle of next week at the latest,” Vitus said. “Those are acceptable terms.” Then he took a bit of a risk and met Florent’s eyes. “If you think they’ll keep their end of it. Sufficient information to do the work, a review by a trained ritualist on the oath, and filing as a contract.”

“I would expect no less. I know Niobe has taught you that side of the field just as thoroughly. Would one of the Scali do, on the contract and the language of the oath?”

“Yes.” Vitus said. “And they pay the fee, naturally.”

Florent’s eyes were dancing, as if he were looking forward to being difficult to the Fortiers in ways they couldn’t argue with. “Naturally. Shall we go out and have a look then? Sigbert agreed to make himself available, and Clovis might be there, he wasn’t sure.”

“That would make sense, yes. I can’t really begin to scope the work without it. Just give me a moment to pack up what I need, if you would?”

Florent amiably withdrew to near the door, looking over some of the prints Vitus’s mother had selected for the wall. They were inexpensive watercolour pieces, each themed around a particular gemstone, but including flowers, birds, trees, whatever seemed relevant. He found them rather charming, as well as suggestive of associations worth pursuing. Vitus packed up his satchel, making sure he had a working notebook, his various measures, tools for measuring the magical energies.

They did not have to wait at Portal Square. Florent paid the fee for immediate access, but it was not terribly busy. They came out at the other end, and Florent set the waiting footman off to let Sigbert know they were there. He joined them only a few minutes later, just long enough for the message to be passed along.

“Father will join us out there. It may be a few minutes.” He offered his hand to Vitus and Vitus shook it, the proper firm and brief handshake for the circumstance. “You’re Deschamps, of course.” It was not exactly a warm greeting, but it wasn’t a chilly one either. “This way, we’ll go around the edge of the warding. It’s not terribly far.” Sigbert set off briskly, through a series of paths that went west to the Arun, then followed the river down to an old mill. The wheel was engaged, but it wasn’t clear what the mill produced. He remembered Thessaly talking about an old barn that had been damaged; the mill looked shabby, but in one piece.

“We can’t permit you to see inside the building, not until the oaths are made. And the contract, yes.” Sigbert added that before Florent could do more than open his mouth. “But I gather you need to have a look at the outside. We are looking for talismanic pieces to stabilise the shifts between the interior of the building and the exterior, when engaged in complex magical work.”

Vitus considered that. “So, you want me— us— to come up with a plan with only half the information?” He then coughed. “Pardon. Would it be possible for you to do whatever you are doing inside the building without us seeing? So we could see the measurements needed, get a start on taking them? I gather that this is an unusual project, so we can’t use any of the usual models as a starting place.”

Vitus saw a flash of something in Sigbert’s eyes, too fast to interpret accurately. Again, he wished for Thessaly. Sigbert opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, a little tightly, “I’ll need to ask Father when he gets here.” By that, Vitus diagnosed that the information might be too revealing.

“Let me start by doing the ordinary physical measurements, then, for the space to be encompassed.” That sort of thing was routine and simple. Vitus had brought his various measuring tools, physical and magical, and he went off with Florent. As the junior present, of course, he did more of the moving around and adjusting, including clambering on the railing on the river side of the building. Florent, however, made a point of treating Vitus as an equal, conferring on specific details. He asked whether Vitus preferred the Athol method or the Resonance model, with an amiable discussion of the benefits and challenges of the lot.

Vitus took advantage of the opening with gratitude. It gave him a chance to bring up something he’d discussed with Herr Becker in Berlin. That was about the question of stabilising long-term effects, the advantages of certain kinds of inclusions in the stone, and designing the cut to fit the area involved. Florent had obviously set that up, and Vitus could tell the details were well over Sigbert’s head. On the other hand, it was making it clear that Vitus knew his work, and that Florent acknowledged his expertise.

That took them a good half hour, and by the time they finished that up, Vitus could see another figure coming down the path, which resolved into Lord Clovis. He nodded once sharply, offering no formal greeting to his lands, which they were apparently not on. Or not the magical estate proper. “Florent. Deschamps, I gather.”

“Vitus Deschamps,” Vitus said, offering his hand.

Florent stepped in smoothly. “I knew Vitus was the right help for this. He’s made several suggestions that will allow for a bit more elegance in the work, and also more— what was the word you used?”

Vitus recognised a power play when he heard one. He was trained for that part in this context. Not on Florent’s part, but by Florent on Vitus’s own behalf. Now he was really curious about what Florent had discussed with Laudine and Dagobert about Vitus himself. He cleared his throat. “There are methods of managing fluxes and shifts in magical vitality or movement that are more and less flexible. Without knowing more specifics of the project, it’s hard to suggest the optimal approach just yet, but I thought something that had more potential for expansion and contraction might serve.”

Then Vitus pushed himself to courage. “I understand, of course that you won’t want to share details until the contracts and oaths are settled. But it would be a help for our proposal if you could activate what is done inside the building, so we could take readings from out here. Otherwise, the work will take rather longer in the next phase.”

Florent smiled but just nodded when Lord Clovis looked at him. Lord Clovis sucked in a breath. “Let me talk it through with Sigbert, if you’d give us a few moments.” Vitus smiled pleasantly, and the two withdrew to the far side of the mill building.

Once they were well away, Florent said, “You handled that well. Clovis would like to be high-handed. It is what he prefers in general, but he needs us. Both of us. And he wants this done fast, from everything I gathered. Now, if they do agree, the same sets of readings, but what else?”

“I was thinking Argentium’s Fourth and Seventh, and then possibly Gwent’s First?” Vitus suggested. “One thing I’m not sure about is the interaction between the demesne estate proper and whatever they’re doing here.”

“Ah. Yes, that is a factor. And you’ve not done much on any demesne estate, or any of those sets of magic, other than the Council work?” Vitus shook his head, and Florent settled into a pleasant discussion and explanation of the usual run of things to expect.

After perhaps five or seven minutes, Sigbert turned and headed into the building, and Lord Clovis came back. “It will take a few minutes to put everything in motion, but I will tell you when you may take your readings. I’d be available for the contract and oaths tomorrow, if the terms are otherwise agreeable.”

Vitus nodded. “I would not be here if they were not suitable.” Well, he might have. He was deeply curious about what the Fortiers were up to. And he was certain Thessaly both wanted and needed to know. But that was not how one handled business negotiations. Certainly, one didn’t tell someone you wanted access to their estate. Vitus might not be of Fox House, but that was rudimentary plotting.

They waited in silence— Lord Clovis rather repressed any desire of either Vitus or Florent to continue theoretical discussions— until there was a hand waved out the window.

“A minute from now.” Lord Clovis took several steps back.

Vitus pulled out his pocket watch and marked the second hand, waiting until it had swept the dial. Then he and Florent settled into taking the measurements, pausing each time for both men to write them down. Before they’d finished the first step, the repetition of the previous ones, Vitus had a strong suspicion. By the time they’d run the Argentium and Gwent series, he was certain.

They finished, and Lord Clovis went and waved his handkerchief where someone inside might see it better than a hand. Vitus buried his nose in his notebook, flipping back to where he’d been talking about the readings the Hennings had shared. No, that was the same.

“May I ask how often you do whatever it is you’re doing?” Vitus said, feeling like the last half of that sentence had not been ideal.

“We would like to activate it more frequently. Intermittently, the past few months, at least once a fortnight, often more like weekly.”

That wasn’t absolute, but it was suggestive, and especially if whatever they were doing had a lingering effect. Vitus nodded, then said, “I have the readings I need. I should be able to offer at least a partial proposal tomorrow, once the contract and oaths are done, for the work involved. Tomorrow afternoon?”

“One at the Scali Bank, then.” Lord Clovis nodded once more, as Sigbert emerged, with his cheeks flushed like he’d been exerting himself. “I’ll leave Sigbert to walk you back. The contract will allow for access through the path indicated, which skirts the estate, at any time, and the portal as well.”

“Much appreciated. We may want to do some nighttime alignments. The angle and strength of the sun can affect a number of factors,” Vitus said.

That seemed to settle the business. Lord Clovis shook their hands and disappeared. Five minutes later, when Florent and Vitus had confirmed they’d got all the same measurements written down, Sigbert walked them back to the portal.

Back in Trellech, once they’d stepped away to the edge of Portal Square, Florent turned. “Tomorrow, then. I am glad for your help with this. It eases my heart about— ah, well. Family. Never entirely simple, is it?”

There were many things Vitus would like to ask, and none of them were worth risking in this case. “Sir, no, I suppose not. I’ll be in my consulting rooms until evening, and back by nine in the morning, if you have any further questions. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the Scali.”

“Likely then. Do have a good evening.”

Vitus was seeing Thessaly, so that seemed plausible, though he had no idea what she’d make of what he’d been doing.