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soothing spell on the girl, but decided against it.
"Well? he demanded.
Madeleine drew a deep breath, looking at the table.  I had a bet with some of
the other girls that I could get a Mage Questor to do whatever I wanted. I
figured that if you became infatuated enough, you would do just that."
"You lost the bet, I'm afraid, Grimm said.  What about Dalquist?"
"I used a little witch magic on him too, when I saw he was trying to come
between us, she said.  When his guard was down, I planted a little idea in
his head that it was all perfectly innocent, and that he had seen nothing
amiss."
"Anything else? The truth, now."
"No, I swear, Grimm. That's all. Neither of you will be permanently affected.
It was all just a game, a silly game."
"Drop the fake aura, Grimm instructed.  I want to see that you aren't hiding
anything."
"I can't, she wailed.  It's a part of me. You can check in any Geomantic
reference book if you like. I can't turn it on and off."
Her gaze was again on his, her eyes wide and pleading, and Grimm thought how
once this expression could have moved him to tears. Now, he was just
suppressing a strong desire to strangle the malicious little bitch.
"You made a serious mistake in trying to play with a Questor's mind, lady,
Grimm snapped, in no mood to be mollified.  You doubled your error by
tampering with my friend's memories."
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"I nearly got away with it, too, didn't I, Questor? Madeleine tossed her
long, blonde hair with a last flash of contemptuous defiance.
Grimm examined his fingernails.  I think I'll be having a word with your
superior about this, Madeleine; I'm sure she'll agree that such behaviour is
thoroughly unbecoming in a Sister of a respected Order. I'll leave the final
decision to her, I think."
All pretence of bravado fled the young nun. Her eyes grew large again, but
this time in a plain expression of absolute horror.
"You wouldn't! Please don't Grimm, I beg of you. Please don't tell Prioress
Lizaveta. You don't know what she'd do to me, she babbled in terror, falling
to her knees.
Grimm felt a little satisfaction that Madeleine would be punished.
At least her reaction seems real this time, he thought. I hope Prioress
Lizaveta has her kneeling in the chapel for a month.
"You made your bed, my darling. You can bloody well lie in it alone, he said.
He meant it.  Thanks for telling me your Prioress's name, by the way. I'd have
been lost without it."
Ignoring Madeleine's heart-rending pleas, he took out the location gem and
said,  Prioress Lizaveta."
Without hesitation, the gem marked out a clear green path for him. He turned
to the distraught girl and blew her a kiss, similar to the one she had blown
him on their first meeting.
* * * *
Grimm knocked at the door indicated by the arrow-pointed end of the green
trail. A dry, throaty  Enter, Supplicant came from within, and Grimm opened
the door, stepping into Prioress Lizaveta's sumptuous, luxurious chamber.
The Reverend Mother was on her feet, her ringed hand extended in expectation.
Magemaster Faffel's terse, acrid lessons in protocol and courtesy flashed
through Grimm's mind, and he made the required obeisance. After kissing the
Prioress's ruby ring, he remained on one knee with his head bowed until the
Prioress finally allowed him to rise.
She was now sitting at ease on the divan in the corner of the room, and she
motioned Grimm towards a cushioned stool at its side.
"Welcome, good mage. It is always a pleasure to receive a visit from our
thaumaturgic brethren. What may I do for you?"
Grimm found the old woman's harsh voice irritating in the extreme, but he kept
his expression calm.  Reverend Mother, I am Questor Grimm. I have come about
one of your nuns, a girl named Madeleine."
"Ah, yes, a sweet young thing, the Prioress crackled.  She told me that she
was seeing some handsome young Questor. Such relations are not forbidden to
our Sisters, as long as they keep to the bounds of propriety, so you have no
need to ask my blessing."
No doubt, Lizaveta was trying to sound maternal and soothing, but Grimm found
her voice repulsive to his sensitive ears.
"Are you aware that Sister Madeleine is a witch? he asked.
If the Prioress was shocked at the question, she hid it well.
"Several of my flock are practitioners of Geomancy, Lord Mage, she said.  So
long as they are used only in devotion to our cause, the Order's Regulations
do not proscribe such arts."
Grimm laid Redeemer on the floor beside him and folded his hands across his
stomach, the fingers interlaced.
"Reverend Mother, he said, his voice stern,  I am now aware that Sister
Madeleine was using her magic in order to infatuate me, to make me dependent
on her, so I would obey her every whim. She also cast a spell on a fellow
Questor, to fox his mind. Do your Regulations have anything to say about
that?"
His tone was rather brusquer than he had intended, but he was fuming with
anger at Madeleine's acts and at his own foolishness.  I was on the point of
becoming some drooling, love-struck fool before I managed to extricate
myself."
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The Reverend Mother's mouth compressed into a thin slit and her eyes narrowed.
"Indeed, Questor Grimm? she hissed.  Such actions will not be tolerated by
the Order; the girl will be taught the error of her sinful ways, I assure
you."
Grimm bowed his head.  Thank you, Reverend Mother. I entrust her to your
justice and commend her into your hands."
Lizaveta's face twisted into a hideous mask of pure fury.  Oh, yes, Questor, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]