"Leave it to such a difficult man to have created such a difficult Artifact," Kazia said, throwing her hands up at the machine and slumping back into her chair. For days she had worked on the transmitter, but still it defied her efforts. She had replaced some of its wiring with silver, and now it would momentarily spark to life when its switch was thrown, but only momentarily. That had been exciting several days ago, but there had been no progress since.
"You mean Lord Meratha?" Neiphi asked.
"Mm."
"He's scary," Neiphi said. "He was nice that day to my mother, but no one here likes him. The children dare each other to knock on his office." She began to laugh. "You should have seen one boy-"
"Neiphi," Kazia scolded gently, "that is not kind behavior."
Neiphi's face turned red. "Anyway," she continued, "none of the grownups seem to like him either."
"Has he no companions? Apprentices?"
"None that I've seen. But sometimes he comes to our lessons and shows us things about science, and he seems pleasant enough then, although he can be very stern if children won't be quiet."
"I had no idea," Kazia mused, more to herself than to Neiphi. She knew she shouldn't be as surprised as she felt. He did seem to enjoy sharing his knowledge with others, as she had witnessed in his lectures at the University.
"It's always interesting when he comes to class," Neiphi was saying. "He showed us a little electric light that you can-"
Kazia bolted upright in her seat. "Oh, Neiphi, you've given me an idea!"
"I have?" Neiphi said, a pleased excitement welling from her.
"Yes...but," she sat back again, a light grimace at her lips. "I'll have to go see him."
"Ugh," Neiphi commiserated. "Sorry."
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Kelvaran's apartment was only on the floor below, although Kazia had to ask Tamyn where to find it. As she approached his door a man Kazia recognized was departing from within, irritation written plainly on his expression.
Master Giao was an Alchemist from the country of Luazin, which lay across a vast desert from Thalesia. He specialized in alloys, and regularly supplied Kazia with components made from whatever mixture of metals she required. He appeared to be of advanced age, but still had the strength of a metalworker in his arms and Kazia felt that his appearance may be the result of a hard life, as he carried an air of tragic loss about with him. He always had a smile for Kazia, though, which he graced her with now.
"You're not going in there, are you?" he asked her.
"I'm afraid I must," she replied. "Is he in a mood?"
"Ha! When is he not? Well if you must, then good luck with Lord Doom and Gloom."
He laughed as he went on his way, and Kazia hesitated before knocking at the door.
"Come," Kelvaran said shortly.
She opened the door and timidly peeked her head around it. He was bent over a ledger on his desk, but raised his face and fixed her with a sour expression.
"What?"
"May I?" Kazia said.
"What? What do you want?"
Kazia came around the door and closed it behind her as Kelvaran continued to glare at her.
"The experiment you showed at your lecture," she said.
His expression became wary. "What of it?"
"It takes its power from a battery, yes?"
"It does."
"I was thinking that your transmitter may benefit from an outside power source," Kazia said, "and that one of your making would be most sympathetic."
"The battery has no magic," Kelvaran answered. "It is pure science. Make one yourself."
Kazia sat in a chair in front of his desk. She could feel his displeasure with this, but brushed it aside.
"There are traces of the maker in all inventions," she said. "Anyone who creates anything cannot help but put a bit of themselves into it. It is always there, whether or not by intention."
Kelvaran's eyes narrowed as he considered her words, then he rose abruptly and disappeared through the door behind his desk, returning after a moment with a large wooden box in his arms. He brought it around the desk and offered it to her.
"Take it," he said.
As she began to take the box from him, though, she laid her hands over his, and a sudden storm erupted through his hands into her, a lightning strike that shook her to the core. She stumbled, nearly dropping the battery. He caught it and tried to take it back again, but she held onto it, more to keep from falling down than anything else.
"Perhaps not if you're going to break it," he scowled.
"No," she said, backing away from him with the box in her arms. "I'm sorry. I'm fine now. I've got it."
"If you're certain," he said, a tiny thread of genuine concern peering through his anger. He opened the door for her and she rushed away into the hall and back to the safety of her own quarters.
"Mistress!" Neiphi exclaimed on seeing the state of her. "What happened? He didn't strike you, did he?"
"No, of course not," Kazia said, while thinking that yes, in a manner of speaking he had. "I'll be fine. Here, take this," she added, handing the box off to Neiphi. "Put it with the transmitter. Be very very careful with it."
Her Apprentice having taken the battery, Kazia hastened into her bedroom in search of her Seamist. She squeezed a bit under her tongue, then lay down sideways on her bed, feet dangling over the side, waiting for it to take effect.
It isn't possible, she thought.
Because what she had felt from Kelvaran, in that blinding onslaught, was desire.
And that simply wasn't possible. He despised her, of that she was certain.
True, she had learned from her limited past experience that men often could have such base feelings toward a woman with no meaningful consideration behind them. But could such hatred live side by side with such prurience? Surely not.
Kazia was also well aware that, quite often, denial of emotions only gave them fertile ground to overgrow, and that such denial would only lead them to burst forth unexpectedly in dramatic fashion.
Still, she could not allow that this was such a case. He tried too hard to drive her away. He didn't want her here. He didn't want her at all. She must have been mistaken. The reading of hearts was never exact. People were far more complicated than this feeling or that feeling. Perhaps he'd been thinking of someone else, perhaps that Yilina whose name was inscribed in his watch. That must be it.
Yes, she must have been mistaken.
Her entire body felt like it was on fire, and tingling from head to toe. Her heart raced, thudding uncontrollably, and her breath came in harsh and ragged gasps. This, of course, had to be the empathic echoes of what she'd felt from him. It couldn't possibly be her own feeling.
Ridiculous.
She brought herself under control slowly with a breathing exercise. The tincture was calming her now, and she forced herself up off the bed and back into the lab.
"Alright," she said to Neiphi, determined to throw herself at the work. Anything to distract from what had just happened. "Let's see if this battery will give us the boost we need."
It would only take a few minutes to wire the battery into the receiver. As Kazia touched the device, though, she was met with Kelvaran's presence within it, and a flash of memory took her back to her hand on his. Having finished with the wiring, she found herself absently running a finger along the housing.
"Mistress?" Neiphi said, startling her out of the reverie.
She shook off the unwanted thoughts and turned her mind back to the work, throwing the switch on the device. It blinked to life. They waited several minutes, and it maintained its flow of power. Neiphi began hopping up and down gleefully.
"Let's try transmission now," Kazia said.
Neiphi took the watch from the table and began babbling nonsense syllables into it, in singsong fashion. No sound came from the receiver. Neiphi was crestfallen. Kazia sighed.
"I wonder if sound simply requires another material I haven't thought of," Kazia mused. "Neiphi, did any of the books that came with the lab have anything about sound waves, or sound transmission, anything close to that?"
"I don't think so," Neiphi answered. "And I sorted all of them. Oh, you should try the Alchemists' Library. It's massive. They have everything. Do you want me to go ask them?"
"No, no," Kazia answered. "You've done your time for the day, and I've been asked to attend a meeting later. I'll go see what I can find before then."
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The library was indeed massive, comprising three floors of the central tower. Entering the main lobby, Kazia marveled as she made her way slowly to the desk where the Librarian sat. The ceilings were high and vaulted, with carvings in the stone of flowers and the faces of creatures. A broad staircase at the back of the room led up to the higher floors. The shelves on the walls were at least four human heights tall, and there were staircases on tracks with wheels that could be moved along the wall to reach the higher books. So many books there were, as well, and this was only the first floor of them.
"Good evening, Lady Devratha, welcome," said the Librarian as she approached his desk. "I am Mister Cardil, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Anything I can help you find?"
He was a bright-natured little man, of Derician descent perhaps, going by his pale skin and rosy cheeks, but he spoke with an unusual accent that Kazia couldn't place.
"I am very pleased to meet you as well, Mister Cardil," she answered. "Yes, thank you, I am looking for information on sound - on the traveling of sound to be exact."
"That will be on the second floor," he said. "Just this way, if you will follow me."
He led her up the staircase and to the far wall of the second floor.
"Just there," he indicated a high shelf as he pulled a staircase over. "Let me just check something though."
He locked the staircase into place, and climbed up. "As I thought, there are several of the best ones out. I believe Lord Meratha has them."
"Not surprising," Kazia called up to him as he descended. "This is for an Artifact of his making after all. He probably took them out for his own initial research."
"Yes, I would think so," said Mister Cardil as he reached the floor again. "A curious subject, sound. Lord Meratha has invented a number of rather ingenious devices. I can't say he's the friendliest fellow, but I'm always wondering what he'll come up with next."
"Well we won't add this one to his number of ingenious devices," Kazia told him, "unless I can get it to work properly."
"Passed one on to you, has he? What sort of device could he not manage?"
"A very elaborate boat anchor, if you ask me."
"He did seem to have moved off this subject. I think he must be working on something very interesting now, judging from the sort of books he's been taking out."
"What sorts of things?" Kazia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Oh, a lot of deep science. Electricity, astronomy... he's clever enough that if he's looking to the stars, perhaps a trip to the moon is in his sights."
"Oh, I don't think that's quite feasible," Kazia laughed. The man's cheerfulness was infectious.
"Well, you are welcome to those books that are there. And Lord Meratha is in here almost daily. Would you like me to ask after the others when I see him?"
"No, thank you, that won't be necessary," she answered. "I'll just see what I can find in these."
"Very well," he said. "I'll take my leave and you feel free to peruse away." The Librarian returned to his desk. Kazia tucked the hem of her skirt into her belt, and then carefully climbed the staircase.
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Mister Cardil had resumed his task of sorting books to be re-shelved when Kelvaran strode into the library and deposited a stack of books on his desk.
"Ah! Speak of a devil," the Librarian said, "Lord Meratha, welcome. Let's see what you're returning. Oh, good! Lady Devratha will want that one."
"Lady Devratha?"
"Oh, yes. She was asking after some of the books that you have out. I'm so glad I can give her this one before she leaves."
"She is here?" Kelvaran asked.
"Just upstairs on the second floor. What a delight. We were just speculating on what clever Artifacts you may produce next."
"Is that so?" Kelvaran asked grimly.
"Oh, I can't wait to tell her this one has returned. Will you wait here for just a few moments?"
"You needn't bother yourself," Kelvaran said as he headed toward the stairway. "I'll tell her."
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