Ars Magica by Judith Tarr

Author:Judith Tarr [Tarr, Judith]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Ars Magica, fantasy, Judith Tarr, ebook, Book View Cafe
Publisher: Book View Cafe

Gerbert suspected that he had gone a little mad. Maybe more than a little. It was the whole of it together. Losing the archbishopric, then seeing it betrayed; enduring servitude to its betrayer; fighting for his city. And all of it with half of him torn away, the rest groping in the dark, seeking blindly to be whole again.

He should not have waited — first for the city, then for his sickness, then again for the city’s sake. He should have snatched his Jinniyah and run, the moment Arnulf became archbishop of Rheims.

Such wisdom, one had, when one could look back on one’s follies. If he had been wise at all, he would never have left Aurillac.

He knew where the grimoire was. It was like a fire in the darkness. Most of it was no use without the spark of magic; but there were a few spells that needed little more than strength of will and strength of voice, and all the makings in their proper order. Not that they were simple, but because they needed so little of true magic, they were perilous. Any man with discipline and determination and a little learning could avail himself of them. And, thereby, gain a new kind of power.

It was not quite the black art. But neither was it the high white magic which grew out of true power. It partook of compulsion; of the pact arcane.

Of which, Master Ibrahim had had little good to say. “The pact,” he had taught his apprentice, “is a sign of weakness. A true mage has no need of it. Either his magic suffices to work his will, or if he be of the darkness that makes slaves of men and spirits, he can compel obedience without need of bargaining. He who chaffers like a merchant with the beings of the greater or the lesser worlds is merchant indeed, and no magus.”

True enough, Gerbert thought. But a man bereft of magic must take power where he might. Once he had his Jinniyah back, then he could forsake this shame and be again the master of magic.

There was one great advantage in this kind of spell. Since it called power from without, it did not tax the body’s strength as true power did. He need not wait until he was all healed, if indeed he ever would be. Something had broken in him; he was beginning to suspect that it would never wholly be mended.

He wasted no time in feeling sorry for himself. He knew who had done this. He would see that Arnulf paid, and paid high.

He had, to be sure, sworn oaths. But this was no matter of power in the world or in the Church; only of magic that had been taken away. And he would not harm Arnulf. Not he; not his own, inborn power. Arnulf himself had seen to that.

Arnulf, in whom he had centered all his hate. Arnulf, who had broken him in body and in power.

Carefully, in secret even from Richer — especially from Richer — he had gathered what he needed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.