Imager by L. E. Modesitt

Author:L. E. Modesitt
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780765360076
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2009-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

Attempting to teach forethought is a thankless task.

Master Dichartyn did not appear until Lundi morning, since he’d been away. He showed up in my infirmary room after Master Draffyd’s ministrations and my breakfast.

“Good morning, Rhennthyl.” He settled onto the chair.

“Good morning, sir.”

“I have a letter for you.” He set the envelope on the bed, as his eyes took in the Jurisprudence book I’d laid aside when he had come in, although I’d only reread a few pages after eating. “Hard at work, I see.”

I hoped the letter was from Seliora, but I couldn’t tell from the writing. I’d never seen her hand, but the script looked feminine, and it wasn’t Khethila’s, or Mother’s. I wanted to pick it up, but I didn’t. “Master Jhulian reminded me that I still have an essay due to him. I’m not supposed to do anything like writing for another day or so, but I can read and think.”

“Thinking is always useful, especially if you do it before you get into difficulties.” He fingered his chin. “I’ve talked to both Master Jhulian and Master Draffyd.”

I winced slightly, even if his words had been delivered gently.

“Rhenn, because imagers work alone, of necessity, great necessity, we need to pay attention to what others say, what they see, and what they hear. Even someone who is trying to deceive you will reveal much that he does not intend. Those who favor us will do far more.”

“I should have listened to Seliora more closely.”

“You should have, and that is a lesson you will not forget.”

I knew. The lessons I remembered best were the ones that hurt, in one way or another.

“I have some other questions for you.”

After nodding to him, I waited.

“You were wounded, and in a great deal of pain, weren’t you? Yet you stood against two bullets and then imaged caustic into the attacker’s eyes and heart. Might I ask how?”

“I didn’t want him to hurt Seliora, and I wasn’t by the Nameless going to let the bastard escape, and I couldn’t have restrained him in the condition I was in.”

“Quite a lot to think about in a few moments, I’d say. Did you, really?”

“Not that logically, sir,” I admitted, “but I knew all that even as I was imaging at him.”

Master Dichartyn nodded. “Admirable . . . and effective. How did you know that caustic would cause his heart to swell and stop?”

“I didn’t know. I just thought it would, or that if it didn’t, he’d be blind and in so much pain he wouldn’t be going anywhere.” Besides, I hadn’t known any other quick way to react, because I hadn’t practiced any kinds of imager attacks—just defenses. “Will this keep me from being a field imager?”

“If you’d been trained for that, no . . . but that’s not what your position is likely to be. This incident will help you understand just how important what you’ll be doing is, and it will also give you a feel for the dangers and consequences that no amount of training will.

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