The Wizard of Seattle by Kay Hooper

Author:Kay Hooper [Hooper, Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-56854-0
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 1993-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

By the time he spotted another male wizard sitting at a small table at what appeared to be a sidewalk cafe near the center of the city, Merlin was more than ready to get off the street. He’d never been particularly concerned about what others thought of him, but running the gauntlet of scores of hostile female stares had made him feel even more like a stranger in a strange land—and definitely detested.

He had no idea if his fellow males would be any more friendly, but approached the table anyway. He was relieved when the other man rose to his feet with a feint but cordial smile.

“A stranger to Atlantia?”

“Yes,” Merlin answered, reminding himself that the population was small enough to make strangers obvious.

“Not many of us venture into the city,” the other wizard said somewhat wryly. “And the first time tends to be hideously uncomfortable.”

“That is putting it mildly. My name is Merlin.”

“I’m Tremayne. Join me?”

“Thank you.” Merlin sat down across from Tremayne, weighing the other man swiftly. A few years younger than himself, he thought. A couple of inches shorter but well built, with dark hair and gray eyes. Powerful, but not a Master wizard—though possibly Advanced.

“I’m a virtual stranger here myself,” Tremayne said casually. “I’ve only been in Atlantia a few months—and I don’t mind telling you I’m looking forward to my ship returning to take me back home.”

Merlin hoped his sudden tension didn’t show. “Are you leaving soon?”

“A few weeks. And you?”

“I haven’t decided.” Could Tremayne be the witness who would record the destruction of Atlantis from a ship at sea? “Do ships call here often?”

Tremayne shook his head. “Never by accident, and rarely by design. It’s because there’s no harbor, of course, and the reefs are so treacherous. The captain who gave me passage demanded a king’s ransom and then refused to return for me as quickly as I wanted. If I had known of the ship carrying you, I probably would have requested passage aboard her.”

Merlin smiled. “I’m sorry, I had no idea anyone was so anxious to leave Atlantis, though the captain certainly lost no time in setting sail. He said … this place was cursed.”

“I don’t doubt it. There have been tales for years, and since the skies above Atlantia are often lit with the strange glow of the Curtain, some of those tales have assumed mythic proportions.” He hesitated, then added, “That’s why I’m here, really. Some of the wizards outside this continent are growing concerned by what they hear of Atlantia.”

“And you’ve been asked to report to them?”

“Well, to my father. He’s on the Council of Elders.” Tremayne looked at Merlin curiously. “Are you from Europa?”

Long before the “civilized” world had dubbed the land north of the Mediterranean Sea Europe, the worldwide society of wizards had named the area Europa. There had been more wizards in that area than anywhere else in the world, though they had certainly not been confined there.

Replying to Tremayne’s question, Merlin said, “No, I come from a land far to the west.

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