The Young Magician (The Legacy Trilogy) (10 page)

Samuel ran as fast as he could to Mr Joshua’s and bounded up the stairs into the first room. As usual, the men were lounging around and they called casually for Mr Joshua on sight of the boy.

‘What have we here, Samuel? Why such a dramatic entry?’ Mr Joshua asked as he led Samuel into his office.

‘The guards caught me,’ Samuel explained. His eyes burned, but he refused to let any tears come, and he was furious and embarrassed by the urge to cry, which made him feel worse. ‘They took the letter for Merchant Bellows and told my uncle about it. My uncle will kill me if he catches me—I mean
really
kill me. The guards said he would have to pay them because they caught me.’

Mr Joshua sat upon his desk and thought for a few moments, stroking his clean-shaven chin.

‘Well,’ he explained, ‘I’m afraid this marks the end of our business together, Samuel. I can’t use you any more to run errands. The guards will always be looking for you to make some money for themselves. In fact, you had better lay low for a time. I’m sure Merchant Bellows will want to get his hands on you, also—he knows you well. This will cost me dearly in business, Samuel, but it’s not something I didn’t expect to happen eventually and it’s happened many times before.’ Mr Joshua walked around the circumference of the room, rubbing his chin in thought. ‘You’ve been a good lad for me, so I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Luckily enough, another opportunity of work has arisen and I have been mulling the idea over in my head for a few days now. It seems this situation has helped settle the matter. I know a man who owns another inn of sorts here in town and I know that he is currently in need of a new stablehand of your talents. It will be much better than your uncle’s work and I am sure they will treat you well. You can sleep here on my floor for tonight and tomorrow we’ll go and see about that job. But for now, I must finish some business, so you can go wait in the town for a time,’ he handed Samuel a crown, ‘and come back after dark. Remember, it’s very important that no one sees you, so go hide up on one of those rooftops of yours.’

Samuel couldn’t believe his luck. He rubbed his eyes, feeling foolish at himself for almost crying like a baby, and thanked Mr Joshua wholeheartedly.

When evening finally arrived, Samuel returned to Mr Joshua’s office, walking past the card-playing men in the first room, and was overjoyed to see some thick rugs on the floor with blankets and a pillow.

‘Sleep well, lad,’ Mr Joshua said, opening the door to leave. ‘I still have a little work to do out here, so why don’t you get some shut-eye and I’ll be back in the morning.’

With that, he closed the door. Samuel extinguished the lantern and then pushed his way into his bed of rugs, amazed by its softness and warmth. As he lay with his eyes closed, the voices beyond the door became a low buzz and he soon found himself asleep. A strange sense of calm had replaced all the horrible dread and fears of earlier in the day and he felt comforted by the reassuring words of Mr Joshua. The man was truly the first friend Samuel had found in a long time.

Samuel was surprised to be woken by Mr Joshua well after dawn.

‘Sleep in?’ Mr Joshua asked, stepping around Samuel’s bed.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well, thank you, Mr Joshua.’

‘That’s good. We both have a busy day ahead so let’s go get some breakfast together and then we’ll see about your new job.’

Samuel hopped up and folded his rugs while Mr Joshua arranged some papers on his desk. Samuel plucked up his bag and they both then went into the markets, where Mr Joshua bought them some fresh bread and fruit to breakfast upon. As they walked to the far side of town, where the buildings and houses began to thin, Mr Joshua started to explain a few things.

‘You see, Samuel, not only do I trade in goods and items but in information as well. I’m sure you realise the potential value of a good secret. Mr Frost, for example, is a close associate of mine, but he works for a group of men that don’t like me very much at all. I can’t meet Mr Frost directly, so whenever I knew he was in town, thanks to you, I could arrange to catch up with him in secret. He would usually give me some snippets of information that I could trade or sell or simply use to gain more business.’

‘I’m glad I could help, Mr Joshua, but what will you do now? How will you meet with him and do all your business?’

‘Don’t worry, Samuel,’ Mr Joshua said kindly. ‘You have done good work for me, but you are far from being the
only
one I have working for me. Now, we have the opportunity to do each other a favour, Samuel. I help you and you help me, Samuel—that’s the way it works. Do you understand?’

Samuel nodded.

‘As I have already told you, there is another inn here in Stable Canthem where I can get you some work, but there are certain things you must do for me while you are there. You see, this new inn is a little unusual. It’s for men who belong to a rather peculiar organisation. And if I could find out what their organisation is doing, I’d be greatly appreciative and, of course, it would help my business. So, what I want you to do is find a way to get the names of the men who stay there—there will only ever be men—and tell them to me, as well as anything you hear them say about where they are going or what they’ve been doing.’

Samuel nodded. ‘Are they Imperials, Mr Joshua?’

‘Hmm, many of them will be but some of them aren’t. Their group is certainly Imperial, so you should be careful what you say to them all the same. Now, here’s my friend, Mr Sparcock,’ Mr Joshua said as they met a man who stood idly by in the street. He was a lanky, untidy-looking character who seemed nervous of everything that caught his eye. He was holding a small bag loosely in one hand and Mr Joshua eyed the man’s appearance with some disdain. ‘Mr Sparcock will take you to the inn and help you to get the job. I cannot go, for I have other business to take care of—I’m still trying to undo some of the mess you have put me into. Mr Sparcock
should
do well in my place.’ He stressed that point, eyeing Mr Sparcock directly. ‘I want you to try
very
hard to get this job, Samuel. It’s important to me, and for you, too. Maybe it’s your only chance to get another job in this town. And I want you to call Mr Sparcock,
“Uncle”
. I think it will help you get the job. Can you remember that?’ Samuel nodded. ‘And can
you
, Mr Sparcock?’ The other man nodded back. ‘Good,’ Mr Joshua continued. ‘I wish you luck, Samuel. Oh, and please don’t come and visit me any more until I send for you, Samuel. Remember that. I don’t want the guards thinking you are still working for me.’

Samuel nodded again and followed Mr Sparcock, weaving his way through the people in the street.

‘Here’s your bag, kid,’ Mr Sparcock said, pushing the small, black bag he was holding towards Samuel.

Samuel opened the bag and peered inside. It contained a few items of clothing that Samuel could only assume were for him, judging from their size. He slung the bag over his shoulder and followed on after the lanky man.

They soon came to a high wall on the outskirts of town and Mr Sparcock shook a small bell that hung at the gates. After several minutes and several rings, a long-nosed, balding man opened the gate and examined them.

‘Yes?’ he enquired.

‘I hear you’re in need of a new stablehand,’ Mr Sparcock said in his thin voice, coughing and clearing his throat, ‘and I’m leaving town. I thought my nephew could use the work.’

The man peered at them both for a few moments, looking doubtful. ‘Come in,’ he finally said, sighing and shaking his head.

They stepped inside and found themselves in a great walled garden, with immaculately trimmed lawns, shrubs and flowerbeds. They followed a cobbled path towards the greater central building, where their host led them inside through a set of doors. They came into a study and, after offering them seats, their guide left them, disappearing back into the hall. Shortly, an older gentleman with a pleasant face and clear blue eyes came in. He was surrounded with a fine shimmering radiance, a healthy glow unlike any Samuel had seen. Some people are
far
healthier than others
,
Samuel noted, but no one in Stable Canthem had a shine as tidy as this man.

‘I am Peter Kelvin,’ the man began, sitting opposite them. His voice was slow and his words well pronounced and carefully spoken. ‘I am the caretaker of this establishment. I find it quite curious that you should know of my sudden need for a stablehand.’

‘Word gets around, Mr Kelvin,’ Sparcock explained, shifting nervously in his seat.

‘Yes. So it seems, indeed. Last night, my stableboy disappeared mysteriously and today a replacement comes knocking on my door. Very curious, indeed.’ He turned his attention to Samuel. Mr Kelvin looked as if to speak, but stopped with his mouth already half-open, as if caught by surprise. For some moments, he scrutinised Samuel with a raised eyebrow, almost seeming to stare straight through the boy. Then, he coughed and drew a handkerchief from his pocket to rub at his eyes, before continuing as before. ‘He does seem a little young. Do you have experience, young man?’

‘He does,’ Sparcock interjected. Mr Kelvin raised an eyebrow at the comment before returning his eyes towards the boy.

‘Yes, Sir,’ Samuel began. ‘I’ve worked at the Three Toads Inn for a long time now—ever since I first came to Stable Canthem.’

Mr Kelvin accepted the statement with a nod. ‘Very good. What about your parents? Where are they?’ he asked.

Samuel looked to the floor. ‘My family were all killed, so my uncle looks after me now.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Very well. You shall do for the time being or until my old stableboy turns up again. Kans may need to help you while you settle in. I will pay two Imperial crowns each week, board and lodging inclusive. Can you start at once?’

Samuel almost baulked on hearing the terribly low wage, but he had few other options at this point, so he had no choice but to accept.

‘I have my bag ready, Sir,’ Samuel declared, showing his bag to prove it.

‘He has his bag,’ Sparcock confirmed, nodding.

Mr Kelvin scrutinised Mr Sparcock with some contempt, his brow creased and wrinkled, before turning back to Samuel with a warm smile. ‘Very well, young man, go out to the stables and become acquainted with the place. Good day, Mr Sparcock. Thank you for your visit.’

With that they all stood and Mr Kelvin let them out.

‘Well done, lad,’ Sparcock bent over and said in a whisper. ‘Joshua will contact you when he needs you.’

Samuel nodded and wandered off to find his new workplace, while Sparcock was led by the long-nosed fellow out to the front gate.

CHAPTER THREE

Magician’s Lights

THE STABLES OF the Burning Oak were as clean and organised as his uncle’s were dirty and disorderly. The floor was spotlessly clean and the half-dozen horses stabled there were all well bred, with fine posture and gleaming coats—not like the ragged nags he had always groomed before. Beside the entrance, he found a small room with a proper bed and a shelf above it and a chest for keeping his belongings in. The drawers were all hanging out as if the last stableboy had left in an almighty hurry, with one stocking still lying on the floor. The room had a door he could close and was not at all draughty like the stall his uncle had given him—it was like a
real
room.

Samuel was putting his new clothes carefully into the drawers when a knock came at the door and Mr Kelvin entered, his hands clasped together in front of him.

‘Please forgive me for seeming a little absent-minded at times,’ he said, smiling down, ‘I do have a lot on my mind at the moment. What is your name, young man?’

‘Samuel, Sir.’

‘Very well, Samuel. Breakfast is served at seven, lunch at noon and dinner at seven. Yours will be given to you at the kitchen door and you should bring it back to your room to finish. Our guests demand the highest privacy and so you should not bother them in the slightest. You may not wander around inside the inn, but you are free to roam the gardens as you choose. Also, you strictly cannot leave the grounds without my approval and most important of all—should you learn or see anything that could be considered...well, let’s say, should you learn or see anything at all, you should not speak of it to anyone. Is that understood?’

‘Yes, Mr Kelvin,’ Samuel responded with a gulp.

Mr Kelvin smiled then. ‘Excellent! Here is your first month’s pay in advance.’ And he handed Samuel his coins and promptly turned and left, leaving Samuel grinning into his palms with glee.

It took Samuel several days to adjust himself to his new environment, with the long-nosed and ever-brooding servant, Kans, helping him begrudgingly whenever he had a question. Samuel quickly learned the most surprising thing about the Burning Oak—everyone there wore entirely black clothes without exception and there were no women at all. Unlike the men of the town, very few of them sported beards or long hair, seeming to focus fastidiously on keeping themselves well groomed, having everything combed and tucked into place. Most came and went wearing an entirely black cloak that covered black shirt and black trousers, so that they looked very mysterious, and they spoke little, although they were usually polite and well spoken when he did manage to wrestle some words out of them. Samuel was instructed to leave them be and not to bother them, which he thought was fine, because the few times he had tried speaking with the men, they had stared at him intensely—as if there was some bizarre object growing from the side of his head. They would always say very little and then find some excuse to send him away again.