Professor Corn stood up. “Young Kalan, how would one go about finding a vein of gold in a mine?”

  Maestra Lucchesi started to laugh.

  “Maestra, please, no outbursts,” said Sage Smith.

  “But that question is inane.”

  Corn bristled. “I assure you it is a valid scenario.”

  “These children,” said the maestra, “lack any relevant mining experience, and so any answer they could give would be completely useless. I know,” her tone forestalled any protest from Dwayne and Werner, “that the two of you have run experiments and delved dungeons, but neither of you have yet demonstrated skills worth paying for.”

  “Maestra,” said Sage Smith, “please allow Corn to continue.”

  Lucchesi turned to Corn. “Do you want to continue?”

  Corn sank down into his seat. “No.”

  “Then it is Dean Laurence’s turn,” said Sage Smith.

  “Artemisia,” Dean Laurence turned to the maestra, “do you have something in mind?”

  “I do.”

  “Then I concede my turn. Let’s see how this goes.”

  “Very well.” Sage Smith cleared his throat. “Maestra Lucchesi, you may proceed.”

  “Thank you.” The maestra turned to the examinees. “My challenge is this: all three of you will participate in a simulation. The scenario? You have been hired as auxiliary crew for a fully loaded three-master now on approach into Adhua Harbor. I’ll call out events and captain’s orders, and you three will tell me how you respond.”

  Dwayne raised his hand.

  “You can just ask, young Kalan.”

  “What is an ‘auxiliary crew’?”

  “Harbors are fickle things. Weather, other ships, persnickety harbormasters, all these can create obstacles for even the most skillful captains. That’s why they hire auxiliary crews to provide local expertise and to ensure safe navigation. Now,” the maestra sat back down, “discuss amongst yourselves before we start.”

  Dwayne looked at Horn. Horn looked at Werner.

  Werner sighed and stepped down from her podium. “We need to decide on a leader.” She glanced at Dwayne. “Why not you, since you’re why we’re here?”

  “It can’t be me.” Dwayne stepped down from his own podium. If he never saw a ship again, he’d die happy. “Horn, you do it.”

  “Me? I can’t.” Horn joined them on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I’ve messed up every bit of this examination.”

  Werner shrugged. “You really aren’t Qe Master material.”

  Dwayne glared at her before turning back to Horn and saying, “You’re the only one of us who has applicable work experience.”

  Horn shook her head. “Riverboats and three-masters are not the same.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  “Riverboats are flat-bottomed and hoist no sail, while three-masters-”

  “Look, you already know more than we do.” Dwayne smiled. “You can do this.”

  Horn’s eyes flicked over to the benches, where her mentor should be instead of off sulking. “Why are you helping me?”

  “I’m not,” Dwayne returned to his podium. “You’re helping you.”

  “If he won’t do it, I will,” said Werner, returning to hers.

  “No, I’ll do it.” Horn turned to the maestra. “I’ll be pilot. Young Kalan and Miss Werner will both carry Qe cores. Is that okay?”

  Dwayne stared. He hadn’t thought of that.

  The maestra’s eyebrow flicked upward. “Oh? Why?”

  “Neither of them are wind or water Qe.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Interesting. Their positions?”

  “Young Kalan on starboard impel and Miss Werner on port.”

  Dwayne raised his hand. “Uh, what’s port?”

  Horn’s face took on a glazed look. “May we have another moment, maestra?”

  “Take all the time you need,” said Lucchesi.

  “We are on a schedule,” said Sage Smith.

  “I shall forego my questioning,” said Tor Jensen. “I would like to see where this goes.”

  “Right, thanks, Your Highness.“ Horn pulled Dwayne off his podium and waved frantically for Werner to join them, which she did only after another glare from Dwayne. “Starboard means ship’s right side, port means left side, fore is front, aft is back, and please tell me you both know the standard waterimpeler spells.”

  Werner rolled her eyes. “Of course we do.”

  “Good. As pilot, I’ll handle direction and speed while you two protect the ship from rocks and things. Any more questions?”

  Dwayne was impressed. In her element, Horn was decisive. “None I can think of.”

  “Yes, same,” said Werner.

  Horn sighed then turned back to the maestra. “We’re ready now.”

  “Excellent.” Lucchesi waited for the examinees to return to their podiums before saying, “Your ship is currently on approach into Adhua Harbor from the southwest at twenty-five spans. Your captain plans to go straight in. Pilot, what do you do?”

  “I order port and starboard impel to slow us.”

  Apparently, how to do that was up to Dwayne’s discretion. “I cast ‘pronutlim on my side of the boat.”

  “I do the same,” said Werner.

  “As you’ve given no indication of angle or strength, the ship starts to turn to starboard,” said Lucchesi.

  Dwayne tsked. Of course, they had to communicate details like that, but if Werner was pushing them to starboard, then all he had to do was, “I adjust angle and power to match Werner’s.”

  “Initial heading resumed. Ship now slowing,” said Lucchesi. “Helm estimates twenty spans. Fifteen spans. Ten spans.”

  “Impel stop,” called Horn.

  “Stopping,” said Dwayne.

  Werner rolled her eyes. “Same.”

  “I’ll need soundings,” said Horn.

  “Captain says he sees a storm approaching from the southeast.”

  “I still need soundings,” said Horn.

  Another new term. Dwayne glanced at Werner, who rolled her eyes and said, “I cast ‘ehkonutsudduem on my side of the boat.”

  Which would create ripples in the water whose echoes could be read. “I do the same.”

  “Sea-boulder detected thirty wir off the starboard side bow,” announced Lucchesi. “Depth now one hundred twenty wir.”

  Dwayne relaxed. They were nowhere near the boulder.

  Horn looked worried. “Soundings.”

  “I cast again,” said Dwayne.

  “Same.”

  “Sea boulder detected twenty-nine wir off starboard,” said Lucchesi. “Depth: one hundred wir.”

  “Storm surge,” said Horn. “Advise Helm to turn ninety degrees to starboard.”

  Dwayne tensed. That would aim them at the boulder.

  “Ship heading: three degrees from initial.”

  “Soundings,” called Horn.

  “I cast again,” said Dwayne.

  Werner sighed. “Same.”

  “Sea boulder detected twenty-five wir starboard. Depth: eighty wir. Ship’s heading: six degrees from initial.”

  “Cups, it’s going to be a big one,” said Horn. “Port Impel, push off the pro- the nose of the ship as hard as you can.”

  Werner frowned. “Why? We’re already turning.”

  “Just do it.”

  “Fine. Doing.”

  “Starboard impel sounding,” said Horn.

  Dwayne nodded. “On it.”

  “Sea boulder detected nineteen wirs off starboard,” said Lucchesi. “Depth: seventy-seven wir. Ship’s heading: twenty degrees from initial.”

  “Starboard impel, help port impel,” said Horn.

  “Doing,” said Werner.

  “I’ll do the starboard sounding myself.”

  “Sea boulder detected thirteen wirs dead ahead. Depth: eighty-three wir. Ship’s heading: forty-five degrees off initial.”

  “Cups, we’re doomed,” said Horn. “Advise all hands brace.”

  “A storm surge is a big wave?” asked Dwayne.

  “Yes.” Horn looked grim. “And it’s about to smash into us.”

  If only they could make the wave smaller. “How long is a three-master?” Dwayne asked.

  “It shouldn’t be longer than thirty, thirty-five wirs. Why?”

  “Can you turn the ship?”

  “Yes.” Horn frowned. “What are you planning?”

  Something ridiculous. “Looking at an area ten wirs off the starboard side, I cast ‘ceterautlatalatalatam.”

  The maestra frowned. “I’m not familiar with that spell.”

  “It’s a water stilling spell,” said Tor Jensen. “The repeated lata marks an area of effect wide enough to contain the entire ship.”

  “Controlling that much mass is impossible,” said Sage Smith. “A mage would burn out trying.”

  And if Dwayne ever tried that in real life, he would, but-

  “We have the Qe cores.” Werner was staring at him. “Like a joint casting, it’ll multiply the result and protect him from the backlash.”

  “I accept the casting,” said the maestra. “Ship’s heading now sixty degrees off initial.”

  “Sounding,” said Horn.

  “Boulder detected ten wirs off port. Depth is steady.”

  “Port impel, reinforce hull. Advise ship’s brace.”

  Werner looked furious. “I cast ‘suyit on the ship’s hull.”

  “Interesting choice,” said Lucchesi. Dwayne stared at her. The maestra shouldn’t know Qesuyit, which wasn’t Canon, and unlike Werner she lacked access to his notes. “The ship grinds against the boulder, but takes minimal damage. The ship is safe. Well done.”

  As relief took tension’s place on the podiums, Dwayne asked, “You don’t really interview like this, do you?”

  “Certainly, I do.” The maestra leaned forward. “Seeing how candidates deal with stress is very valuable.”

  “As His Royal Highness has conceded his questioning,” said Smith. “The Oral is now concluded. We shall convene to determine current standings.”

  After a short debate, it was announced that Horn was in third, Werner in second, Dwayne in first.