Barely muffled by the ready room door, a horn sounded, which meant Monika Horn had entered the arena. Cups, those cheers made it sound like half the queendom was watching. If Dwayne's Ri slipped out up there, he’d be shamed, his achievements would disintegrate, and he’d be dragged away to the Ri kingdom, never to be seen again.
However, he was grinning. He should be shaking, sweating, nervous, but either he’d pass the practical and become a Qe master, or he’d prove, in front of the whole queendom, that Ri mages could cast Qe magic. Either way, he won.
It wasn’t long before the horn sounded again, and another cheer shook dust off the ceiling. Ruth Werner had entered the arena.
Practical aside, it was concerning that Dwayne hadn’t seen Mei or Magdala since before the Oral. Mei had given him every impression that one of them would be near at all times. Something must have happened, something that had required Mei to take charge of the License Key. He longed to help, but Mei had never let him down before, and Magdala would never give up, even on him.
Someone knocked on the door. “Milord, your practical instructions.”
Good, he’d actually have a chance to read the thing before going up there. Covering his bracer with his sleeve, Dwayne went to the door and opened it.
“Here, milord.” A brown-cloaked attendant handed him a thin blue booklet. “You’re to read every page.”
“I will. Thank you.”
After closing the door, Dwayne sat back down and opened the booklet, catching the piece of paper that fell out and slipping it into his waistcoat pocket. The first page of the booklet read:
Stolen story; please report.
Qe Master’s Examination Practical for Lord Dwayne Kalan
Materials: Two ten ulim barrels of enxofric salt, three one hundred saedoun bottles of activating agent, and six three by three wir, seventy-one hundred doun steel plates.
Assignment: Construct a receptacle suitable for containing twenty-seven cubic wirs of enxofric gas under pressure.
While involved, the instructions were straightforward and, unlike the ones Professor Corn and his colleagues handed out, very clear. Perhaps Sage Smith had written them. Too bad they weren’t more interesting.
The door opened. “It’s time, milord.”
Finally. Dwayne put his coat back on and grabbed the booklet. “I’m ready.
“This way.”
As he followed the attendant out of the ready room, through the lobby, and up to the iron portcullis that guarded the way onto the arena floor, Dwayne’s excitement rose higher and higher. This was going to be his biggest performance in front of the largest audience. Everything he’d worked for waited for him on the arena floor.
The attendant took hold of a lever. “Are you ready, milord?”
Dwayne chuckled. “Too late to say no now.”
“Milord?”
“Sorry, I’m ready.”
The attendant pulled the lever.
As the portcullis rattled upwards, a familiar voice called out, “I am pleased to introduce the heir to the Guardian of the Wall, Head Clerk of the Royal Sorcerer’s Office, and my apprentice, Dwayne Kalan.”
Grinning, Dwayne walked out into the arena and joined Lady Pol in front of his pile of practical materials. She grinned back, then turned him around to present him to the roaring crowd. Latia Arena wasn’t only filled with Sourans. He spotted Lady Momin and her collection of rich Tuquese in rose and gold, Vice-Consul Eminike and her guards in steel and yellow, and, the strangest by far, two people in cyan masks and violet feather cloaks, the only ones with an entire bench all to themselves. No Mei or Magdala or even Rodion, but he saw Francesca and Odette waving and cheering in a front row. Dean Bruce and Baron Thadden were here too, sitting behind the examiners on the front row.
“Quiet.” As the cheers died down, Sage Smith leaned back in his seat. “You may begin, Young Kalan.”
“Good luck.” Lady Pol squeezed Dwayne’s shoulder before stepping away.
“Thanks.” Dwayne turned to his materials. Those steel plates were massive in person, and moving them into place was going to be his biggest challenge. For now, he’d go carefully.
He put his right hand on the top plate. “Qechicieut.”