Vitus did some rapid calculations. He had done the enchantments for the stones against lightning. He was working on setting them, in sequence of when the order had been made. Vitus had plans to see Thessaly that evening, and his brother on Sunday. Other than that, he could work straight through Friday and Saturday and much of Sunday, as long as his magic andfocus would hold. And if so, he could get more time clear next week.
“I’ve a number of projects at the setting stage, but yes, after that, I will have more time, likely by the middle of next week at the latest,” Vitus said. “Those are acceptable terms.” Then he took a bit of a risk and met Florent’s eyes. “If you think they’ll keep their end of it. Sufficient information to do the work, a review by a trained ritualist on the oath, and filing as a contract.”
“I would expect no less. I know Niobe has taught you that side of the field just as thoroughly. Would one of the Scali do, on the contract and the language of the oath?”
“Yes.” Vitus said. “And they pay the fee, naturally.”
Florent’s eyes were dancing, as if he were looking forward to being difficult to the Fortiers in ways they couldn’t argue with. “Naturally. Shall we go out and have a look then? Sigbert agreed to make himself available, and Clovis might be there, he wasn’t sure.”
“That would make sense, yes. I can’t really begin to scope the work without it. Just give me a moment to pack up what I need, if you would?”
Florent amiably withdrew to near the door, looking over some of the prints Vitus’s mother had selected for the wall. They were inexpensive watercolour pieces, each themed around a particular gemstone, but including flowers, birds, trees, whatever seemed relevant. He found them rather charming, as well as suggestive of associations worth pursuing. Vitus packed up his satchel, making sure he had a working notebook, his various measures, tools for measuring the magical energies.
They did not have to wait at Portal Square. Florent paid the fee for immediate access, but it was not terribly busy. They came out at the other end, and Florent set the waiting footman off to let Sigbert know they were there. He joined them only a fewminutes later, just long enough for the message to be passed along.
“Father will join us out there. It may be a few minutes.” He offered his hand to Vitus and Vitus shook it, the proper firm and brief handshake for the circumstance. “You’re Deschamps, of course.” It was not exactly a warm greeting, but it wasn’t a chilly one either. “This way, we’ll go around the edge of the warding. It’s not terribly far.” Sigbert set off briskly, through a series of paths that went west to the Arun, then followed the river down to an old mill. The wheel was engaged, but it wasn’t clear what the mill produced. He remembered Thessaly talking about an old barn that had been damaged; the mill looked shabby, but in one piece.
“We can’t permit you to see inside the building, not until the oaths are made. And the contract, yes.” Sigbert added that before Florent could do more than open his mouth. “But I gather you need to have a look at the outside. We are looking for talismanic pieces to stabilise the shifts between the interior of the building and the exterior, when engaged in complex magical work.”
Vitus considered that. “So, you want me— us— to come up with a plan with only half the information?” He then coughed. “Pardon. Would it be possible for you to do whatever you are doing inside the building without us seeing? So we could see the measurements needed, get a start on taking them? I gather that this is an unusual project, so we can’t use any of the usual models as a starting place.”
Vitus saw a flash of something in Sigbert’s eyes, too fast to interpret accurately. Again, he wished for Thessaly. Sigbert opened his mouth, closed it, and then said, a little tightly, “I’ll need to ask Father when he gets here.” By that, Vitus diagnosed that the information might be too revealing.
“Let me start by doing the ordinary physical measurements, then, for the space to be encompassed.” That sort of thing was routine and simple. Vitus had brought his various measuring tools, physical and magical, and he went off with Florent. As the junior present, of course, he did more of the moving around and adjusting, including clambering on the railing on the river side of the building. Florent, however, made a point of treating Vitus as an equal, conferring on specific details. He asked whether Vitus preferred the Athol method or the Resonance model, with an amiable discussion of the benefits and challenges of the lot.
Vitus took advantage of the opening with gratitude. It gave him a chance to bring up something he’d discussed with Herr Becker in Berlin. That was about the question of stabilising long-term effects, the advantages of certain kinds of inclusions in the stone, and designing the cut to fit the area involved. Florent had obviously set that up, and Vitus could tell the details were well over Sigbert’s head. On the other hand, it was making it clear that Vitus knew his work, and that Florent acknowledged his expertise.
That took them a good half hour, and by the time they finished that up, Vitus could see another figure coming down the path, which resolved into Lord Clovis. He nodded once sharply, offering no formal greeting to his lands, which they were apparently not on. Or not the magical estate proper. “Florent. Deschamps, I gather.”
“Vitus Deschamps,” Vitus said, offering his hand.
Florent stepped in smoothly. “I knew Vitus was the right help for this. He’s made several suggestions that will allow for a bit more elegance in the work, and also more— what was the word you used?”
Vitus recognised a power play when he heard one. He was trained for that part in this context. Not on Florent’s part, but by Florent on Vitus’s own behalf. Now he was really curiousabout what Florent had discussed with Laudine and Dagobert about Vitus himself. He cleared his throat. “There are methods of managing fluxes and shifts in magical vitality or movement that are more and less flexible. Without knowing more specifics of the project, it’s hard to suggest the optimal approach just yet, but I thought something that had more potential for expansion and contraction might serve.”
Then Vitus pushed himself to courage. “I understand, of course that you won’t want to share details until the contracts and oaths are settled. But it would be a help for our proposal if you could activate what is done inside the building, so we could take readings from out here. Otherwise, the work will take rather longer in the next phase.”
Florent smiled but just nodded when Lord Clovis looked at him. Lord Clovis sucked in a breath. “Let me talk it through with Sigbert, if you’d give us a few moments.” Vitus smiled pleasantly, and the two withdrew to the far side of the mill building.
Once they were well away, Florent said, “You handled that well. Clovis would like to be high-handed. It is what he prefers in general, but he needs us. Both of us. And he wants this done fast, from everything I gathered. Now, if they do agree, the same sets of readings, but what else?”
“I was thinking Argentium’s Fourth and Seventh, and then possibly Gwent’s First?” Vitus suggested. “One thing I’m not sure about is the interaction between the demesne estate proper and whatever they’re doing here.”
“Ah. Yes, that is a factor. And you’ve not done much on any demesne estate, or any of those sets of magic, other than the Council work?” Vitus shook his head, and Florent settled into a pleasant discussion and explanation of the usual run of things to expect.
After perhaps five or seven minutes, Sigbert turned and headed into the building, and Lord Clovis came back. “It will take a few minutes to put everything in motion, but I will tell you when you may take your readings. I’d be available for the contract and oaths tomorrow, if the terms are otherwise agreeable.”
Vitus nodded. “I would not be here if they were not suitable.” Well, he might have. He was deeply curious about what the Fortiers were up to. And he was certain Thessaly both wanted and needed to know. But that was not how one handled business negotiations. Certainly, one didn’t tell someone you wanted access to their estate. Vitus might not be of Fox House, but that was rudimentary plotting.
They waited in silence— Lord Clovis rather repressed any desire of either Vitus or Florent to continue theoretical discussions— until there was a hand waved out the window.
“A minute from now.” Lord Clovis took several steps back.
Vitus pulled out his pocket watch and marked the second hand, waiting until it had swept the dial. Then he and Florent settled into taking the measurements, pausing each time for both men to write them down. Before they’d finished the first step, the repetition of the previous ones, Vitus had a strong suspicion. By the time they’d run the Argentium and Gwent series, he was certain.
They finished, and Lord Clovis went and waved his handkerchief where someone inside might see it better than a hand. Vitus buried his nose in his notebook, flipping back to where he’d been talking about the readings the Hennings had shared. No, that was the same.
“May I ask how often you do whatever it is you’re doing?” Vitus said, feeling like the last half of that sentence had not been ideal.
