Free The Book of Athyra by Steven Brust

from whim, not from plan. Some say that in this way he reveals as many as another.
    That almost made sense. Savn could imagine how it might be more fun to look for something than to actually find it. He wondered if there was something he was looking for, or something he
should
look for. The secret to Reins’s death? But he could hardly expect to find that if Master Wag couldn’t.
    He continued reading:
    Of the Gentle One it is said that she sets down the order and method of all things, and that, in this way, all hidden things may be found. To her, each detail is a signpost, and when each is placed in its own position, the outline of the secret will be laid bare for any who will look.
    Well, that was certainly possible, thought Savn. But what do you do when you don’t know anything?
    There was one more passage on the page:
    The Master of Rhyme still searches for the Way of the Wizards, for to him, this is the greatest Secret of all. Yet, as he searches, he lets fall Truths for all of those who come after, and in this he sees no miracle, for what is plain to one is a Secret to the next. He is often praised for this, but it is meaningless to him, for who among Men will rejoice in finding Truth that he has never thought hidden?
    Savn frowned. That, too, almost made sense. It was as if you could see something, and maybe someone else couldn’t, but to you it wasn’t anything to get excited about, because it was right there all the time.
    It occurred to him to wonder if there were things right in front of him that
he
couldn’t see. He was pondering this when Master Wag returned and said, “What are you reading?”
    Savn showed him the book. The Master snorted. “There’s nothing in there you need, at least not yet. Why don’t you go home?”
    Savn didn’t need to be given this suggestion twice. He put the book on the shelf, said farewell, and dashed out the door before the Master could change his mind.
    He raced to Tem’s house, expecting to see Vlad either lounging outside or in the common room, but the Easterner was not in evidence. As he stood there, wondering whether he dared to ask Tem which room Vlad was in, his sister walked through the door, accompanied by two of herfriends, which caused him, for reasons he couldn’t quite specify, to abandon this plan.
    She came up to him at once and pulled him into a corner. “What happened to you last night?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “You were gone forever. Mae and Pae were going crazy. I finally went to bed, and when I got up this morning and asked if you’d shown up, they looked at me like they didn’t know what I was talking about and said that you were already up and out.”
    “Well, I was.”
    “That’s not the point, chag-brain.”
    “Don’t call me chag-brain.”
    “Where
were
you?”
    “Exploring the caves.”
    “At
night
?”
    “Sure. Why not?”
    “But why were you so late?”
    “I lost track of time.”
    She frowned at him, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, but uncertain how to find out more. “Well, then,” she said, “don’t you think Mae and Pae were acting a little strange, the way they were so worried at first, and then—”
    “Oh, you know how they get. Look, I’ll talk to you later, all right? I have to go.”
    “Go where? Savn, stop it. Don’t you dare go running off like that! Savn . . .”
    Her voice followed him out the door, but he paid no attention. The only place he could think of to find Vlad was back at the caves, so he set off for them at once. He followed the Manor road for the first mile, then cut across to the slip. As he was about to start down it, however, he saw, some distance away, a grey-clad figure standing on the cliff itself. He broke into a run, and at about the same moment he became convinced that it was indeed Vlad, the Easterner turned and waved to him, as if he’d known he was there.
    When he reached him, he said nothing, only stopped to recover his breath. Vlad stood, staring out at the river flats