Free Castle Kidnapped by John Dechancie
Authors: John Dechancie
stacks.
âTake your time,â Jeremy called after him, opening the computer's case and flipping up the readout screen.
While waiting, Jeremy gazed upward. There were three levels to the place, a spacious main floor and two galleries, spiral stairwells communicating between them. The roof was a ballet of Gothic stone arches, soaring together to form complex vaults and geometric sections. And everywhereâbooks, shelves and shelves of books.
Osmirik returned, loaded down with three huge leather-bound tomes. He set the stack down, chose the top volume, and paged through it.
âI have some acquaintance with the alphabetical and numbering system of your world,â Osmirik said, âbut I need a review. Would you be so kind as toâ"
âYeah, sure.â Jeremy punched a few keys. The readout screen came to life. âHere's a list-out of all the alphanumeric symbols this computer can generate. ASCII Code. That what you want?"
âOh, my, I had no idea there were so many."
âWell, there's all kinds of things that you rarely use here, except for special occasions. These lines here are what you want."
âI see. Yes, I think the problem of translation can be solved eventually. But there are many other problems."
âJust what are you after?"
Osmirik folded his hands. âI intend to work a spell with the help of your device. I am somewhat familiar with the capacities of such a machine as yours, though my knowledge is entirely theoretical."
âWait a minute,â Jeremy said. âYou mean to tell me you're gonna run a magic spell ... through my computer?"
âThat is what I mean to say."
âHow? And f'crissakes, why?"
Osmirik was patient. âI do not as yet have an answer to the first question. To the second, I would answer thus: the spell I have in mind involves more variables than is practical to deal with. It requires a magician with a phenomenal memory. I am not such a magician. In fact, my talent is minimal. Thaumaturgical talent is a gift, pure and simple. But with that machine, and some help from an adept such as Lady Linda, we may succeed in locating the young man named Gene."
Jeremy nodded. âGotcha. Sounds like fun. But where's the magic come from? You got fairy dust, or what?"
âNo fairy dust, whatever that may be. The source of magic is the castle itself. Let me essay a figure of speech, drawing on the lore of your own world. Think of the castle as an electrical generator, and of the castle's various talented inhabitants as conduits, drawing off that energy and putting it to use."
âI get it. All right, sounds better and better."
âVery good. Now, let us begin. Can this machine process degenerative numerical series?"
âHuh? I can see we're gonna have problems. You'll have to translate that better."
Osmirik took a ballpoint pen from an inside pocket of his long hooded gown. âAllow me to show you."
A few minutes later, Jeremy looked up from the sheet of yellow paper that Osmirik had filled with curious symbols. âOkay, near as I can figure out, you're talking about factorials. Like, six factorial would be six times five, times four, times three, times twoâ"
âExactly!"
âYeah, well, that's no problem. But what's all this stuff?"
âThat is merely its application to the problem ofâ"
Osmirik suddenly looked up toward one of the galleries.
âSomeone is about,â he said. âI saw no one come in."
He got up and approached a nearby stairwell. Before he got to it, a man appeared at the rail above. He was tall with medium-long dark hair and square-cut features.
âHello, Osmirik."
The librarian was astonished. âYour Majesty, I had no idea you had returned!"
âHaven't told anybody yet. Had some research to do.â The man inclined his head toward Jeremy. âNew Guest?"
âYes, sire. May I present Master Jeremyâer..."
âHochstader,â Jeremy added. âThat's
âTake your time,â Jeremy called after him, opening the computer's case and flipping up the readout screen.
While waiting, Jeremy gazed upward. There were three levels to the place, a spacious main floor and two galleries, spiral stairwells communicating between them. The roof was a ballet of Gothic stone arches, soaring together to form complex vaults and geometric sections. And everywhereâbooks, shelves and shelves of books.
Osmirik returned, loaded down with three huge leather-bound tomes. He set the stack down, chose the top volume, and paged through it.
âI have some acquaintance with the alphabetical and numbering system of your world,â Osmirik said, âbut I need a review. Would you be so kind as toâ"
âYeah, sure.â Jeremy punched a few keys. The readout screen came to life. âHere's a list-out of all the alphanumeric symbols this computer can generate. ASCII Code. That what you want?"
âOh, my, I had no idea there were so many."
âWell, there's all kinds of things that you rarely use here, except for special occasions. These lines here are what you want."
âI see. Yes, I think the problem of translation can be solved eventually. But there are many other problems."
âJust what are you after?"
Osmirik folded his hands. âI intend to work a spell with the help of your device. I am somewhat familiar with the capacities of such a machine as yours, though my knowledge is entirely theoretical."
âWait a minute,â Jeremy said. âYou mean to tell me you're gonna run a magic spell ... through my computer?"
âThat is what I mean to say."
âHow? And f'crissakes, why?"
Osmirik was patient. âI do not as yet have an answer to the first question. To the second, I would answer thus: the spell I have in mind involves more variables than is practical to deal with. It requires a magician with a phenomenal memory. I am not such a magician. In fact, my talent is minimal. Thaumaturgical talent is a gift, pure and simple. But with that machine, and some help from an adept such as Lady Linda, we may succeed in locating the young man named Gene."
Jeremy nodded. âGotcha. Sounds like fun. But where's the magic come from? You got fairy dust, or what?"
âNo fairy dust, whatever that may be. The source of magic is the castle itself. Let me essay a figure of speech, drawing on the lore of your own world. Think of the castle as an electrical generator, and of the castle's various talented inhabitants as conduits, drawing off that energy and putting it to use."
âI get it. All right, sounds better and better."
âVery good. Now, let us begin. Can this machine process degenerative numerical series?"
âHuh? I can see we're gonna have problems. You'll have to translate that better."
Osmirik took a ballpoint pen from an inside pocket of his long hooded gown. âAllow me to show you."
A few minutes later, Jeremy looked up from the sheet of yellow paper that Osmirik had filled with curious symbols. âOkay, near as I can figure out, you're talking about factorials. Like, six factorial would be six times five, times four, times three, times twoâ"
âExactly!"
âYeah, well, that's no problem. But what's all this stuff?"
âThat is merely its application to the problem ofâ"
Osmirik suddenly looked up toward one of the galleries.
âSomeone is about,â he said. âI saw no one come in."
He got up and approached a nearby stairwell. Before he got to it, a man appeared at the rail above. He was tall with medium-long dark hair and square-cut features.
âHello, Osmirik."
The librarian was astonished. âYour Majesty, I had no idea you had returned!"
âHaven't told anybody yet. Had some research to do.â The man inclined his head toward Jeremy. âNew Guest?"
âYes, sire. May I present Master Jeremyâer..."
âHochstader,â Jeremy added. âThat's
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