Free Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede Page A

little forced. “Wonderful!”
    â€œI don’t know that it’s
better,
” Telemain said. “However, it appears to have the same effect, requires far less preparation, and is considerably more portable.”
    â€œHe melted Antorell with it,” Morwen said.
    Kazul shook herself and stood up. “Enjoy the lesson. I’m going to ask your cook to pack us something for dinner.”
    â€œDon’t you want to know how to melt wizards?” Cim­orene said.
    â€œNo.” Kazul smiled fiercely, showing all her sharp, silver teeth. “If I run into any wizards, I’m going to eat them.”
    â€œThen why are you bothering about dinner?” Telemain asked, frowning.
    Kazul’s smile broadened. “That’s for the rest of you,” she said, and glided off.

7
In Which Killer Rises in the World
    M ENDANBAR RETURNED just as Telemain began his explanation of the wizard-melting spell. “You’ll want to know this, too, Mendanbar,” Telemain said, and went right on with his lecture. The enchantment was typical of the magician’s spare spells: it required a lot of preparation and a complicated ritual to set it up, but once that had been done, you could use it several times simply by pointing and saying a trigger word. According to Telemain, you didn’t even have to
say
the trigger word aloud.
    â€œTheoretically, a mental recitation would be just as effective,” Telemain said. “This theory, however, remains unverified, as no opportunity for experimentation has—”
    â€œTelemain, if you don’t stop babbling gobbledygook, I’m going to bring Kazul back to listen,” Morwen said. “Mendanbar and I know what you’re saying, but Cimorene hasn’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”
    â€œYes, and I’d appreciate it if somebody would translate that last bit,” Cimorene said. “It sounded important.”
    â€œJust thinking the trigger word ought to be as good as saying it,” Mendanbar explained. “But he doesn’t know for sure because he hasn’t had a chance to test it on a wizard yet.”
    â€œWell, you’ll probably get one soon,” Cimorene said. “Have we got all the ingredients you need for the ritual? Because I think everyone ought to be prepared to melt wizards before anyone goes sword hunting. It’s all very well for Kazul to say she’ll eat them, but if they have any dragonsbane . . .”
    â€œGood idea,” Mendanbar said. “What will we need?”
    â€œI brought the rarer components with me,” Telemain said. “If you have seven lemons, a book that’s missing half its cover, and three pints of unicorn water, I can start working on it at once.”
    Mendanbar pursed his lips. “I don’t think we have any unicorn water.”
    â€œYes, we do,” said Cimorene. “It’s in the cupboard by the buckets, in a jug marked ‘Magic-Mirror Cleaner.’ Don’t look at me like that. It was the safest place I could think of. Ever since we put the gargoyle in charge of answering the mirror, nobody but me dares to clean it.”
    Mendanbar laughed. “I don’t blame them.”
    â€œWhy don’t you and Telemain check the library and start setting up in the Grand Hall?” Cimorene suggested. “Morwen and I will get the other ingredients and meet you there.”
    The two men agreed to this plan, and the group split up. As the castle door closed, Cimorene gave a sigh of relief.
    â€œHow do you stand it?” she asked Morwen.
    â€œThe way Telemain complicates things when he talks?” Morwen shook her head. “I don’t have to, much.”
    â€œI thought you were old friends.”
    â€œWe are. That doesn’t mean we see a lot of each other, though I’ll admit that he drops by much more often now that he lives in the Enchanted Forest,