Free The Orphans' Promise by Pierre Grimbert Page B

his suggestion. Even if she considered herself a Mother more than a magician, a subject like Will could always stir her interest. Even with a novice like Yan, she would still enjoy discussing it.
    Bowbaq had nodded off again, as the calming concoction, per Grigán’s recipe, took effect. Still, Corenn chose a spot far enough away from the cellar to avoid being overheard. She waskeen on keeping their
long conversation
a secret, at least until Yan passed the test.
    The reason was simple. If everyone knew what Yan was trying to do, the young man would never manage to focus for long enough to succeed. Pressure and anxiety would busy his mind, and he would fail. No, the Mother thought, right now, his Will was the only thing that needed stimulation.
    Corenn prepared herself to answer all of his questions, and there were plenty.
    “I don’t even know where to start,” he admitted. “I mean, I can guess that just waiting and waiting won’t be enough.”
    “No, you’re right. What have you been thinking then?”
    “I get the feeling that I’m missing something… something that I should
do
, but I don’t know what. It’s like I have a fish on the end of my line and it’s about to get away because I haven’t set the hook.”
    “That’s not too far from the truth. In fact, your Will should not be applied like a mindless, slow push. You must gather it up and then
unleash
it at the right time.”
    Yan waited for her to explain. Though her words may have been clear for a magician, they were just as obscure to Yan as the Rominian alphabet.
    “You will understand once you’ve succeeded,” she continued. “For now, don’t clutter your mind with the mechanics.”
    The young man agreed, still unsure of himself. The subject had been closed much too soon for his liking. He still had other questions.
    “The coin. I’ve looked at it so much that I have the feeling that I’m seeing it everywhere. I try to focus on it, but part of my mind is busy processing its physical characteristics.”
    “Then try focusing on those characteristics. Since all you’re trying to do is make the coin fall, you can apply your Will to any place on the coin’s surface. It won’t make any difference.”
    Yan pondered the idea for a few moments. Corenn was aware that she was introducing many new concepts to the young man, and from a discipline he didn’t even know existed until the day before. In doing so, she was changing the rules of her instruction.
    In the past, she had always refrained from explaining the
principles
of Will before the novice had succeeded in passing the test. Her opinion had evolved with time: The principles could only help those who were already capable of succeeding. For others, they simply represented another false trail.
    Yan had more questions.
    “Do… it’s sort of strange to ask, but… do you need to make gestures, or anything like that? Do you need to say something?”
    “It isn’t strictly necessary. But it helped one of my students in the past, so if you feel like you need to, don’t stop yourself. It’s just hard to shake the habit once you’ve learned it. That’s for you to find out.”
    Corenn didn’t like giving vague answers like that, but she couldn’t be more specific. It all depended on how Yan was going to face the test. The dékades to come would be crucial.
    Their conversation carried on in this way, Corenn patiently and benevolently answering the young man’s questions. Yan drank her words in, trusting her completely. Corenn saw his faith in her, which made it that much harder for her to lie to him…
    Yan would never pass the test. At least not in the way he imagined.
    The important thing wasn’t to make the coin fall… but to try as long as possible.
    If, after a few dékades, Yan was still just as motivated, Corenn would teach him how to use his Will. If he gave up, she wouldassume he didn’t have the power. He could only blame any failure on himself.
    The magician had lied to