Chapter 4
They brought one of the rowing slaves forward. He was young, yet stooped from his labor and the beatings. There was blood still running down his back. His hair was matted and one of his eyes was missing. There was a bad odor about him as if he suffered from some infection.
Adam noted this, as the man was chained to the rocks on the shore.
The waves washed the slave's feet. He looked at them resignedly. He knew that he was going to die, but not by drowning...
Mermaids began to appear on top of the waves, dancing gracefully amid the white foam.
"You call these guardians?" the king said angrily "is that how they will keep thieves and invaders away, by luring them with their charms?"
"No, not these, though they are related. They are needed to keep the number of guardians steady. No, in order to see what I have prepared I must call it." he produced a small flute. "We must hide behind the rocks" he warned the men.
When the men had all hid behind the rocks, hen played on the flute. Not the sounds that told the guardians that food was ready, but the one alerting them to the presence of a predator of their young.
There was a ripple, an underwater surge below. Adam knew with a sick certitude what it was. The gorgon was in her way."
"Here comes the guardian" the wizard said. "observe its powers."
The gorgon rose slowly, ready to find the enemy of her kind. He eyes were locked in the petrifying gaze. Her eyes met the figure of the slave...
"He's turned to stone!" the king shouted.
"Yes" the wizard said "that's what the guardians can do, and even when not using that power, its claws and teeth can dispatch any intruder that is unwise enough to try to steal from you."
"And you control it with this flute?"
"Yes. And I will teach you how to use it. Only you will be able to control the guardian.
The king went down to the beach, as the gorgon had once more gone beneath the waves. He wanted to examine the petrified slave. He was quite pleased with the guardian that the wizard had crated for him.
The wizard quickly brought the flute to his lips again.
The gorgon rose, death in her eyes. And this time she looked upon the king.
There was one short scream from the king, then silence. Then laughter among the men. Laughter from then one who had paid the wizard to murder the king, so as to seize the throne
And there were screams. The king's son screamed, knowing that he was no longer the king's son, but a fatherless, defenseless boy among men who cared not for him. Adam saw this, how the boy's neck was stretched out, and the usurper blandished his knife.
"Do not kill him.:" the wizard said.
""Why not?"
'He's my payment. I want him as my slave."
"Your slave and what else?"
"My property. A payment due to me. It is not wise to seek to cheat a wizard of his wages." the wizard said, playing with his flute. "Give me the boy or you will not live to claim the throne."
For a moment the usurper hesitated. Just one moment. His good sense returned. To antagonize a wizard was sure death.
"All right." he pushed the boy towards the wizard. "He's yours now."
The wizard chained the boy and picked up a switch. "Walk now. I will teach you to be satisfactory slave to me."
The boy screamed and Adam felt anger as the switch fell on the boy's flesh cutting it.
"You see how helpless you are, boy" the wizard said, after his arm had become tired. "It is a useful lesson to learn when you have been a king's son. There will be more lessons for you to learn. Better learn them or I will put you in a sack and throw you into the sea."
Then the whole scene became fuzzy, out of focus.
Then it was gone.
Adam was back in the corridors, going through them again, but in the reverse direction.
And then, after endless corridors, he came to the last door.
He went through it, and was back a the table, staring at the wands, with Angelique bending eagerly before him.
"Did you find anything?"
He nodded.
"Tell us about it."
He did. How the gorgons and mermaids were created by a wizard at the request of a king, and how the gorgon had been used to murder that king.
Angelique wanted more of a description of the wizard, the clothing he wore, and any jewelry. She wanted to know about the ship that had brought the king to the wizard's home. Anything that would help her place the wizard in its time and place.
"Did he say what he planned to do with the boy?'
"To be his slave. he told the boy that he had many lessons to learn."
"A boy, not a girl?"
"Yes."
"And told him that he'd be drowned in a sack if he failed to learn?'
"Yes."
"An old time sorcerer then. The kind that enslaved vampires... There was a time where the only disciples that sorcerers took were slaves. This way the Art was passed only to those most worthy. If the slave was talented then he or she was taught more. If not, they could expect to be drowned in a sack... And wizards male or female only took disciples of their same sex. So that their couplings produced no children which would make them softheaded, their parental pride making them see talent where there was none..."
Adam was nauseated , understanding what the wizard would to the boy.
So it was for centuries. Until some wizard mated with the opposite sex and children resulted. And maybe at that time the vampires revolted successfully... In any case, we know only bits and pieces of that time...
"So the slaves became wizards after a while?'
"After they proved stronger than their masters and killed them.. It might well be that the boy you saw ended up killing his master and taking his place."
"Or endedin a sack at the button of the sea...
"Well, we know at least where mermaids and gorgons come from." Amy said. "But we still do not know what do about the statues or how to bring them to life.":
"The wizard might know." Adam said
"It might be dangerous to continue spying on him. If he knows he is being observed, he might tack us here. I do not wish to tackle with an old style sorcerer. Not in my state" Angelique said.