Chapter 3

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The foundling wizard waved her hand over her head and was in her clothes without bed hair. Some things were easy with magic. Just think, wave, and poof. Other things - well, if she were the baby and power was the bath water, fighting the undertow pretty well described what she had been doing for the last year.

Today would be no different.

The foundling knew that on All Fools’ Day a wizard was supposed to be up in her Tower, doing something mystical and highly important for the Nation. But NeachDare Destin’s journals had not revealed what that mystical and important thing was. They did not mention All Fools’ Day at all.

Granted, the foundling had been seriously avoiding thinking about this day for the past 12 moons, so maybe she hadn’t looked for information as hard as she could, but surely, if All Fools’ was that important, someone would have forced her to deal with it by now.

With a final sneer into the fountain, sure that that Someone was watching, the wizard trudged reluctantly up to the Tower to see what this day would bring.

Everyone knows a wizard’s workshop is at the top of her Tower, the better to flash mysterious lights across the landscape during the working bells - which tend to go on into the dark of the night because there are no convenient instructions on anything written down anywhere. Everyone also knows that young wizards are not allowed to transport themselves hither and yon simply to avoid climbing the stairs. Therefore, our young foundling wizard knew there were thirty-three steps in the staircase from the main floor to the workshop. With twenty more steps from her bedroom to the bottom of the staircase. And fifteen small steps from her vanity to the bedroom door. The foundling did not mind the long slow march. Every second it took to get to the Tower proper was a second she did not feel like a fraud in wizard’s clothing.

The workshop itself was a large room with various tools and toys gathered around all the edges. In the middle of the room was a large fountain with a stool in front of it. A more uncomfortable stool the young wizard had never used.

Also in this room, on top of the stool, was the Familiar. His tail twitched with anxiety, as usual. He didn’t even give the foundling time to close the door behind her before he began his diatribe. “You should have been here at sunrise. Before sunrise! You are the holder of the oldest power in the land. You have responsibilities. I told you about your responsibilities. I told you about the history of this tower. I told you…”

The young wizard felt even less inclined than usual to listen to the supercilious fur ball. Wiggle incant zap. One furry feline statue, mouth still open. At the base was a small inscription in red: “I told you.”

The wizard stuck her tongue out and waved a hand to move the statue to the corner.

“He makes a nice statue, but I don’t think that was your wisest course of action.”

The young wizard narrowed her eyes as the usual thought passed through her mind. If she made another statue, would R’Majesty punish her?

Would it still be worth it?

The advisor inclined her head very, very respectfully and stated, as usual, “I’m protected against your magic, Acting NeachDare. Just so you know.”

“Yes, yes.” The foundling wizard sighed and sat on her worktable next to the advisor. She put her head in her hands and took one final precious breath to finish the ritual of wailing in her mind. She was tired of sniping with the advisor, tired of dreading the climb to the tower. Tired of being afraid of All Fools’ Day. “I don’t suppose you want the power,” she asked, more out of desperation than hope, and totally off script.

“I’m not a wizard,” the advisor blurted.

“I’m not a wizard either.” The foundling sat up and turned to the advisor. “I have the power, that’s all. 

It’s yours. Here.” She held out her hand.

The advisor slid further back on the table. “No, thank you.”

The foundling stretched her hand further. “You’re not here to catalog my wrong doings; whenever I mangle something, R’Majesty knows before the sun sets.” They both looked toward the fountain and then back at each other. “My power can’t affect you, so you can’t affect my power if I do something stupid. But you know what to do with the power. Surely, it would be faster for you use it than to yell hysterically when I create a fireball.”

The advisor put her hands behind her and said haughtily, “I have never yelled hysterically, even when you did create the fireball.”

“Why do you always do that?” The foundling wizard jumped off the table and paced away. “You always try to diffuse the situation with humor; you always try to keep me from being mad. Why can’t I yell at you?”

“Part of my job,” said the advisor soothingly.

“Well, it’s not working!” the young wizard yelled. “Just take the sliced power!” She thrust her hand out again and the advisor flinched.

“Not on my life, Honored. Not if my life depended on it.”

“It might,” the wizard snarled.

“Then I’m dead, Honored. And you’ll still have your power.” The advisor’s voice was soft with sympathy.

“Blast it, burn it, slice it, spurn it, back and forth again,” the wizard growled.

The advisor held her breath, and then let it go again, since she still could. “What did that accomplish?”

The wizard smiled. “You don’t want to know.”

The advisor nodded, confirmed she really was breathing, and said, “Shall we get started then?”

The wizard closed her eyes as the power receded. She wished there was a magic potion for clarity of mind. She wished part of her lessons had included some form of control. She wished, while she was wishing, that she had never inherited the sliced power one long year ago.

The foundling sat back upon the table, her hands down on her knees as a gesture of conciliation. 

“Please, let us begin.”

The advisor smiled. “It’s not as bad as you fear.”

The foundling snorted.

“Very well. Here is what is going to happen. You’re going to sit on the stool and enter the WorldView.”

“The WorldView?”

The advisor nodded toward the fountain in the center of the room. “The WorldView. It is how R’Majesty keeps an eye on everything. It’s a vital part of the justice system. And on All Fools’ Day, from sunrise to sunrise, the Wizards use the WorldView to invade the privacy of the Families and keep the Nation from serious harm.”

The foundling wizard turned slowly to the advisor. “Are you serious?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yes. What you see in the fountain may not be discussed outside of the WorldView, except with R’Majesty’s permission.”

“Wait.” The extremely invasive measures added a weight to the day’s importance. Before the fear could claim her again, the young wizard slid off the table and moved to the high and highly uncomfortable stool in front of the fountain. “So, I sit on this and end up in the WorldView.” The advisor nodded. “What happens next?”

The advisor rubbed her nose and hopped off the table. “I honestly have no words to describe it; it would be much simpler to just step in and experience.”

“Glub, glub,” the young wizard said.

The advisor put a hand on the wizard’s shoulder and together they faced the fountain. “Just activate the fountain,” the advisor said quietly. The foundling wizard waved her hand. “Now, close your eyes and put your hand to the fountain.”

Two chests rose and fell, and two sets of eyelids closed.[LA5] 

“Oh goody,” said a snarling voice. “Fresh meat