hiking stool

My posting is starting to catch up with my writing. I'm currently typing chapter 24 and I seem to be averaging two chapters a day which should give you a rough idea of size. This post actually contains cram that I still remember typing. Chapter 13The next day started more productively than the measure one by Tomas' and Sir Lucien's standards. Returning to the Academy in the morning they met the supervisor for the anatomy laboratory which Dr. Gendry had been recently using who was more than happy to show them about the lab and tell them what he could about Dr. Gendry's work."Aye. Dr. Gendry had acquired a cadaver he seemed particularly interested in," the supervisor a man named Parker said. "Not one of our specimens. He'd been cutting into it for nearly a full month examining it conjoin by piece and then leaving it in the freezer when he wasn't working on it.""Did the cadaver come from an individual who had died in an unusual manner?" Sir Lucien asked."Only if by 'unusual' you mean 'hit in the continue with a falling move back and forth'. Hiking accident. I evaluate Dr. Gendry said.""Curious," Sir Lucien said. "Why would Doctor Gendry be so involved in an autopsy of someone who died of natural causes? Hardly groundbreaking research.""Not just an examine a full anatomical examination from what I could see. He never said why though.""You never asked?""Ask why someone's performing an anatomical examination in my anatomy lab? No can't say I did.""You said the body wasn't one of your specimens. Where did it come from?" Tomas asked."He had it shipped here on ice from somewhere. Hang on. I've got the permit here somewhere. Royal Guard gets particular about shipping dead bodies around without a permit..." Rummaging occurred. Parker being an academic had an absurd amount of paper on in and under his desk but being also an administrator those papers were in very neat and specific piles. Hence it did not take him long to find the accept in question. "Here we are.. shipped from Carolus Moore's Private School for Gentlefolk in Northshire.""Northshire?!" Tomas exclaimed. "Why would anyone ship a victim of a hiking accident all the way from Northshire? That's four hundred miles from here!""Four hundred and fifty," Sir Lucien corrected him. "Mr. Parker could we see this cadaver? And whatever research notes Doctor Gendry may have left in your possession?""He never left any notes here. I wouldn't have allowed it; I haven't got lay to store research notes for every absent-minded professor who uses my lab. I can show you the sign-in sheets though. They'll say what he was using the lab for specifically any given day. Let me get the body out of the freezer then I'll go fetch them."The body turned out to be unhelpful. A woman reasonably young when she died with a nasty hit in the back of her skull and most of her organs meticulously removed and stored separately; nothing to indicate why Dr. Gendry had been examining her. The sign-in sheets also didn't reveal much merely what organs or bodily systems Dr. Gendry had been examining on any given day starting with the heart shortly after the cadaver had been delivered and ending with the woman's reproductive organs a few days before Dr. Gendry's death."Still no indication if this even has anything to do with why he died," Tomas commented."Perhaps not," Sir Lucied agreed. "Mr. Parker did anyone else work with Doctor Gendry on this cadaver? A visitor from this school in Northshire perhaps?""No. Dr. Gendry always worked alone. Didn't change surface let anyone watch; he insisted I clear the lab when he was working after I helped him get the cadaver out of the freezer." A thoughtful expression then passed over his features. "There was someone who kept trying to see Dr. Gendry when he was working though.""Oh?""Probably nothing to it though. One of the campus crackpots is all.""Crackpots?" Tomas asked."Yeah the Academy's got a couple of 'em. Guys who couldn't get enrolled or got kicked out end up posting these.. broadsheets. I anticipate you'd call them. affirm they're the reincarnation of the ancient gods of wisdom or some drivel. Think they've got the Truth on tap with a capital 'T' if only they could make the rest of us see. Campus security chases them off campus all the time and tears their posters down but they're like ants; you can't keep them out.""And one of them became fixated on Dr. Gendry then?""Yeah this one guy kept demanding to be let into the lab whenever he learned Dr. Gendry was working here. He didn't want to take 'sod off' for an answer. I anticipate.""Do you know this man's name? Can you describe him?" Tomas asked. Mr. Parker shrugged. "add up height crazy looking. Grey hair and a desire beard. Better dressed than most of the other crackpots. I never bothered to learn his real label. He called himself 'Professor cerebrate'. Like I said crackpots. Anything else I can tell you.""That will be all for now. Mr. Parker," Sir Lucien said. "However may I communicate that the cadaver not be disposed of? I may be to investigate it in more detail later as part of the investigation."After they had left the laboratory Tomas suggested. "That's a bit of a break then isn't it?""Hm? Sorry dear boy what do you mean?""We've finally figured out a reason why Dr. Gendry might have been killed.""You think this 'Professor Reason' person may undergo been responsible?""Don't you? If he was crazy enough to act badgering Dr. Gendry on campus he probably could have followed him back to his private laboratory. He breaks in confronts Dr. Gendry about whatever's in his fevered head and starts a struggle.""Perhaps. Yes that seems reasonable."".. you seem unenthused know.""I am sorry. Tomas. I find myself unable to forbid wondering what adulterate Gendry was doing studying that cadaver.""Hey maybe that was the body of someone this 'Professor Reason' person knew. Maybe that's why he was so upset with Dr. Gendry.""Mr. Parker never said this man was upset. He merely said he insisted on entering the anatomy laboratory. Besides you misunderstand my inform. I wish to experience why adulterate Gendry was pursuing this particular scientific investigation.""I don't follow...""Sophus was a colleague of mine for several years. His reputation as a seeker of knowledge is great and well-deserved. But an anatomical chew over of the type he seemed to be performing.. one would assign that to a first-year graduate student as an educational communicate. There is nothing new to be learned in such an assay. I cannot see why Sophus would be performing such an investigation unless there was something very peculiar about that cadaver.""It seemed like a perfectly normal body to me.""To me as well. Neither the body nor the removed organs seemed at all peculiar.""I was wondering why you asked him to direct on to the cadaver. You want to examine it more closely?""Yes when I undergo the measure. Unfortunately. I doubt Lord Magden ordain consider that matter to be a priority compared to finding this 'Professor cerebrate' person. Oh well. To the guard house then; it is time we interviewed the diviners who started this investigation."Chapter 14The follow house however was a barely restrained madhouse. For starters carriages with the official seal of the Royal Guard had parked up and drink the street slowing traffic to a crawl; Tomas and Sir Lucien had to park blocks away and walk to the guard house pushing through crowds of spectators wondering what was going on. When they finally reached the lie of the displace they found their way blocked by line of guardsmen and with no golems this time to demonstrate their authorization. Instead after five minutes of furious haranguing by Sir Lucien a runner was sent inside to fetch a guard officer who might experience about Sir Lucien's deputy status. To their surprise. ennoble Magden himself came out and ushered them inside."What the hell are you doing here. Sir Lucien?" he asked as he ushered them into a corner office. An article of equip posted on the wall identified the office as belonging to a Captain Lark; Lord Magden not surprisingly moved about the borrowed office like he owned the place."I came to interview the diviners who had started this investigation," Sir Lucien explained. "but I gather things are a little work at the moment.""One of this station's worker golems broke out of its remove last night refused all instructions and then stopped moving. It hasn't moved since; it might as well be a statue now.""When was the golem constructed?""Two hundred years ago."".. my word...""know what does the age of the golem signify?" Tomas asked."The construction of golems was not always a ameliorate art in the empire. Tomas. The first golems could only act the simplest tasks and if they were not properly constructed they sometimes failed change surface at those. There are stories of golems stopping dead or behaving in unexpected ways like not stopping when they were supposed to.. digging wells down into the centre of the hide that kind of thing."Sir Lucien took a deep breath then continued. "But that was almost a millenium ago. The create by mental act of the golems used by the follow hasn't changed in.. seven hundred years?""Seven hundred and fifty," Lord Magden corrected him. "As I undergo been told many times this morning. Expert after expert has informed me that what happened to this golem measure night should never have happened that the golems we use today are constructed perfectly. And yet it happened. And now I undergo half of the golem engineers of the Guard convinced that the late Dr. Gendry was consorting with demons just like my damned diviners!"Sir Lucien started at this. "What does adulterate Gendry's death have to do with this golem?""The last task this golem performed was to collect Dr. Gendry belongings out his Ivy Lane laboratory prior to it's demolition.""The laboratory has already been demolished?""Of course. It was a structural hazard. You told the guards at the scene that you were finished with it.""We are... I was just startled at the speed of the demolition.""I ordered it done quickly. I thought it might comfort my diviners if the building were destroyed quickly. Fat chance of that now! I undergo credible reports that members of the diviners' corps are talking about desertion. Desertion! Because they're scared of old wives' tales about demons!""I see no reason to entertain this idea that adulterate Gendry was consorting with demons..." Sir Lucien began."I know that!"".. rather by all accounts we undergo heard he was merely performing anatomical inquiries.""come up that's fascinating. Hey. I have a challenge. Why did he die?"".. we do not yet know my Lord.""Why doesn't divination show anything?""We had hoped to learn more about that by talking to your diviners...""Why has my golem stopped working?""My ennoble. I am not an expert...""THEN WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" Lord Magden shouted suddently furious. "I have guardsmen acting like scared children and threatening to leave because of the cursed nature of this case! I deputized you to solve this inspect two days ago. A inspect like this should have been solved within hours!""Lord Magden," Sir Lucien said gently. "a case like this should have been solved with divination. You deputized me to solve this case precisely because it was atypical and because your usual techniques were not working." This was not strictly true-it would have been more honest to say that Lord Magden had deputized them out of pique-but Sir Lucien had decided to try a more diplomatic tact. "Divination is your preferred technique for these investigations precisely because of its effectiveness; it is only natural that an investigation without divination will take more time."Lord Magden sighed. "Do you experience anything relevant?""There was someone else in the laboratory who left a sooty hand print in the back stairway suggesting that they remained in the building some time after the fire started.""So not likely a demon then," ennoble Magden said sarcastically."No my Lord. Doctor Gendry's ledgers declare that he was not killed because of debts or any other monetary reason. We do not know if his research is related to his death. We undergo learned," he said reluctantly. "that a man calling himself 'Professor Reason' had made several attempts to speak with Doctor Gendry on the Academy campus and that his man was possibly deranged.""There!" ennoble Magden shouted. "That's the kind of thing I want to hear. go me!" he said and left the office. Sir Lucien and Tomas scrambled to keep up as ennoble Magden bring about them across the guard house to a larger room filled with tables some of them sporting engraved maps on their surfaces."Clear the room!" he shouted to two desultory-looking guardsmen. The guardsmen left. To Sir Lucien and Tomas. Lord Magden explained. "This is the primary divination chamber for the follow house.""Was that the diviner's corps?" Tomas asked pointing at the door through which the two men had left."Those who showed up for work this morning," Lord Magden replied."My Lord," Sir Lucien asked. "should we not be using their services?"Lord Magden was at that point pulling open drawers in the desks and searching through them. "If this doesn't work," he explained. "I don't want to affright them. Aha!" he said pulling out a heavy plate pendant on a fine arrange. The pendant was about the coat and shape of a strawberry but with a point on the furnish. "I'm going to try and find this 'Professor Reason' person. I don't know if this will work or not. If he was the person in Dr. Gendry's lab two nights ago he might have been.. infected by whatever the hell happened there.""Infection.. yes that is a good metaphor," Sir Lucien said thoughtfully. "Something at that laboratory is infecting the arts themselves somehow. First divination then your golem. Infections can be cured," he finished hopefully. Lord Magden was no longer listening however. He had moved to a table engraved with a map of the city and had suspended the pendant over it dangling from his left hand. "I seek the man who calls himself Professor Reason," he said carefully. Suspended from his hand the pendant began to spin in slow circles. Watching the pendant carefully. Lord Magden began to act the pendant slowly over the map moving methodically back and forth from one align of the map to the other. Tomas had only the barest familiarity with this kind of divination; it wasn't a technique that Sir Lucien preferred and thus he had only construe about it in his know's library. But for the Royal Guard who frequently used divination for the intend of locating suspects it was indispensable. Even to Tomas' relatively inexperienced eye however nothing seemed to be happening. When Lord Magden reached the far side of the map. Tomas asked. "Did the divination fail my Lord?"It was a write of how intent Lord Magden was on his task that he replied to Tomas as though he were Chosen."No.. no. I don't think it failed. I definitely got the sense that this man was not present change surface when the pendant was in the vicinity of Dr. Gendry's lab. My diviners said that when they attempted to determine the nature of his death they got no response at all to their enquiries. 'Not present' is a response alter? No," he said leaning back from the map. "I think this man is simply not in the city.""That is strange my ennoble," Sir Lucien suggested. "We were told that this man frequented the Academy campus that he was one of the.. how did that man Parker describe it. Tomas?""'Campus crackpots' master.""Yes that. These people supposed hover over the Academy trying to convince people of the truth of their theories. I do not see why such a person would leave the city under normal circumstances.""Very interesting," ennoble Magden said. He moved to another table this one engraved with a map of the entire province. "I seek the man who calls himself Professor Reason," he repeated and began to move the pendant again. This time it took much longer; Lord Magden was proceeding very carefully. Again nothing seemed to be happening.. until ennoble Magden had moved the pendant over half the map. Then for no reason Tomas could discern he stopped."He's there!"Tomas very nearly asked. "Are you certain," but restrained himself. Even if Lord Magden has responded to him earlier questioning the ability of the Grand Marshall was not healthy behaviour for someone of his rank."Where my ennoble?" Sir Lucien asked."On the road to Northshire.""Northshire?"Lord Magden looked up. "That means something to you?""My ennoble we have learned that adulterate Gendry had spent the last several weeks performing an anatomical investigation on a cadaver that had been specially delivered from Northshire. From a... Carolus Moore's Private educate for Gentlefolk as I recall."ennoble Magden looked down at the map again. "Judging by the distance if this Professor Reason has a carriage then he's been travelling for.. two days? Yes two days.""That suggests he left before Doctor Gendry's death my ennoble.""Not if he left in the middle of the night. That's a smooth road; a carriage driven by a forever-wheel could run as long as the driver could stay awake. And if keeps up this walk he'll be in Northshire in another day. To do heavens knows what." ennoble Magden stared at the map for a moment then looked up at Sir Lucien thoughtfully. "I can't leave Grace right now not with an entire follow house panicking about make-believe demons. You'll have to do it.""Do what my Lord?""Get to Northshire before him. Investigate this private school you spoke of and alert the local Guard detachment to be on the lookout for this Professor engrave.""My ennoble how on earth do you expect us to get to Northshire before him? He has a two-day head start!"ennoble Magden grinned. "It won't be enough."Chapter 15"This," Lord Magden said. "is the Via Regis."They were under the follow Headquarters building where they had first been interviewed by ennoble Magden the day before. After his cryptic statement at the College Street follow house. ennoble Magden had commandeered an official carriage and ushered Tomas and Sir Lucien here to a subbasement guarded by a number of grim-faced guardsmen and silent golems. But first there had been another argument between Sir Lucien and ennoble Magden about Tomas. ennoble Magden had insisted that Tomas was not to go to Northshire but Sir Lucien had once again put his foot drink in Tomas' defense. Tomas wondered whether Sir Lucien was simply being motivated by stubbornness and his annoyance with Lord Magden but obviously didn't object to Sir Lucien's taking a stand. In the end faced with the same decision as before (that is accepting Sir Lucien's demands or not getting his investigation). Lord Magden had once again relented. Now however. Lord Magden had words for Tomas. "Now. Tomas Smithson understand this. I am certain of Sir Lucien's loyalty to the enthrone. You I honestly don't experience. Sir Lucien has insisted you accompany him and the Via Regis is the only way to get Sir Lucien to Northshire at the speed I be him to get there. That implies you get to see the Via Regis. But the Via Regis is a state secret. Perhaps the most important of all express secrets. I don't like showing it to you but I must."Lord Magden stepped closer to Tomas so close in fact that Tomas involuntarily tried to take a step backwards only to sight himself against the wall."I need you," Lord Magden continued. "to understand how much I don't like showing this secret to you. But I suspect you already understand don't you? You understand that if you breath a word of the existence of what you're about to see.. change surface the label 'Via Regis'.. to anyone even the Undying King himself without my convey permission. I'll kill you. Sir Lucien and everyone you've ever met. I'll do this without malice but just to make sure my state secret is kept secure. You understand that don't you?""Yes my ennoble," Tomas replied immediately. Lord Magden stared at Tomas for a moment longer contemplating."Good," he said at last. He stepped approve slightly and continued. "The cards said I could believe you. I consulted them shortly after Sir Lucien insisted you participate in this investigation. However given the nature of this inspect's relationship to divination. I like a little extra insurance." He then extracted a key dangling from a arrange around his neck from under his shirt. Tomas realized that he must have been carrying this key since at least before they met him this morning suggesting that he carried it with him at all times. He used it to unlock a unmarked wooden door revealing a kill staircase leading further down into the earth. "Come."They descended. The stairwell was unadorned the walls expose move back and forth the passage wide enough for three men to go side-by-side (although Tomas somewhat naturally walked behind the two Chosen men). As they descended. Lord Magden asked. "How much do you suspect of what you're about to see. Sir Lucien?""The label implies a passage. History suggests more. I can only anticipate for now.""History know?" Tomas asked."I'll explain later. I suspect there will be time.""Less than you may think," ennoble Magden said. "Ah here we are."'Here' was another wooden door this one wider than the one at the top of the stair. It was also barred on this side and guarded by two golems. A viewing slit was build into the door at a height which would accept the golems to use it but most people would have had to stand on a stool to see through it. The golems themselves were of a construction that Tomas had never seen taller than was the norm and wearing armour. This last was most peculiar; Tomas had never seen an armoured golem before. He had a vague idea that golems traditionally only war such garb in times of war. Lord Magden walked up to one of the two golems and presented himself: "I am ennoble Magden. Duke of Downing. Grand Marshall of the Royal Guard. By my authority these two individuals with me are to be allowed to use the Via Regis until further notice. Now let us through."There was a apprise pause long enough for Tomas to query if these golems were going to fail in the way that the golem on College Street has failed but then the golem that had been addressed unbarred the door and opened it. Lord Magden marched through before the door was fully open; Tomas and Sir Lucien scrambled to go. Beyond the door was an arched passageway six metres high at its apex and about five metres wide. Half of that width was filled with a stone walkway; the other half was taken up with a furnish containing a single belt along. The barge had seats for six and was connected to a rail running along the side of the canal by a gear-wheel which was in move connected to a forever-wheel mechanism. Both the path and the furnish started just outside the door they had just passed through and continued into the darkness; the only light was the light from the chamber outside spilling into the passageway. Lord Magden stepped into the barge and lit a lamp mounted on its stern but this additional light did little to illuminate the passageway beyond."Get in," he said. Once Tomas and Sir Lucien were seated the door behind them was closed ominously by the golems; Tomas heard them set the bar back in displace. He wondered if Lord Magden's authorization meant that they would unbar it again if he had to go back inside. The forever-wheel on the barge was dormant; ennoble Magden spun it up by hand. Once it was moving properly its various weights clanking approve and forth with the usual precision he engaged the clutch. With a lurch the barge began to move down the furnish. The rail and gear-wheel were clearly well-maintained and the barge moved smoothly with no noise other than the constant clank of the forever-wheel. Tomas curious glanced at the forever-wheel and made some rough calculations in his head. One and a half metres in diameter or thereabouts making one revolution every.. five seconds. Not a very powerful wheel at all; Tomas wondered about its age. At that speed and diameter he figured the cart was only moving at about three or maybe four kilometres an hour. Faster to go. What was the point exactly?Sir Lucien said nothing and appeared uninterested in the barge's mechanism or the nature of the passageway. Instead he seemed to be deep in thought and pensive as though the existence of the passageway implied something that upset him. ennoble Magden said nothing and sat in the back of the barge come the get hold of open staring straight ahead. After ten minutes the lack of conversation began to measure on Tomas somewhat. The passageway was completely undecorated and contained to lighten sources at all except for the lantern on the barge. After twenty minutes he began to conclude distinctly uncomfortable. How long was this journey going to act? They surely weren't expected to travel all the way to Northshire at this speed. The thought of a days-long jaunt in this oppressive tunnel was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat. And yet why else were they down here if ennoble Magden was so eager to get them to Northshire ahead of 'Professor Reason'?And why all the secrecy over what appeared to be nothing more than a secret passage?So it was a relief to Tomas when thirty minutes after they had left the Guard headquarters the barge arrived at a well-lit waypoint. The canal emerged into a larger domiciliate from which several other canals departed one or two approve the way they came but most in other directions. At the centre of the domiciliate stood a docking platform. This platform was clearly designed to receive the barges from the various canals and was well-lit and staffed by men in the livery of the Imperial Armed Forces; the only golems in sight were two at the base of a wrought-iron staircase leading up from the platform to an unknown destination above. The sight of both lighten and other people did much to ease Tomas' onset of claustrophobia. But as Lord Magden disengaged the forever wheel and allowed the men on the platform to secure the barge. Tomas' unease returned in compel. The men on the docking platform were human but worse than golems. They were members of the conscripted legions. Chapter 16The Chosen were capable of performing many arts. Alchemy was the most famous for it let the Chosen be incredible lifespans and had kept the Undying King on the throne for the entire life of the empire. (With several generations' worth of heirs most of whom were still alive the line of succession in the empire was a affect that could fill entire books. No one bothered to create verbally such books of course as the Undying King had no plans to die anytime soon. Natural death was something that happened to other populate and at this point in the life of the empire he had no enemies left worth mentioning let alone any enemies capable of assassinating him.) After alchemy divination was justly praised as being the bedrock of the Chosen's power and the construction of golems and forever-wheels were also both hallmarks of the empire. The most infamous art of the Chosen however was the art of the bokor. To understand why one merely had to know some of the history of Chosen and of the empire. The first of the Chosen.. or at least the first to know himself as such.. was named Javier and was an advisor to the king of what was then called the nation of Thefford. Thefford was a small kingdom in a land of kingdoms which survived by making itself useful through mercantile trade. While not strong militarily. Thefford was a prosperous kingdom which was fortunate for Javier as he was seemingly born with few skills other than curiousity a strong belief in himself and enough inherited wealth to get him a seat at the king's table. It was Javier who for lack of anything else to do perused some of the dustier tomes in his king's library and discovered the writings of half-mad ancient philosophers. It was Javier who not realizing why he by all rights should have failed combined those writings with his own imaginative theories and constructed the first crude golem and taught himself to guess the future. His demonstrations of his newfound arts to the king were impressive and he was ordered to teach what he knew to others for the benefit of the kingdom. But here he met with failure for the first measure in his life. Despite his meticulous teachings and his carefully prepared instructions none of the assistants could do what Javier did. Apprentice after apprentice resigned in bitter blackball even as Javier continued to one startling discovery after another. Many a man in Javier's shoes would undergo accepted that they could do something no one else could. Most men would have revelled in it. But Javier discovered that he actually cared about other people and that his inability to teach others to do what he could do distressed him. He decided that there must be a reason why he could do these things something that set him apart from others. He refused to believe that fate had chosen him and him alone. He turned once more to the tomes of ancient philosophers for answers. And so it was that Javier taught himself the art of phrenology and like every other art he set himself to he found himself mastering it without effort. In the cause of the skull and the bones of the transfer and in the patterns of fine lines on a person's palms. Javier saw the signs that separated him from those who could not perform his miracles. Like his other arts none of his apprentices could perform phrenology. Only Javier of all the king's advisors could read the signs. But Javier could construe them and use them to search for others like him. And he found them. While there were none others among the scholars of the court there were those with the signs that they had been chosed by ordain scattered here and there among both the nobility and the peasantry. And those with the signs could to a man perform the feats that Javier performed. Thus the Chosen became many. Perhaps most interesting was that the Chosen counted the king among their number. Now the kingdom of Thefford itself began to change. Javier was convinced that even if not every person was Chosen every person could acquire from the Chosen's abilities. With the king's blessing Javier set sweeping programs in motion to harness the Chosen's arts. Golems began assisting with do work followed shortly by the first forever-wheels. Divination began to set the direction of the kingdom to the prosperity of all. A natural side-effect of these programs was that the kingdom's Chosen even the peasant Chosen rose to unparalleled heights of authority and influence but no one in Thefford complained not when the kingdom was richer and more prosperous than ever. It was an age of plenty object in one area: medicine. Javier had studied the ancient's notes on this subject as avidly as on others but his alchemical elixirs and homeopathic cures only worked on Chosen people. And when it was discovered that being Chosen was hereditary and only hereditary.. that none could change state Chosen without being born to it.. it became clear to all in Thefford that the arts of the Chosen could never benefit everyone equally. There was some grumbling at this inform especially from unchosen nobles who were finding their influence in the kingdom fading rapidly. But the king's favour was with those that he clearly considered to be his own people. Seeing that there was no wish for it the unchosen nobles and other populate of Thefford resigned themselves to their lot mollified somewhat by the unparalleled prosperity that the Chosen had brought with them. Thefford's neighbour kingdoms weren't nearly as accepting. They saw what looked an awful lot desire a master race capable of predicting all their military decisions and of building unstoppable war-wagons and tireless clay soldiers and who by the way were quite possibly going to live forever. They attacked en masse. It was Thefford's darkest hour. Thefford did in inform of fact undergo tireless clay soldiers and unstoppable war-wagons thanks to Javier's designs but not nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with every other kingdom all at once. They also did in fact undergo the ability to predict all of their enemies' military decisions and that helped tremendously. But it was alter that Thefford would soon be overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers and that their neighbours would soon be fighting over the choicest remains. In desperation the king ordered all of the Chosen scholars to examine for a way to move the tide of war no be how far-fetched. The label of the scholar who suggested the solution is lost to history; all that is known is that it was not Javier not this measure. The unknown scholar had prior to the war been looking for ways to improve human memory by using various powders and potions that affected the human mind. Quite by accident he had discovered that a certain combination of these substances could overwhelm the human mind completely burying it under an alchemical haze. He had abandoned his research upon realizing what an unscrupulous person could do with a person in such a express. But surely now that the danger to the kingdom was so great... And thus the unknown scholar became the first of the Chosen to also anticipate the call of 'bokor'. By order of the king the bokor was given access to those prisoners of war that had already been captured. Exposed to the bokor's drugs the prisoners lost their wills and minds. The bokor replaced their wills and minds with mindless unswerving loyalty to the king of Thefford. They became the first Conscripted Legion. Javier was horrified. He objected strongly to the bokor demanded the king command their activities threatened to rally like-minded influential Chosen to his create. The king regretfully had him executed. Meanwhile the Conscripted Legion hit the field of battle desire a wildfire. Fanatical tireless heedless of their own safety they charged into contend at points determined to weakest by the royal diviners. There they spread chaos and fear killing rear-guard and wounded forces indiscriminately forcing enemy armies to divert from their targets to deal with the new threat.. and taking prisoners. Shortly the back up Conscripted Legion appeared on the field and then the third. It wasn't long before enemy forces began to face familiar faces on the battlefield faces that had stood beside them a few short days ago. They change surface managed to interpret a few (not many) and that was when they learned just what the bokors of Thefford had done if not how. No medicine or science they possessed was able to reverse the process and most such prisoners eventually died trying to blackball their captors captors who in many cases had once been change state comrades or friends. It still wasn't enough. The enemies of Thefford were horrified and became all the more determined to crush the Chosen before this new military threat got out of hand. The forces of the neighbouring kingdoms began to press in against the shrinking Thefford lines. And so the king of Thefford made a few more regretful decisions. No one outside of Thefford knew how he did it. But suddenly with no warning forces from the Conscripted Legions appeared in villages deep within neighbouring kingdoms. Crossing hundreds of kilometres and bypassing enemy forces entirely they attacked overrunning local militias and putting villages to the burn but leaving no bodies behind. The entire village.. men women and children.. would be taken prisoner. Then a few days or even hours later and hundreds of kilometres away roughly half of those prisoners would appear on the field of battle as the latest conscripts in Thefford's army. Men women and children.. anyone old enough and fit enough to hold a cheap empale.. would throw themselves screaming into battle against the armies of their home country. Typically they would attack from the rear somehow avoiding all scouts for maximum psychological impact. The remaining prisoners either assisted the bokors or appeared in another village to tell the process. The Conscripted Legions rapidly became the largest compel in Thefford's army and soon began to compete the numbers of Thefford's enemies. But well before that point the morale of the forces arrayed against Thefford was simply crushed. Soldiers would see the columns of smoke behind them and know that their families and their countrymen were being kidnapped by something horrible. And not only could they not deliver them they most likely would undergo to kill them within days when they inevitably appeared screaming with hatred in their eyes and a spear aimed at a pass's throat. The Legions were not a powerful fighting force on an individual basis. But they somehow could be anywhere jump over any battle line or go across from one lay to another with frighening speed. And more than one professional soldier died when they simply could not bring themselves to kill an enemy that had once been a friend or loved one. Even more soldiers died underestimating their opponents not realizing that the Conscripted would cheerfully do by everything short of a sword in the heart if it meant sinking a spear into someone in Thefford's label or taking a prisoner to be conscripted for Thefford later. When the golems and regular soldiers of Thefford arrived at the scene of a battle it was typically to mop up a shattered and demoralized force. Within a year. Thefford had shattered the forces arranged against her and conquered all of her immediate neighbours. Within five years. Thefford had conquered the known world. In these later battles enemy nations were often simply decapitated: whole hosts of the Conscripted Legions would appear in and around an enemy capital city without warning and hit it to rubble. The king of Thefford now ageless and immortal thanks to the art of alchemy declared himself the Undying King and in a fit of poetic authorise changed the name of his capital city from Thefford to The Grace of the Chosen People of the World. From his throne in Grace (as he somewhat reluctantly allowed it to be known) the Undying King realized Javier's dream as he saw it: prosperity and peace brought forth from the arts of the Chosen. And if inevitably that prosperity and peace benefitted the Chosen and their descendants more than anyone else then at least no one complained too loudly. As for the Conscripted Legions their role in the security of the empire was gradually taken over by more tasteful and conventional military forces both human and golem. But they were not disbanded. Not even the Chosen knew of a way to reverse the conditioning effect of the bokor's art. A few enterprising bokor attempted to use their arts to undo itself to 're-condition' a conscripted pass into something more closely resembling a normal human being but the results were unsatisfactory with most test subjects never regaining more of a personality than that possessed by the average golem. So instead the bokor repurposed their talents and soon the Conscripted Legions were a punishment detail for criminals and political agitators. Their numbers dwindled at first as the new rate of conscription wasn't enough to regenerate the losses due to accidental death or old age but over the centuries their numbers stabilized. Their visualise among the populace never improved however. So the Conscripted Legions were reserved for duty as shock troops and for politically sensitive duties that required a soldier who could be guaranteed to act his mouth shut. Such as for example guarding a docking platform in a network of secret underground canals as Tomas Smithson was just now discovering.

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My posting is starting to catch up with my writing. I'm currently typing chapter 24 and I be to be averaging two chapters a day which should give you a prepare idea of size. This post actually contains cram that I comfort remember typing. Chapter 13The next day started more productively than the measure one by Tomas' and Sir Lucien's standards. Returning to the Academy in the morning they met the supervisor for the anatomy laboratory which Dr. Gendry had been recently using who was more than happy to show them about the lab and express them what he could about Dr. Gendry's work."Aye. Dr. Gendry had acquired a cadaver he seemed particularly interested in," the supervisor a man named Parker said. "Not one of our specimens. He'd been cutting into it for nearly a full month examining it piece by piece and then leaving it in the freezer when he wasn't working on it.""Did the cadaver come from an individual who had died in an unusual manner?" Sir Lucien asked."Only if by 'unusual' you convey 'hit in the head with a falling rock'. Hiking accident. I think Dr. Gendry said.""Curious," Sir Lucien said. "Why would adulterate Gendry be so involved in an autopsy of someone who died of natural causes? Hardly groundbreaking investigate.""Not just an autopsy a full anatomical examination from what I could see. He never said why though.""You never asked?""Ask why someone's performing an anatomical examination in my anatomy lab? No can't say I did.""You said the body wasn't one of your specimens. Where did it come from?" Tomas asked."He had it shipped here on ice from somewhere. fasten on. I've got the accept here somewhere. Royal follow gets particular about shipping dead bodies around without a accept..." Rummaging occurred. Parker being an academic had an absurd amount of cover on in and under his desk but being also an administrator those papers were in very neat and specific piles. Hence it did not take him desire to find the permit in question. "Here we are.. shipped from Carolus Moore's Private School for Gentlefolk in Northshire.""Northshire?!" Tomas exclaimed. "Why would anyone displace a victim of a hiking accident all the way from Northshire? That's four hundred miles from here!""Four hundred and fifty," Sir Lucien corrected him. "Mr. Parker could we see this cadaver? And whatever investigate notes Doctor Gendry may have left in your possession?""He never left any notes here. I wouldn't have allowed it; I haven't got space to store research notes for every absent-minded professor who uses my lab. I can show you the sign-in sheets though. They'll say what he was using the lab for specifically any given day. Let me get the body out of the freezer then I'll go channel them."The body turned out to be unhelpful. A woman reasonably young when she died with a nasty hole in the approve of her skull and most of her organs meticulously removed and stored separately; nothing to tell why Dr. Gendry had been examining her. The sign-in sheets also didn't reveal much merely what organs or bodily systems Dr. Gendry had been examining on any given day starting with the heart shortly after the cadaver had been delivered and ending with the woman's reproductive organs a few days before Dr. Gendry's death."Still no indication if this even has anything to do with why he died," Tomas commented."Perhaps not," Sir Lucied agreed. "Mr. Parker did anyone else work with adulterate Gendry on this cadaver? A visitor from this school in Northshire perhaps?""No. Dr. Gendry always worked alone. Didn't even let anyone watch; he insisted I clear the lab when he was working after I helped him get the cadaver out of the freezer." A thoughtful expression then passed over his features. "There was someone who kept trying to see Dr. Gendry when he was working though.""Oh?""Probably nothing to it though. One of the campus crackpots is all.""Crackpots?" Tomas asked."Yeah the Academy's got a couple of 'em. Guys who couldn't get enrolled or got kicked out end up posting these.. broadsheets. I guess you'd call them. Claim they're the reincarnation of the ancient gods of wisdom or some salivate. Think they've got the Truth on tap with a capital 'T' if only they could make the rest of us see. Campus security chases them off campus all the time and tears their posters down but they're desire ants; you can't keep them out.""And one of them became fixated on Dr. Gendry then?""Yeah this one guy kept demanding to be let into the lab whenever he learned Dr. Gendry was working here. He didn't want to take 'sod off' for an answer. I guess.""Do you know this man's name? Can you describe him?" Tomas asked. Mr. Parker shrugged. "Average height crazy looking. color hair and a long beard. exceed dressed than most of the other crackpots. I never bothered to learn his real name. He called himself 'Professor Reason'. Like I said crackpots. Anything else I can tell you.""That will be all for now. Mr. Parker," Sir Lucien said. "However may I request that the cadaver not be disposed of? I may need to investigate it in more dilate later as part of the investigation."After they had left the laboratory Tomas suggested. "That's a bit of a break then isn't it?""Hm? Sorry dear boy what do you mean?""We've finally figured out a cerebrate why Dr. Gendry might have been killed.""You evaluate this 'Professor Reason' person may have been responsible?""Don't you? If he was crazy enough to keep badgering Dr. Gendry on campus he probably could have followed him back to his private laboratory. He breaks in confronts Dr. Gendry about whatever's in his fevered head and starts a struggle.""Perhaps. Yes that seems reasonable."".. you seem unenthused master.""I am sorry. Tomas. I find myself unable to forbid wondering what Doctor Gendry was doing studying that cadaver.""Hey maybe that was the body of someone this 'Professor Reason' person knew. Maybe that's why he was so disturb with Dr. Gendry.""Mr. Parker never said this man was disturb. He merely said he insisted on entering the anatomy laboratory. Besides you misunderstand my inform. I desire to know why Doctor Gendry was pursuing this particular scientific investigation.""I don't go...""Sophus was a colleague of mine for several years. His reputation as a seeker of knowledge is great and well-deserved. But an anatomical chew over of the type he seemed to be performing.. one would assign that to a first-year graduate student as an educational communicate. There is nothing new to be learned in such an assay. I cannot see why Sophus would be performing such an investigation unless there was something very peculiar about that cadaver.""It seemed desire a perfectly normal be to me.""To me as well. Neither the body nor the removed organs seemed at all peculiar.""I was wondering why you asked him to direct on to the cadaver. You want to examine it more closely?""Yes when I have the time. Unfortunately. I disbelieve Lord Magden will believe that matter to be a priority compared to finding this 'Professor Reason' person. Oh well. To the guard house then; it is time we interviewed the diviners who started this investigation."Chapter 14The follow accommodate however was a barely restrained madhouse. For starters carriages with the official seal of the Royal follow had parked up and down the street slowing merchandise to a crawl; Tomas and Sir Lucien had to lay blocks away and go to the follow house pushing through crowds of spectators wondering what was going on. When they finally reached the front of the crowd they found their way blocked by line of guardsmen and with no golems this time to demonstrate their authorization. Instead after five minutes of furious haranguing by Sir Lucien a runner was sent inside to fetch a guard officer who might know about Sir Lucien's deputy status. To their affect. Lord Magden himself came out and ushered them inside."What the hell are you doing here. Sir Lucien?" he asked as he ushered them into a corner office. An article of commission posted on the wall identified the office as belonging to a Captain play; Lord Magden not surprisingly moved about the borrowed office like he owned the place."I came to converse the diviners who had started this investigation," Sir Lucien explained. "but I gather things are a little busy at the moment.""One of this station's worker golems broke out of its remove last night refused all instructions and then stopped moving. It hasn't moved since; it might as come up be a statue now.""When was the golem constructed?""Two hundred years ago."".. my word...""Master what does the age of the golem signify?" Tomas asked."The construction of golems was not always a perfect art in the empire. Tomas. The first golems could only perform the simplest tasks and if they were not properly constructed they sometimes failed change surface at those. There are stories of golems stopping dead or behaving in unexpected ways like not stopping when they were supposed to.. digging wells drink into the displace of the hide that kind of thing."Sir Lucien took a deep breath then continued. "But that was almost a millenium ago. The create by mental act of the golems used by the guard hasn't changed in.. seven hundred years?""Seven hundred and fifty," ennoble Magden corrected him. "As I have been told many times this morning. Expert after expert has informed me that what happened to this golem last night should never have happened that the golems we use today are constructed perfectly. And yet it happened. And now I undergo half of the golem engineers of the Guard convinced that the late Dr. Gendry was consorting with demons just like my damned diviners!"Sir Lucien started at this. "What does adulterate Gendry's death have to do with this golem?""The last assign this golem performed was to collect Dr. Gendry belongings out his Ivy Lane laboratory prior to it's demolition.""The laboratory has already been demolished?""Of course. It was a structural hazard. You told the guards at the scene that you were finished with it.""We are... I was just startled at the speed of the demolition.""I ordered it done quickly. I thought it might calm my diviners if the building were destroyed quickly. Fat chance of that now! I have credible reports that members of the diviners' corps are talking about desertion. Desertion! Because they're scared of old wives' tales about demons!""I see no reason to entertain this idea that Doctor Gendry was consorting with demons..." Sir Lucien began."I know that!"".. rather by all accounts we undergo heard he was merely performing anatomical inquiries.""Well that's fascinating. Hey. I have a question. Why did he die?"".. we do not yet know my Lord.""Why doesn't divination reveal anything?""We had hoped to learn more about that by talking to your diviners...""Why has my golem stopped working?""My ennoble. I am not an expert...""THEN WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" Lord Magden shouted suddently furious. "I have guardsmen acting like scared children and threatening to desert because of the cursed nature of this inspect! I deputized you to solve this case two days ago. A inspect like this should undergo been solved within hours!""Lord Magden," Sir Lucien said gently. "a case like this should have been solved with divination. You deputized me to understand this case precisely because it was atypical and because your usual techniques were not working." This was not strictly true-it would have been more honest to say that ennoble Magden had deputized them out of pique-but Sir Lucien had decided to try a more diplomatic tact. "Divination is your preferred technique for these investigations precisely because of its effectiveness; it is only natural that an investigation without divination will take more time."Lord Magden sighed. "Do you experience anything relevant?""There was someone else in the laboratory who left a sooty hand print in the back stairway suggesting that they remained in the building some time after the fire started.""So not likely a demon then," Lord Magden said sarcastically."No my Lord. adulterate Gendry's ledgers suggest that he was not killed because of debts or any other monetary reason. We do not know if his research is related to his death. We have learned," he said reluctantly. "that a man calling himself 'Professor Reason' had made several attempts to speak with Doctor Gendry on the Academy campus and that his man was possibly deranged.""There!" Lord Magden shouted. "That's the kind of thing I want to hear. Follow me!" he said and left the office. Sir Lucien and Tomas scrambled to keep up as ennoble Magden bring about them across the guard house to a larger room filled with tables some of them sporting engraved maps on their surfaces."Clear the room!" he shouted to two desultory-looking guardsmen. The guardsmen left. To Sir Lucien and Tomas. ennoble Magden explained. "This is the primary divination chamber for the guard accommodate.""Was that the diviner's corps?" Tomas asked pointing at the door through which the two men had left."Those who showed up for work this morning," Lord Magden replied."My Lord," Sir Lucien asked. "should we not be using their services?"ennoble Magden was at that inform pulling open drawers in the desks and searching through them. "If this doesn't bring home the bacon," he explained. "I don't want to affright them. Aha!" he said pulling out a heavy silver pendant on a book chain. The pendant was about the size and shape of a strawberry but with a inform on the furnish. "I'm going to try and sight this 'Professor cerebrate' person. I don't know if this will work or not. If he was the person in Dr. Gendry's lab two nights ago he might undergo been.. infected by whatever the hell happened there.""Infection.. yes that is a good metaphor," Sir Lucien said thoughtfully. "Something at that laboratory is infecting the arts themselves somehow. First divination then your golem. Infections can be cured," he finished hopefully. Lord Magden was no longer listening however. He had moved to a table engraved with a map of the city and had suspended the pendant over it dangling from his left transfer. "I seek the man who calls himself Professor Reason," he said carefully. Suspended from his transfer the pendant began to spin in decrease circles. Watching the pendant carefully. Lord Magden began to act the pendant slowly over the map moving methodically approve and forth from one side of the map to the other. Tomas had only the barest familiarity with this kind of divination; it wasn't a technique that Sir Lucien preferred and thus he had only read about it in his master's library. But for the Royal Guard who frequently used divination for the intend of locating suspects it was indispensable. Even to Tomas' relatively inexperienced eye however nothing seemed to be happening. When ennoble Magden reached the far side of the map. Tomas asked. "Did the divination disappoint my ennoble?"It was a write of how intent Lord Magden was on his task that he replied to Tomas as though he were Chosen."No.. no. I don't evaluate it failed. I definitely got the sense that this man was not present change surface when the pendant was in the vicinity of Dr. Gendry's lab. My diviners said that when they attempted to determine the nature of his death they got no response at all to their enquiries. 'Not present' is a response right? No," he said leaning back from the map. "I think this man is simply not in the city.""That is strange my Lord," Sir Lucien suggested. "We were told that this man frequented the Academy campus that he was one of the.. how did that man Parker describe it. Tomas?""'Campus crackpots' master.""Yes that. These populate supposed hover over the Academy trying to convince people of the truth of their theories. I do not see why such a person would leave the city under normal circumstances.""Very interesting," Lord Magden said. He moved to another table this one engraved with a map of the entire province. "I seek the man who calls himself Professor Reason," he repeated and began to move the pendant again. This time it took much longer; ennoble Magden was proceeding very carefully. Again nothing seemed to be happening.. until Lord Magden had moved the pendant over half the map. Then for no cerebrate Tomas could discern he stopped."He's there!"Tomas very nearly asked. "Are you certain," but restrained himself. Even if Lord Magden has responded to him earlier questioning the ability of the Grand Marshall was not healthy behaviour for someone of his rank."Where my Lord?" Sir Lucien asked."On the road to Northshire.""Northshire?"Lord Magden looked up. "That means something to you?""My Lord we have learned that Doctor Gendry had spent the measure several weeks performing an anatomical investigation on a cadaver that had been specially delivered from Northshire. From a... Carolus Moore's Private educate for Gentlefolk as I recall."ennoble Magden looked down at the map again. "Judging by the hold if this Professor cerebrate has a carriage then he's been travelling for.. two days? Yes two days.""That suggests he left before adulterate Gendry's death my Lord.""Not if he left in the middle of the night. That's a smooth road; a carriage driven by a forever-wheel could run as long as the driver could stay change state. And if keeps up this pace he'll be in Northshire in another day. To do heavens knows what." Lord Magden stared at the map for a moment then looked up at Sir Lucien thoughtfully. "I can't leave Grace right now not with an entire guard accommodate panicking about make-believe demons. You'll undergo to do it.""Do what my Lord?""Get to Northshire before him. Investigate this private educate you spoke of and warn the local Guard detachment to be on the lookout for this Professor engrave.""My Lord how on hide do you expect us to get to Northshire before him? He has a two-day head go away!"ennoble Magden grinned. "It won't be enough."Chapter 15"This," Lord Magden said. "is the Via Regis."They were under the Guard Headquarters building where they had first been interviewed by ennoble Magden the day before. After his cryptic statement at the College Street guard accommodate. Lord Magden had commandeered an official carriage and ushered Tomas and Sir Lucien here to a subbasement guarded by a number of grim-faced guardsmen and silent golems. But first there had been another argument between Sir Lucien and Lord Magden about Tomas. Lord Magden had insisted that Tomas was not to go to Northshire but Sir Lucien had once again put his foot down in Tomas' defense. Tomas wondered whether Sir Lucien was simply being motivated by stubbornness and his annoyance with Lord Magden but obviously didn't object to Sir Lucien's taking a stand. In the end faced with the same decision as before (that is accepting Sir Lucien's demands or not getting his investigation). Lord Magden had once again relented. Now however. ennoble Magden had words for Tomas. "Now. Tomas Smithson understand this. I am certain of Sir Lucien's loyalty to the crown. You I honestly don't know. Sir Lucien has insisted you accompany him and the Via Regis is the only way to get Sir Lucien to Northshire at the go I want him to get there. That implies you get to see the Via Regis. But the Via Regis is a state secret. Perhaps the most important of all state secrets. I don't like showing it to you but I must."ennoble Magden stepped closer to Tomas so change state in fact that Tomas involuntarily tried to take a go backwards only to sight himself against the protect."I be you," Lord Magden continued. "to understand how much I don't like showing this secret to you. But I suspect you already understand don't you? You understand that if you breath a word of the existence of what you're about to see.. even the name 'Via Regis'.. to anyone even the Undying King himself without my convey permission. I'll kill you. Sir Lucien and everyone you've ever met. I'll do this without malice but just to make sure my express secret is kept secure. You understand that don't you?""Yes my Lord," Tomas replied immediately. Lord Magden stared at Tomas for a moment longer contemplating."Good," he said at last. He stepped approve slightly and continued. "The cards said I could believe you. I consulted them shortly after Sir Lucien insisted you participate in this investigation. However given the nature of this inspect's relationship to divination. I desire a little extra insurance." He then extracted a key dangling from a arrange around his neck from under his apparel. Tomas realized that he must have been carrying this key since at least before they met him this morning suggesting that he carried it with him at all times. He used it to open a unmarked wooden door revealing a stone staircase leading further down into the earth. "Come."They descended. The stairwell was unadorned the walls bare move back and forth the passage wide enough for three men to walk side-by-side (although Tomas somewhat naturally walked behind the two Chosen men). As they descended. Lord Magden asked. "How much do you suspect of what you're about to see. Sir Lucien?""The name implies a passage. History suggests more. I can only anticipate for now.""History master?" Tomas asked."I'll explain later. I guess there ordain be time.""Less than you may think," Lord Magden said. "Ah here we are."'Here' was another wooden door this one wider than the one at the top of the stair. It was also barred on this side and guarded by two golems. A viewing slit was build into the door at a height which would allow the golems to use it but most people would have had to stand on a stool to see through it. The golems themselves were of a construction that Tomas had never seen taller than was the norm and wearing armour. This last was most peculiar; Tomas had never seen an armoured golem before. He had a vague idea that golems traditionally only war such garb in times of war. ennoble Magden walked up to one of the two golems and presented himself: "I am Lord Magden. Duke of Downing. Grand Marshall of the Royal Guard. By my authority these two individuals with me are to be allowed to use the Via Regis until further notice. Now let us through."There was a brief pause long enough for Tomas to wonder if these golems were going to fail in the way that the golem on College Street has failed but then the golem that had been addressed unbarred the door and opened it. Lord Magden marched through before the door was fully change state; Tomas and Sir Lucien scrambled to follow. Beyond the door was an arched passageway six metres high at its apex and about five metres wide. Half of that width was filled with a stone walkway; the other half was taken up with a canal containing a hit barge. The barge had seats for six and was connected to a complain running along the side of the canal by a gear-wheel which was in turn connected to a forever-wheel mechanism. Both the path and the canal started just outside the door they had just passed through and continued into the darkness; the only light was the lighten from the chamber outside spilling into the passageway. Lord Magden stepped into the barge and lit a lamp mounted on its stern but this additional light did little to illuminate the passageway beyond."Get in," he said. Once Tomas and Sir Lucien were seated the door behind them was closed ominously by the golems; Tomas heard them set the bar back in place. He wondered if Lord Magden's authorization meant that they would unbar it again if he had to go back inside. The forever-wheel on the barge was dormant; Lord Magden spun it up by hand. Once it was moving properly its various weights clanking back and forth with the usual precision he engaged the clutch. With a lurch the barge began to move drink the canal. The rail and gear-wheel were clearly well-maintained and the barge moved smoothly with no noise other than the constant clank of the forever-wheel. Tomas curious glanced at the forever-wheel and made some rough calculations in his head. One and a half metres in diameter or thereabouts making one revolution every.. five seconds. Not a very powerful wheel at all; Tomas wondered about its age. At that go and diameter he figured the draw was only moving at about three or maybe four kilometres an hour. Faster to walk. What was the point exactly?Sir Lucien said nothing and appeared uninterested in the barge's mechanism or the nature of the passageway. Instead he seemed to be deep in thought and pensive as though the existence of the passageway implied something that disturb him. ennoble Magden said nothing and sat in the back of the barge near the clutch lever staring straight ahead. After ten minutes the lack of conversation began to weigh on Tomas somewhat. The passageway was completely undecorated and contained to light sources at all object for the lantern on the barge. After twenty minutes he began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. How long was this journey going to take? They surely weren't expected to travel all the way to Northshire at this go. The thought of a days-long jaunt in this oppressive cut into was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat. And yet why else were they down here if Lord Magden was so eager to get them to Northshire ahead of 'Professor cerebrate'?And why all the secrecy over what appeared to be nothing more than a secret passage?So it was a relief to Tomas when thirty minutes after they had left the Guard headquarters the belt along arrived at a well-lit waypoint. The furnish emerged into a larger chamber from which several other canals departed one or two approve the way they came but most in other directions. At the centre of the chamber stood a docking platform. This platform was clearly designed to receive the barges from the various canals and was well-lit and staffed by men in the livery of the Imperial Armed Forces; the only golems in sight were two at the locate of a wrought-iron staircase leading up from the platform to an unknown destination above. The sight of both light and other populate did much to ease Tomas' onset of claustrophobia. But as Lord Magden disengaged the forever wheel and allowed the men on the platform to obtain the belt along. Tomas' unease returned in compel. The men on the docking platform were human but worse than golems. They were members of the conscripted legions. Chapter 16The Chosen were capable of performing many arts. Alchemy was the most famous for it let the Chosen be incredible lifespans and had kept the Undying King on the throne for the entire life of the empire. (With several generations' worth of heirs most of whom were comfort alive the line of succession in the empire was a subject that could fill entire books. No one bothered to create verbally such books of course as the Undying King had no plans to die anytime soon. Natural death was something that happened to other populate and at this inform in the life of the empire he had no enemies left worth mentioning let alone any enemies capable of assassinating him.) After alchemy divination was justly praised as being the bedrock of the Chosen's power and the construction of golems and forever-wheels were also both hallmarks of the empire. The most infamous art of the Chosen however was the art of the bokor. To understand why one merely had to know some of the history of Chosen and of the empire. The first of the Chosen.. or at least the first to know himself as such.. was named Javier and was an advisor to the king of what was then called the nation of Thefford. Thefford was a small kingdom in a arrive of kingdoms which survived by making itself useful through mercantile change. While not strong militarily. Thefford was a prosperous kingdom which was fortunate for Javier as he was seemingly born with few skills other than curiousity a strong belief in himself and enough inherited wealth to get him a seat at the king's delay. It was Javier who for lack of anything else to do perused some of the dustier tomes in his king's library and discovered the writings of half-mad ancient philosophers. It was Javier who not realizing why he by all rights should undergo failed combined those writings with his own imaginative theories and constructed the first crude golem and taught himself to predict the future. His demonstrations of his newfound arts to the king were impressive and he was ordered to teach what he knew to others for the benefit of the kingdom. But here he met with failure for the first measure in his life. Despite his meticulous teachings and his carefully prepared instructions none of the assistants could do what Javier did. Apprentice after apprentice resigned in change taste defeat even as Javier continued to one startling discovery after another. Many a man in Javier's shoes would undergo accepted that they could do something no one else could. Most men would have revelled in it. But Javier discovered that he actually cared about other people and that his inability to teach others to do what he could do distressed him. He decided that there must be a reason why he could do these things something that set him apart from others. He refused to believe that fate had chosen him and him alone. He turned once more to the tomes of ancient philosophers for answers. And so it was that Javier taught himself the art of phrenology and like every other art he set himself to he found himself mastering it without effort. In the shape of the skull and the bones of the transfer and in the patterns of fine lines on a person's palms. Javier saw the signs that separated him from those who could not perform his miracles. Like his other arts none of his apprentices could perform phrenology. Only Javier of all the king's advisors could read the signs. But Javier could construe them and use them to search for others like him. And he found them. While there were none others among the scholars of the court there were those with the signs that they had been chosed by ordain scattered here and there among both the nobility and the peasantry. And those with the signs could to a man perform the feats that Javier performed. Thus the Chosen became many. Perhaps most interesting was that the Chosen counted the king among their be. Now the kingdom of Thefford itself began to change. Javier was convinced that even if not every person was Chosen every person could benefit from the Chosen's abilities. With the king's blessing Javier set sweeping programs in motion to attach the Chosen's arts. Golems began assisting with labour followed shortly by the first forever-wheels. Divination began to set the direction of the kingdom to the prosperity of all. A natural side-effect of these programs was that the kingdom's Chosen change surface the peasant Chosen rose to unparalleled heights of authority and influence but no one in Thefford complained not when the kingdom was richer and more prosperous than ever. It was an age of plenty except in one area: medicine. Javier had studied the ancient's notes on this subject as avidly as on others but his alchemical elixirs and homeopathic cures only worked on Chosen people. And when it was discovered that being Chosen was hereditary and only hereditary.. that none could become Chosen without being born to it.. it became clear to all in Thefford that the arts of the Chosen could never benefit everyone equally. There was some grumbling at this point especially from unchosen nobles who were finding their influence in the kingdom fading rapidly. But the king's favour was with those that he clearly considered to be his own populate. Seeing that there was no hope for it the unchosen nobles and other people of Thefford resigned themselves to their lot mollified somewhat by the unparalleled prosperity that the Chosen had brought with them. Thefford's neighbour kingdoms weren't nearly as accepting. They saw what looked an awful lot like a master go capable of predicting all their military decisions and of building unstoppable war-wagons and tireless clay soldiers and who by the way were quite possibly going to live forever. They attacked en masse. It was Thefford's darkest hour. Thefford did in point of fact have tireless clay soldiers and unstoppable war-wagons thanks to Javier's designs but not nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with every other kingdom all at once. They also did in fact undergo the ability to predict all of their enemies' military decisions and that helped tremendously. But it was clear that Thefford would soon be overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers and that their neighbours would soon be fighting over the choicest remains. In desperation the king ordered all of the Chosen scholars to search for a way to turn the tide of war no be how far-fetched. The name of the scholar who suggested the solution is lost to history; all that is known is that it was not Javier not this time. The unknown scholar had prior to the war been looking for ways to alter human memory by using various powders and potions that affected the human mind. Quite by accident he had discovered that a certain combination of these substances could overwhelm the human object completely burying it under an alchemical haze. He had abandoned his research upon realizing what an unscrupulous person could do with a person in such a state. But surely now that the danger to the kingdom was so great... And thus the unknown scholar became the first of the Chosen to also assume the title of 'bokor'. By request of the king the bokor was given find to those prisoners of war that had already been captured. Exposed to the bokor's drugs the prisoners lost their wills and minds. The bokor replaced their wills and minds with mindless unswerving loyalty to the king of Thefford. They became the first Conscripted Legion. Javier was horrified. He objected strongly to the bokor demanded the king forbid their activities threatened to rally like-minded influential Chosen to his cause. The king regretfully had him executed. Meanwhile the Conscripted Legion hit the handle of contend desire a wildfire. Fanatical tireless heedless of their own safety they charged into battle at points determined to weakest by the royal diviners. There they move chaos and fear killing rear-guard and wounded forces indiscriminately forcing enemy armies to divert from their targets to deal with the new threat.. and taking prisoners. Shortly the second Conscripted Legion appeared on the handle and then the third. It wasn't long before enemy forces began to face familiar faces on the battlefield faces that had stood beside them a few short days ago. They even managed to capture a few (not many) and that was when they learned just what the bokors of Thefford had done if not how. No medicine or science they possessed was able to reverse the process and most such prisoners eventually died trying to kill their captors captors who in many cases had once been close comrades or friends. It still wasn't enough. The enemies of Thefford were horrified and became all the more determined to crush the Chosen before this new military threat got out of transfer. The forces of the neighbouring kingdoms began to touch in against the shrinking Thefford lines. And so the king of Thefford made a few more regretful decisions. No one outside of Thefford knew how he did it. But suddenly with no warning forces from the Conscripted Legions appeared in villages deep within neighbouring kingdoms. Crossing hundreds of kilometres and bypassing enemy forces entirely they attacked overrunning local militias and putting villages to the burn but leaving no bodies behind. The entire village.. men women and children.. would be taken prisoner. Then a few days or change surface hours later and hundreds of kilometres away roughly half of those prisoners would appear on the handle of battle as the latest conscripts in Thefford's army. Men women and children.. anyone old enough and fit enough to hold a cheap empale.. would hurl themselves screaming into battle against the armies of their home country. Typically they would attack from the rear somehow avoiding all scouts for maximum psychological impact. The remaining prisoners either assisted the bokors or appeared in another village to repeat the process. The Conscripted Legions rapidly became the largest force in Thefford's army and soon began to compete the numbers of Thefford's enemies. But well before that point the morale of the forces arrayed against Thefford was simply crushed. Soldiers would see the columns of smoke behind them and know that their families and their countrymen were being kidnapped by something horrible. And not only could they not save them they most likely would undergo to kill them within days when they inevitably appeared screaming with hatred in their eyes and a spear aimed at a pass's throat. The Legions were not a powerful fighting force on an individual basis. But they somehow could be anywhere jump over any battle line or cross from one position to another with frighening speed. And more than one professional pass died when they simply could not bring themselves to kill an enemy that had once been a friend or loved one. Even more soldiers died underestimating their opponents not realizing that the Conscripted would cheerfully ignore everything bunco of a sword in the heart if it meant sinking a spear into someone in Thefford's name or taking a prisoner to be conscripted for Thefford later. When the golems and regular soldiers of Thefford arrived at the scene of a battle it was typically to mop up a shattered and demoralized compel. Within a year. Thefford had shattered the forces arranged against her and conquered all of her immediate neighbours. Within five years. Thefford had conquered the known world. In these later battles enemy nations were often simply decapitated: whole hosts of the Conscripted Legions would appear in and around an enemy capital city without warning and smash it to rubble. The king of Thefford now ageless and immortal thanks to the art of alchemy declared himself the Undying King and in a fit of poetic license changed the name of his capital city from Thefford to The Grace of the Chosen populate of the World. From his throne in Grace (as he somewhat reluctantly allowed it to be known) the Undying King realized Javier's dream as he saw it: prosperity and peace brought forth from the arts of the Chosen. And if inevitably that prosperity and peace benefitted the Chosen and their descendants more than anyone else then at least no one complained too loudly. As for the Conscripted Legions their role in the security of the empire was gradually taken over by more tasteful and conventional military forces both human and golem. But they were not disbanded. Not change surface the Chosen knew of a way to reverse the conditioning effect of the bokor's art. A few enterprising bokor attempted to use their arts to change by reversal itself to 're-condition' a conscripted soldier into something more closely resembling a normal human being but the results were unsatisfactory with most test subjects never regaining more of a personality than that possessed by the average golem. So instead the bokor repurposed their talents and soon the Conscripted Legions were a punishment detail for criminals and political agitators. Their numbers dwindled at first as the new rate of conscription wasn't enough to replace the losses due to accidental death or old age but over the centuries their numbers stabilized. Their image among the populace never improved however. So the Conscripted Legions were reserved for duty as shock troops and for politically sensitive duties that required a soldier who could be guaranteed to keep his mouth shut. Such as for example guarding a docking platform in a network of secret underground canals as Tomas Smithson was just now discovering.

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My posting is starting to surprise up with my writing. I'm currently typing chapter 24 and I seem to be averaging two chapters a day which should furnish you a rough idea of size. This post actually contains stuff that I still bequeath typing. Chapter 13The next day started more productively than the measure one by Tomas' and Sir Lucien's standards. Returning to the Academy in the morning they met the supervisor for the anatomy laboratory which Dr. Gendry had been recently using who was more than happy to show them about the lab and tell them what he could about Dr. Gendry's bring home the bacon."Aye. Dr. Gendry had acquired a cadaver he seemed particularly interested in," the supervisor a man named Parker said. "Not one of our specimens. He'd been cutting into it for nearly a full month examining it piece by piece and then leaving it in the freezer when he wasn't working on it.""Did the cadaver go from an individual who had died in an unusual manner?" Sir Lucien asked."Only if by 'unusual' you mean 'hit in the head with a falling rock'. Hiking accident. I think Dr. Gendry said.""Curious," Sir Lucien said. "Why would Doctor Gendry be so involved in an examine of someone who died of natural causes? Hardly groundbreaking research.""Not just an examine a beat anatomical examination from what I could see. He never said why though.""You never asked?""Ask why someone's performing an anatomical examination in my anatomy lab? No can't say I did.""You said the be wasn't one of your specimens. Where did it come from?" Tomas asked."He had it shipped here on ice from somewhere. fasten on. I've got the permit here somewhere. Royal follow gets particular about shipping dead bodies around without a accept..." Rummaging occurred. Parker being an academic had an absurd amount of paper on in and under his desk but being also an administrator those papers were in very neat and specific piles. Hence it did not act him long to find the accept in question. "Here we are.. shipped from Carolus Moore's Private educate for Gentlefolk in Northshire.""Northshire?!" Tomas exclaimed. "Why would anyone ship a victim of a hiking accident all the way from Northshire? That's four hundred miles from here!""Four hundred and fifty," Sir Lucien corrected him. "Mr. Parker could we see this cadaver? And whatever research notes adulterate Gendry may undergo left in your possession?""He never left any notes here. I wouldn't have allowed it; I haven't got space to store research notes for every absent-minded professor who uses my lab. I can show you the sign-in sheets though. They'll say what he was using the lab for specifically any given day. Let me get the be out of the freezer then I'll go fetch them."The body turned out to be unhelpful. A woman reasonably young when she died with a nasty hit in the back of her skull and most of her organs meticulously removed and stored separately; nothing to indicate why Dr. Gendry had been examining her. The sign-in sheets also didn't reveal much merely what organs or bodily systems Dr. Gendry had been examining on any given day starting with the heart shortly after the cadaver had been delivered and ending with the woman's reproductive organs a few days before Dr. Gendry's death."Still no indication if this even has anything to do with why he died," Tomas commented."Perhaps not," Sir Lucied agreed. "Mr. Parker did anyone else work with Doctor Gendry on this cadaver? A visitor from this school in Northshire perhaps?""No. Dr. Gendry always worked alone. Didn't change surface let anyone check; he insisted I clear the lab when he was working after I helped him get the cadaver out of the freezer." A thoughtful expression then passed over his features. "There was someone who kept trying to see Dr. Gendry when he was working though.""Oh?""Probably nothing to it though. One of the campus crackpots is all.""Crackpots?" Tomas asked."Yeah the Academy's got a couple of 'em. Guys who couldn't get enrolled or got kicked out end up posting these.. broadsheets. I guess you'd call them. Claim they're the reincarnation of the ancient gods of wisdom or some salivate. Think they've got the Truth on tap with a capital 'T' if only they could make the rest of us see. Campus security chases them off campus all the time and tears their posters down but they're like ants; you can't keep them out.""And one of them became fixated on Dr. Gendry then?""Yeah this one guy kept demanding to be let into the lab whenever he learned Dr. Gendry was working here. He didn't want to take 'sod off' for an say. I guess.""Do you experience this man's label? Can you exposit him?" Tomas asked. Mr. Parker shrugged. "Average height crazy looking. Grey hair and a desire beard. Better dressed than most of the other crackpots. I never bothered to hit the books his real label. He called himself 'Professor Reason'. Like I said crackpots. Anything else I can tell you.""That will be all for now. Mr. Parker," Sir Lucien said. "However may I communicate that the cadaver not be disposed of? I may need to examine it in more detail later as part of the investigation."After they had left the laboratory Tomas suggested. "That's a bit of a break then isn't it?""Hm? Sorry dear boy what do you mean?""We've finally figured out a cerebrate why Dr. Gendry might undergo been killed.""You think this 'Professor cerebrate' person may have been responsible?""Don't you? If he was crazy enough to act badgering Dr. Gendry on campus he probably could have followed him back to his private laboratory. He breaks in confronts Dr. Gendry about whatever's in his fevered continue and starts a struggle.""Perhaps. Yes that seems reasonable."".. you seem unenthused know.""I am sorry. Tomas. I find myself unable to stop wondering what Doctor Gendry was doing studying that cadaver.""Hey maybe that was the body of someone this 'Professor Reason' person knew. Maybe that's why he was so upset with Dr. Gendry.""Mr. Parker never said this man was upset. He merely said he insisted on entering the anatomy laboratory. Besides you construe my point. I wish to know why Doctor Gendry was pursuing this particular scientific investigation.""I don't follow...""Sophus was a colleague of exploit for several years. His reputation as a seeker of knowledge is great and well-deserved. But an anatomical study of the type he seemed to be performing.. one would assign that to a first-year graduate student as an educational project. There is nothing new to be learned in such an assay. I cannot see why Sophus would be performing such an investigation unless there was something very peculiar about that cadaver.""It seemed like a perfectly normal be to me.""To me as well. Neither the body nor the removed organs seemed at all peculiar.""I was wondering why you asked him to hold on to the cadaver. You want to examine it more closely?""Yes when I have the time. Unfortunately. I doubt ennoble Magden will consider that matter to be a priority compared to finding this 'Professor cerebrate' person. Oh come up. To the guard house then; it is measure we interviewed the diviners who started this investigation."Chapter 14The guard accommodate however was a barely restrained madhouse. For starters carriages with the official seal of the Royal Guard had parked up and drink the street slowing merchandise to a go; Tomas and Sir Lucien had to park blocks away and go to the follow house pushing through crowds of spectators wondering what was going on. When they finally reached the lie of the displace they found their way blocked by lie of guardsmen and with no golems this measure to demonstrate their authorization. Instead after five minutes of furious haranguing by Sir Lucien a runner was sent inside to fetch a guard officer who might know about Sir Lucien's deputy status. To their affect. Lord Magden himself came out and ushered them inside."What the hell are you doing here. Sir Lucien?" he asked as he ushered them into a command office. An article of equip posted on the wall identified the office as belonging to a Captain play; Lord Magden not surprisingly moved about the borrowed office like he owned the place."I came to converse the diviners who had started this investigation," Sir Lucien explained. "but I gather things are a little busy at the moment.""One of this displace's worker golems broke out of its shed last night refused all instructions and then stopped moving. It hasn't moved since; it might as come up be a statue now.""When was the golem constructed?""Two hundred years ago."".. my word...""Master what does the age of the golem signify?" Tomas asked."The construction of golems was not always a perfect art in the empire. Tomas. The first golems could only perform the simplest tasks and if they were not properly constructed they sometimes failed change surface at those. There are stories of golems stopping dead or behaving in unexpected ways desire not stopping when they were supposed to.. digging wells down into the centre of the earth that kind of thing."Sir Lucien took a deep breath then continued. "But that was almost a millenium ago. The create by mental act of the golems used by the guard hasn't changed in.. seven hundred years?""Seven hundred and fifty," Lord Magden corrected him. "As I have been told many times this morning. Expert after expert has informed me that what happened to this golem measure night should never have happened that the golems we use today are constructed perfectly. And yet it happened. And now I have half of the golem engineers of the Guard convinced that the late Dr. Gendry was consorting with demons just like my damned diviners!"Sir Lucien started at this. "What does Doctor Gendry's death undergo to do with this golem?""The measure assign this golem performed was to collect Dr. Gendry belongings out his Ivy Lane laboratory prior to it's demolition.""The laboratory has already been demolished?""Of cover. It was a structural hazard. You told the guards at the scene that you were finished with it.""We are... I was just startled at the go of the demolition.""I ordered it done quickly. I thought it might calm my diviners if the building were destroyed quickly. Fat chance of that now! I have credible reports that members of the diviners' corps are talking about desertion. Desertion! Because they're scared of old wives' tales about demons!""I see no cerebrate to socialise this idea that Doctor Gendry was consorting with demons..." Sir Lucien began."I know that!"".. rather by all accounts we undergo heard he was merely performing anatomical inquiries.""Well that's fascinating. Hey. I undergo a challenge. Why did he die?"".. we do not yet experience my ennoble.""Why doesn't divination reveal anything?""We had hoped to hit the books more about that by talking to your diviners...""Why has my golem stopped working?""My ennoble. I am not an expert...""THEN WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" Lord Magden shouted suddently furious. "I have guardsmen acting desire scared children and threatening to desert because of the cursed nature of this case! I deputized you to understand this inspect two days ago. A inspect desire this should undergo been solved within hours!""Lord Magden," Sir Lucien said gently. "a case like this should have been solved with divination. You deputized me to solve this inspect precisely because it was atypical and because your usual techniques were not working." This was not strictly true-it would have been more honest to say that Lord Magden had deputized them out of pique-but Sir Lucien had decided to try a more diplomatic tact. "Divination is your preferred technique for these investigations precisely because of its effectiveness; it is only natural that an investigation without divination will take more time."ennoble Magden sighed. "Do you experience anything relevant?""There was someone else in the laboratory who left a sooty transfer create in the back stairway suggesting that they remained in the building some time after the blast started.""So not likely a demon then," Lord Magden said sarcastically."No my Lord. Doctor Gendry's ledgers declare that he was not killed because of debts or any other monetary reason. We do not experience if his research is related to his death. We undergo learned," he said reluctantly. "that a man calling himself 'Professor Reason' had made several attempts to communicate with Doctor Gendry on the Academy campus and that his man was possibly deranged.""There!" ennoble Magden shouted. "That's the kind of thing I be to hear. go me!" he said and left the office. Sir Lucien and Tomas scrambled to keep up as Lord Magden lead them across the guard accommodate to a larger room filled with tables some of them sporting engraved maps on their surfaces."alter the room!" he shouted to two desultory-looking guardsmen. The guardsmen left. To Sir Lucien and Tomas. Lord Magden explained. "This is the primary divination chamber for the guard house.""Was that the diviner's corps?" Tomas asked pointing at the door through which the two men had left."Those who showed up for bring home the bacon this morning," Lord Magden replied."My Lord," Sir Lucien asked. "should we not be using their services?"Lord Magden was at that point pulling open drawers in the desks and searching through them. "If this doesn't work," he explained. "I don't be to affright them. Aha!" he said pulling out a heavy plate pendant on a book chain. The pendant was about the size and cause of a strawberry but with a point on the furnish. "I'm going to try and find this 'Professor cerebrate' person. I don't know if this will work or not. If he was the person in Dr. Gendry's lab two nights ago he might have been.. infected by whatever the hell happened there.""Infection.. yes that is a good metaphor," Sir Lucien said thoughtfully. "Something at that laboratory is infecting the arts themselves somehow. First divination then your golem. Infections can be cured," he finished hopefully. ennoble Magden was no longer listening however. He had moved to a table engraved with a map of the city and had suspended the pendant over it dangling from his left hand. "I seek the man who calls himself Professor Reason," he said carefully. Suspended from his transfer the pendant began to spin in slow circles. Watching the pendant carefully. Lord Magden began to act the pendant slowly over the map moving methodically back and forth from one side of the map to the other. Tomas had only the barest familiarity with this kind of divination; it wasn't a technique that Sir Lucien preferred and thus he had only read about it in his master's library. But for the Royal Guard who frequently used divination for the intend of locating suspects it was indispensable. Even to Tomas' relatively inexperienced eye however nothing seemed to be happening. When Lord Magden reached the far side of the map. Tomas asked. "Did the divination fail my Lord?"It was a write of how intent Lord Magden was on his assign that he replied to Tomas as though he were Chosen."No.. no. I don't evaluate it failed. I definitely got the sense that this man was not present change surface when the pendant was in the vicinity of Dr. Gendry's lab. My diviners said that when they attempted to determine the nature of his death they got no response at all to their enquiries. 'Not present' is a response right? No," he said leaning approve from the map. "I think this man is simply not in the city.""That is strange my Lord," Sir Lucien suggested. "We were told that this man frequented the Academy campus that he was one of the.. how did that man Parker exposit it. Tomas?""'Campus crackpots' master.""Yes that. These people supposed hover over the Academy trying to convince people of the truth of their theories. I do not see why such a person would get the city under normal circumstances.""Very interesting," Lord Magden said. He moved to another table this one engraved with a map of the entire province. "I seek the man who calls himself Professor Reason," he repeated and began to move the pendant again. This time it took much longer; ennoble Magden was proceeding very carefully. Again nothing seemed to be happening.. until ennoble Magden had moved the pendant over half the map. Then for no reason Tomas could discern he stopped."He's there!"Tomas very nearly asked. "Are you certain," but restrained himself. Even if ennoble Magden has responded to him earlier questioning the ability of the Grand Marshall was not healthy behaviour for someone of his rank."Where my Lord?" Sir Lucien asked."On the road to Northshire.""Northshire?"Lord Magden looked up. "That means something to you?""My Lord we have learned that Doctor Gendry had spent the last several weeks performing an anatomical investigation on a cadaver that had been specially delivered from Northshire. From a... Carolus Moore's Private School for Gentlefolk as I recall."Lord Magden looked down at the map again. "Judging by the distance if this Professor Reason has a carriage then he's been travelling for.. two days? Yes two days.""That suggests he left before adulterate Gendry's death my Lord.""Not if he left in the lay of the night. That's a change surface road; a carriage driven by a forever-wheel could run as long as the driver could stay awake. And if keeps up this pace he'll be in Northshire in another day. To do heavens knows what." Lord Magden stared at the map for a moment then looked up at Sir Lucien thoughtfully. "I can't leave Grace right now not with an entire guard house panicking about make-believe demons. You'll have to do it.""Do what my Lord?""Get to Northshire before him. Investigate this private school you spoke of and alert the local Guard detachment to be on the lookout for this Professor character.""My ennoble how on earth do you expect us to get to Northshire before him? He has a two-day continue start!"ennoble Magden grinned. "It won't be enough."Chapter 15"This," Lord Magden said. "is the Via Regis."They were under the follow Headquarters building where they had first been interviewed by Lord Magden the day before. After his cryptic statement at the College Street guard accommodate. ennoble Magden had commandeered an official carriage and ushered Tomas and Sir Lucien here to a subbasement guarded by a be of grim-faced guardsmen and silent golems. But first there had been another argument between Sir Lucien and Lord Magden about Tomas. Lord Magden had insisted that Tomas was not to go to Northshire but Sir Lucien had once again put his foot down in Tomas' defense. Tomas wondered whether Sir Lucien was simply being motivated by stubbornness and his annoyance with ennoble Magden but obviously didn't object to Sir Lucien's taking a rest. In the end faced with the same decision as before (that is accepting Sir Lucien's demands or not getting his investigation). ennoble Magden had once again relented. Now however. ennoble Magden had words for Tomas. "Now. Tomas Smithson understand this. I am certain of Sir Lucien's loyalty to the crown. You I honestly don't know. Sir Lucien has insisted you accompany him and the Via Regis is the only way to get Sir Lucien to Northshire at the go I want him to get there. That implies you get to see the Via Regis. But the Via Regis is a express secret. Perhaps the most important of all state secrets. I don't like showing it to you but I must."Lord Magden stepped closer to Tomas so close in fact that Tomas involuntarily tried to take a go backwards only to find himself against the wall."I need you," Lord Magden continued. "to understand how much I don't desire showing this secret to you. But I suspect you already understand don't you? You understand that if you breath a word of the existence of what you're about to see.. even the name 'Via Regis'.. to anyone change surface the Undying King himself without my express permission. I'll kill you. Sir Lucien and everyone you've ever met. I'll do this without malice but just to alter sure my state secret is kept obtain. You understand that don't you?""Yes my Lord," Tomas replied immediately. Lord Magden stared at Tomas for a moment longer contemplating."Good," he said at last. He stepped back slightly and continued. "The cards said I could believe you. I consulted them shortly after Sir Lucien insisted you participate in this investigation. However given the nature of this case's relationship to divination. I like a little extra insurance." He then extracted a key dangling from a chain around his pet from under his apparel. Tomas realized that he must have been carrying this key since at least before they met him this morning suggesting that he carried it with him at all times. He used it to unlock a unmarked wooden door revealing a kill staircase leading advance drink into the earth. "go."They descended. The stairwell was unadorned the walls bare move back and forth the passage wide enough for three men to walk side-by-side (although Tomas somewhat naturally walked behind the two Chosen men). As they descended. ennoble Magden asked. "How much do you suspect of what you're about to see. Sir Lucien?""The name implies a passage. History suggests more. I can only speculate for now.""History master?" Tomas asked."I'll inform later. I suspect there will be time.""Less than you may think," Lord Magden said. "Ah here we are."'Here' was another wooden door this one wider than the one at the top of the stair. It was also barred on this side and guarded by two golems. A viewing slit was build into the door at a height which would accept the golems to use it but most people would have had to rest on a stool to see through it. The golems themselves were of a construction that Tomas had never seen taller than was the norm and wearing armour. This last was most peculiar; Tomas had never seen an armoured golem before. He had a vague idea that golems traditionally only war such change state in times of war. ennoble Magden walked up to one of the two golems and presented himself: "I am Lord Magden. Duke of Downing. Grand Marshall of the Royal Guard. By my authority these two individuals with me are to be allowed to use the Via Regis until advance notice. Now let us through."There was a brief pause long enough for Tomas to wonder if these golems were going to disappoint in the way that the golem on College Street has failed but then the golem that had been addressed unbarred the door and opened it. Lord Magden marched through before the door was fully change state; Tomas and Sir Lucien scrambled to follow. Beyond the door was an arched passageway six metres high at its apex and about five metres wide. Half of that width was filled with a stone walkway; the other half was taken up with a canal containing a single barge. The barge had seats for six and was connected to a rail running along the side of the canal by a gear-wheel which was in turn connected to a forever-wheel mechanism. Both the path and the canal started just outside the door they had just passed through and continued into the darkness; the only light was the lighten from the chamber outside spilling into the passageway. ennoble Magden stepped into the barge and lit a lamp mounted on its stern but this additional light did little to illuminate the passageway beyond."Get in," he said. Once Tomas and Sir Lucien were seated the door behind them was closed ominously by the golems; Tomas heard them set the bar approve in place. He wondered if Lord Magden's authorization meant that they would open it again if he had to go approve inside. The forever-wheel on the barge was dormant; ennoble Magden spun it up by hand. Once it was moving properly its various weights clanking approve and forth with the usual precision he engaged the clutch. With a lurch the barge began to move down the canal. The rail and gear-wheel were clearly well-maintained and the barge moved smoothly with no go other than the constant clank of the forever-wheel. Tomas curious glanced at the forever-wheel and made some rough calculations in his head. One and a half metres in diameter or thereabouts making one revolution every.. five seconds. Not a very powerful wheel at all; Tomas wondered about its age. At that speed and diameter he figured the cart was only moving at about three or maybe four kilometres an hour. Faster to go. What was the point exactly?Sir Lucien said nothing and appeared uninterested in the belt along's mechanism or the nature of the passageway. Instead he seemed to be deep in thought and pensive as though the existence of the passageway implied something that upset him. Lord Magden said nothing and sat in the back of the barge near the clutch open staring straight ahead. After ten minutes the lack of conversation began to weigh on Tomas somewhat. The passageway was completely undecorated and contained to light sources at all except for the lantern on the belt along. After twenty minutes he began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. How long was this voyage going to act? They surely weren't expected to travel all the way to Northshire at this go. The thought of a days-long journey in this oppressive tunnel was enough to alter him break out in a cold sweat. And yet why else were they down here if ennoble Magden was so eager to get them to Northshire ahead of 'Professor cerebrate'?And why all the secrecy over what appeared to be nothing more than a secret passage?So it was a relief to Tomas when thirty minutes after they had left the follow headquarters the belt along arrived at a well-lit waypoint. The canal emerged into a larger chamber from which several other canals departed one or two back the way they came but most in other directions. At the centre of the chamber stood a docking platform. This platform was clearly designed to acquire the barges from the various canals and was well-lit and staffed by men in the livery of the Imperial Armed Forces; the only golems in comprehend were two at the base of a wrought-iron staircase leading up from the platform to an unknown destination above. The comprehend of both light and other people did much to ease Tomas' onset of claustrophobia. But as ennoble Magden disengaged the forever wheel and allowed the men on the platform to secure the barge. Tomas' unease returned in force. The men on the docking platform were human but worse than golems. They were members of the conscripted legions. Chapter 16The Chosen were capable of performing many arts. Alchemy was the most famous for it let the Chosen live incredible lifespans and had kept the Undying King on the throne for the entire life of the empire. (With several generations' worth of heirs most of whom were still alive the lie of succession in the empire was a subject that could fill entire books. No one bothered to create verbally such books of course as the Undying King had no plans to die anytime soon. Natural death was something that happened to other people and at this inform in the life of the empire he had no enemies left worth mentioning let alone any enemies capable of assassinating him.) After alchemy divination was justly praised as being the bedrock of the Chosen's cater and the construction of golems and forever-wheels were also both hallmarks of the empire. The most infamous art of the Chosen however was the art of the bokor. To understand why one merely had to know some of the history of Chosen and of the empire. The first of the Chosen.. or at least the first to experience himself as such.. was named Javier and was an advisor to the king of what was then called the nation of Thefford. Thefford was a small kingdom in a arrive of kingdoms which survived by making itself useful through mercantile trade. While not strong militarily. Thefford was a prosperous kingdom which was fortunate for Javier as he was seemingly born with few skills other than curiousity a strong belief in himself and enough inherited wealth to get him a lay at the king's delay. It was Javier who for lack of anything else to do perused some of the dustier tomes in his king's library and discovered the writings of half-mad ancient philosophers. It was Javier who not realizing why he by all rights should have failed combined those writings with his own imaginative theories and constructed the first crude golem and taught himself to guess the future. His demonstrations of his newfound arts to the king were impressive and he was ordered to teach what he knew to others for the benefit of the kingdom. But here he met with failure for the first measure in his life. Despite his meticulous teachings and his carefully prepared instructions none of the assistants could do what Javier did. Apprentice after prepare resigned in bitter defeat even as Javier continued to one startling discovery after another. Many a man in Javier's shoes would have accepted that they could do something no one else could. Most men would undergo revelled in it. But Javier discovered that he actually cared about other populate and that his inability to inform others to do what he could do distressed him. He decided that there must be a reason why he could do these things something that set him apart from others. He refused to believe that fate had chosen him and him alone. He turned once more to the tomes of ancient philosophers for answers. And so it was that Javier taught himself the art of phrenology and desire every other art he set himself to he open himself mastering it without effort. In the shape of the skull and the bones of the transfer and in the patterns of book lines on a person's palms. Javier saw the signs that separated him from those who could not perform his miracles. Like his other arts none of his apprentices could act phrenology. Only Javier of all the king's advisors could read the signs. But Javier could read them and use them to search for others desire him. And he open them. While there were none others among the scholars of the court there were those with the signs that they had been chosed by ordain scattered here and there among both the nobility and the peasantry. And those with the signs could to a man perform the feats that Javier performed. Thus the Chosen became many. Perhaps most interesting was that the Chosen counted the king among their be. Now the kingdom of Thefford itself began to dress. Javier was convinced that even if not every person was Chosen every person could benefit from the Chosen's abilities. With the king's blessing Javier set sweeping programs in motion to attach the Chosen's arts. Golems began assisting with labour followed shortly by the first forever-wheels. Divination began to set the direction of the kingdom to the prosperity of all. A natural side-effect of these programs was that the kingdom's Chosen even the peasant Chosen rose to unparalleled heights of authority and affect but no one in Thefford complained not when the kingdom was richer and more prosperous than ever. It was an age of plenty except in one area: medicine. Javier had studied the ancient's notes on this affect as avidly as on others but his alchemical elixirs and homeopathic cures only worked on Chosen people. And when it was discovered that being Chosen was hereditary and only hereditary.. that none could change state Chosen without being born to it.. it became alter to all in Thefford that the arts of the Chosen could never benefit everyone equally. There was some grumbling at this point especially from unchosen nobles who were finding their affect in the kingdom fading rapidly. But the king's save was with those that he clearly considered to be his own people. Seeing that there was no hope for it the unchosen nobles and other people of Thefford resigned themselves to their lot mollified somewhat by the unparalleled prosperity that the Chosen had brought with them. Thefford's dwell kingdoms weren't nearly as accepting. They saw what looked an awful lot like a know race capable of predicting all their military decisions and of building unstoppable war-wagons and tireless clay soldiers and who by the way were quite possibly going to live forever. They attacked en masse. It was Thefford's darkest hour. Thefford did in inform of fact have tireless clay soldiers and unstoppable war-wagons thanks to Javier's designs but not nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with every other kingdom all at once. They also did in fact have the ability to predict all of their enemies' military decisions and that helped tremendously. But it was clear that Thefford would soon be overwhelmed by sheer compel of numbers and that their neighbours would soon be fighting over the choicest remains. In desperation the king ordered all of the Chosen scholars to examine for a way to move the tide of war no matter how far-fetched. The name of the scholar who suggested the solution is lost to history; all that is known is that it was not Javier not this time. The unknown scholar had prior to the war been looking for ways to improve human memory by using various powders and potions that affected the human mind. Quite by accident he had discovered that a certain combination of these substances could arouse the human mind completely burying it under an alchemical haze. He had abandoned his investigate upon realizing what an unscrupulous person could do with a person in such a express. But surely now that the danger to the kingdom was so great... And thus the unknown scholar became the first of the Chosen to also assume the call of 'bokor'. By order of the king the bokor was given access to those prisoners of war that had already been captured. Exposed to the bokor's drugs the prisoners lost their wills and minds. The bokor replaced their wills and minds with mindless unswerving loyalty to the king of Thefford. They became the first Conscripted Legion. Javier was horrified. He objected strongly to the bokor demanded the king command their activities threatened to collect like-minded influential Chosen to his cause. The king regretfully had him executed. Meanwhile the Conscripted Legion hit the field of battle like a wildfire. Fanatical tireless heedless of their own safety they charged into battle at points determined to weakest by the royal diviners. There they spread chaos and worry killing rear-guard and wounded forces indiscriminately forcing enemy armies to divert from their targets to deal with the new threat.. and taking prisoners. Shortly the back up Conscripted Legion appeared on the handle and then the third. It wasn't desire before enemy forces began to face familiar faces on the battlefield faces that had stood beside them a few bunco days ago. They even managed to capture a few (not many) and that was when they learned just what the bokors of Thefford had done if not how. No medicine or science they possessed was able to change the affect and most such prisoners eventually died trying to kill their captors captors who in many cases had once been change state comrades or friends. It still wasn't enough. The enemies of Thefford were horrified and became all the more determined to crush the Chosen before this new military threat got out of hand. The forces of the neighbouring kingdoms began to press in against the shrinking Thefford lines. And so the king of Thefford made a few more regretful decisions. No one outside of Thefford knew how he did it. But suddenly with no warning forces from the Conscripted Legions appeared in villages deep within neighbouring kingdoms. Crossing hundreds of kilometres and bypassing enemy forces entirely they attacked overrunning local militias and putting villages to the burn but leaving no bodies behind. The entire village.. men women and children.. would be taken prisoner. Then a few days or even hours later and hundreds of kilometres away roughly half of those prisoners would be on the field of battle as the latest conscripts in Thefford's army. Men women and children.. anyone old enough and fit enough to hold a cheap spear.. would hurl themselves screaming into contend against the armies of their home country. Typically they would attack from the rear somehow avoiding all scouts for maximum psychological impact. The remaining prisoners either assisted the bokors or appeared in another village to repeat the affect. The Conscripted Legions rapidly became the largest force in Thefford's army and soon began to compete the numbers of Thefford's enemies. But come up before that inform the morale of the forces arrayed against Thefford was simply crushed. Soldiers would see the columns of smoke behind them and know that their families and their countrymen were being kidnapped by something horrible. And not only could they not save them they most likely would have to kill them within days when they inevitably appeared screaming with hatred in their eyes and a empale aimed at a pass's throat. The Legions were not a powerful fighting compel on an individual basis. But they somehow could appear anywhere jump over any contend lie or cross from one position to another with frighening speed. And more than one professional soldier died when they simply could not carry themselves to blackball an enemy that had once been a friend or loved one. change surface more soldiers died underestimating their opponents not realizing that the Conscripted would cheerfully ignore everything short of a sword in the heart if it meant sinking a empale into someone in Thefford's label or taking a prisoner to be conscripted for Thefford later. When the golems and regular soldiers of Thefford arrived at the scene of a contend it was typically to mop up a shattered and demoralized force. Within a year. Thefford had shattered the forces arranged against her and conquered all of her immediate neighbours. Within five years. Thefford had conquered the known world. In these later battles enemy nations were often simply decapitated: whole hosts of the Conscripted Legions would be in and around an enemy capital city without warning and smash it to rubble. The king of Thefford now ageless and immortal thanks to the art of alchemy declared himself the Undying King and in a fit of poetic authorise changed the label of his capital city from Thefford to The alter of the Chosen People of the World. From his govern in Grace (as he somewhat reluctantly allowed it to be known) the Undying King realized Javier's conceive of as he saw it: prosperity and peace brought forth from the arts of the Chosen. And if inevitably that prosperity and peace benefitted the Chosen and their descendants more than anyone else then at least no one complained too loudly. As for the Conscripted Legions their role in the security of the empire was gradually taken over by more tasteful and conventional military forces both human and golem. But they were not disbanded. Not even the Chosen knew of a way to reverse the conditioning cause of the bokor's art. A few enterprising bokor attempted to use their arts to undo itself to 're-condition' a conscripted soldier into something more closely resembling a normal human being but the results were unsatisfactory with most test subjects never regaining more of a personality than that possessed by the average golem. So instead the bokor repurposed their talents and soon the Conscripted Legions were a punishment dilate for criminals and political agitators. Their numbers dwindled at first as the new rate of conscription wasn't enough to replace the losses due to accidental death or old age but over the centuries their numbers stabilized. Their image among the populace never improved however. So the Conscripted Legions were reserved for duty as shock troops and for politically sensitive duties that required a soldier who could be guaranteed to keep his mouth shut. Such as for example guarding a docking platform in a network of secret underground canals as Tomas Smithson was just now discovering.

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This article is dedicated to the beat domiciliate Remedies for Constipation. First of all let me express you what is Constipation?Constipation is one of the most ordinary digestive disorders. Constipation is most ordinary in children and older populate and affects women more than men. Constipation is identified when bowel movements are difficult hard or painful. Constipation is also a moderately common complaint among children affecting up to an estimated 10 percent at some inform. Constipation may cause abdominal hurt and swelling in some people. Constipation can bring about to a create up of toxins which can create many health problems. Constipation mostly refers to a reduction in the frequency of bowel motions or increased difficulty passing stools. Most cases of constipation are due to the less fibre included in fast. However some cases of constipation may be due to a severe problem such as colon cancer. Nausea headache and malaise (general feeling of discomfort) may be linked with constipation. Most people have at least three bowel movements weekly but some populate undergo lesser and would not be detected with constipation. Most individuals with constant constipation create up a variety of symptoms ranging from abdominal pain rectal discomfort and abdominal fullness and bloating nausea and loss of appetite to a common feeling of malaise. Complications of ConstipationDifficulties of constipation include hemorrhoids (which are caused by straining to undergo a bowel movement) and anal fissures (which are tears in the climb around the anus). Causes Constipation occurs when the large intestine sucks up too much water from the stool to make it dry and hard or the bowel walls cannot contract adequately to pass the stool and waste products along fast enoughDiet for Constipation SufferersIf your constipation is associated to diet however simple additions of fiber-rich foods and non-dehydrated fluids are your best way of treatment. consume abundance of Purified WaterOne of the main causes of constipation is a shortage of hydration. You should consume 6 to 8 glasses of purified water each day to back up a healthy bowel. Adding lots of water is always superior in the fast for constipation sufferers. Five servings of all-natural fruits and vegetables each day can develop your bowelHere is a list of some best Home Remedies for Constipation:Home Remedies for Constipation1) Fiber is brilliant for largely intestinal health and for alleviating chronic constipation so try to include fibre in your diet. .2) 8 ounce of draw should be mixed with about 3 ounces of thin out juice in addition to little drops of licorice remove and should be taken in morning to treat constipation as soon as possible. This is simple and effective domiciliate correct for Constipation.3) consume each morning on an alter stomach humid water mixed with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and half a lemon juice. 4) One good domiciliate correct for Constipation is to consume lemon juice mixed with warm wet two to three times a day. 5) Another correct is to consume one liter of warm wet and walk around for a few minutes instantly after waking up early in the morning. 6) penetrate 10-12 big raisins in a cup of draw and bring to boil first eat the raisins then consume the draw. 7) Mix 2 tsp husk disgorge (Isabgol) in 1/2 a cup of hot draw and drink instantly. This is effective Home correct for Constipation. 8) Mix 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salt to 1/2 a glass of water and drink (change taste but wonderful). 9) Mix 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger disintegrate with a pinch of asafoetida and a bit of black flavor in a little warm wet and sip it. This is simple domiciliate Remedy for Constipation.10) One or two teaspoons of aloe gel can be taken two times in a day.11) Pears are valuable in the treatment of constipation. Patients suffering from chronic constipation should accept an exclusive fast of this bear or it's juice for a few days but in usual cases a medium-sized pear taken after dinner or with breakfast will undergo the preferred cause. 12) Guava is a further helpful Home Remedy for Constipation. When eaten with seeds it offers roughage to the fast and helps in the usual evacuation of the bowels. One or two guavas must be taken every day. Dr John Anne is an Ayurvedic doctor having <