The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

swirled faster.
    “Dragon bones!” he cursed, and sneezed again.
    At one time the corridor running past this room had led to a tunnel connecting the University with the Palace Reveta Tristile. Many generations ago, a spring flood had damaged the tunnel. Repairs had been deemed too costly, and this long hallway and its rooms had been abandoned, nearly forgotten.
    “What is this room, master?” the kitchen boy asked. His eyes grew huge with wonder.
    Baamin sneezed before he could reply. Some of the dust and mold had settled, but not all. A large swirl of it still filled his nose with another itch. He held his breath to stop the next sneeze.
    “You know the value of books, Boy?” he finally managed to choke past the gathering tickle.
    “Yes, master. Books are the storage place of knowledge. Without knowledge we are no better than the animals.” The boy recited dutifully. His eyes held enough intelligence that he just might understand the words he quoted, in spite of his teacher’s reports on his limitations.
    “Very true. Unfortunately, some of my predecessors decided knowledge of some subjects is dangerous.” Baamin shook his head in dismay. So many of the precious books were in a terrible state of decay, despite the spell that had sealed the room for so long.
    His search for the room had lasted five years. He wasted another three in breaking the protective seal. Now he had found the key, apparently just in time. He didn’t like secrets. Abandoned and forgotten books bothered him.
    Lords secretly employing rogue magicians bothered him more.
    “How can any knowledge be dangerous, master? The teachers insist that we must learn all we can to make us stronger.” The lad gently ran a finger along the spine of a large tome. His hand came away grimy, leaving the gold letters of the title glittering in the dim light of their lantern.
    “Has your history tutor told you of the Great Wars of Disruption?”
    The dark-eyed boy nodded.
    “When the rogue magicians refused to join the Commune, they were cast out of Coronnan.” With good reason. The selfish interests of the rogues were responsible for prolonging the war.
    Baamin continued, “Indeed, many could not join the Commune because their magic would not link up with other magicians. The kind of magic they performed was banned. And their books were burned.”
    “Someone hid these books to save them from the fire?” Fear tinged the boy’s eyes.
    “Yes, they did. I don’t know who. It could have been a rogue who hoped to come back some day—the records say many magicians thought the Commune could not last. More likely it was one of our own who loved books for themselves rather than hating them because of their content.” Baamin would have done the same thing.
    He sighed in anguish as he plucked a small book from its shelf. The dust that covered it was all that held it together. Leather binding and vellum pages crumbled in his hands.
    The protective spell had not done its job properly. It had kept intruders out but not stopped the ravages of time. It was evidence of the haste in which the spell had been constructed. Baamin suspected the book burners had turned rabid. Whoever secreted these books away would have had little time and a great deal of fear hindering him.
    “Why do we need these books now, master?” The boy was puzzled. His eyes wandered over the vast number of the volumes; his hands remained carefully at his sides.
    “Because the magic is changing. The Commune is no longer strong,” Baamin sighed. So much good came from the Commune. If only the King and Council looked more to the Commune for guidance rather than for power and communication. Maybe the Commune was a little rigid in its traditionalism, but the wars of lord against lord, prompted by power-hungry magicians, had ended. The kingdom was at peace. “We need this rogue magic to negate a growing threat to the kingdom.” Baamin needed rogue magic to summon his magicians back to the University before the lords gathered. The boy didn’t need to know that. His only purpose was to carefully clean the books and note their titles.
    Baamin must also keep this room a secret. He had no doubt the boy would keep his mouth shut. He had already proven his ability this last week. No one else at the University knew of Jaylor’s antics with the wine cups and the sliced meat. Then, too, there was the matter of the cot and blankets missing from the storage room.
    What would Jaylor’s next stunt be?