“Of course,” she said. “If he has the Count’s ring and the Alhazred Icon as well as the pentacle bowl, he could do some pretty nasty things between now and next week. You said they mainly increased his technical prowess, and I thought you meant for the ceremony. But he could hurt people with them right now. I asked the mistress.”
“Well, that’s technical.”
“But you acted as if it weren’t important.”
“I still don’t think it is. He’d be a fool to use the actual tools that way, when he should be relying on his own abilities. The tools have a way of producing repercussive effects when they’re used extracurricularly. He could wind up hurting himself badly unless he’s a real master, and I don’t think he is.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I doubt a master would run around with a crossbow, shooting at bats, or plan a human sacrifice when it’s not absolutely necessary, just to be safe. He’s insecure in his power. A master aims at economy of operations, not proliferation.”
“That sounds right, Snuff. But if he’s too insecure mightn’t he be tempted to try an operation with the tools against the rest of us, anyway, just to narrow the field and make things easier for himself later on?”
“If he’s that foolish, the results are on his own head.”
“And the person he directs the power against, don’t forget that. It could be you.”
“I understand you’re safe if your heart is pure.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
When we reached the vicarage she led me around to the rear.
“Up there,” she said, looking at a window directly overhead. “That’s her room.”
“I’ve never seen her about,” I said.
“I gather from Tekela that she’s been locked up for several weeks.”
“I wonder how securely?”
“Well, she hasn’t come out, to my knowledge. And I told you I saw a chain around her ankle.”
“How thick?”
“That’s hard to say. You want me to climb up and take another look?”
“Maybe. I wonder whether the vicar is in?”
“We could check the stable, see whether his horse is there.”
“Let’s do that.”
So we headed to the small stable in the rear and entered there. There were two stalls, and both were empty.
“Off on a call,” she said.
“What do you want?” came a voice from the rafters.
Looking up, I beheld the albino raven.
“Hello, Tekela,” Graymalk said. “We were just passing by, and wanted to see whether you’d heard the news about Rastov.”
There followed a moment’s silence, then, “What about Rastov?”
“He’s dead,” Graymalk said. “Hanged.”
“And what of the snake?”
“Gone back to the woods.”
“Good. I never liked snakes. They raid nests, eat eggs.”
“Have you any news?”
“Only that the big man has been about again. There was an argument at the farmhouse and he went out to the barn for a time and crouched in a corner. The Good Doctor went after him and there was more argument. He ran off into the night then. Went back later, though.”
“That’s interesting. I wonder what it was about.”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, we’ll be going now. Good-bye.”
“Yes.”
We departed and returned to the vicarage. Graymalk looked back.
“She can’t see us from that rafter,” she said. “Do you want me to climb up?”
“Wait,” I said. “I want to try a trick I learned from Larry.”
I approached the back door and I checked the stable again. I could see no flash of white.
Rising onto my hind legs, I put a paw against the door for balance, held it a moment, then dropped it to join the other in pressing on the knob toward its center. I turned my body as I made the effort. I had to try three times, adjusting my grip. The third time it went far enough to make a clicking sound and my weight caused the door to swing inward. I dropped into a normal position and entered.
“That’s quite a trick,” she said, following me. “Do you feel any wards?”
“No.”
I pushed the door almost shut with my shoulder. It had to be paw-openable, quickly, on our return.