Cain

[00:00:01] Artifacts of the Arcane, by Jake Kerr, Season 1, The Staff of Light.

[00:00:13] Episode 13, Cain.

[00:00:19] We are so late.

[00:00:20] Is that bad? Felice briskly led me through the antechamber and into the reading room.

[00:00:26] You are going to meet Cain?

[00:00:27] The tone of her voice answered the question. It sounded like she was glad I was the one meeting Cain and not her.

[00:00:34] Where is Mr. Ali? I thought I was going to rejoin him.

[00:00:38] I don't know. I'm just supposed to take you to Cain.

[00:00:41] She led me through the front door and the bright light blinded me.

[00:00:45] I was tempted to put the lenses on but they weren't sunglasses and I figured it would do little more than make me look strange.

[00:00:53] I stopped. Maybe I can ask Lord Ainsley where Mr. Ali is.

[00:00:57] I turned back to go inside when Felice grabbed my arm.

[00:01:01] It's too late and maybe he'll be meeting you there.

[00:01:03] She looked almost scared.

[00:01:06] Please, I don't want to be any later than we are.

[00:01:09] Okay, I responded and Felice immediately took off along the large building that comprised the bulk of the Citadel.

[00:01:16] There was a lot of activity on this side of the building with groups of men marching to and fro.

[00:01:22] They looked like they were heading in specific directions.

[00:01:24] But the layout of the Citadel was so simple that I couldn't understand what they could be doing other than moving from one end of the building to the other.

[00:01:33] None of them seemed to be engaging in any kind of exercises or practice in the yard.

[00:01:37] In the distance, I was able to regularly hear gunshots ringing out, but I couldn't tell if the noise was coming from the other side of the wall, the other side of the building, or in some distant corner of the large courtyard that faced the building.

[00:01:51] As I looked around the courtyard, I felt a little dizzy.

[00:01:54] When I would look in one direction, I would see a huge expanse of grass.

[00:01:59] But if I looked in a slightly different direction, the horizon did not match with my original perception.

[00:02:05] It was all very strange, and I decided to just focus on the back of Felice's shoulders to avoid getting a headache.

[00:02:13] She set a brisk pace.

[00:02:15] We walked past the drive where we had been dropped off the night before and where I saw Lord Gort enter the main Citadel building with Mr. Ali.

[00:02:24] We continued past the large doors that stood at the center of the building and continued on down the other wing.

[00:02:31] Is it much farther? I asked.

[00:02:34] We are going to the end of the building.

[00:02:36] Depending on how the illusions affect you, it will either be a much longer or much shorter walk than you expect.

[00:02:41] Felice replied over her shoulder.

[00:02:43] She then added,

[00:02:44] So for you it will be much longer than you expect.

[00:02:46] She chuckled.

[00:02:48] It doesn't look too far.

[00:02:50] I can see the end of the building and the last staircase leading up to the small door.

[00:02:54] It's…

[00:02:55] I paused, figuring out the distance and our pace.

[00:02:58] About another one or two minute walk before we get there.

[00:03:01] Felice laughed.

[00:03:02] In about two minutes we'll be about a third of the way there.

[00:03:06] That's ridiculous.

[00:03:07] That would make this entire Citadel enormous and there's no way this building is that big.

[00:03:13] Felice stopped and turned to face me.

[00:03:16] Even those who have been here for years are still figuring out the actual dimensions and nooks and crannies in this place.

[00:03:21] This building is actually three different buildings, each of immense size.

[00:03:25] What you see is a single impressive country house with two large wings.

[00:03:30] It is dramatically larger than that.

[00:03:32] And the whole grounds…

[00:03:34] Felice waved her arms around.

[00:03:36] Cover miles.

[00:03:37] She must have seen the disbelief in my face because her look softened.

[00:03:41] She leaned toward me and continued in a conspiratorial tone.

[00:03:45] Cain is probably the greatest illusionist in history.

[00:03:49] Much of the enchantments around the Citadel are his work.

[00:03:52] It is difficult for a master to have a static illusion sustain itself for more than a few weeks.

[00:03:56] Some of the Citadel enchantments were created by Cain years ago and are still holding.

[00:04:02] When I didn't show any reaction, Felice looked angry.

[00:04:05] Look Tommy, I'm trying to help you.

[00:04:07] You must understand what I'm telling you.

[00:04:09] You can't trust anything you see around here.

[00:04:11] She waved her arms in a broad circle.

[00:04:14] And Cain is not just a powerful magician, he knows he is a powerful magician.

[00:04:18] As a result, he doesn't suffer fools or ineptitude gladly.

[00:04:21] I nodded and replied,

[00:04:23] I understand.

[00:04:24] She turned and began walking, once again speaking to me without looking at me.

[00:04:29] Good.

[00:04:30] She took a few steps and then added…

[00:04:32] You should fear him.

[00:04:33] She didn't explain what she meant and I didn't ask, as I thought it was clear enough.

[00:04:39] At the same time, I didn't understand her comment at all.

[00:04:43] Weren't we all on the same side?

[00:04:45] Why would I fear someone who was going to work with me to learn how to use the staff?

[00:04:49] Or who was going to help rescue my grandfather?

[00:04:52] Also, deep inside me a small ember of pride, created when I discovered the greatness of my grandfather, and then stoked when I was able to use the staff myself, was blown just a little brighter by Felice's comments.

[00:05:07] It was not accomplishment or acknowledgement this time, but rather challenge and lack of respect.

[00:05:13] I knew there was much I didn't know, but at the same time, however, I was not blind to the fact that I had already mastered making light.

[00:05:23] I may not have been able to make a great fortress look like a country estate, but I had already seen firsthand that there were things I could do that masters, and even this mysterious Cain, would never be able to do.

[00:05:35] So as we approached what looked like a simple wooden door and my appointment with Cain, I was feeling both fear and confidence.

[00:05:44] We climbed the stone steps and entered through the door.

[00:05:47] A small entryway that looked like it could have been the side entrance to the main quarters of a large house or even the servants' entrance greeted us.

[00:05:57] There was room perhaps for four people to stand without crowding.

[00:06:00] The floor was tightly laid brick and the walls were wood paneling, but not the elegant paneling that I saw in the reading room earlier.

[00:06:09] This was purely utilitarian with hooks for jackets and coats and a distinct lack of decoration.

[00:06:16] To the left was a closed wooden door.

[00:06:18] Facing the entrance was a larger but still nondescript door.

[00:06:22] To the right was an entryway that took up almost the entire wall.

[00:06:27] Beyond it was a room that looked drab and grey.

[00:06:30] The floor was concrete and upon it was a number of wooden chairs.

[00:06:34] Cubbies lined one wall, but they were open and most were empty.

[00:06:39] More than anything, it looked like the locker room at Andover.

[00:06:42] My attention was drawn from the room by a familiar face walking toward us from inside it.

[00:06:49] Master Benham, so sorry we are late.

[00:06:51] Felice grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the master.

[00:06:54] It was the quiet master from earlier at the train station who had created the shield.

[00:06:59] He was dressed the same as before, a black suit and bowler hat.

[00:07:04] His walking stick, however, was nowhere to be seen.

[00:07:07] It matters not to me.

[00:07:09] Cain may not quite agree, however.

[00:07:11] Regardless, I'll take our new archmage to him now.

[00:07:14] You may return to your duties, Felice.

[00:07:17] Felice thanked him and practically sprinted back out the door.

[00:07:20] She didn't say goodbye and with an unspoken goodbye on my lips, I turned back to the master.

[00:07:26] Follow me.

[00:07:27] Is Mr. Ali already here?

[00:07:29] Ali has been here for some time.

[00:07:31] He pushed the door across from the entrance, stopping only when he saw I wasn't following.

[00:07:36] Can we call for him?

[00:07:38] No.

[00:07:39] He continued walking and I followed.

[00:07:41] After the long walk from my room and then the standing still for a few minutes, the pain in my hip returned,

[00:07:47] although it felt much better after the night's rest.

[00:07:50] Still, it throbbed, so I took the cane in my left hand and used it for its lowliest purpose, assisting my walking.

[00:07:58] The doorway opened to a massive corridor that must have been a hundred yards long.

[00:08:02] The flooring was shiny marble, lined on both sides by marble columns.

[00:08:07] The arch ceiling was thirty or so feet high and the walls were covered with tapestries that featured everything from medieval battles to pastoral scenes.

[00:08:18] There were dozens and dozens of them the length of the corridor, and the only consistent thing was that they were all huge.

[00:08:26] There wasn't a single window.

[00:08:28] It was very majestic and reminded me of how ancient Greek or Roman palaces were described in my favorite adventure novels.

[00:08:37] The effect was partially ruined by the lighting.

[00:08:40] In the place of torches, each column had multiple bare electric bulbs that were very bright and illuminated the room from floor to ceiling.

[00:08:48] As I used the cane, a tap echoed with each step throughout the cavernous room.

[00:08:54] Each tap of the cane on the marble filled me with wonderful memories of my grandfather and the ever-present background noise of his cane,

[00:09:02] our walks on my street, in the museum, and even the many trips from the Ziegfeld Theater to the Persian Garden.

[00:09:09] The tap, tap, tap accompanied us everywhere.

[00:09:13] What are you doing?

[00:09:14] Master Benham had stopped and looked alarmed as he stared at me with what almost looked like fear in his eyes.

[00:09:21] I asked him what he meant.

[00:09:23] The staff, you are using it like a cane and tapping it on the stone.

[00:09:28] I injured my leg.

[00:09:30] I am using the cane for support.

[00:09:32] Does it have to make such an infernal racket?

[00:09:35] I raised the end of the cane and moved it toward Master Benham's face to show him that it was bound in brass

[00:09:40] and that I couldn't do much about the noise.

[00:09:42] But as I raised the cane toward him, he flinched and backed up a step.

[00:09:46] It's brass, I said tentatively.

[00:09:49] Never mind, he said in a strained voice.

[00:09:52] He turned and started again at a faster pace.

[00:09:56] I rushed to catch up, doing my best to be quiet.

[00:09:59] But the tap, tap, tap of the cane followed us as we walked.

[00:10:04] Master Benham didn't say anything the rest of our journey down the long haul.

[00:10:09] At the end were two large bronze or brass doors that were at least ten feet high.

[00:10:14] They weren't very shiny and there wasn't a doorknob or handle to be found.

[00:10:18] As I watched, Master Benham walked up and put his right palm on the right door.

[00:10:24] After a moment, the door swung open.

[00:10:26] Before I could even glance through the crack of the opening door, the sound of angry voices could be heard.

[00:10:32] Two men were arguing.

[00:10:34] I heard Mr. Ali's raised voice say,

[00:10:37] This is foolish!

[00:10:39] And then silence as the doors opened fully.

[00:10:42] Master Benham walked through them and I followed close behind.

[00:10:46] The transition from the long cavernous and marble hallway to the room it led to was mind-boggling.

[00:10:52] I looked around and couldn't believe what I saw.

[00:10:55] A small office that looked like it belonged to a detective in a police station.

[00:10:59] I've brought the boy, Cain.

[00:11:01] Master Benham moved to the side and I walked forward.

[00:11:05] Mr. Ali was sitting in a wooden chair across from a sparse wooden desk.

[00:11:09] He had a kind smile on his face as he looked at me, but he remained quiet.

[00:11:15] There was an empty chair next to him, but what drew my attention was the man sitting behind the desk.

[00:11:20] He had thin and straight dark hair that was short, slicked back, and parted on the side.

[00:11:27] He looked like Howard Hughes, only without the mustache.

[00:11:31] Like the masters I had met, he was very thin.

[00:11:34] But while two of them were Persian, Cain was English.

[00:11:37] His face was square and angular with an aquiline nose and pronounced brows and cheekbones.

[00:11:44] He smiled, but it wasn't the bright smile of Mr. Ali or the intimidating smile of my grandfather.

[00:11:51] It was a patronizing smile, one of amusement.

[00:11:55] He wore a gray suit that looked like it had just been pressed.

[00:11:58] His hands rested on the desk and they twitched and moved in a way that was disconcerting.

[00:12:04] It was the twitching that struck me more than anything.

[00:12:08] He appeared to have an odd neurological disorder because his eyebrows, his eyes, his lips, and even his ears would twitch at odd moments.

[00:12:16] As if this weren't enough, his body would jerk every so often as well.

[00:12:22] A shoulder would suddenly shoot up.

[00:12:24] An elbow would strike outward.

[00:12:27] Ah, our new archmage.

[00:12:29] Cain stated.

[00:12:30] He didn't stand up.

[00:12:31] Please have a seat.

[00:12:32] He motioned for me to sit in the chair next to Mr. Ali.

[00:12:36] He then looked over my shoulder and said,

[00:12:39] Thank you, Benham.

[00:12:41] You may return to your post.

[00:12:43] The master didn't say anything but turned and walked out the doorway.

[00:12:47] I noticed the massive doors closing behind him when Mr. Ali finally spoke.

[00:12:54] You look wonderful, Tommy.

[00:12:56] You got enough rest, I hope?

[00:12:59] His words came tumbling out and the tone was a mixture of relief and happiness.

[00:13:04] I could see both Mr. Ali and Cain and the difference in their appearance was striking.

[00:13:09] Mr. Ali was old, kind, and relaxed.

[00:13:13] Cain looked annoyed, pained even.

[00:13:15] It took me a moment before I realized that Cain was annoyed at Mr. Ali,

[00:13:20] but Mr. Ali couldn't tell as he was looking at me.

[00:13:23] I did my best to diffuse the current tension,

[00:13:26] which was perhaps still in the air from what they had been arguing about earlier.

[00:13:30] Yes, Mr. Ali, everyone has been wonderful.

[00:13:33] I turned to Cain.

[00:13:35] And Mr. Cain, thank you for helping me and for your hospitality.

[00:13:39] He waved a hand.

[00:13:41] No thanks are necessary.

[00:13:42] You are the rightful archmage and we'll do whatever we can to help you.

[00:13:46] And please just call me Cain.

[00:13:48] No Mr., no Sir or anything like that.

[00:13:51] Thank you, sir, I replied, which drew a sharp look from him.

[00:13:55] Thank you, Cain.

[00:13:57] Very good.

[00:13:58] Cain stared at me and didn't say anything else.

[00:14:01] The silence was awkward and I noticed Mr. Ali opening his mouth to speak when Cain abruptly said,

[00:14:07] Shut up, Ali.

[00:14:08] I was a respectful young man, but I was also loyal to a fault.

[00:14:13] And while I understood that Cain was powerful and important, his treatment of Mr. Ali angered me.

[00:14:20] I slammed the staff to the ground where it let out not a tap but a larger noise, like a small clap of thunder, and said,

[00:14:27] You should treat Mr. Ali with more respect.

[00:14:30] He is an archmage too, you know.

[00:14:33] Cain looked at me with wide eyes for a moment and then laughed loudly.

[00:14:37] I don't know.

[00:14:39] What is more humorous, Ali?

[00:14:41] That this child is threatening me or that I should consider you an archmage.

[00:14:46] Mr. Ali's face reddened, but before he could say anything I blurted out.

[00:14:51] He carried the staff to my grandfather.

[00:14:53] He is an archmage.

[00:14:55] Mr. Ali looked at me and shook his head slightly.

[00:14:59] Cain also shook his head, but he rolled his eyes as he did it.

[00:15:02] Set the boy straight, Ali.

[00:15:05] Mr. Ali turned to Cain.

[00:15:08] I fully expected him to hit him or cast a spell at him or something.

[00:15:12] I wanted him to do so.

[00:15:14] Instead, Mr. Ali replied,

[00:15:16] Cain, I fully admit that I did not earn the archmage title.

[00:15:21] I have yet to hear you admit the same.

[00:15:25] For the first time, Cain's entire body was still.

[00:15:29] Through gritted teeth, he said,

[00:15:31] Do you doubt my power, Ali?

[00:15:33] Even now.

[00:15:34] As the tension increased, Mr. Ali looked more and more relaxed.

[00:15:39] He leaned back in his chair and replied,

[00:15:42] I do not.

[00:15:43] It would be foolish to do so.

[00:15:45] And after a pause for effect, he added,

[00:15:48] But I do doubt your claim to a title that has been reserved for the bearer of the stuff.

[00:15:53] Cain stared at Mr. Ali for a moment and then leaned back and put his arms behind his head.

[00:15:58] Your opinion does not matter.

[00:16:01] Cain looked over to me, but before he could say anything, I spoke.

[00:16:05] To this day, I don't know why I said what I did.

[00:16:08] It was not arrogance, certainly.

[00:16:10] Perhaps it was the opposite.

[00:16:12] A great humility in the face of what I knew my grandfather had accomplished as archmage.

[00:16:17] But I do know that what I said was important.

[00:16:20] And while very foolish, it was my duty to say it.

[00:16:23] I am the archmage, and I will not allow you to use the title.

[00:16:28] I know my grandfather would have objected, and therefore, so do I.

[00:16:33] It must have looked silly for such words to come from the mouth of a 14-year-old boy.

[00:16:38] But both Mr. Ali and Cain had the stunned look on their faces as if they had taken my pronouncement very seriously indeed.

[00:16:46] Mr. Ali spoke first.

[00:16:49] His voice was strained, and he sounded frightened.

[00:16:52] Tommy, it's okay.

[00:16:53] It is but a title.

[00:16:55] Cain immediately added,

[00:16:57] Yes, Tommy, it is but a title.

[00:16:58] But in my case, the title actually means something.

[00:17:01] For you, it means that your grandfather handed you a piece of wood.

[00:17:04] Mr. Ali stood up.

[00:17:06] This is going too far, Cain.

[00:17:08] I agree, Ali.

[00:17:10] The boy clearly needs to learn a lesson.

[00:17:12] Mr. Ali blanched and reached for his curved knife.

[00:17:16] A man moved around from behind me and placed a hand on Mr. Ali's shoulder.

[00:17:20] Mr. Ali froze.

[00:17:23] It was Master Benham, whom I hadn't even seen or heard re-enter the room.

[00:17:28] This has always been your problem, Ali.

[00:17:30] You are too quick to anger and too slow to understand.

[00:17:33] Now, you will sit down.

[00:17:36] Benham pressed down with his arm, and Mr. Ali slid down into his chair, staring at Cain the whole time.

[00:17:43] Cain had the look of someone dealing with an unruly child.

[00:17:47] He turned to me.

[00:17:49] Now, Archmage, do you see the glass of water on my desk?

[00:17:53] I glanced down, and there was a tall glass of water with beads of condensation sitting right in front of me.

[00:17:59] I could have sworn it wasn't there when we came in.

[00:18:02] In fact, I could have sworn it hadn't been there a moment earlier.

[00:18:06] I nodded.

[00:18:08] Good.

[00:18:08] Now pick it up and throw the water at Mr. Ali.

[00:18:11] Cain smiled.

[00:18:12] I picked up the glass.

[00:18:14] It was very cold and slippery from the condensation.

[00:18:17] I looked at Mr. Ali and paused.

[00:18:20] Cain noticed my hesitation and interjected.

[00:18:23] Or throw it at Benham.

[00:18:25] Throw it at me, for all I care.

[00:18:26] Just throw the water at something.

[00:18:28] I tossed the water toward Master Benham, and it hit him full in the face.

[00:18:33] The top of his suit was soaked in water, and water dripped from the tip of his nose and chin.

[00:18:39] He looked at me, but did no more than blink.

[00:18:42] I looked back at Cain.

[00:18:44] What was that for?

[00:18:46] What was what for?

[00:18:47] For some reason, the glass was no longer in my hand.

[00:18:50] I looked around, and it was nowhere to be seen.

[00:18:54] As I glanced around, I noticed Master Benham, and he looked completely normal.

[00:18:59] There wasn't a drop of water on him.

[00:19:01] I looked back at Cain, who waved his hand in dismissal.

[00:19:05] If you stop at the glass, it is but a parlor trick.

[00:19:09] Common to any traveling magician of any repute.

[00:19:12] But add more senses to the illusion, and it becomes significantly more difficult.

[00:19:17] Cain suddenly motioned toward me.

[00:19:19] He had a glass in his own hand and tossed the contents at me.

[00:19:23] I shielded my eyes with my hand, but it did little good.

[00:19:26] I was drenched with water.

[00:19:28] It dripped from my hair and clothing.

[00:19:30] You didn't need to do that, I said to Cain, as I patted my wet uniform shirt.

[00:19:35] Do what?

[00:19:36] And the moment Cain said the words, I realized I was completely dry.

[00:19:41] I stared at Cain, but he still wasn't smiling.

[00:19:44] Motion, multiple senses.

[00:19:47] Maintaining the illusion over time, even removing the illusion, all of those things are immensely difficult.

[00:19:55] Something as simple as throwing water at someone is a master level illusion.

[00:20:00] I nodded, starting to understand Cain's power.

[00:20:03] There is more.

[00:20:04] Cain leaned forward, his elbows on the table, and his hands folded in front of him.

[00:20:09] He looked me in the eye.

[00:20:10] I am going to hold up my index finger.

[00:20:12] Flames will burn from its end.

[00:20:14] I will not be burned, and you will know very clearly that it is but an illusion.

[00:20:19] I will reach forward and touch your arm with this flame.

[00:20:23] It will catch your sleeve on fire, and you will know that this is but an illusion as well.

[00:20:29] To make it clear this is an illusion, I will have the flames spread down your sleeve toward your wrist in a straight line.

[00:20:36] It will look completely unreal, and your mind will clearly see it is an illusion.

[00:20:41] Do you understand?

[00:20:43] I nodded.

[00:20:44] You're going to create the illusion of fire and try to apply it to my sleeve.

[00:20:49] Try?

[00:20:50] Cain chuckled.

[00:20:51] Yes, I guess I'll do my best.

[00:20:53] He laughed again.

[00:20:55] Your job is very simple, Archmage.

[00:20:57] All you have to do is see through my illusion.

[00:21:00] It is unreal after all.

[00:21:02] So watch me.

[00:21:03] He paused.

[00:21:04] Try.

[00:21:05] While you feel no pain and know that you aren't really on fire.

[00:21:09] Cain leaned back.

[00:21:10] I understand, I replied.

[00:21:13] Sorry, but I don't think you do.

[00:21:15] Or you would be taking this much more seriously.

[00:21:19] I will not repeat this again.

[00:21:20] This is an illusion.

[00:21:21] I am telling you it is an illusion.

[00:21:24] You know this is an illusion.

[00:21:26] I want you to see through this illusion, and I want you to see the reality and not the illusion.

[00:21:31] Cain held up his forefinger, and a three-inch flame flickered above it.

[00:21:36] Do you understand?

[00:21:38] I looked over at Mr. Alley.

[00:21:40] His jaw was clenched, but he said nothing.

[00:21:43] Master Benham still held him tight.

[00:21:46] I do.

[00:21:46] I did.

[00:21:48] I did.

[00:21:54] I did.

[00:22:01] I did.

[00:22:07] I did.

[00:22:14] I did.

[00:22:15] I did.

[00:22:16] I did.

[00:22:16] I did.

[00:22:18] I did.

[00:22:20] I did.

[00:22:20] I tried to wave my arm to put out the flame, but that only made it worse.

[00:22:25] Despite the pain, I stared at the flame and focused on the knowledge that it wasn't

[00:22:30] real, but it again did no good.

[00:22:33] I cried out in pain, my arm burning, and the smell of charred flesh entering my nose.

[00:22:39] Tears poured down my face, and just when I thought I was about to faint,

[00:22:44] I was sitting in my chair swinging my arm in the air with no flames, no pain, and no smell.

[00:22:50] I touched my arm, but it felt entirely normal.

[00:22:53] My shirt was unharmed, and I wiped the tears from my face with it.

[00:22:57] I looked up, and Kane had a pistol pointed at me.

[00:23:01] When he noticed he had my attention, he turned it in his hand and held it toward me.

[00:23:05] Handle first.

[00:23:07] I took it and held it in my hand.

[00:23:09] Why are you giving me this?

[00:23:11] It is an illusion.

[00:23:13] Examine it closely.

[00:23:15] Not a single part of that gun exists.

[00:23:17] The bullets, the handle, the trigger, they are all part of your mind right now.

[00:23:24] I looked over the gun, and every single part looked and felt real.

[00:23:29] Now shoot me with it.

[00:23:31] I knew this was a test, and I knew that Kane would never put himself in jeopardy,

[00:23:35] so I turned the pistol to Kane and shot him right in the chest.

[00:23:39] The recoil of the shot knocked my arm into the air, and the sound of the shot rang in my ears.

[00:23:46] I could smell the gunpowder.

[00:23:48] Of course, nothing happened to Kane.

[00:23:51] He sat in his chair with a big smile on his face.

[00:23:55] You seemed a bit too enthusiastic in doing that.

[00:23:59] The gun in my hand was a little warmer, and smoke came out of the barrel.

[00:24:04] Now here is the final exam for this short lesson I have given you.

[00:24:07] I want you to ponder the answer when you leave, and then when you come back we can perhaps be more productive.

[00:24:13] Do you understand?

[00:24:15] I nodded, intimidated, and awestruck.

[00:24:18] Here is your question.

[00:24:19] What do you think would happen if you took that gun in your hand?

[00:24:23] The one that is a pure illusion and doesn't exist.

[00:24:27] The one that had absolutely no effect when you fired it at me.

[00:24:31] And you shot yourself.

[00:24:33] My immediate instinct was to say that nothing would happen.

[00:24:36] It was entirely an illusion.

[00:24:38] But part of me was certain that was wrong.

[00:24:41] I thought back to the pain I felt from the flames on my arm, and I answered emphatically,

[00:24:47] I would die.

[00:24:49] Kane nodded gravely.

[00:24:50] Yes, Archmage.

[00:24:52] If you were to take that non-existent gun in your hand and shoot yourself with its non-existent bullets,

[00:24:57] you would die.

[00:24:59] Before my eyes, and with no warning, the gun turned into a bunch of wildflowers.

[00:25:05] Kane stood up.

[00:25:06] Benham, please remove the enchantment on Mr. Ali and escort the two of them back to their quarters.

[00:25:11] Master Benham let go of Mr. Ali's shoulder, and he slumped in his chair before pulling himself back up.

[00:25:18] He looked exhausted and was taking long and labored breaths.

[00:25:22] He must have noticed the alarm on my face because he held up his hand and said,

[00:25:26] It's okay, Tommy.

[00:25:27] Just give me a second.

[00:25:30] I stood up and gave Mr. Ali my arm.

[00:25:33] He used it for support to pull himself up.

[00:25:36] He looked back at Kane with what looked like hate in his eyes.

[00:25:41] We will talk again.

[00:25:42] Of course.

[00:25:44] Kane replied, holding out his hands, palms up.

[00:25:47] As I turned to look for the huge double doors, I realized they were gone.

[00:25:51] We were in a small office with a standard wooden door.

[00:25:54] Master Benham reached for the knob, opened it, and suddenly it was a double door pushing outward into the great hallway.

[00:26:02] We exited and must have looked a sorry sight.

[00:26:05] I was limping on my leg and using the cane, while Mr. Ali had trouble keeping the strength to walk more than a few steps at a time.

[00:26:13] Master Benham was silent behind us, offering no help.

[00:26:17] As we limped down that long hallway, I thought about Kane's final question.

[00:26:22] The implication was so obvious that it filled me with awe and dread.

[00:26:27] Kane's illusions were useless against him, but they could affect and even kill others.

[00:26:32] With the complexity of Kane's illusions, it became frighteningly clear just how powerful he was.

[00:26:39] It was almost as if he could warp reality.

[00:26:42] The cane tapped alongside me, echoing off the ceiling and floor, but it didn't provide me with any connection to the might of my grandfather.

[00:26:51] I felt defeated.

[00:26:53] In the face of such powerful illusions, the power of the staff seemed minor in comparison.

[00:27:00] I was nothing more than a streetlight.

[00:27:02] I had entered the hallway, thinking that I was the archmage and Kane was the pretender.

[00:27:08] I exited, wondering if perhaps the opposite were true.