The ‘lectric candelabra flashed on.
“You’ve done it!” shouted Gwenla.
Everyone gathered around the assembly, Weyland gently pushing them away from the exposed components, which were quite hot.
As they watched, a huge cloud passed overhead, and the boiling slowed. The candelabra flickered and went out.
“Let’s just hope it’s a sunny day,” said Gwenla. “Do you think Idris can control the weather?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
LIGHT AND POWER
Rinka
The demonstration took place at the last festival of summer. The day was hot and humid, the cooler weather of fall still weeks away, but with the royal family leaving, it felt like an ending.
Rinka and Idris still hadn’t discussed what would happen next. He wasn’t due back at the University for a few more weeks, and Rinka was looking forward to spending time with him away from the watchful eyes of the nobility. She hoped that by the time he was due to return to Loegria, they’d have a better idea of what to do about the distance.
The festival was much the same as the one at the beginning of summer, with a great feast, a bonfire, and a number of activities and competitions taking place around the manor grounds. There were also a number of celebrations for the first harvest, a process Rinka had been removed from in her previous city life: a ceremonial reaping of the first grain from a field behind the manor; the baking of bread in a clay oven, which was then thrown onto the bonfire as an offering to the Gods; and the crafting of dolls from hay and garlands from dried herbs to ward off evil spirits and protect the remainder of the harvest yet to come.
“Of course, the dolls do little for true agricultural curses,” said Idris, walking arm in arm with Rinka. “In most cases, you’d be better off hunting down the originator of the curse and burying them in the field instead.”
“Would that work?” asked Rinka.
“No,” said Idris, “but it would be deeply satisfying.”
At midday, they joined a crowd gathered for the ‘lectric demonstration. Idris joined the king and Princess Ceri, but Rinka slipped away to join Alison, who was standing off to the side, trying her best to appear natural.
“Are you ready?” asked Rinka. She had heard from Alison earlier in the day that there was a chance if the weather held that her powers wouldn’t be needed at all, and she hoped that would be the case.
“I’m ready as I can be,” said Alison. Her face was pale, and Rinka could see that despite her words, she was frightened of what might happen.
Keir came up to join them then, gently rubbing Alison’s shoulder before taking her hand. “We’ve got this,” he said, but when he smiled at Rinka, his brows were furrowed.
Gwenla stood next to the king, and on his signal, she moved forward to address the crowd. “Lords and ladies and gentlemen,” she began. “Er. Lords and ladies, and ladies and gentlemen,” she tried again. There was scattered laughter from the crowd. “Oh, forget it,” said Gwenla. “All of you lot listen up. I’m Gwenla, originally of the Rodaz Mountain industrialists, and I’m here to demonstrate a most miraculous new technology: the power of the sun harnessed to run ‘lectrics. It’s the wave of the future, a new hope for Wilderise and Loegria, and you get to see it here first.”
There were a few claps, mostly from the villagers from Herot’s Hollow come to support Gwenla.
“Get on with it,” said the king.
“Right away, your majesty,” said Gwenla. She looked nervously at the sky, and Rinka understood her concern.
An enormous group of clouds was rapidly approaching. The wind picked up, sending a few of the ladies’ hats into the air, including Gwenla’s.
“Oh,” she cried, reaching for it. “Just a moment, sir,” she said, chasing it down. “Perhaps it would be best to wait—”
The wind picked up again, and this time it lifted the great maroon sheet they’d draped over the dish.
Light hit the dish then as Gwenla scrambled with the sheet, her eyes on the clouds that would be over the sun in moments.
“What are you doing?” asked the king. “Is it ready to work or not?”
“Just another quick adjustment—” started Gwenla, but it was too late. There was a sound of boiling water and the flowing of steam, and the ‘lectric candelabra began to glow, its light illuminating the black sheet they’d placed behind it to better demonstrate the effect.
“Oh,” said Princess Chloe from the crowd. “It’s working!”
It was working, at least at that moment.
