“Perhaps so. But what if I accomplished it? Would that not prove that women are capable? Would you then allow other women, not just me, to study enchantment?”
Judge Richardson looked vaguely pleased at the powers implied by the question. “I cannot change the laws of the nation.”
“I understand, but Commonwealth could agree to accept female students. There’s little risk, if you really believe I’m incapable of it. And if you admit that there’s a chance I might succeed, then that suggests the premise—that women are incapable of enchantment—is false.”
“Your Honor,” Mr. Smythe interjected. “If I may,” he said, “I doubt my client understands the seriousness of what you are discussing. Could I point out that the task, or standard, for male enchanters is simply to attend Commonwealth and do as well there as any other student? Reason dictates that the fairest standard for women would be the same standard that’s applied to men.”
“I think we both know,” Judge Richardson said to Smythe, with some impatience, “that the university, not to mention society, wouldn’t be satisfied by such a demonstration. The dangers and pitfalls of enchantment are many, as are the unique weaknesses of women. A grown man need not prove that he can betrusted to spend an hour by the seaside, but a child must have demonstrated decisively that he has the sense and ability not to drown.” He held up his hand as Smythe opened his mouth to protest. Then he turned to his thew. “You may remove the silence, and I will issue my judgment.”
Judge Richardson’s thew made a subtle gesture, turning her palm upward.
“I have reached a verdict,” Richardson said. “I have set a task commensurate to the situation. If you succeed in this task, Clementine Quinn, I will ask Commonwealth to modify its admissions policy. If you fail, the university will remain closed to women. Go to the spirit realm. Find a spirit, bind it to yourself, and return. You have until the end of the month.” He consulted a piece of paper on his desk. “Nineteen days.”
There were gasps of surprise from the public.
“Nineteen days!” Mr. Smythe exclaimed, outraged.
Clem paled, but she gave a small bow. “Thank you.” She looked up. “All I need is the location of the Boston portal.”
Judge Richardson eyed her narrowly. “I cannot disclose that. The Boston portal is proprietary, and its location is secret. You will have to find another portal for your errand of doom.”
Sam: The Camera
Escuchar: The human ear cannot be changed, but it is possible to encourage the mind to listen more attentively.Escucharmay be passed when concentration is paramount.
—Euphemia Parra,Encantos de palabra(translation mine)
Saddle Street, 1887
Listening to Judge Richardson’s command, I felt myself overcome. I understood that Clementine had purposely goaded him into the bargain, and I understood that she believed she would gain the upper hand. I hoped, so fervently, that she was right. But I could not hear the judge’s words without remembering my own, very similar bargain. A bargain I hadn’t asked for. A bargain in which I didn’t gain the upper hand.
This is how the Cisneros Society brings about its complex ends. By driving its hooks into the hopes and dreams of ordinary people—like me, like Clem. By allowing them to believe that they have scored a deal, when in fact the only thing they have scored is a Pyrrhic victory. I have no wish to describe more of what happened to me, of how I was tricked into doing the Society’s bidding. But I fear I must.
It all happened very quickly—after that visit home to see my mother and Cris.
I made a grievous error.
I was, in my defense, preoccupied. After that visit home, I began to worry: Could I even become an enchanter without also becoming one ofthem? One of the odious young men all aroundme who left their muddy boots outside their doors and didn’t know the name of the person who cleaned them? Who ate at the dining room and didn’t wonder who had made the food? Who ignored and took for granted the mechanisms of care and maintenance around them, treating them like effortless magic rather than the painstaking work of people like my brother? Cris, I understood now, believed that the answer was no. He had always feared this transformation.
My attitude to Commonwealth changed. It had been a castle at the end of my quest, brimming with treasure; now it was a devious trap that I navigated with trepidation. I shunned my former friends and turned all my attention to my studies. I removed my tokens the moment I crossed the threshold of my room. I wore them only because I had to wear them. Perhaps in other ways my ability to dissemble was also compromised, for I didn’t carry myself with the easy insouciance that I had before. I was, as I said, preoccupied, and this is what allowed such an error.
I was passing the Cabot Camera on that day in October, when I nearly tripped over a young man who was sitting on the Camera steps. “Excuse me!” I said, walking around him.
He looked up at me and smiled, his eyes searching my face with a kind of languid curiosity. He didn’t say anything. I realized then that he was wearing the uniform of the university guard. I meant to keep walking, for his silent staring was disconcerting, but then he spoke from beneath his thin blond mustache. “Tour of the relics?” he offered casually.
I blinked, surprised. “Ah, perhaps another time,” I said.
“Come on,” he said, still smiling. “Aren’t you curious?”
The Cabot Camera housed the university relics, including the bones used for medical enchantment, and I’d walked by it many times without noticing that it was guarded. Ididknow thatthe relics were priceless, the very heart of the university’s ancient power. Why would a guard be offering an unsolicited viewing?
The young man discerned the source of my unease. “It’s quite aboveboard,” he said cheerfully. “They bring all the donors through. And wealthy parents.” He grinned and raised his pale eyebrows. “And anyone who knocks, frankly. Professor Hornsby’s up there. You can meet him.”
I had heard of Professor Hornsby, a practitioner of medical enchantment. Perhaps, if a professor was present, there could be no harm in seeing the relics.
The guard stood up. “Are you coming?”
If only I had walked on! His oddness was undeniable, but instead of feeling uneasy I felt intrigued by his friendly smile and the prospect of seeing the precious reliquary. And, I now realize, I was also persuaded by the man’s appearance. He was a good-looking fellow, and that counts for much at Commonwealth. “Why not?” I agreed.
