Revolutionary Magic (with Bonus Content) Read Online Free
Author: Thomas K. Carpenter
Tags: witch, god, steampunk, historical fantasy, urban fantasy, gods, russia, myths
his or another's that he admired, he displayed an effervescence that bordered on childlike.
While I was prepared for many things, I was not prepared for the object to be a silvery metal gauntlet of unknown design. The style was nothing with which I was accustomed.
Gazing upon it churned my stomach, making me want to look away. I felt dizzy and lightheaded despite standing on two solid feet.
Rather than interlocking steel links, or overlapping plates, the gauntlet was made of one solid piece. The cyclopean design held a chunk of the blackest night on the back. It was a smooth obsidian stone that grossly reflected my visage when I leaned closer.
"What does it do besides give me a gut-shot of the barrel fever?" I asked.
"As far as we can tell, it detects the presence of magic, though I have a suspicion that's not its only function," said Ben.
"Was there magic at the Coopers?" I asked.
"A lingering residue," said Ben. "Which is why I suspect a portal. The signature began and ended inside the house."
"Why would someone erase the memories of a customs agent?" asked Adam.
"Maybe not erased, but stolen," I said.
I caught Adam's surprised agreement, though he quickly hid it behind an impeccable scowl.
"What would a magical being want with Theodore's memories?" asked Ben. "I can't think of anything more boring than a customs agent. Theirs is the monotonous task of accounting the comings and goings of industry through the port. This Theodore Cooper would know nothing of the important workings of government, no secrets to lay bare."
I agreed with Ben, though something tugged at my thoughts. Before my exile, I'd spent a dozen years as the director of the Russian Academy of Science. I'd been given the position after the ineptitude of the previous holder. The former director never bothered with the bureaucratic necessities that kept an organization from falling into chaos, and it'd been my diligence that had elevated the academy to its current glory.
"Bureaucracy, though unloved, has purpose," I said. "Maybe there is some clue within his responsibilities."
"What if there are others?" asked Adam suddenly.
The three of us pondered his question in silence.
"How would we know?" I asked. "Can that gauntlet detect magic from across the city?"
Ben shook his head. "Only as close as a driver to a horse tail."
"Can you lean on your connections in the government to inquire about other incidents?" asked Adam.
"Under my grandson's name, I have less, but enough to get us an answer," said Ben.
"Then I'll take to the docks and spend time watching the comings and goings of goods," said Adam Smith. "Much can be learned about a city's economics by its trade."
"I could take that gauntlet and canvas the city," I offered, wanting to contribute to the investigation. "A block by block review might uncover more instances. Maybe the custom agent's loss was merely coincidence and had nothing to do with his government station."
Adam Smith shook a fist in my direction. "You'd like to get your hands on our most prized possession." Spittle formed at the corner of his lips. "If we gave that to you, we'd never see you again, and you'd hand it over to our enemies in Russia."
"Russia is not the enemy of America," I said, my voice rising. "I've no love for the current emperor—he's a tyrant and a fool—but Russia deserves a place on the world's stage."
"Always about pride with you Russians," said Smith. "Pride's a dangerous lure to the weak of mind."
I looked to Ben for support, expecting him to back me, but when I saw the deep wrinkles around his mouth and eyes and the hunched brow, I knew there was more they weren't telling me.
"How many secrets are you keeping from me?" I asked.
"Not really keeping from you," said Ben. "Word will get out eventually, but something's happening in Russia. We're not even sure that the emperor is in charge anymore. Our sources in Moscow have disappeared, the nobles are silent, the serfs terrified. What information we
While I was prepared for many things, I was not prepared for the object to be a silvery metal gauntlet of unknown design. The style was nothing with which I was accustomed.
Gazing upon it churned my stomach, making me want to look away. I felt dizzy and lightheaded despite standing on two solid feet.
Rather than interlocking steel links, or overlapping plates, the gauntlet was made of one solid piece. The cyclopean design held a chunk of the blackest night on the back. It was a smooth obsidian stone that grossly reflected my visage when I leaned closer.
"What does it do besides give me a gut-shot of the barrel fever?" I asked.
"As far as we can tell, it detects the presence of magic, though I have a suspicion that's not its only function," said Ben.
"Was there magic at the Coopers?" I asked.
"A lingering residue," said Ben. "Which is why I suspect a portal. The signature began and ended inside the house."
"Why would someone erase the memories of a customs agent?" asked Adam.
"Maybe not erased, but stolen," I said.
I caught Adam's surprised agreement, though he quickly hid it behind an impeccable scowl.
"What would a magical being want with Theodore's memories?" asked Ben. "I can't think of anything more boring than a customs agent. Theirs is the monotonous task of accounting the comings and goings of industry through the port. This Theodore Cooper would know nothing of the important workings of government, no secrets to lay bare."
I agreed with Ben, though something tugged at my thoughts. Before my exile, I'd spent a dozen years as the director of the Russian Academy of Science. I'd been given the position after the ineptitude of the previous holder. The former director never bothered with the bureaucratic necessities that kept an organization from falling into chaos, and it'd been my diligence that had elevated the academy to its current glory.
"Bureaucracy, though unloved, has purpose," I said. "Maybe there is some clue within his responsibilities."
"What if there are others?" asked Adam suddenly.
The three of us pondered his question in silence.
"How would we know?" I asked. "Can that gauntlet detect magic from across the city?"
Ben shook his head. "Only as close as a driver to a horse tail."
"Can you lean on your connections in the government to inquire about other incidents?" asked Adam.
"Under my grandson's name, I have less, but enough to get us an answer," said Ben.
"Then I'll take to the docks and spend time watching the comings and goings of goods," said Adam Smith. "Much can be learned about a city's economics by its trade."
"I could take that gauntlet and canvas the city," I offered, wanting to contribute to the investigation. "A block by block review might uncover more instances. Maybe the custom agent's loss was merely coincidence and had nothing to do with his government station."
Adam Smith shook a fist in my direction. "You'd like to get your hands on our most prized possession." Spittle formed at the corner of his lips. "If we gave that to you, we'd never see you again, and you'd hand it over to our enemies in Russia."
"Russia is not the enemy of America," I said, my voice rising. "I've no love for the current emperor—he's a tyrant and a fool—but Russia deserves a place on the world's stage."
"Always about pride with you Russians," said Smith. "Pride's a dangerous lure to the weak of mind."
I looked to Ben for support, expecting him to back me, but when I saw the deep wrinkles around his mouth and eyes and the hunched brow, I knew there was more they weren't telling me.
"How many secrets are you keeping from me?" I asked.
"Not really keeping from you," said Ben. "Word will get out eventually, but something's happening in Russia. We're not even sure that the emperor is in charge anymore. Our sources in Moscow have disappeared, the nobles are silent, the serfs terrified. What information we
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