Comfortable behind the dais’s tall wooden lectern now, her opening remarks concluded, Bellamie Ranowen launched into the meat and drink of her lecture. Within moments she revealed herself to be an indisputable expert on the subject of advanced transmutations, and not unfamiliar with Rubin Cylte’s theories. Eyebrows raised, Morgan listened as she deftly worked the least controversial of Cylte’s notions into her deconstruction of transmutational harmonics.

Interesting. One could call it simple erudition… or dangerous unorthodoxy, if there was a personal score to settle. But I wonder how it is that Nevin Jordane knows Cylte’s work?

A question he might well ask of Sallis Arkley.

Twice, Ranowen paused her lecturing to call forth a student to help her illustrate a point. In neither instance did she mock or belittle, even though both young mages made stupid mistakes.

Morgan began to feel a stirring of temper.

Ranked or not, she’s an exemplary tutor. That more than makes up for her unfortunate family. What we have here is an abuse of Council power. Arkley sides with Jordane to punish a mage who dares look upward, toward the next rung of Dorana’s ladder.

Well, he’d not be a party to that. Not when Sallis was doing his best to keep Morgan Danfey pinned in his place. But as he turned to leave, Bellamie Ranowen rapped her knuckles to the lectern.

“Student Jordane! I’m sorry, do I bore you?”

He stopped. Turned back. Drifted once more into the shadows.

“I’m so pleased, Student Jordane,” Bellamie Ranowen added, pleasantly mellow, “that your grasp of these principles is so perfect you can find time for idle gossip. Come. Join me on the dais and help me illustrate an important point.”

A frozen moment, then a student slowly stood. Jordane’s daughter had chosen to sit as far as she could from her tutor, but that hadn’t saved her. So either she was careless, or Bellamie Ranowen had been lying in wait.

Curse it. If it turns out Sallis was right…

As the girl picked her reluctant way to the front of the hall, Ranowen continued her lecture.

“And so we must conclude that the key component of any successful transmutation lies not in the balance and counterbalance of sigil and incant, as received wisdom would have it, but in the specific syllabic stressors contained within the incant itself as it particularly relates to the boisterous give-and-take of the incantic excitation at the moment of completion. In other words, if transmutation is your weakness it is not because you can’t juggle, it’s because you have a tin ear for rhythm! In which case neither take a young lady dancing, gentlemen, nor accept a dancing invitation from a handsome young man, ladies. Because as sure as glimfire vanishes in sunshine it’ll be bruised toes and bruised hearts and no stolen kisses for you!”

A gentle chorus of chuckling broke out amongst the students.