“How did your morning go?”
Quint told him about the string book copy and his success with liquid light.
“At least you understand that you have barely tapped into the string. Many of the strings you know are like that, and if I’m not to follow you to army headquarters, and I’m almost certain I won’t be allowed outside the wizard corps, make sure you practice what you know. When do you report?”
“Tomorrow morning. As far as I can tell, my flat is between the army headquarters and this building,” Quint said.
“I’m not sure what kind of assignments you’ll get in the diplomatic organization. I don’t even know what they call themselves,” Pozella said. “I’d appreciate a letter occasionally, and hopefully, we can still meet for lunch occasionally.”
Quint was touched that he had made a good enough friend to invite him anywhere in public. “I will. I’ll work on the string book tonight and deliver it here tomorrow.”
“Have them send it in care of Sarrefo. I’ve been inactivated for the next three months for health reasons, I’ve been told,” Pozella said.
“Is that because of me?” Quint asked.
Pozella nodded. “I was assigned specifically to you, remember? Don’t worry. Sarrefo said he’d find something for me to do.”
Chapter Eightee
n
Quint wore his black uniform on the first day of his new assignment. He expected an office the size of Pozella’s tiny workspace. He wasn’t very disappointed to have an office a little bigger and with a window looking out of a window well in the basement of the military ministry instead of a desk in the middle of a room full of them.
After reporting for duty at the front desk, an orderly took him down a narrow set of stairs and deposited him in his office.
“You’ll be summoned when you are needed, sir,” the orderly said as he saluted.
The salute surprised Quint. He hoped that wouldn’t get the orderly in trouble, he thought sarcastically.
Quint looked through the empty desk drawers and concluded the office must have been set up just for him. He walked out the door into the empty corridor. The rest of the doors were closed, and the few Quint tried were locked. At least he wasn’t executed, at least not yet.
A young officer ranked lower than Quint but at least a decade older showed up after an hour or so.
“You will meet your commanding officer now. Follow me.”
They stopped at an office on the third floor. It said Military Diplomatic Corps on the double door. Quint’s escort opened the door, walked in front of him, and looked behind as he walked to the office in the corner.
“You may be seated. The commander will be here shortly,” the escort said before doing an about-face and walking out of the offices of the Military Diplomatic Corps.
Quint waited for his escort to leave before taking a few steps into the office. Desks filled the area with a row of offices, some with open doors, and some doors were closed.
He attracted unfriendly stares, so he returned to his seat. Quint waited half an hour before a woman rushed into the office dressed in a female army uniform with designations of colonel on her uniform.
“I like the black,” she said. “Make that your standard uniform at headquarters.”
Quint scrambled to his feet. “Lieutenant Quinto Tirolo reporting for duty, ma’am,” he said saluting.
She returned his salute with a casual wave and gestured that Quint sit back down.
“I’m aware who you are. The question is, how can I use a teenaged Level 3 hubite wizard?”
“You don’t know, ma’am?” Quint asked.
“I’ll be honest; I’d rather you not be here. I’m responsible for making my people productive, but you were assigned to me without a personnel request.”
“I know military strategy and history. I’m a wizard, but then that’s hardly unusual.”
“It is around here, Lieutenant. I don’t suppose you know willot?”
Quint shook his head. “I was told I was forbidden to learn.”
“Perhaps at the wizard corps. I’m a little more flexible. Some of our internal communications are written in the willot language. I don’t want to have to translate everything you write. Find some texts and spend the next few weeks learning the basics. The grammar is identical to the common language.”
“I can do that, ma’am.”
The colonel grimaced. “I don’t know what to do with a wizard, but maybe you can help me figure that out. I will want to meet with you weekly. You will be on your own to stay busy, but I suggest you also start reading newssheets and periodicals. I’ll send down the previous day’s sheets, and you can read those to start.”
“What about writing supplies, ma’am? I’d like to take notes.”
“There is a cabinet against the corridor wall when you walk in. You’ll find what you need there. You shouldn’t force yourself on anyone in the office. Hubites are…” She peered at Quint. “You know how things are. You’ll be the only hubite under my command and the only wizard. There will also be escort duty from time to time. You’ll get notice for any assignment.”
The woman brushed her uniform off and looked out the window. “That’s all for now. Don’t bother to salute, just get started.”
Quint grabbed some supplies from the cabinet and headed down to his office. A female clerk came out of one of the doors in the basement corridor and scurried in the other direction. Quint couldn’t see much difference between his time as a servant and working for Colonel Julia Gerocie other than a better title and better pay. Something to keep the hubite wizard occupied, Quint thought.
