The Mindwalk Pavilion

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"I am guessing that killing your brother and his henchman will have repercussions?"

"Probably." Bayezid agreed. Now that Selim and Murad were dead he felt relief, but he also was worrying about how the rest of his party would perceive it. Selim had been careful to make himself quite popular with at least some of those he travelled with.

"Come with me." Bridget requested.

"Where are we going?"

"To see William Cecil, he will be able to help I think."

Bayezid followed Bridget through the castle to William's private rooms.

"Her Majesty has commanded me to assist you in whatever way I can." William told the Prince.

"Thank you, i have the feeling that I need all the help I can muster now."

"I assume since Bridget has brought you too me, that your brother has made an attempt on your life, and is now dead?"

"Yes, that is so."

"Could you tell me how it unfolded please?"

Bayezid outlined the events as clearly as he could remember. Cecil listened attentively.

"Did Selim and Murad ever argue? In public?"

"Sometimes, it was rare though. Why?"

"I have an idea that might present this as a 'lovers tiff' that has escalated.

"They are dead in my bed, that would seem an odd choice of location for a 'lover's tiff'.

"We must move them back to Selim's room."

"I doubt we could do that alone, Selim is quite solid."

"We must try, and whilst it is still dark."

Unconvinced the plan would work, but having no better idea of his own, Bayezid followed Cecil back to his own rooms. Bayezid was astonished to see Bridget was still with them. When Cecil had looked at the two bodies, he pronounced that they'd manage.

"We must be careful not to spread blood everywhere though." He added.."

Bayezid could see that there was in fact an awful lot of blood.

"I don't think this is going to work. We will get covered in blood, and we are bound to leave some between the two rooms."

There was a soft knock at the door. Both men stiffened. The knock was repeated and Bayezid went quietly to to door.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"My name's Drake. William Cecil has asked me to come and help you."

Bayezid turned to Cecil.

"I'd let him in."

Drake entered. He was accompanied by two men who carried rolls of sailcloth.

"These are two of my crew, don't worry, they are very discrete, and being very well paid eh lads?"

The two men grinned. Then Cecil gave instructions, and Selim and Murad were quickly rolled into the sail cloths, along with the heavily blood soaked bedding. Drake, Cecil and Bayezid took Selim, and the two sailors carried Murad. Bridget opened the door and led the way to Selim's room.

To Bayezid it seemed a terrible distance between the two rooms, but shortly they were inside Selim's bedchamber. The bodies were arranged on the bed, and their weapons positioned as seemed appropriate. the blood soaked bedding was spread under and over them. Then the sail cloths were rolled up and taken away, Drake took his leave and left with them.

Bayezid and Cecil returned with Bridget to Bayezid's room. The bed had been remade, with everything replaced fresh and clean.

Cecil regarded him.

"Her Majesty Queen Boudica has every desire that Prince Selim's death should appear to be in no way connected with any person of these islands. Please remember that when you learn of your brother's death tomorrow. She has done you considerable honour this night."

"I am very sensible of this, and will thank her appropriately when I see her next."

"I suggest that you try to sleep."

"Thank you Sir."

"You are welcome Prince Bayezid."

"Thank you Bridget."

Bridget gave him an unreadable look.

"You're welcome. Remember my warning."

"I shall, but I have no intention of becoming your enemy."

"Good." Bridget turned to go.

"Bridget?"

"Yes?"

"Who replaced the bedding here?"

Another look.

"As you have been told, Her Majesty Queen Boudica has done you considerable honour this night."

"Thank you Bridget."

Bridget said nothing, but nodded briefly and left, followed by William Cecil.

Bayezid closed the door, and made ready to sleep in a bed made by a Queen.


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It was mid-morning when Bayezid awoke. As he had awoken rather than been woken, he surmised that Selim's body had not been discovered yet. In fact it was late afternoon, and the sky was already darkening again when an agitated Berat found him and told him that Selim and Murad had been found. Bayezid was careful in what he said and in his reactions. It was known that the two had no great love for each other. That Selim's death would advance Bayezid's chances of becoming the next Sultan was also known. It would be inappropriate for him to express any excess of grief given the circumstances.

Instead, Bayezid questioned Berat and subsequently the Ottoman servant who had the misfortune to find them. He summoned others of the party and they entered Selim's rooms together. He was shocked how easy it was to believe Cecil's concocted story. It was agreed that the two must have quarrelled, about what no one knew, but Selim's temper and humour had been foul for several days.

Bayezid composed and sent a letter to his father, informing him of Selim's death, and that they had arrived too late to take the Mindwalk challenge. He officially informed the Queen of Selim's death, and before the letter was despatched had added some lines conveying the condolences of Boudica and her Council.

Predictably, the castle was soon rife with gossip about the death. Bayezid did notice that evening that Drake was nowhere to be seen. His polite enquiry elicited that Drake's ship had left on the morning tide and he was not expected to return for a few weeks. He sought out Edward Carrick.

"I wish to thank you."

Edward looked at him through calm blue eyes.

"I am an old man Prince Bayezid. I have had many years to contemplate life, and one of the things I've learnt is that life is all about choices, making decisions, do this, do that, do nothing. I also have come to believe that I see things for a reason. To see an inevitability is rather pointless don't you think?"

"I. Well yes."

"So when I had the vision I described to you, I had to make choices. I decided to tell you, and now you are alive and your brother dead. I have to live with my decisions, and hope. Hope that they are the right decisions. My instinct is that I have made the correct decision in telling you, I sincerely hope that it was. I appreciate your thanks, but there really is no need."

He paused a moment.

Bayezid took a breath to say more, but then Carrick continued.

"Live your life well Prince Bayezid. When you have opportunity, then do good if you can."

"I shall Sir."

"I believe that you will, and if I may give you a little advice, try to remember that not every race is won on the first lap. And now if you will forgive me, I need to find my bed. Goodnight Prince Bayezid."

Bayezid bid Carrick a good night. The old man departed with the careful gait of the old and weary. When he had gone, William Cecil came to talk with Bayezid.

"Her Majesty wishes to know what arrangements will need to be made for the burial of your brother?"

"He will not in fact be buried here. Tomorrow one of our ships will head back to Constantinople, and convey the bodies of Selim and Murad to the Sultan."

"Ah! I see. I can see that might be for the best."

"Please thank the Queen for her concern though."

Cecil said that he would do so, and left Bayezid to his own thoughts. He wondered what Edward Carrick had meant by his advice. Had the elderly Seer had another vision? Turning his mind to Selim, Bayezid once again considered if it would have been better to return to Constantinople with the body. He had not conveyed anything of his intentions to Suleiman, perhaps he should rectify that tomorrow, and write his father another letter.

Having decided to communicate his intention of persuading Boudica to marry him, Bayezid thought about how he might do that. It was certain that she knew he was romantically inclined towards he, but what were her feelings? She had helped him a lot the last couple of days, and he didn't believe it was simply because she had told Edward Carrick that she would.

He wanted to know more about her likes and dislikes, he wanted to know everything about her. He could try asking Bridget, but something told him that wasn't the correct approach


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"Iliaster is nearly forty. That he has survived so long in our world is a testament to his abilities. Most with witch powers are rooted out whilst still young. The others that I have been able to find are all in their late teens or early twenties. Iliaster would be the natural choice to head the Mithraides."

"Under yourself Bernardo, you will be the head of the Order, he your second in command."

"As you wish Giovanni."

"It will save him having any illusions about his position as our servant."

"I had no intention of letting him think that."

"I'm sure that you didn't" reassured Archinto.

"It will be best for you to Head the Order. No one will query your actions, and as you control the finances, you will be able to direct such monies as are needed to the Order."

"That is true."

"Besides, we are raising him to the Grade of Leo, it is not sufficient for him to be a credible leader."

"The younger members will probably look up to him all the same."

"That is to be expected. Let him organise their studies. Give him access to our libraries as you suggested."

Archinto too a breath,

"Place someone that you trust near him."

"There is no one who has any powers that we trust Giovanni. He would be suspicious of having someone without psychic abilities foisted upon him."

"Ah yes, that is true. Well you will have to interact with him directly. You said that you wanted them somewhere relatively isolated for their headquarters. What about the island of Ponza? It is sufficiently isolated for their studies to be secret, yet close enough that they could be visited often by you."

"I will look into it Giovanni."

"What do you think he could realistically achieve?"

"My own studies have suggested that there is a surprising amount of power in superstition. Those who believe in dark powers are prone to imagine that any ill fortune they experience is caused by malign magic. Conversely if they believe that some quack nostrum will heal them, then it may in fact do so, even though it is nothing more than peppermint and liquorish.

The Celts believe deeply in their psychic 'powers', so they are susceptible to suggestion."

"But the Celts have powers that are very real, though we know them to be evil. "

"Hence our original decision to fight fire with fire. "

Giovanni nodded gravely.

"Can they kill someone?"

"It is generally thought so, though it is always impossible to absolutely prove that witchcraft is the cause."

"If we could kill that bastard Mattias, now that would be something."

"Yes, although it would beg the possibility of someone on Albion killing you or me Giovanni."

"Question this Iliaster of yours, find out what is possible."

"I shall do as you ask, but it may be an ongoing enquiry. He seems to have a huge natural potential, but he has had no opportunity to develop it. Quite simply, he may not know the answer to such a question any more than we do."

"I suppose that we don't know how long it will take for them to learn what is possible either." said Archinto mournfully.

"Sadly not, but I am hopeful that there will be a lot of enthusiasm, given that they will have the chance to develop."

"We must use the stick ad the carrot."

"Yes."

"Give them privileges, a good life, decent food, access to the resources they need, but make them aware of what we expect from them, make it clear all the good stuff is conditional on results."

"Yes Giovanni, I shall do as you instruct."

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