Shadows over Nothross | Page 9

can use."
"Precisely. And what does that mean from the points of view of
humans and elves?"
Gnedrnygr thought. "Humans and elves think differently and thus use
different kinds of magic?"
"Good. Now, my point: You're thinking of humans and elves as distinct
moulds that dictate what kinds of magic they can use. The All-Infinite
theorists are saying these moulds are entirely artificial and will break
eventually. I'm merely saying that... well, think of magic from the
Infinite as rays of Trinvnil, our minds as rooms. and our ways of
magical applications as windows through which light comes in, and the
pattern of light representing what each of us really knows of magic.
Now, sorry to stereotype, but elves might just keep a small potted
flower on a windowsill, while humans leave all sorts of junk on
windowsills. Elves get a lot of light on room--not everything, mind
you--and humans a little bit less. All-Infinite theorists say no one is
keeping anything on a windowsill in near future."
"Ah, I see. And what you are saying is, humans may clean their
windowsill from time to time, but being humans, they will accumulate
more junk there in time?"
"Yes. And there's also great individual variance - a lot of people keep
their junk in different places. But one of the big points of this big
analogy is, our shadows are in different places."
"Shadows? Oh yes, you mean, things on the windowsills casting
shadows at different places?"
"Yes - and, also, we know where our shadows are, as we do not move
our plants that much, and we may even learn to sometimes move the
plant just a little bit to peek behind it. Humans do that too on occasion,
but they often can't find anything they left on their windowsill
anyway."

"Ah, I see. You know", Gnedrnygr said, scratching his head and
looking thoughtful, "One thing comes in mind from all this. I'm
probably a much more experienced magician than you. Don't take this
wrong, it's not meant to disparage, it's just a comment based on your
level of practical experience. You're fresh out of the Academy, and by
time you even started your mere 10-year course, I had been a practising
magician for several decades. You are no match for me what comes to
knowledge of spells, obviously, even given the elven predisposition
toward magical crafts--"
"Well, I was not the most gifted student around, though I have no idea
how we compare to other academies of magic..." Realn said modestly,
slightly worried by Gnedrnygr's assessment.
"Don't be disappointed! I was just about to tell the good news. You
amaze me - and I really mean it, you truly amaze me", Gnedrnygr said
with his finger raised - "in how deep knowledge you have of the roots
of the magic; you probably know a lot more of the Foundation than I
do."
Realn raised her gaze from the ground, where it had fallen during
Gnedrnygr's throughout analysis of her career so far, and smiled
cheerfully. "It might be so; humans are practical, I've seen, and care
about immediate results, while we study what makes things really
work."
"Quite. And that alone tells me humans still have a lot to do to catch up
with elves", Gnedrnygr said and smiled warmly.
"Anyway, to the point of all this - elves do think a little bit different,
and as a result, our magic will do different. Your Abramm Thevlynson
the Younger once said elves invent things that 'look the same in million
different ways', and humans invent million different things that all do
the same thing."
"I don't quite follow that", Gnedrnygr said, scratching his head.
"Our magic tends to be mysterious in nature - at least from the point of

view of those not directly involved with the magical forces in question.
The end result is a lot of flashy and cute and nice things, and - there
you go - a magical thingy appears out of nowhere. Same sort of magic,
varied results, yet all similar in nature."
"Hah. I still remember one souvenir that Duke Lucien sent me a while
ago. It was an Elven Artefact. It sure looked like an elven item of great
craftsmanship, and certainly was most magical in nature. But let my
nose be bloody if I ever figure out what the widget is supposed to be, or
do. It's pretty, though. Lucien was dreadfully interested in finding out
too, his court mage had produced that thing one day and left everyone
there a bit puzzled."
Realn giggled. "Now, and for the comparison, human spells mostly
apply the idea of turning the power of Infinite into something practical,
using pretty much the same methodology in every case."
"Oh, yes, and cynics would probably say the practical