exploratory kidnapping

[alicornucopia]

In this room are two women, one gray and sixty years old, one just thirty and red-haired, both wearing elaborate outfits. The younger casts a spell.

In this room is now also a third person. (On whom the elder woman promptly also casts a spell, which she had at the ready.)

Comments

[missnicegirl]

"There were twenty-six people in it, including me and Lavender."

[alicornucopia]

"So out of a total of twenty-eight people three so far have ialdae, but you might be different because you were first, so about one in every thirteen or fourteen - maybe more, if some people are just slow catchers."

[missnicegirl]

"That sounds about right," says Matilda. "We'd need to look at lots more people to be sure, though. Do you have lots of people to look at? And are the people who want ialdae all people it would be good to give ialdae to? I don't want to have to deal with another magic Trunchbull. One was enough."

[alicornucopia]

"They'd all come very highly recommended," Terali assures her. "I don't think we'll have any trouble finding volunteers. Some people would really like to do magic but they don't have high enough channeling capacities to be wizards and they weren't born with any other kinds."

[missnicegirl]

"Okay," she says. "If you find me lots of people to look at to see if they can catch ialdae, I'll look at them. And if you find me people who want to do magic and some of them can catch ialdae, I'll... see."

[alicornucopia]

"We'll get word out and have them here in a lesson or two."

[missnicegirl]

"Okay."

She is less excitable about witchcraft today than usual, but she still has fun at her lesson.

[alicornucopia]

And two days later:

"There are some volunteers waiting downstairs."

[missnicegirl]

"Okay, I'll go look at them."

[alicornucopia]

Terali leads her down the hall and down a flight of stairs and into a large room with a bunch of chairs containing women, all variously red-haired and between the ages of sixteen and forty-five.

[missnicegirl]

Matilda turns to Terali and asks seriously, "Are there no boys in Elcenia?"

[alicornucopia]

Terali blinks. "What? No, there are boys."

[missnicegirl]

"Oh. It's just I've never seen one," she explains. "And now I've seen a lot of people from Elcenia."

[alicornucopia]

"I don't think you've mentioned any boys from Earth, either," Terali points out. "We got these volunteers from a girls' school, some teachers and some students. If you want to meet Elcenian boys I could bring my son to work tomorrow."

[missnicegirl]

"I've mentioned some, I just didn't mention that they were boys. But there are boys in my class. I guess it doesn't matter too much. Are these just people for me to look at and see if they can catch ialdae or not, or do they all want to be ialdic too?"

[alicornucopia]

"If you can get any of these people to catch ialdae they'd be very pleased about it."

[missnicegirl]

"Okay. I guess I'll see."

She peers at the assembled women.

"I don't see anything... but maybe I just wouldn't. Are you very sure none of them is going to teach the magic bad things like kidnapping and lightning bolts?"

[alicornucopia]

"None of them has a criminal record or any worrying notes on their school history," Terali says. "I haven't met them all myself, but they've all been recommended by people who do know them."

[missnicegirl]

"Okay." She addresses the crowd. "Do you mind if I levitate you all?"

[alicornucopia]

"Go for it!" calls one of the sixteen-year-olds. There is general tittering and no objection.

[missnicegirl]

So she levitates them all. Chairs included.

[alicornucopia]

This is entertainingly novel for a few ticks, but most of them have brought books and go back to reading.

[missnicegirl]

Anyone who is watching the room through an ialdae analysis will note, after about a degree, that the sixteen-year-old who spoke first has a sudden flare of ialdae.

"Oh!" says Matilda. "I think one of you just caught it!"

[alicornucopia]

"Who?" asks Terali.

[missnicegirl]

Matilda points, and causes a little sparkling blue light to hover over the girl's head.