| SORCEROUS SIGNALS |
| Written by Kathryn Sullivan / Artwork by Holly Eddy |
| The Wizard's Hat |
Ennis tensed as he heard a scrabbling at the door. Looking hastily about the small inn room, he caught
up his recent purchase, abandoned his pack to its fate, and dove under the bed.
He was barely in time; he saw the door inch open and tried to squash his skinny body further against the
wall.
“He’s not here, Jake,” a rough voice whispered.
“Pack’s here. He’ll be back. Then his gold’ll be ours.”
Ennis fingered the ripped and worn fabric of his purchase and knew he’d never convince the would-be
thieves the last of his coin had been spent on this. A wizard’s hat. Probably old before he had been born,
but it was all a poor wizard’s apprentice could afford.
He watched as his pack was dumped onto the floor and the contents rifled. While they muttered and
laughed at his meager belongings, he put the hat on his head and tried to think of something he could
do to stop them. He was no fighter. Even if he was, he couldn’t hope to stand against two grown men.
“Here, Jake, let’s check under the bed.”
Ennis froze. The bed began to lift up and away, and suddenly it seemed to be racing away from him.
Enormous boots appeared in his line of sight, and a voice boomed, “Nought but a ratty old hat.”
A curtain of fabric lifted from around him, and another voice responded, “And a mouse.”
The bed thudded back down, and bootsteps pounded away.
Suddenly the world returned to normal size. Ennis felt his face. Had he felt whiskers there a moment
before? He looked about his hiding place. Where was the hat?
He spotted it where the thieves had discarded it, on the floor near his pack. He looked about for the two,
finally locating one pair of boots by the door and another by the window. Both seemed to be facing away
from the bed. The hat was only an armslength away. Now might be his best chance.
He squirmed cautiously closer to the edge of the bed and reached. His fingers were just touching the
fabric when a voice from the door shouted, “Jake! Under the bed!”
Risk or lose. Ennis rolled out from under the bed, clapped the hat on his head and thought of the
biggest thing the room could hold.
Both thieves recoiled at the sudden appearance of a shrieking gryphon. The one by the window backed
up so fast he fell out. The other turned and ran.
The gryphon surveyed the empty room. Hearing better than a human’s warned him the room would not
remain empty for long. People below would come to investigate. Ennis lowered his head and let the hat
fell off, then, in human form, returned what was left of his belongings to his pack. He listened at the
doorway and decided the window was a better exit. Once on the roof, he donned the hat and lifted
skyward on gryphon wings.
up his recent purchase, abandoned his pack to its fate, and dove under the bed.
He was barely in time; he saw the door inch open and tried to squash his skinny body further against the
wall.
“He’s not here, Jake,” a rough voice whispered.
“Pack’s here. He’ll be back. Then his gold’ll be ours.”
Ennis fingered the ripped and worn fabric of his purchase and knew he’d never convince the would-be
thieves the last of his coin had been spent on this. A wizard’s hat. Probably old before he had been born,
but it was all a poor wizard’s apprentice could afford.
He watched as his pack was dumped onto the floor and the contents rifled. While they muttered and
laughed at his meager belongings, he put the hat on his head and tried to think of something he could
do to stop them. He was no fighter. Even if he was, he couldn’t hope to stand against two grown men.
“Here, Jake, let’s check under the bed.”
Ennis froze. The bed began to lift up and away, and suddenly it seemed to be racing away from him.
Enormous boots appeared in his line of sight, and a voice boomed, “Nought but a ratty old hat.”
A curtain of fabric lifted from around him, and another voice responded, “And a mouse.”
The bed thudded back down, and bootsteps pounded away.
Suddenly the world returned to normal size. Ennis felt his face. Had he felt whiskers there a moment
before? He looked about his hiding place. Where was the hat?
He spotted it where the thieves had discarded it, on the floor near his pack. He looked about for the two,
finally locating one pair of boots by the door and another by the window. Both seemed to be facing away
from the bed. The hat was only an armslength away. Now might be his best chance.
He squirmed cautiously closer to the edge of the bed and reached. His fingers were just touching the
fabric when a voice from the door shouted, “Jake! Under the bed!”
Risk or lose. Ennis rolled out from under the bed, clapped the hat on his head and thought of the
biggest thing the room could hold.
Both thieves recoiled at the sudden appearance of a shrieking gryphon. The one by the window backed
up so fast he fell out. The other turned and ran.
The gryphon surveyed the empty room. Hearing better than a human’s warned him the room would not
remain empty for long. People below would come to investigate. Ennis lowered his head and let the hat
fell off, then, in human form, returned what was left of his belongings to his pack. He listened at the
doorway and decided the window was a better exit. Once on the roof, he donned the hat and lifted
skyward on gryphon wings.
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Kathryn Sullivan writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. Her latest
book, TALKING TO TREES, (published by Amber Quill Press), was a
finalist for the 2006 Dream Realm Award for Best Young Adult. She has
an essay in CHICKS DIG TIME LORDS, published by Mad Norwegian
Press. Kathryn is a member of EPIC and Broad Universe.
Visit her website at http://kathrynsullivan.com/
book, TALKING TO TREES, (published by Amber Quill Press), was a
finalist for the 2006 Dream Realm Award for Best Young Adult. She has
an essay in CHICKS DIG TIME LORDS, published by Mad Norwegian
Press. Kathryn is a member of EPIC and Broad Universe.
Visit her website at http://kathrynsullivan.com/
