Cat stood with her arms folded over her chest, tapping her foot while she waited for Tom to compose himself. He took several deep breaths and tried to tell himself that he already had some experience pulling off this little charade, and they had been practicing. Surely fooling the court was less dangerous than tricking the bandits. No one would be waiting to kill him if he said the wrong thing. He hoped.
The liveried servant keeping an eye on them suddenly coughed conspicuously. He too was getting impatient with Tom’s hesitation. It was time to move. This doorman was only one of many ready and waiting to send the pair packing. Tom was really shocked that they had actually made it far enough to receive an audience with the duke. Apparently the guards were curious to see what would happen when this “wizard” spoke with their employer.
They still wouldn’t have been allowed in if Catherine hadn’t somehow procured the huge piece of black velvet. Tom hadn’t asked her where it came from, and truthfully he didn’t really want to know. Right now he was using it like a cape to cover the wretched state of his clothing. The rags were meant to have an effect of the duke, not convince the staff to bar them entrance.
“Alright,” he finally said. “Open the doors.”
He wasn’t prepared for how many people there would be. The duke was sitting at the head of the room, and he was surrounding by hangers-on of various kinds. All the faces swivelled toward him as the doorman began his announcement.
“Presenting The Wizard Caligula and companion.”
Cat immediately walked forward. She doffed her fancy green hat and bent low to the ground. She ended up on her knees in front of the duke’s seat. Tom fought the impulse to do the same. He had been told not to grovel, that wizards did not bow to mere gentry, but the peasant in him wanted desperately to kneel. Yet Cat managed to lower her head in such a way that she could risk a glare behind her, and the look on her face warned him to hold his ground.
“Oh, My Lord Duke,” she said, her voice clear and strong. “My master has come to beg your assistance. While travelling through your lands, we were set upon by rogues. All of our belongings were taken and we were left destitute. We require help if we are to make our way back to our own territory.”
“A wizard? How is it a wizard allowed himself to be robbed blind?” someone sniffed.
Cat stood up at this, but kept her eyes lowered in mock deference. She was doing remarkably well pretending to be subservient.
“My Lord Caligula is too compassionate for his own good. He spared these men the horrific punishments using his magic would entail, and merely concentrated on shielding me.”
“Enough!” Tom followed his cue. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you doubt my abilities, allow me to demonstrate by reprimanding my presumptuous subordinate.”
The crowd murmured approvingly. When the Duke made a gesture of acquiescence, Tom pulled the black cloth form his shoulders. He swirled it dramatically around Catherine, covering her from head to toe. When he pulled it away, it seemed to the audience as if the girl had disappeared. They could not see her in animal form still hidden by the receding fabric. When he shook out the black shroud the cat seemed to appear from nowhere to sprint across the floor and into the lap of a young woman sitting at the Duke’s side.
They had practiced this trick for days. When it was decided that they needed something more astounding than the cat simply changing, Tom had suggested that they mimic a band of travelling magicians that often showed up at village spares. Although, having actual magic probably made their version of the act much easier to accomplish.
“A kitty!” exclaimed the girl.
She was the very model of what Tom imagined highborn lady would look like. She was a vision of golden curl and clear complexion stuffed into a gown of pink and lace. Her huge blue eyes were wide with delight.
“I shall return her to her proper shape once she has learned her lesson,” said Tom.
The lady turned to the Duke. “Father, ask him to do it to me!”
Tom’s heart sank. There was no way he could fulfill this request, and he was quite sure that they would be deemed frauds. But the cat had an idea. She purred advice to him, unbeknownst to their audience.
“Tell her you need time to prepare the spell for someone it has never been cast on,” she said.
Tom repeated the words verbatim, but added his own twist to the idea.
“As of yet I have no idea what creature you would be,” he said. “You could be a bird, or a butterfly, or anything. I don’t know you well enough to tell.”
The duchess blushed, but Cat blinked in approval. Jubilation filled him as he found himself invited to stay. So far, at least, everything seemed to be going according to plan.
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