Conrad's Fate Read Online Free PDF Page A

leaver’s form at him again, but I could only manage a feeble flap. My arm had gone weak.
    â€œAh, I wish you’d come to me first,” said my uncle. “I’d have explained. You see, I’ve discovered what you did wrong. There was someone in your last life Lords of Karma required you to put an end to. And you didn’t. You lost your nerve and let them go free. And this person got reborn and continued his evil ways in this present life, too …”
    â€œBut I still don’t see—” I began.
    He held up a hand to stop me. It was shaking. He seemed to be shaking with worry all over. “Let me finish, Con. Let me go on. Since I discovered what caused your Fate, I’ve done every kind of divination to find out who this person is that you didn’t put an end to. It’s been really difficult—I don’t have to tell you how the magics up at Stallery interfere with spells down here—but it was pretty definite even so. It’s someone up at Stallery, Con.”
    â€œYou mean it’s the new Count?” I said.
    â€œI don’t know,” said my uncle. “It’s one of them up there. Someone up at Stallery has a lot of power and is doing something really bad, and they’ve got the exact pattern of this person you should have done away with last time. That’s all I can find out, Con. Look on the bright side. We know where to find him or her. That’s why I arranged for you to get a job up at Stallery.”
    â€œWhat kind of a job?” I asked.
    â€œDomestic,” said Uncle Alfred. “The kind of thing you’re used to, really. The steward up there—butler, whatever—is a Mr. Amos, and he’s reckoning to take on some school leavers shortly, to train up as servants to the new Count. Day after the end of term he’ll be interviewing a whole bunch of you. And he’ll take you, Con, never fear. I’ll put a really good spell on you, so he’ll have no choice. You don’t need to worry about getting the job. And you’ll be right in the middle of things then, cleaning boots and running errands, and you’ll have ample opportunity to seek out the person responsible for this terrible karma you carry....”
    I thought, Cleaning boots! And nearly burst into tears. My uncle went on talking, nervously, persuasively, but I just couldn’t attend anymore. It wasn’t simply that my careful plan had been no use at all. It was more that I suddenly saw where the plan had been leading me. I hadn’t admitted it to myself before, but I knew now—I knew very fiercely—that what I wanted was to be like Anthea, to leave the bookshop, leave Stallchester, go somewhere quite different and make a career of some kind. I hadn’t actually thought what career, until then, but now I thought of flying an aircraft, becoming a great surgeon, being a famous scientist, or perhaps, best of all, learning to be the strongest magician in the world.
    It was like peeping past a door that was just slamming in my face. I could have done so many interesting things if I had the right education. Instead, I was going to spend my life cleaning boots .
    â€œI don’t want to!” I blurted out. “I want to go to Stall High!”
    â€œYou haven’t listened to what I’ve been telling you,” Uncle Alfred said. “You’ve got to get this evil Fate of yours cleared away first , Con. If you don’t, you die in agony before the year’s out. Once you’ve gone up to Stallery, found out who this person is, and done away with him or her, then you can do anything you want. I’ll arrange for you to go to Stall High then like a shot. Of course I will.”
    â€œReally?” I said.
    â€œReally,” he said.
    It was like that door softly swinging open again. True, there was an ugly doorstep in the way labeled “Bad Karma, Evil Fate,” but I could step over that. I found myself