Out of the Blue

                                 by Alexander Duncan

The lights in the room brightened, illuminating the dusty shelves, their books unused in centuries. Spiders fled the room. A low hum began. The circle in the floor dissolved and a golden pyramid rose into the room. The floor regained its reso1ution and the hum stopped. Three brief notes rang out in the air and the corners of the pyramid started to glow. The glow brightened until it outshone the lights and overpowered the sensors in the room. The sides of the pyramid split apart and outlined a square as they met and merged with the floor.

Thirty seconds earlier, the electrodes had retracted from his head. Though he was 473 years old mentally, "Blue" Ledic was only a nineteen-year-old physically. PUTR had kept the Ledic family alive for 443 years after the Hiding of the Powers. As Blue got up from the chair, he reviewed the history holographed inside the pyramid during those thirty seconds. The rediscovery of the Keys must have been the reason for his release. He silently hoped the new Wizards did not know of him as he did them. Except one.

Long ago in North America, the original Ledic had lived in a guild called High School. One of his closest friends was the original Ludit. The latest of the Ludits, Adena of Furanose, was unaware of her ancestry.

The only other interesting descendants of the original Ledic and Ludit were Aven and Wisdym. Aven and Wisdym were closer to each other than they were to their own families. Wisdym and Aven's gifts as witch and warlock were very similar, the difference being Aven's invisibility. At the Assembly of Wizards, only Ozino and Wisdym were aware of Aven's prescence. Being Wisdym's closest friend, Aven chose to drown in Lake Placid when she faded away and the waters closed in. Before he died, however, he telepathed his son and set up the pyramid in the Room Without Doors. The Ledics had lived there ever since, until now.

Blue went over the rundown again. Adena possessed her ancestor's Amulet as well as Excho's Belt. Iffley held the Sceptre, while the Tiara was controlled by Taft. The other, the Ring, was worn by Jonathon Pierce. Ledic, himself, had the Note.

The Note was the Key of Aven. This sixth Key was virtually unknown to the other Keyholders. Its usual form was that of a chromatic harmonica. It was made of gold with inlaid silver, copper, and titanium. The crowning feature was the twelve sapphires, six on top and six on bottom. Their colors ranged from a light sky blue to a deep sea blue, all twelve being clear and lovely. These twelve studs activated the note into its other forms: the black clarinet, the silver flute, the golden sax, the red trumpet, the green violin, the violet oboe, the orange trombone, the yellow tuba, the grey chimes, the white drum, the brown bassoon, and the blue harp. Each instrument offered a different, weak talent, including farsensing, teleportation, mind control, pleasure, pain, mind search, telepathy, and creation. The instruments were weak in themselves, but as powerful as any other gift when put together.

Blue pressed the electric blue stud on the Note. As he played the Violin, he disappeared from the Room. He appeared above on the floor of the Central Island. The Note had reverted to its original form. Pressing the sea blue stud, he watched the Note become the sax. Using his innate musical talent, Blue located each of the Wizards through farsense. The Note next became the Harp, Blue's favorite. He built his castle at the center of his domain, between the territories of Adena, Jonathon, and Enad. For miles around, the trees chlorophyll gave way to mild melanin, coloring the landscape blue. The castle was of the bluest blue, as were the sky and sea. Kentucky bluegrass grew around the castle. Blue himself was clothed in metallic blue armor of unknown composition.

Blue's last creation was his masterpiece. The twelve dolphins matched the instruments in color and sound. Here again, the dolphins of Ledic paralleled the danae of Ludit.

Once again, Blue pressed the Note's electric stud and the violin appeared. This time it carried him to the bedroom of Adena of Furanose. Blue kept his eyed lowered but played "The Stripper" on the harmonica. Adena spun around from her position at the closet and gasped, "Who are you?"

He replied, "Archimedes Ledic, but call me Blue. I need to discuss something with Your Grace...."