Brattlestoke's School of Magic

by Dave Krenitsky

Bud dropped the backpack on the table. The glass shattered and the pack hit the floor.

I put down my copy of Basic Magic and looked at him.

"Don't worry. I'll buy you a new one. Hell, I'll buy you a new apartment." Bud, as careful as he ever was, pulled a glass shard from the pack and lay the pack on a clear patch of floor.

From the the smirk on his face I could tell that he thought he had done something great.

"What is it," I asked.

"I got the gold."

I opened the bag. In it were two green bars. I pulled one out. The crest of the Brattlestoke's School of Magic was stamped into the bar. I scrapped some of the green tarnish from the bar. A copper sheen was revealed. "These aren't gold. They're copper."

"I know. That's the beauty of my idea. The school has these in the main foyer. It will give a full scholarship to anyone who removes the gold. And you get to keep the gold."

I nodded. Everyone knew that. "Yeah, they've been there since the school opened. Nobody has been able to get them past the wards and spells that guard the doors. It's advertising."

"But I got them."

I looked at the bars. I flicked off some of the green patina to make my point. There was some

writing below the crest but it was hard to make out.

"That's why I was studying alchemy," Bud said.

"You should have been studying for the entrance exam. It's in two days."

"I'll get in, and a scholarship and I'll keep the gold."

"You don't have the gold."

"That's why it worked. The wards and spells and god knows what else they have, watch for gold leaving the building."

"So you changed the gold to copper and just walked out."

"Exactly. Simple isn't it. I'm going to the dean of admissions now. Tag along why don't you."

I stood up to follow along. It did seem too simple.

The secretary let us into the dean's office. He was standing in front of a tall desk studying an ancient book.

"Mr, uh, dean, uh..."

"Brattlestroke the third," I whispered. Trust Bud not to know the dean's name.

"Uh Dean Brattlestroke the third I would like to claim the scholarship. I have the bars from the entrance."

"I'm impressed. I was of course informed they had gone missing." The dean looked at Bud and I took a step away. "And surprised. Each graduating class enhances and renews the spells. You have the gold bars."

Bud swung the bag up and one of the bars slid through a slit that must have come from the glass table. The bar flew toward the dean.

The dean raised his hand and the bar stopped and floated in front of him. "There appears to be a mistake. This bar is copper."

"It's the bar. See it has the school crest and the inscription, 'Whoever takes these bars of gold from their place and presents them to a school official shall receive a full scholarship to the Brattlestroke School of Magic.' Blah blah blah."

"The 'blah blah blah' says that the bars have to be returned in the condition in which they were in when resting in the grand foyer. If you can change these back into gold then I would be required to award you the scholarship."

"If I could change copper into gold I wouldn't need a scholarship."

"I suppose that is true." He bent to a talking tube and whispered into it. He turned and looked at me. "Mr Stronford, I've been reviewing the applications for the coming year. Do well in the entrance exam and we may be able to offer you a partial scholarship." He looked back at Bud. "Mr Langworthy, I do hope you have been studying more than alchemy. You will have to do very well on the exam, very well indeed in order to be accepted into Brattlestroke." He looked to the door and said, "Come in."

There was a knock at the door, then it opened. Two guards came in.

The dean pointed at Bud. "Mr Langworthy has caused the school to lose a substantial amount of gold. Please take him to the police station and have him held for grand theft gold or whatever seems appropriate. The school will decide if it will press charges in a day or two."

The guards each took one of Bud's arms and walked him out the door. The door closed behind them.

The dean smiled. "Don't tell him but the school won't press charges. I suspect he could use some alone time to review his actions. Is there something more Mr Stronford?"

"No, not a thing." I turned and walked into the door. As I staggered back it opened and I rushed out.