A huge Leather Suitcase lay open in the Entrance Hall of Rowle Manor.
Alaric insisted they needed seven Pure-blood Ball Gowns for Romania. Cordelia argued that two were enough for academic occasions.
While the two of them argued over a third pair of shoes, Gavin took the Book of Ten Thousand Spirits Calculation upstairs to the Study.
Their flight left at seven forty the next morning.
That gave him just enough time tonight for a full inspection of the Calculation Book after its newly completed "dual-core upgrade."
The Protective Magic Arrays on the desk lit up one by one with dim blue halos.
They were safeguards against problems with the Calculation Book, designed to contain Dark Magic. They would do nothing against anything else.
The Black Book was secured squarely at the center of the array.
Its cover sprang open without a sound.
"Begin testing." Gavin tapped the page with his pen.
The page remained still for a second. Then a neat line of black calligraphy rapidly seeped across the silvery-white paper:
[Computing power ready.]
The lettering was even, each stroke brisk and decisive.
Gavin looked at it and raised an eyebrow.
The last time he had opened it, the First-Generation Single Node, spurred on by the promise of Unlimited Energy, had filled entire pages with "[Book of Ten Thousand Spirits Calculation swears undying loyalty to the great Gu]."
Now that the Second Node had been integrated, all that cheap, long-winded flattery had vanished. In its place was an almost chilly efficiency and restraint.
Gavin was quite pleased.
In actual calculations, fewer wasted words meant greater efficiency.
"Report operating status."
[Stable.]
"Second Node status?"
[Normal.]
"Connection to the Main Soul?"
[Severed.]
Gavin's gaze sharpened. A faint thread of Legilimency slipped silently into