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Shelton shook his head "Firstly, the Arcane Council would never want no access to this stuff, and secondly, because the Overworld Conclave forbids it"
"But think of the good it could do society! Anti-gravity cars would be so wicked"
He snorted "Yeah, and I’d bet noonna happen"
"Stupid politics," I said, gru
"There are a lot ic and our e, and Overworld politicians don’t like that" Shelton shrugged "They even have an entire division devoted to sabotaging no"
"Didn’t stop theital watches," I said
He snorted
An announcement for the departure of the cable car to the university interrupted hts We hurried aboard just before it lifted I realized an instant later why it didn’t need cables "This is a slider, isn’t it?"
"Yup" Shelton stared out theas the spires of a castle rose into view
I watched as a girl wearing a pink arcane robe played a galanced up fro shuttle, techie"
She wrinkled her forehead and gave hi if he’d spoken to her and not one of the aze, she see to her "The handbook said arcphones are allowed now" She shrugged "Don’t see how they can ban them anyways Everybody has one" She looked around the cabin, as if searching for souy sneered "If you suck at ht wanna join the real world," Shelton said "’Cause I can think of a half-dozen things an arcphone can do better than a huh for emphasis "It’s a focus, just like a wand or staff, except it ain’tpower for couy said
"Well, you sure as heck can’t play Unicorns versus Zoue, and went back to playing
The student glared at Shelton "A real Arcane doesn’t need that garbage to dohiain, you’ll probably never aician"
A chorus of "Oohs" went up frou everything
The student’s jaw dropped open, and his eyes filled with rage "Do you knoho I aed hiht above the valley below, thu zone
"Please telldeal’ card," the girl said "That’s just sad"
"I auy said "And ician," Shelton said, before the student could finish "Maybe I’ll buy you a top hat for graduation and co students and left the car
I squeezed through the crowd as William hurled obscenities at our backs
I knew Arcanes really hated terician was apparently the lowest of the low
The landing zone sat atop a bluff overlooking the valley on one side and the plateau on the other A long stone path led down a gentle slope Trees dotted the verdant terrain Narrow stone paths led to quaint cottages, and fields bordered by low stone walls held flocks of bleating sheep and goats It re fro
Arcane University
The sprawling caes A s stretched across the terrain from one end to the other A snow-blanketed mountain peak towered behind the university, its slopes covered by thick forest
The castle dominated the center of the coray and lined with arched s Soaring spires reached for the sky atop huge round towers that rose frons around the edges and s A long oval building of white stone with a transparent doht of the castle, and so that looked like the Coliseuer loos that appeared to be housing facilities crowded the left side of the complex A riot of colors bordered the east and west sides of the university--gardens, apparently
"What’s that for?" I asked Shelton, pointing at the giant stadium
"That’s where they hold the Grand Melee," he said
"The what?"
Shelton gave ht, I never told you, did I?" He grinned "Iladiator battles"
"Ooh," I said "That sounds cool"
"Yeah, now iole fire and laser bea open I reider
"That’s the Grand Melee?" I asked
"In a nutshell" He headed out on the stone path toward the loohts with hts, and then by colossi"
"Is it a competition between the Science Academy and Arcane University?"
He nodded "After Science Acade that science would replace ot pretty nasty between the two schools until an arbitration panel ca the two schools duke it out by proxy"