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If to-day certain precious bits of glass, ruby-red, emerald-green, sapphire-blue, topaz-yellow, set in the windows of old cathedrals, could speak, they would say proudly that they are the work of Alan of York and Josian, the daughter of Archiater, the philosopher.
There is nothing half so fleeting, there is nothing half so dear As the unfulfilled desire that comes with the turn of the year! "Yes," acknowledged old Tomaso thoughtfully, "I knew Archiater of Byzantium very well at one time, and yet no one ever really knew much about him. He was more than a clever alchemist, he was a discoverer of secrets, and a good man.
"We may as well sift what evidence we have," he said. "If the manuscripts had been in the hands of any one who knew the cipher he must have done work so far beyond anything else in his craft that it would be heard of. Archiater never made use of half his discoveries and he was always finding out secrets concerning the crafts.
"Listen, you young chaser of dreams what would you give to see what Archiater left? Eh? Would you guard the secret with your life? Eh? They burned the books in the public square yes but if there was something that was not a book, what would you do for a sight of that?" Alan's heart was pounding with excitement, but his face was unmoved. "I am not good at fencing, Master Stefano.
Simon watched him by stealth, tracked him like a beagle, and finally went to one high in authority with the report that he was making secret poisons. This would have been no crime had the poisons been available for practical use. As it was, they felt it safest to have Archiater seized when he came back to the city, and tried as a wizard.
Alan had had two fortunate accidents in his life; he had been taught in the beginning by a master- artist, and later had come upon writings by a still greater genius, the Byzantine philosopher of whom Tomaso had been speaking. From the first glimpse he had had of the crabbed, clear handwriting, the terse phrases, the daring and independent thought of Archiater, he had been fascinated.
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