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."Oh great teacher! Master of the Transmission of Learning—""Not Mas-ter.My rank is that of A-dept, a high-er rank.""Master or adept or divinity or what you will.I suppose it means nothing that the Prince's fate in battle, even insofar as he may escape all the sheer chance stupidities of war, is not at all likely to depend on his ability to grope his way out of a maze?""He has been al-lowed to choose his course of stu-dy, Dae-dal-us.Beyond that, spe-cial treat-ment can-not be ac-cord-ed a-ny stu-dent.""Well, I have never fought anyone with a sword, White Bull.I have never bullied and challenged men and cheered them on to get them into combat.Once, on the mainland, watching from the highest and safest place that I could reach, I saw Prince Theseus do these things.Some vassal's uprising against Aegeus.Theseus put it down, almost single-handedly, you might say.I think he would not be likely to learn much from me in the way of military science, were I to lecture on the subject.No doubt you, however, have great skill and knowledge in this field to impart?"Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"My qual-if-i-ca-tions as teach-er are be-yong your ab-il-i-ty to com-pre-hend, much less to question.Your own pro-gress should be your con-cern.""If Theseus fails, I may not be on hand to make any progress through your school.Minos will be angry at me.And not at me alone."But argue as he might he still could not get his ward excused from Tactical training and testing in the Labyrinth.For the next couple of days the Prince at least stayed in school and worked, and Daedalus'hopes rose; then, emerging one afternoon from his own classroom, he saw a page from the Inner House coming to meet him, and knew a sinking feeling.The Princess Ariadne required his presence in the audience chamber at once.He found Ariadne perched regally on the throne; but as soon as she had waved her attendants out and the two of them were alone she came down from the chair and spoke to him informally."Daedalus, before my father's departure he informed me that Prince Theseus was having—difficulties—in school.The King impressed upon me the importance of this problem.Also I have—have talked with the Prince myself, and find that the situation does not seem to be improving."Ariadne sounded nervous, vaguely distracted."I fear that you are right.Princess." Then before he had to say anything more, another page was announcing Theseus himself.There was no escort of soldiers with the Prince; evidently the house arrest instituted by Minos had already been set aside.The exchange of greetings between the two young people sounded somewhat too stiffly formal to Daedalus, and he noted that Ariadne scarcely looked directly at Theseus for a moment.Certainly she had not so avoided watching him during the wrestling match.And when the Prince looked at her now, his face was wooden.For a few moments Daedalus thought perhaps that they were quarreling, but he soon decided that the absolute opposite was more likely: an affair, and they were trying to hide it.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlIn response to an awkward-sounding request from Ariadne, Theseus' related his day's continued difficulties in school.Now she turned, almost pleading, to the older man."Daedalus, he will fail his Labyrinth tests again.What are we to do? We must find some means of helping him." And a glance flicked between the two young people that was very brief, but still enough to assure Daedalus of what was going on."Ah." He relaxed, looked at them both with something like a smile.He only hoped infatuation would not bring Ariadne to any too-great foolishness.Meanwhile, Theseus' problem might be easier to solve while Minos, with his awe of the Bull, was not around.Conferring with the Prince, while Ariadne hovered near and listened greedily, he made sure that the maze itself was indeed the key to the young man's difficulties
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