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    Used by Magic
    Used by Magic
    Used by Magic
    Ebook123 pages1 hour

    Used by Magic

    By Terry Hayman

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Fantasy fiction often has heroes in control of their magic, treating it as an everyday part of their lives. You won’t find that here. Because these 5 fabulous stories by Terry Hayman aren’t about magic users so much as people who are used by magic, sometimes in terror, sometimes in delight. Experience earth magic, angel magic, Hawaiian magic, even rock and roll magic like you’ve never seen it before. Contains “Profit Sharing”, “Plague Poker”, “What You Really Want”, “The Substitute”, and “The Wizard of Light Meets the Wizard of Rock and Roll.”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFiero Publishing
    Release dateJan 7, 2012
    ISBN9781465968180
    Used by Magic
    Author

    Terry Hayman

    Raised in five different countries and currently living with his family in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Terry is a full-time writer and actor who accepts struggle, believes in goodness, and seeks truth always.

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      Book preview

      Used by Magic - Terry Hayman

      Novels by Terry Hayman

      Chasing the Minotaur

      Jessica Falls

      Other short story collections by Terry Hayman

      Being Human: 5 heartfelt tales of fantasy and science fiction set on earth

      Off-World: 5 tales of adventure set on other planets

      Dark Paths: 5 short stories exploring the darker sides of human nature

      Life Knots: 5 stories of ordinary people fighting their destinies

      Messed Up: 5 stories of crime and consequences

      USED BY MAGIC

      Terry Hayman

      Copyright © 2012 Terry Hayman

      Published by Fiero Publishing at Smashwords

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, or loaned to you through Amazon.com’s lending program, then please go to your favorite e-book store and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Author Foreword

      Profit Sharing

      Plague Poker

      What You Really Want

      The Substitute

      The Wizard of Light Meet the Wizard of Rock and Roll

      Afterword

      Sample of Chasing the Minotaur

      Author Foreword

      Magic, all those forces and powers for which we can’t divine a scientific or rational explanation, has always inspired wonder or fear in those who witness it. White or dark magic. Magic for good or evil. Even if you’re religious and trained to think of magic as evil, allow, for the purpose of this collection, that the unscientific powers I’m talking about here include heavenly ones, which can also inspire awe or terror.

      And, while fantasy fiction often has protagonists who are in full control of their magic and may even treat it as an everyday part of their lives – no awe or terror – you won’t find a whole lot of that here, even if the story starts out that way. Because these stories mostly aren’t about magic users so much as people who are used by magic. Caught up in the maelstrom, as it were.

      Two of the protagonists are Sorceror’s Apprentice characters, magicians who think they have their magic all figured out but really don’t. The others, for the most part are innocent normals who have been caught up in the grip of a power they didn’t ask for, don’t really want, and just have to survive the experience.

      Kind of like how too many of us seem to experience life at times.

      So there you have it. No huge metaphors or social commentary other than the whole idea of humankind running pell-mell through a world we often don’t understand as well as we think we do.

      So where did each of these particular stories come from?

      Profit Sharing – It’s a lawyer story! If you read my work, you’ll find a fair number of those. And lawyer characters in stories that really don’t have that much to do with the law or courts. Why? Because I started out as a lawyer, of course. But also because I’m married to one so it’s still very much a part of my life. And because my wife is an extremely ethical, caring person in a profession that doesn’t always encourage that kind of approach, I’m often tempted to storm into the courts and downtown offices to slap some of the players upside their heads. Instead, I write stories like these.

      Plague Poker – Ah, religion. And Middle East politics. And poker. They’re all topics that are often tiptoed around in some of the more conservative gatherings I find myself in. Another screamingly good reason to through them into a fun little short story here.

      What You Really Want – This story, which deals with a magical spell that seems like it should have been a blessing but really isn’t, was actually written for an anthology of curse stories when I was down at Lincoln City, Oregon, attending a workshop with a bunch of professional writers and editors. Unfortunately, that trip I was nursing an undiagnosed abscess that was giving me fever and chills and shooting my concentration (and social skills – Sorry, everyone who was there!) all to pieces. So when it came time to write this story in a mad spurt overnight, I got totally caught up in it, lost all perspective and judgment, and blew the anthology word limit by about 6000 words. Much later, after I’d had an operation and recovered my senses, I decided I still liked the story, so I edited it down a little to its current size and voila! Hope you enjoy it.

      The Substitute – This story arose out of an honest-to-God set of nightmares my daughter had when she was still in middle school and her teacher made the decision to show the entire class Hitchcock’s The Birds. Some kids don’t have any trouble with the most awful horror movies. Others (and their fathers) do. I mean, come on. Read the story. You’ll see just how bad things can get.

      The Wizard of Light Meets the Wizard of Rock and Roll – This is just a fun, coming of age story, for which I have to tip my hat to both my daughter and, as most writers of YA stories involving magical teens must do in this century, to J.K. Rowling. But the more interesting note for this story might be its publishing genesis. I actually sold this to what sounded like a cool new market that turned out to be a one-man operation that was gathering writers’ works and putting them up as e-books, one at a time and in anthology form. Yes, he was paying a modest, up-front amount, but I wasn’t that impressed by his covers, blurbs, or process in general. Then, as often happens with such operations, things stalled and he offered to let anyone whose story hadn’t yet made it into e-book form, reclaim their rights. I quickly did, with gratitude, and turned the story over to Fiero Publishing to put up online with a snazzy cover and their usual flare. And now you also get a chance to read it in this anthology!

      Hope you enjoy this selection of stories. May they fill you with awe and wonder and a frisson of life-enriching fear.

      See you on the other side.

      -Terry Hayman

      North Vancouver,BC

      January 7, 2012

      Can an ethical wizard work in a cutthroat law firm?

      Profit Sharing

      Terry Hayman

      Copyright © 2011 Terry Hayman

      Day 1

      After the welcome lunch and re-introduction to the five law partners, eight associates, twelve paralegals, eighteen secretaries, two receptionists, and the painter just finishing an office at the dimly-lit end of the associates corridor, Benjamin Drogan was eager to start.

      Except the just-painted office was his.

      Ashcroft Smythe, elderly partner, looked into it, grimaced, and grabbed the orange secretarial partition in the corridor for support. Not to worry, Benny. First day, you just...wander about. Visit the other associates. Talk to Ma, the secretary you’ll be sharing with Perkins. He pointed to the gray-haired old Asian woman hunched, unmoving in the next cubicle.

      Um, Sir..., said Benjamin. Is she...?

      Smythe drew in a deep breath. "Smell the money, boy. And be in here by seven a.m. tomorrow. Your walls will be dry and you inbox overflowing with urgent memos. You ace them or you’re out on your heinie. Savvy?"

      Uh...yes, Sir.

      Ashton Smythe smiled hugely and trundled back towards the side of the building with south-facing windows and light.

      Benjamin watched him go. Then he grinned at the grizzled painter rolling up his tarps and the old Asian woman who still sat motionless in her cubicle.

      I’m going to like it here, he said.

      Sure you are, said the painter.

      That would be a trick, said the Asian woman, apparently without moving her mouth.

      Wouldn’t it just.

      As the painter left, Benjamin smiled, walked into his new office, waved his hand to enact a speed-drying spell, raised the lights to sunlight level, banished the mildew smell, and discretely made feather-light the office furniture that was piled in the center of room. He proceeded to push it back into place.

      When things were just where he wanted them and the dead ficus by the window was restored to glorious health with a wave of his index finger, he flicked on the computer and saw that one zealous partner who specialized in civil litigation had already sent an electronic file to his inbox with an urgent request for a statement of claim.

      Benjamin flipped through it quickly and noted the phone number of the client, a brain surgeon who’d had a car accident. Plopping himself into

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