Moment of Truth by Michael Pryor Page A

that the main purpose of a medical examination was to make one feel quite unwell.
    The main hall was enough like a lecture theatre to make Aubrey feel quite nostalgic. At the front was a dais, a long desk or bench, and a pair of lecterns. On the wall behind the dais was a large blackboard, which looked freshly cleaned.
    Rows of hard, wooden chairs faced the stage. Aubrey found a spare seat three rows from the front, in between a middle-aged man who looked as if he’d just walked out of his position managing a bank, and a woman a few years older than Aubrey, who glanced at him through her glasses before clutching the bag on her lap as if he’d made a move to steal it. She was trembling and Aubrey had a great deal of sympathy. He’d been in Darnleigh House before. These new recruits must be uneasy, given the reputation of the Department and its chief.
    Within a few minutes, the doors at the rear were closed. Aubrey twisted and looked to see that the hall was only a third filled and he nodded, thoughtfully. A hundred, he thought, maybe a hundred and twenty. Not many, but not bad for a couple of days’ recruiting.
    Commander Craddock entered. As he strode to a lectern, he swept his gaze over the new recruits. From his face, Aubrey couldn’t tell if Craddock were impressed, dismayed or bored with what he saw.
    Without any preamble, he began. ‘Most of you in this room did not volunteer for the Magic Department. Most of you went to enlist, in good faith, in more regular branches of the service. For that, I applaud you. For being diverted, I apologise. Each of our recruitment centres was given a list of names to look for, but they were also equipped with a device which detected incipient talents, those that will better serve Albion here rather than slogging in trenches or stoking engines in a battleship.’
    Aubrey straightened. That explained why so many of them were looking stunned. They hadn’t known that they had magical ability!
    Magical ability wasn’t common, any more than a talent for higher mathematics or concert-level music. Hard work and training could make the most of natural ability, but little could be achieved if a person was devoid of it in the first place. Some schools tested for magical ability, but many people never had the chance to find out if they possessed the raw skill. Aubrey often compared it to someone who lived all his life in the desert. He may potentially be the world’s best swimmer, but would never, ever know it.
    To hear that the Department had a device to detect incipient magical ability, though, that was news indeed. He added it to his list of things to be investigated.
    Craddock cleared his throat and Aubrey was jolted from his cogitation to find the commander looking straight at him. ‘Others, particularly the ladies here,’ Craddock continued, ‘were sought out for known talents and skills. I’m afraid the already depleted magical departments of the universities will be under-staffed for some time. I won’t apologise for that, for this is a time of crisis. Albion needs you.’
    Aubrey rubbed his chin. The already depleted magical departments of the universities? He’d heard rumours that various positions in magical faculties were currently unfilled, with a number of prominent researchers taking sabbaticals while others had simply disappeared. Dark mutterings in the cloisters of Greythorn suggested numerous possibilities, each more outlandish than the last.
    â€˜All of you need one thing,’ Craddock said after a pause. ‘Training. For the next month you will live here at Darnleigh House. All of you will receive physical training. In addition, each of you will receive specialised training according to your skills. Any questions?’
    One tall youngster put up his hand and Aubrey had to admire his pluck. ‘When will we see service, sir?’ he asked in a voice that didn’t quaver too much.
    Craddock looked down