Deals and Dangers

by Kay L. Ling

  “Too risky,” Tyla said. “They might find it with the Focal Gem.”

  “Not if you do what I have in mind.”

  Tyla looked down at the book in her arms. “Explain.”

  “Pythanium are normal snakes that have been transformed by gem powers and a complex spell. Did you know that?”

  “No. What about it?”

  “The process can be reversed.”

  It took a moment for that to sink in. “You’re saying we can turn the Watcher back into a common snake?”

  “Indeed. It will still be alive, and since it has a functioning brain, the mental link will remain.”

  Loud Mouth let out a delighted squawk. “The Emanicus will be searching for a pythanium, not a snake. They’ll know the Watcher’s alive, but they won’t be able to find it.”

  “That makes sense, but I don’t want to do anything rash.” Tyla mentally added the word “again.” “We’d better think this through.”

  “I see one problem already,” Lana said. “Transformations take dark powers.”

  “They do,” Elias agreed, “but in some cases, the end justifies the means, and this would be one of those cases.”

  “I restored Olissa with a transformation gem,” Ertz said. “It was unpleasant to use the gem, but I experienced no ill effects afterward. Unless you think the Watcher is more useful to you in its present form, I’d take the spell book’s advice. It would solve a lot of problems.”

  “As it happens, I have a transformation gem,” Elias said. “I’ve had it with me ever since Gliaphon and I started distributing S’s gems.”

  “Why did you think you’d need one?” Tyla asked.

  “Remote clans may still have members who were turned into rats or lizards during S’s reign.”

  “If none of you can think of a downside to this, I’m in favor of it,” Tyla said. Olissa would probably complain that Tyla hadn’t consulted her, but if Elias and Ertz thought it was okay, that ought to be good enough.

  “Go for it,” said Lana. She tended to be impulsive. Tyla struggled with being too cautious.

  “I agree,” said Elias. “Nothing would please me more than to return this overgrown snake to its true form.”

  Tyla handed him the spell book, and Ertz came over and stood with him.

  “Show us the spell, please,” Elias said. The pages began flipping.

  “The book has really reformed,” Lana said quietly. “It screamed bloody murder when I removed the dark gems from its cover, but it seems much happier now.”

  “Yes,” Tyla said, grinning. “You did us all a favor.”

  “I hear you talking about me,” the book said indignantly.

  Lana lowered her voice further. “I never figured out how it hears without ears.”

  “Or sees without eyes,” Tyla said.

  “Hush!” the book snapped. “Elias and Ertz must concentrate.”

  Tyla walked away and motioned for the others to follow. “Loud Mouth, do you have a report?”

  “Breghlin are coming with two cartloads of produce. They’ll be here in about an hour. Other than that, it’s quiet around Elantoth.”

  “I’m glad there’s no sign of Outcasts,” Tyla said. “After my warning and our display of gem powers, I didn’t think they’d come to the mine, but you never know.” She looked over her shoulder. Elias and Ertz were still studying the spell. “Do you think they can do it? This isn’t like other transformations. They’ll be changing one kind of animal to another with a spell.”

  “With the book’s help, I’m sure they’ll manage,” Jules said.

  “They’re getting into the cart,” Franklin said. “They’re ready to start.”

  Tyla and the others returned to the cart just as Elias placed his hands on the creature’s head. A few seconds later, the pythanium winked out of existence, and a green-and-gray snake appeared in its place.

  “Ha!” Elias cried triumphantly. “We did it!”

  The snake moved its head this way and that, then took off toward the back of the cart. Bounder barked frantically.

  “I’ll immobilize it,” said Ertz. The snake stopped.

  Loud Mouth landed on the back of the cart and stood guard over the snake. “Not so frightening now, are you? What do you have to say for yourself? You can’t talk? What a pity.”

  Bounder made a rumbling noise that sounded like laughter.

  “You’re right, Bounder,” said Loud Mouth. “Bounder says the power of speech shouldn’t be wasted on a snake.”

  Everyone laughed, including Tyla, and then her eyes widened as something occurred to her. “Bounder is already really smart, but he can’t talk. Could we give him the power of speech?”

  “Good heavens! Perhaps we could,” Elias said. “The book explains how to do it.”

  Ertz nodded. “Yes, I think it’s possible.”

  Bounder gave an excited yelp.

  Ertz turned to that passage and read it again. “If Bounder would like me to try, I’m willing.”

  Bounder ran in circles, yipping.

  Ertz handed Elias the spell book and got out of the cart.

  “I make no promises, Bounder, but I’ll do my best,” Ertz said as he knelt beside the zek. He placed his hands on Bounder’s head.

  Ertz and Bounder were still for several minutes, and Tyla began to wonder whether everything was all right. Finally, Ertz stood. “Bounder, say something so we know if it worked.”

  “It worked,” Bounder said in a low, raspy voice. “It’s strange to speak, but I like it.”

  The snake lay motionless in the cart, forgotten in the excitement. “We need to put the snake outside the ward,” Tyla said.

  “I’ll do it!” Bounder volunteered.

  “Go ahead and release it. It won’t get away from Bounder,” Tyla said.

  Ertz put the snake on the ground. As soon as he released it from the paralysis, it darted away.

  “I love a good chase,” Bounder said. He gave it a head start before going after it.

  “Don’t hurt it!” Tyla shouted after him.

  Bounder caught the snake and turned with it hanging from his mouth. He tried to speak, but it came out as, “Errr nerrr ffaaah.”

  “He says, ‘You’re no fun,’” Loud Mouth translated. “I’ll go with him and make sure he’s outside the ward when he lets it go.”

  Tyla smiled as Loud Mouth and Bounder headed off together.

  Chapter 30

  Tyla invited everyone inside for raaka.

  “I could use some coffee, but raaka will do,” Lana said. “And that reminds me. I heard you like brownies so I brought you some. I hope they didn’t get smashed.” She pulled a slightly crumpled paper bag from the carrying sack she called a purse and handed it to Tyla.

  Tyla’s mouth watered. She couldn’t resist opening the bag and eating one, feeling only slightly guilty for not sharing. She had just finished it when Olissa returned from breakfast.

  Olissa’s eyes bugged out when she saw the empty cart. Bentiz and Serrom, who had been staying out of the way while the gem masters worked, leapt to their feet.

  “What happened? Where did it go?” Olissa demanded frantically. “Can’t I leave for a minute without things falling apart?”

  “It’s not what you think!” Bentiz said. “It isn’t missing. It’s been changed into a snake.” He gestured at Elias and Ertz. “They did it—with Tyla’s permission.”

  Olissa turned to the elderly gem masters, looking dumfounded. “You did what?”

  “We reversed the process and changed the pythanium back to a snake,” Elias explained calmly.

  “Worked like a charm!” Bounder said.

  Olissa’s jaw dropped when Bounder spoke, and she gaped at the zek as he continued, “I just got back from dropping the snake off outside the ward.”

  Olissa waved her hands weakly. “Wait. The pythanium is a snake. Bounder can talk. How is this possible? I’ve only been gone half an hour!”

  “I realize it’s a lot to take in,
” Tyla said, trying not to laugh at Olissa’s expression. “I talked everything over with Elias and Ertz and decided to go ahead.”

  Olissa looked at the empty cart, then at Bounder. “How?”

  “Well, we—” Tyla began.

  “No one will give credit where credit is due, so I will tell you,” the spell book said in an injured tone. “I told Gem Masters Elias and Ertz how to turn the pythanium into a snake. When they’d finished, I told them that pythanium do not speak when created; someone must convey the ability through a spell and a mental link. One thing led to another, and Gem Master Ertz gave Bounder the power of speech.”

  “I’ve got to sit down,” Olissa mumbled. She sank to the ground. “Now, somebody tell me everything from the beginning.”

  Tyla began, saying Elias had joined minds with the Watcher, gleaning useful information before restoring the creature to its original form. Then she asked Elias to describe what he had seen. Elias told Olissa about the stone building, which sounded like the one in Tyla’s vision. He also told her about the second hideout, which might be a cave. Ertz picked up the story from there, describing the process of granting Bounder speech.

  “So, now what?” Olissa asked when they had finished. “Study maps and try to figure out where the hideouts are?”

  “Yes. If we find locations that look promising, we’ll go on an expedition,” Tyla said. “I’d like Loud Mouth to come, too, if he’s willing. He can search for the building from the air.”

  “I’m willing.”

  “Can I come, too?” Bounder asked. “They won’t suspect anything if they see a zek. I could go right up to the building and nose around.”

  “Great idea,” Loud Mouth said. “You’re invited.”

  “Hey,” Tyla protested. “I’m in charge here.”

  “If you want my help, he comes too,” said Loud Mouth stubbornly.

  “All right, all right,” Tyla said, rolling her eyes. “No one is going anywhere yet. We have to figure out where to look. We think they’re in the barrier zone, but that’s a large area. If I were them, I wouldn’t go too far from Aberell City in case I needed supplies, but who knows.”

  “I’ve been to the barrier zone a couple times with the Amulet Teams,” Franklin said. “Back then, there wasn’t normal rainfall, and the streams were nothing but dry beds. If they’re smart, they picked a site near one of the larger creeks or streams that isn’t likely to run dry.”

  “One way or another, we’ll find them,” Olissa said, “and when we do, I hope Sheamathan is still in a cage.”

  When Tyla reached the library, everyone but Olissa was at the table, discussing the barrier zone. Arenia was there, too, and she’d probably heard the full account of what she’d missed. She reached down and scratched Bounder’s head, and the zek said, “You can do that all day.”

  “There you are,” Loud Mouth called. “Bring me any seeds?”

  “No. You eat too much. Too many seeds and you’ll be too heavy to fly.” She handed Elias the leebstone book and sat down beside him. “If you would be so kind, reproduce what you saw today.”

  “Don’t forget the aerial view,” Loud Mouth chimed in. “I want to see that!”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Elias said.

  It was interesting to watch the image develop. When Elias opened his eyes, he nodded approvingly at the picture. “Just as I saw it through the Watcher’s eyes.”

  Everyone at the table leaned forward to look.

  “This is from a different angle, but I can tell it’s the same building,” Tyla said. She flipped back a few pages. “See?”

  “Same building. No doubt about it,” Loud Mouth agreed.

  “No one asked your opinion,” the spell book said testily.

  Loud Mouth flapped his wings. “Is that any way to talk to a friend?”

  “Now that you are more intelligent, it has gone to your head,” the book said.

  “Where else would intelligence go?” Loud Mouth retorted.

  “Do not be obtuse. You know what I mean.”

  Tyla threw up her hands. “Stop it, you two!” The book resented Loud Mouth for getting so much attention, but Tyla was sure it missed the bird.

  “Now for the aerial view,” Loud Mouth prompted Elias.

  “Oh, yes.” When the image was finished, Elias examined it critically and frowned. “I don’t know what you’ll learn from this. It doesn’t show anything to help you identify the location.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Ertz said. “Look at the bends in the stream. That’s an identifying feature.”

  “The hills have a lot of exposed rocks,” Tyla observed. “I bet there are caves in that area.”

  “Yes, it has the same kind of geology as Strathweed,” Jules said, glancing at Lana who nodded.

  “But if this is the right place, and the two hideouts are close together, shouldn’t we be able to see the building in this image?” Lana asked.

  “Push the book over here. I’ll take a look,” Loud Mouth said. “That is, if the spell book doesn’t object.”

  “Insufferable bird,” the book muttered.

  “He has better eyesight than all of us,” Bounder said, quick to defend Loud Mouth.

  Loud Mouth flew over and perched on the back of Lana’s chair. She held up the book, and the bird said, “Hmmmm” from time to time as he studied the image.

  “Oh, get on with it,” the spell book grumbled. “Do you see something or not?”

  “Yes, I do. There is a dark form among the rocks that may be a structure. I will point it out.” He pecked the drawing. “Right here.”

  “You know, he may be right,” Lana said, looking on.

  The book had gone all the way around the table and come back to Elias when Maggie Ann came in with a pot of raaka and mugs on a tray. Tyla had wanted raaka before, but now she was too absorbed in the meeting to care. Maggie served everyone, and she was just leaving when Olissa came in.

  “I have some useful reports, and maps of the barrier zone,” Olissa said, sounding out of breath. “I also grabbed the big map from the Pedestal room since it shows the entire Amulet.” She leaned the large rolled-up map against the table, set down a pile of papers, and took the remaining chair next to Jules.

  “Tyla had me reproduce my memories in her leebstone book, and Loud Mouth may have found a building in the aerial view,” Elias told Olissa, sending the book down the table. “Jules, show her the place.”

  “I would have mistaken that for a rock,” Olissa said when Jules pointed it out.

  “The stream has a couple distinctive bends that may help pinpoint the hideout’s location,” Jules said.

  “The stream could be a tributary of the Aberell River,” said Ertz. “Let’s take a look at the maps Olissa brought, starting with the section of the barrier zone closest to Aberell City.”

  Olissa shuffled through the maps and found the right one. After studying it a moment, she said, “I found a stream with similar bends. Take a look.” She circled the area and sent the map down the table.

  The group examined that map, then several others of the barrier zone.

  The location Olissa marked on the first map looks the most promising to me,” said Ertz. “The Emanicus wouldn’t want anyone living near them, and according to the census map, there are no established gnome or breghlin clans in this area, just a few settlements that were abandoned long ago.”

  “Last I knew, the only breghlin clans near this part of the barrier zone were nomads,” Tyla said.

  “Remember good old NE3?” Franklin asked.

  Elias smiled. “Yes, he used to come to Elantoth with news from the outlying regions. I wonder if his scouts have seen anything. If The Emanicus hideout was a deserted building, the gem masters must have brought in cartloads of building supplies.”

  “This location seems promising,” Tyla said. “I’d like to take a handful of gem masters and investigate. If we’re wrong and the building isn’t there, we’ll scout the general area and come h
ome.”

  Olissa nodded. “I’m in favor of that.”

  “I can fly surveillance for you and question any breghlin I see,” Loud Mouth said.

  “Good. You may be more useful than I thought,” Olissa told him.

  “Emanicus gnomes chose a treeless wasteland so no one could sneak up on them, but that will make it easier for Loud Mouth to spot the building,” Franklin said.

  Tyla gave Loud Mouth a conspiratorial wink. “The Emanicus had better be careful. We have a Watcher now.”

  Chapter 31

  Felith liked to bathe in the stream after sunset. At that time of day, it was light enough to examine his body for new witnesses but dark enough to allow him some privacy. His fellow gem masters who weren’t early risers often came here in the evening, as he did.

  Once, Felith had seen Ezar climbing up the streambank, naked, wrinkled, and white, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Felith looked around to make sure he was alone, and then set down his towel, kicked off his shoes, and slipped out of his black robe. He examined himself and muttered in dismay when he found two small lumps on his left side, just below his waist. They had probably formed today after he’d used Dark gems to increase his hold on Kitana Windan. She was so full of herself because she was one of The Eight that she had no idea he was manipulating her.

  Felith clenched his teeth and waded into the chilly water. The current wasn’t strong, but he had an irrigational fear of being swept away, so he stayed near the bank and crouched down in the water. Life was hard in the barrier zone. Sometimes he was envious of Tabik and Lanimore who had better living conditions and fewer responsibilities. But he didn’t regret taking command. No one in The Emanicus had as much power and influence as he did, and he had Sheamathan.

  Who was becoming increasingly demanding these days.

  Sheamathan was threatening to stop helping them if they didn’t turn her back into a woodspirit. He could withhold food and water to make her cooperate, but he didn’t want to resort to that. For one thing, he wouldn’t put it past her to give him an incorrect spell that would figuratively, or literally, blow up in his face. He was tempted to kill her. She had taught them a number of useful spells, helped them create the pythanium, and drilled them on the steps they should take in order to control Ahmonell’s government and economy. They could probably make do without her from now on. But what if he was wrong? What if a situation arose for which they desperately needed her help?