They dispersed. Librettowit, with Ahnek guiding his way, led the group down to the library. Captain Anton said they would join the book search, since they wouldn’t be hunting this late in the day. Kale and Bardon followed some distance behind the others.
Kale looked at him askance. “I only counted twenty-five.”
“Twenty-five?”
“People.”
Bardon stopped in his tracks. He took her hand and started back down the hall.
“Where are we going?”
“You need to meet someone. Kale, of all the amazing things we’ve seen, this is quite beyond astonishing.”
He tugged her into the room and over to Granny Kye. There he crouched beside the minneken’s basket, pulling Kale down beside him. “Mistress Seeno, may I have the honor of introducing a special friend to you?”
“In just a minute,” her small voice came to his ears. “If I’m to meet someone new, I’d like to be presentable.”
Bardon grinned, glanced at Kale, and winked.
Don’t use your talent to find out who’s in there. I want this to be a surprise.
“I promise.”
In a minute, the cover of the basket raised slightly.
Bardon said, “Allow me,” and lifted the woven lid.
Jue Seeno appeared, elaborate hat first, with round ears peeking through the velvet brim. Face next, with pointed nose and chin, whiskers quivering, and tiny black eyes inspecting Kale.
“Give me your hand, young man,” she ordered.
Bardon let go of Kale’s hand to offer a platform for Mistress Seeno to stand on. She stepped out with the moonbeam cape swirling about her and one of her most elaborate, colorful belts encircling her waist.
“Mistress Seeno,” said Bardon in a very good imitation of Sir Dar’s cordial manner, “may I introduce Kale Allerion, Dragon Keeper and wizard of The Bogs under Wizard Fenworth?”
The minneken dipped her tiny head, and Kale, kneeling beside Bardon, did her best to curtsy. She inclined the upper half of her body.
“Kale, this is Mistress Jue Seeno of the Isle of Kye.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Mistress,” Kale replied demurely.
Bardon observed the two women inspecting each other without really seeming to. This play of manners occupied much of the time spent at court. He didn’t enjoy it there but found it rather amusing to see Kale perform the art with ease in these unusual circumstances.
Her mother has been training her, as well as Fenworth, Cam, and Librettowit. Good thing too. Who would want a woman around who only knew the crusty behavior of three old men?
Kale’s light laughter flitted through his mind. “There’s Taylaminkadot, too.”
You quit intruding on my thoughts.
“Really, Bardon. Sometimes it is more difficult not to hear what you’re thinking than to listen.” With the introductions over, Bardon moved on to important matters.
“What have you discovered in my absence, Mistress Seeno?”
“That this castle is strangely devoid of active life forms. No cats, bats, rats, or bugs. That there is a level below the cellar that is, to me, inaccessible. That Holt is more fond of N’Rae than he should be.”
As an aside to Kale, Bardon said, “Jue Seeno is N’Rae’s protector.”
Jue Seeno’s eyes narrowed. “Are you going to send that tumanhofer back as soon as the dragons get here?”
“I’ll check with Paladin’s coin, but we may not be forced to expel Bromptotterpindosset from our midst after all.”
“Why is that?”
“Our mapmaker met with enough ‘coincidences’ to be relatively assured of a universal Master’s hand.”
Jue Seeno was speechless, but only for a moment. “Wulder chooses to attract the most irregular people. I certainly wouldn’t have bothered with such a pompous braggart.”
Bardon thought it wise to change the subject. “I trust you will be actively keeping me informed of the things you observe. It’s reassuring to know you’re on duty.”
“Of course. Now if you don’t mind, I must catch up with N’Rae and that scoundrel.”
He placed her on the floor, and instead of rushing out the door, she disappeared through a crack in the wainscoting.
“Shall we go search the library with the others?” Bardon asked.
Kale nodded, and he rose from his crouched position and then gave her his hand to help her rise.
As they passed the ensorcelled form of her sleeping father, she stopped and gazed down at him.
“What are you feeling, Kale?”
She turned and looked into his eyes. The depth of her confused emotions swept through him. With a pull of his hand, he drew her into his arms and for some time just held her.
Do I feel this turmoil so strongly because I, too, have never known my father? Or is it that strange bond between us that always surfaces when we’re together?
“Both, I would think.”
I’m sorry I don’t have words to say that would comfort you.
“It’s all right, Bardon. I think words are highly overrated at times.”
He loosened his hold and looked down at her upturned face. She had particularly lovely eyes.
“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “Let’s get busy doing something. Um…since words—”
“You just missed a perfectly good opportunity to kiss me.”
The words came into his mind with a wistful tone. He stared at Kale, whose face began to glow with a pink blush.
“You heard that!”
Yes. Sometimes it is more difficult not—
Kale placed her hand on the back of his neck. “Words are highly over—”
She didn’t apply any pressure to bring his head down to hers. Bardon felt the pull from his heart, and his kiss brushed her lips just to taste their sweetness. He pulled back and saw his own astonishment flash in Kale’s eyes. Uncertainty touched his feelings, and he saw the question in her expression. An explosion of delight replaced the trepidation, and Kale’s face lit with pleasure. Contentment followed the joy, and he felt satisfaction bounce back from the young woman in his arms. He began to laugh, and she hugged him.
“You realize,” she said, “that you have brazenly kissed me in front of my father.”
He stiffened and looked down at the sleeping knight, then shrugged. “And Wizard Fenworth. And Granny Kye. And eleven other of Paladin’s knights.”
Bardon squeezed her and then put her away from him. “I did not expect a simple kiss to be so powerful. Kale, we shall have to use a lot of words, overrated or not, before we indulge in…”
Kale widened her eyes, mischief alive in her expression. “I agree.” She giggled. “I want to be courted.”
“Courted?”
“Definitely.”
“And I agree. You deserve to be courted.”
Bardon and Kale left Granny Kye to her portrait of her two sons and Wizard Fenworth to his nap.
“Now,” said Kale as they passed through the hall, “tell me about Jue Seeno. She’s a minneken, right?”
“Right.”
“I want to know it all, Bardon. How is she the emerlindian’s protector? Why is that handsome marione Holt a scoundrel? And there was something about a coin given to you by Paladin.”
“Let’s not go directly to the library. There’re too many people there.”
“Way too many people,” they said in unison and laughed.
Bardon coaxed her toward the front staircase. “Let’s go walk in the garden instead.”
She tilted her head. “To talk?”
“To talk.”
53
DISCOVERIES
Bardon kept an eye on his expanded questing party as the day came to an end.
Taylaminkadot fussed about the condition of the linens, but her husband overruled when she wanted to strip the beds and wash the sheets. Librettowit promised she could commence housekeeping the following day. The castle had more than enough luxurious bedchambers to accommoda
te them all. They did have to thump dust out of the pillows and covers.
Bardon ordered a night watch. Captain Anton insisted this was his responsibility and organized the shifts with two people on duty at a time. Holt surprisingly volunteered to do his part.
The next morning Regidor flew to the west at dawn. Several hours later he returned with the five guard dragons and Greer.
Bardon went out to greet his purple dragon. Greer’s disposition was less than sunny. His squire held on to his patience and tried to make amends.
I know you don’t like being left out of the action. I would have much rather had you by my side, but it couldn’t be helped. The warren had huge burrows, but you would have been claustrophobic…Yes, that’s a word…It has nothing to do with closets. Well, in a way it does, but not as a root word or anything.
Bardon sighed and stroked the scales under the dragon’s chin. You’re not to pout…I’m serious. I need you to oversee the protection of the castle. Keep an eye out for any massing forces. Grawligs are in the area, and they had come to think of the courtyards of this castle as their own personal property…No, I don’t know for sure they even recognized this mountain as a castle, but they enjoyed the gardens, the terraces, and the fountains. Listen, Greer. I don’t want to be busy with other things and discover rampaging ogres pouring in the front door.
Bardon grinned in response to Greer’s sudden elation. Yes, Kale is here…Utterly beautiful…“Utterly” is a suitable word to use with beautiful…All right, then. She’s looking extremely well…That’s not good, either? It would solve the problem of what she looks like if I just call her. Wait a moment, and you can see for yourself.
The visit with Kale lifted the dejected dragon’s spirits in an amazing way, but Bardon had to see to details among his charges. He could not stay to enjoy his two best friends’ company.
During the early morning, Captain Anton and his men took their bows and arrows to hunt. They brought back several medium-sized wild heatherhens, plump birds known for their tender, juicy meat. Holt, who had risen a bit too late to accompany them, redeemed himself by locating the overrun kitchen garden. Even through years of neglect, the small patch of ground still had some produce to gather. The marione farm boy dug pnard potatoes and onions and brought in some scrawny herbs.
Bardon cocked an eye at Kale as Holt explained how he had overslept. In his mind, he heard her chortle. “Scoundrel or slugabed?”
In the afternoon, Holt and Captain Anton, with two of the guard, mounted the dragons and took off to recover the remainder of their supplies. Two guardsmen stayed behind to offer protection. They came upon a grawlig lurking around the castle and scared him off.
The dragons and riders returned at sunset. And with that event, according to Toopka, the last of any interesting activity came to a sudden end. The little doneel complained daily that no one did anything but chores and study books. The boys often escaped to explore while Toopka finished the chores Taylaminkadot had listed for her.
Granny Kye left the finished portrait of her sons propped up against a chair and moved her easel in front of Sir Kemry Allerion. She studied her subject for several minutes, then picked up her brush.
Three days later, Taylaminkadot brought a clothbound book to the Knights’ Chamber.
“It’s the housekeeper’s journal,” she said. “I looked through it, and I’ve put bits of paper in pages where she makes comments you might be interested in.”
Bardon and Librettowit opened the book on a table and read together. After a moment, the librarian looked up and smiled at his wife. “You’ve done well, my darling. This is most important information.”
Taylaminkadot blushed. “I’ll go back to my cooking now. That’s important too.”
“Risto is mentioned here,” said Bardon, pointing at a page. “Listen. ‘That wizard is here again. Master Strot likes the man, but I think it is only because the visitor promises to help him learn more about the spells affecting the body. Master Strot wants to do good, but I think this Wizard Risto is evil. I get the shivers when he looks at me.’
“Here’s another one several days later. ‘To my way of thinking, the master knows more about the workings of the human body than does this awful man who smiles and is everything that is agreeable. But still, this pleasant Wizard Risto makes me cold inside and fearful.’”
Librettowit and Bardon scanned several more pages. The librarian looked up at the waiting comrades. “The housekeeper is responsible for the missing book. She says she found her master dead in his chair. She suspected Risto killed him, and she didn’t want the book in the evil wizard’s hands.” He turned the pages back to those they had passed over quickly.
“Aha!” the librarian exclaimed, tapping an entry with a stubby finger. “Bless my little Taylaminkadot’s soul. Here’s the information we need in order to figure out exactly how long these valiant men have before it is too late to rescue them. The housekeeper is actively eavesdropping at this point. She doesn’t trust Risto. She records a conversation in which Risto says when the Wizards’ Plume that he threw into the sky has grown to a certain size and first kisses the line of discernment from the Eye of the North, the spell must be refreshed or broken.”
“What is the line of discernment?” asked Granny Kye.
“A perpendicular line from the star to the horizon.”
“There are still a lot of variables,” said Regidor.
Librettowit patted the page beneath his hand. “Yes, but I have enough to give us a date.”
The room went quiet. The librarian looked around and saw the eyes of Lyll, Cam, Regidor, Kale, and Granny Kye trained on him. His chin dropped down to his chest, and he focused on the page. Bardon heard him mutter as he calculated.
Librettowit’s head lifted, and he looked with a serious frown at those around him. “Six days.”
With renewed hope and a dread of time passing too quickly, the researchers went back to work. Two days later, Regidor came into the room waving a book above his head. “Here’s good news and bad.”
“What is it?” asked Cam, sharply.
The frown on the usually relaxed lake wizard worried Bardon more than the librarian’s outbursts of temper. The time was growing short before the wizards must cast a renewal spell or instigate the process to restore the men to their natural selves.
Regidor placed the book on the table in front of Lyll and Cam, who immediately opened it.
The meech dragon smiled with satisfaction. “This is a translation guide for Strot’s Book of Anatomical Spells. From what I gather from the words written in here, there has to be a book with the key to reversing the sleeping invocation.”
Bardon rubbed his hand through his hair. “And the bad news is we still don’t have that book.”
The meech dragon put his hand on the opened translation guide. “I’ve enjoyed the brilliance Wulder has given me. Perhaps this time it will be of monumental significance. I hope that by studying the random words in this volume, I will be able to piece together Strot’s method.”
Cam took hold of his arm and gave it a shake. “It’s worth a try. If anyone could decipher a procedure from this montage of words, you can.” He slapped Regidor on the shoulder. “Get to work, young Wizard.”
Regidor scooped up the book and strode across the room to sit beside Fenworth on the divan, where the old wizard had planted himself when they first arrived.
Another day passed without any measurable progress toward freeing the knights. The morning of the fourth day, after Librettowit had made his six-day pronouncement, Toopka wandered into the room. Bardon noticed her but gratefully let Kale handle the intrusion.
“Toopka, where are the boys?” asked her guardian.
“In the cellar. They’re always in the cellar.” The little girl plopped down on a footstool beside Granny Kye. “I don’t like the cellar. It’s dark and smelly. We didn’t find any treasure and now Sitti and Ahnek are trying to find a dungeon. There won’t be any treasure in a dungeon.”
She put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her fists. “Taylaminkadot is making daggarts and will not let me help because she says I snitched one time too many. N’Rae is in the library with those books. The little minneken I’m not supposed to know about won’t play. She never wants to play. The minor dragons have to go into the woods to find food because there are no bugs in this boring castle. I’m not allowed to go into the woods because it might be dangerous.”
Her gaze shifted to Granny Kye’s painting of Kale’s father. She stood up and looked at the canvas and then at the palette of many colors.
“Granny Kye, could I paint too?” she asked.
The old emerlindian actually looked up from her artwork and smiled at the child. “Not today, dear.”
Toopka sighed heavily but remained by the granny’s side. She tilted her furry head and stared at the portrait, then at the sleeping knight.
“Isn’t the picture supposed to look like the person?”
Granny Kye nodded.
“Your knight is awake, and the real knight is asleep.”
Granny Kye nodded again.
Toopka leaned closer, getting her head between the artist and her easel. Granny Kye frowned.
The little doneel pointed to the background in the painting. “You’ve got a smudge on the wall.” She leaned to the side to look around the canvas. “Oh, there is a smudge. No, that’s not dirt.”
She ran to the wall and crouched beside the wainscot panel pictured in the granny’s painting.
“It’s not here.” She ran her fingers over the wood. “Yes, it is!”
“Wait!” said Granny Kye, and the urgency in her voice made Bardon put down the book he held.
Toopka pushed against the wall, and a panel moved downward six inches, exposing a gap. Toopka put her hands on the thin sheet of wood and peered into the darkness.