Deals and Dangers

by Kay L. Ling

  Felith laughed. “You have a point.”

  “I think Sheamathan is afraid of what Anatta would do to her afterward,” Lanimore said.

  “What do you mean?” Felith asked.

  “Some say Anatta knew Sheamathan was using dark powers and should have warned the Joint High Council. Others say she had no idea how ambitious her sister was, and if she got her hands on Sheamathan, she’d make her sorry for giving all woodspirits a bad name.”

  “How ironic,” Felith said with a chuckle. “Anatta wants to punish Sheamathan, and we want to learn from her.” He led them up to her cage. “Sheamathan, your friends Lanimore and Tabik are here. We’ll let you out now.”

  “My friends. Have I sunk so low as that? I think not.”

  They let her out, and she crawled ahead of them to the main section of cave where everyone was waiting around the corrustone. All conversation ceased.

  Sheamathan settled onto an unoccupied rug. “Let the meeting begin.”

  Chapter 10

  After explaining to Team Two why he had neutralized Havinth and Sethan, Felith promised them greater access to Sheamathan and more say in the organization. No one raised any objections.

  It occurred to him he should appoint a second-in-command, so he chose Ezar, ostensibly because Ezar was a senior member with a wealth of knowledge and experience, but really because Ezar was a pliable old fool who would seldom disagree with him.

  “With that out of the way, let’s get down to business,” Felith said. He had no delusions that what they were about to do would be easy, but it couldn’t be any harder than turning Gem Master Neban into a rat. He brought out the Focal Gem. The group moved their rugs back and formed a circle, sitting cross-legged with their knees touching.

  They had never used the Focal Gem for a prolonged period of time. Felith soon discovered that it was more taxing than he had expected. By the time they’d begun the spell for the third victim, strength was pouring from him like blood from a severed artery. He felt lightheaded and dizzy, and since he was mentally linked with the others, he knew they were experiencing the same thing. Everyone had infused gems for strength and stamina, but even so, their energy was waning quickly, and once their infused powers were depleted, they would need to fall back on physical gems.

  “Take out gems for strength and endurance,” he told them when they finished the spell. “If you didn’t bring any, I’ll lend you some. We have one more victim to go. Then we’re done for the night.”

  The gem masters sorted through their pouches. Wem’s hands were shaking so badly Felith expected him to spill the gems. Hoy’s complexion looked slightly green.

  The last target was Gem Master Klemmet, head of Mierek’s Department of Gem Powers. An envelope had been sent by special delivery today, and no doubt Klemmet had been puzzled to find a sheet of paper inside with a big black X. He’d find out what it meant soon enough.

  “Let’s begin.”

  Now that they were drawing power from physical gems, energy passed through the circle of gem masters, but it was none too much to sustain them all. Some of the gem masters were already on the verge of collapse, particularly the senior members. Felith couldn’t find it in his heart to pity them. If they couldn’t handle the demands, they shouldn’t be here.

  Things weren’t looking good for Felith’s new second-in-command. Ezar was wheezing and dripping with sweat, and if it wasn’t a trick of the light, there was a small lump over his left eye that hadn’t been there an hour ago. How was that possible? Felith asked himself. Deformities never occurred that quickly.

  When they finished the spell, Felith ran a nervous hand over his own face. He sighed with relief when he didn’t find any new lumps. Why lumps developed on his face more frequently than other places, he couldn’t say. Just bad luck, he supposed. Small lumps could be burned off when they first formed, but it was painful and left an ugly mark. He reached under the sleeves of his robe, discreetly checking his arms.

  “We’ll have to stay the night,” Tabik said, interrupting Felith’s search for new witnesses. “After what we’ve been through, I can’t handle the trip home, and I’m sure the others feel the same way.”

  Gragg nodded. “I’m so tired I’d probably fall off the raft.”

  Sheamathan flicked her feelers in disgust. “It is just as I said. Gnome gem masters are weak. It took you two hours to do what I could have done in ten minutes, and I would not have been tired when I finished.”

  “We’re not used to spells,” Felith told the annoying beetle. “In time, it will become easier.”

  “Time is what you do not have. Gnomes do not live very long.”

  She made it sound as if they’d all be dead by next week. Their lives were short compared to hers, but not that short. “Back to your cage,” he growled, scooping up a lightgem. To his relief, she started off without protest.

  “There is little you can do to forestall Dark gems’ effects, including witnesses,” she told him along the way. “Nevertheless, since it behooves me to maintain your health and sanity, I suppose I must share what I know.”

  Felith was suddenly all ears, but his heart sank when she continued.

  “Rotting fruit, raw bloody meat, and molds of all kinds will slow the development of lumps and deformities. These foods will also ease the discomfort of Dark gems’ side effects. If you do not already eat such things, you should. I have spells that accelerate mold growth to such a degree that fruits will mold while you watch, and bread will become a furry green mass in less than an hour.”

  Felith grimaced. The only thing less appealing than cultivating molds was eating them.

  “Deformities are a corruption of the flesh, and sweets feed the corruption like a fertilizer, so you must confine your diet to bitter foods.”

  Great, just great. He wished she’d shut up. By the time they reached her cage, he was hopelessly depressed.

  “I’ve never heard any of this,” he said, shutting the cage door behind her.

  “That does not surprise me. I hope you will take my advice to heart.”

  He started back to the group. Rotting fruit and moldy bread. She couldn’t really expect them to eat such things. It was out of the question. Unthinkable. He paused to rub his left buttock. It felt a little sore from sitting on the floor so long. His breath caught when he felt something that might be a lump. Hoisting his robe, he investigated further and cursed when he found three lumps, all in a row. New lumps were always sore until they grew hard, and if they grew larger, it would be extremely uncomfortable to sit.

  “Airing yourself out?” asked an amused voice behind him.

  Felith let his robe drop, flushing with embarrassment, and turned to find Rendill grinning at him.

  “Not exactly. Checking for a bug bite.”

  “Sheamathan bit you?”

  “No. A smaller bug. Were you looking for me? What do you want?” Felith asked irritably.

  “Just wanted to see if it’s okay to give the group something to eat.”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “What should I give them?”

  “Whatever you can find that’s moldy.”

  Felith rose early the next morning. Most of Team Two were sleeping in the cave, but a few had gone outdoors since the ground was softer than the cave’s stone floor.

  Tongs. He needed a pair of tongs. He found them, then crept over to the corrustone, took one of the smaller stones, and carried it outside. With only scrub brush and thorny bushes around, there wasn’t much privacy. He went a distance and undressed behind the biggest bush he could find.

  Using a gem from his pouch, he projected heat onto the corrustone. When the corrustone glowed orange, he picked it up with the tongs and paused, working up his nerve. He’d only done this twice before. The first time, he’d been in his teens, but he could remember it as if it were yesterday. He’d found a small lump on his forehead and panicked. It had taken two attempts to burn it off, and he’d nearly passed out from the pain. His hair covered the b
urn mark.

  The second time, a lump had appeared in the center of his right palm. It would be hard to use that hand for much if the lump grew larger, and there was no way to know if it would remain small, so he had decided to get rid of it while he still could. He had burned it off, and he must do the same with these.

  He craned his neck to see. Don’t think about it. Just do it.

  Since the tongs were quite long, it was difficult to get the right angle. The heat, even from this distance, was formidable. Felith held his breath and touched the glowing stone to his lumps.

  The pain was indescribable.

  He gritted his teeth in agony, but he didn’t let go of the tongs. His skin sizzled, and he could smell burning flesh. Gasping for breath, head swimming, he finally removed the tongs and inspected his blistered flesh. The lumps were gone, but he’d be in pain for a while.

  After using healing gems, the pain receded, and the burn began to heal, but he’d always have a red mark like the one on his forehead and palm. He dressed and started back to the cave. With any luck, the others were still asleep. They’d wonder why he’d taken tongs on a morning walk.

  After breakfast, he went to get Sheamathan, and Narrod went to get the crate that held the snake. Felith wanted this whole pythanium business over so Team Two would leave and he could take a nap.

  The group assembled in a circle as they had the night before, many looking the worse for wear. Sheamathan rustled her wings in nervous excitement.

  As soon as Felith removed the snake from the crate, it slithered away, and he had to immobilize it with gem powers. Its green-and-gray scales were beautiful, but once it became a pythanium, Felith supposed he’d be too frightened to care.

  Havinth’s notebook gave the transformation spell and told which gems to use. Felith could do this alone, but the gem masters all wanted a hand in creating the creature, so he had agreed to use the Focal Gem.

  Just as they were about to begin, Sheamathan insisted on giving them last-minute advice. Felith humored her, assuming they could benefit from her experience. After telling them about how she had created the first pythanium, she told anecdotes about her favorite, Head Spy, and Felith finally interrupted her or she might have gone on all day.

  Felith had seen images of pythanium in newssheets, but those were artists’ renderings. No one outside the Amulet had ever seen a live one. With some trepidation, he began the spell.

  As he read, he stole glances at the snake. It was hard to believe it could become a giant winged serpent. But when he reached the end of the spell, he felt a burst of energy, and in place of the snake lay a pythanium. Its head was larger than Felith’s, and it had yellow eyes with vertical slits. Three sets of wings lay folded back against its scaled body.

  Everyone scrambled back as the pythanium lifted its upper body and spread the first set of wings, revealing muscular legs and clawed feet.

  Felith swallowed hard. “Hello, I’m Felith.”

  “It cannot understand you or communicate yet,” Sheamathan said. “You must perform the next step.”

  “Next step?” Havinth’s notes hadn’t mentioned another step, and Sheamathan hadn’t said a word about it during her speech.

  “You must link minds with the creature. It will gain its intelligence from you. The process is not harmful. I have done it myself. When you create additional pythanium, they can link minds with the first, if you wish, so you only need to do this once.”

  “Did Havinth know this? There’s nothing about it in his notes.”

  “That is because I had expected to be a woodspirit by now, and I intended to complete this step myself.”

  “You should have told Havinth,” Felith said, eyes flashing. What other unpleasant secrets was she keeping from them? He eyed the giant serpent warily, uncomfortable with the idea of linking minds with it. Someone had to do it, but it didn’t have to be him.

  “If you find the idea unsettling, you have only to restore me, and I will take care of it for you.”

  Not a chance. She’d probably turn the creature against them and make it serve her. “Thank you but that won’t be necessary.”

  Felith looked around the group. Lanimore? Tabik? No. He couldn’t afford to lose them if something went wrong.

  His eyes fell on Ezar.

  The old fellow was expendable, and after all, Ezar was second-in-command. Felith smiled. “Ezar, as my second-in-command, I’ll give you the honor of linking minds with the pythanium.”

  “Me?” Ezar squeaked.

  “Yes. You heard Sheamathan. There’s nothing to it.”

  All eyes turned to the frightened gem master.

  “Hurry up. Everyone’s waiting.” Felith gave Ezar a look that said he’d regret it if he didn’t comply.

  The old gem master rose on unsteady legs and stumbled forward.

  Chapter 11

  Ezar looked at the pythanium, visibly trembling. He took off his spectacles and handed them to Felith, perhaps afraid they’d get broken.

  The pythanium’s tongue flicked in and out as it stared at Ezar, and Felith couldn’t tell whether the creature’s gaze was menacing or merely curious. “All right, Sheamathan. What is Ezar supposed to do now?”

  “Have him hold the renth gem for protection. Then I will give him the spell. He must say it while touching the creature’s head.”

  Narrod had been using the renth gem when they created the creature. He brought it to Ezar and quickly retreated.

  Ezar looked too frightened to move. Felith pushed him closer to the creature. “Sheamathan will instruct you. There’s no need to worry.”

  Felith hoped the old gem master didn’t die of fright during the procedure. It would be impossible to get anyone else after that, and Felith would have to link minds with the creature himself.

  Ezar inched closer. The pythanium drew in its wings and brought its face level with his.

  “Now,” Sheamathan ordered. “Touch it while it is studying you.”

  Ezar reached out. Just as he was about to put his hand on the pythanium’s head, the creature drew back, hissing.

  “Show no fear,” Sheamathan snapped. “Touch it now, but make sure you are drawing power from the renth.”

  Ezar tried again. This time, the pythanium let him place his hand on its head.

  “Good,” Sheamathan said. “Now, we will begin the spell.”

  As the elderly gem master repeated Sheamathan’s words, Felith couldn’t help thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Sheamathan had designed the spell for her own use, and she was a woodspirit. How would linking minds with a pythanium affect a gnome? It might impair Ezar’s intelligence or produce unpleasant side effects that wouldn’t show up immediately. Felith would need to keep an eye on him.

  Ezar kept his eyes closed and his hand on the creature’s head, even after finishing the spell. Was the transference of intelligence still taking place? Ezar was trembling, but whether from fear or exertion, Felith couldn’t say. His gray hair lay matted against his perspiring scalp, and his eyelids were moving rapidly as if dreaming.

  The other gem masters looked concerned. Felith edged closer, but was afraid to disturb Ezar by asking if everything was all right. All he could do was wait and hope.

  After several minutes, he began to wonder if Ezar would know when the process was finished. Sheamathan hadn’t said how long this should take, and she didn’t seem concerned. The others had begun to whisper nervously among themselves.

  Finally, Ezar opened his eyes and took his hand from the creature’s head. He and the pythanium locked gazes briefly, then he stepped back, pale and shaking. Felith grabbed Ezar’s arm to steady him.

  “Now I can speak,” the creature said. “The one called Ezar has named me Watcher One.” The creature’s voice bore a faint hiss.

  Felith frowned. If Ezar must name the creature, why couldn’t he choose something that inspired terror?

  “I will not harm any of you,” Watcher One said. “But others would be wise to fear me.”r />
  Ezar was swaying on his feet. He looked like he might faint.

  “Are you all right?” Felith asked.

  “Yes. Quite all right.” Ezar wet his lips. His tongue darted in and out in a disturbingly snakelike fashion.

  “Go get some fresh air. We’re done for the day.”

  “Thank you. That might help.”

  Felith returned Ezar’s spectacles and told the group, “You’re dismissed. Team Two, go home and get some rest. Lanimore, contact me in the morning, and we’ll make plans. We may need a day or two off.”

  “You cannot afford days off,” Sheamathan said.

  Felith ignored her. Apparently, she’d spent so much time telling Havinth and Sethan what to do, she thought she could order him around. Well, she’d find out who was in charge here, and it wasn’t her.

  The pythanium settled down by the corrustone and paid no attention to the gem masters.

  Team Two gathered their belongings. As they were leaving, Pren said, “Glad we aren’t sharing our place with a pythanium.”

  “Better them than us,” Lanimore agreed. “I wouldn’t sleep a wink.”

  Felith hadn’t given much thought to where the creature would stay when it wasn’t making surveillance flights or delivering messages. He didn’t entirely trust the giant serpent, so it would have to stay outside.

  Felith went to find something to eat and pawed through a basket of vegetables, reluctantly looking for ones that had started to decay. It was depressing to think he must eat such things. His teammates needed their strength, and if he ordered them to eat raw meat and spoiled food, they wouldn’t eat much, so he wouldn’t mention this change of diet for a while.

  After eating a couple moldy potatoes, Felith belatedly remembered he should be keeping an eye on Sheamathan. He looked around and found her with the pythanium. Knowing her, that could be dangerous. It would be just like her to brag that she had created the first of its kind and try to ingratiate herself. It would be best to keep them apart.