Текст книги "The Horn of Moran"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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“You have done well,” said Bregnest, walking beside Alex as they returned to the Goodseed house. “You have shown great kindness to your friends and increased their honor. In doing this, your honor grows as well.”

“It seems a small thing,” said Alex. “Though little things are often the most important of all.”

“I see that Whalen has taught you a great deal in a short time,” said Bregnest in a thoughtful tone. “You have changed much since our last journey together.”

“Yes, I believe I have,” Alex admitted. “But I’m still the same person, and I still know who my friends are.”

Bregnest chuckled softly at Alex’s reply and said no more.

Alex knew he had changed during the six months he’d been at home. He had learned more than he had ever thought possible in so short a time. He also understood a great deal more about almost everything having to do with adventures. And now he was learning more and more about magic, and what he might one day become.

Their remaining days in Oslansk passed quickly, full of both work and fun. Each day there were more preparations to be made for their journey and long discussions about what might be ahead of them. Each night there was another feast, another party, and more questions for Alex to answer.

In the little time that Alex had to himself, he began reading the books Whalen had assigned to him. He was relieved to find that simple transfigurations were not too difficult for him to do. On his first attempt, he managed to change a small rock into a white mouse. The magic didn’t take a lot of energy, but it did require him to focus his thoughts and picture the mouse clearly in his head. He hastily changed the mouse back into a rock, however; he didn’t want it to escape into the house and scare Andy’s mother.

He also practiced Whalen’s breathing exercises. Yes, they were a bit silly, as Whalen had said they would be, but already Alex could see how they could help him gain control of his emotions. They made him think about his emotions more than he normally would have, and that alone was a great benefit.

On the night of the final wedding feast, Skeld, Tayo, and their wives said good-bye to the company. They thanked them all for coming and wished them a safe and profitable journey. They all thanked Alex once again for being their ring bearer and made him promise to visit again as soon as he could.

Chapter Six

The Second Bag

The next morning the company gathered for breakfast with the Goodseed family for the last time. There was a touch of sadness in all of their faces. They would miss the fun and feasting they’d had in Oslansk, but they knew that their quest was ahead of them.

As the company gathered in the courtyard with their horses, Bregnest nodded to Alex. He grinned and retrieved the golden brooch from his pocket, stepping forward before speaking.

“Mistress Goodseed,” said Alex, in the most official voice he could manage. “May I present you this gift on behalf of our company, as a token of our thanks for your great kindness.”

Andy’s mother blushed as Alex bowed and presented her with the golden brooch. Argus Goodseed smiled at the company but said nothing, and Alex wondered if Bregnest had mentioned the gift to him.

After several seconds of silence, Mrs. Goodseed found her voice. “I thank you all for your kind gift,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “If ever any of you are near our home, you will be most welcome.”

The company bowed to the Goodseeds and then mounted their horses. Andy looked stunned and surprised by Alex’s gift, but he didn’t ask any questions in front of his parents. Alex wondered if Bregnest had told everyone except Andy about the gift; he could see that Andy was a little upset.

“May luck be with you,” Argus called as the company rode out of the gate and away from the house.

Once they were moving through the city, Andy demanded to know why he had not been told about the gift to his mother.

“The gift was Alex’s idea,” Bregnest said.

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” said Alex sheepishly. “After all, your family has been very kind to us.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Andy asked again.

“We thought you might spill the beans,” said Halfdan, winking at Alex.

Andy frowned, but when the others started laughing, he joined in as well.

When they reached the city gates, Bregnest headed east, following one of many well-used roads. Argus Goodseed had told them it would take about twelve days to reach the town of Ollvi, if the weather stayed fair. From Ollvi there was a good road leading north and east to the Mountains of the Moon, where they hoped to find the lost Horn of Moran.

Not only would the trip to Ollvi allow the snow to melt off the northern roads, but Alex had a lost bag to return, and the bag’s heir supposedly lived in Ollvi.

As they rode, Alex wondered what kind of trouble might be waiting for them on the road. He remembered his first adventure when the company had met both bandits and a troll. He hoped that they would meet neither as they traveled here in Norsland, but he knew there would probably be trouble of some kind as they moved into wilder lands.

Clouds started to fill the sky as they went along that first day. By the time they had set up their camp and finished eating, a cold rain had started to fall. They put blankets on their horses, and then quietly went to bed.

The rain continued for most of the next day as well, making them all less than comfortable. Alex wondered if there was some magic he could use to push the storms away, and if his own magic would be strong enough to change the weather.

“Spring rains don’t often last more than a day or two,” Andy said as they went along. “But they can be heavy and cold.”

“If it was much colder, it would be snow,” replied Val as he tried to pull his cloak closer to him.

“I’m glad it’s not snow,” said Halfdan, tucking his beard into his shirt. “If it was cold enough to snow, we’d be stuck in Oslansk for some time to come.”

“We’re not going north yet,” Bregnest said from ahead of them. “And I don’t think the rain will last much longer.”

Bregnest was right, and the rain stopped falling as they made their camp. They all changed into dry clothes once their camp was set up, and then Halfdan started working on their evening meal.

“Can’t get a spark to catch,” Halfdan huffed as he stood over a pile of twigs. “Everything is soaked through.”

“Perhaps I can help,” said Alex.

“No doubt you can. Why don’t you magic up a fire while I go and get some water.”

“As you wish,” Alex replied.

Halfdan nodded, then picked up a large, cast-iron cauldron and started off for a nearby spring. Alex watched him go and then turned his attention back to the wet pile of wood in front of him.

“It will take some real magic to get that burning,” said Andy.

“Not often that a dwarf can’t get a fire started,” Val added.

“True enough,” said Alex. “There’s a spell I’ve been wanting to try. I think it should do the job.”

Alex focused his thoughts on the pile of wood and started moving his right hand in a circle. This was a new spell, and he wasn’t sure how well it would work. For a few seconds nothing seemed to happen, and then a bright yellow flame sprang up in the middle of the wet wood.

“Amazing,” said Andy as the flames continued to grow.

The flames didn’t just catch hold on the wood, but seemed to be burning alone in the air as well. Alex kept moving his hand in a circle, and the flames grew into a four-foot-tall tornado in front of him.

“An impressive bit of magic,” Sindar commented as he joined them.

“You’ve learned some new tricks, I see,” added Bregnest. “Not simply conjuring fire anymore, but making it do as you wish.”

“I’ve been studying—” Alex started but was interrupted.

“What the—!” Halfdan said loudly.

Alex looked toward his friend, and immediately the whirlwind of flames moved away from the burning logs and darted toward Halfdan.

“Agghh!” Halfdan yelled in fear.

Dropping the water he was carrying, Halfdan dove behind one of the tents. Alex could hear him crawling wildly away from the flaming whirlwind that was racing to the spot where his friend had been standing. Alex lowered his hand to break the spell, but he wasn’t quick enough to save Halfdan’s cauldron. The flames hit the half-full cauldron of water and sent up a cloud of steam. There was a loud, sharp hiss, and an even louder bang as the flames vanished.

“Halfdan, are you all right?” Alex questioned as he ran toward the tent.

“Hardly,” said Halfdan, getting to his feet. “Stars and stones, Alex, what was that?”

“Just a bit of magic to light the fire,” said Alex, trying not to laugh at the look on Halfdan’s face.

“I thought for a minute that you’d conjured up a fire demon or something worse,” said Halfdan, brushing mud off his pants.

“I’m sorry,” said Alex, forcing the smile from his face. “I didn’t know the whirlwind would go where I was looking.”

“It’s a good thing you are so quick on your feet,” Sindar said to Halfdan from the other side of the tent.

“What do you mean?” Halfdan asked.

“Come and see.”

They moved around the tent to see that the cauldron Halfdan had been carrying was lying on the ground, bone-dry and shattered into a dozen pieces.

“Oh, no,” said Halfdan in a pained voice. “That was my best cooking pot. It’s been in my family for three generations.”

“I’m sorry,” said Alex. “I didn’t mean to . . .”

He felt terrible for destroying Halfdan’s cauldron, and worse now that he knew it had been in Halfdan’s family for so long.

“Perhaps I can mend it,” Alex offered as he bent down to pick up the broken metal pieces.

“Careful. It’s still hot,” said Sindar as he caught Alex’s hand.

“No, it’s no good,” Halfdan said sadly. “Not even the best dwarf smith could repair it now.”

“I’m really sorry,” said Alex, looking from the broken metal to Halfdan. “I’ll be happy to buy you a new pot, and pay you for your loss.”

“No, no—that’s not necessary,” said Halfdan, his eyes lingering on the broken metal fragments. “I have other pots, and it’s no good crying over spilled milk.”

Alex didn’t say anything else, but he continued to feel bad about what he had done even though Halfdan tried to make light of it, as if the pot wasn’t all that important. Alex knew it wasn’t the broken pot that really mattered to Halfdan; it was the memories that the pot brought back. There was nothing Alex could do to replace those memories, and that made him feel even worse about what had happened.

There was little talk as they ate that night. Finally, when the rest of the company started for their tents to get some sleep, Alex went back to the broken bits of metal. They had cooled off, and he picked them up and put them inside his magic bag. He had read something about repairing broken objects, but he didn’t remember exactly how the magic worked. He did know, however, that he had to try to repair the broken pot, even if Halfdan thought it was hopeless.

On their third day away from Oslansk, Alex asked Andy about returning magic bags in Norsland. On his last adventure, Alex had returned a bag to a dwarf in Vargland, and there had been a large ceremony. Alex had learned quite a bit at the time. Now he wondered if he’d have to go through another ceremony, and if so, he wanted to know about it in advance.

“Oh, it’s very simple here,” said Andy. “You and one other person you choose as a witness meet with the heir and his witness. You agree on a reward for returning the bag, which is almost always a share in whatever treasure the bag holds. Once you agree on the reward, the heir will tell you the password for the bag and you both go into the bag and see what’s there.”

“We both go in?” Alex questioned.

“Of course,” said Andy. “Normally the bag holder goes in first and the heir follows him.”

“And then what happens?”

“Then, after looking at what’s in the bag, you both come out again. The heir will restate the reward you’ve agreed on, and the witness will say that they are witnesses,” Andy replied. “Then you and the heir make the arrangements for the payment to be made. That’s about it.”

“That’s all?” Alex pressed, thinking that it sounded too simple.

“Mostly,” said Andy with a shrug.

“What else is there, Andy?” Alex narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“Well, once you and your witness leave, you tell your witness how much treasure you think the bag holds, and how much you think you should get,” Andy answered. “Then when you and your witness return to collect your reward, if you, or your witness, think you’ve been cheated, you reject the payment. If that happens, then the magistrate has to settle the whole thing.”

“Sounds fairly simple,” said Alex, relaxing a little.

“It is,” said Andy. “It only gets difficult if you reject payment and the magistrate has to get involved.”

“Why? What happens then?”

“If the magistrate gets involved, the heir has to tell him the passwords. Then the magistrate checks the bag and the payment and decides if you’re being cheated or not. If the heir is trying to cheat you, you get double the original offer, and the city gets half of whatever is left in the bag.”

“And if he’s nottrying to cheat me?” Alex asked.

“Then you get half the payment and the city gets the other half,” said Andy.

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Alex said thoughtfully. “So all I need to know now is what kind of offer would be considered fair, and what might be considered too small. I wouldn’t want to insult the heir by asking for too little.”

“I’ve only heard about a few bags being returned,” Andy said in a thoughtful tone. “I mean, it’s not like lost bags get returned all the time. I think the heir will offer you something like one in four or one in five of everything the bag holds. If you think that’s too much—or not enough—you can make a counteroffer.”

“And how little would be considered an insult?” Alex asked, remembering the last time he’d done this.

“Oh, you might go as low as one in eight or even one in ten,” said Andy thoughtfully. “Anything less would certainly be an insult, so don’t let your generosity get the better of you.”

It seemed that Andy also remembered the last time Alex had returned a bag. Of course, that bag had belonged to a dwarf, and dwarfs were a little touchy when it came to saying they’d offered too much.

That night, as they ate their evening meal, Bregnest said that they would start keeping watch. Alex thought Bregnest looked worried, but Bregnest was often moody, and Alex thought that the idea of keeping watch had more to do with Bregnest’s own worries than any real danger.

Alex drew the last watch, which meant that he would have to get up an hour before anyone else. He thought that taking the last watch would be hard, but as it turned out, it was both easy and useful. The early morning quiet gave him time to study his books and practice his magic in peace. Alex felt lucky, too, because Sindar had drawn the watch before his, and he would normally allow Alex to study his books while he continued to watch.

* * *

On their seventh morning away from Oslansk, Alex was practicing magic and turned a large stone into a rabbit. To Alex’s dismay, however, the rabbit ran off into the tall grass before he could change it back into a stone. Sindar thought it was extremely funny, but Alex wasn’t pleased at all.

“So there’s one more rabbit in Norsland,” said Sindar. “I’m sure there is no harm in that.”

“Well, perhaps not,” Alex agreed. “But the book says I should change things back into what they were, if I can.”

“And why is that?”

“The book doesn’t say. I suppose it’s so there aren’t too many rabbits all over the place.”

Sindar and Alex both laughed, but then Sindar became serious.

“Could you change rocks into gold?”

“I guess so,” said Alex. “Why do you ask?”

“I was just thinking that if a greedy wizard could change rocks into gold, he could make himself very rich.”

“Yes, I suppose he could, if he had enough rocks.”

Sindar smiled and looked thoughtful. “I have seen your generosity, so I suspect that such an idea has never entered your mind.”

“No, it hasn’t. But now I wonder if it would work.”

“Well, a gold coin couldn’t run away from you.”

Alex picked up a small rock and focused his thoughts on what he wanted it to be. He felt the weight in his hand change as his magic worked, and without looking, he tossed the coin to Sindar.

“A useful trick, if ever you are in need,” said Sindar as he looked at the coin. “But for me, it was better as a rock.”

Alex nodded and took the coin back. He looked at it for a moment to make sure it really was solid gold, and then he changed it back into a rock.

“You are learning quickly,” said Sindar, his tone growing even more serious. “Soon, your friend Vankin will ask you to take a staff.”

“Ask me to take a staff?”

“Whalen has not spoken to you about this?”

Alex shook his head.

“Perhaps I should say no more, then.”

“No, please,” said Alex. “At least tell me what you meant.”

“To take a staff means you are willing to accept greater responsibility,” said Sindar slowly. “If Whalen asks you to take a staff, you will be bound by wizard law and connected magically to your staff. The staff will be more powerful because of this connection, and so will you. I suppose you could buy a staff and use it, though it would not work as well.”

“How do you know so much about wizards and staffs?” Alex asked.

“I have known many wizards in my time,” Sindar answered. “I have also known many who pretended to be wizards. The pretenders are sometimes good, and some of them do great deeds. But their power is nothing– nothing—compared to that of a true wizard.”

Alex thought about what Sindar said and it seemed to make sense. In a way, he felt like he was still pretending to be a wizard—using magic as a helpful tool, but not like a real wizard would. He knew nothing about wizard law, or staffs, or the true power of real wizards like Whalen. Alex wondered why Whalen had never mentioned any of this to him before. He decided to ask Whalen about it in his next letter.

“Whalen said you might be able to help me learn to control my emotions,” Alex commented as he put his books away.

“Control your emotions,” Sindar repeated and then grinned and nodded his head.

“What?” Alex questioned, confused.

“Vankin knows things that others do not, and he has ways to use his knowledge that most would not see.”

“What?”

“He knows that I was once, shall we say, hotheaded,” Sindar answered as he piled wood on the fire. “I worked for many years to gain control of my temper, and he is telling me something about you without actually saying it out loud.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You’re not supposed to.”

“Fine,” said Alex, shaking his head. “Can you help me or not?”

“Help you control your temper? Yes, I can do that.”

* * *

It was just before noon on the twelfth day when the company reached the town of Ollvi. They found the tavern where Argus Goodseed had suggested they stay, and they were soon settled in.

“Have you chosen your witness?” Bregnest asked Alex, as the company sat down in the common room.

“I’ve asked Andy to be my witness,” Alex replied.

“Then you both should go and find the heir,” said Bregnest. “We will remain in Ollvi until your business is finished.”

“Even if we find the heir quickly, it might take some time for payment to be arranged,” said Alex. “Perhaps I can have the payment postponed until we are on our way back to Alusia.”

“The return of a lost bag is an important event,” said Bregnest in a thoughtful tone. “It would be best to take care of everything at once. If it costs us a few days, or even a few weeks, then that is the price we will pay. I wish that, well . . .”

“If it would aid our quest, I can hold the bag and return it some other time,” Alex offered.

“No, that would not be right. You are here, now. The bag should be returned,” Bregnest said firmly. “Who knows, but perhaps it is fate that brought us here at this time. We will not tempt fate.”

Alex nodded, and then motioned for Andy to join him. Alex decided that the best way to find the heir to the lost bag would be to ask the owner of the tavern if he knew the Cain family since the name on the bag was Jonathan Cain.

“Oh, yes, old Jon Cain,” said the man, as if remembering something from long ago. “Been a long time since he left Ollvi.”

“Do you know where we might find his family?” Alex asked hopefully.

“I expect his son is working down at the town stables,” the man answered. “His name is Tom Cain, and he helps me out now and again, but I don’t have enough business to keep him on permanently.”

“And where would we find the town stables?” Alex questioned.

“Why are you looking for Tom?” the man asked, looking at Alex and Andy sharply.

“Our business with him is of a private nature,” said Alex.

“Oh, I see,” said the man, nodding and touching the side of his nose as if he knew a secret. “Got a message for him from his old dad, have ya? Well, I hope it’s good news. Tom and his family could use some.”

“Why is that?” Alex asked, interested by the comment.

“They’ve fallen on hard times,” said the man, lowering his voice. “After old Jon left, things got hard for his family. They used to own a fair bit around Ollvi, you know, but they’ve had to sell off their land, little by little, to make ends meet.”

“Well, I believe we have some good news for Tom and his family, then,” said Alex. “So if you can tell us how to find the town stables, we’ll be off.”

The man gave them directions and wished them good luck. As Alex and Andy walked through the town, they talked about what the tavern owner had told them about the Cain family.

“I’d guess their crops failed and they’ve had to sell their lands and property so they’d have enough to live on,” said Andy knowingly. “This part of Norsland has always been poor. If Tom Cain has a family to support, he may have to take any job he can find to make ends meet.”

“If that’s the case, I hope there’s a lot of treasure in his father’s bag,” said Alex. “People who’ve had a hard life deserve a bit of wealth.”

“Perhaps,” said Andy. “But remember that there are plenty of other reasons people might have hard times. And a lot of those reasons are because people bring hard times on themselves.”

“I’ll remember.”

When they reached the stables, Alex asked to see the stable master. He wanted to ask a few more questions before meeting Tom Cain in person. Alex and Andy didn’t have to wait long, as a large man with a full beard and a pipe soon appeared and met them outside the stable.

“You asked to see me?” questioned the man.

“Are you in charge of the stables?” Alex asked.

“I am. What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to ask you about Tom Cain,” said Alex, lowering his voice slightly.

“Tom?” the man asked, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was close by. “What do you want to know about Tom?”

“Well, we’d like to know about him and his family, and how things are with them,” answered Alex. “You see, we may have a message for Tom, but we’d like to make sure we have the right person first.”

“Adventurers, then,” said the bearded man with a nod.

“Yes, we are,” admitted Alex, slightly surprised by the comment.

“Well, I don’t see no harm telling ya what I know, and it might do a bit o’ good,” said the man, lighting his pipe. “Been wondering if we’d ever hear about old Jon Cain again, and I’m guessing we will, from the look of you two.”

Alex felt that he could trust the bearded man, though he didn’t really know why.

“You have guessed correctly,” said Alex. “However, we’d like to know a little more about Tom and his family before we talk to him.”

“Bag holder and witness, then, is it?” said the bearded man. “Well, I’ll tell you what I know, but there’s probably plenty I don’t know.”

The man told Andy and Alex that the Cain family had once been the richest family in Ollvi. After Jon Cain had left, eleven years ago, the family started having troubles. The town magistrate at the time didn’t like Jon Cain, and he used his dislike against the Cain family once Jon had left. Then their crops had failed, and the family suffered several other minor misfortunes, some from bad luck and some from other things. Now Tom Cain supported his mother, two brothers, and three sisters by working wherever and whenever he could. The rest of the family did as much as they could, but still, Tom was the one who bore the heaviest burden.

“The Cain family is the poorest family for miles around,” said the bearded man in a matter-of-fact tone. “Most folks here in Ollvi remember how generous old Jon was, so we try to help out where we can. Only so much we can do though. Tom’s mom has never been much on accepting what she calls charity.”

“What happened to the magistrate?” Andy asked.

“Oh, him,” said the bearded man, spitting into the road. “He up and died a couple of years ago. Good riddance I say.”

“Well, you’ve been very helpful,” said Alex, nodding. “Perhaps Tom Cain’s fortunes will improve soon.”

“I’d be glad to see that,” said the bearded man with a nod of his own. “I’ll just go and fetch Tom for ya, then, shall I?”

“Yes, thank you,” said Alex. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention our little talk.”

“Not to worry.”

The bearded man wandered off into the stables, and Alex and Andy looked at each other.

“He could be telling us a story.”

“I don’t think so,” said Alex. “I feel like he was telling the truth, but I can’t explain why.”

“Well, you’re the wizard,” Andy replied.

The bearded man soon reappeared with a younger man following him closely. Alex guessed the younger man to be around twenty years old, which was a bit of a surprise. From the patched and worn look of the young man’s clothes, however, Alex was sure the bearded man had been telling the truth about hard times for the Cain family.

“You asked to see me, sir?” Tom Cain asked as he approached Alex and Andy.

“I did,” said Alex. “And I think I have both sad and happy news for you.”

“What news, might I ask?” Tom questioned, looking slightly confused.

“Well, to be plain,” Alex began and paused to consider his words. It was never easy to tell someone the news that a loved one had died.

“Yes?”

“To be plain, I must ask if you are the heir of Jonathan Cain, adventurer,” Alex said.

“I . . . I am,” said Tom, turning slightly pale.

“Then I must inform you that I hold the magic bag of Jonathan Cain, who is lost,” Alex continued, “and that I am prepared to meet with you, if you are his rightful heir, at the time and place of your choosing.”

Tom Cain stood dumbfounded for a moment, a troubled expression on his face. He looked like he wanted to cry and shout for joy at the same time, but couldn’t decide which to do. It took him a moment to find his voice.

“I am honored that you have come,” said Tom, swallowing hard and shaking slightly. “I ask that you and your witness come to my home this afternoon. I will be there with my witness to discuss the return of my father’s bag.”

The conversation seemed painfully formal, but Alex knew that he had to continue.

“At what hour would you have us come?”

“At the fourth hour after midday,” Tom answered.

“We will come as you ask,” said Alex with a bow.

“I thank you,” said Tom, returning the bow.

Tom gave Alex and Andy directions to his house and then the two adventurers left the stable.

Alex had mixed feelings about Tom Cain and his family. Tom was obviously extremely sad to know that his father was dead, and Alex was sure the rest of Tom’s family would feel the same, but at the same time, the return of the magic bag had given Tom hope for a better life—not just for himself, but for his entire family.

“You’ve found the heir?” Bregnest asked when Alex and Andy returned to the tavern.

“We have,” said Alex.

“That is good,” said Bregnest. “Perhaps payment can be made in a day or two, and we can be on our way.”

“Has time become our enemy already?” Alex questioned. “We’ve been on the road for only a little more than two weeks.”

“Time is always the enemy,” Bregnest answered slowly. “I would hurry because our quest is to aid both my kinsman and my friend. I would not have him troubled longer than he needs to be.”

“If all goes well, we should return before winter settles in Norsland,” said Andy in a reassuring tone.

“Perhaps,” said Bregnest. “But I fear we will be forced to spend the winter on the road, though I cannot say why I fear it.”

“You have doubts about our quest?” Alex questioned.

“Doubts about myself,” Bregnest replied in a grim tone. “But I will keep my doubts to myself until we are on the road again. Then perhaps I will share them with the company.”

“As you wish.”

Alex and Andy remained at the tavern, talking and joking with the rest of the company until it was time for them to meet with Tom Cain. Excusing themselves, they left to find the Cain house and arrange for the return of Jonathan Cain’s bag.

As they approached the Cain house, they could plainly see that it had been a fine home once. Now the large house looked worn and hard used, but not at all shabby or uncared for. And the garden, which took up most of the yard, was ready for planting the spring vegetables.

A middle-aged woman opened the door when Alex and Andy knocked. Her eyes were red from crying, and she wiped at her nose as she led the adventurers into a large room where Tom and his witness were nervously waiting for them.

“Please, be seated, my friends,” said Tom, trying hard to smile but unable to manage it. “Let me introduce my witness—my brother Jonathan Cain, Junior.”

“A pleasure,” said Alex, bowing slightly. “I am Alexander Taylor. This is my witness, Anders Goodseed.”

“Yes, well then,” said Tom nervously. “I suppose we should get started.”

“Yes, we should,” replied Alex.

“All right,” Tom began, still sounding and looking nervous. “I will offer one in four of all treasure in my father’s bag for the bag’s return.”

Alex was taken aback by Tom’s offer; he knew how poor the Cain family was. He rubbed his chin for a moment as if considering the offer before speaking.

“You are too generous. I will ask but one in ten.”

“Now you are too generous,” Tom answered. “I will offer one in five.”

“I will make an offer that I hope you won’t refuse,” Alex replied after a moment. “If the bag holds more than ten thousand gold coins and ten thousand silver coins, I will ask one in seven of all. But if the bag holds less than that amount, I will accept only one in ten.”