Текст книги "Albrek's Tomb"

Автор книги: Mark Forman

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“At least we’ll be riding,” said Kat with a laugh. “I’ve never been as sick as I was on that boat.”

“Nor have I,” Barnabus added. “It’ll be good to be on horseback again.”

“I rather enjoyed the voyage,” Arconn said with a laugh.

“As did I,” Alex agreed, rubbing Shahree’s neck as he spoke. “Though it is good to be back to a normal mode of travel.”

The others laughed as they made their way out of the stable. Arconn led Thrang’s horse along with his own, and they found Thrang waiting for them at the front of the inn.

“Ishly suggests that we follow the coast road south,” said Thrang, climbing into his saddle. “He says there is a good road from Darvish to Kazad-Syn, and Darvish is only four or five days south of here.”

“Are you sure you want to stay so close to the sea?” Alex asked with a smile.

“As long as we’re not in it,” said Thrang with a grunting laugh.

They quickly fell into line behind Thrang and rode out of Dunnstal. Alex looked back once before the city was lost to view, wondering what stories his friends from the Seekerwould be telling at the inns tonight.

***

The coast road was a good one, and it was still early on the fifth day away from Dunnstal when they reached Darvish. Darvish was a much larger city than Dunnstal, with high stone walls around it. The gatekeepers were friendly enough, however, and let them pass after only a few questions. Thrang decided they would spend the rest of the day in Darvish and ride on toward Kazad-Syn the next morning.

“A few weeks out of the saddle and I’m not fit for a long journey,” Thrang complained.

The rest of the company agreed. They were eager to explore the city of Darvish, but Thrang insisted they find an inn before anyone went exploring. They were surprised to learn that there were few rooms available in the city.

“A busy time of year,” one innkeeper told them. “The calm sea doesn’t last all year, after all, and many merchants don’t like shipping their goods when the weather is bad.”

Eventually they found an inn that had three rooms available, and Thrang was quick to take them all. Thrang and Thrain would share one room, as would Nellus and Barnabus. Arconn and Alex would share the third room with Kat, though their room was actually a small suite, with two bedrooms attached to a fair-sized sitting room. Alex was concerned that each of the bedrooms had only a single bed, but Arconn wasn’t troubled.

“I do not need to rest like you,” Arconn reminded Alex. “I will be quite comfortable in front of the fire. Though I’ve noticed that lately you can go for days without sleep as well.”

“Only when I need to,” said Alex. “And I don’t think there is much need today.”

With the sleeping arrangements taken care of, they all set off for a look at the city. Alex was surprised by the number of dwarfs in the city, but Thrang explained that Darvish did a great deal of trade with Kazad-Syn as well as with several other dwarf cities.

“My brother owns some property here,” Thrang said as they walked along a crowded street. “He’s done a lot of trading, and he’s paid for ships to trade at most of the larger ports on the sea.”

“He must be prosperous, then,” said Nellus as they entered the city’s main square. It was filled with hundreds of little tables covered with all kinds of goods and items for sale. “It seems there is a little of everything here.”

“Darvish is one of the largest ports on the Eastern Sea,” said Thrang. “Thorson says they are a hard people to deal with, but always fair.”

“Thorson would be your brother, then,” said Arconn, looking at Thrang.

“Yes,” Thrang answered. “He’s quite a bit younger than I am, but he’s done very well for himself.”

Alex could tell from Thrang’s words and the look on his face that he was proud of his younger brother. It was strange to hear Thrang talk about his brother, as Alex had never really discussed family with any of his friends. For a moment Alex thought about his own family, the family that Salinor had told him to look for. Would Mr. Roberts know something about his family? And if not Mr. Roberts, then who?

“I’m going to look for some new boots,” said Barnabus, breaking Alex’s train of thought.

“You should take someone with you at least,” said Thrang.

“You don’t think there is any danger here, do you?” Thrain asked.

“No, but we should stay alert all the same,” said Thrang.

They agreed, so Nellus and Kat went off with Barnabus to look for boots. Thrang insisted that Thrain stay with him, which left Alex and Arconn free to wander the city together.

They worked their way through the open market in the square, looking at several items and even buying a few. The people of Darvish didn’t seem at all surprised to see a man and an elf together, though a few of them did take a second look at Alex when they noticed his staff. It was a pleasant morning, and at midday Alex and Arconn bought some food from one of the market stalls and went looking for a place to sit and eat.

“A fair city,” said Arconn as they walked along. “I wish we had more time to spend here.”

“I expect Thrang wants to see his brother,” said Alex, spotting a patch of green that looked like a public park and pointing it out to Arconn. “How much do you know about Thrang’s family?”

“I know he has several brothers,” Arconn answered as he and Alex sat on a bench in the shadow of a tall tower. “Families are not often discussed between adventurers, though I don’t know why.”

“Not something that comes up as part of the adventure,” said Alex.

“No, I suppose not,” said Arconn.

“Do you know anything about ancient books?” Alex questioned, changing the subject because he didn’t want to consider how little he knew about his own family.

“How ancient?”

“I would guess that they are older than the elvish writing, maybe older than the magic writing as well,” Alex answered.

Arconn thought for a moment. “Why do you ask about such books?”

“I have some,” said Alex. “The dragon on the Isle of Bones gave them to me. I’ve only looked at one of them, and only for a few seconds, but I could see it wasn’t written in either the magic letters or the elvish language.”

“Why would a dragon have books?” Arconn questioned, as much to himself as to Alex.

“I don’t know,” said Alex, wishing Salinor had explained things a bit more. “He told me to take them and that they had a great deal of lost knowledge in them.”

“I would say almost anything in them would be considered lost knowledge,” said Arconn, looking up at the sky. “I’ve heard stories of such books, but nothing more.”

“And what do the stories say?”

“These ancient books are rare,” Arconn began slowly, as if trying to remember. “The oldest of them would date from the time just after the creation of the known lands, before the different races spread out from their own lands.”

“So they tell about how the lands were created and who did what? Where each race came from and things like that?” Alex asked.

“Perhaps,” said Arconn. “Who can say for sure? What I’ve heard is mostly rumor and legend. I don’t think the oldest elf alive could say what was true about such books.”

“And what do the rumors and legends say?” Alex pressed, noticing that Arconn hadn’t really answered his question.

“They say such books can be dangerous,” said Arconn. “Some of the legends say that the books give power to the reader. Depending on who the reader is, such books could either be very dangerous or possibly very profitable.”

“Or both,” said Alex, considering Arconn’s words.

“If the books the dragon gave you are from the ancient times, you should be careful when exploring them,” Arconn advised. “Perhaps you should ask Whalen about them.”

“Yes, I suppose I should,” said Alex thoughtfully.

“Masters,” said an old-looking man, interrupting Alex and Arconn’s conversation.

“May we help you?” Alex asked.

“I would like to ask why you are here,” the old man answered.

“We are traveling through your city on our way to Kazad-Syn,” said Arconn.

“Oh, no, I mean here,in the shadow of the empty tower,” said the old man with a smile.

“Should we not be here?” Alex asked.

“There is no law against it,” said the man in a reassuring tone. “It is just that few people ever sit so close to the tower, as they know its dangers.”

“Dangers?” Arconn questioned.

“This is the Empty Tower of the Oracle,” the man explained. “I am Kathnar, the keeper of the grounds. I, and my people, are known as the Servants of the Empty Tower.”

“And how long have you served?” Alex asked.

“My family has cared for the grounds of the tower for more than a thousand years,” Kathnar answered proudly. “We have kept watch, waiting for the oracle to come.”

“A long time to wait,” commented Arconn.

“Yes, but we will wait as long as we must,” said Kathnar in a sad tone.

“Who is this oracle that will come?” Alex asked as he looked up at the tower.

“The dragon will bring her,” Kathnar answered reverently. “At least, one of the legends says that. It is difficult to know which legends are true, as so many have been told.”

“May we enter the tower?” Arconn asked.

“Oh, no,” Kathnar answered quickly. “It is most dangerous. The tower is sealed by magic.”

“Take us to the entrance,” said Alex. “I would like to see what magic holds the gates of this tower.”

“As you wish,” said Kathnar with a bow. “The gate is not far. I will show you.”

Alex and Arconn followed Kathnar through some trees and along a stone path. The tower had a high wall around it, and as they came around one corner of the wall, Alex saw Nellus, Barnabus, and Kat standing in front of the gates. Barnabus and Nellus both looked worried, but Kat seemed perfectly calm as she walked toward the gate.

“Kat, no!” Arconn called, racing forward.

“You should not stop her,” yelled Kathnar, hurrying along behind Arconn. “She has a right to try.”

Stepping between Kat and the gate, Alex stuck the ground with his staff. The rolling sound of thunder filled the air, and Kat’s eyes turned from the tower to Alex in surprise.

“This is not for you,” said Alex, his voice full of power. “You have other tasks to do.”

“Yes,” Kat said in a dreamy voice. “I have promises to keep.”

“But the time is so short,” Kathnar shouted. “If the oracle does not arrive soon, the tower will be lost forever.”

“What do you mean?” Alex demanded, turning to look at Kathnar.

“Legend says that the tower will remain empty for only so long,” said Kathnar, looking from Alex to Kat and back again. “If the oracle does not arrive before that time is up, the tower will vanish like the mist.”

“How much time is left before the tower vanishes?” Alex questioned.

“It is hard to say,” said Kathnar, his anger fading into helplessness. “The exact count was lost years ago.” He shrugged. “A year, maybe less. Forgive my anger, I . . . It’s just that I feel that the time is almost over, and I don’t want the tower to fade.”

“There is no need for forgiveness,” said Alex, glancing at Kat. “My friend is a seer. The power of the tower called to her as I’m sure it has called to others.”

“Yes, there have been others who have tried,” said Kathnar. “They have all failed to enter the tower, but that doesn’t mean your friend shouldn’t try.”

“Those who failed, what happened to them?” Arconn questioned.

“They lost themselves,” Kathnar answered slowly. “They had no sense of who they were or even where they were. Some went mad. Others wandered away from the city. Still others simply refused to eat and, well . . .”

“Yes, I understand,” said Alex. “The tower is seeking a new oracle. The power of this place is trying to find someone who can control it, and it will call to anyone who might fill its need.”

“That sounds more than a little evil,” Arconn said, glancing at the tower.

“No, not evil,” said Alex. “It is a test of magic and will. The magic of the tower does not destroy those who try to enter; it is their failure to enter and their inability to accept that failure that destroys them. I don’t think Kat is ready for this test—at least not yet—and I won’t let her go blindly forward. When she understands what has happened and what might happen to her, then perhaps she will wish to make an attempt to enter.”

“As you wish, master wizard,” said Kathnar, bowing to Alex. “I hope that she will not wait too long before making the attempt.”

“And I hope that the oracle appears before the tower fades,” Alex answered.

Kathnar bowed to Alex and walked away.

Kat was still looking at Alex, her eyes blank and distant, and it was only when he softly spoke her name that the trance was lifted.

“I don’t know why I came here,” said Kat after the others told her what had happened. “It was like a dream, but the more I try to remember it, the more it slips away from me.”

“Don’t be troubled by it,” said Alex. “We have an adventure to finish first. If you decide that you want to try to enter the tower once you understand what your attempt might mean, well, then I will come with you and help in any way I can.”

Kat nodded her acceptance of Alex’s words without speaking, and they all returned to the city without looking back at the tower. Alex worried that Kat might slip away from them and return to the tower, but she didn’t. Kat did seem to be thinking about the tower, and she said very little to anyone for the rest of the day.

“Kazad-Syn is a wonderful city,” Thrang said at dinner. “A week or ten days and you will see it shining like a jewel in the sun.”

“I’ve never heard you speak so fondly of any city,” Arconn said, looking at Thrang.

“It is the city my family comes from, my home,” said Thrang with a smile. “My brother Thorson still lives there, though the rest of my brothers have moved away. Still, I have cousins and other family there, so our visit should be a happy one.”

“Then let us drink to Kazad-Syn, and hope to reach it quickly,” said Nellus, raising his mug.

The others followed Nellus’s example, which made Thrang happy.

“One final drink and then off to bed,” said Thrang as they finished their meal. “We’ll make an early start in the morning, and if we’re lucky, we’ll reach Kazad-Syn in less than ten days.”

They all drank and headed to their rooms. Thrang motioned for Alex and Arconn to wait as the others departed. When they were alone, he spoke in a lowered voice.

“Do you think she will try to return to the tower?”

“I don’t think so,” Alex said softly. “I’ve blocked the magic that called to her, at least for now.”

“And when you remove the block?” Arconn questioned.

“Then the magic of the tower will call to her again,” said Alex. “If she wants to try to enter the tower then, well . . . In any event, I won’t let her do anything without really understanding what the attempt might do to her.”

“It’s good that we’ll be leaving tomorrow,” said Thrang in a thoughtful tone. “Arconn, keep an eye on her tonight, just in case she tries to slip away.”

Arconn nodded and the three of them hurried after their friends. Alex felt certain that Kat would want to return and try to enter the tower after their adventure was finished, even once she knew what might happen to her. He was also troubled because he knew he could do almost nothing to help her if she tried and failed.

Chapter Fifteen

The Third Bag

Thrang’s prediction of when they would reach Kazad-Syn was correct. Just before midday on the ninth day out from Darvish, the company stopped at the top of a hill. Spread out before them was the dwarf city of Kazad-Syn, shining like a jewel, just as Thrang had said.

“It’s beautiful,” said Thrain with breathless excitement. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Do all dwarf roads lead up hills before reaching cities?” asked Nellus. “It seems the roads are designed to give us the most impressive view of the city possible.”

“I don’t know if the roads were designed that way.” Thrang laughed. “But it is a splendid view.”

Alex agreed that the city was beautiful, and to his surprise, it was also very green. The city was built close to the mountains, and a long wall stretched out from the mountainside to enclose part of the city in a half circle. The wall was a pale and milky green color; it looked more like a giant hedge than a wall of stone. They could see many large buildings inside the wall, most of them made of the same jade-colored stone as the wall. There were also many trees growing in and around the city, which only added to the effect of the green stone.

“Kazad-Syn is known for its jade-colored marble,” Thrang said as they started forward once more. “Stone from this area has been shipped to most of the known lands.”

“It is impressive,” Arconn said. “I never thought a dwarf city could look so vibrant and alive.”

“Wait until you see the underground parts of the city,” said Thrang with a smile.

When they reached the city gate, the guards greeted Thrang as an old friend and let the company pass without hesitation. It didn’t take long for news of the company’s arrival to spread through the city, and they were soon being followed by dozens of young dwarfs who were all calling Thrang’s name.

“I have a bit of a reputation here,” said Thrang with a grin. He reached into his pocket and took out a handful of silver coins, which he tossed over his shoulder to the youngsters following them. “I always toss a few coins to them, and I always have good luck,” he explained.

“A custom?” Arconn questioned, looking back as the young dwarfs rushed in to gather up the coins.

“It is for my family,” said Thrang. “My great-grandfather started the practice, and now, whenever anyone from my family returns here, we carry it on as a tradition.”

Thrang looked like he was going to say more, but at that moment, a crowd of happy dwarfs shouted greetings to him from the street. Thrang called back, waving to them, and Alex could see that Thrang was glad to be home once more.

They followed the main road through the city, but as they went, the crowd around them grew, and soon they could hardly move at all. Alex wondered if Thrang always had this kind of reception when he came to the city, but decided it might not be a good question to ask. Instead, he rode slowly behind Thrang, smiling at the dwarfs who were so happy to see Thrang and his company.

It took some time, but they were finally able to move away from the crowds and turn off the main road onto one of the many side streets leading toward the mountains. After a short time, Thrang stopped in front of a fine-looking house built right up against the mountainside. There was a high wall around the house, and the gate was closed. Thrang climbed off his horse and banged loudly on the solid wooden gate.

“Cousin Thrang!” the young dwarf who opened the gate exclaimed in surprise. “We didn’t know you were coming. I would have had the gate open for you.”

“I didn’t have time to send word,” said Thrang, smiling at his young cousin and motioning for the others to follow him through the gate.

“Thorson will be happy to see you,” the dwarf went on, apparently unaware of the rest of the company. “He was saying just the other day that he should write and invite you to come and stay for awhile.”

“I hope there’s room for my friends as well,” said Thrang, turning to gesture at the others.

“Always room for your friends,” the dwarf answered, also turning to look. At the sight of the group of adventurers, his eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. Alex thought that the dwarf might have lost the ability to speak.

“I didn’t know you were on an adventure,” the dwarf managed to say after several seconds. “Forgive me, cousin, I shouldn’t keep you and your friends waiting here in the courtyard.”

“No harm done,” Thrang said with a laugh. “And as you are here, you might as well meet everyone. Everyone, this is my cousin Dain. Dain wants to follow in my footsteps and become an adventurer, but he’s not yet come of age.”

Dain bowed to the company, blushing slightly as he rose. Thrang introduced each member of the company in turn, saving Alex for last.

“Alexander Taylor?” Dain repeated. “The wizard who defeated Slathbog?”

“The very same,” said Thrang, smiling and winking at Alex. “And he’s done a great deal more than that as well.”

“A great honor, sir,” said Dain, bowing to Alex.

“The honor is mine,” said Alex, returning the bow and Thrang’s wink.

“I’ll take your horses to the stables for you,” Dain said to Thrang.

“And who will tell Thorson we’ve arrived?” Thrang questioned.

“Well, I . . .” Dain began, then trailed off.

“Go on, then.” Thrang laughed. “Take the horses for us, and I’ll let my brother know we are here.”

Dain took the reins of their horses and started off across the courtyard.

Thrang motioned for the company to follow him in the opposite direction. Alex could see that the house was large on the outside, and he guessed that a great deal more of it was either underground or inside the mountain, which was close to the back of the house.

Thrang seemed to know exactly where his brother would be at this time of day. He led them through a small part of the house and out into a large, walled-off garden. Several dwarfs were sitting at a stone table near a fountain, talking loudly.

“I don’t care if he is of age. He’ll have to wait until arrangements can be made for his trip to an oracle,” said a dwarf who looked a great deal like Thrang.

“He doesn’t want to wait, cousin,” a second dwarf said. “He says he’s of age and will do as he likes.”

“Then he can go by himself and without my help,” the first dwarf answered. “Tell him to be here this evening and I’ll tell him so myself.”

“Who wants to go to an oracle?” Thrang asked loudly.

“What’s that?” said the first dwarf, turning to see who had spoken. “Thrang, you old rascal, when did you get here?”

“Just now,” said Thrang, moving forward and embracing his brother. “Dain met us at the gate and has taken our horses to the stables. We haven’t come at a bad time, have we, Thorson?”

“Ah, a company,” said Thorson in delight. “You should have sent word; I’d have had a feast prepared.”

“The feast can wait,” said Thrang with a laugh. “Do you have room for the seven of us to stay? We’ll be in the city for a week or two.”

“You know I have room,” said Thorson. “And if you’re staying for at least a week, there will be time for several feasts.”

“You are most kind,” said Thrang. “Let me introduce my friends to you.”

Thrang introduced the company to his brother and to the other dwarfs in the garden, once again saving Alex for last. Thorson was happy to meet them all, and the dwarfs all smiled and bowed as they were introduced. Alex tried to remember all of their names, but Thrang’s relatives looked so much alike it was hard to keep the names and faces straight.

Thorson gestured to the table by the fountain. “Please, make yourselves at home. I’ll have the midday meal brought out here as well as have rooms prepared for all of you.” Thorson quickly turned to one of his cousins and rattled off some instructions. Alex thought the cousin’s name was Bulbur, but he wasn’t completely sure.

“Now then,” said Thrang, walking over to the table. “Who is it that wants to run off and see an oracle?”

“Your nephew, Fivra,” Thorson answered, shaking his head. “Just came of age last month, and already he wants to run off and find an oracle.”

“That’s natural enough,” Thrang said, taking a seat. The rest of the company joined him around the table.

“So it would seem, but he doesn’t want to go and see just any oracle. He wants to go to Vargland and see the Oracle of the White Tower,” said Thorson, joining Thrang at the table. “Halfdan’s trading company will be going that way, and he’s already agreed to take several young dwarfs with him.”

“For a price,” said Thrang, nodding.

“One hundred gold coins each,” Thorson said. “I told Fivra if he would save half the money, I’d give him the other half, but I don’t think he has two coins to rub together.”

“But he still wants to go, and he still wants you to pay for it,” said Thrang, nodding once more.

“He says he’ll go if I pay or not,” said Thorson in a slightly worried tone. “Has his mind made up, and you know how stubborn he is.”

“Even if he gets to Vargland, there’s no promise the oracle will talk to him,” said Thrang, glancing quickly at Alex.

“No, there’s not,” said Thorson. “But I refuse to pay the entire price, and now he’s off sulking about it somewhere.”

“He always was a bit of a sulker,” Thrang said.

“And he’s never been any good with money,” Thorson added. “He’s got it in his mind that he’ll be an adventurer, like you and Halfdan. Seems to think adventures are an easy way to get rich quick.”

“I’ve told him a hundred times that being an adventurer is hard work,” said Thrang, shaking his head. “Even if he goes to Vargland, and even if the oracle speaks to him, odds are he won’t be chosen as an adventurer.”

“I know,” said Thorson, shaking his head as well. “I’ve tried to explain it to him, but he won’t listen. Now, with you and your friends here, I know he’ll be more determined than ever to go.”

“Perhaps we could talk to him,” offered Arconn. “We could tell him how hard adventures can be.”

“A kind gesture,” said Thrang, smiling at Arconn. “It might not hurt, but I hate to bring you all into family matters.”

“It is the least we can do,” said Nellus.

“But he mustn’t think we put you up to it,” Thorson warned. “If the subject comes up naturally, fine, but don’t bring it up.”

They all agreed, and Thorson thanked each of them individually. Just then, the midday meal arrived, and they were soon eating and talking about other things.

“So, an adventure in Thraxon,” Thorson said, glancing at Thrang. “Can you tell me anything about it?”

“You know I can’t,” said Thrang with half a smile. “But there is something you can help us with.”

“Anything, anything at all,” said Thorson.

“My friend, Alex, is carrying a lost bag. We need to find the heir and arrange for the bag’s return.”

“Do you know the heir’s name?” Thorson asked Alex.

“Haymar Glynn,” said Alex, pushing his plate away and leaning back in his chair. “The bag maker in Telous gave me the name.”

“Haymar Glynn,” Thorson repeated. “Yes, I think I know him. Nice fellow. I’ll send word this afternoon that you wish to speak with him.”

“Excellent,” said Thrang. “With any luck, we can take care of this task and be on our way. Oh, yes, I should ask one other thing.”

“Just the one?” said Thorson with a laugh.

“We need information about the Lost Mountains,” said Thrang. “Anything will be helpful, but we don’t want every dwarf in the city knowing that we’re going there.”

“Yes, of course,” said Thorson, looking more serious. “I’ll see what I can find out. Make it sound like business of my own, if that’s all right.”

“That would be wonderful,” said Thrang.

Later that afternoon, Alex was sitting in the garden talking with Kat and Arconn when Thrang and Thorson came looking for him.

“We’ve run into a bit of a problem,” said Thrang, a troubled look on his face. “It seems there is some dispute about the bag you want to return to Haymar Glynn.”

“What kind of dispute?” Alex questioned.

“Haymar’s half brother, Halbrek, is disputing Haymar’s claim as heir,” said Thorson. “He claims that their father was going to change his will and name him heir to his bag, but he died before he had the chance.”

“The bag maker gave me Haymar’s name,” said Alex. “As far as I know, Haymar is the heir and should receive the bag. If his half-brother wants to make a claim, he’ll have to do it some other way.”

“It’s not as simple as that,” said Thrang as he took a seat. “Halbrek has made a public claim, and now the claim has to be settled before you can return the bag. It’s a very old dwarf law, and I don’t think anyone has tried to enforce it for several hundred years.”

“Who decides the dispute?” Alex asked, looking from Thrang to Thorson.

“Well, there are two ways,” Thrang began. “The king can hear both sides of the story and then make a ruling, but that might take months, or even years.”

“And there’s no way to know if the king will choose the true heir or not,” Thorson added. “There is always a chance he might make a mistake.”

“Or that he or one of the officials hearing the claims will accept a bribe,” said Thrang in a troubled voice.

“And the second way?” Alex questioned, afraid that he already knew the answer.

“As a wizard, and the bag holder, youcan decide who the true heir is,” said Thorson, smiling weakly.

“How would I do that?” Alex asked.

“The ceremony to return the bag would be much the same as you’ve done before,” said Thrang quickly. “However, in this case, both Haymar and Halbrek would come forward to claim the bag. The simplest way would be to have them both tell you the passwords to the bag, and if they’re different, the one with the correct passwords would be the true heir.”

“And if they both know the correct passwords?” Alex questioned, feeling that he’d rather have the king resolve the dispute.

“Then you’ll have to come up with your own test,” Thorson answered.

“Oh,” said Alex, looking down at the ground. “What kind of test could I use?”

Thrang shrugged. “This law is very old, and there have been only a few cases like this in our history. Perhaps there is some magical way to find out who the owner of the bag wanted to be his heir.”

“There might be,” said Alex, not looking up. “Or I could use magic to force both Haymar and Halbrek to tell the truth. But, of course, if they both believe what they’re saying is the truth, that magic is useless.”

“It will be a difficult task, that is for sure,” Thorson agreed. “However, both Haymar and Halbrek have asked to speak with you. Perhaps you can find the truth some other way.”

“Did they both want to talk to me at the same time?” Alex asked.

“No, they each requested to speak to you alone,” said Thorson. “No doubt they each want to press their own case with you, hoping that you will decide in their favor.”

“When do they want to see me?” Alex asked, feeling a weight settle in his stomach.

“Haymar said he will come whenever you ask him to,” said Thorson. “Halbrek insisted on seeing you only after you have spoken to Haymar.”

“Very well,” Alex agreed reluctantly. “Ask Haymar to come tonight, and Halbrek can come tomorrow morning. I will listen to what they both have to say and see if I can find a solution to their dispute.”