Karay came around and took the bear's face in both hands. 'Be quite still, trust me, I won't
harm you.'
The bear pressed his nose against her forehead. 'Mmmmmmmm.' He lowered his head until it
was resting in her lap.
Arnela rummaged about and produced an old file. 'I've filed many a misshapen hoof straight
with this.'
With extreme care, Karay packed the inside of the collar with warm damp moss. Ben could
hear her teeth grinding as she muttered with barely controlled rage and fury, 'This collar is
spiked on both sides. Filthy Razan scum! How could they do this to a human being? I'm glad
they're all dead. Glad!'
Arnela slid her hand under the collar and filed away at the green-encrusted copper rivet that
held it together. It did not take the sturdy goatherd long. With a single heave of both hands,
she bent the iron collar straight and flung it from her. 'Go on, Karay, let's see what our bear
looks like!'
The girl's nimble fingers felt the row of tough rawhide stitches joining the head to the body.
She wiped away with a fresh cloth soaked in semihot water. Dried blood and matted fur parted
enough for her to see what she was doing properly. Stitch by stitch the sinewy yarn parted
until she had worked right around the neck with Arnela's knife. Shielding the head beneath by
placing her hand under the hide at the back of the nape, she sliced neatly upward toward the
top of the skull. All this time her patient lay quite still, never uttering a single sound. Arnela
had to help her to lift the bear's head skin free— the original bone was still inside the muzzle.
It was indeed a real man!
He sat in silence, tears brimming out of his deep brown eyes. His hair—long, greasy and
black as a raven's wing—had moulded itself to his head. He had a broken nose, and his skin
was like pale wax. A beard of whiskers grew from high on his cheekbones, almost masking
his lips. Around his neck were the scratches and scars left by the collar spikes. His teeth were
yellowed and stained but in good shape. It was hard to tell, but he looked to be around twenty
or so years of age. His eyes never once left Karay's face.
Ned shook his head in amazement. 'Well, now I've seen everything!'
Ben agreed with the thought as he turned to Dominic. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking,
mate? Look at that face!'
Dominic had studied many faces before, and now his eyes roved over the features. 'It's a good
face, Ben, a strong one. By the size of it, I'd say there is a very big man inside that bearskin.
I've seen faces like that in artwork in great churches and cathedrals—the faces of saints who
have suffered greatly.'
Karay was hardly aware of Arnela taking the knife from her. The goatherd slit the skin at the
wrists, freeing the young man's hands.
Karay whispered to him. 'Who are you, can you speak, my friend?'
He touched his throat and made a low noise. ''Damuuuh!'
Dominic and Ben whooped together. 'Adamo!'
A smile like the rising sun lit up Arnela's face. 'The little boy from years ago, I knew it! I
knew it all along, Adamo, it had to be you!'
Adamo looked at the big woman—he almost smiled. A grunt of recognition passed his lips.
Then Karay took charge. 'Why don't you all go and see if the road is open through the
woodlands. Adamo can't return to his uncle in Veron looking like this. I'll help him to clean
up. Arnela, could you put a fresh edge on your blade and leave it with me?'
The big woman understood. She stropped her knife vigorously on a leather strap, issuing
orders. 'Ben, you'll find some herbal ointment I made in that little box on the ledge. It's as
good as any soap. Dom, heat more water. Here's an old hair slide, Karay, that'll make do for a
comb. Come on, Ned, we'll go and scout the path out. You lads can follow us!'
They surveyed the landscape in the bright morning sunshine from the elevated view of a high
snowbank created by the enormous landslide. Distant hills appeared fresh and green with the
lilac haze of heather patchworking them. Stream water glinted along newly diverted courses.
Down in the valleys, larks ascended, trilling in the clear air.
Ben listened to his dog's thoughts. 'What a day! It makes life worthwhile. I'm glad our angel
saved us from the
regions are going to be very happy, now that we've found Adamo and got rid of the Razan
plague!'
Ben agreed mentally. 'Aye, Ned, the mission is completed now. It makes me sad to think we'll
have to move on, but we could not afford to be seen here years from now, with everyone
growing older and us forever the same age.'
Dominic looked at his friend's clouded blue eyes. 'What's the matter, Ben? You look sad all
of a sudden.'
Ben had no chance to answer. Ned knocked him flat in the snow. Sprawling on the boy's
chest, the black Labrador licked Ben's face furiously as he berated him mentally. 'Haha, O
mournful moping master, the clever Ned banishes all miseries. I'll soon lick a smile back on
your face!'
Arnela and Dominic burst out laughing at the sight of Ben trying to wrestle Ned off and
pleading with him. 'Yurgh! Gerroff, y'great sloppy hound! Look, I'm smiling, I'm happy! Let
me up, please!'
Arnela lifted the dog from her friend. 'What's all this about?'
Ben struggled upright, dusting the snow from himself. 'Dominic started it, marm. Ned was
just trying to put a smile on my face. Back, Ned, back! See, I'm happy again!'
The big woman tucked Ned under her arm as though he were a goat, and she set off back to
the cave. 'Come on, you two. Let's see how our Adamo is looking now.'
Karay was sitting outside the cave, enjoying the morning sun with Adamo. She waved as they
came scrunching through the snow. 'Just take a peep at this handsome fellow!'
The young man's cheeks coloured slightly. He gave a shy smile. Karay had given Adamo a
wash, shave and haircut.
Arnela gasped. 'Surely this isn't the scraggy old bear we rescued from the Razan? He's got
skin like a peach, and look at the length of those eyelashes. Any maiden would give a bag of
gold to have eyelashes like that. Karay, I think you'd better hide Adamo from the ladies of
Veron when he gets back!'
The girl took Adamo's wide, powerful hand in hers. 'I'll fight them if they even glance his
way! But he's not quite ready for public appearances yet. We haven't any decent clothing to fit
him! He's a big fellow, almost taller than you, Arnela, and broader across the shoulders.
Underneath that cloak of yours, which I borrowed for him, Adamo still has on the bearskin.
So he's still half man, half bear, eh, friend?'
Ben had only seen Adamo bent and shuffling in his role as a bear. He was taken aback when
the young man stood up straight. Karay was right: Adamo was a big fellow. He stayed solemn
for a moment, his soft brown eyes looking from one of them to the other. Then he gave an
enormous grin and spread both arms wide. The cloak parted, revealing him clad in the bear
hide from foot to neck. He danced comically to and fro, kicking up the wide, floppy pads that
encased his feet and waving his fur-coated arms round and round. Ned's delighted barks
mingled with the helpless laughter of the onlookers. Adamo performed an awkward bow and
said a single word, though he had difficulty in getting it out. 'F ... frrr ... free!'
28
COMTE VINCENTE BREGON OF VERON SAT IN his gazebo at the centre of his beautiful
