Jas looked down at the ground. 'It's because I have the dark stalker in me, isn't it?' she asked.
'No,' Finder said, lifting Jas's chin in the cup of his hand so that she was forced to meet his eyes. 'It's because if you choose to travel to Gehenna, Iyachtu's minions might be able to read it inside your mind.'
'So you're sure the hydroloths that attacked Beshaba were sent by Iyachtu Xvim?' Joel asked.
'That isn't something we could really tell,' Finder explained. 'Though Beshaba did curse his name before she fled her realm.'
'If Xvim is behind this, then why did Tymora sense Beshaba instead of Xvim?' Joel asked. 'And if Xvim is draining both of them, why did Tymora fall unconscious while Beshaba was able to teleport away?'
'As to the first question, we do not know,' Selune answered. 'As to the second… either Xvim started draining Tymora's power first or else Beshaba had more power in reserve. Tymora is extremely free with her gifts. She has endowed a number of items with her power and shared them with adventurers. She also gives out power keys to her priests who travel the planes. She has even lent her power to her ally gods and their priests. Beshaba, on the other hand, tends to hoard her power. She grants her priests their spells and spends a small portion of her power getting even with mortals who neglect her when they make large offerings to Tymora. It appears that Beshaba is indeed losing control of her power. In addition to the earthquake in her own realm, she is causing a good deal of destruction granting boons to some of her worshipers on your world.'
'But if we do another reconnaissance into Gehenna, you and Finder can sense what Xvim is up to, right?' Emilo asked.
Selune shot a disapproving glance at the eager kender. 'Know this,' she said. 'When you arrived on the Blood Tor, Beshaba surely sensed your presence. You were simply not sufficiently interesting for her to take particular notice. She was intent on a story being told to her concerning the Sensates of Sigil. Eventually, she presumed, one of the many evil creatures who live on the surface of the mountain would dine on your flesh. If Beshaba had sensed you approaching an entrance to her underground fortress, she would have dispatched someone to destroy you. But she was forced to flee her realm to keep it from collapsing around her followers and petitioners. Had she been present, you would never have made it to her lower temple, let alone her court. We have no reason to expect you will be that lucky in Gehenna. Xvim trusts no one.'
'But won't he be preoccupied with Beshaba?' Joel asked.
'If she is not already drained and unconscious,' Finder said. 'Furthermore, there is the question of Sirrion's involvement.'
'Sirrion?' Holly asked with a start.
'Sirrion is a god of neutrality who dwells in Limbo,' Finder explained to the paladin. 'A power meant to balance good and evil in the world of Krynn, where Emilo is from. The manifestation he sent to speak with Emilo said it was interested in protecting Emilo. If that is true, why? Is he the reason Emilo appeared in Sigil? The powers of the Realms have had few dealings with the powers of Krynn thus far. Sirrion may have reason to involve himself in this affair, but if Iyachtu is using a god from an alien pantheon for some scheme against Tymora and Beshaba, he is violating the compact the powers of the Outer Planes have agreed upon. Beshaba may not have left Gehenna yet because Sirrion challenged her there. She is more powerful than Iyachtu Xvim, but Sirrion is her equal in power.'
'All this is speculation,' Joel said. 'If we go to Gehenna, you'll have more information.'
'The Blood Tor wasn't the worst the Abyss had to offer, and Gehenna is worse than the Abyss,' Finder warned. 'The Bastion of Hate, Xvim's realm, is perched on Chamada, the second mount of Gehenna. The land itself is violent. It gushes, bleeds, and seeps molten rock from every crack and pore. There is no flat place on the outer slope to rest, and the inner canyons are home to the shapeshifting barghests, the deadly gas phiuhl, the razor-winged slasrath, and the yugoloths, the most evil creatures known to the Outer Planes. Iyachtu hires yugoloths as mercenaries.'
Joel listened carefully and nodded. 'I presume, like the Abyss, the nature of Gehenna will weaken my ability to cast priestly spells.'
'He learns fast,' a voice said from behind them. It was Tymora's priestess, Winnie, with two human servants carrying a large rolled carpet.
Finder nodded in response to Joel's comment. 'I will have to pour more power into the finder's stone,' he explained, holding out his hand to take the stone from his priest. Once again he siphoned blue energy into the crystal. He handed the stone back to Joel. 'Even now, with the stone as powerful as I dare make it, you will be able to cast only the simplest of your priestly spells.'
At Winnie's signal, the human servants set the carpet down on the ground and unrolled it. The carpet was woven into a geometric pattern of red and gold.
'This flying carpet will keep your feet off the burning ground,' the priestess of Tymora explained. 'These rings,' she added as she handed each of the four adventurers a silver ring, 'are to help protect you from fire, should you get careless and fall off the flying carpet. The carpet's command word is 'Airheart.' Once it's off the ground, you need to tell it aloud which way to go, how fast, and how high.'
'I would suggest you let Mr. Haversack take command of the carpet,' Finder said. 'He's less likely to be attacked and will have the best control.'
'Why is he less likely to be attacked?' Holly asked. 'I've observed that when Mr. Haversack isn't speaking, he tends to go unnoticed,' Finder said. 'Perhaps he can tell you why.'
Holly looked at the kender.
Emilo shrugged. 'We can't all stand out in a crowd,' he said.
Odd words, Joel thought, coming from someone dressed in blue pants and shirt, a red vest, and an orange cloak. Remembering Finder's observation that Emilo had come to them under highly mysterious circumstances, the bard exchanged a glance with his god. Finder shook his head slightly, warning Joel not to question the kender further. The god still wasn't prepared to interfere with whoever or whatever had sent Emilo their way.
Joel changed the subject before Holly could pursue the subject of Emilo's background. 'There was one other thing. I had a dream about Giogi Wyvernspur's children and their cousins,' he told Finder. 'I think they may be in trouble.'
Selune tched. 'If it weren't for Tymora's Luck,' the goddess murmured, 'that whole family would have died out years ago, even with my blessing. Present company included,' she added, with a nod toward Finder. 'I will look into it. Finder is busy helping Tymora's church.'
Winnie loaded fresh water flasks and food into the backpacks, then began pulling out certain scrolls and replacing them with others. 'Some of these spells will be useless in Gehenna,' the halfling priestess explained, 'while others that would not work in the Abyss will be effective in Gehenna.'
Finder handed each adventurer a tiny harp carved from wood, 'If you snap the harp in half and say 'Fermata,' you'll be returned instantly to my realm. With the harps, all of you do not have to return together, but if one of you is seriously injured or captured, you can escape.'
'We have not exaggerated the dangers. None of you has to make this journey,' Selune said. 'There is no shame in remaining behind.'
Jas looked at Holly and asked, 'Are you sure Lathander would wish you to take this risk?'
'I was told to find Beshaba,' Holly replied. 'Just as Finder can sense Joel, Lord Lathander can sense all I do. If he wished me to abandon my quest, he would send a messenger to tell me so. He has not. I will go to Gehenna, whatever the risk.'
'Jasmine, you are in the most danger from being in Xvim's realm. He considers you a runaway slave,' Selune pointed out.
'Nothing's changed,' Jas said. 'Realmspace is still in danger of losing Tymora's Luck and Tymora and Beshaba losing control of their power.'
'We're all of one mind,' Joel said.
'Very well,' Selune said. 'I can create a portal to the second mount of Gehenna, but it has been some time since any of my followers ventured into Gehenna, so I'm not sure where Iyachtu Xvim's realm is. The portal could be some distance away from the Bastion of Hate. It doesn't matter. Once you have entered Gehenna, I'll be able to sense what is happening in Xvim's realm. Finder will contact you with further instructions after I have assessed the situation.'
'You'll want to ride the carpet through the portal,' Winnie explained. 'Don't fly too high above the sides of the mountain or you could become lost. The mountain is surrounded by a dark, cold void that only the most holy
