'I had to do it,' the paladin whispered, but there were tears pooling in her eyes.
A minute later Finder returned in the carriage. He didn't have Joel or Beshaba with him.
'What happened?' Jas asked.
'The phoenix went through a magic gate that closed before I could reach it,' Finder said coldly. He stepped down from the carriage and strode up to Holly. Jas had never seen him look so angry before. His eyes blazed with light and his body shook.
'You,' he said, thrusting a finger in Holly's face, 'have some explaining to do.'
ACT FOUR SCENE 2
Once he'd recovered from the initial shock of being yanked into the air by his hair, Joel grabbed at Beshaba's wrist with both hands and hung on for dear life. The phoenix flew with such speed that the wind in his face made it hard to breathe. Far below, the plains of the Out-lands became a blur. For a moment, Joel thought he saw Finder in his flaming carriage, but it might just have been a flash of light in the back of his eyes from the pain in his head.
The phoenix's talons were wrapped about Beshaba's waist and hips, so her arms were free. Although she was now the size of a human woman, she was still possessed of godly strength. With one arm, she raised Joel so that they faced each other eye to eye. The goddess gave the bard a cruel smile, one that reminded Joel of Walinda.
Joel was sure Beshaba was about to drop him to avenge herself on everyone she believed had betrayed her.
'Rat,' the goddess murmured, and it appeared suddenly to Joel that the goddess and the phoenix overhead were growing larger.
A great blast of wind hit the phoenix sideways, very likely caused by Beshaba's bad luck. The phoenix lost altitude but recovered quickly.
The bard was beginning to feel relieved that Beshaba hadn't dropped him when he noticed with alarm that there was gray fur on his arms. He felt his nose, and was shocked to discover that it had become a snout. Beshaba had called him a rat, and a rat he had indeed become. Fearful that he might forget he was human, Joel writhed and called out to Finder, but all that came from his mouth was a pathetic squeak. A moment later Beshaba grabbed him about the belly with one hand and slipped him into a pocket of her gown. It was dark inside the pocket, but Joel fought back his sense of helplessness by reminding himself that at least he still remembered who and what he was.
It was also hot and stuffy inside the pocket of Beshaba's gown, but infinitely preferable to being dropped from such a height. In the relative safety of the warm darkness surrounding him, Joel was left to wonder why Beshaba didn't simply destroy the phoenix.
There was the possibility she no longer possessed enough power to attack the great creature. Yet she had wreaked havoc upon the Bastion of Hate, even after she had lapsed into unconsciousness. She may have thought to confront Xvim on an angry impulse, but if she had gone with the understanding that her lack of control could be used against Xvim, then she was very cunning indeed. She could be faking her weakness so that she could confront Lathander and cause the same sort of destruction in his realm.
This left Joel wondering just what kind of game Lathander was playing. He'd sent Holly to retrieve Beshaba, that much was obvious. But why? Did he think, as Tymora had, that Beshaba was behind Tymora's loss of power? Then why hadn't he told Finder what he was planning?
After a few minutes, Joel felt his stomach drop out from under him, which he hoped meant the phoenix was landing and hadn't released Beshaba in midair. A moment later all sense of motion ceased.
The bard heard a man's voice, loud but muffled by the fabric of Beshaba's gown, order someone else, 'Hurry, before she regains consciousness. Get her into the fusion chamber.'
Something growled. Joel felt Beshaba being jostled about, then set down. There was the sound of wheels rolling on a wooden floor, and then the rolling gradually stopped.
The goddess stirred and moaned softly. Suddenly she gasped and leapt to her feet. Joel could feel her pacing about. He remained very still, unsure whether or not he wanted to draw attention to himself.
Beshaba screamed, 'Show yourself, Lathander, you arrogant peacock! I know you're here.'
There was no reply.
'I'll use my power to bring your puny realm collapsing about your head,' Beshaba declared.
Still there was no reply.
'Rat,' Beshaba muttered, and from the pocket of her gown, she drew Joel out by the scruff of his neck. Thought I'd forgotten about you, didn't you? No such luck for you, bard.'
Joel looked around. He and Beshaba were alone in a stone-walled room with a single high window, covered with bars. Joel could see no door. Either they'd been shoved into the room through a magical portal that had now closed or the door was well hidden.
Upon one wall was a wheel of torture, painted in brilliant colors. In a far corner, beneath a chain fastened to the wall, Joel saw an urn, a scepter, and a pile of what looked like human bones. Otherwise the room was bare.
Beshaba motioned with her fingers, and Joel felt his body stretch and contort until he had transformed back into a man.
'Thank you, my lady,' he said, anxious to let the goddess know he was grateful she had not destroyed him when she had the chance.
Mercy was not on Beshaba's mind, however. With her godly strength, she slammed him against the wheel of torture and forced his arms and then his legs into manacles fastened to the wheel.
'Now we will discuss why I was brought here,' the goddess said, stepping back from the wheel.
'I assure you, my lady, I have no idea,' Joel insisted.
'The paladin was your companion. She signaled for the phoenix to come. Do you expect me to believe that you knew nothing of her plans?'
'It's true, my lady,' the bard said. He chose his words carefully, aware that each one might be his last. 'Lord Finder told me to escort you to the spire. Lord Lathander must have given Holly other instructions.'
Beshaba pulled out her dagger and hurled it at Joel. It buried itself deep in the wood of the wheel, inches from the bard's face. 'Do you know where we are?' she asked.
'I was in your pocket when we arrived, my lady. I did not see where the phoenix landed.'
Beshaba stepped forward to retrieve her dagger.
'This room is like the dungeon in the Blood Tor, but there is no door,' Beshaba said. 'Why was I brought here?' she demanded, holding her dagger at Joel's throat.
Joel took a deep breath, trying to control himself. 'I do not know, my lady.'
Beshaba gave the wheel a nudge and it began to spin. Joel felt his stomach churn as he was turned upside down, then right side up once more.
'I am not very talented at throwing daggers,' Beshaba said. 'I hope you're feeling lucky, bard.' She stepped back and tossed her dagger once more. It landed beside Joel's wrist, close enough to nick his flesh.
'What is Lathander's purpose?'
'Lady Beshaba, you accomplish nothing with this petty game,' Joel retorted, barely managing to keep his tone civil as his stomach churned from the motion of the wheel.
'Petty game?' Beshaba growled. She stepped forward and grabbed at her dagger, stopping the wheel's spinning. 'It is not I playing petty games, but Xvim and Lathander and Finder. My power leaks from my very being. It is being sucked away. Do you know what that feels like, bard? Perhaps when you come closer to kissing death you will understand. Now, tell me what you know.'
'I don't know anything,' Joel declared again. 'Finder isn't involved. I don't know what Xvim's or Lathander's plans are.'
Beshaba snapped her fingers, and a double-pronged goad and a barb-tipped scourge appeared in her hands. 'For some reason, I feel less weak now, and when I use my powers, it does not leak into the earth. What
