Joel watched in fascination until Jedidiah swayed and nearly fell forward into the pond. The young bard leapt up and steadied his god with his hands on his arms. Jedidiah looked exhausted. He also looked old-not as old as when Joel had first met him, but older than he had appeared moments ago. There was something else odd about him. Somehow, to the young priest, he no longer seemed like Finder.
'Jedidiah,' Joel asked in a frightened whisper, 'what did you just do?'
'Since gods can't get into Sigil, I stopped being a god,' the old man explained. 'Remember when I told you that the stolen half of the finder's stone holds the power that give me the godly abilities to sense what's going on around me, and around you, and the ability to teleport and to cast any spell?'
Joel nodded.
Jedidiah held up the finder's stone. 'Well, now this half of the stone contains the power to use all the abilities that I had left-all my remaining godly endowments: my ability to grant you spells, my ability to shapeshift, even my immortality. Now I should be able to get into Sigil… I hope.'
'But-but-' Joel stammered, 'how could you be so reckless? What if something happens to you? You could die!'
'Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that,' Jedidiah said. 'But if it does, then this can help you to resurrect me. Just as the Hand of Bane can restore Bane, this stone will restore me. You and Copperbloom must take the stone to the astral plane, find my body, and sing the song for my rebirth.'
'Why couldn't you just let me go to Sigil alone with Walinda?' Joel asked in exasperation. He pulled his hands way from Jedidiah's arms. 'Don't you think I can handle the job?'
'Joel, there are going to be protections around the Hand of Bane. Some guardian, probably several. That's why Bane needs us to get it. Why risk his priestess's life when he can risk mine or yours? And besides that danger, you'd still have Walinda to contend with. She's a vicious, selfish woman, determined to have her way. She maybe without spells, but she is by no means powerless. She would arrange some way to keep you for herself whether you were willing or not. Or if Bane requested it, she would relish sacrificing you, in the most horrible manner imaginable, to gain his favor.'
'But you're mortal now. You're taking the same risks,' Joel argued.
Jedidiah's shoulders sagged like a beaten man. Ten years ago, when I became a god, all I really wanted was immortality. Well, immortality plus eternal youth. I hadn't planned on becoming a god. It just happened. I'm not saying I wasn't pleased, but until that moment in the desert when you called on me, I'd never really understood what being a god meant. Joel, there isn't any point in my being a god without you. Not to me'
Joel looked down, embarrassed by Jedidiah's confession.
'Anyway, now we travel just as friends,' Jedidiah said. 'I hope.'
Joel looked up and smiled. 'Always,' he said.
Jedidiah held out the finder's stone. 'You have to carry this now. I trust you to do a better job holding on to it than I did holding on to the other half.'
Joel took the stone. It felt warm to the touch. Inside, a tiny light seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Joel tucked the stone into his shirt. He and Jedidiah spent the rest of the morning singing songs in the garden.
Walinda woke shortly before it was time for them to leave. If she was surprised to see Joel, she didn't show it. At Jedidiah's suggestion, they made no mention of the abduction.
Shishi accompanied them to the Hall of Confused Dreams, where they would find the portal to Sigil. Walinda was quiet and sullen, as if she really were suffering from a hangover.
As they approached the door to Room, Jedidiah drew out the key he'd bribed from Miss Pan Ho. He unlocked the door. The room was empty save for a shimmering gray portal against one wall.
Shishi blinked by the doorway. 'Thanks for the songs, Finder,' the spirit said. 'Er-priest of Finder,' he added quickly.
Walinda, her eyes closed, appeared oblivious to the exchange.
'Farewell, Shishi. Until we meet again,' Jedidiah said, bowing to the lion-dog spirit.
Shishi twinkled once, then zipped away.
Jedidiah shut the door and locked it, leaving the key on the floor just before the door. Then he turned about to face the magical portal to Sigil. He motioned for Walinda to step through first.
The priestess disappeared in the portal as if she had been swallowed by quicksand.
'Let me go through next,' Jedidiah said, 'just so I'm sure you're not there alone with Walinda, in case I can't get through.'
Joel nodded. Jedidiah stepped through the portal and disappeared just as Walinda had.
The Rebel Bard took a deep breath and followed his Mend through the doorway into the city of Sigil.
Fifteen
The three questing adventurers found themselves on a sandstone-paved street between two rows of dingy, cramped stone houses with iron bars covering the windows. The wall from which they emerged was covered with a collage of tattered paper sheets, each imploring the reader to purchase some item or other for reasons of health, wealth, or love. Joel placed his hand on the wall and discovered that it was solid from this side. That was just as well, since the chaos all around them had no place in the Palace of Judgment. People and creatures of all sorts bustled through the streets on foot or in sedan chains, or even a few in carriages drawn by haggard, long- eared ponies. None of the passersby seemed to take any care to avoid any of the other living obstacles in their way. They simply shoved through the crowd or ran it down.
More disturbing than the rudeness of its citizens was the city's air. While the air of the Outlands had seemed to Joel fresh and new, the air of Sigil tasted used and thin, as if breathed by a million lungs and tainted by a hundred diseases. Scents of every sort assailed Joel's nose: food, sweat, sewage, smoke… mostly smoke. The light fog hanging in the air was gray with smoke. Joel found it necessary to breathe twice as fast as normal. Jedidiah tried to take a deep breath and was caught up in a coughing fit.
Walinda, apparently oblivious to the foul air, was looking at the buildings that surrounded them. 'Everything is leaning in toward us,' the priestess remarked.
Joel and Jedidiah surveyed the street. Indeed, everything did seem to tilt in their direction, as if they were in the bottom of a great bowl. Joel realized they were inside a torus-the ring they had seen from the Outlands. The city of Sigil curled up around them wherever they were, and the buildings that were built perpendicular to the inner surface of the torus would always look tilted unless the visitors were standing inside the buildings or very near to them. Joel looked straight up, hoping to see the part of the city that must hang above them, but the fog obscured the view in every direction.
The passersby, mostly cloaked and hooded against the chill of the air, completely ignored them-except for one. A blue-skinned elf with pointed teeth, wearing a cloak with great padded shoulders, sidled up beside Joel. 'Core, guv'nor. Yer orbing the scenery,' he said. 'You clueless?'
Puzzled, Joel turned and addressed the elf. 'Excuse me?'
'Wot, yer barmy?' the elf asked, tilting his head slightly. 'I asked if you were clueless, cutter. Newly arrived to the Cage. Out-of-towner, by the fresh smell on you. Looking for a kip and a bit of a ride, I bet.'
The three adventurers exchanged questioning looks.
'Do either of you have magic to understand his tongue?' Walinda asked.
'I don't think a spell would help,' Jedidiah grumbled. 'This is the local dialect.' Passersby continued to ignore them, save for the elf. 'Ah! Definitely clueless!' the elf exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. 'Fortunately for you lot, I'm a most well-lanned tout and knight of the post in the Cage, which is the native name for Sigil, berk. Top-shelf, I am. Guaranteed to get you where you need to be for a bit of jink or a sparkle. I got maps to all the major portals, the passwords of the best kips, and a full listing of all the factions. Can't tell the Dustmen from the Godsmen without one. I got a special today on holy relics. I got the toenails of Mordenkainen, the eye of Tiamat, the Hand of Bane, and the vorpal chiv of Arthur hisself-'
Walinda laughed. 'You have the Hand of Bane?' she asked, her tone implying she thought the possibility
