After a few minutes thefuss died down and the adults went back to preparing for theevening feast and celebration. Rori climbed off Aquitain’s back andran off with a large group of children who all wanted to know whatit was like riding on a spirit bear’s back. Miranda used the lullin interest to tell Kami about the treasures they had brought. Hewas immediately excited, but concerned. The mask was too dangerousto expose in public. They must go to his hut where he could examineit safely.
Aquitain couldn’t fitin Kami’s hut, so he sat outside with his head poking through awindow. Kami used curtains to shield off the door and other windowsand placed a skull on the ground outside the door, which was awarning not to interrupt him. Miranda repeated everything he saidto her through their mindlink.
‘You must give meJacintra’s Claw first,’ he said. ‘It is the hand that covers themouth of the mask. It cannot corrupt others if its mouth isclosed.’
‘By the Powers, I’mstupid,’ said Aquitain. ‘It is a power pair, but the opposite ofnormal. Each controls the excesses of the other. The club of lawcontrols the chaotic mask. The club burnt me because it saw me aschaotic, but didn’t burn you because it probably saw you asneutral. The mask saw me as friendly, but you as neutral.’
Miranda fished theJacintra’s Claw out of the dimension bag and gave it to Kami. Hewhispered a few sacred words and took hold of the club.
‘This is the hand,’ hesaid with a smile. ‘I know it well. You may give me the mask now.It will be safe.’
Miranda fished out thecloth-covered bundle that was supposed to be the mask, butimmediately noticed that it was lighter than she remembered.Aquitain saw her face change and asked what the problem was. Shesaid nothing, but began unwrapping what should have been the mask,to discover that it was a piece of wood.
‘That is not the mask,’said Kami.
‘I know,’ said Mirandaquickly, feeling around in the dimension bag. ‘It’s gone. Someonehas stolen it.’
‘By the Powers, thatcould be disastrous. If that thing gets loose we’ll have troubleeverywhere.’
Miranda closed her eyesand began singing a prayer to the Lady asking for forgiveness forher foolishness.
‘That won’t help rightnow,’ said Aquitain. ‘We’ve got to find out who’s taken it and getit back.’
‘I know,’ she said,suddenly breaking off from the prayer, ‘but it makes me feel betterand it’s better than screaming and kicking you.’
‘I suppose you’reright,’ he replied. ‘I never quite thought of it that way. Thetheft must have occurred when you took it to Twin Towers, back inthe hideout just after I died, or while I was asleep in the Crincity,’ said Aquitain.
‘By the Lady, I hope itdidn’t get loose in the Crin city. I can’t believe this couldhappen. We had it hidden. No one knew where it was except those atTwin Towers and us. I didn’t unwrap it there, but perhaps it wasable to overpower one of them and is loose in Twin Towers. However,I’m sure I packed it in the dimension bag just before I left to goback to the hideout.’
‘We’ll have to separateand find out where it is. I’ll teleport to Twin Towers. They won’trecognize me now that I’m a bear, and you can fly to the Crin cityfrom here can’t you?’
‘Yes. That’s a goodplan,’ said Miranda. ‘And we can meet back here tomorrow morningafter your teleport ring recharges.’
‘I’m sorry Kami, we’llhave to go and find out where we lost Jacintra’s Image.’
‘That is quiteunderstandable, cat friend Miranda. You must track down the maskand use the club to control it. I give you Jacintra’s Claw back.Use it wisely, and may Jacintra give you both strength andcourage.’
Aquitain memorised thelocation of Kami’s hut, and after getting a hug from Mirandateleported off to Twin Towers while Miranda changed to her seaeagle form to hurry back to the Crin city, hoping and praying thatit hadn’t got loose there.
Kami smiled and saidaloud to the walls of his hut.
‘I know you, Jacintra.You planned this all along, but don’t forget my people are the handthat covers your mouth. We will not let you run wild for long.’
Chapter 28 Games WithinGames
Aquitain teleported tothe marker outside Twin Towers with the dimension bag held in hismouth. He intended to see Quab first, as a bear suddenly appearingnear Featherdown’s tower might panic the guards. It wasn’t longbefore dusk so he hurried off down the dirt road towards town. Ashe passed over the slight hump in the track just before the edge ofthe jungle he noticed a group of guards in the distance; and theynoticed him. They stood, pulled out their weapons and waited. Hewalked to about a hundred paces from them and sat down to watchthem.
They dispatched arunner to the town and ten minutes later an eagle came souringoverhead, landing twenty paces from him where it shape changed. Itwas Quab.
‘Is that you Aquitain?’he asked nervously.
‘Hello Quab, what’shappened?’ replied Aquitain.
‘Praise to the Lady!’said Quab as he walked to Aquitain. ‘You really are alive. She didit. That woman is amazing.’
‘You’re quite right,Quab. She is amazing. What’s happened? Why are the guards down theroad?’
‘Oh. It’s beenterrible; cats and boars attacked us last night. Ten people werekilled and dozens injured. The town’s people are very sensitiveabout dangerous animals at the moment. I wouldn’t advise you to goany further as a bear. Can you change into a newman? I’ll tell themyou’re a visiting druid.’
‘I suppose I could. Ihaven’t tried yet. I’ve been trying to adapt to my new body. Howdid you know I was a bear?’
‘It’s a long story. Weheard from Queen Snowbelle, and your grandfather was here thismorning and seemed to know as well.’
‘Really,’ Aquitainobserved. ‘It seems that everyone is interested in what I’m doing,’and he changed to a newman shape. The only problem was it was agiant newman shape, about three times the normal height of
