‘I find that hard tobelieve. The Council has never ordered anyone’s death that I’maware of,’ Quab replied. ‘But there has been a lot of argumentamongst the Council as you know. Perhaps one of the Councillorsmight have made an independent decision to have Aquitain killed.That could be possible.’
‘Why would anyone onthe Druid’s Council want me killed?’ asked Aquitain.
‘Um. We don’t know,’said Featherdown, and abruptly changed the subject. He toldAquitain about his grandfather’s visit earlier in the morning; whatthey learnt about the mask, and about Zephira’s mission to find himto give him the information on how to destroy it. They told himabout the attack on the town the previous night, and even aboutMiranda’s spectacular announcement of his death.
After all that he stillremembered that they hadn’t answered his question. ‘Why is theDruid’s Council interested in me Quab? Why might they want to haveme killed?’
Quab looked atFeatherdown and guiltily said, ‘I don’t know.’
‘You mean you can’t orwon’t tell me?’ said Aquitain.
‘No. It means that it’sof no more interest as they think that you’re dead,’ saidFeatherdown, ‘and as long as you stay dead as far as anyone knows,you’ll be safe. Why don’t you change your name?’
It was obvious that hewasn’t going to get any more information out of either of them sohe dropped it.
‘Are you going to killCurbut or shall I?’ he said.
‘No, we can’t just killthe man. We have to be sure first that he did it. Leave it to me.If he killed you then he will be brought to justice. Now, why don’tyou tell us what’s happened since you’ve been reincarnated?’
‘Nothing really, I justeat and sleep a lot,’ replied Aquitain, now quite annoyed atFeatherdown’s refusal to tell him why the Druid’s Council was afterhim, and at his apparent disregard for bringing Curbut tojustice.
‘Oh. Well you can sleepin the workshop tonight if you wish. No one’s been in there sinceyou left. That is assuming that you can fit.’
‘No thank you. I’llstay at the sanctuary if it’s all right with Quab.’
‘Of course,’ said Quab.‘We can have a few ales together and talk about shapechanging.’
The meeting ended,Aquitain changed to his giant newman form and they left for thesanctuary. Neither talked on the way there, as Aquitain was tryingto calm himself by mentally singing a calming mantra; and Quabnormally talkative, was unusually quiet. The alarm bells inAquitain’s mind were ringing. There was some type of conspiracyinvolving Granddad, Featherdown and Quab.
He knew how Granddadoperated. He had watched it for years. Granddad had turned up for aspecific reason and he doubted that it was because of the mask.Granddad would have known more than anyone that Aquitain couldhandle the mask. Why then was he here? He had spent hours withFeatherdown. Perhaps Zephira knew. He would have to get Miranda tomeet her and take her to the Jeti village. Why did granddad sendGoth? Even Featherdown must have realized that Goth was a hugeoverkill. There was much more to this than he was being told.Granddad was up to something and it involved him.
Aquitain turned hismind to the question of how Curbut had found out where he andMiranda were hiding. Both Featherdown and Quab had had active wardswhen Miranda told them about the adventure in which they found themask. He knew wards could be breached and the most likely one wasQuab’s, as it was very open in the sanctuary and usually full ofanimals.
Perhaps there was ananimal spy that lived in the sanctuary. Maybe they could find outtonight. Any spy would want to know more about a giant. Why was ithere and what business did it have with Featherdown and Quab? Itwas a sure bet that if there was an animal spy around it would behere tonight. So he would set a trap and see what turned up.
After they arrived,Aquitain had Alpha grow legs and sent him off to search forcreatures in and around Quab’s hut, while Quab activated the wards.He and Quab then sat around watching the sunset while Aquitaindrank a couple of buckets of ale. After dark, Quab sat on hisveranda and Aquitain sat on the ground next to him and they talkedabout the weather and made other small talk. What Quab didn’trealize was that Alpha was patrolling the roof of the cottage.
About ten minutes afterdark Alpha alerted Aquitain that a bird had alighted on the otherside of the roof and was walking over to the area near them.Aquitain asked for an image and location, and shortly after thebird had taken up a position to hear them speaking he used his mindmagic to charm the bird, then put his hand up to the roof and usingmindspeak asked it to hop on a finger.
Quab felt the surge ofmagic, and jumped up. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
‘Calm down, one of yourbirds is interested in talking to us,’ replied Aquitain.
‘Do you want me to talkto it for you?’ Quab suggested. ‘I can talk to birds.’
Aquitain didn’t answer,but instead concentrated on the bird sitting on his index fingerwith glazed eyes.
‘What is your namebird?’ he asked, using mindspeak.
‘I am called Selissa,Your Lordship.’ answered the bird, also in mindspeak.
‘Who sent you here?’asked Aquitain.
‘My master, wizardCurbut, Your Lordship,’ said Selissa.
‘Did you hear thatQuab?’ His eyes opened wide and he nodded.
‘Why did you come heretonight Selissa?’
‘To listen to what thegiant and the druid were talking about, Your Lordship.’
‘Do you know where thecreature that looks like a metal box is staying?’
‘Yes it is in anunderground place to the north of here, Your Lordship.’
‘Did you tell yourmaster where the metal box creature was staying?’
‘Yes, YourLordship.’
‘Do you often listen inon conversations between the druid and others?’
‘Yes, YourLordship.’
‘Do you listen in onconversations between the High Wizard and others?’
‘Yes, when he’s outsidehis tower, Your Lordship.’
‘Thank you Selissa.You’re a lovely bird. Your master must be very proud of you. Quabis going to get a cage for you to rest in and give you some foodbefore you return to your master.’
‘Thank you YourLordship,’ said Selissa as Quab dashed into his cottage to returnwith a birdcage. The bird hopped from Aquitain’s finger into thecage, Quab put it inside his cottage,
