‘I’m safe Miranda. Thatwas good thinking. Thanks. I owe you.’
‘We’re not out of thisyet, wizard. You’re in the cave and I’m outside and the cats areall stationed at the entrance. If I try to fly in they’ll bewaiting this time, and I can’t breathe the air down thereanyway.’
‘Well it’s obviouslytime to call it a day then,’ said Aquitain. ‘The bodies won’t runaway. At least I hope they don’t. I need to replenish my source,the cats will get hungry and leave, and we can work out a plan fortomorrow now that we know what the problem is.’
‘I think you’re right,wizard. What about your body shell?’
‘I don’t think the catsor anything else will worry too much about it – it’s too putrid andI can retrieve it tomorrow. Where are you?’
‘I’m on a narrow ledgeseveral paces above the cave entrance.’
‘Good, stay there andI’ll join you. One of the good things a slime can do is climbvertical walls and even slide across ceilings. It’s slow, but youget there.’
Several minutes laterAquitain joined Miranda and using the teleport ring theytransported back to the teleport marker near the ruin. It was nowlate in the afternoon, and on reaching the hatch Miranda decided tomark their territory while Aquitain got some rest below. A fewminutes later she returned to their living area.
Aquitain was spread outlike an egg yoke in one corner with a short stalk-like pseudopodiumholding Alpha.
‘Well, I’ve marked usout a small territory. It’ll be interesting to see the other cat’sresponse.’
‘I forgot to retrievemy ball of chaos matter. I hope leaving it there is safe. My fathergave it to me and it’s the only connection I have with him. What ifI lost it and I met him and he asked me where it was? ‘Sorryfather, I left it with a pile of dead bodies and it disappearedwhile I was sleeping’.’
‘Don’t be tooconcerned. It’s unlikely that anything will go in the cave with allthose dead bodies.’
‘I suppose that you’reright. You’re not worried seeing me like this, are you?’
‘No. I‘m a druid; wesee beauty in all of the Lady’s creations. I’m quite comfortablewith spiders, snakes and other things that would normally terrifyany other newman woman. You’re a part of the Lady’s great designlike all the other creatures.’
‘So you do think of meas a creature not a man!’
‘Why are you persistingwith that stupid question, wizard! You are a strange mixture ofcreature and a newman. I am a druid, we accept strange things. Whoknows the mind of the Lady? I have seen living rocks and walkingplants. How is a newman wizard slime any different?’
‘So you see me asneither a creature nor a man. You see me only as a wizard.’
‘That is probably theclosest to the truth, and wizards and druids do not mix well.’
‘Why do you say that?’Aquitain asked.
‘Because druids believein a goddess who cares for us but wizards only believe in power andpower cares not who it corrupts.’
‘That must be yourmother talking. If you were to come to where I lived you would findthat corruption depends on the person, not the power. I have seencorrupt wizards but I have also seen corrupt priests, soldiers,merchants, judges and street vagrants. The same weapon in twodifferent hands can have totally different outcomes. One can killand maim, yet the other can defend and protect. Judge not a personby their weapon but by the purity of their spirit.’
‘Then how should Ijudge you wizard, your weapon is weak and I cannot see yourspirit!’
‘I’m a mind wizardMiranda, my mind is both my weapon and the mirror of my spirit! Mysource is small, but a dagger can kill just as readily as a greatsword when used with skill. As to the purity of my spirit, that canonly be gauged from my actions.’
‘Then I shall have towait and watch your actions to determine whether you are a man, acreature, a wizard, or some strange combination of all three.’
‘That is fair andreasonable. Are you hungry? There are biscuits in one of the boxesin the storeroom. If you open a box, perhaps then we might discussa plan for tomorrow.’
Miranda opened a box ofmilitary biscuits and scooped up a handful. She imagined a door inher mind, walked through it and closed it behind her, as Aquitainhad told her to do. She closed her eyes and looked for his spiritaura and he was gone. She was confused. This was a lot harder thanshe could have ever imagined.
He persisted in wantingto know how she viewed him. She wanted to view him as a wizard anda creature. That way she was safe and he was safe. She could likehim as if he were a pet dog or a friendly owl. He wanted her toacknowledge him as a man. That was just too dangerous. Her motherwould never accept him as a man and a wizard; she would try to killhim.
She thought back overthe day. He was too dangerous to work with. He had been right aboutthe cave, but that was just luck. Next time he might be wrong, anddie for his stupid lack of fear. She remembered when she had walkedup to the cave with him. The fear was so great it had smotheredher, yet when she grabbed his hand it was bearable. Why? What washis secret? How could he give her so much courage?
She had let him intoher mind. She had trusted him. She must be going mad. How could shetrust a wizard? It would have been unthinkable a week ago. It wasdangerous being around this wizard; she would have to find a reasonto leave, but not until they had solved the problem in the cave.She must do that. It was her duty as a druid and as a servant ofthe Lady.
Aquitain was confused,which was an acceptable Logicon state. It meant that he was unsureas to whether the information that he was working with was corrector incorrect. He was unsure about whether Miranda was the coldheartless bitch that Zephira had painted
