and had no idea it was in your possession. Its magic enables you to see what the
Teldin had no idea of what benefit that might be, and he let his expression say so.
'Don't you understand?' Vallus persisted. 'If you can see what the ship sees, you can figure out where it is. The creature you described is a radiant dragon, a very rare being indeed. Perhaps there have been other, recent sightings of this creature. That would give us a general idea of the ship's location. Can you remember anything else that might be used as landmarks? Star formations? Planets? Anything?'
The elf s excitement was contagious. Teldin's hollowed eyes brightened. Determined to try again, he reached for the medallion. Tseth's withered hand captured Teldin's wrist before his fingers could close on the ancient disk.
'No. The use of magic takes a great deal of strength. You are not ready to try again. At any rate, the effort would be to little purpose,' the sage admitted with obvious reluctance. 'The elves of Evermeet have little knowledge of other spheres. We could not tell you what you saw.' it seems to me that our best course would be to proceed to Lionheart,' Vallus said thoughtfully. Understanding the risk he was taking in revealing such information, he turned to Teldin and explained, 'Lionheart is the secret base of the Imperial Fleet. Elves from many worlds are stationed there. Surely with their combined resources we can find the answers you need.'
Teldin instinctively recoiled from the plan. He was not ready to commit to the elven cause, and he feared that walking into their command center would take this choice out of his hands. With a surge of relief he remembered Hectate and the uncanny knowledge the half-elf had of star charts and navigation. He was sure Hectate could provide the needed answers, but he wasn't about to announce his decision to a room full of elves.
After a long, typically elven discussion, it was decided that nothing more could be accomplished. Queen Amlauril suggested that they break so that Teldin Moore could rest until time for the evening meal. The exhausted Teldin followed an elven aide out of the chamber, feeling as though he were wading through swamp water.
The elf showed Teldin to a guest chamber. His peripheral vision suggested that the room was sumptuously appointed, but his fading attention was focused solely on the bed. Preparing to flop into exhausted slumber, he pulled back the bright silk coverlet and recoiled in surprise. The bed, which had looked solid enough when draped, was a thin mattress that floated roughly three feet from the floor. A childhood image from his grandfather's stories popped unbidden into his mind, a tale of a magic mat that would bear the rider to magical destinations. For all he knew, he could wake up from his nap to find himself in Vallus's Myth Drannor.
He was still debating whether or not to chance sleep when a knock sounded on his door. At his summons Vallus came into the room. 'Am I interrupting your rest?'
Teldin cast a rueful glance toward the bed. 'I doubt I could sleep on that thing.'
The wizard laughed. 'They bear some getting used to. If you're not going to sleep, perhaps we could take a walk before eveningfeast? The palace gardens are lovely.'
Despite his fatigue, Teldin agreed. He and the elf made their way through a bizarre garden maze fashioned of tall blue hedges. Vallus watched him with amused understanding as Teldin plucked a tiny leaf from the hedge, crushed it between his fingers, and sniffed. The plant yielded a spicy fragrance not unlike the pines of Krynn.
The garden into which they emerged was just as unusual. Tiny bell-like flowers actually tinkled, playing intricate music that responded with the shifting afternoon breezes. Teldin assumed it was springtime in Evermeet, because several small ponds were ringed with flowering trees. The flowers were being pushed aside by the newly budded blue leaves, and fallen petals foamed at the shores of the ponds. At the far side of the garden, happily snacking on the rare foliage, were Chirp and Trivit. Teldin wondered idly what blue leaves tasted like, and what color they might turn in autumn.
Vallus stopped under the azure shade of a tree and pointed to a small knothole. 'Look in there and tell me what you see.'
Puzzled, Teldin stepped up and squinted into the hole. A tiny blue frog stared back at him with bulging yellow eyes.
'That's a zenthian tree frog,' the elf explained, its life span comprises a single day. A minute to you, the time in which you might pull on your boots or kiss your lady, marks the frog's lifespan from hatchling to adult. How well can you understand this frog, or it you?'
Teldin thought this over silently. Sifting an experience through centuries of life would give elves a very different perspective. Once Vallus had said something like…
Vallus.
A thought that had been struggling to gain form all day finally came together with jarring clarity.
'What is it, Teldin Moore?' the elf asked softly.
'You're a wizard and a scholar. Is the elven philosophy about the Broken Sphere so obscure that you've never heard of it?' he demanded.
Vallus met his gaze squarely. 'No. It is widely known.'
Teldin pressed his lips firmly together to keep from screaming with frustration. 'If you knew the elves of Evermeet couldn't help me, why did you bring me here?'
Instead of responding immediately, the wizard locked his arm with Teldin's and drew the human through a gate. The garden beyond was steeply terraced, providing a view of the elven city, the dock area, and the sea beyond. Several levels down Teldin saw a cluster of elven children at play. Their bright clothes fluttered as they ran, and their happy laughter drifted upward. Some of Teldin's anger ebbed, and he thought of his own childhood and wondered what effect it would have on a person to have that magic era extended for years, perhaps decades.
Vallus allowed him several quiet moments. 'Evermeet is a thriving, vital elven society. I wanted you to see elves as we see ourselves. Perhaps I was being naive, but I hoped this would seduce you to the elven side.' The wizard cast a wry, almost wistful smile at Teldin.
Teldin was touched by the elf's admission, but his answering smile was a little uncertain. 'I haven't decided yet.'
'There is still time before you must make your decision,' Vallus said. 'At the moment, though, we should return to the palace. The evening meal is traditionally served at birdsong- the time of day just before twilight, when the birds begin their evening songs.'
So I still have time? echoed Teldin silently. There was a strange undertone in Vallus's voice that suggested that this time might have its limits. He tucked that question away with the rest of his doubts.
Oblivious to Teldin's speculation, Vallus said almost gaily, 'Come on. Whatever else you may think about elves, after tonight you'll know beyond doubt that we can throw a party.'
Chapter Nine
In the unlikely guise of a hummingbird, Celestial Nightpearl darted around the palace garden like a nervous, multicolored gemstone. The Other was close at hand; she could sense his presence and every now and then she could feel the storm of confusion that was his mind. She was beginning to despair, however, of ever focusing in on any one creature on this island cluttered with elves and disconcerting blue plants.
A duet of high, piping giggles drew her attention, and she whizzed around a stand of flowering bushes to investigate. Her tiny black eyes settled on a pair of dracons, two males just entering adolescence. Finally, she thought with a surge of relief, some creatures she could understand!
'Try this one next,' offered the pale green dracon, handing his fellow a branch lush with blue leaves and pale orange flowers. 'It's a bit odd, but on the whole extremely palatable.'
The other dracon, a mottled green one with overly dainty mannerisms, accepted the plant and took a discriminating nibble. The first dracon absently stuffed his mouth with the rare foliage, looking around the garden for his next course. Suddenly his reptilian eyes bulged with excitement, and his long neck craned in the direction of the garden maze. 'See those two people? Isn't that Captain Teldin Moore?' he asked through a mouthful of blue leaves.
'Trivit! How could you not know such a thing! Of course it is,' huffed the dark green dracon. He popped a flower into his mouth and chewed, a meditative expression on his green face. 'At least, I'm almost certain
'Oh? And which one would that be, my dear Chirp?' Trivit asked in a snide tone.
Chirp leaned forward and squinted hard enough to distort his entire face. Finally he gave up and rolled his eyes with exasperation. 'Well, all right, I'll admit it. I can't tell them apart at this distance. Why these two-legged
