Chapter 6 Part 3

"What happened?" Armegon asked immediately. It was obvious, even to the inexperienced Ruk and Calista that the spell had not functioned properly.

"There is some kind of translocation barrier in the area," Ultrecht replied. "I had to change our destination in transit. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"Could you have punched through it?" Avery asked.

"Yes," Ultrecht assured him, "but that would have required I use Elemental Control and that would have been a dead give-away."

"So where are we?" Ruk asked. They were standing in a field of green meadows with mountains to their backs.

"We are in the strip," Ultrecht replied. "That town," he pointed across a field of waving grass, "is a small village on the edge of the Glass Desert. Keeneye, Norwind, Samson and I wound up here after getting lost in the mines under those mountains." He gestured at the tall peaks behind them. "Those are the Orkons, and we are about three days north of that pass that leads back to Tycho."

"Why here?" Armegon asked.

"It was the first place I could think of that we won't be staying at long enough for Blackpuss' bunch to ambush us."

Avery shouldered a pack and headed towards the village. "Well let's go," he said.
They all followed and soon entered the village from the mountian side. Avery did not waste time touring the village, but went straight to the edge of the desert where the ships were parked. "I hope we can find someone headed south soon," he said.

Ultrecht laughed. "This is a stroke of luck," he said pointing to one of the smaller ships. The stern lettering named it the Razor III. "This is the same craft we rode on last time. If I remember correctly the captain's name was Cuick."

"Well maybe he can give us a lift to the pass." Armegon said hopefully.

"You know," Calista interrupted, "it seems a lot later than it was before we left the Glade."

"It is," Armegon replied. "The day hasn't shortened, we just traveled a long distance towards the east so the sun will set earlier than what you expect. It’s not the kind of thing you would have noticed over a long journey, but since we teleported, the change is more pronounced."

Calista stared blankly at Armegon then nodded. Fortunately Ruk, whose sailing experience had exposed him to the difference of day lengths due to easterly or westerly travel, caught the confused look. "What Armegon is saying," he translated, "is that we left the Glade at about noon and traveled a very long way east. The suns are still over the Glade, but since we have moved so far, they look like they are getting ready to set from here."

Ultrecht suggested they seek some dining establishment while he tried to find the captain of the Razor III.

Armegon, Avery, and Calista followed a major fairway through the township until they located a tavern. Avery ducked inside and motioned the others to follow. Inside they found a large room sparsely populated by early diners or late lunches.

They claimed a table near a wall and seated themselves. A young man perhaps a year older than Calista came over and took their order. He made little attempt to hide the fact that he found Calista very interesting.

"If you wink at him," Armegon whispered when the man had left, "we may get a price reduction."

Avery disapproved. "Would you stop worrying about your purse. Don't entice her to use sex as an influence."

Armegon was not about to let the challenge drop. "If she has the option, why shouldn't she use it?"

"You’re exploiting her," Avery countered.

"I’m not twisting her arm. I merely made a suggestion."

"You’re using her."

Armegon turned to Calista. "Cal, do you think I’m using you?"

Calista stared back at him for a moment. She shifted her gaze to Avery. What should she answer? "Well," she finally decided. "Armegon isn't forcing me to do anything. So I guess he isn't really using me."

"There," the mage crowed triumphantly. "Even the lady agrees. I’m not using her."

"Point taken," Avery conceded. "But what if Cal didn’t know why you had asked her to be friendly to that poor kid?"

"Well, then I suppose you would be right about me using her," Armegon agreed.

"Why?" Calista asked.

This time it was the two halfelves turn to stare blankly. Calista continued. "I mean if I agreed freely to do something, what does it matter if Armegon gained something by it. I wouldn’t say he used me."

"You know she has a very valid point," Armegon said to Avery.

Avery, was not so easily put off. "Cal, if Armegon asked you to get up on this table and take your clothes off so he could make money, would he be using you?"

"I’d never do such a thing," Calista assured them adamantly.

"Of course not," Avery agreed, "but if you did, do you think he would be using you?"

"If I did it of my own free will, then I don't think so. But if he cast a spell over me, then I’d have to say, 'yes'."

"What if he did something cruel like fix it so that you could not buy food or clothes or anything unless you did. What then?" Avery continued.

"I really don't think that I could get in that kind of fix. I mean I could always leave and go to another town. I could find a job somewhere even if it’s just doing people's laundry or washing dishes in a tavern."

"There you see," Armegon turned to his companion. "She has and excellent grasp of what’s fair and what isn’t." He patted Calista on the back. "Now when that young man returns why don't you give him a wink and a smile, and we won't have to pay too much for supper?"

"No," Calista answered.

"Why not?" Armegon asked. "We just determined that I wasn’t using you and that if you did it of your own free will it was okay."

"No we didn't," Calista argued back. "I won't do it because it wouldn’t be nice to that waiter. He’d think I like him. He might even want me to go to his bed. It’s cruel to play on someone's feelings like that."

"Hah!" Avery laughed and clapped Armegon on the shoulder. "She got you there."

"Now wait a minute," Armegon countered. "You’re not responsible for what that boy thinks."

Calista did not back down. "Maybe not, but I am responsible for being purposely vague about how I act. If I knowingly let him draw the wrong conclusion, that’s as bad as lying."

Avery pounded the table. "I’ve been telling them that for years."

Armegon shook a finger at Calista. "Young lady, we’re going to have to keep you away from this ranger. He’s planted some bad ideas in your head."

"Look who's talking," Avery rebutted. "If feminists had heard your speech a while ago they’d have declared war on you."

"Equality is one thing," Armegon snapped. "But that’s as far as it should go. In all the places we have traveled, these movements for equality begin very honorably, but the crusaders pervert themselves at the first taste of power. If you remember that one valley we visited about twenty-two years ago, you would recall how they had subdued all males to slavery in the name of “Assured Equality”. Do you remember that their excuse was that since men were physically stronger than women, they had to be penalized to assure equality?"

"Yes," Avery replied. "I remember it took us three week to get Marlena to leave."

"Yes and three years later when that valley came under attack by the Dreadknights, the men were incapable of organizing themselves. They’d been subdued for too long." Armegon shook his head. "Those women were wiped out before help could arrive because they couldn’t accept their sexual differences."

"That's sad," Calsita said.

"Indeed," Avery agreed.

At that time, the young man returned with their orders. Armegon attacked the roasted leg of some small fowl while Avery engaged a bowl of boiled grain. Calsita flashed the waiter a friendly smile and thanked him when he set a bowl of soup before her. He beamed as he withdrew, and Calista turned to face a pair of stunned companions.

"After all that talk about not doing something that could be misconstrued," Armegon began.

"There’s nothing wrong with being polite," Calista insisted.

"Right," Avery added, but he did so with a grin.

Ultrecht and Ruk entered the tavern and what little conversation the other patrons were conducting came to a halt as the black giant entered the room. It was obvious that rarely if ever had a minotaan been seen in the town. The two new comers made their way over to the table and seated themselves. A path was cleared before them as patrons took great pains to get out of Ruk's way.

"Is there anything good on the menu?" Ultrecht asked.

"This fowl is pretty good," Armegon offered, "I think it's some kind of chicken."

The waiter came back to the table, obviously nervous. He no longer favored Calista with smiles, but kept a nervous eye on Ruk. He asked for their order barely succeeding in keeping his voice from cracking. Ruk ordered the same thing that Avery was eating, while Ultrecht decided to follow Calista's advice and took the soup. The waiter took the order and left none too slowly.

"We got passage south," UIltrecht told them. "The captain said that we are two days walk north of the pass, and that he could probably drop us off there after about two to three hours of travel. He’s leaving port just a little after nightfall, so we have several hours. He wanted ten gold coins for the fare, so I paid in advance."

The waiter returned with the other two dishes. Ruk sampled the grain then took a slice of bread and rolled some of the grain inside. Then he began eating his sandwich.

Avery watched him for a moment. "You know I really could use a hot-dog right about now."

Armegon looked up. "Mmm. Heavy on the mustard and topped with chili, cheese and krout."

Ultrecht frowned. "I should never have taken you two to that ball game," he said. "I was so worried that you would blow your disguises that I could not enjoy the game."

Armegon smiled a dreamy smile. "Do you think we could introduce the game here?"

"I doubt these people have what it takes to really appreciate such a fine art," Avery replied. "Besides to really play the game right you have to lay out a field, but I'm afraid that if you build it, they won't come."

"What are you three talking about," Calista insisted.

"Probably the greatest game of skill, art, finesse, and spirit ever played," Armegon told her.

"What was it called?"

"Baseball."

After they had finished eating, the quintet walked along the town streets. While Armegon and Ultrecht explained their fantastic game to Calista, Avery explained to Ruk how Ultrecht's time spell had transported them into the future where they had learned about the game.

"You mean Ultrecht could travel through time?" Ruk asked stunned.

"Not exactly," Avery replied. "Back when we first met, he was studying time while he was working towards his mastery of the elements and a spell of his captured a time machine. The pilot had been injured and died before we could do anything to help him. So we sort of inherited the time machine. We traveled around quite a bit and passed far into our own world's future. We got some dandy educations from the encounter. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay. When you’re displaced in time for too long, the time stream tries to heal itself by erasing you from existence, so we had to return to our own times."

Ultrecht pointed at a warehouse. There were a group of sailors gathered there loading pallets with cargo. "That is cargo bound for the Razor. We could be neighborly and give them a hand."

Armegon frowned. "You go ahead," he said. "I want to check with the captain on something before we depart. Where do you think I might find him?"

"Were this a sea going vessel," Ruk suggested, "I’d advise looking at the harbor master's office. This place may have something similar." Armegon thanked the dark giant and split off from the group.

"I’ve noticed," Ruk observed quietly to Avery, "that whenever there is work to be done, Armegon has business elsewhere."

"That is one of the most solid constants in the universe," Avery agreed.

Ruk and Avery offered a pair of tired but pleasant dock workers a hand in the loading of the cargo. The shipment was a series of crates filled with rolls of soft cloth. The workmen were glad of the help even though they made every effort to stay as far from Ruk as possible.

"We may have to do something about you my tall friend," Avery said finally. "If it gets around that you’re traveling with us, we’ll be very easy to track. I get the impression that your people don't get to this part of the world too often."

"It’s not unheard of, but you’re right. I believe that my people don't get this far north. Allentown or Keron would be the most likely destinations."

When the cargo was loaded, Avery and Ruk joined Calista and Ultrecht aboard the ship. Armegon arrived almost at the same time. Ultrecht was speaking to a tall man whose features were difficult to see in the early night. "This is Captain Cuick," Ultrecht introduced each of them as they approached.

The captain greeted each one in turn. He explained that they were welcome to relax in the mess room for the short duration of their passage. He assured them that he would send for them when the pass was in sight.

They followed Ultrecht below. Ultrecht told Armegon that he had spoken to the captain about entering a shipping partnership with them. "If Thundersledge's ice boat turns a profit, we may be able to set up a rapid shipment line of our own. Captain Cuick said that there are not very many of them."

"So you think we should become teamsters?"

Ultrecht shrugged. "It will bring in more capital than that ranch you ran."

The ship vibrated beneath their feet and swayed slightly as the craft got under way. The unexpected motion almost threw Ultrecht to the deck. "This ship is no where near as big as the one we rode on last time," Armegon told him. "That thing was huge and could haul several times the freight as this one. In fact I think it could’ve hauled this one as freight."

Ultrecht shrugged. "We can't expect to start out at the top you know."

Calista listened only for a short time. She was close to fulfilling her mission. Soon she would be with Sam, and he would be free to hold her like he had done so long ago. How long had it been? They had been away for more than two cycles of the greater moon before they even reached the Mount Gale. Yoan had said that they had been gone for three months. That was a total of five months. Poor Sam would be wasting away.