The Flying Sorcerers

It was close to dawn when we reached the site of the encampment. The deserted lean-tos and shelters stood bleak and empty in the night, like some fearful city of the dead. I found myself trembling.

We rode through it wordlessly, finally parking our bicycles on the slope just below the spring. We could hear it babbling carelessly in the dark.

Taking care to keep as quiet as possible, we edged forward, up the hill. I held my breath till we topped the rise, then let it out in a whoosh. Yes, the nest was still there.

I believe I would have cried bitter tears had it been gone. I am sure it would have killed Shoogar. The frustration of having an enemy flee from him in such a manner would have been too much.

We crept back to the deserted encampment, there to wait the coming of dawn. I ached for a chance to sleep, but Shoogar gave me a potion to keep me awake. To keep him company, he said. He began laying out his equipment, organizing and sorting. “If I can only take him by surprise,” he muttered. He paused to oil a metal knife. “And if only there were some way to draw him away from his nest…”

That’s not needed,” I blurted. “He will probably leave it by himself. He is testing again. He said this when I spoke to him. He wants to test the mountain.”

“H’m; said Shoogar. “This is a bit of good fortune. I hope that he tests the mountain the same way that he tested the village; for when he tested the village he was gone from his nest almost the entire day.”

“What if he doesn’t? What if he returns before the curse is finished?”

“Let us hope he does not.”

“Can’t you do something?”

Shoogar paused, thought for a moment, then rummaged in his kit. He produced a small leather pouch of dust and another of herbs. “Here, go and spread this dust around the outside of his nest. It is very fine dust; it will float in the air for hours. If he breathes any of it, it will produce a very strong yearning in him. He will not return until that yearning is satisfied.”

“But, what about me?”

“That’s what the herbs are for. When you finish with the dust, you will take half of those herbs and chew them well. When they turn bitter in your mouth, swallow them, but not until they turn bitter. Bring the rest of the herbs back to me, so I may chew them. They will make us both immune to the power of the dust.”

I nodded, then crept up the hill and did as I was instructed. When I brought the two leather pouches back to Shoogar he was just laying out the last of his equipment. One swollen pouch he handled most carefully. “Powdered magician’s hair,” he explained. I did not blame him for handling it carefully. He had sacrificed much to produce it; his squat and shaven body trembled with the cold.

Abruptly, a troubled look crossed his face, “I am sure that Purple’s power is in some way connected with his nest. I must get into it somehow. That is the only part of my curse that I am in doubt about. I must get into that nest…”

My heart leapt. “But, I can help you there— ” I fairly shouted, then remembered to lower my voice. “Today — I mean, yesterday (for dawn was fast approaching) — I was able to get close enough to Purple to observe how he worked his doorspell.”

Shoogar nearly leapt at me, “Lant, you are a fool!” Then he thought to lower his voice. “Why did you not tell me this earlier?” he hissed.

“You did not ask me.”

“Well, I am asking you now — how does it work?”

I explained what I had seen, the pattern of bumps on the nestwall, how Purple had tapped at them in a certain way and how the door had slid open immediately after. Shoogar listened carefully. “Obviously, the order in which he touched the bumps is the way the spell in controlled. Think, Lant! Which bumps did he touch?”

“That I did not see…” I admitted.

Shoogar cursed, “Then why bother to tell me how to open the door if you do not know? Lant, you are a fool.”

“I am sorry — but it happened so quickly. If I could only remember — If I could only see it again —”

“Perhaps …” said Shoogar. “Perhaps … Lant, have you ever been placed under the spell of the open mind?”

I shook my head.

“It is a spell of great power. It can be used to make you remember things that you think you have forgotten.”

“Uh, is it dangerous?”

“No more so than any other spell.”

“Well,” I said, picking up my bicycle, “good luck with your duel, Shoogar. I will see you when it is —”

“Lant,” he said evenly, “if you take one more step downslope, I will work your name into the curse along with Purple’s.”

I laid the bicycle down again. It had been worth a try.

My feelings must have shown, for Shoogar said, “Don’t be so fearful. I will do my best to protect you. Suddenly you have become a very important part of this duel. The knowledge locked up in your mind may make the difference between success and failure.”

“But, Shoogar, I am a fool. You have told me that too many times for it to be otherwise. I admit it. I am a fool. You could not be wrong in your judgment of my character. What good could I be to you?”

“Lant,” said Shoogar, “you are not a fool. Believe me. Sometimes in my quickness of temper I have made rash statements. But I have only the greatest respect for your judgment, Lant. You are not a fool.”

“Oh, but I am,” I insisted.

“You are not!” Shoogar said. “Besides, it does not take any great mental prowess to remember something as simple as you have described. Even an idiot such as you could do it!”

“Oh, but I will be only in your way, Shoogar. Please let me return to my family —”

“And have the other men of the village think you a coward?”

“It would be a small burden to bear —”

“Never!” snapped Shoogar. “No friend of mine shall wear the brand of coward. You will stay here with me, Lant. And you should be grateful that I care so much for you as a friend.”

He turned again to the equipment laid out upon the ground. I sighed in resignation and sat down to wait. Dawn was already seeping into the east.

Shoogar turned back to me, “Your part in this will be easy, Lant. There is no reason to fear.”

“But, the danger —”

He dismissed it with a gesture, “There will be no danger if you follow my instructions exactly as I give them to you.”

“I will follow your instructions.”

“Good. There can be no room for error. Even the tiniest mistake could cost us both our lives.”

“But you just said there would be no danger —”

“Of course not. Not if you follow instructions. Most of the hard work has already been done. Don’t forget, I had to construct the equations: I had to prepare the ingredients, and I had to stabilize the symbology necessary to make the various incantations and potions work. All you have to do is help me place them in the proper place at the proper time.”

“I thought all I had to do was help you open the nest —”

“Of course. But if you are going to be there anyway, you might as well help me with the rest.”

“Oh,” I said.

“And whatever you do, you must not try to speak to me. This is very important. When the suns rise, we shall begin — and once we begin, I must not be distracted at all. Except as is necessary to the curse I will not speak. Do you under-stand?”

I nodded.

“Good. Now, listen. There is one more thing. A very important thing. It has nothing to do with the curse, Lant, but for your own protection you must be exceedingly careful not to lesnerize.”

“Lesnerize?” I asked. “What is lesnerize …?

But he pointed instead to the east. Day had seeped red/flashed-blue over the hills. Shoogar fell to his knees and began chanting to the suns.

The curse had begun.