With a Single Spell

EPILOGUE

Lador of Sesseran awoke and looked up, startled, as a shadow blocked out the sun. All he could make out was a dark shape hanging in the sky above him. He stared, unsure whether to get up and run, or stay where he was. Thera, at his side, still slept.

A head appeared over one edge of the thing.

“Hello,” a young man’s voice called cheerfully. Lador was slightly relieved to hear the familiar accent of a Freelander rather than the harsher tones of an Ethsharite, but still wary.

“I don’t suppose you remember me,” the voice continued. “But no, that’s foolish, of course you do. I’m Tobas of Telven; I stole your boat.”

Lador gaped, then found his voice. “That was five years ago!”

“I know, I know,” the apparition said. “I’m sorry it took so long, but I’ve been busy. You wouldn’t believe some of the delays. I hope you’ll accept my apology.” The young man tossed something over the side of the hovering object; it struck the ground with the distinctive clinking sound of coins. Lador stared at the purse, then back up at the thing.

Two more heads were peering over the side now; his eyes had adjusted somewhat to the bright sun behind them, and these two looked female. Both had dark hair; one wore it loose and flowing, while the other wore hers gathered up by a coronet. The object supporting them seemed to be flapping at the edges, he noticed; it was perhaps two yards wide and three long and seemed to be made of heavy fabric.

“The money’s my apology,” Tobas said. “And the boat I owe you is down on the beach. It’s not actually the one I stole, but it’s as close as I could make it. The chicken dinner is under the seat, but I substituted white wine; I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why would he mind?” the woman in the coronet asked derisively. “Who drinks red wine with chicken?”

“Shut up, Ali,” the other woman said. “Let Tobas finish.”

“He was finished!” the first woman retorted.

“No, he wasn’t,” the second insisted.

“This is all silly, anyway.”

“Will you two shut up?” Tobas roared, to no effect, as his wives bickered.

Lador simply stared for a long moment, but as the argument continued, he first smiled and then laughed aloud. The world was full of wonders, and this wizard who called himself Tobas of Telven was one of them.

Tobas looked down once more, shrugged and smiled as if to say, “What can I do?” then turned back to his women.

The three on the flying carpet paid no further attention to the couple in the dunes; they were far too busy with their own little family squabble. After a few minutes of bemused listening, Lador woke Thera, who had somehow slept through it all. Together, the two of them went down to the beach together to see their new boat.