King Granarik stood at the mouth of the goldmine on the Isle of Despair. The king of the dwarves was tired, and every bone in his body felt weary with the strain of leadership. The old king blew a silver whistle, sending a shrill note into the mouth of the mine. As the dwarves began to lay down their tools and file out of the mine, the weary king walked to a large boulder and sat down. He gazed at the exhausted dwarves as they shuffled out of the mine. The king noted with sadness that there was no singing, no merriment, not even a smile upon the occasional face. He sighed heavily.

The dwarven women gathered around the mine entrance and waited for their husbands to appear. When a woman saw her husband, she silently took his hand and led him away. No words passed between the couples for there was nothing to be said. All that awaited the miners and their wives was a quiet meal and a short sleep before it started all over again. There would be no drinking or brawling. The Empire prohibited drinking, and the miners were too exhausted for anything but sleep. There would be no need for time to spend with the children because the dwarves steadfastly refused to bear any children while in captivity. The Empire would only take the children if any were born, and the dwarves refused to let the emperor have that additional control over them.

King Granarik sighed again and shook his head in despair as he watched the dwarves trickle out of the mine. A large crowd of women stood waiting for their husbands, but the miners had stopped exiting the mine. The king frowned with concern.

"Where are the rest?" called the king. "Have they not heard the whistle?"

The last few miners out of the mine glanced in the king's direction, but no one answered the question. The miners continued to shuffle off.

"This is Drak's work, isn't it?" scowled the king. "Get me my son!"

The dwarves ignored their king and let their wives lead them to their patches of rock they called home. The king's face grew red with anger, and he leaped to his feet to berate the miners ignoring him. As he did so, a searing pain shot through his chest. The king brought his hands to his chest as his knees buckled. Before the king could topple to the ground, two dwarven women raced forward and caught him. They eased the king to the ground.

"Someone get Prince Drak!" shouted one of the women. "The king is not well."

One of the miners dropped the hand of his wife and raced into the mine. The women gathered around the king with concern. King Granarik opened his eyes in confusion and gazed up at the circle of women around him. He feebly raised a hand to touch one of the women, but he could not bear the exertion. A woman took his hand and held it comfortingly while they waited for the prince to arrive.

Prince Drak had been working in the deepest chambers of the mine, and it took a long time for him to arrive. During that time the king's ragged breathing smoothed and the pain dissipated. He tried to rise to a sitting position, but the women would not let him move. In resignation, the king sighed and remained still. He did not even have the energy to fight the women of the camp.

"What has happened?" called Prince Drak as he ran out of the mine and knelt next to his father.

The king tried to smile, but the expression was clearly strained. "The women find me irresistible," he quipped.

The prince looked up at the women with concern etched on his face. "Leave us, please," he said softly. "Go back to your places. Your men will not be up for several hours yet."

"I blew the whistle," scowled the king. "The work is done for today."

"It is the last day of the month," retorted the prince. "We have not made our quota. We must continue working."

"No," the king replied adamantly. "I am still the king, and I have blown the whistle. The work is to be stopped now. Get me up."

"You know what K'san said last month," countered the prince. "He will not accept another month below quota."

"Get me up," demanded the king.

"He will kill you," pleaded Prince Drak.

"I command you to get me up!" snapped the king. "Or get out of my way."

Prince Drak's face clouded with hurt, but he would not allow his father to kill himself by trying to get to his feet. He waved the women away and helped the king rise to his feet. The king grunted with exertion, but he nodded with satisfaction.

"Now sound the whistle again," demanded King Granarik, "or I will go down into the bowels of the mine and drag them up here."

"They will ignore the whistle," the prince said to the miner who had gone into the mine to summon him. "Go down and tell them that I said to quit work."

The miner nodded and disappeared into the mine. Prince Drak led his father to the large boulder and eased him into a sitting position. He then knelt and stared into his father's eyes.

"Why?" he asked softly. "You know what K'san will do to you. Why not let us work through the night to make the quota?"

"You cannot make the quota," the king replied. "Even if you all worked through the night, you cannot make it. The gold vein is running out."

"Then we will find a new vein," stated the prince. "Father, I cannot stand by and watch K'san kill you."

"Then do not watch when it happens," shrugged the king. "My life is at its end, whether K'san takes it or not. Let the men rest. They need it so badly."

"Aye, they do," agreed the prince, "but you must know that we are all willing to die for you. The men volunteered to stay and work. I did not even have to plead with them."

"Of course you didn't," smiled the king. "They love you, and they would do anything for you. That will come in handy starting tomorrow."

"Don't talk like this," pleaded Prince Drak. "I have no desire to lead our people. I cannot do it."

"You can and you must," declared the king.

"Why?" scowled Prince Drak. "Why should we work for the emperor? Is it not better to make a stand and fight them to the death? At least our deaths will mean something that way. It is far better than being slowly worked to death."

"No," retorted the king. "It would be a senseless slaughter. Dwarves were born to mine gold. Find a way to take the strain off the men and life will get better."

"You have tried everything over the years," sighed the prince. "It is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," countered the king. "You are far smarter than I am. You will come up with something, but do not give in to a suicidal confrontation with the Empire. Protect our people and keep them ready for the day when we will throw off the yolk of slavery."

Prince Drak wanted to point out that that day would never come, but he had had this conversation with his father many times, and it had never changed anything. He fell silent rather than prolong the conversation. A few minutes later, the miners began to file out of the mine. They glanced briefly at the prince and the king, but they didn't speak. They silently took the hands of their wives and were led away.

"They are all out of the mine now," Prince Drak said softly. "Let me take you to your place."

"No," the king shook his head. "Leave me be. I may not make it through the night, but I will be right here when K'san arrives in the morning. I don't want to give him the chance to take out our failure on you. As long as I am here, he will have to deal with me."

"Then I will stay with you," promised the prince.

"No," replied the king. "Go and sleep. Tomorrow will begin your reign, and you will need sleep to handle it."

"I will need a lot more than sleep to take your place," Prince Drak said with a tear in his eye. "I would rather take your place in the morning and face K'san instead of you."

"Nonsense," smiled the king. "You have always underestimated your own abilities. You are a son that makes me proud, Drak. You will do what I have failed to do. Now go and sleep."

Prince Drak knew the king's words as a command, not a request. He hugged his father and dutifully rose. The king closed his eyes to make the parting easier on Prince Drak. The prince remained for a moment, wanting to say something special as a final farewell, but the words would not come. He turned and shuffled into the darkness.

The dwarven prince tried to sleep, but he could not. Eventually he rose and walked to a small beach on the edge of the island. It was a forbidden area for the dwarves, but the prince did not care. The Empire no longer kept guards on the island as there was no place for the dwarves to go. There was no land in sight in any direction from the Isle of Despair. The prince sat in the sand and stared out at the stars twinkling over the dark sea. He mentally tried to come to grips with the death of his father, but he could not. He had always looked at the king as a rock that the whole tribe depended on. Despite his father's comforting words, Prince Drak knew that he could never replace the king. He had neither the desire nor the skills to take the place of King Granarik. Slowly his thoughts turned to what might happen if he did not take the crown that was rightfully his. Would another dwarf step up to claim it? Would they all refuse? And what would K'san do if no one accepted it?

His thoughts turned dark with despair as he tried to envision the future of the dwarves. Whether he became king or not, the dwarves were doomed to extinction. He knew that none of the couples would willingly bear a child to have it taken away, so when the last dwarf died, the mining would stop. In a small way, it was a defiant act taken against the Empire that the Emperor was powerless to change. Perhaps, he wondered, it might be better to die sooner rather than later. Without a conscious thought of what he was doing, Prince Drak rose and began stripping off his clothes. He folded them neatly and placed his ring and necklace atop the pile. As he stood naked on the beach, he suddenly realized what he was doing. He looked down at his neat pile of belongings and nodded in agreement with his unconscious decision. The dwarven prince turned and spied a cliff farther down the beach. He walked slowly towards it and climbed to the top. Closing his eyes, Prince Drak dove off of the cliff.

The water stung as his body plowed through the surface, but the prince paid no attention to the pain. He dove forcefully downward, not in search of the bottom, but rather in search of peace. After a few moments his mind began to whirl, and he lost control of his arms and legs. As blackness enveloped him, the dwarven prince smiled thinly and let the darkness claim him.

Unexpectedly, air was forced into his aching lungs. His eyes popped open to see a field of gold flowing before him. The prince had not known what to expect after death, but he felt another presence around him. More air was forced into his mouth, and he felt the pressure of lips against his own. Frowning in confusion, he shook his head. That was when he saw the face of an angel. It was a human face, but it was beautiful beyond comprehension. The prince struggled to make sense of what was happening, but he could not. The lips met his again and more air flowed into his lungs. His mind began to function again and he reached out and touched the human. He was surprised with the sensation of feeling his fingers against her flesh. It was a sensual feeling and he heard laughter as he tried to concentrate on the feeling.

Suddenly the angel moved back, and the prince got his first look at her. The woman was naked, but she wasn't human. The top half of her was human, but the bottom half was that of a fish. He shook his head in confusion again, and the laughter returned. The angel moved in again and pressed her lips to his. Another dose of air found its way into his lungs, and he began to feel stronger. It was only then that he realized that the creature was trying to save his life. His despair began to return, and he tried pushing the woman away, but she was far stronger than he was. With a flick of her tail, the woman shot around the prince and grabbed him from behind. Prince Drak felt the sensation of water flowing past him as if he were wading in a river. In just a few moments, he felt his feet dragging on sand. Prince Drak gave up the battle against the woman as she slid him up onto the beach near his pile of clothing.

"You must have fallen into the sea," the melodious voice stated. "Good thing I happened to be around."

The prince wanted to be angry about the rescue, but he could not suppress the warm feelings he felt for the creature. He stared at her as if she were the most beautiful creature to ever exist.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am called Samar," smiled the woman. "You are the one they call Prince Drak. Are you not?"

"Yes," frowned the prince. "How do you know who I am?"

The creature merely smiled.

"I didn't fall into the ocean," offered the dwarf. "You had no need to save me. I will just have to try again."

"Why?" frowned the angel. "It is not right to throw your life away."

"It seems right to me," replied the dwarf. "I cannot be king of the dwarves, and my father lies dying outside the mine. I no longer wish to live."

"You must," retorted Samar. "Who will lead the dwarves if you do not?"

"That is not my problem," countered the dwarf. "Nor is it yours. You must not stop me the next time."

"It is my problem," frowned Samar. "I am responsible for your being here. I will not let you die."

"How are you responsible?" asked the prince.

"I guided the ship that brought you here," Samar said sadly. "I wish I had not, but I cannot change what has happened."

"You?" balked the prince. "I did not see you aboard. An old woman guided the ship that I was on. They called her a water witch."

"We age outside the water," stated Samar. "We are not meant to be land dwellers."

"I am confused," declared Prince Drak.

"Legends call us mermaids," explained Samar, "but the Zarans only know of us as water witches. We have the ability to adopt a human form on land, but it ages quickly. This is our true form."

"And you work for the emperor?" Drak asked suspiciously.

"We guide his ships," admitted Samar, "but we do not approve of what the Baroukans do. We are a peaceful people and do not condone slavery. There is talk among those of my kind of refusing to work anymore, but we are afraid that we will be killed."

"It seems as if the emperor enslaves everyone," frowned the prince. "Maybe you should just drag me to the bottom. It would save me a trip back up the cliff."

"I will do no such thing," Samar stated adamantly. "If you can no longer abide here on the Isle of Despair, I will take you to the mainland, but I will not let you drown yourself."

"You know of the mainland?" asked the prince.

"I know a great deal about it," nodded the mermaid. "When I was younger, I was quite curious about it. It is beautiful in its own way, but it can't compare with the sea."

"How far is it?" asked the dwarf.

"The closest part is fifteen leagues due south," answered Samar.

"Is that where the emperor lives?" asked Prince Drak.

"No," replied Samar. "He lives in a big city at the mouth of the Despair River. The closest land is Elfwoods. It is a great forest where they keep the elven slaves. It stretches westward all the way to the mountains."

"Mountains?" brightened the prince. "Are they big mountains?"

"Very big," Samar answered. "They stretch for hundreds of leagues."

"What I would give to see those mountains," sighed Prince Drak.

"I can take you almost there," offered the mermaid. "The Despair River gets too shallow near the mountains, but I could get you close to them."

The dwarven prince did not immediately respond. His mind whirled with the information he had gained from the mermaid, and a plan began to congeal in his mind.

"What are you thinking?" prompted the mermaid.

"I am thinking about a way to get my people to those mountains," answered the dwarf.

"I could take them one at a time I suppose," suggested the mermaid.

"No," the dwarf shook his head. "K'san would soon notice the low number of dwarves, and he would slay them all. When we leave the Isle of Despair, we must all leave at once."

"I cannot do that," frowned Samar. "And you cannot go by boat even if I could get you one. You would be spotted by the patrols."

"I have a plan in mind," smiled the prince, "but I will need more information from you. Are you willing to meet with me once a month?"

"As long as we are not discovered," answered Samar. "Perhaps during the night of no moon?"

"Perfect," smiled the prince as he rose and began getting dressed.

The mermaid watched curiously as the dwarf got dressed. "Why did you leave your clothes behind?"

"It is our custom," shrugged the prince. "When one commits suicide, he takes nothing dwarven with him. To do so would disgrace our ancestors. I must go, Samar, but I thank you for saving my life."

The mermaid smiled broadly, and the dwarf disappeared into the night. For hours Prince Drak sat alone and drew diagrams in the dirt and wrote columns of numbers. By the time the sky began to lighten, he was whistling a merry tune. He rose and hurried to where he had left his father, but King Granarik had already passed away. Tears came to prince's eyes as he knelt next to his father's body and embraced it. He had come to share his vision with the king, but that was not to be. Prince Drak stood up and raised his arms skyward as he wailed in anguish.

The noise woke the rest of the dwarves, and they began to rise for another day weary toil. Prince Drak inhaled deeply and composed himself. He wiped the tears from his eyes and began to compose the words he would speak to K'san. As the miners began to assemble for work, a small boat arrived. K'san and six soldiers marched to the mine entrance and demanded the king's presence.

"My father passed away this morning," Prince Drak declared as he pointed to the king's body. "The strain of not meeting your quota was too much for him to bear."

K'san glowered as he stared at the dead king. He turned to face the prince and his eyes narrowed in contempt. "So you are the new king," he spat. "Meeting the quota now falls on your head. Make sure that you do not miss it."

K'san turned to leave, but the prince spoke before he could take a step. "The vein is played out," he announced. "Without changes, the quota cannot be met."

K'san whirled around and glared at the uppity prince. "You will make the quota, or you will die."

"I understand that," retorted Prince Drak, "but killing all of us will not get the emperor any more gold. If it is gold that you want, let me run this mine as I see fit."

"You are trying to bargain with me?" K'san snorted with amusement. "You are hardly in a bargaining position."

"If I can deliver gold to the emperor as required by his quota," the dwarf smiled thinly, "am I not pleasing the emperor?"

"If you can deliver the quota," retorted K'san, "then it is to your advantage to do so. There will be no changes."

"Then there will be no gold," declared the prince.

K'san's nostrils flared with rage at being talked to in such a way by a slave. He stepped close to Prince Drak, and his hand shot out and grabbed the throat of the dwarf.

"You will meet the quota or die," repeated K'san.

"Only with the changes I require," croaked the prince.

K'san's huge hand lifted the dwarf off his feet and shook him in anger, and Drak's face turned bright red, but the prince did not give in. Finally K'san placed the dwarf back on his feet. For several long moment K'san glared at the dwarf, but his rage slowly died.

"What changes?" he spat.

"We need time to find a new vein of gold," Prince Drak said as he massaged his throat, "but I have a way to free up time to accomplish it. I propose to move all of my people underground, including the women. That act alone will free up a tremendous amount of time that we now spend entering and exiting the mine. We can use that time to explore for new veins."

K'san pondered the thought for a few moments before nodding his agreement.

"We also need more food," pressed the prince. "I know that you are hesitant to waste food on mere slaves, but dwarves require more food than humans. Most of my men are weak by the end of the day, and their pace slacks off. It is not because the will is not there, but rather the lack of strength. Give us more food, and we will give you more gold. That is a promise."

K'san turned and gazed at the dwarves that had assembled for work. He admitted silently that they were far leaner than when they had arrived. Keeping your enemy weak was useful in controlling him, but he knew that the prince was speaking the truth on this matter.

"You appear to be far wiser than your father," K'san stated. "I will agree to your changes, but I will double the punishment for missing your quota."

Without waiting for a reply, K'san turned and marched towards the boat. The soldiers dutifully followed, but the dwarves waited for the boat to depart before speaking.

"What are you planning, Prince Drak?" asked one of the dwarves. "Why do you all of a sudden wish to make the emperor wealthy by the sweat of our labor?"

"We are all going to work harder than we have ever worked before," declared Prince Drak. "Starting today, the women will join in the mining, and the days will be lengthened. We have some hard toil before us."

"Are you beginning to feel the noose around your neck now that your father is gone?" quipped another dwarf. "Is that why we must toil longer?"

"No," replied the prince. "We will toil longer and be happy to do so because our labors are going to lead to our freedom."

"You are daft if you think the emperor will be so pleased with his gold that he will let us go free," said a dwarf.

"I would be daft to believe that," chuckled the prince. "You must trust me on this. Our freedom will come at the expense of the Empire, and they will be feeding us more to give us the strength to make it possible."

The five riders halted at the edge of the forest. Garth Shado extracted a scope from his pack and brought it to his eye. The others remained silent and unmoving as they waited for their leader to report.

"The gates to the city are closed," confirmed Garth.

"I am not surprised," commented Morro, an elven thief. "Everyone entering Giza will be scrutinized by the Federation troops."

"But it has been a month since the sinking of the fleet," frowned Tedi. "Surely the security cannot be for that?"

"I am sure that it is," replied Morro. "We have inflicted a tremendous loss on the Federation. I am sure that the Emperor is screaming for results in the investigation."

"Perhaps this is a bad idea then," Kalina suggested. "Can't we find out what the Federation is up to without entering Giza?"

"We could try another city," replied Morro, "but the information on troop movements would not be as accurate. If we must pull our people out of Aranak, we need to know exactly what the Federation is up to. That requires a trip into Giza. If you think it is unsafe for all of us to enter, I will go alone."

"No," balked Natia. "I want to see what one of these reeducation centers look like. If we do get the chance to free the elven children, we will need to know exactly what we are up against."

"Morro was raised in one," retorted Tedi. "Surely he knows what to expect."

"Actually," Morro smiled thinly, "Natia is correct. I have only seen the inside of the reeducation center in Despair. Each one of them will be different."

"We could send a fairy to map the interior," suggested Kalina. "That would be much safer."

"No," Garth sighed as he lowered the scope and placed it in his pack. "Any sighting of a fairy right now would bring the entire Federation down upon us. We must keep them out of sight." Turning to the elf, he asked, "Will they open the gates to admit us?"

"They will gladly admit anyone," replied the thief, "but they will question you much more than they have before. Getting out might be another problem," he added.

"We will deal with that when the time comes," Garth stated. "Kalina and I will peruse the wharves of the city and try to find out what the sailors know. Tedi and Natia can visit some of the lesser common rooms and see what the soldiers are talking about in their free time. Morro, you check with the thieves of the city. We will all meet at the Palace Keep Inn at dusk."

"What about the reeducation center?" pressed the gypsy princess.

"If you can find a safe way into it," Garth responded, "it is permissible, but I urge caution. If the city is closed down as tightly as it appears, I doubt they will take kindly to visitors. I do not want to fight our way out of the city."

"It might raise questions if I ride into the city with the four of you," declared Morro. "I don't think anyone would take me for a special agent of the merchant Mercado. You go on ahead, and I will follow in a bit."

Garth glanced at the thief curiously, but he nodded and led the humans out of the forest. The gate guards noticed them the moment they were clear of the trees, and Garth felt curious eyes fall upon him. As the four riders approached the closed gate, a squad of soldiers gathered to greet them. An officer stared at each of the riders before demanding that they all dismount.

"Where are you coming from?" inquired the officer.

"Olansk," Garth answered as he handed a paper to the officer.

The officer took the paper and stared at it. He glanced up at the newcomers several times before nodding his head and handing the paper back to Garth.

"Not sure I know what a special agent of Sidney Mercado is," grunted the officer. "Should I be impressed?"

"That is up to you," shrugged Garth. "We negotiate the sale of precious items for Sidney Mercado."

"All four of you?" questioned the officer.

"I am the special agent," replied Garth as he nodded at Tedi, "but I like the safety of having another man at my back. On this journey we have brought our wives along. Is there a problem?"

"I'm sure even in Olansk they have heard about our problems," scoffed the officer. "How long have you been on the road not to have heard the news?"

"Oh," Garth said with a taut smile. "Do you mean the loss of the fleet? That was quite some time ago, wasn't it? Haven't you caught those responsible yet?"

The officer raised an eyebrow, wondering if Garth's words were meant as a taunt. He eventually decided that he didn't want to know the answer. He already had to suffer through a daily berating for the failure to find those responsible for the attack. He didn't need to start arguing with strangers about the matter.

"Did you see many people on the Zinbar Trail?" he asked. "Any large groups? Any elves?"

"No," Garth replied. "This trip was rather quiet thankfully."

The officer nodded in satisfaction. He called for the gates to be opened as he stepped out of the way. The Knights of Alcea led their horses through the gates before mounting them and riding to the stables of the Palace Keep Inn. The two couples immediately split up and went their separate ways.

Garth and Kalina strolled through the city streets to the waterfront. It was too early in the day for the common rooms that catered to sailors to be very busy, so they walked along the wharves to the area where the huge shipbuilding yards were. Garth gazed in wonder at the four large ships being built.

"The streets are rather empty," Kalina commented. "Much more so than the last time we were here. What do you suppose it means?"

When Garth didn't answer, Kalina followed his gaze. She frowned in confusion.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I am not sure," frowned Garth. "If you were planning an invasion by sea and just lost a hundred warships, what would your shipyards be building?"

"More warships?" asked Kalina.

"Exactly," nodded Garth, "yet the Federation is building cargo ships. Look."

"They look a lot like the Remora," Kalina agreed, "but Giza is not the only city that builds ships."

"It is the center of Zaran shipbuilding," retorted Garth. "Even if it wasn't, would you waste the labor on cargo ships when you desperately needed warships?"

"Perhaps their scheduled attack is not as close as we suspected," offered Kalina. "Or maybe they have abandoned the idea of attacking Alcea. Maybe we have dashed their hopes."

"Maybe," Garth said in disbelief as he backed into the shadows in the mouth of an alley and pulled his scope out of his pack. He raised the scope to his eye as Kalina joined him in the shadows.

"What are you looking for?" asked Kalina.

"I don't know," Garth admitted, "but I will know it when I see it. Let's take a walk down by the long pier."

Garth hid the scope as the couple left the alley and began walking along the quay. As they passed the smaller fishing docks, a dark gray blur dashed into an alley. Garth ran to the mouth of the alley, but by the time that he got there, it was empty.

"What was that all about?" questioned Kalina when she caught up to her husband.

"I think it was Smokey," frowned Garth. "If it was, he has seen better days. I could see his ribs."

"Poor dog," remarked Kalina. "You should not have abandoned him when we left here. I bet he hasn't had a decent meal in months."

"I didn't abandon him," snapped Garth. "He ran away. Besides, I don't own him. From the day we first met, he has always come and gone as he pleased."

"We will look for him later," Kalina promised. "The least we can do is give him some food to eat."

The couple walked on in stony silence. While his eyes continued to take everything in, Garth's mind remained focused on the dog. His denial of responsibility rang true to even his own ears, but the truth didn't ease his ill feelings. Smokey had always been independent and did whatever he wanted, but Garth could not shake a sense of shame about having failed to leave the dog in Alcea.

"Garth," Kalina said softly as she touched his hand.

Garth pushed Smokey from his mind and watched the men marching out onto the long pier. The men maintained an obvious military bearing and marched in formation, but their clothes appeared to be that of fisherman and hunters. Garth pulled Kalina's hand and eased into an alley. The two Knights of Alcea watched the column of men march along the pier until they boarded a cargo ship at the far end. Garth retrieved his scope once more and brought it to his eyes. He studied the ship for several minutes before handing the scope to Kalina. The mage used the scope to survey the ship and the men that had just boarded it. When she was done, she tried to hand it back to Garth, but he refused to take it.

"Tell me what you saw?" he asked softly.

"The ship is identical to the Remora," Kalina replied. "The men are obviously soldiers. I think the Federation is still sending ships to Alcea."

"Correct on all three counts," nodded Garth. "What else?"

Kalina frowned puzzlingly and brought the scope back to her eye.

"I see no K'san, if that is what you are suggesting," she said.

"Look at the packages on the dock," hinted Garth. "There are three of them yet to be loaded."

"I see them," stated Kalina. "What about them?"

"They don't seem familiar to you in any way?" probed Garth.

"Even with the scope, I cannot see the contents," answered Kalina. "They are two to three times longer than wide and not very deep at all. What do you think they are?"

"Doors," declared Garth. "Magical Doors. You may not have ever seen them wrapped like that before, but I have. When I was sent to assassinate the Sultan of Sordoa, we had a Door shipped to Trekum in advance. It looked identical to those packages on the pier."

Kalina gasped as she brought the scope to her eye again. She focused on the packages for several minutes before returning the scope to Garth.

"While I can see why you are alarmed," she frowned, "there could be almost anything in those packages. What are the odds that the Zarans are capable of creating an ancient magic that even I do not understand?"

"I know nothing about the odds," replied Garth, "but I do know that such Doors exist, and I know that they are capable of transporting large armies over vast distances. It also seems that the Federation is making no attempt to rebuild their fleet of warships. That suggests to me that they have an alternative plan to get their troops to Alcea."

"We must know for sure," Kalina declared. "Have Bitsy inspect the packages."

"Even one as small as her could not inspect those packages on the pier without being seen," Garth shook his head. "Besides, I have a better idea."

Garth stuck his finger into his breast pocket and stirred the fairy to life. Bitsy stuck her tiny blue head out and yawned.

"You have a mission for me?" the fairy chirped.

"A short one," smiled Garth. "I need a fairy to return to Alcea."

"We cannot fly that far," frowned Bitsy. "My wings would grow tired before I was halfway there."

"Not you," smiled Garth. "I am thinking of sending Squirt, and she will be traveling by ship. Her wings will not get tired."

"Squirt has not been seen for weeks," frowned Bitsy. "She is searching the Sea of Tears for Captain Gomery."

"I am afraid that Captain Gomery is dead," Kalina said soothingly.

"That is what I told Squirt, but she insists on searching until she finds his body," replied the blue fairy. "Fairies do not abandon their missions for any reason. She will search for the captain until she finds him."

"Send Runt," suggested Kalina. "He knows everything we have learned so far, and he can report to King Arik when he arrives in Alcea."

"Very well," nodded Garth as he pointed to the ship at the end of the pier. "That ship is going to Alcea," he said to the fairy. "I want Runt to hide on it. He is not to be seen by anyone until he reaches Alcea and then he is to report to the Bringer personally."

"I will see that your order is carried out," saluted the fairy.

"One more thing," Garth said before the fairy departed. "If possible, I would like to know the contents of those packages waiting to be loaded on the ship. It is too dangerous to do now, but once the ship is underway, a fairy should be able to access them privately. That will require an additional fairy to accompany Runt until we learn what is in the packages."

"We think they may be magical Doors," clarified Kalina. "If they are, both King Arik and we have to know about it."

"I will send Peanut with Runt," promised Bitsy, "but Peanut will only have until the ship leaves sight of land before returning to us."

"They will have five days before the ship leaves the Sea of Tears," nodded Garth. "Get them ready and then return to me."

The fairy saluted again and then darted into the sky.

"If the Zarans do have portals," frowned Kalian, "that will change things drastically."

"Indeed," agreed Garth. "There will be no advance notice by seeing the ships on the horizon. There will be no guarantee that the attacks will even occur along the west coast of Alcea. The Federation could set up Doors all over Alcea. It would be devastating to any defense Arik is arranging. They could even have Doors inside our major cities."

"Let's get away from here," suggested Kalina. "Someone is bound to ask why we are hiding in the alley. Let's try to find Smokey while we ponder about portals."

Garth nodded silently and led the way out of the alley. The Knights of Alcea move through the streets of Giza in a random roaming fashion as they each dwelled on the implications of what they had seen. After an hour of walking, Kalina gasped softly as they neared a corner. Garth looked up and saw a feeble man hobbling along the street. Kalina was about to call his name when Garth pulled her back around the corner.

"That was Tyroma," she said to Garth.

"I know," Garth whispered. "Further along the street were four soldiers watching him."

"The soldiers are watching everyone in this city," frowned Kalina. "Why do these four disturb you?"

"I am not sure," Garth admitted, "but they do disturb me. Their gaze did not appear to be mere curiosity. I think they were following Tyroma."

"Why?" questioned Kalina. "Do you think they suspect he was involved in the attack on the fleet? That is ridiculous. They would have him in a cell."

"Yet Giza is a far distance from where the fleet sunk," stated Garth. "Judging from Tyroma's condition, he did not swim here."

"Alright," conceded Kalina, "but he could have been rescued by a ship. How would they know that he was not one of those assigned to be aboard the fleet?"

"A valid question," Garth replied. "Let's follow him until we can speak to him alone. Just in case?"

"Agreed," Kalina said.

The couple moved into a doorway and hid while the sailor hobbled past. Tyroma walked with a severe limp and his arms swung at an odd angle. The man's head never swiveled, and his eyes appeared hollow as he stared straight ahead. Tyroma walked right past the Knights of Alcea without seeing them. A moment later the four soldiers appeared. Garth threw his arms around Kalina in a loving embrace, and the soldiers snickered as they passed by.

"Take to the skies," Garth suggested softly as he leaned out to make sure that no more passersby were approaching. "Keep track of where he is going."

Kalina nodded and then her body shimmered and disappeared. In her place was a magnificent eagle, and it launched itself into the sky. As the eagle flew upward, Garth stepped out of the doorway and peered at the backs of the soldiers. He saw Tyroma make a right turn at an intersection, and he ran across the street and up to the next intersection. He peered around the corner and waited for Tyroma to appear a block away. It took the sailor a long time, but he finally appeared. He passed through the intersection, but Garth made no move to follow. A few moments later the four soldiers also crossed the intersection. Garth raced up another block and waited again, but the sailor never appeared.

Confident that the soldiers had not seen his face, Garth headed towards where he had expected to see the sailor. When he reached the intersection, he turned left into an empty street. His eyes scanned the buildings on each side of the street, seeking one that a sailor might visit. Halfway along the block, he saw a deteriorating inn. He continued past the ill-kept building until he reached the next intersection. There was no sign of the sailor or the soldiers. High overhead the cry of an eagle caught Garth's attention. He looked up and saw the eagle circling over the old inn.

Garth turned around and headed towards the inn. He presumed that the soldiers were probably sitting in the common room waiting to see if the sailor went out again. Alongside the inn was an alley, but it was not wide enough for a horse to fit through. Garth knew that there would be no stables behind the inn and probably no rear door either. He eased into the alley and moved halfway along it. Putting his hands on one wall and his feet on the other, Garth started climbing upward. When he reached a window on the second floor, he peered inside and found the room empty. The Knight of Alcea quickly entered the room and stood silently, trying to detect any sounds coming from the other patrons.

Hearing nothing, Garth eased the door open and slid into the hallway. He moved stealthily along the hall, pausing to listen at each door before easing it open and checking the room. Only one of the rooms appeared to be rented and no one was in it when he looked. When he reached the end of the hall, he turned around and walked back to the center of the building and started checking in the other direction. The second room he checked had someone inside. He heard a voice murmuring, but he could not understand the words. Carefully he eased the door open and saw Tyroma on the bed. The sailor was mumbling to himself. Garth entered the room and quietly closed the door.

As Garth crossed the room, an eagle flew in through the window and landed on the floor. It glimmered briefly and Kalina appeared in its place. Tyroma gasped loudly and his eyes grew large. The sailor's face was a mask of horror, and Garth was afraid that he would cry out, inadvertently bringing the soldiers up the stairs. He moved quickly to the bed and placed his hand over Tyroma's mouth. The sailor tried to cry out, but he could not.

"Be quiet," whispered Garth. "There are soldiers downstairs. They have been following you. We will get you out of here. Tell us what happened."

"There are more than just the four downstairs," interjected Kalina. "There are over a hundred soldiers in a square a block away."

"No matter," replied Garth as he removed the hand from the sailor's mouth. "We will get Tyroma out of here safely. Tell us what happened to you."

Tyroma's eyes darted from Kalina to Garth and back again. Garth recognized the fear in the man's face before Tyroma's mouth opened to yell for help. Garth blasted his fist into the side of the sailor's head and knocked him unconscious.

"Why did you do that?" frowned Kalina.

"He is afraid of us," answered Garth. "He was going to yell for help. Something is not right here. Interrogate him."

"Interrogate him?" echoed Kalina. "You know that I don't like to do that."

"Do it," insisted Garth. "I think we have stumbled into a trap. There is no time to lose. We must know what he knows."

Kalina objected no further. She placed a hand on the man's unconscious head and cast a spell. It took only seconds for her to retrieve what she wanted to know, and she was about to break the spell when her face was bathed in a glow of horror. Garth watched as Kalina's eyes grew wide with fear. He told her to break off the spell, but Kalina did not even acknowledge her husband. Her hand began trembling violently, and Garth knew that she was in trouble. He drew his knife and plunged it deep into Tyroma's heart. Kalina gasped loudly and swayed into the wall behind her. Garth leaped over the bed and caught her.

"It is a trap," gasped Kalina. "More devious than you can imagine. I must leave you alone in your escape. Be quick about it."

"Alone?" frowned Garth. "I am not going anywhere without you."

"I need to become an eagle again," Kalina explained quickly. "Soldiers are already rushing here. Your only hope of escape is if I create a magical diversion elsewhere in the city."

With that, Kalina's body glimmered and disappeared. An eagle leaped off the floor and flew out the window. Garth wasted no time. He knew that he could not go down the stairs, and jumping into the alley right now would be suicide. The first place they would look is out the window. Garth dashed into the hall and turned to the right. He heard the soldiers downstairs rushing towards the stairs. He ran to the end of the hallway and jumped upward, his hand sending a wooden ceiling panel flying into the attic. He silently thanked the elven thief for introducing him to such escape routes, but he did not try to enter the attic. Instead he opened the door to his right and slid into an empty room.

Garth moved across the room and stood alongside the window. He heard the soldiers barge into Tyroma's room, and he pictured one of them sticking his head out the window to check the alley. Boots slammed along the hallway and doors burst open as the soldiers got closer. Eventually, one of the soldiers shouted when he saw the hole in the ceiling of the hallway. Garth heard the soldiers overhead and he peeked out the window. The alley was clear, and the Knight of Alcea eased himself out the window. Just as he was letting go to drop to the ground, Garth heard the door to the room burst open. He knew that he would never make the end of the alley before an arrow struck him down.

As soon as Garth's feet hit the ground, he raced for the closest end of the alley. He heard a shout behind him, but he didn't turn around to look. He kept his eyes on the end of the alley and frowned in amazement at his bad luck. An old man turned into the narrow alley and walked towards him. Garth had planned to dive to the ground when he heard the snap of the bowstring, but he could no longer do so. The snap came a second later, and Garth waited for the impact. Suddenly, a dark gray blur flashed before his eyes. The Knight of Alcea saw Smokey leap over the old man and Garth and then he heard the yelp of pain as the arrow hit the dog.

Time slowed down for Garth as his heart filled with sorrow for the dog. Another snap of a bowstring sang out, but it came from in front of Garth, not behind him. The arrow sailed over his head, and he heard a cry from the enemy soldier, yet he did not know who had fired the arrow. The old man stopped short, his mouth hanging open in fear and sweat pouring down his face. The man clutched his chest and stumbled to the ground. As Garth raced by the fallen man, he saw Morro standing at the mouth of the alley with a bow in his hand and another arrow nocked.

"Hurry!" urged Morro. "This place will be crawling with soldiers in less than a minute."

Garth turned to look for Smokey and the old man, but Morro grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the alley.

"They are all dead," stated the elf, "and we will be too if we do not run."

The eagle skimmed over the rooftops of Giza as it headed towards the southwest corner of the city. Spying a tall building in the last block before the city wall, the eagle dove to the rooftop and landed. A moment later, Kalina stood looking down on the large cradles of the shipyards. Without a second thought, she raised her arms high in the air and called forth a frightening magical power. A tremendous bolt of lightning streaked down from a cloudless sky and smashed into one of the ships being built. The wooden frame of the ship exploded in a shower of wooden splinters, and the cradle blew apart like a child's toy being hit with a hammer.

Shouts and screams split the air, but the Alcean mage was not done. She raised her arms again. Another tremendous crack split the air as a lightning bolt slammed into the second ship. She was pleased to see that the workers were running away from the shipyard. This mission was not meant to be one of death, but rather one of destruction and diversion. Without hesitation, she brought forth the third and fourth bolts of lightning, smashing the remaining two ships under construction. She glanced down at the shattered ruins of the Giza shipyards with satisfaction. Kalina saw that people had already noticed her. Many people were pointing up at her, and soldiers were racing towards her building. She pivoted swiftly and gazed at the wall of the city. Bringing forth a fifth lightning bolt, Kalina guided it to the top of the wall. Whistles screamed from every quarter of the city, but the blast of the lightning and its thunder overpowered all other sounds. The lightning smashed into the stone wall and sent rocks flying high into the air. A large cloud of dust and mortar welled into the air over a hole in the wall that was over twenty paces wide. Her task complete, Kalina turned and walked calmly towards the stairway leading down into the building. As soon as she had gone far enough away from the edge of the roof to ensure that those below could no longer see her, Kalina cast the spell to transform into an eagle. The eagle launched itself off the opposite side of the roof and skimmed over the rooftops.

As soon as Natia and Tedi had left Garth and Kalina, Natia tugged on Tedi's sleeve and halted.

"What is it?" Tedi asked.

"You can check the common rooms without my help," answered Natia as she nodded at a distinguished man leaving the Palace Keep. "I want you to meet that man and inquire about any DeCardia figurines he might have."

"Why?" Tedi asked suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"I have an idea," grinned the gypsy princess. "I remember him as a man who bought two of the figurines. Ask him if you can buy them from him for five-hundred gold apiece."

"Are you crazy?" balked Tedi. "A month ago you sold them for two-hundred gold a piece and that was robbery. What if he says yes?"

"Then buy them," answered Natia as she shoved a gold pouch into Tedi's hand. "I doubt that he will actually be willing to sell them, but your offer will have increased their value. That is all that I need to happen. Go before he gets away."

Natia gave Tedi a push towards the retreating man. Natia dashed into an alley, and Tedi turned to stare at her in confusion. She waved for him to get going. Tedi sighed with a lack of understanding and turned to pursue the man. He managed to catch up to the man without it appearing to be deliberate.

"Excuse me," Tedi said as he drew alongside the distinguished man, "but I heard that you had recently bought some figurines by the great artist DeCardia. Is that true?"

The man stopped and starred at Tedi for a long time without answering. "What is it to you what I spend my money on?" he eventually asked.

"I am seeking to buy a couple of the figurines," replied the Knight of Alcea. "I have looked all over, and I cannot find any for sale. I am willing to pay quite handsomely for a pair of the figurines."

"Oh?" brightened the man. "And what would a handsome price be for two DeCardia's?"

"Five-hundred," smiled Tedi.

The man smiled appreciatively, as if congratulating himself on a fine investment.

"Each," Tedi added with a bigger smile.

The man's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Five-hundred each?"

Tedi nodded. The man's lips pressed together in consideration as he stared at Tedi. For several long moments neither man spoke as the Zaran considered collecting a tantalizing profit from his investment, but the man smiled as he shook his head.

"I think they will become much more valuable than that," he replied. "I suppose you feel the same or you would not be chasing people down in the streets to buy some."

Tedi chuckled inwardly as he dropped his eyes to the street and nodded sadly. He looked back up at the man with an expression of disappointment.

"You wouldn't happen to know anyone who might consider letting his DeCardia figurines go?" Tedi asked.

"I am afraid not," the man smiled broadly.

As Tedi stood dejectedly, the distinguished man turned around and walked away in a different direction than the one he had been taking. Tedi frowned in confusion as he watched the man walk away. When the man was out of sight, Tedi returned to Natia.

"He refused to sell," Tedi stated.

"I figured that he might," replied Natia, "but it didn't matter either way. If you were forced to purchase them, I would have just resold them at the new price. You can go check the common rooms now. I have something else planned for today."

"And what would that be?" asked Tedi.

"I suspect that word of your offer is now spreading throughout the city," grinned the gypsy. "In a little while, I plan to visit an old friend. I will meet you back at the Palace Keep tonight."

Natia stepped out of the alley and walked away. She made directly for the government building and stood across the street as if she were waiting for someone. As she waited, Natia noticed that the streets were exceptionally quiet for a large city. She had noticed this when they entered the city, but she had assumed that it was because of the early hour. Now she suspected otherwise. A few shops were open, but most were not. There were no street hawkers and no beggars. Most of the people walking around the city were soldiers, and there were hordes of them. She suddenly felt a chill race down her spine and wondered if being on the street was a wise idea. Just as she had made her mind up to call off her mission, she saw the distinguished man turn the corner and head for the government building. She eased backwards into an alcove and waited.

The man entered the government building and reappeared less than five minutes later. Natia waited for the man to turn the corner before crossing the street to enter the building. As soon as she stepped through the door, she found her way blocked by a wooden barrier. A score of soldiers stood guard in a large entry room, and an officer immediately approached her.

"What is your business here?" he asked.

"I am here to see Judge Julius," smiled Natia.

"On what business?" asked the officer.

"It is of a business nature," Natia said softly. "I do not think the judge would appreciate my speaking of it to anyone but him."

"You hardly look like a man of business to me," the officer retorted with a smirk on his lips. Several of the soldiers chuckled softly.

"And you hardly look like an officer who would risk besmirching the judge's reputation," scowled Natia. "Perhaps we should let the judge decide who may be allowed to see him?"

The officer straightened as if he had been slapped. "The judge had better vouch for you," he warned quietly as he waved two soldiers over to escort her upstairs. "I will not be made to look like a fool."

"There is no danger of that," Natia replied cryptically as she smiled.

Natia was led upstairs and told to wait. One of the soldiers knocked on an ornate door and opened it upon permission.

"We have a woman here that purports to have business dealing with you," announced the guard.

"Woman?" balked the judge. "I have no dealings with women." He was in the process of waving the soldier away when he asked, "What is her name?"

The soldier turned and gazed out at Natia as he waited for her response.

"Natia," she said. As an afterthought, she added, "DeCardia. Natia DeCardia."

"Natia DeCardia," repeated the soldier.

The judge's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Send her in," he said.

"Should we search her first?" asked the soldier.

The judge shook his head and waved for the woman to enter. The soldier held the door and waved Natia into the room. The judge's eyes brightened as Natia crossed the room. As the soldiers closed the door and departed, the judge waved Natia into an overstuffed chair.

"I was just thinking of you," smiled Judge Julius. "You don't happen to have any more DeCardia figurines do you?"

"I am afraid not," answered Natia, "and my name is not really DeCardia. I was afraid that you would not remember me."

"I shall never forget you," chuckled the judge. "I have had a couple of people in my office this morning trying to buy some of my figurines. Do you know anything about that?"

"The price for DeCardia figurines has risen substantially," replied Natia. "I understand that there are buyers now willing to pay five-hundred gold for one."

"I knew it!" he said as he slapped his hand on the desk. "Those buzzards that came around here tried to make it sound like they merely wanted to give some as gifts, but I knew there was more to it than that. They wanted to buy mine and resell them at a profit."

"That is how the business world works," smiled Natia.

"Indeed it does," agreed the judge. "You must come to me first if you manage to get some more DeCardia items for sale."

"I will do that," promised the gypsy.

"What brings you to see me today?" asked the judge.

"As you know," Natia began, "I work for a special agent for Sidney Mercado. We deal with small, high-priced items, and that requires employees with impeccable skills and reputation. Sidney is anxious to expand his use of special agents, but that will require building an education center."

"And that center is to be built in Giza?" questioned the judge.

"No," Natia shook her head. "Although the location has not yet been chosen, I would suspect that it would be built in Ur."

"Then why come to me?" frowned the judge. "I can do nothing for Sidney Mercado in Ur."

"Building an education center is a bit like building a school," explained Natia, "but it is also very different. Because of the nature of the school, security is extremely important. The staff will be dealing with very valuable items, and they must be thorough in discovering those who would present an unacceptable risk to the business. I am sure that you can see where this is leading."

"Actually," the judge confessed with a frown, "I am a bit lost. Why would the teachers use valuable items for training, and what does this all have to do with me?"

"The students will be taught secret ways of hiding valuables," stated Natia. "As a stone does not possess the same qualities as a rare ruby, one cannot substitute one for the other. For example, a ruby sewn into a hem will be more prone to movement than a rock. Its facets are smooth and polished whereas the rock will break through the cloth after sufficient rubbing because it is coarse."

"Ah," nodded the judge. "I guess I have never given much thought to such things."

"As to why I am talking to you," smiled Natia, "you have the ability to give me great knowledge. I sat wondering where I could find a similar school to better understand the security concerns when I realized that such a school already exists. You have one right here in Giza."

"Here?" question Judge Julius.

"The elf reeducation center," stated Natia. "It is a school that has existed for years, and I understand that it has never lost a pupil. If we could copy such a fine institution, I am sure that it would yield success for the project."

"I suppose it would," frowned the judge, "but visitors are not welcome at the centers. That is one of the security measures."

"But surely I would not be looked upon as a visitor?" posed Natia. "It is not as if I want to go there to look at elves. I am only concerned with the business aspect of it."

"Perhaps," mused the judge. "I could probably get you inside, but it would cost me a favor or two. I am not sure that the time is right to collect such favors."

"I would be willing to offer some favors of my own," smiled Natia. "I have asked DeCardia to make two figurines for me. It may be some time before I get back to Zinbar to pick them up, but I would be pleased to give them to you when I next visit Giza."

"You would suffer a loss from your own pocket to please your employer?" the judge asked with surprise.

"It would only be a temporary loss," replied Natia. "Sidney would reimburse me, but I would have to wait for DeCardia to make some more. I am willing to forego my immediate pleasure to ensure that I serve Sidney in the best possible manner."

Judge Julius stared at Natia for a moment before scribbling a note and pulling a rope for an attendant. A soldier entered the office, and the judge handed the note to him. After the soldier had retreated, Judge Julius smiled at the gypsy.

"A colonel will be here in a minute or two," stated the judge. "He will escort you to the reeducation center. He will be informed that you are inspecting the center on my behalf. Do not mention Sidney Mercado or any business proposition. In fact, the less you say the better. I trust you will know how to handle yourself?"

"Perfectly," grinned Natia.

The colonel arrived within minutes, and Judge Julius gave him orders concerning the inspection of the center. The colonel led Natia out of the office and down the stairs.

"I am Colonel Fisker," the officer stated as he held a door open for Natia to exit the building. "Might I enquire who you are?"

"You may call me Natia," the gypsy replied.

"It is a nice name," smiled the colonel, "but I am a bit more curious than that. I have never known Judge Julius to employ women."

"Actually," Natia smiled, "I am sure that he would prefer that most people continue to believe that he does not employ women. There are times when a government must do things that others do not expect. I suspect that he chose you as my escort because you are an officer that he knows to be trustworthy. Am I wrong?"

"You are not only right," chuckled the officer, "but you have confirmed my suspicions. I often suspected that the judge was more powerful than he let on. I know enough to understand that you are not from Giza, and that tells me that Judge Julius has other duties for the Emperor than just being the judge of Giza."

"Oh?" smiled Natia.

"A city judge has no interest in a reeducation center and its security," explained the colonel, "but the Federation does. I suspect you were sent here from Despair to inspect security because of the problems that we are having with the rebels. As tight as security is in Despair, the Emperor could never send an inspector out to Giza without word arriving here before the inspector. Unless, of course, he had a secret administrator already in place."

"I am impressed with your skills in deduction, colonel," replied Natia. "May I presume that you will not share your wisdom with others?"

"You can count on me," promised the colonel. "As far as the soldiers in the reeducation center are concerned, they will not even hear the name of Judge Julius mentioned during your visit."

"I shall remember your name well when I reach Despair," smiled Natia. "It is always helpful to whisper one's name to the right people."

"I would be most appreciative," smiled the colonel as he opened the door to the reeducation center.

The colonel's rank was sufficiently high to allow for unimpeded access to all areas of the center. Colonel Fisker went to great lengths to make sure that Natia's visit was most productive. He not only wanted Natia to pass along a good word on his behalf, but he also was proud of the stringent security precautions that they had instituted. By the conclusion of the tour, Natia had to admit that the Federation had done a magnificent job of securing the facility. She was impressed.

As the colonel was escorting Natia towards the exit of the center, a loud explosion split the air. Three more explosions followed quickly, and whistles began blowing within the center. Scores of boots slammed on the floor as the soldiers within the center raced to secure the entrance. As the colonel halted Natia, a fifth explosion shook the city.

"What is it?" Natia asked.

"I am not sure," admitted the colonel, "but this facility is closing down. I must get you out of here now, or we will be locked inside."

The colonel led Natia to the entrance door and opened it. He quickly pulled Natia through the door just before it was slammed shut and barricaded. The sounds of whistles echoed all over the city, and the colonel turned to gaze at a gray cloud rising from the waterfront.

"There is trouble near the shipyards," he said to Natia. "I must respond to it. Which inn are you staying at?"

"The Palace Keep," Natia answered.

"I should have suspected," chuckled the colonel. "Come. We will have to run, but I will see that you get there safely before I head to the waterfront."

As she ran along with the colonel, she saw hundreds of soldiers racing towards the harbor, but it was the sight of a K'san and six black-cloaked mages that sent shivers of fear coursing through her body. Fortunately, they also were heading towards the harbor, and the colonel safely deposited her at the Palace Keep Inn before racing off.

Tedi was concerned about Natia's plan as he watched her leave, but he tried to push it out of his mind. He knew that she could take care of herself, but that didn't quell his need to worry about her. He dwelled so much on his thoughts of her that before he knew it, he had reached the area of the city where the garrison was located. He looked around and entered the first inn he could find. There were scores of soldiers in the common room, and he could barely pick out a clear word in loud din. His sensitive ears ached from the noise, and he quickly left. Two other inns were on the same block, and he peeked inside each of them before moving on. Each of the inns was equally crowded, and Tedi surmised that the soldiers from the night shift were enjoying their free time.

Tedi moved to the next block and found another crowded inn, but the crowd was not as boisterous. He moved into the common room and took a seat alongside some of the soldiers. The soldiers glanced at him with curiosity at first, but Tedi pretty much ignored them. He sat with his eyes cast down as if he just wanted a drink and some time to think about a weighty problem. When the serving girl came, Tedi ordered a pitcher of ale. One of the soldiers raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything to Tedi.

The Knight of Alcea drank his ale in silence as he listened to the conversations going on around him. A lot of the conversations were about the typical things soldiers like to talk about. There were talks about women, lousy postings, bad food, and unfair officers. Boasting and challenges of arm wrestling were the loudest distractions, but once in a while he caught wind of current events. There were many mentions about the rebels who had attacked the fleet of ships and the search parties that were hunting them down. Men spoke of having just come back from the Pyres, and they complained about the foul air of the volcanoes.

"You going to drink that ale or just stare at it," quipped a nearby voice.

Tedi whipped his head up and saw a soldier across the table staring at him.

"Woman troubles?" asked the soldier.

Tedi nodded. "Help yourself to the ale if you wish," he offered. "I probably don't need it as much as I need a kick in the head."

The soldiers laughed, and one of them grabbed the pitcher and filled his mug.

"I think your problem is that you try too hard to understand them," chuckled the freeloading soldier. "It's far better just to agree with them and then do what you want. Thanks for the ale."

"I suppose you are right," Tedi agreed as he refilled his own mug.

"It could be worse, lad," said one of the older soldiers at the table. "At least you can sit here and drown your troubles. They are sending my squad deep into the Sands of Eternity tomorrow. We probably won't see another ale in weeks."

"Not to mention the grit all over everything," complained another soldier. "Everything you eat and drink crunches between your teeth. I hate the desert."

"Why in the world would you go into the desert?" asked Tedi. "There's nothing out there but sand."

"I wish you were my officer," laughed one of the soldiers. "We've been saying the same thing for weeks, and it seemed to have worked so far, but I guess our luck ran out. There is no way the rebels could have a base in the desert. They would burn to a crisp the first day. The whole idea is crazy."

A loud cough immediately stopped the banter. Tedi looked up and saw an officer staring at the soldiers. His expression showed that he was none too happy with their conversation. The soldiers started talking about other things, and Tedi lowered his eyes to the table again. The officer moved away and left the inn about an hour later. The soldiers started talking about him the moment he left, and Tedi had to smile inwardly at the things they said about him.

Tedi sat at the same table for several hours. Soldiers rose and left, while others came in and took their places. Eventually he was accepted as one of the men. Of course, buying the pitchers of ale helped, but each soldier thought that Tedi was a friend of one of the other soldiers. They spoke freely about their postings and the search for the rebels. None of the information was really strategic by itself, but from listening to a lot of the conversations, Tedi began to get a feel for the search, and what he learned was not pleasing. If the lost city of Aranak were discovered, no one would leave there alive.

Tedi drained his mug and was about to stand to leave for another inn when an explosion split the air. The common room immediately fell silent. Three more explosions followed in quick succession, and every soldier rose to his feet. Before the fifth explosion split the air, soldiers were already racing out of the inn. Whistles echoed all over the city, and Tedi heard several of the soldiers mention the harbor.

"You had better get to your room and stay there," one of the soldiers at Tedi's table said. "This sounds big."

"Why my room?" asked Tedi.

"Because the city is about to be closed," answered the soldier. "No one will get in or out until the culprits are caught. Anyone on the streets will be taken to jail and questioned for hours. You don't want to have to go through that. Get to your room and stay put. Sooner or later someone will come to your room to question you. Just stay there and wait."

Morro pulled Garth away from the alley and pushed him through the doorway of a closed shop. Garth looked around in the dim light at the remains of a small bakery. It appeared as if the shop had not been used in sometime.

"Head for the rear of the shop," Morro urged as he closed the door to the street. "There is a stairway leading down. Use it, but be careful. I will be down in a moment."

Garth moved to the rear of the shop and saw the narrow stairway. He eased onto it and cautiously moved down into the darkness. The basement was so dark that he could see nothing, so he remained frozen at the foot of the stairs. Even underground in the darkness, Garth heard the explosion that shook the city. Three more explosions followed quickly, and the Knight of Alcea knew that Kalina was at the heart of the commotion. A few moments later a fifth explosion shook the basement and dust flew into the air. He closed his mouth to the dust as he pulled a cloth from his pack and wrapped it around his face. Several minutes later, Morro descended into the basement and lit a torch.

"That was close," the elf said. "Whatever you were doing in that building, it was a trap. Soldiers were waiting for a call to action, and they had the whole block sealed off in mere moments. Come, we need to get away from here before they expand their search."

Garth followed Morro as the thief moved deeper into the cellar. Morro squeezed into a dark corner and bent down after handing the torch to Garth. The Knight of Alcea watched curiously as the elf picked up a small square section of the wooden floor. The elf flattened himself against the wall and waved Garth into the hole in the floor. Garth quickly complied and found a metal ladder in the hole. He climbed down the ladder and then held the torch high as Morro entered the hole and eased the wooden panel back into place. The thief quickly descended and took the torch from Garth. The Knight of Alcea crinkled his nose at the pungent odor of the sewer, but he certainly didn't complain about it. He followed the elf as Morro started walking away. Morro silently led Garth through a long procession of tunnels and turns until the Knight of Alcea was completely disoriented. He also felt as if he was being watched during the entire journey and that feeling irritated him, as he had not actually seen anyone. After about an hour, the elf stopped and handed the torch to Garth.

"You will need to remain here," Morro said softly. "If anyone approaches you, say that you are waiting for Speedy. Do not move from this spot. I will return as quickly as I can."

Garth nodded and watched as the elf disappeared around a corner. He listened to Morro's footsteps, but he couldn't hear them for very long. He did however detect movement in the other direction. Garth casually turned to stare into the darkness, but he couldn't see anything. Wanting to take the cloth off his face, Garth placed the torch down and untied the cloth.

"Hold the torch!" came a reprimand from the darkness.

Garth moved slowly and deliberately as he bent over and picked up the torch. He held the torch to one side at arm's length and closed his eyes to let them adjust to the darkness. After a few moments, he turned his head towards the darkness and slowly opened his eyes. He could make out the walls of the sewer for a fair distance, but he still could not see the mysterious minder that was watching him.

Morro returned after ten minutes and indicated that Garth should follow him. They rounded the corner and Garth soon learned why Morro's footsteps had faded so quickly. Set into the wall was a ladder, and Morro climbed it. Garth followed and they emerged into a basement. The basement was sprinkled with carpets and furniture, and looked very much like someone's underground home. Several torches were lit around the room, and Morro motioned to an empty sconce for Garth to place the torch he was holding. Sitting at the head of a long table was another elf, and he watched Garth closely as Morro led the Knight of Alcea to the table and indicated that he should sit. Morro sat next to him.

"Speedy has said that you are like his brother," the elf said, "and that he trusts you with his life. That is a high recommendation, but my organization is not built on friendship. Will you give your word that you will not harm any of my people?"

Garth stared at the elf. The man's ageless features yielded no clue as to his age, but his air of confidence was plainly evident. The elf's eyes bored into Garth with an air of superiority, and his face was set in tense confrontation.

"I do not know your people," Garth eventually replied. "I have a suspicion of who they might be in general, but I do not know any of them in particular. As to harming any of them, I do not harm those who mean me no harm, but I will vigorously defend myself and my friends."

"And is Speedy a friend that you will defend to the death?" asked the elf. "Even if the Federation demands his life?"

"He is," Garth answered without hesitation, "and I would, as would those who follow me."

The elf's face immediately softened, and he smiled at Speedy. "Fearless as you said," stated the elf, "and more honest than most." He turned towards Garth and continued, "I am known as Headman to my people. As I am sure you have already determined, my people are the thieves of Giza. Speedy violated our code today by bringing you into our lair, but he has vouched for you, and I expect you to honor his commitment while you are in Giza. Will you do so?"

"I will honor the secrecy of your tunnels, and I will not divulge anything of whatever happens down here," Garth replied with a frown, "but I do not know all of the terms of his commitment. Is there more?"

"It is secrecy that I demand," answered Headman. "My organization has remained in the shadows in Giza for many years, and I am not ready for knowledge of our ways and means to reach the ears of those outside the group."

Garth wondered how much to reveal to the head thief. He glanced at Morro and saw him nod, indicating that Headman could be trusted.

"I understand the need for secrecy," replied Garth. "The Federation is not my friend, and knowledge of thieves would not be on their list of questions should I ever be captured by them. I do not mean to belittle your organization, but I have more to fear from the Federation than you do."

"Understood," smiled Headman. "I gathered from Speedy that the need to get you underground stems from the current chaos happening on the streets above. Whatever is going on, the Federation wants you badly. They will seal the city and begin interrogating everyone who is not a resident. Where are you staying?"

Garth hesitated to answer.

"Headman will not betray you," Morro promised. "I have shared with him my vision of freeing the children from the reeducation centers, and he will aid us when the time comes. No amount of coercion from the Federation could loosen his lips."

"The Palace Keep," answered Garth. "There are three others with me."

"Are you responsible for the explosions along the waterfront?" asked Headman.

"I believe that one of my party is responsible," nodded Garth.

Headman raised an eyebrow. "One of your party?" he asked astonishingly. "I cannot imagine one person causing such damage. The reports that I have heard say that the entire shipyard was destroyed, and a huge hole was blasted through the city wall. That is the work of one person?"

"I do not know for sure," replied Garth, "but yes, one of my people could cause such destruction."

"Then you are a powerful ally indeed," Headman replied with a nod of deference. "You and your people are still in great danger. The Federation will keep the city closed until the culprits are found. The only way to avoid immediate arrest is to have a strong alibi for this morning. Do you know of anyone in the city who will lie for you?"

"No," Garth answered.

"What is your supposed business in Giza?" asked Headman.

"I am a special agent for a merchant," replied Garth. "I deal in gems and expensive artifacts."

"Mencham?" Headman asked Morro.

"Mencham would suffice," Morro agreed. "I will send for him now."

"Who is Mencham?" asked Garth as Morro slipped out of the room.

"He is a jeweler's apprentice," answered Headman. "He is also one of my people. His knowledge of delivery methods has brought in a fair amount of gold this year. If Mencham was not in a public meeting at the time of the attack, we will get him to vouch for you. You can say that you were discussing a sale with him. His word may not be enough to alleviate all of your problems, but it will give you time to figure out a way to leave the city. The worst thing you need to avoid right now is immediate arrest. With that in mind, we need to get you into your room at the Palace Keep Inn quickly."

"Mencham will have to vouch for my wife as well," Garth stated as Morro reentered the room. "I am not sure about the others."

"We need to find out," Morro said. "I will go and ask them while we wait for Mencham to arrive."

Morro left the room again, and two humans entered a few minutes later. Headman waved one of them to a seat at the table. The other human stood waiting by the entrance.

"Where were you when the trouble started, Mencham?" asked Headman. "Were you with anyone?"

"I was minding the shop," the jeweler's apprentice answered. "With the city tightened down as it has been, I had no visitors at all today."

"That is about to change," smiled Headman. "I would like you to meet Garth Shado, special agent for a merchant dealing in gems."

Squirt flew over the southern section of the Sea of Tears. Her eyes searched the waves of the sea desperately, trying to pick out anything that looked like a floating body. She had been searching for weeks, and she was tired and depressed. Feeling the strain of her exhausting search, the fairy banked sharply and headed for an island in the distance. She needed to rest her wings and recoup her energy. Gliding towards the rocky island, the fairy focused on a flat section a thousand paces from the shoreline. She landed roughly, and she berated herself for not getting enough sleep between searches. As the tiny blue fairy looked around for a suitable crevice to nap in, a large head suddenly appeared below her. The fairy flattened herself on the rock and stared at the back of the head in horror. She frowned at the stringy white hair as if something were tugging on her memory, but she did not recognize Haditha until the water witch turned around and the fairy could see her face.

"Haditha!" exclaimed the fairy as she jumped to her feet. "You are alive!"

The water witch heard the fairy, but she could not determine where the voice had come from. She looked around until Squirt waved her arms.

"There you are," smiled Haditha. "What are you doing here?"

"I am searching for Captain Gomery," replied the fairy. "I have been searching since the attack on the fleet. I was beginning to think that my search was in vain, but finding you gives me hope. Have you seen him?"

"Not lately," the water witch replied suspiciously. "Why would you want to find him? The need for a sea captain is long gone now. Surely, Garth and Kalina do not need him any more."

"It does not matter if he is needed," frowned the fairy. "I am supposed to support him. Fairies never give up their task once it is assigned."

"I am sure that he would be touched by such devotion," Haditha responded, "but I am sure that the others could make better use of your skills than searching for someone who is no longer needed. There is no shame in accepting the ways of fate and getting on with your life."

"I don't know," frowned Squirt. "I do not think Prince Midge would look kindly on my giving up so easily."

"So easily?" Haditha echoed with a raised eyebrow. "You have diligently searched for over a month. You must have worn your wings bare."

"I am tired and hungry," admitted the fairy, "but it hasn't been nonstop. I have taken the time to rest each night when it is too dark to search."

"Yet you are tired enough at midday to stop on this island," the water witch said compassionately as she stretched out her hand towards the fairy. "Come with me, and I will give you some nourishing food."

"I would appreciate that," smiled Squirt as she walked onto Haditha's hand. "Perhaps you could watch over me while I sleep, too. I am always afraid that I will get eaten by a lizard or something."

"You will be safe in the mine," promised Haditha.

The water witch carried Squirt into the mine and set her down on a small table built from driftwood. The first room in the cave was a large round chamber that the dwarves used to use for gathering at the start of the day. There were ledges etched into the wall to hold tools, but no implements had adorned those shelves in ages. There were several stone stools that had survived the years, and Squirt saw two of them had been moved towards the makeshift table. The fairy sat down on the table with her back resting against a stone cup. Its cold surface felt comforting on her back after having the sun beat down on her for so long.

"I hope you like seafood," Haditha said as she squatted near a concave stone on the floor. "I got some fresh clams this morning."

"That would be fine," Squirt responded, "but I am more thirsty than hungry. Do you have any water?"

"Of course," Haditha responded as she rose and approached the table. "I just have to figure out how to serve it to you."

Haditha reached towards a second cup on the table and then stopped. She shook her head, realizing that a cup would be too large. She returned to the other side of the chamber and began chipping away at a clamshell to make a small cup, but Squirt's eyes remained focused on the other large cup on the table. The fairy's eyes narrowed as she looked around the room. Two soiled stone plates sat on one of the ledges on the wall. It became obvious to the fairy that more than one person occupied the cave, and she glanced at Haditha's back suspiciously.

"How did you manage to get here?" Squirt asked innocently. "This is quite far from where the Remora went down."

"I was lucky, I guess," Haditha replied. "Did everyone else make it safely to shore?"

"Four were lost," answered the fairy. "In addition to you and the captain, Loman and Tyroma were unaccounted for. Everyone else made it safely to shore."

"That is wonderful news," Haditha said happily as she brought the fairy some water in a small shell cup. "I am amazed that so many survived."

"Did someone rescue you?" asked the fairy.

"No," Haditha answered. "I just ended up here."

"Kalina will be pleased to hear that you have survived," offered Squirt.

"There is no reason to bother her with such news," the water witch said slyly. "She has no further need of me, and I should probably return to the Endless Swamp. If you must tell her, just say that I am fine. I have no need of being rescued."

"It would not be much of a bother to rescue you," the fairy smiled mischievously. "They will need to come this way in any event to rescue Captain Gomery."

"Captain Gomery?" Haditha responded haltingly. "Whatever do you mean? Have you found him?"

"I have," grinned the fairy.

Haditha's eyes darted nervously around the room., but it was her sustained gazing towards the rest of the mine that confirmed Squirt's suspicions.

"I knew that he loved you very much," Squirt stated, "but I was not sure that you also loved him. I can now safely say that you do."

"You are not going to take him away from me," scowled Haditha as she realized that the fairy was onto her deceit.

Squirt, slightly afraid that the water witch might try to imprison her, jumped to her feet. "You do not have to fear the Knights of Alcea," the fairy said reassuringly. "They would never force anyone to serve them. I am sure that if the captain wishes to remain with you, they would not care, but they do at least have the right to know that you both survived. There was much sadness surrounding the loss of both of you."

"Better that they think we are dead," retorted the water witch. "They do not need our help."

"I said that they would not command his return," frowned the fairy. "Why are you so hostile?"

Haditha's face softened and tears welled up in her eyes. She sat down on one of the stone stools and put her face in her hands.

"You think that he will leave you?" Squirt asked compassionately. "Is that the problem?"

Haditha sobbed and nodded. "They will not need to command his return," she said softly. "He is driven by the need to do good. Once he has a way to contact Garth and Kalina, he will arrange to rejoin them."

The fairy stared at the water witch a long time before responding. "Perhaps," she agreed, "but I think you judge him too harshly. There are causes for which a man would willingly give his life, and I think saving Alcea is one of those for Captain Gomery, but that does not make his love for you any less than what it is. I know that he cares enough for you to put your life before his own. Can you not share his love for you with a cause that is dear to thousands?"

The water witch wiped her eyes and stared at the tiny woman on the table. "You make it sound so simple," she said softly. "How can you know what he cares about and what he will do?"

"I have served the captain for many months," answered Squirt. "I know him perhaps better than he knows himself. Humans are often confused about the ways of love, but love is like breathing for fairies. In a way, the captain also loves Garth and Kalina. He will be happy to let them know that he is alive and safe because he knows that they worry about him. He will gladly return to them if they need his expertise, but he will be very hesitant to leave your side. I think you already realize this, and that is why you are upset, but I think you are looking at things wrongly."

"How is that?" asked the water witch.

"You see his devotion to Alcea as a competitor to his affections for you," replied Squirt, "but they are really two different kinds of love."

"What is the difference?" frowned Haditha.

"His love of you is the love of a man," explained the fairy. "He would rather spend the rest of his life with you than any other person in the world. He wants you to be happy, and he wants to be by your side to witness that happiness. His devotion to Alcea is of another kind of love. It is the love of an ideal. For the captain, Alcea is more than a mere country. It is a way of life that has long been denied to the world because man is prone to corrupt such ideals to satisfy his own selfish desires."

"So it is different," shrugged Haditha. "That hardly changes anything."

"But it does," persisted the fairy. "It changes everything when you are comparing his love for you to his love for Alcea. There is no competition there. You cannot see that because you have never experienced Alcea. You can only compare it to what you have experienced, and that is the Federation and those corrupt countries that preceded it. You have to try to imagine a world where everything is as you would want it to be."

"You make Alcea sound like some dreamland," countered the water witch.

"In a way," smiled the fairy, "that is exactly what it is. It is not perfect in everyway, but it is the greatest civilization that has ever existed. I do not know how much Captain Gomery has told you of his homeland, but Alcea is more than a nation of humans. King Arik is the leader of the fairy people as well. We call him the Bringer. He is also the leader of unicorns, dragons, elves, and dwarves."

"I cannot imagine such a thing," admitted Haditha.

"That is precisely my point," grinned the fairy. "I truly believe that if you had experienced Alcea, you would offer your life to protect it because it is something special that should never be destroyed."

Haditha did not respond, and Squirt decided to let the water witch dwell upon what was already said. For several minutes the chamber remained in silence. Eventually Haditha rose and patted her shoulder.

"Come on," she said brusquely. "I will take you to Gomery so that you can get some sleep. I know that you won't sleep before seeing him."

Squirt grinned and leaped onto Haditha's shoulder. The water witch lit a torch and entered the mine. She started walking through a maze of tunnels, but she appeared to know where she was heading. At each branch of the tunnels, Haditha chose the one that led downward.

"He said this morning that he wanted to explore the deepest depths of the mine," explained Haditha. "That is why I chose not to join him. I do not handle things well underground."

"I am sure that I can find him alone," offered the fairy. "I do not want to distress you."

"You have already done that," chuckled the water witch. "No, I want to be there to see Gomery's reaction to you. You just hang on and enjoy the ride."

Haditha continued downward until Squirt felt as if she were a league under the surface of the island. Eventually they entered a huge chamber. The floor of the chamber had a long, wide crevice that stretched from one end almost to the other. Lining the crevice were hundreds of piles of clothes. Half of the piles were topped with silver jewelry and the other half had mining tools atop them. Captain Gomery was kneeling near several of the piles.

"Haditha!" the captain greeted his lover. "I thought you weren't coming down today?"

"I brought a friend of yours," Haditha said as she moved across the chamber to Captain Gomery.

"Squirt!" smiled the captain. "How ever did you find us?"

"She has been searching ever since the attack," answered Haditha. "She must be really devoted to you."

"Fairies are amazing creatures in general," grinned the captain, "but Squirt is amazing even amongst the rest. I am so glad to see you."

"I am thrilled to find you both safe and alive," replied Squirt. "What is all of this?"

"That is what I was wondering," answered the captain. "It is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. This chasm appears to be bottomless. I have thrown a few rocks into it, and I have yet to hear one hit bottom. And all of these piles lining it are most mysterious. They appear to be clothes of a fashion, but they must be ancient. I tried exploring some of the piles, but they are so old that the fabric just turns to dust when I touch it. Who would have built such a display and why?"

"It was the dwarves," Haditha declared. "The Isle of Despair used to be a rich gold mine. The dwarves were imprisoned here to mine the gold. I had never heard the story of what had happened to them, but now it is clear."

"Clear?" questioned the captain. "How can this puzzle make anything clear?"

"I heard a story a long time ago from another water witch," Haditha said. "Actually I heard many stories, but this one in particular is pertinent. It seems a dwarf once tried to commit suicide by diving into the water. He was rescued and returned to the island, but his rescuer was curious about why the dwarf had stripped naked before jumping into the water. The answer was most enlightening. It seems that dwarves will not commit suicide with their clothes on. It somehow offends their culture."

Captain Gomery gasped. "Are you saying that hundreds of dwarves committed suicide here?"

"So it would appear," nodded the water witch. "It is sad to think that people can be driven to such ends, but the Empire was a harsh master."

"That explains the riddle of the wall carving," Captain Gomery said as he rose and took his torch to a section of the wall where a message had been chiseled into the stone.

"What does it say?" asked Haditha

"The vein is played out," read the captain. "There is no more gold to fulfill the quota, but you will have no need for punishment. While life may be precious to some, we can no longer abide under such misery. Let this be the end of it all. It is signed King Drak, and there are some funny carvings underneath it."

Haditha walked to Captain Gomery and stared at the carvings. Squirt also peered at the strange symbols, but no one could make any sense out of them.

"That is so sad," frowned the fairy. "I can not imagine such pain and misery that the entire tribe would willingly throw themselves into a bottomless pit."

"I can," scowled the captain. "It was not long ago that such despicable rulers held sway over parts of Alcea. Whoever drove the dwarves to this end should be made to suffer for eternity."

"It was a long time ago," stated Haditha. "Dwarves have been extinct for hundreds of years."

"Dwarves are not extinct," retorted Captain Gomery. "They still live in Alcea, but I am sure that your Emperor has plans to change that."

Haditha started sobbing and turned away. Squirt leaped onto the captain's shoulder.

"What did I say?" the captain asked the fairy.

Haditha whirled around and glared at the captain. "My Emperor?" she shouted. "The Emperor of Barouk is no friend of my kind. We have been enemies of the Empire for hundreds of years. I know where this display of aggressiveness is leading. Why don't you just let the fairy take you back to the others? I have lived by myself for a long time, and I can do so again."

The captain moved so quickly to embrace Haditha that Squirt fell from her perch. She fluttered down to the floor of the chamber and watched as the lovers embraced.

"I never meant to refer to him as your Emperor," apologized the captain. "I meant Zaran. Forgive my stumbling words. As for leaving you, I have no desire to do that."

"Even if duty calls?" asked the water witch. "I saw the fire in your eyes a moment ago. You are not done with this fight."

"Perhaps not," admitted the captain, "but I have no need to leave right now. I will not deny that there might come a time when I will feel the need to lend a hand, but you must not look at that as a lack of love for you. In fact, I was hoping that when the time came, you would come home to Alcea with me. If that does not appeal to you, then I will return here to live out my days with you."

"So you still feel the need to help the Alceans?" asked Haditha.

"I do," nodded the captain. "What kind of man would turn his back on those who are depending upon him? Would you even care to know a man who could turn his back on those in need? I certainly would not."

"Perhaps you are right," conceded Haditha, "but the end result is that you will leave me."

"Perhaps not," smiled the captain. "I suspect that I will only be called to duty if and when there is a need to return to Alcea. I am obligated to perform that service, but I was planning on taking you with me. Until then we can remain here or go wherever you wish. I want you by my side for the rest of my days. Can you accept that?"

"That is what I want," said Haditha, "but..."

"But nothing," grinned the captain. "Squirt, report back and tell Garth that we are both alive and safe. We have no plans for rejoining the group at this time, but if we are needed, we will be there for him."