Dragonspell - Donita K. Paul [130]
Kale and the wizard fell into step together. Dar and the kimens guarded the rear, Lee Ark, Brunstetter, and Leetu followed directly behind Librettowit who seemed confident about his directions.
“Why can’t you just whirl us out of here, Wizard Fenworth?”
“Whirl? Whirl! What type of scientific activity is whirl?”
She decided not to let him distract her. “Whirl, as in move people without regard to time or distance from one place to another, as when you whirled our party from The Midways to your castle. Whirl, the useful action of a wizard in times of necessity.”
The wizard scowled at her with narrowed eyes but kept walking.
“You didn’t happen to pick up my walking stick, now did you?”
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t see it.”
“You didn’t place it in your cape hollow?”
“No sir.”
Fenworth turned his attention to those in front of them. Kale peeked at the wizard’s frowning face. He didn’t look open to any more questions.
They moved on. The egg thrummed. Kale shifted the light weight to the center of her back. “About the whirling out of the mountain.”
“The walking stick would have been useful.”
“You could put your hand on my shoulder, sir.”
He promptly clapped his wrinkled hand over Kale’s blue scarf strap and gave her a gentle squeeze. They walked on, turning occasionally and once climbing two flights of stone steps. Soldiers in groups of four tried to stop them twice.
She could sense the whereabouts of the underground populace. She knew Librettowit was leading them to an uninhabited region.
“Wizard Fenworth, can you do something to get us out of here safely?”
“You know, dear girl, you have a mind like your mother’s.”
She held her breath, hoping the old man would say more.
He took a deep breath, coughed a little, and squeezed her shoulder.
“The cape did not mend the items you put in the hollow.”
“It didn’t?”
“Not by itself.”
She puzzled over the statement. “I didn’t do anything, sir. At least, I don’t think I did.”
“No?”
She tried to remember what she was thinking at the time. Something about doing something useful instead of sitting around in a daze. “I don’t think I did anything.”
“You didn’t happen to be wearing my hat?”
Oh no! I was! I wonder if it’s a great crime to put a wizard’s hat on your head. I mean, if you aren’t a wizard. If you’re just a slave girl. I mean, a servant.
There’s no use trying to keep it a secret.
“Yes sir. I believe I did. Just to have my hands free to sort through the debris and pick things up. I didn’t mean any disrespect, Wizard Fenworth.”
“The combination of the hat and the cape and your talents as an Allerion mended the broken items you put in the hollow.” He patted her shoulder. “I shall enjoy having you as an apprentice, I think. That is, if we get out of this mountain alive.”
“About whirling, sir?”
“No, Kale.”
48
MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH
With each tunnel they turned into, the questing party moved farther away from the underground populace. No bisonbeck guards challenged them after they entered a natural cavern deep in the mountain. The ceiling here vaulted high above their heads. The scattered tiny lightrocks looked like stars in the night sky. A trickle of water ran in a meandering stream across the footpath. The travelers had to cross and recross as they followed Librettowit.
“Clever, very clever,” muttered Fenworth under his breath at regular intervals.
“What’s he done?” asked Kale, looking ahead at the tumanhofer librarian as he trod purposefully forward.
“Not, he. Me.” Fenworth leaned heavily on Kale’s shoulder as they walked. “Bringing a plumber would have been a total waste of time. Librarians are handy. Tumanhofer librarians, when you are under a tumanhofer mountain, are especially useful.”
“Where is he taking us?”
“Who?”
“Librettowit.”
“Out of the mountain.”
“He knows the way? He’s been here before?”
“Librettowit is a history buff. Knows about old mines. This one probably hasn’t seen a tumanhofer pick in over a thousand years. Thing is, Wit knew it was here, and he knows where the gate is.”
Kale’s shoulders straightened.