Im not really positive, Vanion. When I do it, I still have the surrounding terrain to refer to, so I know where I am, no matter how fast Im going. Bhelliom goes from one place to another instantaneously without any reference points. Its an altogether different process. Either Sparhawk and I are going to have to learn how Bhellioms technique works, or were going to have to make Bhelliom understand exactly what we want.
Which way would be easier? Kalten asked her.
Im not sure. Its possible that theyre about the sameboth very, very difficult. Well find out tomorrow morning. She looked at Vanion. Are we more or less safe where we are right now?
Vanion scratched at his short, silvery beard. Nobody really expects us to be here. Somebody might accidentally stumble across us, but there wont be any kind of organized search. They dont know where we are, and the rings are shielded, so our friend out there wont be able to pick up the sense of their location and follow that to us. Id say that were safe here.
Good. Weve got some time, then. Lets use it to let Sparhawk and Bhelliom get to know each other. Theres nothing all that crucial going on right now, so a few mistakes and false starts wont hurt anything. They might be disastrous later on, though.
Sephrenia did not tell them where the water came from the next morning, but it was icy-cold and tasted of snow-melt. It sparkled invitingly in its shaded little pool behind a rust-colored boulder, and by its very presence it alleviated a great deal of tension. Water is a source of major concern to people in a desert.
Flute took Sparhawk, Khalad and Talen some distance out onto a broad graveled plain to begin the instruction.
Its going to get hot out here before long, Talen complained.
Probably, yes, the little girl agreed.
Why do Khalad and I have to come along?
Vanion needs the knights with him here in case someone stumbles across our camp.
You missed my point. Why do you two need anybody to come along?
Sparhawk has to have people and horses to carry. Hes not going to be moving sacks of grain from place to place, you know. She looked at Vanions map. Lets see if Bhelliom can take us to this oasis up here, Sparhawk, she said, pointing at a symbol on the map.
What does it look like? he asked her.
How would I know? Ive never been there either.
All youre giving me to work with is a name, Aphrael. Why dont we do it the way we did when we moved from outside Jorsan up to Korvan?and all those other places we went to when we were jumping around to confuse the other side? You tell Bhelliom where we want to go and then Ill tell it to do it.
We cant be sure that Ill always be available, Sparhawk. There are times when I have to be away. The whole idea here is to train you and Bhelliom to work together without my intervention.
A name isnt really very much to take hold of, you know.
Therell be trees, Sparhawk, Khalad told him. An oasis is kind of a pond, and anywhere youve got water, youre going to have trees.
And probably houses, Talen added. Thered almost have to be houses, since waters so scarce here in Cynesga.
Lets see the map, Sparhawk said. He studied the chart carefully for quite some time. All right, he said finally. Lets try it and see what happens. He lifted the cap on his ring and touched the band to the lid of the golden box. Open, he said. Then he put on the other ring and took out the Bhelliom.
Its me again, he told the jewel.
Oh, thats absurd, Sparhawk, Aphrael told him.
Formal introductions take too long, he replied. There may come a time when Ill be in a hurry. He carefully imagined a desert oasisan artesian-fed pond with its surrounding palms and flat-roofed white houses. Take us there, Blue Rose, he commanded.
The air blurred and faded into gray. Then the blur cleared, and the oasis was there, just as he had imagined it.
You see, Sparhawk, Aphrael said smugly. That wasnt hard at all, was it?
Sparhawk even laughed out loud. This might work out after all.
Talen, Khalad said, why dont you ride on down to one of those houses and ask somebody the name of this place?
Its Zhubay, Khalad, Flute told him. Thats where we wanted to go, so thats where we are.
You wouldnt mind a bit of verification, would you? he asked her innocently. She scowled at him.
Talen rode down to the cluster of houses and returned a few minutes later. Let me see the map, he said to Khalad.
Why? Flute asked him. Were in Zhubay, up near the Atan border.
No, Divine One, the boy disagreed, actually were not. He studied the map for several minutes. Ah, he said. Here it is. He pointed. This is where were atVigayo, down near the southern border where Cynesga adjoins Arjuna. You missed your mark by about three hundred leagues, Sparhawk. I think youd better sharpen your aim just a bit.
What were you thinking about? Aphrael demanded.
Pretty much what Khalad was talking abouttrees, a pond, white housesjust exactly what there is in front of us.
Now what? Talen asked. Do we go back to where we started and try again?
Aphrael shook her head. Bhelliom and the rings are unshielded. We dont want to put Vanion, Sephrenia and the others in danger by going back there too often. Let me down, Sparhawk. I want to think about this.
He set her down on the ground, and she walked down to the edge of the oasis, where she stood throwing pebbles into the water for a while. Her expression was doubtful when she returned.
Sparhawk lifted her again. Well? he asked.
Take us to Zhubay, Sparhawk, she said firmly.
Let me see the map again, Khalad.
No, Aphrael said very firmly. Never mind the map. Just tell Bhelliom to take us to Zhubay.
Obviously. Khalad said, snapping his fingers. Why didnt we think of that before?
Think of what? Sparhawk demanded.
Try it, my Lord, Khalad grinned. I think you might be surprised.
If we wind up on the moon, you two are in trouble, Sparhawk threatened.
Just try it, Sparhawk, Flute told him.
Blue Rose, take us to Zhubay. He said it without much conviction. The air blurred again, and when it cleared they were sitting on their horses beside another oasis. There were a number of significant differences between this one and the one theyd just left.
There probably isnt any need, Khalad said to his brother, but you might want to ask anyway, just to be sure.
Talen rode on round the oasis and spoke with an old woman who had just come out of one of the houses. He was grinning when he came back. Zhubay, he told them.
How could it find the place with only the name to work with? Sparhawk demanded. Its probably never even heard the name Zhubay before.
But the people who live here have, my Lord, Khalad shrugged. The name Zhubay was sort of floating around in their minds. Thats all Bhelliom really needed to find the place. Isnt that more or less the way it works, Flute?
Thats exactly how it works. All Sparhawk has to do is mention the name of the place he wants to visit. Bhelliom will find it and take us there.
Are you sure? Talen sounded uncertain about the whole notion. It seems awfully simple to me.
Theres one way to find out. Take us to Ahkan, Sparhawk.
Where is it? What kingdom, I mean?
I dont think you need to know that. Just take us there.
Ahkan was a town in the mountainssome mountains, somewhere. It was surrounded by dark green fir trees, and the nearby peaks were snow-capped.
Better and better, Flute said happily.
Where are we? Talen asked, looking around. This isnt Cynesga, thats for certain, so where is it?
What difference does it make? Flute shrugged. Torrelta, Sparhawk.
It was snowing in Torrelta. The wind came howling in off a lead-gray sea driving a blizzard before it. The buildings around them were dim and indistinct in the swirling snow-storm, but they seemed to be constructed of rough-hewn logs.
Theres no limit! Flute exclaimed. We can go anywhere!
All right, Sparhawk said very firmly, just which anywhere have we come to?
It doesnt matter. Lets go back to where we started from.
Of course, he agreed pleasantly. Just as soon as you tell us where we are.
Im getting cold, Sparhawk. Im not dressed for a blizzard.
Its nice and warm back in Cynesga, he told her, and well go therejust as soon as you tell me where we are.
She said a naughty word. Torreltas on the north coast of Astel, Sparhawk. Its almost winter here now.
He looked around with feigned surprise. Why, I believe youre right. Isnt that amazing? He visualized the flat gravel plain near the dry wash where they had set up camp the previous evening. He groped for a name for a moment, then remembered the blunder he had made when they had first set out. Hold the box open, Khalad, he instructed. Ill put Bhelliom and Ehlanas ring inside just as soon as we get back. He drew the picture in his mind again. Take us there, Blue Rose! he commanded.
Where have you been? Sephrenia demanded. She and Vanion had ridden out onto the gravel plain to look for them.
Oh, Talen said evasively, brushing the snow off his shoulders, Here and there.
I gather that one of the places was quite a ways off, Vanion surmised, looking at the snow still clinging to the travelers.
Its really amazing, Sephrenia, Flute said happily, and its all so simple.
Khalad closed the box and handed it to Sparhawk. Sparhawk snapped the cap down over the ruby on his ring and then put the box back inside his tunic. We made a couple of false starts right at first, though, he admitted.
How does it work? Vanion asked.
We just let Bhelliom take care of everything, Sparhawk shrugged. We have to do it that way, actually. Its when we try to help that things go wrong.
Could you be just a bit more specific than that? Sephrenia asked Flute.
Sparhawks really very close. All he has to do is tell Bhelliom a nameany nameof any place at all. Bhelliom goes and finds it, and then it takes us there.
Thats all?
Thats it, dear sister. Not even Sparhawk can make any mistakes this way.
10
We have to pick up someone there, thats why, Flute told them.
Who? Kalten asked.
I dont know. All I know is that someones supposed to go with us, and we have to pick him up in Cynestra.
Another one of those hunches of yours?
You can call it that if you want to.
I dont think well want to go into the city itself until weve had a chance to feel things out, Vanion said, looking up from his map. Theres a village just to the west of town. Lets go there and nose around a bit.