Phaze Doubt

Flach kept hauling, hand over hand. Then the animal came slowly into view.

It was man! In fact, it was the Black Adept! Flach immediately recognized the black cloak and boots. The man had been on the other side in the war of Adepts, but had been fair by his definition. He was made of the line, or the line was made of him; Flach had never quite gotten it clear.

He had been sent here to rescue this man? There had to be a reason! “Icy, caution the demons to make no hostile move,” he murmured. “This be the Black Adept, and he be not good to cross.”

“Aye,” she said, gesturing to the guards, who promptly retreated. All creatures of Phaze had respect for Adepts, having learned it by hard lessons over the decades. Flach’s magic was less potent here, but he was an inexperienced child; the older Adepts would be as dangerous here as elsewhere.

Flach finally hauled the Adept out. It wasn’t by muscle so much as guidance; the man was walking to magnify the tugs of the rope. Soon he stood beside the Pole.

“Adept, I be the so-called Unicorn Adept,” Flach said, somewhat nervously. “We met once—“

“Aye,” the man said, having no trouble recognizing him despite Flach’s added years. It was often that way, with Adepts, who knew each other instinctively. “When thou wast prisoner o’ Translucent, on his ancient isle.”

“Aye. I was sent here, but I know not why. This be Icy, the daughter o’ Chief Icebeard, who guided me here.”

The Adept nodded briefly to Icy. “Thou hast done well, fair creature,” he said.

Icy, evidently in awe and fear of the Black Adept, flushed with a truer mirror-shine than before. “My pleasure, Adept,” she said doubtfully.

“Retreat, ere Green emerge,” Black said.

Icy fled. Black turned and hauled on his own rope, which connected to him like a tail. In a moment a ball of fire emerged from the hole. Once this was in the open air, it coalesced into the form of a stout man in green. Flach recognized him too: the Green Adept.

“We thank thee for thy promptness,” Green told Flach. “It were a slow trek out, on our own, though time seemed normal to us within.”

“The Rovot Adept sent me, but he told me not why,” Flach said, amazed at this development. “Canst tell me?”

“Aye, lad,” Green said. “We set the Magic Bomb.”

“Under the Pole?” Flach asked, amazed again.

“Aye. Know this, tad: an the main ploy fail, the Bomb will destroy all. We detonate it now.”

As Green spoke, Black jerked on his line, and it came out of the hole. Evidently the cord had attached to something.

“Now?” Flach asked, appalled.

“Aye. But it be in slow time, so will break not free for six weeks. That be time enough, an thou perform as well thine other tasks as this one.”

“An I do that, thou willst turn it off?”

Green laughed. “Nay, lad! It can be turned off not. It be in process o’ explosion. None can approach it.”

“But then—“

“This be why thy sire told thee not, lest the enemy learn and come ‘fore we were done: thine other two missions will save Phaze, yea e’en from this. Take care thou dost complete them, lad, lest we all perish.”

“But I don’t know what—“

“Nor do we, lad. But the Book o’ Magic and the Oracle hatched the plot, and thou be the one to implement it. Now listen well: the part o’ Black and Green be done. We made and triggered and placed the Bomb. We be now expendable. We shall guard and hide thee so thou canst proceed about thy next mission. Check it not till thou dost be back in the pleasant latitude. Concern thyself not for us; merely see that thou be not caught.”

“But—“

“The enemy has traced thee, lad, but knows not what we do here. There will be an ambush at the White Mountains. When I signal thee, do thou assume a form none will suspect, and leave us to our fate. We will co’er for thee. Dost understand?”

Flach’s head was spinning. But it made sense, if what Green told him was true. He had to avoid capture, so that he could fulfill the remaining two directives on the message capsule. “Aye,” he said bravely.

* * *

Flach rode the sledge back, seated beside Icy as before. The Black Adept donned a white cape of snow and skied behind, seeming to have no problem with the cold. Perhaps that was because Green, in the form of another fireball, rode with him. It was a strange procession, but no stranger than the discoveries Flach was making.

“Canst tell me what be o’ such import that three Adepts join in it?” Icy inquired. “My female curiosity be about to melt me!”

There seemed to be no harm in the news now. “We have a dire plot to save Phaze from the Hectare,” he said. “An it succeed, we all be free.” He decided not to tell her the alternative.

“Aye, methought it be aught like that,” she said. “Meanwhile, howe’er that turn out, I will be fore’er thankful to thee for curing my curse.”