The Knight

Before I could answer, one of the Khimairas stood up, only she was not a Khimaira anymore. She was red all over, and her hair floated up from her head like there was a wind blowing up, just for it. It waved and snapped. She looked right at us, but you could see she did not see us. Pretty soon she stumbled away.

“She will throw herself off any cliff she reaches,” Garsecg told me. “She is trying to fly back to Aelfrice. Will you stop her?”

I got up and caught her, no problem, and carried her to the durian tree. “Is it all right to lay her in the shade?”

Garsecg nodded, so I laid her down where I thought she would be comfortable. She was the color of a new penny all over, very slender and good-looking.

When I sat down next to Garsecg again, I said, “You know this was going to happen.”

“I feared it would be worse, that she would die. I still fear they both will, though that seems less likely now.”

“One time Disiri and I were playing in the water,” I said. I was thinking how Disiri’s foot changed when the sunlight hit it, but when I said “water” Baki must have heard me, because she started begging for water. The creek was right near there, so I carried her a little bit, cupping it in my hand.

Garsecg pointed. “You’ll find a better container over there, if you want it.” I started looking, and he said, “Under the lime tree, with some other things.”

That was farther away. I asked if he would take care of the red Aelf girls while I was gone, and he said he would.

It seemed to me then like that garden up on the roof of the skyscraper was the most beautiful place I had ever been in. The jungle that had grown up on the new island had been pretty too, but this was better and I was in it. There were fruit and flowers everywhere.

At first it seemed like there was nothing but grass underneath that lime tree. When I did find something, it was a white bone. Pretty soon I saw more, ribs and leg bones, and little bones that might have come from hands or feet. When I saw the skull I went over to pick it up, and I stepped on a tube that looked like thick green glass. My foot was bare, like the rest of me, and did not break it. I picked it up and took out the cork, and there was a long sheet of paper rolled up inside. I carried it to a sunny spot to look at.

Chapter 25. The First Item

When I went back to the durian, the Aelfmaidens were lying side by side, so quiet except for their hair that I was afraid they were dead. I called them Aelfmaidens instead of Khimairas because that was what they were. There was no Khimaira left in them. When I saw they were still breathing, I showed Garsecg the goblet I had found under the lime tree and asked if it was what he had meant. He said it was, and I said, “Should I bring them some water now?”

“It can do no harm, provided you rinse it well.”

When I got it to the creek I took sand off the bottom and rubbed the inside with it. It had been sort of dull and stained-looking, but pretty soon I had it shining. Then I washed it out good and filled it with clean, cold water.

I propped one of the Aelf girls up, Uri I think, and held the goblet to her mouth. Garsecg was watching, not smiling or frowning or anything. Just watching. I said, “When Disiri’s foot got sunshine on it, it didn’t seem to hurt her.”

He nodded. “Thus you thought that it would do them no harm to bring them here. You would break Setr’s hold, and restore them, to their proper shapes. I understand all that. But how did you know that the summit of this tower reached into your Mythgarthr?”

“Well, when they grabbed me and flew away with me, I thought this was where they were going,” I said. “At first I thought it was just to drop me and kill me, but they could have done that without taking me up any higher. So I figured the top was where they roosted, and when we got there and they tried to eat me I might be able to outfight them. Only one got scared and let go of my leg, and when I got over being scared myself I sort of wondered what had gotten into it. I remembered about sunlight, and I knew it would fall if it turned back into a regular Aelf. Only there isn’t any sun in Aelfrice, so if it thought we were getting too close to sunlight it had to be because we were getting too close to Mythgarthr.”

Baki sat up. Back then, I was not too sure which was who, but now I know it was Baki. She said, “It is wonderful to fly.” Her voice was pretty weak, and she kept her hands pressed to her temples. “Will I ever fly again?”

“You may resume the Khimaira-shape whenever you choose,” Garsecg promised her, “and shed it, too, when you choose.”

I could see she did not understand, so I said, “You’re free again,” and let her hold the goblet of water.

“No, Lord.” She tried to smile, and seeing it like that I just about cried. “Not free, nor do I want to be. I have a new master.”

“Your slave,” Garsecg explained, “as I warned you.”