“Yes, I’m quite a good magician, you know.”
“Uh right” Tas stammered, then continued hurriedly. “You enchanted this spell -Featherfall or something like that. Anyway, you only said the first word” ‘feather’ and suddenly”-the kender spread his hands, a look of awe on his face as he remembered what happened then-“there were millions and millions and millions of chicken feathers. . . ”
“So what happened next?” The old man demanded, poking Tas.
“Oh, uh, that’s where it gets a bit-uh-muddled,” Tas said. “I heard a scream and a thump. Well, it was more like a splatter actually, and I f-f-figured the splatter was you.”
“Me?” the old man shouted. “Splatter!” He glared at the kender furiously. “I never in my life splattered!”
“Then Sestun and I tumbled down into the chicken feathers, along with the chain. I looked-I really did.” Tas’s eyes filled with tears as he remembered his heartbroken search for the old man’s body. “But there were too many feathers . . . and there was this terrible commotion outside where the dragons were fighting. Sestun and I made it to the door, and then we found Tanis, and I wanted to go back to look for you some more, but Tanis said no …”
“So you left me buried under a mound of chicken feathers?”
“It was an awfully nice memorial service,” Tas faltered. “Goldmoon spoke, and Elistan. You didn’t meet Elistan, but you remember Goldmoon, don’t you? And Tanis?”
“Goldmoon . . .” the old man murmured. “Ah, yes. Pretty girl. Big, stern-looking chap in love with her.”
“Riverwind!” said Tas in excitement. “And Raistlin?”
“Skinny fellow. Damn good magician.” the old man said solemnly, “but he’ll never amount to anything if he doesn’t do something about that cough.”
“You are Fizban!” Tas said. Jumping up gleefully, he threw his arms around the old man and hugged him tight.
“There, there,” Fizban said, embarrassed, patting Tas an the back. “That’s quite enough. You’ll crumple my robes. Don’t sniffle. Can’t abide it. Need a hankie?”
“No, I’ve got one-”
“Now, that’s better. Oh, I say, I believe that handkerchiefs mine. Those are my initials-”
“Is it? You must have dropped it.”
“I remember you now!” the old man said loudly. “You’re Tassle, Tassle-something-or-other.”
“Tasslehoff. Tasslehoff Burrfoot,” the kender replied.
“And I’m-” The old man stopped. “What did you say the name was?”
“Fizban.”
“Fizban. Yes. . .” The old man pondered a moment, then he shook his head. “I sure thought he was dead…”
Silvara’s secret.
“How did you survive?” Tas asked; pulling some dried fruit from a pouch to share with Fizban.
The old man appeared wistful. “I really didn’t think I did.” he
said apologetically. “I’m afraid I haven’t the vaguest notion. But, come to think of it, I haven’t been able to eat a chicken since. Now”-he stared at the kender shrewdly- “what are you doing here?”
“I came with same of my friends. The rest are wandering around somewhere, if they’re still alive.” He sniffed again.
“They are. Don’t worry.” Fizban patted him on the back.
“Do you think so?” Tas brightened. “Well, anyway, we’re here with Silvara-”
“Silvara!”The old man leaped to his feet, his white hair flying out wildly. The vague look faded from his face.
“Where is she?” the old man demanded sternly. “And your friends, where are they?”
“D-downstairs.” stammered Tas, startled at the old man’s transformation. “Silvara cast a spell on them!”
“Ah, she did, did she?” the old man muttered. “We’ll see about that. Come on.” He started off along the balcony, walking so rapidly Tas had to run to keep up.
“Where’d you say they were?” the old man asked, stopping near the stairs. “Be specific.” he snapped.
“Uh-the tomb! Huma’s tomb! I think it’s Huma’s tomb. That’s what Silvara said.”
“Humpf. Well, at least we don’t have to walk.”
Descending the stairs to the hole in the floor Tas had come up through, the old man stepped out into its center. Tas, gulping a little, joined him, clutching at the old man’s robes. They hung suspended over nothing but darkness, feeling cool air waft up around them.
“Down,” the old man stated.
They began to rise, drifting toward the ceiling of the upper gallery. Tas felt the hair stand up on his head.
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