“No, there’re different sizes and shapes and in different countryside,” Tanda said.
“No doubt we’re in different towns,” Aahz said, “all built, it seems, off the same pattern, with the same kind of people living in them.”
“Okay,” Tanda said, “now I can safely say I’ve seen it all.”
“Not yet,” I said. ‘We’ve still got the round-up, whatever that is. And a golden cow.”
Tanda nodded and looked at Aahz with a serious face.
“I’m starting to think this treasure isn’t worth what we’re risking.”
Aahz looked at her as if she had gone crazy.
“Are you kidding? We’ve come this far. Only a few more towns to go.”
She nodded, but I could tell as I sipped my juice that this entire dimension was bothering Tanda a great deal. And in the time I had known Tanda, I had never seen anything bother her.
Aahz glanced to make sure the guy was still in the kitchen, then opened up the map and spread it on the table. As every other time, it had changed again.
This time, we had four roads to pick from, and all the towns started with the letter “B”. Brae was the southern most, then there was Brawn, then Bent, and finally, to the north, Bethel. The golden treasure was marked as being in a place called Donner.
“Well, so much for that system,” I said.
“And it was working, too,” Aahz said.
“You know, maybe I could drain off the magik from the map again.” I had just finished my entire glass of carrot juice and was feeling really, really alive and well.
Aahz glanced at the kitchen door again, then asked me, “You feel up to it?”