The Warlock is Missing

Chapter 12

They came out of the hut to find rain still falling lightly about them.

"I will gladly choose a wetting, over housen with that monster!" Geoffrey declared.

Cordelia shivered and hugged herself, but said bravely, "I, too."

"Kelly knew it from the first." Magnus looked glum. "We should have hearkened to him; he would not come near."

"Nor would my unicorn," Cordelia said softly. "Alas, poor beauty! Doth she suffer from this wetting?"

"She doth know the ways of the wood." Magnus looked about him, frowning. "Kelly! Wherefore art thou? Hast thou abandoned us quite?"

"Nay, he hath not," said a deep voice by his knee, "nor have I."

"Robin!" Cordelia exclaimed, overjoyed, and Geoffrey said, "I thought thou hadst gone to spy out dangers ahead of us."

"Aye, but I did not know thou wouldst turn from the home-ward path. Yet thou hadst need to; I will own, thou hast done well."

"Well! We were near to being slain in agony!" Cordelia cried.

"Thou wouldst not have been," Puck said, with full certainty, and Kelly stepped up beside him, nodding. "If there had been any true danger, children, yer great black horse would have stove in that sorcerer's door, and elf-shot would have struck him senseless."

"I think he was so already," Geoffrey growled.

"Mayhap," Puck agreed, "yet he did not have so much power as the four of thee."

But Magnus was frowning at Kelly. "How didst thou know what did hap within?"

"Through a brownie, who hid by the hearth. Long have the Wee Folk forsaken that place; yet when they saw thee go in, one crept through a mousehole to watch."

"Fie upon it!" Geoffrey plopped down cross-legged, arms folded tight, head hunkered down. "Will we never truly win a fight by ourselves?"

"Why, so thou didst," Puck answered. "'Twas thou four who didst best that sorcerer, children."

"As thou didst know we would," Magnus accused.

Puck shook his head. "If thou hadst not been able to join all thy four powers together, then might he have hurted thee."

"Then," Geoffrey retorted, "elves would have saved us."

"That they would have," Puck agreed. "I have sworn to thy parents that I would protect thee. Never wilt thou lack for elfin guards. Yet they did naught, in this instance—the victory was thine, and thine alone."

"The day shall come," Geoffrey vowed, "when I shall win broils without even thy warding, Puck."

"So it shall, when thou art grown," the elf allowed. "Yet for now…" He looked from one little face to another. "We must join forces. What thou didst, thou didst well. Now let us return to thy chosen goal."

Geoffrey looked up, frowning. "To free the count?"

Puck nodded. "Yet I bethink me, we must have greater force than a band of elves and four small children, even ones so powerful as thyselves. Kelly!"

"What would ye?" the elf muttered.

"Hie thee to King Tuan, and ask of him some few knights and a hundred foot. 'Tis a castle we must breach, not some mere peasant's hut."

Kelly nodded. "A catapult with it?"

"Aye! See to it thou art there and back within the half of an hour!"

"Were the cause not so vital," the leprecohen growled, "I would never heed so much as one of yer commands!"

"Thou wouldst, or thou wouldst truly hop to it!"

"Yet the cause is vital," Kelly said hastily, "and I am gone." And he was, with the sound of arrow feathers whipping past an archer's ear.

"Come, children!" Puck turned away toward the roadway. 'To Castle Glynn!"

"The half-hour is up," Gregory reported.

Puck spared him a glance of annoyance. "Must all thy folk carry clocks in their heads?"

"Only Gregory." Magnus gave his little brother's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Yet where is Kelly, Puck?"

"Here."

The unicorn and robot-horse stopped; Magnus and Gregory dropped down to the road. The leprecohen stepped out of the brush, slapping dust out of his breeches. "Sure and it's a hornet's nest ye did send me into!"

"Nest of hornets?" Puck frowned, arms akimbo. "Explain thyself, elf!"

"There's little enough to explain. The king can spare us no knights, nor no footmen neither."

"What!"

"Surely he would not deny us!"

"How could the King forget his High Warlock's children?"

Kelly shrugged. "What grown folk will credit the words of children, when great affairs of state do loom?"

"Yet how Is't this king would not hearken to the Puck?" the bigger elf demanded. "Say, Kelly!"

"Oh, he's hearkening to ye, well enough—or to Brom O'Berin, his Privy Councillor, which comes to the same thing, when Brom's doin' yer askin' for ye. But he's facing the same task a hundredfold, in the South—and the East and the West too, for that matter. And the North, now that I mention it."

Puck scowled. "Thou dost speak in riddles. Explain."

"Why, 'tis no more nor less than this—that every petty lord has of a sudden risen 'gainst his neighbor. Their dukes do naught to prevent them, for they're far too occupied with fighting one another, themselves."

, The children stared, horrified. "And the King must beat them back into their castles, one by one?" Geoffrey whis-pered.

Kelly nodded. "Do ye wonder he can spare ye no horse nor foot?"

"Nay, not a bit."

"But how comes this?" Magnus asked. "I can comprehend how any one count might rise in war 'gainst his neighbor— but that all might do so, together…!"

" 'Tis conspiracy," Geoffrey stated.

They were all quiet, turning to him. Then Magnus nodded.

"Aye. 'Twas planned, was it not?" He turned back to Puck. "Where did Mama and Papa go?"

"Thou must needs now know," the elf said sheepishly. "We did follow their tracks to a pretty pond in the woodland. There we found marks of a scuffle, and their tracks did cease."

"Even as they did when we were stolen away to Tir Chlis," Magnus whispered.

Gregory looked up, interested.

"Even so," Puck agreed.

" 'Twas no mere mishap, nor the work of a moment's passion." Geoffrey spoke angrily, to hide the creeping fear in his belly.

"Nay." Cordelia shivered, and the fear was plainly written on her face. "It must have been well plotted. Yet how could they know where Mama and Papa would go?"

"They must needs have lured them in some fashion," Geoffrey returned, "and set up their engines of enchantment along the path to that pond."

"Set them up days in advance, and waited and waited," Gregory agreed. "Such weighty spells do require much apparatus that I wot not of."

The children were quiet. It wasn't all that rarely that Gregory admitted that he didn't know how something worked— but it was unusual for him not to know.

"And," Geoffrey summarized, "whosoe'er did plot to kidnap Mama and Papa, did plot also to have all the barons rise up at one time."

"Yet how could they do so?" Cordelia asked, puzzled.

Geoffrey shrugged impatiently. "There are a hundred ways, some of which I know."

"This set of events falls into a pattern characteristic of SPITE, your father's anarchistic enemies," Fess interjected.

"Groghat must be hand in glove with them," Geoffrey cried. Then, suddenly, he looked thoughtful. "Aye, there is truth in that, is there not?"

"Sure and there is," Kelly agreed. "From what we saw of him, I'd be well surprised, if he had wit enough to plan such as this."

"More a dupe than a partner." Puck nodded.

"Yet what of their enemies?" Magnus asked, frowning. "Papa hath said SPITE is opposed by VETO, which is composed of those who seek to rule all, with an iron fist."

"Yes—the totalitarians," Fess agreed.

They were all quiet, thinking. Then Gregory said, "Mayhap the Shire-Reeve?"

Geoffrey's head snapped up. "Aye, thou hast the right of it!"

"And thou children art like to be caught in the warring," Puck said. "I like it not."

"Yet we are like to be caught in such warring in any case." Cordelia spread her hands. "Would not we be marked, Puck?"

The elf was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded. "I had not thought to set spies to watch thy house."

"Thought!" Kelly scoffed. "Wherefore would ye need to think? If there be great lumbering fools sitting out in the forest watching the High Warlock's house, how could elves fail to notice them?"

"There's truth in that," Puck agreed, and turned to the children. "Yet these enemies of thy father's have spells we wot not of, with which they can watch."

The children were quiet. Then Cordelia said, in a very small voice, "Dost thou say we ought not to go home?"

"I misdoubt me of it," Puck said grimly, "yet I'll set elves to watching for watchers."

"Then where can we hide?" Gregory asked.

"In any place," Puck answered, "yet never for more than one night."

"Then Count Glynn's castle is as good as any other," Geoffrey insisted. "We have but to defeat one giant, to hide there."

"How shalt thou?" a huge voice roared, and a net of thick ropes dropped down over them.

Kelly howled, darted through the mesh, and ran. Puck disappeared. The unicorn tossed her head, knocking the net aside, and bolted, with Gregory and Cordelia on her back— but Groghat swung his stick like a baseball bat, knocking the two children off. They slammed to the ground. Pain stabbed through their sides, from head to hip, and the world seemed to swim about them. They heard Groghat's hoarse bellow and Fess's screaming whinny of rage, abruptly cut off with a huge crash.

"Thou hast hurted him!" Geoffrey cried, thrashing against the mesh. "Fiend! Thou hast broke our father's horse!"

"I'll break more, ere I'm done," Groghat bellowed. He scooped up Cordelia and Gregory with one huge hand, tossed

them into the net with their brothers, and yanked on a draw string. The whole net shut up like a bag. Groghat threw it over his shoulder with a roar of laughter and strode off over the fields, chanting a victory song.

Jumbled in together, jouncing with every step, the children held a conference that the giant couldn't hear.

He is large, Geoffrey admitted, yet there is but the one of him.

And he hath but four limbs, Magnus agreed.

And but one brain, Gregory pointed out. Gently, 'Delia!

Big Sister had him bundled against her tummy for cushioning, to protect him from the jouncing. As gently as I can, babe. Hold tightly to me.

Nay, siblings, Magnus thought. We have slain a vile sorcerer, and restored him to life again…

More's the pity, Geoffrey added.

And from him, Gregory continued, we have learned a spell for causing great pain.

Never shall we use it! Magnus thought instantly. Then he reconsidered. Mayhap—for Groghat…

He is ours, not we his, Geoffrey said, with finality. He looked around, frowning through the mesh. Puck did but now say we would not lack for guards—yet I see him not, nor Kelly neither.

Thou wouldst not, Magnus reasoned, yet be certain—an we cannot finish what we begin, they will.

Cordelia's thoughts were tinged with blood. An he hath broke our Fess…

I misdoubt me of that, Magnus thought back at her. Fess hath been in many battles, and hath scarcely lost horsehair. Yet he will need one to turn him on again.

Aye. Geoffrey glowered. Naetheless, I am not therefore minded to spare this foul giant. What say you, brothers and sister? Shall we slay him now, or later?

They were quiet for a moment.

Nay! Geoffrey protested. Surely thou dost not truly think to let him live!

For a while, at least, Cordelia thought.

Aye, Magnus agreed. We did wish to go to Castle Glynn, did we not? Wherefore ought we not let him take us there?

Then, too, Gregory added, I have never seen a real giant before.

Yet it was not Castle Glynn that Groghat brought them to, but a craggy old ruin deep in the forest.

He stamped into the great hall, halted before a fireplace where a huge fire roared, loosed the drawstring, and upended the bag. The children squawked as they hit the floor, and Groghat crowed, "Now, then! I've new toys to play with!"

The children picked themselves up, and there was murder in Geoffrey's eye. Magnus laid a restraining hand on his arm and said, "Hast thou never had playmates, then?"

For a moment, there was a lost, frozen look in Groghat's eyes. Then it thawed into a grin, and Magnus noticed that the giant's eyeteeth were longer than any of his other teeth. "Thou art the toys, not the players," Groghat growled.

"Indeed." Geoffrey cocked his head to the side with the dangerous glint still in his eye. "What game wilt thou play? Ninepins?"

"Jackstraws, more likely," Groghat grunted. "What, child! Dost not realize thou art in danger of thy life?"

Geoffrey simply stared at him.

Magnus said quickly, "There are many things we do not realize. We are, after all, but innocents in a rough world. Wilt thou not explain to us?"

For a moment, Groghat seemed baffled. Then he looked suspicious. "What manner of things?"

"Why, many things." Magnus was all innocence.

Groghat sat on a bench slowly, leaning back on a table with one elbow, eyeing them warily.

"Poor giant." Cordelia fairly oozed sympathy. "Thou hast had little of gaming in thy life, hast thou not?"

"What need have I of games?" Groghat rumbled.

"But who hath not?" Magnus spread his hands. "I'll wager thou hast never even played at riddles!"

"Riddles?" Groghat frowned. "What game is this?"

"Why, 'tis simply done." Cordelia beamed. "One of us will tell a riddle, and if thou canst not puzzle it out, thou must needs answer any question we ask."

"Thus will we gain knowledge," Magnus said brightly, "and thou wilt gain amusement."

Groghat sat there gazing at them for a long moment, and Magnus began to think they might have stretched their luck too far. Then the giant rumbled, "It may prove amusing, in truth. Well, then, as thou wilt. What is thy riddle?"

They all heaved a sigh of relief. Then Magnus recited,

"Arthur O'Bower has broken his band; He comes roaring up the land. The King of Scots, with all his power, Cannot turn Arthur O'Bower."

"Aye!" Cordelia cried, glints dancing in her eyes. "Say to us, then—what is this Arthur O'Bower?"

Groghat's brow knotted in consternation, and the children waited in suspenseful silence while the giant gazed into the fire. Finally he turned to Magnus with a look of impatience. " 'Tis nonsense! No one man could stand against all the might of a King, especially an he hath broken with his band of men!"

"Nay, certes 'tis nonsense," Magnus agreed. '"'Tis all for fun."

"Aye, it is that," Groghat agreed reluctantly. "Tell me, then—what is Arthur O'Bower?"

"Why, the wind!"

"Wind…" Groghat stared at them for a moment.

Then he threw back his head, roaring a laugh. "Nay, of course! Now I see, now I know how this game is played! Nay, then, let me ask thee one!"

"Nay!" Magnus held up a palm. "First, our question! One question that thou wilt answer, ere we ask another riddle!"

"Dost thou not remember?" Cordelia urged.

Groghat scowled at them for a moment; then he almost smiled. "Well enough, then, claim thy forfeit. What is thy question?"

"Wast thou born a giant?" Cordelia asked. "Or didst thou but grow larger?"

Groghat scowled, but answered, "I cannot say surely, for I do not remember—yet the ill folk who reared me did tell me I was a wee, puny thing when the stranger brought me to their cottage."

All four children looked up, suddenly bursting with curiosity.

"Now, my riddle." Groghat leaned forward. 'Tell me what is silver above and pale below."

"Why, 'tis… WHUF!" Geoffrey broke off with Magnus's elbow in his ribs.

"Silver above… pale below?" Magnus frowned. "Let me see, could it be… Nay, a lizard's green above… Nay, it's… Why, I have it! 'Tis a rock!"

"Nay, thou'rt wrong!" Groghat crowed. "Where hast thou ever seen a silver rock?"

"High in the Crag Mountains," Cordelia answered, "but Papa told us 'twas 'fool's gold.' What is the answer?"

"A fish, children! Hast never seen a fish?"

"Only when it's cooked and on my plate," Magnus fibbed. "What is thy question for us?"

"Question? Why…" Groghat thought a minute. "Let me see… question… Um."

The children waited.

Finally, Groghat said, "What manner of horse was that I overthrew? Never before have I heard a horse crash!"

Anger kindled in Geoffrey's eyes, but Magnus said, "An enchanted horse. I know not the crafting of the enchantment; 'tis Papa's horse."

"Enchanted?" Groghat looked up. "Is thy father a wizard, then?"

"Ah-ah! No question without a riddle!" Cordelia held up a palm. "And 'tis our turn.

"A little wee man in a red, red coat, A staff in his hand, and a stone in his throat. If you'll tell me this riddle, I'll give thee a groat!"

Groghat's brow knitted again. "What is a 'groat'?"

"Papa said 'twas a very small coin. What is the little wee man?"

"Little wee man… Let me see…" Groghat gazed off into space. "It could not be an elf, no, for I've never seen one with a stone in his throat. I have never seen one at all, come to that. Are they real, I wonder?"

"They are."

"Magnus!" Cordelia chided him. "He must tell his riddle ere thou dost answer!"

"Oh! Aye, I erred!"

But Groghat grinned. "I care not. But I cannot tell what thy wee, wee man is."

"'Tis a cherry!" Cordelia cried. "The staff in his hand is the stem, and the stone in his throat is the pit. Now tell me—if thou wast so small a babe, how didst thou come to be so great?"

Groghat smiled, and Cordelia was glad she'd chosen the more complimentary adjective. "The stranger who brought me to the old couple, brought them also a potion to put in my stew at every meal." He frowned. "He brought, too, a gold coin; therefore did they care for me. Yet they cared for the gold more."

And he doth revenge himself upon them, by being mean to all folk he doth meet, Gregory thought.

Thou hast the right of it, Magnus agreed, but what was in the potion? Aloud, he said, "'Tis thy riddle now."

Groghat stared off into space, thinking.

Papa hath told us of a lump of flesh, in the base of the skull, that doth direct how much we grow, Gregory answered. Whate'er the potion was, it must have acted upon that bit of flesh.

Magnus nodded. Yet who was the stranger?

Papa's enemy, Geoffrey thought instantly. It matters not from which side.

"What is it," Groghat asked, "that is brown in the spring, green in the summer, and scarlet in the autumn?"

Gregory started to answer, but Cordelia clapped a hand over his mouth. "Let me think… green… scarlet…" She sighed and shook her head. "I cannot say."

"Nay, thou canst not!" Groghat guffawed, slapping the table top. " 'Tis a tree, foolish child!"

'Why, so 'tis," she cried, fairly beaming. "What is thy question?"

Groghat remembered. "Is thy father a wizard?"

"Nay, he's a warlock. And my riddle is: How can there be a chicken that hath no bone?"

"A chicken that hath no bone!" Groghat stared. "Nay, tell me—for I'd be greatly pleased to dine on fowl that did not crunch!"

"Then thou hast but to fry an egg!" Cordelia said triumphantly.

Groghat stared. Then he threw- back his head and roared with laughter, slapping his leg.

Doth he eat chickens whole? Geoffrey wondered.

Aye, and without plucking the feathers, I doubt not, Magnus answered.

"Now let me see…" Cordelia pressed a finger against pursed lips. "What question shall I ask?"

Wherefore doth he roam the countryside? Magnus prompted.

"Wherefore dost thou roam the countryside?" Cordelia repeated. "Thou hast a pleasant enough lair here, if thou didst put it in repair."

"Why, for that I hate all craven knaves who take orders!" Groghat exploded. "Ever did the old man who reared me give orders: 'Do this! Fetch that!' And I grew wearied, and did resolve that, when I grew large, never more would I do another's bidding! Therefore do I spit on all craven knaves who obey, and make it my commands they answer to!" He leaned back against the table, gazing at the children and brooding. "Thee, now—thou showest no sign of fear, nor of doing another's bidding…"

Could he begin to like us?

Would we want him to?

Papa's enemies do use this poor puppet to help to bring chaos to the land, Geoffrey thought, and he knoweth it not— he, who is so proud of not doing another's bidding!

'Tis true, Magnus agreed, and I doubt me not 'twas Papa's enemies in SPITE, who do hate all government, that did bring him to the old couple and paid them. Yet wherefore do not Papa's other enemies in VETO, who wish to rule all Gra-marye with an iron glove, not attempt to stop him?

Why, for that it will be all the easier for them to step in and conquer all when there's no government left, and no large army with it, but only small armed bands of bandits, Geoffrey answered.

I mislike the way he doth look at us. Cordelia's thoughts were tinged with apprehension. .

" 'Tis time to discover whether thou wilt obey me or no," Groghat rumbled.

Quickly, Gregory thought, I have been tracking the paths his thoughts flow through when they tell his arms or legs to more, or his muscles to tighten or loosen to hold his balance. They all do meet at the top of his belly in one great knot.

'Twould hurt him greatly, an thou didst twist it with thy thoughts. Cordelia shied from the idea.

Greatly daring, Magnus demanded, " 'Tis mayhap more to the point, to know whether or not another doth command thee."

Anger flared in Groghat's eyes. He surged to his feet, bellowing, "Dost thou slander me, bug? Who could command such as I?"

"The man who did bring the potion that fed thee," Magnus answered, with a stroke of insight. "Thou dost have pain if thou dost not drink it, dost thou not?"

For a long moment, Groghat just stared at him, his eyes burning.

Suddenly, his head snapped up, looking toward the window. His lips curved into a wicked grin, and he chuckled. "What is this I hear?"

The children strained their ears, but heard nothing. "I cannot guess," Magnus admitted. "What is it?"

"A maiden," Groghat said, with a throaty laugh, "and naught else—a lone maiden, wandering in the woodland. Nay, she must not go without escort!" He whirled away to the door.

As he opened it, he whirled back, stabbing a huge finger at them. "Do not think to wander—for this door shall be barred and, if thou dost seek to climb from the window, thou'lt fall to they death!" Then he was gone, and the door boomed behind him.

The children stared at each other in the sudden silence.

"Thou'lt not heed him, I trust," came a voice from the hearth.

The children spun about, startled. "Puck!" Cordelia squealed in delight.

"Wherefore art thou amazed? Did I not assure thee thou wouldst be guarded?"

"Truly," Magnus admitted. "Canst thou find a broom for Cordelia, Puck? Then we can fly out the window."

" 'Tis in the corner, yon. Thou hast but to clean ten years' worth of cobwebs from it."

"Ugh!" Cordelia flinched at the sight.

"Art thou so squeamish, then?" Magnus sighed. He went over to pick up the broom and clean it.

"Puck," Geoffrey asked, "what will the giant do with the maiden, when he doth catch her?"

"Eat her, belike," Cordelia said wisely.

"Mayhap summat of the sort," Puck said nervously. "Come, children! We must rescue!"

"Why, certes, we will," Geoffrey said, surprised, "but wherefore dost thou say we must, Robin?"

"For that this maiden ever did cry, ' 'Ware, Wee Folk!' ere she did pour out filthy wash-water, and did ever leave a bowl

of milk by her hearth for the brownies. Shall the Wee Folk desert her now, in her hour of need? Nay!" He raised his voice.

"Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes, and

groves,

And ye that on the sands with printless foot Do chase the ebbing Neptune, and do fly him When he comes back; you demi-puppets that By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make, Whereof the ewe not bites; and you whose pastime

Is to make midnight mushrooms, that rejoice To hear the solemn curfew! Thine aid she doth

require,

Who hath ever paid the tributes which thou dost desire!"

He was silent a moment, his head cocked to one side; then he gave a satisfied nod. "'Tis well. Come, children."

He started toward the window. Puzzled, they followed him, Cordelia dragging the broom.

Howling exploded outside.

The children stared at one another. "What noise is that?" Magnus cried.

Geoffrey grinned.

"Come see," Puck invited as he hopped up to the window-sill.

The boys levitated, drifting up behind him. Cordelia followed on her broom. They flew out the window, drifting over the woodland to a meadow, bisected by a cow path. A young girl was fleeing away from them, running flat out for all she was worth.

"The Wee Folk did afright her with the semblance of a bear," Puck explained.

"It truly doth sound like one." Geoffrey peered down, then slowly grinned. "Whatever thy folk have done, Puck, they have done well!"

Below them, Groghat was stamping and howling as though he were demented.

"What have they done?" Cordelia gasped.

"Only cozened a hiveful of bees into thinking the giant's a

field of sweet flowers," Puck said innocently.

"'Tis strong magic indeed." Gregory remembered Groghat's odor.

"Aye, but if they stop, he'll pursue her—or go home to find thou art gone, and run amok through the woods seeking his captives. And there are still the count and his family in the dungeons, on whom he might wreak his vengeance."

"Then we must put him to sleep," Magnus said firmly. "Come, Gregory. Where is this thought-path thou hast found?"

Gregory visualized Groghat's nervous system for them, and they all struck together, a massive stimulation of the solar plexus. Groghat folded as though the wind had been knocked out of him—which it had.

"He sleeps," Gregory reported.

"Recall thy bees, Puck," Magnus requested.

Puck was silent a moment, then smiled as a buzzing cloud lifted from Groghat and headed back into the woods.

Magnus sat back with a sigh of relief. " 'Tis done."

"Aye." Geoffrey gazed down at the giant. "Good folk may travel the High Way again."

"Not yet," Cordelia corrected. "Those loutish robbers do still hide in the forest."

Geoffrey lifted his head, a slow grin stretching his lips. "Why, then, we'll hale them out!" And he turned away, reaching for his dagger.

"Thou shalt not!" Puck's hand closed around his wrist. "When thou art grown, thou mayest do as thou dost please, and hazard thyself as thou wilt—yet for now, thou wilt leave such measures to those grown-ups whose office it is!"

Geoffrey turned back, frowning. "But he lies imprisoned!"

"Then let us free him!" Cordelia clapped her hands. "Oh, please, Puck!"

"Certes," the elf agreed. "There should be no danger in that. Yet wilt thou leave thy father's horse for the crows?"

"Fess!" Cordelia pressed a hand to her lips. "I had forgot!"

"The bird that could harm Fess must needs be an iron crow," Magnus assured her, grinning. "Naetheless, we assuredly must not leave our stalwart companion. Come, let us seek him."

He banked away toward the forest, and the others sailed after him.

The great black horse lay on its side, eyes clouded.

Cordelia knelt by him. "Pray Heaven he's not truly hurted!"

"I doubt it quite." Magnus dropped down beside the robot and felt under the saddlehorn for the enlarged vertebra that was the hidden circuit-breaker. "Papa hath told me that Fess's 'brain' is enclosed in padding that can withstand shocks fifty times greater than the pull of the earth… There!"

The amber eyes cleared. Slowly, the great head lifted. "Whaaat… wherrrre…"

"Self-diagnostic," Gregory said quickly.

The robot held still.

"What hast thou said, sprat?" Geoffrey frowned, worried.

"I know not—only that 'tis something Papa doth say, when he's afeard Fess may be hurted. What is its meaning, Magnus?"

"Iddt cuezzz uh brrrogram that eggzamines mmy circuits forr dam-mage," the great black horse put in, "then mmy phyzzical strugdyure. In this instanzze, mmy circuitry is unnn-damaged, and therre izz only a slllight weakening inn mmy left hind leg."

"Oh!" Cordelia's eyes widened. "How may we mend it?"

"It is unnn-nezessary ad this tlmme. Stannd aside, dzhil-dren."

They leaped up and stepped back as Fess lurched, scrambling to his feet. "Yet will not the weakening prove harmful, an thou art embattled?" Geoffrey protested.

"The probability of such stress-failure is .97," Fess ac-knowledged. "When we return home, I shall see to its replace-ment. Yet for now, I am safe enough." He lifted his head suddenly, looking off toward the north. "Your friend has re-turned, Cordelia."

They all turned, to see the unicorn step out of the wood. Cordelia ran to embrace her with a glad cry. The unicorn nuz-zled the girl's face, then cocked her head in question. "Gladly!" Cordelia cried, and leaped up sidesaddle. The uni-corn trotted toward the boys, but halted ten yards away.

Puck smiled, pleased. "Now, children—shall we fetch that count thou dost seek?"

"And his children," Cordelia added.

The count was in his dungeon, eating bread and water. His wife was in the cell next door, encouraging her children in

their efforts to dig their way out with a spoon. She knew they didn't have a chance, but it kept them busy. Needless to say, she was overjoyed when the young Gallowglasses let her out. So was the count.

"I shall call up my men!" he cried.

"First thou must needs go back to thine own castle," Magnus reminded him. "Be wary and go by the northern path."

"Wherefore?"

"For that we left the giant sleeping by the southern pasture, and he may be wakening now."

"And we have met a poor old witch in the south who was accursed by a foul sorcerer; we left them sleeping, too," Gregory added.

"And there is a peasant wench who doth work her wiles to persuade all the young men to join with the Shire-Reeve," Cordelia put in.

"All this, in a few days' time!" The count shook his head. His lady tactfully didn't mention that she had told him he should pay a little more attention to the monsters in the under-brush.

"All lie to the south," Magnus explained. "Sin that thou art afoot, we do think thou wouldst be wisest to go toward the north."

The count didn't argue. He and his family faded into the forest, moving fast.

Magnus turned to confer with his brothers, sister, and elves. "The count and his family are freed, and the giant is vanquished; I doubt me not he will prove small trouble, an we can muzzle his master."

Puck frowned. "Thou speakest of true danger now. These Cold-Iron warlocks have thy father's manner of magic; I ken not how to counter it."

"Ye couldn't counter a dance step," Kelly scoffed. "Ye don't seek to undo these Cold-Iron spells—ye bedevil the sorcerers!"

Puck gave him an irked glance. "I've some small experience in that, too. I'd have no fear for my own sake—but 'tis too great a risk for the children."

Geoffrey lifted his head, incensed, but Gregory said, "They may hold our Mama and Papa."

The children stared at one another, then at Puck. "'Tis true," Magnus said slowly. "Where else would Papa's enemies

hold those they've captured, but in their own castle?"

"They do not use castles," Puck reminded. "They may issue their orders from a manor house, or a church—or even a peasant hut, for all that."

"For all that, and all that," Kelly grumbled.

Puck frowned at him. "Of what nation didst thou say thou wert?"

"Any but yers," Kelly retorted.

"I prithee, hold," Magnus cried. "If Mama and Papa are prisoners within the keep of these star-warlocks, we must hale them out."

The room was quiet for a moment; Puck and Kelly exchanged looks of misgiving.

"We will help thee to find them," Puck said at last, "if thou wilt promise me solemnly to stay in the forest nearby, and never go into the fighting."

The children exchanged glowers, and Geoffrey looked fit to burst. Finally, though, Magnus said reluctantly, "We do promise, Puck."

"Most solemnly?"

"Oh, aye, most solemnly," Geoffrey said in disgust.

"Well enough, then." Puck nodded, satisfied, and turned away to the dungeon stair. The children followed.

"Though how," wondered Magnus, "could any prison hold our mother and father?"

"In drugged slumber," Geoffrey answered. "Come, brother—let us search!"