Whimpering, Gnosh .allowed Tas to lead him out of the ' room. As he stared back at the dragon orb, the door slammed
shut.
"My Life Quest-" the gnome moaned.
"I'm sure it will be alb right," Tas said, although he wasn't' sure, not in the least. He hadn't liked the look. on Fizban's face. , In fact, it hadn't even seemed to be Fizban's face at all-or anyone Tas wanted to know!'
Tas felt chilled and there was a tight knot in the pit of his
stomach. The gnomes muttered among themselves and cast baleful glances at him. Tas swallowed, trying to get a bitter taste out of his mouth. Then he drew Gn .osh to one side.
"Gnosh, did you discover anything about the orb when yo studied it?" Tas asked in a low voice.
"Well;' Gnosh appeared thoughtful, "I did find) out th
where's something inside of it-or seems to be-because I'd st
a2 it and stare at it without seeing anything for the longest t
then, right when I was ready to quit, I'd sere words swim
about in the mist
"Words7" Tas interrupted eagerly. "What did they say?"
Gnosh shook his head. "I don't know;" he said solemnly, "because I couldn't read them; no one could, not even a member of the Foreign Language Guild-"
"Magic, probably," Tas muttered to himself.
"Yes;" Gnosh said miserably, "that's what I decided-"
The door blew open, as if something had exploded.
Gnosh whirled around, terrified. Fizban stood in the doorway, holding a small black bag in one hand, his staff and Tasslehoff's hoopak in the other. Gnosh sprang past him.
"The orb!" he screeched, so upset he actually completed a sentence. "You've got it!"
"Yes, Gnosh;' said Fizban.
The mage's voice sounded tired, and Tas-looking at him closely-saw that he was on the verge of exhaustion. His skin
was gray, his eyelids drooped. He leaned heavily on his staff, "Come with me, my boy," he said to the gnome. "And do not worry. Your Life Quest will be fulfilled. But now the orb must
be taken before the Council of Whitestone."
"Come with you;' Gnosh repeated in astonishment, "to the Council"-he clasped his hands together in e.xcitement"where perhaps I'll be asked to make a report, do you chink-"
"I wouldn't doubt it in the least;' Fizban ansWered.
"Right away, just give me time to pack, where's my papers-"
Gnosh dashed off. Fizban whipped around to fare the other gnomes who had been sneaking up behind him reaching out eagerly for his staff. He scowled so alarmingly that they stumbled backwards and vanished into the Examination Room.
"What did you find out?" Tas asked, hesitantly approaching Fizban. The old mage seemed surrounded by darkness. "The
gnomes didn't do anything to it, did threy7"
"No, no:' Fizban, sighed. -Fortunately for them. For it is still active and very powerful. Much will depend on the decisions a few make-perhaps the fate of the world.."
"What do you mean? Won't the Council make the decisions:"'
"You don't understand' my boy" Fizban said gently. "Stag a
moment, I must rest:' The mage oat dot~rn; leaning against a
wall. Shaking his head, he continued. "I concentrated my will on the orb, Tas. Oh, not to control dragons;' he added, seeing the kender`s eyes widen. "I looked into the future:"
"What did you see?" Tas asked hesitantly, not certain from the mage's somber expression that he wanted to know.
"I saw two roads stretching before us. If we take the easiest" it will appear the best at the beginning, but darkness will fall at the end, never to be lifted. If we take the other road, it will be hard and difficult to travel. It could cost the lives of some we love, dear boy. Worse, it might cost others their very souls. But only through these great sacrifices will we find hope" Fizban closed his eyes.
"And this involves the orb?" Tas asked, shivering.
"Yes:"
'Do you know what must be done to . . . to take the d-dark road?" Tas dreaded the answer.
''I do," Fizban replied in a law voice. "But the decisions have not been left in my hands. That will be up to others:'
"I see;' Tas sighed. "Important people, I suppose. People like kings and elflords and knights." Then Fizban's words echoed in his mind. The lives of some we lave . . .
Suddenly a lump formed in Tas's throat, choking him. His head dropped into his hands.. This adventure was turning out all wrong! Where was Tanis? And dear old Cararnon? .And pretty Tika? He had tried not to think about them, particularly after that dream.
And Flint-I shouldn't have gone without him, Tas thought miserably. He might die, he might be dead right now! Thelives of some you love.! I never thought about any of us dying-not really. I always figured that if we were together we could beat anything! But now, we've gotten scattered somehow. And ':kings are going all wrong!
Tas felt Fizbari s hand stroke his topknot, his one great van-: iky. And far the first time in his life, the kender felt very lost and= alone and frightened. The wage's grip tightened around hima affectionately. Burying his face in Fizban's sleeve, Tas began to. cry.
Fizban patted him gently. "`yes;' the wage repeated, "important people.''
300
the Council of "itestone. ?fin important person.
he Council of 4h~'hitestone met upon the twenty-eighth day of December, a day known as
Famine Day in Salamnia, for it commemorated the suffering of the people during the first winter following the Cataclysm.