“But the time is so short,” Kathnar shouted. “If the oracle does not arrive soon, the tower will be lost forever.”

“What do you mean?” Alex demanded, turning to look at Kathnar.

“Legend says that the tower will remain empty for only so long,” said Kathnar, looking from Alex to Kat and back again. “If the oracle does not arrive before that time is up, the tower will vanish like the mist.”

“How much time is left before the tower vanishes?” Alex questioned.

“It is hard to say,” said Kathnar, his anger fading into helplessness. “The exact count was lost years ago.” He shrugged. “A year, maybe less. Forgive my anger, I . . . It’s just that I feel that the time is almost over, and I don’t want the tower to fade.”

“There is no need for forgiveness,” said Alex, glancing at Kat. “My friend is a seer. The power of the tower called to her as I’m sure it has called to others.”

“Yes, there have been others who have tried,” said Kathnar. “They have all failed to enter the tower, but that doesn’t mean your friend shouldn’t try.”

“Those who failed, what happened to them?” Arconn questioned.

“They lost themselves,” Kathnar answered slowly. “They had no sense of who they were or even where they were. Some went mad. Others wandered away from the city. Still others simply refused to eat and, well . . .”

“Yes, I understand,” said Alex. “The tower is seeking a new oracle. The power of this place is trying to find someone who can control it, and it will call to anyone who might fill its need.”

“That sounds more than a little evil,” Arconn said, glancing at the tower.

“No, not evil,” said Alex. “It is a test of magic and will. The magic of the tower does not destroy those who try to enter; it is their failure to enter and their inability to accept that failure that destroys them. I don’t think Kat is ready for this test—at least not yet—and I won’t let her go blindly forward. When she understands what has happened and what might happen to her, then perhaps she will wish to make an attempt to enter.”

“As you wish, master wizard,” said Kathnar, bowing to Alex. “I hope that she will not wait too long before making the attempt.”

“And I hope that the oracle appears before the tower fades,” Alex answered.

Kathnar bowed to Alex and walked away.

Kat was still looking at Alex, her eyes blank and distant, and it was only when he softly spoke her name that the trance was lifted.

“I don’t know why I came here,” said Kat after the others told her what had happened. “It was like a dream, but the more I try to remember it, the more it slips away from me.”

“Don’t be troubled by it,” said Alex. “We have an adventure to finish first. If you decide that you want to try to enter the tower once you understand what your attempt might mean, well, then I will come with you and help in any way I can.”

Kat nodded her acceptance of Alex’s words without speaking, and they all returned to the city without looking back at the tower. Alex worried that Kat might slip away from them and return to the tower, but she didn’t. Kat did seem to be thinking about the tower, and she said very little to anyone for the rest of the day.

“Kazad-Syn is a wonderful city,” Thrang said at dinner. “A week or ten days and you will see it shining like a jewel in the sun.”

“I’ve never heard you speak so fondly of any city,” Arconn said, looking at Thrang.

“It is the city my family comes from, my home,” said Thrang with a smile. “My brother Thorson still lives there, though the rest of my brothers have moved away. Still, I have cousins and other family there, so our visit should be a happy one.”

“Then let us drink to Kazad-Syn, and hope to reach it quickly,” said Nellus, raising his mug.

The others followed Nellus’s example, which made Thrang happy.

“One final drink and then off to bed,” said Thrang as they finished their meal. “We’ll make an early start in the morning, and if we’re lucky, we’ll reach Kazad-Syn in less than ten days.”

They all drank and headed to their rooms. Thrang motioned for Alex and Arconn to wait as the others departed. When they were alone, he spoke in a lowered voice.

“Do you think she will try to return to the tower?”

“I don’t think so,” Alex said softly. “I’ve blocked the magic that called to her, at least for now.”

“And when you remove the block?” Arconn questioned.

“Then the magic of the tower will call to her again,” said Alex. “If she wants to try to enter the tower then, well . . . In any event, I won’t let her do anything without really understanding what the attempt might do to her.”

“It’s good that we’ll be leaving tomorrow,” said Thrang in a thoughtful tone. “Arconn, keep an eye on her tonight, just in case she tries to slip away.”

Arconn nodded and the three of them hurried after their friends. Alex felt certain that Kat would want to return and try to enter the tower after their adventure was finished, even once she knew what might happen to her. He was also troubled because he knew he could do almost nothing to help her if she tried and failed.

Chapter Fifteen

The Third Bag

Thrang’s prediction of when they would reach Kazad-Syn was correct. Just before midday on the ninth day out from Darvish, the company stopped at the top of a hill. Spread out before them was the dwarf city of Kazad-Syn, shining like a jewel, just as Thrang had said.

“It’s beautiful,” said Thrain with breathless excitement. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Do all dwarf roads lead up hills before reaching cities?” asked Nellus. “It seems the roads are designed to give us the most impressive view of the city possible.”

“I don’t know if the roads were designed that way.” Thrang laughed. “But it is a splendid view.”

Alex agreed that the city was beautiful, and to his surprise, it was also very green. The city was built close to the mountains, and a long wall stretched out from the mountainside to enclose part of the city in a half circle. The wall was a pale and milky green color; it looked more like a giant hedge than a wall of stone. They could see many large buildings inside the wall, most of them made of the same jade-colored stone as the wall. There were also many trees growing in and around the city, which only added to the effect of the green stone.

“Kazad-Syn is known for its jade-colored marble,” Thrang said as they started forward once more. “Stone from this area has been shipped to most of the known lands.”

“It is impressive,” Arconn said. “I never thought a dwarf city could look so vibrant and alive.”

“Wait until you see the underground parts of the city,” said Thrang with a smile.

When they reached the city gate, the guards greeted Thrang as an old friend and let the company pass without hesitation. It didn’t take long for news of the company’s arrival to spread through the city, and they were soon being followed by dozens of young dwarfs who were all calling Thrang’s name.

“I have a bit of a reputation here,” said Thrang with a grin. He reached into his pocket and took out a handful of silver coins, which he tossed over his shoulder to the youngsters following them. “I always toss a few coins to them, and I always have good luck,” he explained.

“A custom?” Arconn questioned, looking back as the young dwarfs rushed in to gather up the coins.

“It is for my family,” said Thrang. “My great-grandfather started the practice, and now, whenever anyone from my family returns here, we carry it on as a tradition.”

Thrang looked like he was going to say more, but at that moment, a crowd of happy dwarfs shouted greetings to him from the street. Thrang called back, waving to them, and Alex could see that Thrang was glad to be home once more.

They followed the main road through the city, but as they went, the crowd around them grew, and soon they could hardly move at all. Alex wondered if Thrang always had this kind of reception when he came to the city, but decided it might not be a good question to ask. Instead, he rode slowly behind Thrang, smiling at the dwarfs who were so happy to see Thrang and his company.