even as his voice rang
out, Gaal was no longer with them. He had disappeared, and they
were alone. For a moment they were too shocked to speak. Wesley was
the first to stir as he moved to the bank at the roadside and sat down.
Slowly his brother and sister joined him.
Wesley was talking softly, as though going over a lesson. "Three
men on horseback, three more saddled horses and-"
"And two pack mules," Lisa finished.
"Oh, why did he have to go?" Kurt kicked a stone. "I had more I
wanted to talk about."
"Why the pack mules?" Wesley frowned.
"Supplies of some sort, I suppose. But why on earth three saddled
horses without riders?"
"Spares, perhaps?"
"Doesn't make sense-unless, of course, they're intended for us.
But they wouldn't know there were three of us." Wesley frowned.
Kurt continued to kick at stones. "We hardly spent two minutes with
him-an' now he's gone."
"He said he'd be with us all the way," Lisa murmured thoughtfully.
"Yes, but what did he mean about Bamah? It's been destroyed. How
can we take anyone there?"
"Maybe it has been rebuilt," offered Wesley.
"Or maybe we've arrived in a time before it was destroyed," Lisa
suggested.
Kurt glanced at the roadway where Gaal had stood and sighed. His voice was unsteady. "Oh, that's not what I'm concerned about. I just
didn't realize until we saw him how much I've missed him. If only Dad
understood. Ever since we talked about Gaal he's seemed more distant
than ever-cold."
The others said nothing. Soon the sound of horses reached their
ears, and, as Gaal had predicted, three horsemen came into view
round a bend in the road, followed by three saddled horses and two
pack mules. Silently they watched the party approach.
The men were dark-skinned, richly dressed, and obviously wealthy.
The first two bore themselves with dignity. The third horseman was
overweight, and even before the party reached them they could see
a worried, uncertain expression on his face. As they drew level with
the three children, the men reined their horses and halted.
The man in the lead addressed himself to Wesley. "Is this, young
sir, the road that leads to Bamah in Anthropos?"
His face was lean, his nose long and beaked, while thick black
eyebrows almost met over dark and burning eyes. As the man stared
fiercely at him, Wesley was reminded of a particular schoolteacher he
greatly feared.
Kurt spoke before Wesley had time to say anything. "Yes, your
lordship, it is!"
Surprised, the man glanced at him, but turned again to Wesley.
"And what might the three of you be doing, walking alone along a
road through wild country?" Wesley felt he was being accused of
something.
Again, before he could say a word, Kurt answered. "That, sir, we are
forbidden to tell. We are in the service of a-a Great King!"
There was a startled pause. Wesley was angry. "I wish he wouldn't
do that," he thought. But what he said, he said in a calm voice. "He
means no disrespect, my lord." He added cautiously, "But the fact is
that we are sworn to secrecy "
"To secrecy, indeed! Among yourselves, I suppose. What would
there be to be secret about?"
Wesley drew in his breath sharply. He thought, "What do we say? Now the fat's really in the fire. We were supposed to get ourselves
hired by these people."
He glanced at the second man and saw that he was smiling. Their
eyes crossed, and the second horseman shook his head in obvious
amusement. His face was identical in shape to the first man's, yet in
some mysterious fashion it conveyed an impression of merriment and
warmth. "It's his eyes," Wesley thought to himself. "They're so alive
and friendly."
It was true. The man's eyes danced, and his white teeth lit up his
dark brown face. "Mebbe there's hope after all," Wesley thought,
hoping that no one could hear the beating of his heart
Without taking his eyes from Wesley, the second man spoke. "Have
done, Gerachti!" he cried. "I like them. Especially the young boy. I
have a good
out, Gaal was no longer with them. He had disappeared, and they
were alone. For a moment they were too shocked to speak. Wesley was
the first to stir as he moved to the bank at the roadside and sat down.
Slowly his brother and sister joined him.
Wesley was talking softly, as though going over a lesson. "Three
men on horseback, three more saddled horses and-"
"And two pack mules," Lisa finished.
"Oh, why did he have to go?" Kurt kicked a stone. "I had more I
wanted to talk about."
"Why the pack mules?" Wesley frowned.
"Supplies of some sort, I suppose. But why on earth three saddled
horses without riders?"
"Spares, perhaps?"
"Doesn't make sense-unless, of course, they're intended for us.
But they wouldn't know there were three of us." Wesley frowned.
Kurt continued to kick at stones. "We hardly spent two minutes with
him-an' now he's gone."
"He said he'd be with us all the way," Lisa murmured thoughtfully.
"Yes, but what did he mean about Bamah? It's been destroyed. How
can we take anyone there?"
"Maybe it has been rebuilt," offered Wesley.
"Or maybe we've arrived in a time before it was destroyed," Lisa
suggested.
Kurt glanced at the roadway where Gaal had stood and sighed. His voice was unsteady. "Oh, that's not what I'm concerned about. I just
didn't realize until we saw him how much I've missed him. If only Dad
understood. Ever since we talked about Gaal he's seemed more distant
than ever-cold."
The others said nothing. Soon the sound of horses reached their
ears, and, as Gaal had predicted, three horsemen came into view
round a bend in the road, followed by three saddled horses and two
pack mules. Silently they watched the party approach.
The men were dark-skinned, richly dressed, and obviously wealthy.
The first two bore themselves with dignity. The third horseman was
overweight, and even before the party reached them they could see
a worried, uncertain expression on his face. As they drew level with
the three children, the men reined their horses and halted.
The man in the lead addressed himself to Wesley. "Is this, young
sir, the road that leads to Bamah in Anthropos?"
His face was lean, his nose long and beaked, while thick black
eyebrows almost met over dark and burning eyes. As the man stared
fiercely at him, Wesley was reminded of a particular schoolteacher he
greatly feared.
Kurt spoke before Wesley had time to say anything. "Yes, your
lordship, it is!"
Surprised, the man glanced at him, but turned again to Wesley.
"And what might the three of you be doing, walking alone along a
road through wild country?" Wesley felt he was being accused of
something.
Again, before he could say a word, Kurt answered. "That, sir, we are
forbidden to tell. We are in the service of a-a Great King!"
There was a startled pause. Wesley was angry. "I wish he wouldn't
do that," he thought. But what he said, he said in a calm voice. "He
means no disrespect, my lord." He added cautiously, "But the fact is
that we are sworn to secrecy "
"To secrecy, indeed! Among yourselves, I suppose. What would
there be to be secret about?"
Wesley drew in his breath sharply. He thought, "What do we say? Now the fat's really in the fire. We were supposed to get ourselves
hired by these people."
He glanced at the second man and saw that he was smiling. Their
eyes crossed, and the second horseman shook his head in obvious
amusement. His face was identical in shape to the first man's, yet in
some mysterious fashion it conveyed an impression of merriment and
warmth. "It's his eyes," Wesley thought to himself. "They're so alive
and friendly."
It was true. The man's eyes danced, and his white teeth lit up his
dark brown face. "Mebbe there's hope after all," Wesley thought,
hoping that no one could hear the beating of his heart
Without taking his eyes from Wesley, the second man spoke. "Have
done, Gerachti!" he cried. "I like them. Especially the young boy. I
have a good
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