Chapter 47: A Good Day on Obeeta

…

Link spent the rest of the night patrolling the main deck, not even wanting to risk going through the hold for fear that Layna might throw another blade into his face. He found that being given a second red eye added a positive spin on his efforts to keep his crew awake; those that were incapable of maintaining their watch were suddenly spurred into activity by the sight of their captain's expression when they found the power to at least open their eyes. Despite Leynne's warnings, Link found that his crew were responding as expected. However, no one really acted intimidated beyond the initial shock. It might have saved him from the incident that befell him early in the morning.

"Captain!"

The voice was sharp and threatening. Link initially did not think much of the tone, deciding to disregard it simply because of the person who had hollered at him.

Link re-evaluated his impression of the shout upon turning around and finding Cale approaching him at a quick pace.

Link's natural reaction was confusion, so he asked Cale once he was close enough for normal conversation, "Something wrong?"

"Yes!" Cale snapped, causing Link to recoil. Cale stopped just within arm's reach, and the back of Link's mind felt Cale exude the intention of grabbing Link's tunic in anger. "Yes, something is wrong. You ah driving me to madness!"

Link glanced over Cale's left shoulder at Leynne, who could only show him a confused shrug through his alarm at the younger man's behavior. "What is it, the rations?" Link asked. "I-I thought you could just use the work—"

"I'm not speaking of the rations!" Cale hollered in Link's face. Link felt spittle spatter his chin. "Do you think I'm an idiot?!"

"Uh… well, I think this ship actually gains some intelligence when you're aboard," Link admitted.

"Then I am blind?" Cale demanded.

Link raised his arms in surrender. "Look, if there's a problem, I'll be glad to talk to you about it," he said.

"Of couhse it isn't a problem to you!" Cale snapped. "It isn't as if you've lost a gihlfriend. You just build this nice, little collection of them with whomevah happens to be around."

Link could only blink his ignorance at Cale. "Huh?" he asked.

"Cale," Leynne spoke up as he approached. "I'm afraid that you'h being a little too cryptic foh us."

"Oh, I'm sohry," Cale said in a tone clearly representing the opposite idea. "It seems that I've mistaken my captain to be a fellow scholah. You don't like me using pretty wohds? Should you like me to express my problem by punching you in the face? Would that clarify my meaning?"

"Dholit," Leynne said, causing Dholit to pause as she approached Link and Cale. "Get the doctoh."

"Yes, saah," Dholit replied, her voice expressing her dismay toward the new situation.

"Look, if you would just tell me—" Link started.

"You want to know?" Cale interrupted. "Fine. I'll tell you. I hate that you will just attract any gihl that's evah had the notion to look at you. It isn't a suhprise when you considah that we'h the only ship in the company that has female crew."

Link shrugged. "It's never been a problem before," he pointed out.

"Oh, suah," Cale said with a sarcastic chuckle. "No one is going to complain when you tahget those who haven't pledged themselves to you. Probably why you'h suddenly so keen on spending time with my Lilly."

"Oh, deah…" Leynne commented under his breath.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Link said, holding a hand up. "First off, I'm the captain. I have a crew to look after. I can't exactly avoid them. Secondly… are you seriously suggesting I'm actually chasing after Lilly? Like… in a lovey-dovey way?"

"I don't have to suggest a thing," Cale told him. "I've seen the way you behave around haah. I'd expect someone like you should try a challenge. Pahhaps Dubbl? A mahried women just might be to your liking. Everyone knows she can't stand Leynne anymoah."

"Now see heah!" Leynne started as he pointed a finger at Cale.

"Leynne," Link commanded with a careful tone, his hand still positioned as a calming gesture. Then he asked Cale, "What am I doing that makes you think I'm trying to take Lilly from you?"

"How about that blackout last week?" Cale asked in an accusing voice. "What exactly weah you touching befoah Lilly punched you?"

Link took a moment to recall the blackout. Then he replied in a defensive tone, "I didn't touch anything; she pulled me off the bench!"

"What about you assigning us to separate shifts?" Cale asked, his voice still heated.

"You two are filling in for Gillam and Hunter," Link pointed out. "Gillam's just recovered; you two can return to normal."

"And the time you spend sleeping in the cahgo hold?" Cale asked. "You telling a joke so she'll laugh?"

"What's wrong wit—" Link tried to get out.

"You don't think I remembah two nights ago!?" Cale shouted in Link's face. Link was taken aback, confused by the fact that he was referring to the night he defeated The Night in the mines. "You don't think I felt something when I caught you two!?"

"Cale, Link was—" Leynne started.

"I found you two!" Cale continued, his voice cracking. "Making out in my room!" Leynne quickly retracted the hand he was reach toward Cale's shoulder. Link's face turned bewildered. Cale shouted, "You laughed at me! Both of you! Then you slammed the doah in my face! I could heah you two in that room! You laughed the entiah time you bedded haah! I cannot even control my stomach at the thought of you two! Did she satisfy you!? Did sh—"

Pap! Before he knew what had happened, Cale was staring at the broken starboard mizzen-mast in shock. His left cheek throbbed with pain, and he carefully pressed a hand against it while he turned back to Link.

Link quirked an eyebrow out of his angry glare. "Better yet?" he asked. Cale could only gape as Link shook the sting out of his fingers. "Cale, I don't know what the hell The Night is showing you, but it seems to me that you're confusing it for reality. You're supposed to be smarter than me; didn't you ever think The Night's been messing with you?"

"I…" Cale said as realization set in on his face. "I-I'd thought you weah undah its influence…"

"We all are," Link told him. "You know that's what caused Beech to attack Geordie, right?" Cale nodded. "And that's why Dubbl went off on Leynne?"

"Y-yes, saah…"

"The Night manipulates us with illusions and paranoia," Leynne spoke up. "It doesn't make us behave contrary to ouh usual behavioh, but it can drive us towahd its desihed effect."

Cale glanced back at Leynne. Then he turned back to Link. "I-I'm sohry, Link," he said in a weak voice. "I… I cannot believe I was so easily manipulated like this."

Link looked past Cale to see Nester hustling toward them. "The Night has had a hundred years to figure out how to do this sort of thing," he told Cale. "It has experience that we need to fight against. I-I don't know what else to tell you. You've… you've just gotta remember what's in your dreams and what's in the real world."

Cale gave a nod of very little motion. "Okay, Link," he said. "I… I will try."

"Doctoh, would you take Cale to his quahtehs so that he can rest?" Leynne asked as he used a hand to conduct Cale toward the stairs. "I think a tranquilizeh and some rest might do. Pehhaps a talk with Lilly lateh to clarify things."

"Sounds like my kinda 'script, Number One," Nester said as he received Cale. He kept one hand gently gripping Cale's upper arm so he could direct him. "I'll take care of the arrangements."

"Thank you, Doctoh."

"Fizuban taris," Link told Ray and Biluf, both of whom had been watching the exchange in bafflement. At Link's words, they immediately jerked to life and started walking.

Leynne moved to Link's side, and they watched Nester guide Cale away in silence for a moment. Then, once he was sure he would not be overheard, he said, "I must admit I'm suhprised he hadn't a weapon with him."

"Yeah," Link replied. Then he started thinking further on the situation. "Yeah, now that you mention it… that was pretty mild compared to what The Night's been doing to us lately."

"Pehhaps it's changed tactics with us?"

Link crossed his arms. "No, I think this is different. I think Janni was right. I actually hurt it this time."

"So, you've confihmed with Janni, then?" Leynne asked.

Link groaned upon realizing that he had forgotten to mention the important part of his recent conversation with Janni. "Yeah," he answered. "According to her, half of The Night's body was in those mines and the technoworks. That's why the island lifted up."

Leynne raised an eyebrow. "I would imagine that this has had a significant affect on The Night as well."

"Maybe," Link said. "This might be a good sign. But… let's keep an eye on everyone anyway. We're not through yet."

…

~~10/6, Expedition Day 51.

~~Had an interesting conversation with Cale this morning. The Night has been making him think that I've been trying to take Lilly away from him. He got some rest and talked to Lilly, then he apologized to me again. I figured he was well enough to send him with Line and Irleen back to the library. Other than Layna and Geordie, most everyone is back on duty. The only problem is Beech; he's still not behaving right. Dholit is still working with him. If we're lucky, we'll have the entire crew back on its feet by the time we leave. I'm gonna be glad to get away from this rock.

…

Kon kon. "Captain?"

Link rolled to the edge of his bed and sat up. "Yeah?" he called to the door.

Leynne opened the door and leaned inside. "Captain, we've just seen a signal from Cale and Line."

Link immediately rose to his feet. "What color?" he asked in urgency.

"Green."

Link was just bending over to retrieve his trousers when Leynne answered. He paused and stood up again. "Green?"

"Yes, Captain."

Link frowned. A green flare was not any sort of distress signal. In fact, it was the "all-clear" signal they used after a situation calmed down. Unless there was another flare before it that no one saw, there should not have been a reason to use it. So, he asked, "What do you think?"

"Well, it would seem that theh is little uhgency," Leynne replied. "A blue oh puhple flah would have been moh appropriate if anything was wrong; all three of them ah awah of this fact. They've neveh signaled theih retuhn. I wondeh if they simply need some assistance."

"What time is it?"

Leynne pulled out his pocket watch. "Just a few minutes to eleven," he answered. Link glanced out the windows at the back of his cabin as if to confirm. Then he pondered his feet for a moment. "Shall I send a shoh pahty?" Leynne asked as he replaced the watch.

Link gave the idea some thought. Then he said, "Nah, I'll go check it out. I'd feel kinda stupid sending a shore party just to find out it was something small."

"I expect The Night to take advantage of such feelings," Leynne replied. "This is hahdly the time to be careless, Captain. The Night may be setting a trap."

Link scratched at his scalp. "Aaah… maybe you're right," he said. "But I'd still like to go. Dholit and Brandon can come along. Will that make you feel better?"

"I would sooneh take youh place," Leynne said. Then he heaved a sigh. "Howeveh, it is moh than I was expecting. I'll tell them to get ahmed."

Link dressed and put on his regular gear more out of habit and appeasement than of caution, having figured that Leynne would argue more if Link did not show any sort of alertness. It was not until he disembarked with Dholit and Brandon that he became concerned that The Night might have actually been planning a trap. Having a clearer head than when he first woke up, he remembered his confrontation with Cale much earlier that morning. What if they were underestimating The Night's influence on him? Leynne might have been right to suspect a trap. Was a slap really enough to snap Cale back to reality? What if Line had fallen under The Night's control? Line would have been the one to fire the flare. Could Irleen do anything to stop them? To warn anyone?

The settlement was empty as usual. This did not help; Link had made himself paranoid. The quiet only put him on-edge as they went further in. Link kept his eyes open for signs that The Night was making a move: darkness crawling out of the tower, more than the regular two trails of smoke over the horizon, maybe even one of the Obeetans screaming in broad daylight. Other than an empty ration bag on the street (which likely came from Line eating a late breakfast), the only difference the trio noticed was that sunlight was shining down from the massive hole in the clouds above. When they found the hole Biluf had blown out of the street, Link was surprised to see that a trail had been made out of the rubble: a flat path lined with pieces of brick.

At the bottom of the path, Brandon placed a hand on Link's shoulder to stop him at the tunnel entrance. "Captain," he said, "I'd prefer if you let me go first."

His request made him sound paranoid. It brought Link's awareness of his own thoughts to light, and he realized that half the things he was expecting had snowballed into absurd thoughts. Still, he thought it would be better if Brandon did go first; Brandon had been armed with Leynne's rifle. He nodded and said, "Okay, but be careful. Line and Cale are in there, too."

"Aye aye, sir," Brandon said as he stepped around Link with the rifle pointed at the ground in front of him. Link slid next to the mouth of the tunnel after Brandon went inside.

Dholit, standing behind Link, whispered, "Can it be that ouh young crewmates have succumbed to The Night's ruthlessness?"

"I don't know anymore," Link admitted at the same volume. "I just do—" Fuwumph! "Brandon!" Link hollered, one hand going to his sword.

"I'm okay, Captain," Brandon called back in an annoyed voice. "C'mon in; it's all right." Link traded a confused look with Dholit. They stepped around and entered the tunnel.

When they set foot in the library, Brandon was leaning on a bookshelf close to the entrance with the rifle resting on his shoulder, an annoyed look on his face. Cale lay on the ground unconscious with Line, sitting on his knees next to him, poking one cheek in a lazy attempt to wake him up.

"What happened?" Link asked.

"I poked the Twig on the nose with the rifle when he came around the corner," Brandon said. "He fainted."

"You know," Line added. "Like he usually does."

"So, why'd you guys fire the flare?" Link asked, hands resting on his hips.

"Well, we had something to show you, but we didn't wanna alarm you or anything," Line explained.

"Line, would you do something other than poke him on the face?" Link told him, indicating Cale with a hand. "You're just being annoying."

"Okay." Line then reoriented himself so that he was leaning over Cale.

Whap! "Agh!" Cale cried out, jumping to life after Line smacked his cheek.

"Line!" Link snapped.

"What!?" Line replied, shrugging. "It worked for you!"

"You okay, Chief?" Brandon asked.

Cale moaned and rolled away from Line. "Yes, I believe so…" he said with very little conviction.

"Okay, so," Link said. "Why'd you call me out here? Couldn't you just come back to the ship and tell me? Where's Irleen?"

"I wanted to make this a suhprise, Link." Link, Brandon, and Dholit glanced around looking for the source of the young girl's voice. However, there was no green light in sight. "It's been a while."

"Irleen?" Link asked. Then his eyes widened. "You didn't."

Someone stepped from behind the shelf Brandon was leaning against, causing Brandon to start. However, he did not ready the rifle. The young girl looked harmless enough. Link felt his heart skip a beat.

It was the same girl he had seen in the river technoworks, the "younger sister" of the illusion of Meilont. He gulped.

She gave a bashful grin. As Link stared, he realized that this was not exactly the same girl. She bore the same tan complexion with eyes of bright green which shimmered with the lights roving around the library walls. Her "hair", however, was actually green plumage that fanned out from behind her like the tail of a large bird. The top she wore, a white, sleeveless shirt bearing a word of the Sorian language, left her arms exposed so that Link could see dirty-white feathers matted against her forearms. She wore blue slacks that buttoned at the ankles.

Link's jaw slackened. The girl shivered for a moment.

Then she tackled Link, forcing him to take a step back so she did not bowl him over. "Mmmm…" she uttered with her ear pressed to his chest. "I've been wanting to hug you like this for two yeahs."

"My Captain?" Dholit asked, her brow knitted into annoyance and confusion.

"I was quite gob-smacked myself, Dholit," Cale said as Line helped him to his feet. "Only a few of us have evah seen a Sorian."

"A Sorian?" Brandon asked. "Those… bird-like things the lieutenant told us about?"

"You mean this is…?" Dholit asked, one hand pointed to the girl.

"That's Irleen," Line answered. "Same as we remember."

"How?" Link asked through his shocked stupor.

"It's just like she said," Line told him. "This place has a bunch of the same texts as the library on Forelight Island. It just took us a while to find the right one."

Link glanced down at the top of her head. "But… when she was like this before, she was the same height as me," he pointed out.

Irleen pulled away from him. "Yes, I know," she told him. "The fairy spell I used maintains everything about a pahson at the time they change. I didn't think I'd evah get stuck like that."

"So, you're still…" Link started.

"I'm still physically foahteen yeahs old," she replied. "But I remembah everything."

"My Captain?" Dholit asked as she stepped forward. "May I?"

"Huh?" Link asked.

Dholit pressed a hand on his chest and gently nudged him backward. "A pahsonal thing."

Then she wheeled on Irleen and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl. "Wah!" Irleen cried as Dholit squeezed her. She started giggling as she said, "Dholit, take it easy!"

Link took a look at the beaming faces of his crew. He could only stare in shock. He should have been happy for her, being trapped as a fairy this whole time with so little to do to help herself. Irleen was a full person again.

Another mind to feed The Night.

…

Link's mood at least lightened a bit once they were on their way back to the Island Symphony. True, he feared that Irleen was now subject to the same torture as the rest of the crew. However, with her as a full Sorian once again, she might be able to provide some personal insight as to how The Night worked. He knew from Janni that it used Sorian magic to create the dream. What else would Irleen be able to tell them?

Leynne was waiting at the top of the gangplank along with Gold and Hunter. Both of the airmen were carrying boards to use as clubs, and Link could feel all three sets of eyes trained on Irleen.

"Captain," Leynne greeted as Link reached the middle of the gangplank, Irleen directly behind him. "You appeah to have an extra."

Link grinned at him and shook his head. "No," he replied. "She's always been a part of this crew. Right from the beginning."

"From the…" Leynne trailed off while Gold and Hunter traded looks. He pointed and asked, "Is this…?"

"It's me, Leynne," Irleen said from behind Link. She leaned aside to show Leynne the grin on her face. "The same Sorian you met two years ago."

"Goddess Above…" Leynne breathed.

"Can we come aboard?" Link asked with a smart grin on his face.

"O-of couhse!" Leynne said. He used a hand to direct Gold and Hunter out of the way. Once the whole shore party was aboard, he told Link, "It would seem that this adds to the fohtunes of the day."

"What do you mean?" Cale asked.

Leynne turned to him and frowned. "Cale… what's happened to youh face?" he asked.

"I smacked him," Line spoke up.

"What?" Leynne asked.

"Leynne," Link said. "What's going on?"

Leynne cleared his throat. "Yes, sih. Gold and Hunteh retuhned in the launch about an houh ago. They may have found something."

"What is it?" Link asked.

"Well, all the buildings on the… the west side of the island," Hunter said. "They're all trees."

"Not really weird," Line spoke up. "That's what Sorian houses look like."

"Yeah, but, that was our prob'm," Gold spoke up. "We couldn't get in 'em. We just been explorin' 'round the streets. But we found that… symbol thin', the eye."

Link frowned and reached into his pocket. He retrieved the Sorian goggles and showed them to Gold and Hunter. "This symbol?" he asked, pointing to the left lens.

"That's it," Hunter said with a nod. "It was on the outside of… well, it kinda look like a shed if a shed was partially eaten by a monster plant."

"We didn't notice 'til the sun hit the side o' the wall," Gold continued. "It wasn't there 'fore, but it showed up then. I was lookin' right at the damn thin'!"

"Irleen?" Link asked.

Irleen shrugged. "You got me, Link," she said. "It's not like we don't grow ground-level buildings. I don't know if that had been a home or anything, but if it had the Mystics' Eye on it, it must have been something."

"Did you guys go in?" Link asked.

"Didn't seem like a good idea," Hunter said.

"I agree," Leynne said. "If they had found The Night inside, they might not have retuhned."

Link nodded. "That's fine, but did you at least mark it somehow?"

"I should be able tae take yeh back, Cap'n," Gold said. "I got the lay o' the land 'fore we left. There's two, big, wide trees on either side o' the buildin', biggest out there."

Link glanced around. "Gold, Irleen, I want the both of you to get some food and then report to the launch. The sooner we check this out… hopefully… the sooner we get outta here."

"Sounds good, Cap'n," Gold said with a grunt. "Goddesses know where my last meal went."

"Huh?" Leynne asked.

"Launch made him throw up," Hunter offered. "It went over the side."

…

Link regretted that all the ship had to offer were rations. Irleen disagreed, having scarfed four ration packs (two from the stores they brought, two from the mines) in the ten minutes Link allotted for a meager dinner. She subsequently threw it up two minutes later and opted to snack on one more as Link piloted the Conductor away from the ship with a decidedly slow pace. She must have been doing better because, just a few minutes into the trip, she jumped over the side and flew circles around the boat.

Link was a little surprised to see Sorian homes on the east side of the island. They were far enough from the ship that he could understand why they had not noticed them before. He had to raise the boat a little so as not to smash into one, having gotten used to keeping low over the shorter, Hylian-built homes on the opposite side of the island. He noticed at one point that there was a large clearing further toward the center of the island from where they flew, where there only seemed to be stumps growing out of the bare ground.

"Cap'n!" Gold called out from the port side. He pointed toward the front and hollered over the rumble of the engine, "Just a 'air tae port, then strai'en 'er out with the street!"

"Aye aye!" Link hollered back. He nudged the wheel to port, and then glanced over his shoulder to get a better idea of the street.

Once he had the boat aligned close to the street, Gold called out, "Cut the engine, Cap'n! We're 'ere!"

"Aye!" Link replied. He quickly threw back the throttle control, causing the Conductor to lurch a bit. Then he started easing the ballast control to lower the boat.

Thunk! The boat jolted to one side. "I got it, Cap'n!" Gold quickly hollered as he picked up a board and rushed to the opposite side of the boat. Link glanced over to see that the hull had struck one of the Sorian trees, its top edge just visible over the bulwark. Gold stretched a foot out to brace himself against the cabin and pushed the board against the tree. Then he leaned over the bulwark and used the length of his arm to nudge the boat away. Once the boat was a sufficient distance away, he gave Link a thumbs up. Link lowered the Conductor a little further.

As Link was moving toward the sandbags at the back of the deck, Irleen landed behind him. "This is actually pretty promising," she told him.

"How so?" Link asked before picking up one of the sandbags.

"This place actually looks like home," Irleen replied. "Only a few of the trees seem to be dead, and that's because they've been cut down."

"That's those stumps over there, right?" Link asked after dropping the sandbag over the side, giving a nod toward starboard.

"Yeah," Irleen said. The way she said it caused Link to take it as an accusatory tone. So, he stood up and turned to her. She crossed her arms and asked, "How do you think that happened?"

"Us 'Ylians need our wood," Gold said as he stepped up to the opposite side of the transom.

"I've seen your towns," she answered. "Personally, I feel a little disturbed."

Gold paused in the middle of hefting a sandbag on the transom and glanced back and forth between her and Link. "Wait, what?" he asked. "I miss somethin'?"

Link indicated the trees nearby. "She can see the life in all these," he explained. "The Sorians only live in living trees. As opposed to us, who cut down trees and use the wood." He took in Gold's bewildered look and asked, "Didn't we explain that to you?"

"No," Gold replied. "And I'm feelin' sorry I took a leak earlier. That tree might'a felt it."

"One, that's disgusting," Irleen told him. "Two, I saw which tree you did that to. You should be ashamed of yourself; you peed on someone's house."

Gold was taken aback by her tone and could only answer, "Y-yes, ma'am."

Link's voice was tinged with irritation as he asked, "Where's the building?"

"Port, sir," Gold answered at the same time Irleen turned and pointed.

Once they had the Conductor anchored, Link and Gold descended to the street, which was actually a worn, dirt path in what appeared to be the lushest area of the island, second only to the forest to the north. Link immediately saw parallels with Forelight Island. Each tree around them had a bulbous growth cradled in its branches, which Link knew to be the outer wall of a home or shop; he never learned the difference. Up and down the street, each bulb had a platform grown out of the side for landing, as he had seen before. However, while Kuruuk Nehai had grass and outdoor tables (the later of these likely having been grown out of smaller trees), dirt paths crisscrossed the ground. The grass was a little sickly and barely covering what had not been trampled.

Irleen heaved a sigh. "Well, it isn't like home didn't have its bad days, either," she commented.

"Yeh mean yer island 'ad days all 'ope was lost?" Gold asked.

Irleen turned an irritated look on him. "I did live in a storm for fourteen years of my life," she pointed out.

Gold started scratching his head. "Goddesses above, 'ow's anyone s'pose tae keep this stuff straight?"

"It's my life, you—"

"Okay!" Link said to interrupt them. "Building! Let's go look."

The "building" was a bulb sitting on the ground rather than standing among the rest of the Sorian trees. It was wider than the nearby buildings, similar to the barracks if smaller. It bore a single door, which Link found strange since those barracks were the only other buildings that Link had seen with doors. It was also closed on top rather than open to the air.

As they entered, the first thing they noticed was that there was a stale odor. There was no light inside except for the rays of imminent sunset entering through the door and a cloud of dust. Other than a large table set in the middle of the single-room building and a small shelf decorated with a few scrolls next to the door, the room was nearly empty.

"Not much fer chairs, ain't they," Gold remarked.

"When your job is to stand around and talk, you tend to forget about the furniture," Irleen said as she stepped around the table. Link had watched her and thought she looked a little distracted.

"Why the table then?" Gold asked.

Link picked up one of the scrolls to examine it. "Probably has something to do with these," he said, holding the scroll into the outdoor light so he could see its coppery roller.

"These guys are still usin' scrolls?" Gold asked.

"Not really unusual," Irleen said as she turned around. "Scrolls are easier to add to; just glue on another page."

"If they had a plan," Link asked, "would it be in one of these?"

Irleen glanced back toward the wall she was moving to investigate. Then she stepped back toward Link. "Probably," she said. "Let me see it." Link handed the scroll over, and she tugged a wax seal out of the way. After opening and giving the scroll a quick glance, she stepped over to the doorway (forcing Gold to move aside) so that she could read in the waning light.

Link expected her to start reading aloud. When she just stood there mouthing a few words, he finally asked, "What does it say?"

"It's a little difficult to read," Irleen told him. "Some of the words are misspelled, and the handwriting is… oh."

"'Oh'?" Gold asked.

"What's 'oh' for?" Link asked.

Irleen glanced at him. The hesitant look in her eyes told him that something was wrong. Before he could ask, she said, "We've got another problem." She looked down at the scroll. "I-I thought it was just a language issue, but…" She paused and pulled more of the scroll out. "I just…" She glanced back at him.

Then she held the scroll up and read. "—'My colleagues have finished placing the items in the technoworks. It is the only way we can be sure the items will absorb and adapt to the nightmare's illusions. We do not know how long they will take to mature. And, as Mystic Cahool has pointed out, we have yet to devise a method to regain them. The Greys no longer respond to us, and every sorcerer and magician around us has reached a level of madness that is unknown to those most devoted to magic. And we have yet to find the librarians. The only thing that Opeeta will tell us is to wait'."

"Wait a minute," Link spoke up. "'Opeeta'?"

"The island's name," Irleen said. "I'm not sure what—just… just listen." Link shrugged, so Irleen continued. "—'Today, we have received further word from Opeeta. The items are not ready. Two of our number failed to appear. It is now afternoon, and we have found Mystics Neet and Hoceen. They were attacked by the people on the streets. Neet is dead, and Hoceen was able to explain what she could about the encounter before she succumbed to her wounds'.

"—'The council was in chaos today. We have lost the ability to speak with Opeeta, but we do not understand how. The die is blank, the rods split in two each. The tools are too old for us to simply replace. We have one more method, but we cannot find the plans to grow a block of technoworks. The Greys' homes are all empty. Wherever they are, they are not here. We had hoped that Mystic Loockol would be able to obtain a block from the nearest technoworks. We had to kill him when he tried to set fire to the town's meeting hall, and we regret that this sacrifice did not allow us to gain the technoworks block we need to save the rest of our people'.

"—'Our die is tainted. Yesterday, we could not read it. Today, the faces are wrong. Dissent has caused a fistfight among our numbers'." Irleen paused and angled the scroll to show Link a red spot on the roll which had been written around. Then she continued to read, "—'The townspeople had to break us up. Two of our number were stabbed. It's strange, I can't seem to remember their names'."

"—'We are broken. We have learned the truth within the truth. For all our knowledge…'." Irleen had to stop speaking, squinting at the unfamiliar writing. "—'We are no more. We are… Lost in the dark. His neck was broken by the other. It was not my fault'." Irleen lowered the scroll. "The last says, 'I am the last. I will seal myself in this place. I will save my people from me… and myself from the nightmare'."

"'Seal myself'?" Link asked. "Where? How?"

Irleen turned and stared at the back wall. "There," she said, letting the roll fall so that she could point. "This building is still alive. But that bulge in the wall is sick."

"How?" Link asked, squinting to find the bulge.

"There's a dead body stuck inside," Irleen told them. "The body of the last Mystic.

"Link… The Night drove them to suicide. They're all dead."