Thanks to all you lovable reviewers. Before I leave for a post-easter holiday trip, I proudly present to you the new chapter. Finally, the plot decided to show up once more. Hope you enjoy it, even though practically nothing happens. I call this necessary character development. ;D Eventually some explanations are found, but just like in real life, I fear this probably leaves more questions then before. (big grin)
Petalwing
Part 42 - Just because you're paranoid...
Now even the slowest mind got the message. The room emptied in a few moments. Finally, only Otik, the Majeres and their special guests were left.
Tika glanced acidly at her brother-in-law while Otik took it upon himself to bring Caramon to the Majere's sleeping quarters. The task was not easy and had acquired Dalamar's help.
For several minutes Tika and Raistlin were alone. The young woman felt ashamed at her outburst. Her husband's twin was the least person to show feelings to. For him knowledge was a weapon and he would always use it to his own advantage. Tika distracted herself by clearing the tables while she observed the mage with barely hidden mistrust. Raistlin pretended not to take notice of anything; he studied an old picture on the wall. He stood right before it, staring intensely at it, back turned to Tika. A sullen silence filled the room. From what she had experienced in the past, Tika knew that Caramon's brother would probably stay like this for the rest of the night, avoiding conversation until he was addressed directly. Inside of her, pride struggled with curiosity. A part of her demanded to know what had made him come to Solace again, another part refused to even look openly at him. Sideways glances were all her dignity allowed. With her concentration focused on the late guest, she missed a jug that a patron had left on the edge of a table. It clashed loudly on the floor making Tika jump and Raistlin turn around. Tika hissed a curse that would have made even Otik blush and spun around to get a broom from behind the counter. To her great amazement, Raistlin had reacted even more quickly and hastened for the needed tool.
"Wait, I can help!"
With unexpected agility he moved and handed Tika the broom. She took it, confused. In the meantime Raistlin seemed to realize whom he had just assisted and crossed his arms sullenly.
His strange behavior puzzled her and finally, between two strokes of the broom, she addressed him in a neutral tone.
"So why did you come here?"
He looked at her, unbelieving. Maybe he tried to figure out whether her question would initiate another outburst of anger but when she just kept sweeping, he shrugged.
"That's a long story. I was- I'm not- no... Dalamar said it would help..." he stuttered, very un-Raistlin-like. Her question seemed to have surprised him. For a moment he hesitated as if contemplating which lie to tell.
"I lost my memory in an accident." he finally stated with a resigned expression.
Tika nearly dropped the broom. She turned and watched him, flabbergasted. Either he had become an absolutely brilliant actor or that explained a lot...
"Completely?" she asked after some moments of stunned silence.
He nodded.
"But you still know who you are?"
"I know what Dalamar told me."
At that moment, Dalamar and Otik reappeared. It took another hour to explain the whole situation to Tika and her foster-father. Most of the explaining was done by Dalamar. Raistlin kept staring at the floor irritably, kneading his fingers. It was already late, and they couldn't solve the situation so they decided that the mages would stay until the next day, then the twins would have to talk, and then a decision would be made.
Later, when they had eventually all retired into their respective rooms or guest chambers, Nima lay awake in the dark. Her anger at the tavern owner had vanished. Mostly. The evening had been very irritating. She had never been that angry at someone before. It didn't fit her personality, and it felt odd.
Besides, she was not happy with the lie she had spread again. She had made up the stupid lie in a situation of desperate need but with each day, things became more complicated. The whole I-am-Raistlin-disguise became harder to keep and by this time the game had lost its fun.
It was just like Hrongar always said, if you started to lie one lie would spawn the next until the lies controlled your life and things got out of your hands. Nima had the strange feeling that this was about to happen right now. Back in the tower this had all seemed like a very good idea, but now... After whole strange incident with the Tika-Lady she had begun to realize that diverse unknown emotions and feelings were involved in this whole affair. And human emotions were so incredibly complicated! When she had been in the camp, a happy kender, idling around, she had never had to deal with so many depressing, complicated matters. Things like this had simply not existed in her world before. But now, odd emotions practically appeared out of nowhere and tackled her. And this was all biggie-thinking, not kender-thinking...
Suddenly it dawned to her.
She was turning human! She was beginning to think like a human and maybe she was even beginning to feel like a human. Was this really she, Nima Teketoll, lying awake, analyzing herself? No! That was Raistlin-way, not Nima-way. And now she even analyzed her analysis... Nima banged her fists on the mattress. This had to stop! 'Sleep' she commanded herself. But sleep would not come. Nervousness. She had never known that feeling before. It felt strange. Alien. Eerie. What happened to her? Where had her life gone?
'I'm turning human. I'm turning human!' That terrible, horrifying thought made her shiver...
Miles away from Solace, another one lay awake just like her. Raistlin couldn't find sleep. Though everybody around him slept profoundly, all he could think of was the grimoire's secret. He had dwelled on that matter since Naranja had handed him the book. What had the fortuneteller meant with her mysterious utterance about the book being the key? The key to what? The spells were clearly not even worth a minute of study, the material was not particularly interesting, and it was not enchanted either, he had checked on that twice. So what did he miss? All in all it was a simple spellbook. A beginner's catechism. Certainly not more. Every student of the arts could probably posses such a book. But he had no hint about the owner anyway, since the book contained no dedication or another personal inscription.
He stumbled over that thought. Maybe he had just not looked closely enough. If this copy of the notorious grimoire had indeed belonged to a true follower of the art, maybe the former owner had left an inscription. Students of the magical arts mostly studied the ways of alchemy in addition. And for an alchemist there were methods of smuggling invisible notes onto parchment. That could be the reason why his detecting spells hadn't found anything. He had looked so desperately for magically enchanted messages that he had left out one of the most obvious possibilities. Simple alchemy. Raistlin grimaced at himself. The last years of intricate study had set his mind on highest levels, he tended to forget the basics. Maybe he had to adopt a bit of Nima's easy little kender attitude. He was caught in a kender's world for now, so he had better start thinking a bit like one in order to find his way... Only a tiny bit of course. Just so much that it was useful.
And he would start right now with it. If the hypothetic alchemist had left a message there, then most likely hot water was all he needed. That could be easily found in the caravan's kitchen. Raistlin arose silently, to avoid awakening the family. Oh how simple it was to sneak if you were a kender. For once it seemed quite practical to be in a kender's body. Just to be secure, he cast a sleeping spell over his roommates before he lit the stove to heat some water in a pot. When the first smoke circled over the heated liquid, he took the grimoire and carefully held the first page into the smoke. A lightspell ensured that he would not miss one single letter of the supposed inscription.
And indeed, some words appeared on the page that hadn't been there before. He let out a deep breath and only then realized that he had kept it. It was the clear handwriting of a skilled writer. Raistlin smirked in triumph. Finally, a useful hint. His satisfied smile froze instantly at the sight of the hidden message.
"For my dear friend Orsany, in remembrance on the sweet days of yore and the light hearted life of two zealous young students. Old friend, this amusing document, unexpectedly finding its way into the hands of the ever ardent adept, will fit your collection perfectly.
At Your Service,
Fistandantilus."
Shocked, Raistlin let himself fall on the next chair. The thoughts whirled in his mind. That surely was unexpected. Fistandantilus? Orsany? Days of yore?
A picture formed in his mind of two young mages sharing a room at their master's house. Colleagues, maybe even friends. They still had not chosen their paths. Together they practiced alchemy and tried their first spells. This was either a very bad joke or... or...
Orsany had been a contemporary of Fistandantilus and the two mages had known each other. The grimoire must have belonged to Fistandantilus who, for some reason, had given it to Orsany, maybe as a personal joke among old friends. And that meant... If Orsany had studied together with Fistandantilus, and if they had been equals...
In that case, Orsany could probably have produced something as complex as the crystals. Moreover, Nima's crystal half had come with the book. So, Orsany definitely had something to do with it. That couldn't be coincidence. Father Teketoll had mentioned that he had "acquired" the stone and the book from a mage. Who would probably posses both a book that had only some sentimental value for Orsany himself and a part of his powerful artifact? Only... only...
Raistlin felt his blood leaving his face.
If another experienced mage had gained possession of the crystal what would he want with a practically worthless spellbook? And if anybody owned this grimoire to study from it, he was certainly no match for the secret of the crystal. The only person for whom it made sense to keep both the book and the crystal was... the original owner himself. But that couldn't be! Orsany had died long ago! And even if he still existed, he would certainly not allow himself to be robbed by a kender like Teketoll. That made no sense at all. Teketoll had mentioned that the book had fascinated him. And the gem had come with it just by chance...
Raistlin inhaled his breath audibly in a second of shocked recognition.
What if this all had been planned? What if? Mr. Teketoll had acquired the stone much too easily for Raistlin's taste. What if somebody had wanted him to have it? This someone had just to make sure that Teketoll would steal something more interesting that came along with the stone. Something that promised magical secrets to the curious kender but was of no real worth to a skilled mage. Like a worthless spellbook for instance, which was no real loss but the kender would take it eagerly...
And what if the same person arranged it so that a powerful ambitious mage, who had a reputation for seeking power at all costs, like a certain archmage from the tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas for example, got hold of the other half of the crystal? What if this certain someone likewise ensured that this very archmage also got wrong information about the crystals and their purpose by spreading a legend about two parts of a wish? Wouldn't this ideally lure a high level mage into activating the artifacts? And what if the wish that Raistlin had sensed in the stone before, had already been bound and formed? What if his, Raistlin's, wishing spell had never gone wrong at all, because it had never been cast? Instead, by formulating his command, he had instead triggered an utterly different wishing spell that had been cast long ago.
What if the whole affair was in truth a gigantic, very intelligent, long-prepared trap? A paranoid conclusion, but suddenly everything made sense. Several loose ends had just come together and formed a complex web of intrigue and high-level-magic.
Orsany... in that case naming the artifacts "Orsany's Wish" had been more then sarcastic. Indeed, the mysterious stones fulfilled the will of their creator and Raistlin had actively helped so serve the mage's ends. Oh yes, such a complex plan would definitely match even Fistandantilus cruel schemes.
Only three questions remained now. Was Orsany still alive? And if Orsany was still alive and this was his doing, then what was the final intent? Furthermore, if Orsany planned something involving him and Nima, wouldn't he come to watch? Raistlin remembered the beholder all too well. Oh yes, Orsany had observed them from the beginning on. And he, Raistlin, had not realized the real threat earlier.
Raistlin scowled. Orsany might be a genius in the creation of artifacts. He might be a highly skilled mage. But he had made a mistake when he thought that Raistlin Majere would let himself be manipulated that easily. He would meet Nima soon, get her half of the stone and find a way to undo this. Meanwhile he would look out for Orsany and his creatures.
'I will find you, Orsany.' he swore to himself. 'And then I will make you impart the secrets of your art before I take what should be mine and send you to your old friend Fistandantilus.'
At the other end of the room, Mother Teketoll turned in her sleep. Quickly, Raistlin turned out the stove and eliminated all traces of his nightly activity before he slipped under his blankets once more. Finally, he had solved the book's secret, but he didn't feel satisfied in the least.
TBC