PART SIX

"Where is she?  Maybe she ran into some sort of problem," Zackary fretted as he and the others waited around the fountain at the center of East Amber.  He and the others, except Will, had spent the night at the local Inn, enjoying an excellent dinner of roast lamb, and listening to local gossip.  They'd listened in particular for any mention of the Portent Orb, but hadn't heard so much as a whisper.  The lack of news was frustrating to the group, and they were anxious for Trini to return so they could begin their search in earnest.

"There she is now," Kymberly said suddenly spying their companion approaching on foot.

"Trini, thank goodness you're okay!" Zackary said, hurrying to her side.  It had become obvious to all of them that Zackary was oddly protective of his rescuer, despite the fact she was the far better fighter.

"I'm fine," she assured him with a smile.  "Shall we get going?"

Jason and Tomas exchanged a puzzled look, but didn't argue as they all mounted up and followed Trini to the outskirts of town.  Once past the last of the buildings, the young woman stopped her horse and turned to her companions.

"Well?  Did you find anything out?" Tomas asked impatiently.

In response Trini pulled out the Orb, showing it to the others.

"Trini!  You have it!  Where?  How?  That's wonderful!" Kymberly exclaimed, her voice shrill with excitement.

"I beat the maze, and it was in the center.  I guess it was at the temple all along.  So we're free to go after the next one, in South East Onyx, I believe," Trini explained.

"Did your teacher say anything about the other Orbs?" Jason asked.

"As much as he could, I believe.  It seems that singly they are not particularly powerful, but together they can be used to garner incredible power.  That is why they were separated, and are kept separate.  Some, like this one, are in the hands of those who are good, and some are not.  He told me the one in South East Onyx, for example, is in the possession of the Black Knight.  I don't think it will be as easy to get that Orb as it was to get this one," she told them.

"More difficult, perhaps, but not impossible," Jason said confidently as they set out again in the midday heat. 

~*~

"That's the Black Knight's castle?" Will asked, frowning as he studied the impressive structure.

"Yeah.  Looks like it's not going to be easy getting inside," Tomas muttered, his sharp eyes looking for any potential weaknesses.

"Well, we could always try the front door," Zackary suggested.

"Pardon me?" Jason asked, giving the other young man a questioning look.

"Rather than trying to sneak in, why not let me try to get a position in the court. After all, it is what I do for a living," Zackary replied calmly.

"Yeah, but not for the likes of the Black Knight," Trini protested.  "If he suspects you of something, he won't hesitate to kill you."

"Then I'll have to be sure he doesn't suspect anything."

"I don't like this Zackary," Trini reiterated.  "It's too dangerous."

"But I can do this, I know I can.  And, I don't know why, but I feel I have to do this, you know?"

And oddly enough, Trini did know, remembering how she felt, facing the maze.  A glance at the others showed that they also seemed to recognize that a higher force appeared to be at work here, directing them, guiding them.  And some instinct seemed to indicate that now it was Zackary's turn to stand to the front and make his contribution.

"Zackary, I'm still not sure this is a good idea," Trini insisted, despite her instincts.  "If he figures out what you're looking for...he's known to be brutal to those who cross him."

"Then I better not get caught, right?" the dark skinned young man said cockily. 

"Zackary..."

"Look, you know I'm good at what I do, right? And I hardly look threatening.  Folks tend to trust me, not that I don't deserve their trust, mind you, but I just have one of those faces," he wheedled a bit, wanting...needing...to do his part in their quest.  He was well aware his 'job skills' were not especially well suited for heroic conquests, so a chance to prove his worth might not arise later, he had to take the opportunity now.

"You're sure about this?" Jason asked unexpectedly, as so far the others had only listened to Trini and Zackary's discussion.

"Absolutely.  Let me go try to land a job, then maybe you guys could come up with some sort of distraction tomorrow?  Give me a chance to get the goods?"  Zackary knew, as soon as Jason asked the question, that they would let him try.

They quickly decided that the other five would set up a camp on the outskirts of town, and if Zackary didn't manage to gain employment in the Black Knight's court he would join them there.  Otherwise, they would find a way to stir up some distracting turmoil in the courtyard to give the young jester a chance to find and procure the Portent Orb.

Leaving his companions and mount behind, Zackary resolutely made his way directly to the castle, refusing to look back or to ponder too deeply his reasons for insisting on doing this.  He had already checked his bag to ensure he had all the supplies he needed, so he went directly to the entrance, boldly knocking as if he belonged.

Greeted by a disquietingly benevolent looking older man, Zackary quickly stated his mission and requested an audience with the Black Knight.  Chuckling softly at the foolishness of youth, the butler turned to relay the request, bidding Zackary cool his heels in the huge entryway.

Moments later the old man reappeared, telling his unexpected guest to follow him without delay, that it seemed it was the young man's lucky morning, after all.  A surprisingly long walk at last led them to the immense throne room, were the Black Knight sprawled languidly on his plush seat, his face and form hidden by the full suit of shining black armor.

The Black Knight was an enigma to most people; whether he was an evil good person or a good evil person was impossible to tell.  He carefully skirted the edge between virtuous and malicious; never quite wicked enough to attract the attention of heroes like Jason or Tomas, nor moral enough to completely avoid their notice.  He seemed to view the law and morality as challenges to his creativity, rather than codes to live by.

He now looked over the dark youth in front of him with a peculiar attitude of interested disdain before demanding a demonstration of the jester's skills.  Zackary responded with the native enthusiasm of a born showman, noting the nearly imperceptible indications of approval, and the far more perceptible expressions of dissatisfaction, and adjusting his routine accordingly.  He finished his routine with a flourish, breathing a bit heavily, waiting anxiously for the Black Knight's decision.

The large being levered himself to his feet and made a slow circuit of the still kneeling teenager, noting with approval that Zackary realized his vulnerability but still held his ground.  The overlord approved of courage, whatever the form, and it was this factor that decided him in Zackary's favor.

"Tell Wilton to find you quarters amongst the slaves, and appropriate attire.  You will report every evening before the night meal and will entertain me, and whatever guests I may have, until I give you leave to retire.  You will be provided with a bed and food as compensation.  Now go, before I tire of you."

Pleased at his success, and not anxious to raise the ire of his new employer, Zackary beat a calm - but expedient - retreat, seeking out the elderly butler, who he suspected was the referenced 'Wilton.'  Finding the man, and ascertaining his identity, Zackary relayed the Black Knight's instructions, and added his own humble request to be clued in as to some of the things he should be informed about, such as rules and the preferences of his employer.

Experience had taught Zackary that it was always a good idea to cultivate the friendship of a royal servant or two, and Wilton seemed a fair enough sort, if sorely lacking in anything even resembling a personality.  His request for information seemed to warm the butler, because the new jester found himself being given a quick tour of the castle and a succinct lesson in protocol, all of which he stored in his quick memory.  While listening attentively to the elderly servant and asking the appropriate questions, Zackary keep a sharp lookout for the Portent Orb, and was amazed to find it resting in a place of honor in an open trophy room.  Zackary spend some few minutes in the room, asking questions about the various displays, including the one holding the Orb.  Wilton seemed to dismiss it as a matter of minor importance among the many items displayed, and Zackary felt a rising optimism, which he prudently quashed.  There was no way it could be as easy as it looked; there had to be something he wasn't seeing, some hidden trick.

Finally reaching the slave quarters, Wilton found him a vacant bed and a small chest in which to store his personal belongings.  A trip to the communal closet produced a garishly bright suit of clothes, which Wilton gave him to wear for his 'appearances' in the evening.  Admonishing the younger man to rest well before his performance, Wilton finally left Zackary alone with his thoughts, much to the teen's relief.

He quickly settled himself in, the sheer familiarity of his new, albeit very temporary, employment oddly comforting to the young man.  He had been trained as a court jester since early childhood, and had spent countless hours practicing in deserted areas of the old castle, with only a few disinterested mice as his audience.  His father had admonished him from the very beginning that the position of court jester was not one to be taken lightly...

"Son, you will find there are times when you will be the only thing keeping the peace in a room full of strangers. Such is the hidden job of the jester.  You must learn to judge the mood of your audience, and to use that knowledge accordingly.  Kings and their advisors have a heavy responsibility, there will be times they will falter under the strain, and an alert jester can help vent some of that stress, and get the ruler back on track," Taylor told his young son, who sat on his knee listening with wide eyes.

"So, the jester really rules the king?" he asked breathlessly of the man who was king in his small world.

"The king must never know that, Zackary.  It must remain a closely guarded secret," Taylor advised with a smile and a wink.  "The jester keeps many secrets, you know.  Half the time the king doesn't even know his jester is around, and will divulge things he doesn't want others to know.  Part of the job, a big part, is keeping secrets."

"What else, Father?"

"Well, the jester must always tell the king the truth, even when it means making the king unhappy.  A good jester must be able to tell the king a hard truth in such a way the king understands the message, but doesn't kill the messenger.  Understand?" he queried.

"I think so. If the king is laughing, he's not as likely to hit the jester, right?" Zackary asked, the eyes serious above his smile.  He'd heard his father talk about getting in trouble with the king for some perceived mistake, and knew a jester couldn't fight back, or even complain, unless the punishment was life threatening.  To the boy it seemed a life full of peril and chances for heroism, and he wanted nothing more than to be as good a court jester as his much beloved father.

With that in mind, Zackary listened closely, and learned quickly.  With time the true meaning of his father's words became clear, and the personable youngster readily accepted the real responsibility that came with the job of jester.  From working in his father's shadow as an apprentice, to moving to a different province to strike out on his own, Zackary's talents and tireless enthusiasm served him in good stead.  As did his ability to make friends in the most unlikely places and ways; it seemed few could resist his natural charm...

Lying on his less than comfortable bed, the young man went over his memories of the trophy room, forming an extremely accurate mental picture of the layout of the displays, and the Orb's display in particular. There were some familiar security devices in that room, ones he knew how to disarm or trick, and that knowledge could prove useful.  He finally made the conscious decision to let the thoughts go and lay back down; he needed to be fresh for the evening's activities.

~*~

"I definitely agree in this case it would be best if we didn't stay in town," Tomas offered, as the other five travelers rode slowly through the bustling community.  They had watched long enough to see Zackary admitted to the castle, then had turned their attention to their own situation.

"Yeah," Jason nodded, his sharp gaze moving restlessly over the various buildings and citizens.  "There is something that just doesn't feel right in this place."

"Probably the Black Knight's influence," Trini contributed.

"Whatever it is, this place is creepy," Kym added with an unconscious nervous shudder.

They reached the outskirts of the town, then followed a small river until they found a good sized clearing, one that had obviously been used as a camp numerous times.  A rock-ringed fire pit stood in the middle of a patch bare of grass, and a selection of much larger stones, suitable for sitting on, were scattered in a rough circle around it.

Camp was quickly set up, and before long they had a small fire well established and bedrolls scattered around.  With time to kill, they decided to go individually into town and see if they could learn anything to help Zackary in his search.  Will volunteered to stay behind to guard their belongings and start the evening meal, an offer that was readily accepted by the others. 

An hour before sundown they returned, footsore and discouraged, to be greeted by the savory aroma of meat slowly cooking over an open fire.

"Oh, man, Will, that smells wonderful," Tomas grinned at their companion, taking in a deep, appreciative breath.

"If you all want to wash up it'll be ready to serve in a few minutes," he told them with a smile of his own.

Within minutes they each had a plateful of roast rabbit and assorted vegetables, which they attacked with enthusiasm.  Once their initial hunger was slaked, conversation grew more animated.

"I'm telling you, it's like they were afraid to say anything," Kym complained looking around with an aggrieved expression.

"With the town under the thrall of the Black Knight, what do you expect?" Tomas countered gently.  "I got the definite impression that things were fine for them, as long as they followed the rules. But..."

"Definitely ruled by fear," Jason agreed.  "You notice how there weren't a lot of young men around?  Mostly I saw women and older men."

"You know, you're right," Trini mused.  "If I had to guess, I'd say the younger men are in the Black Knight's service, and probably not totally voluntarily.  But being the way he is, he'd want himself surrounded by as much muscle as possible..." her voice trailed off as she turned her gaze in the direction of the town, hidden by the thick trees of the forest.  "I just hope Zackary is being careful," she murmured.

"I'm sure he is," Jason said comfortingly.  He'd known Trini a couple of years, and was a bit surprised at her apparent fondness for the young man she'd rescued.  But, then again, Zackary WAS a very personable sort, and Jason didn't fancy the idea of him being hurt, either.  And, he knew how it was to feel responsible for someone who wasn't as able to defend himself as he was.  His glance wandered briefly to Will, who was sitting quietly studying the fire, and he sighed a little.  Oh, yeah, he knew how it felt, all right.

~*~

Zackary hurried through the crowded streets of South East Onyx with the purposeful stride of a man who knew where he was going and that he had to get there soon.  He had spend a busy, and rather nerve wracking evening and night amusing the Black Knight, but at least now he had a plan.  But, he had to let the others know what was up before they followed through with the original plan of them creating a disturbance.  So, praying his instincts were right, he followed the main road out of town to the river.  At the river he saw the fresh footprints and breathed a sigh of relief.  It seemed he'd guessed right, after all, and he all but jogged along the river until he reached his friends' camp.

"Zackary! Are you all right?" Trini asked anxiously, hurrying up to the young man.

"I'm fine, fine.  Just wanted to get to you guys before you did anything.  Listen, there's a change of plan.  I'm gonna get the Orb tonight, while he's entertaining a bunch of guests," Zackary explained.

"If you steal it while a bunch of people are there, isn't that awful risky?" Tomas asked.

"I'm not going to steal it," Zackary said. "I'm going to win it square and fair.  But, then I'll need to get out of there, and we'll have to get out of the area.  He won't do anything with the guests around, he's too proud of being 'honorable'.  But, when they are gone, I'd better be gone, too.  Could you guys sneak into town and wait near the castle for me?  Say by the seamstress's shop?  You know the place I mean?"

"Yeah, little gray place with the pink trim?" Jason replied.

"That's the one.  I'll meet you there as soon as I can get the Orb and do a fade.  Then we take off, before he rallies the troops," Zackary explained.

"Okay.  We'll do this your way, I guess," Jason agreed, seeing the determined light in the dark eyes of the jester.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Trini asked, her calm tone not really disguising her concern.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm sure," he grinned.  "Relax, I promise to try to avoid needing rescuing, okay?  But, look, I have to go before they miss me.  Just be there for me tonight, please. And, if I don't show up, well, the Orb is in a trophy room, right off the main throne room."

"Be careful, Zackary, please?" Kym spoke up, well aware that they were all taking these risks on her behalf.  If something happened to the cheerful young man, she didn't know if she could stand the guilt.

Zackary just smiled and winked at her, then turned to hurry back the way he'd come, his attitude typically jaunty and unconcerned.

~*~

"And this is my trophy room," the Black Knight announced to his assembled guests with a grand gesture around the room.  The group, consisting of assorted nobility of the South East Province, wandered around the large room, looking a the assembled treasures.  The Royal and Nobility Castes in the South East Province tolerated having the Black Knight in their midst, maintaining an uneasy truce.  King Adam, a good king for the most part, had been spectacularly unsuccessful in ousting the unwanted presence, and had, in the end, been happy to cut his losses and let the Knight remain in his province, as long as he didn't cause too much trouble.

As a consequence, more adventurous members of the Nobility Caste, to which caste the Black Knight belonged, occasionally socialized with him, enjoying the atmosphere of danger and barely leashed ferocity that permeated his court.

"Is this the real Ruby of Mastonia?" a young woman asked, peering at a beautifully displayed gem.

"Indeed, my dear," their black armored host replied.  "I had to slay a two headed dragon for that."

She started to reach for the gem, but was stayed by the Black Knight's voice.

"Don't!" he rapped out, satisfied when she stopped and turned frightened eyes to him.  "I simply do not wish for you to be injured," he purred, picking up a finger length breadstick from a tray of food set out in the corner.  He extended the bread toward the gem, until it tripped the security device, which shot a beam of some sort that destroyed the end of the makeshift probe.

"You see, I've nothing but the best security available," he chuckled at their shocked expressions.

"I could get it out," Zackary said from the corner where he was required to wait until needed.

"What did you say, jester?" the Black Knight demanded, turning toward the young man with obvious displeasure.

Zackary took a deep breath and faced his 'employer.' 

"I said, I could get it out," he repeated firmly, ignoring the fierce pounding of his heart.

"You?  How could you possibly hope to defeat a system designed by one of the greatest minds of our time?" he demanded.

"I can not only do it, I can do it without any 'special' tools," he retorted.

"Prove it."

"I will, for an appropriate wager," the dark youth countered.

"If you succeed, you may keep the Ruby of Mastonia."

"What do I want with a ruby?" Zackary asked dismissively, daring greatly in his desperation.

The Black Knight paused, deep in thought.  "If you succeed, you may have your choice of any one item in this room.  If you fail, I will cut off your right hand and my guards will beat you from here to the outskirts of town."

Zackary knew he had passed the point of being able to back out, so he agreed, offering up a shaky and heartfelt prayer that he remembered the lessons he'd been taught several years before.

He had come from a long line of court servants; his father had been a jester and his mother the royal head cook.  He'd grown up in the castle, playing in seldom-used rooms with the other children of servants or slaves.  He'd been a curious and personable child, and adults tended to enjoy telling him stories, as he always listened with complete attention.  One winter a new servant came to the castle, to set up a security system after numerous threats had been made against the king and his family.  On quiet evenings Kertus, who had been a thief in his youth, told his captivated audience of one all the ways a security system could be circumvented.  Zackary had listened and learned and remembered.  And now those memories would be put to the test.

He glanced around, spotting a hand sized silver disc being used as a coaster to protect the wooden furniture, which would suit his needs perfectly.  He grabbed the disc, and an orange from the food tray and approached the display holding the ruby. With his every move being watched by the roomful of people, Zackary had to take a moment to compose his nerves before continuing.  Forcing the audience, the consequences of failure, from his mind, he took some deep, steadying breaths, then began his inspection of the booby traps protecting the fist-sized gem.

His confidence grew as he realized he did recognize the type, and knew how to defeat it.  Polishing the disc to a high sheen, he gripped it close to the side and carefully judging the angle needed, he moved it into the protective web of beams surrounding the gem.  His angle turned out to be correct, and the destructive beam bounced off the reflective surface and back into itself, destroying the source and collapsing the entire web.  The audience sighed appreciatively, thinking he'd succeeded, but he was too well trained to fall into that trap.  He carefully examined the gem, laying down the no longer needed mirror and hefting the orange in his hand.  He figured it was close enough to work, and reached out cautiously with his right hand to the glittering red gem while bring the orange in close with his left.  His steady hands moved in perfect harmony, deftly replacing the weight of the gem with the weight of the orange, and he stood back with the ruby in his hand, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

He turned and showed the others the priceless gem, soaking in the applause, and smiling widely.  He looked boldly at the Black Knight, offering him the stone with a small bow.

"Well done," the black armored man said grudgingly.  "What do you claim as your reward?"

Zackary make a show of examining each item carefully, then indicated the Portent Orb.  "I think this will do," he said firmly.

"Very well," the Black Knight growled, producing a special key to deactivate the security around the Orb.  He picked it up, seeming to consider something for a moment, then handed it with barely discernable reluctance to his new court jester.

Zackary kept his expression carefully neutral as the Portent Orb was handed over, pulsing with a strange black glow in his warm hands.  He quickly stashed it in his oversized pocket, then did a graceful and grateful fade from the center of attention as the Black Knight started he herd his guests out of the room.

The rest of the evening was a blur to the young man as he was called upon again and again to perform; singing, dancing, and juggling until he thought he'd drop from exhaustion.  He knew he was safe as long as the visitors were around, that the Knight would not make a move against him in front of the noble guests.  But, once they left, Zackary knew he had better be long gone, because there'd be nothing then to stay his violent nature, and Zackary knew he'd embarrassed his large 'boss.'

The chance finally presented itself when one of the young men suggested a game of charades.  Zackary knew from experience that this game tended to get quite rowdy, and the need for 'outside' entertainment was minimal.  As the teams were chosen and rules were being settled upon, the teen made his move, disappearing down a little used corridor, which he knew led to a delivery entrance.  Moving with a speed born of desperation, he soon found himself outside and running close to the side of dark buildings, heading unerringly toward the rendezvous point.

He reached the seamstress shop and looked around desperately for his companions, his stomach clenching with sudden fear.  When a hand touched his shoulder, he nearly screamed, turning to find Tomas behind him with a startled expression on his face.

"Sorry, man, didn't mean to scare you," the longhaired young man said softly.  "But we decided we'd look too suspicious if we all were here, so I came alone with your horse.  Did you get it? Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, to both," Zackary said emphatically, gratefully mounting his horse.  "Let's get the heck out of here."

TBC