Nakor said, ‘You come.’ He pointed at Harry. ‘You too.’ To Amos he said, ‘You I don’t know about. I think you come also, but I’m not sure. Ghuda comes with me.’
Amos stroked his beard. ‘Arutha said to do as you asked, Nakor, so I’ll tag along.’
‘Good,’ said the little man with a grin. ‘Let’s go. Pug is waiting.’
Harry said, ‘He knows we’re here?’
Ghuda shook his head. ‘No, he’s fast asleep and hasn’t noticed this great ship approaching for the last half day.’
Harry had the decency to blush as Nicholas laughed. Amos turned to his crew, many of whom hung in the rigging, watching the flashing lights of the distant castle, and shouted, ‘Lower a boat!’
The boat ground into the sand and two sailors jumped out and pulled it ashore. Nicholas and Harry climbed out and waded through the ankle-deep water as Nakor, Ghuda, and Amos followed.
Nakor immediately headed for a path that led up to a ridge overlooking the cove. Amos called, ‘Where are you going?’
Nakor kept walking as he turned and said, ‘That way,’ pointing up to the top of the path.
Ghuda looked at the others, shrugged, and began to follow. The boys hesitated an instant, then also started walking up the path.
Amos shook his head and turned to the sailors. ‘Return to the ship. Tell Mr Rhodes to keep a sharp eye out; we’ll signal from here when we want the boat to pick us up.’
The two sailors saluted and pushed the boat back, while the two who were still sitting in it unshipped a pair of oars and started pulling against the breakers. The two at the bow leaped into the boat and soon there were four sailors pulling hard to get back to the relative safety of their ship.
Amos trudged after the other four to find them waiting at the top of the path. Another path diverted from the one that led to the castle, and Nakor started walking down that one.
Amos said, ‘The castle’s over that way, Keshian.’
‘Isalani,’ answered Nakor. ‘Keshians are tall, dark people who run around without most of their clothing. And Pug is this way.’
Ghuda said, ‘Best not to argue with him, Admiral,’ as he followed. The others fell into step and followed Nakor down into a small defile, then upward to another ridge. From the top of the second ridge they could see down into a small vale. It was overgrown with brush and thick with ancient trees. The path seemed to vanish at the edge of the woods at the base of the hill.
Ghuda said, ‘Where are you taking us?’
Nakor almost skipped as he walked, tapping his walking stick on the path. ‘This way. It’s not far.’
The boys hurried along, almost running, and soon were beside the Isalani. ‘Nakor,’ said Nicholas, ‘how do you know Pug is here?’
Nakor shrugged. ‘It’s a trick.’
As they reached the edge of the forest, they encountered daunting-looking undergrowth and trees set so close together that passage seemed impossible. ‘Where now?’ asked Harry.
Nakor grinned. ‘Look.’ He pointed at the path with his staff. ‘Look here. Don’t look up.’
He started walking slowly, turning around so he was moving backward, dragging the point of his staff upon the ground. The boys followed after, keeping their eyes fixed upon the tip of the staff as it stirred dust in the pathway. They moved slowly, and after a moment Nicholas realized that they should now be stuck in heavy undergrowth but in fact the pathway was still clear. ‘Don’t look up,’ said Nakor.
Gloom surrounded them, but they could clearly see the path where the staff touched it. Then suddenly there was light, and Nakor said, ‘You can look now.’
Instead of a heavy forest, they stood before a large rambling estate, with a few well-tended fruit trees around the edges. On the other side of the estate, sheep grazed, and a half-dozen horses ambled across a large meadow. Nicholas looked back and saw Amos and Ghuda glancing about as if lost. Nakor said, ‘They were too slow. I’ll go get them.’
From behind, a voice said, ‘There’s no need.’
Nicholas turned and saw a man in a black robe, slightly shorter than himself, looking at the three with a quizzical expression. The Prince’s eyes widened, for the man could not possibly have been there a moment before. The man moved his hand, and suddenly Amos and Ghuda were staring with eyes wide. ‘I’ve removed the illusion,’ said the man.
Nakor said, ‘I told you: it was a trick.’
The man looked over the two boys and Nakor, then studied Amos and Ghuda as they approached. After a moment his bearded face relaxed and years seem to fall away as he said, ‘Captain Trask! I had no idea.’
Amos strode up to him and stuck out his hand. ‘Pug, it’s good to see you once more.’ As they shook, Amos remarked, ‘You look no different than you did after the Battle of Sethanon!’
There was some humor in Pug’s voice as he said, ‘I’ve been told that. Who are your companions?’
Amos motioned for Nicholas to step forward. ‘I have the pleasure of presenting your cousin Prince Nicholas.’
Pug smiled warmly at the boy and said, ‘Nicky, I haven’t seen you since you were little more than a baby.’
Amos continued, ‘This is Harry of Ludland, his Squire, and these two are Ghuda Bulé and—’
Before he could finish, Nakor said, ‘I am Nakor, the Blue Rider.’
Unexpectedly, Pug laughed aloud. ‘You! I have heard of you.’ With genuine amusement he said, ‘You are all welcome to Villa Beata.’
He motioned for them to follow as he led them toward the strangely designed home. A large central building, white, with a red-tile roof, was surrounded by a low white stone wall, which sheltered a garden of fruit trees and flowers. In the center of the garden, a fountain fashioned of marble in the form of three dolphins sent up a cheerful spray. Off in the distance, they could see outbuildings.
Stepping forward so he walked at Pug’s side, Nicholas said, ‘What is Villa Beata?’
‘This place. In the language of those who built it, it means “blessed home,” or so I was told. And so I have found.’
Amos turned to Nakor and asked him, ‘How did you know not to go to the castle?’
The little man grinned and shrugged. ‘It’s what I would do.’
Pug said over his shoulder, ‘If you had gone to the castle, you would have found it deserted, save for some lively traps in the tallest tower. I find it preserves my privacy to keep alive the legend of the Black Sorcerer. Wards I’ve set there would have alerted me to your trespass, so I would have come to see who called, but you’ve been saved a half day of wasted time.’ Looking at Nakor, he said, ‘We should talk before you leave.’
Nakor nodded vigorously. ‘I like your house. It makes sense.’
Pug nodded in turn.
Reaching the gate through the low wall, he held open the gate for the others, letting them all pass through before he followed after. ‘Be warned, not all my servants are human, and some may startle you. But none here will do you harm.’
As if illustrating this point, a tall creature appeared at the main entrance of the house. Ghuda’s sword was half out of his scabbard before he remembered himself and put it away. The creature appeared to be a goblin, though taller than any Ghuda had ever seen. Goblins were usually smaller than men, but not by much. This creature’s blue-green-tinged skin was smooth, and his eyes were huge and round, with black irises on yellow. He also possessed a finer cast of features than any goblin Ghuda had fought, though he