The Alabaster Staff by Edward Bolme

Author:Edward Bolme
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, General, Fantasy, American, Fantasy fiction, Fiction, Forgotten realms (Imaginary place)
ISBN: 9780786929627
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Published: 2003-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Not knowing what else to do, Kehrsyn shouldered her bag, left the building, climbed down the ladder, and headed for the Thayan enclave to see Eileph.

He wanted to study that thing, she thought, so I guess there's nothing stopping him now. Not that there's anything really left to learn-Tiglath said the magic was fading-but really, I owe him the pieces of the wand.

She worked her way through the crowded streets of Messemprar. The snow had been plowed to slush and pressed away to the margins of the streets, leaving slick cobbles, cold mud, and, in places of greater shade, ice for her to contend with. The wind had picked up again and blew from the southeast in gusts. Kehrsyn pulled her cloak tighter around her face and shoulders and tried to ignore the fact that it smelled of someone else.

When she was most of the way to the enclave, Kehrsyn stopped in her tracks, rolled her eyes, and changed her course for the Mage Bazaar. Of course Eileph would be there, in his tent, selling to a desperate public instead of lounging in his sanctum. She only hoped she would not have to wait long to see him.

At the entrance to the curtain walls that encircled the Red Wizards' pavilion, the guard informed her that Eileph was not selling merchandise that day. He had remained in the enclave engaged in research. Kehrsyn rolled her eyes again and retraced her steps all the way back to the enclave.

She was admitted promptly, and once more found herself entering Eileph's laboratory and erstwhile reception room. As she entered, the deformed wizard was carefully studying a small organ he had cut from the cadaver. The toad sat upon the corpse's flayed face, an image that made Kehrsyn's lower lip quiver with revulsion.

"Um… Eileph?" she said.

Eileph hobbled around, leaning on a gnarled cane as misshapen as he was. So did the toad, its amphibian feet slapping on the cold, dead musculature as it rotated its obese bulk in place. Kehrsyn tried very hard to ignore it, but the beast was unavoidably visible in her peripheral vision.

"Oh, mm-hmm, it's you," said Eileph. "I must tell you, it is rare I find myself anticipating anyone's interruption, but you've managed to make yourself an exception, even if you are built like a wee wisp of an elf."

"Thanks," she said.

As she tried to figure out how to break the news, Kehrsyn smiled hollowly.

"Do your people have another commission for me? Hmm?" asked Eileph, waggling his fingers. "More gold for this tired old soul?"

"Well… no," said Kehrsyn. "Basically, um, the reason I'm, y'know, here, is that they-well we, that is-we agreed that… you could sort of… study the, uh… the staff. When we were through with it. And… I guess we're kind of through with it."

With those words, Kehrsyn placed the broken halves of the wand on a relatively flat pile of papers on the worktable, there being no spot that was actually clear of clutter.

Eileph's jaw dropped, and his skin went deathly pale.

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