Chapter 9

In which Holisz, now known as Hal, investigates the wizardly worth of the crystals gifted him by the trader, and converses with the Left-Handed God himself, who reveals the dangers inherent in performing magic; and also in which Hal finds different employment.

Hal examined the crystals that evening by campfire light, which were as the merchant had said, of no particular value as jewelry. But could they, mayhap, serve as aids in tapping into the power that was the gift of the gods?

Sorting them as best he could in the flickering light, Hal rejected the larger crystals—they would never fit in his mouth, and for the nonce, placing one in his crotch and closing his thighs around it might endanger bits of body that Hal treasured. Later, after he’d investigated whether he might make any use at all of them, he might try enclosing one within his armpit.

For his first effort, he settled on one the size of a chestnut that might serve. But first, before attempting to perform such a simple spell as the Perpetual Light Enchantment, he would attempt to link the crystal to himself. For, as his old mentor had said, a crystal must be attuned to the user! Yet how was he to do what he’d never done before, something not even mentioned in the tome of simple spells that he’d almost memorized? As Hal thought deeply into the problem, the bard slept and the rat watched solemnly from the shadows as was his custom of an evening.

Betimes, as Hal mused aloud, oft did the beastie cock his head and appear to listen. But perhaps ‘twas only the sound of Hal’s voice that caused him to show this peculiar behavior!

Well. ‘Twas naught for it but to try. Examining the small crystal and noting the interesting play of light off the flat surfaces, Hal placed it on his tongue that he might taste of its substance. But there was no particular taste, only a slight tingle as he closed his mouth around it.

For an attuned crystal, he could think at it, and feel his thoughts echo back and forth. Could he do the same with this one, and in such wise cause the crystal to become attuned to him alone? Hal resolved to try, for might it not be possible to bind his hands more firmly to himself? Or even—the thought would not go away, ken ye—regain hands with that looked like those he had lost? Closing his eyes, Hal felt for the strange thing atop his tongue.

There was nothing ... and then, as day breaks when the sun first appears atop a mountain range, he felt the change. Seizing on what he sensed, Hal encouraged the feeling, one small step at a time, and such was his attunement, he barely heard the rumble of thunder. Until suddenly, the thunder became a voice that only he could hear!

“How now? A mortal dares disturb me at my work?”

The bard paused expectantly, glanced at his spellbound audience, and drank the last of his ale. This time, the tapman himself scurried over with a fresh jack, for he now understood well the old bard’s tricks!

The bard nodded his thanks, drank to wet his gullet that he might continue, and did so.

Astonished Hal was, as you might imagine! Then was he terrified at his temerity in addressing a god! And not just any god, know ye, for ere that awesome being turned to hide his right arm, Hal had noted the deformity! Aye, ‘twas the Left-Handed God himself, he who was cursed to always speak naught but truth!

Hal placed both hands over his ears, that he might not be deafened ere he begged forgiveness for his temerity. Timorous he was, as well he might be, yet did the shade of what he might once become, a hero for the ages, strengthen his liver! Seizing upon that shade, Hal humbly begged pardon of the awesome deity he faced.

“Think no more on it, mortal! ‘Twas but a diversion, and mayhap ye might provide me with better entertainment ere our conversation end! Tell me, puny human; were ye not warned to venture not into strangeness, when there was no guide for your journey?”

“Aye, I was, your Godship! Yet my master abandoned me ere my studies passed beyond mere apprenticeship, and I was desperate! ‘Twas a journey not undertaken lightly, this I swear!”

“We have that in common, mortal!” thundered the Left-Handed God. “For I too bear the mark of rashness!” The Left-Handed God turned, that Hal might view his right arm’s deformity. “Know ye, adventurous human, that I too ventured where none had gone before, to my sorrow! E’en as your rashness saved your life at the cost of making you into a changeling, so did my curiosity mark me forever and cost me the use of mine arm!”

“But ye be a god, a master of wizardry!” argued Hal. “Be ye certain that the ... change ... is forever? Have ye tried to reverse it, e’en as I did when I attempted to replace my hands?”

“Nay, that have I not. For at the time, I deemed it a fair reward for past lies and foolishness! The penance I assigned myself by oath was the use of mine arm, and a curse upon my tongue did I place, that evermore it speak only truth!”

“Gods, ‘tis said, live forever, Master,” Hal said. “Surely there must come a day when thine punishment end, when ye shall have suffered enough?”

“Mayhap, adventurous mortal! I must think on this, and on the courage of one who dares do more than beg a benefice from one who is so much more than any mortal! As a reward, I gift ye fair warning! Drink ye may of knowledge, but drink ye not over-deep from the sweet pool of wizardry, that the cost be not more than ye can bear!

“For know ye, wizardry extracts a price from he who dares practice it! Small enchantments will turn hairs white, larger ones add wrinkles of age to your appearance and also years to your life, that we who protect that pool may find enjoyment in the punishment that comes to mortals when their years are many!”

“I thank ye, Master,” Hal said. “Yet I sense that the small crystal on my tongue be rendered smaller yet, so I must bid ye farewell ere it vanish utterly.”

“Aye, mortal.” A grim chuckle rumbled across the heaven as the Left-Handed God explained. “The crystal be a link to the plane ye dwell on. Lose that, and ye shall exist forever, yet be neither here nor there!

“Go now, and fare ye well, that your bravery not be lost to those who will need it ere your life end!”

The silence that had fallen upon all was broken by a noisy swallow, then another. The bard finished the jack and drank deep from another, this one the gift of the youth who had questioned him when first he had entered the tavern.

“Tell me, good Bard,” the youth asked. “Spake ye truth, when ye spoke the words of the god?”

“Aye, lad. For only a fool would do other, lest great woe come as his reward! Betimes I might add a bit here and there to a tale, or change a tittle that it provide greater entertainment, but I be a bard and not a wizard. Content I be to remain so! Now must I pause, while I answer nature’s demand. Never fear, I shall return anon, my tale to continue!”

“Hal spat out the crystal, now barely larger than a grain of sand. E’en so, it was still attuned to him and possibly a danger should it come into possession of an enemy, so he placed it carefully within his leathern bag with the others.

Dare he attempt to attune another one to himself?

‘Twould be no more than a tiny effort, one that would result in a gray hair, perhaps two, yet the day might come when such a device would save his life. For had not his first crystal, the one given him by the old wizard Johannes the Wise, stopped his wrists from bleeding, that he not expire from loss of blood?

Was the benefit to be gained worth the risk? Bold Hal decided that it was. Searching within the bag, he found a crystal but slightly larger than the wizard’s gift. ‘Twas large enough to be useful, but should he be unequal to the task the danger would be lessened. Or so reasoned Hal, and hoped that he was not making himself the butt of a god’s jest in the doing!

Yet was his jaw weary and his tongue tired, from holding the smaller crystal surrounded within his mouth. Under-joyed at the thought of placing another crystal within, he resolved to try again with the rat hands. Mayhap, this time...?

But as ere, he felt no contact.

A deep sigh of disappointment was followed by placing the crystal within his right armpit.

After a moment’s reflection, he removed it and placed it within the left armpit. An rashness cost him the use of an arm, ‘twas better that it be the left one!

But fortunate was Hal, for such loss was not to be. As before, the link formed and Hal sensed within the crystal the attunement he sought. Yet ere he abandoned the link, Hal faced the pouch where the largest crystal dwelt, and directed his attention thereto, that he might attune it also to himself. Success again! For he entered within and felt his thoughts bound from side to side and top to bottom between the crystal’s walls, growing stronger with each passage!