Masteress Meenore drew breath to start ITs song again and heard His Lordship calling. From where? The tumult distorted sound, but a breeze momentarily tattered the smoke that blanketed Zertrum. IT saw His Lordship, running, one shoulder lower than the other, with two people clinging to that shoulder—running in the wrong direction, away from IT.
As IT chased His Lordship, IT devised a plan, though IT doubted there would be time. IT flew over them, turned, came down on a steep slope a few yards from the mouth of an enormous cave, probably newly made.
“Meenore! You came for me.”
IT enjoyed for a sliver of a moment the humans’ terrified faces. “Put your cargo on my back.”
His Lordship nodded and reached for the two. He glanced up the mountain. A river of molten rock flowed toward them as fast as gravy from a ewer.
No time to take the people and fly, IT thought. No time for His Lordship to shape-shift.
But they might reach the cave.
His Lordship saw, too, and sprinted toward it, still bearing the people. Masteress Meenore, who could only lumber on land, flapped ITs wings to give IT speed.
They reached the cave in time as the molten rock poured down. IT didn’t mind the temperature, but IT couldn’t fly through the flow. The people and His Lordship would soon die of the heat. Already their faces were red and strained.
Coursing up through ITs claws came Zertrum’s rumble, this time far more powerful than anything that had gone before. The explosion was certainly moments away. Even a dragon couldn’t survive that.
How strange, IT thought, accepting ITs fate, to die in this foreign place, attempting to save people and an ogre and becoming for eternity the good dragon. Enh enh enh.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Night was graying toward dawn. The flat land that led to the stable must have been the Oase vegetable garden before the blizzard. There Master Uwald was found, panting with effort as he dug. When he saw them, he waved the bread knife, but Master Tuomo ignored it and wrested the shovel away. Goodman Dror took the knife and held Master Uwald by his elbow.
“Careful!” High Brunka Marya clung to Mistress Sirka. “Don’t damage the Replica, Master Tuomo.”
Master Tuomo dug delicately but with haste, removing small quantities of dirt.
“There!” Ursa-bee breathed as a ruby appeared.
Master Tuomo dropped the shovel and continued with his hands. After a few minutes he unearthed the entire Replica as well as the box that contained the handkerchief that wept.
How the gold and jewels shone despite the dirt!
Master Tuomo passed the Replica to High Brunka Marya, who held it against her chest. Ursa-bee took the box with the handkerchief. Everyone started back to the Oase, Mistress Sirka carrying the high brunka again and fairly leaping across the snow.
Would they be in time? Elodie wondered. The danger to Zertrum wouldn’t be over until the Replica had been set back on its base.
Everyone rushed toward the Oase. Master Uwald was ushered along between Master Tuomo and Goodman Dror.
Elodie walked behind the rest with Master Robbie. Whenever Master Uwald looked longingly at him over his shoulder, Master Robbie turned and walked backward.
When they were almost at the entry, Master Robbie whispered, loud enough for only her (and the high brunka) to hear, “This is the beginning of better.”
Lambs and calves, she admired him for that!
When they entered the great hall, High Brunka Marya was exiting into the corridor, supported by one of her bees and accompanied by three more, who, Elodie deduced, would stand guard over the Replica on its pedestal. Johan-bee lay on the floor with Ludda-bee looming over him and the sword point touching his chest. Another bee stood by in case he moved.
More bees took over to march him and Master Uwald out of the great hall. Elodie wondered where they’d be kept. As soon as they were gone, Ludda-bee dropped onto one of the benches at the table and wept noisily.
Deeter-bee sat, too, and took the last poppy-seed roll. “A historic event.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
“Meenore!” His Lordship’s voice rang in sudden silence.
The booming from below quieted. IT opened ITs eyes.
The flow of molten rock ceased. Outside the cave, the world turned the gray-white of drifting ash and new snow.
“Your Lordship, my Elodie deduced and induced and used her common sense and saved us both.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
The fires in all three fireplaces had burned down to embers. Bees went to stir them up and add logs. Everyone else stood between the table and the door, waiting.
High Brunka Marya returned. Her serene brunka smile, absent since she’d discovered the theft, had been restored. “The tremors have stopped.”
Elodie began, “Did the—”
Master Tuomo began, “Did the mountain—”
“I don’t think the worst happened, but”—the smile faded—“there must have been a great deal of damage.”
Ludda-bee burst out, “It isn’t our fault, what Johan did. We all tried to improve him. I certainly did.”
Elodie listened in astonishment.