Chapter 17
King's Lake
The day before Electra and Avor were to leave for Taz was also the day the Fernland acting troupe had chosen to put on their show for the workmen of Taz—a generous gesture designed to encourage the Taz men to begin work on their theatre. The grassy hillside above the site of the future theatre was covered with people sitting on blankets. All of the workers from Taz were there. The Royal Family of Fernland was there. King Geoffrey and Queen Delphinia wanted to spend this last evening with their children who were leaving the next morning at first light for Taz. Many of Fernland's people had also made the trek down to King's Lake to see the show. Take called the members of his acting troupe together for one last conference before they took their places to begin the performance.
"This is it, my Dears. Any last questions?" he asked.
A muffled voice came from the stomach of a giant squid. "I can't hardly hear nothin'. How'll we know when to start coming up outa the lake?"
"You'll be able to hear Shandor begin his first song on your way out to the platform. The music will carry well over the water. There will be a short pause between songs. As soon as the second song begins, you will begin to slither out from the platform to the boat. Just to be sure I'll raise the lantern twice to signal the beginning of the second song. Anything else?"
Bear's gruff voice came from the head of a shark. "Let's just get on with it afore I suffocate."
"Off you go then lads and lasses. Good show to you all," Take shouted.
A black curtain set across the beach front shielded the audience's view of the raft as the actors made their way out to tie up at the submerged platform hidden behind a small rowboat. Shandor began to play a melancholy tune. Take joined him with his flute, then stepped in front of the curtain to welcome his audience.
"Royalty of Fernland, loyal subjects, workmen of Taz: welcome to you all. We dedicate this performance to our visitors from Taz. We, the actors and magicians of Fernland bring you this heartfelt performance entitled "A Gift From the Sea."
The black curtain opened slowly. Behind the curtain was the wide blue expanse of King's Lake, its small white caps lapping the shore. A small empty boat bobbed up and down about a hundred feet off shore. It was still plainly visible although dusk was fast approaching.
Shandor, hidden at the edge of the curtain, began a tune full of minor chords and foreboding rhythms. From out of the lake, just behind the boat, a giant squid rose up from the water. The squid seemed to rest on the water for just a moment before it squirmed its way across the water and flopped into the small boat. A great blue shark, flashing its teeth and thrashing its tail, soon followed the squid into the boat. Next into the boat was King Neptune himself, clothed in seaweed, pulling a wooden chest behind him. King Neptune was followed by a graceful sea horse and two mermaids.
The sea creatures took up oars and slowly made their way to shore. King Neptune pulled the boat onto the sand and the other sea creatures flopped and wiggled from the boat. The music changed to a spritely tune and the sea creatures began their rendition of a spirited sea creature dance on the sandy shore. The squid whirled in circles, the mermaids bounced along on their tails, the shark lunged at the audience and snapped his teeth and the seahorse galloped around Neptune and his chest. As the dance ended and darkness descended, the sea creatures took torches from the boat and lit them with a touch from King Neptune's trident. As they dragged the wooden chest and shovels from the boat, the sea creatures looked around suspiciously, careful that they were not being observed. The audience remained very quiet.
Finally, confident that no one was watching, King Neptune began to dig a hole in the sand. The music took on a note of mystery and suspense as they lowered the chest into the ground. With a few final swishes of the mermaids' tails, all traces of the buried chest were smoothed over. One by one the sea creatures made their awkward way back into the boat. King Neptune pushed the boat into the water and they rowed themselves into deeper water where they all flung themselves over the side of the boat and back from whence they had come.
The fiddle music took on a wistful sound and from down the beach came two men. They appeared to be workmen from Taz, walking slowly, stopping here and there to dig for clams. One of the men chanced to dig his shovel into the exact spot where the chest lay buried. He looked surprised when his shovel stopped short, hitting on something solid hidden beneath the sand.
The two men began at once to shovel the top sand away, then, more carefully they began to sweep the lower sand away with their hands. The fevered pace of Shandor's music reflected the men's excitement. When the top of the chest was exposed, they gently raised the lid. With a roar and a billowing cloud of smoke, a huge genie burst forth from the chest.
The two men fell down to their knees and hardly dared to look at the genie. In both English and Taz, the genie told the men they had nothing to fear. Since they had released him from his prison, he would give them their heart's desire.
"You may have one wish and only one. Choose wisely." The genie's voice thundered across the sand to the hill beyond.
The two men dressed as workmen from Taz moved closer to the black curtain to confer. The black curtains opened and closed as they whispered. One wish after another took shape as the two men considered which wish to finally ask for. First the curtain opened on a table heaped with pots of gold and jewels. One man shook his head and the other waved his arms in argument. The curtain closed and opened again on a group of richly clad, beautiful women, smiling and waving to the men. Again, the men argued and the curtain closed. This time the curtain opened on a table laden with food. A feast fit for a king. Both men shook their heads and grew quiet, looking to the sky for inspiration. One man whispered to the other and the second nodded in agreement. They had found their wish.
The two men bowed to the genie and asked in strong voices, both in English and Taz, "We would like to have our families with us again."
In another billow of smoke the genie nodded his agreement. The black curtain opened and there stood the families of the two men, sitting at the table, still laden down with the feast, all of them overjoyed to be reunited. The two men and their families hugged one another, laughed, cried, ate and drank as the curtains closed a final time.
The audience was strangely quiet as Take came through the curtains. Many of the Taz workers looked to the Caliph to judge what their reaction should be. The Caliph was draped in blankets next to Rabar, his son. With Rabar's help, the Caliph straightened to a standing position and made a gesture of gratitude. He touched his head, his heart and then held his hands palms up in Take's direction. He then began to clap. The workmen all followed suit, clapping wildly, whistling and cheering. Fernland's royal family clapped politely and the other Fernlanders followed their lead. A few could be seen to discretely wipe tears from their faces. The play had only served to point out how cruel it was to separate families.
Take bowed gratefully and opened the curtain to admit a long line of performers. The clapping showed no sign of stopping.
"I believe we have our new theatre," Take whispered to his fellow actors. "Go out there and seal the deal."
The actors dispersed themselves among the audience, answering questions about how some actions were performed and begging off others, citing the magician's code of secrecy.
As Take moved up to the royal family, Queen Delphinia took his hand and clasped it between her two hands.
"I am so moved by your performance. Who among us has not felt the loss when one or more of the family is missing. I am now even more reluctant to see my children off on a sea voyage to a savage country."
Take could see that her eyes were close to overflowing with tears. He thanked her and moved on quickly.
King Geoffrey seemed ill at ease. "Good performance," he said in a gruff voice. "But you've not made my job as Fernland's guardian any easier." He did not add that he had forbidden
the families of the Taz men to settle in Fernland, but everyone had guessed as much.
Again, Take moved on quickly.
Avor shook Take's hand. "It was very convincing, those sea monsters coming out of the lake. I see now why you needed the platform."
Take bowed. "You are all most gracious. Were it not for your generosity none of this would be possible. We are in your debt." Take looked around for Princess Electra, but she was not there.
Shandor had spotted Angelica in the crowd on the hillside before the performance started. She sat next to Muller the Spy. The spy of all people! Muller had lied to his face. He must have come back to their camp in Chase Bound the year before and convinced her to run away with him. Anger and thirst were driving Shandor in different directions. He wanted a drink badly and he had the money now from Take to buy it. He also wanted to confront Muller the Spy and Angelica with their actions before they had time to leave. But he could not take a chance on being arrested. He would wait until Muller left Angelica's side and speak to his daughter first.
Shandor made his way through the crowd to where he had seen Angelica. People saw his fiddle and stopped to shake his hand and congratulate him on his performance. It would have been nice to stay with these actors. That was impossible now, thanks to Muller, Electra and whoever else was responsible for his problems.
He saw Muller. He was bent over Angelica as she sat on their blanket. He waved a goodbye as he moved away. Shandor kept to the shadows and approached Angelica from behind.
"Is it true you no longer wish to acknowledge me as your father?"
Angelica twisted around quickly to face the familiar voice. She managed a nervous smile.
"I am married now. We are happy. I have no wish to return to the Traveler camp." Angelica put her hand on her father's shoulder. "You played beautifully tonight. I was proud of you."
Shandor shook off her hand roughly. "How did Muller seduce you? Did he offer you money to leave with him?"
Angelica looked confused. "Serafina helped me to run away. It was my choice and I am grateful to her. I met Muller later—aboard a ship."
"What an enchanting story. I can see how a gypsy father could be easily forgotten."
Angelica's expression wavered between guilt and anger. "I did not think you would ever change your habits." She raised her eyes to his. "Do you still drink and become abusive."
Shandor shook a finger in his daughter's face. "Because I sought to rescue you I am now a wanted man. You might have saved me from that at least by being honest." Shandor stood up and quickly melted away into the shadows.
Electra found Angelica sobbing a few minutes later.
"What is it? Did your father find you?"
Angelica nodded.
"I will summon the Guard and have him arrested."
"No, no. He did not hurt me. Only my feelings. I am an ungrateful daughter. Because of me he is a wanted man."
"Did you tell Muller about your father?"
Angelica shook her head. "Muller leaves tomorrow for Taz. I do not want my deceit to be the last thing he takes away to remember me by."
"Do you think your father plans to stay in Fernland?"
"No. He does not want to be arrested. I believe he will leave tonight."
Electra felt uneasy about continuing to keep Angelica's secret, but she did not want to add to her distress. She would be leaving herself in the early morning, along with Muller, Avor, Rabar, Hilgard and Tandor. She patted Angelica's hand.
"Do not worry. It will all work out for the best." Electra smiled at Angelica. "No more tears. Muller will be back soon." She waited while Angelica wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I should rejoin my family. Will you be all right?"
Angelica sniffed and nodded. "I will be fine. You are a true friend."
Electra stood, looked around to make sure Shandor was not lurking in the shadows, and set out to find Dagon.