"There, there, my boy;" said Fizban, "this isn't the end of everything"
"It isri t?" asked Gnosh, so miserable he finished a sentence, l
"No, of course not I You've got to look at this from the proper-
7
perspective. Why, now you've got a chance to study a drago
orb from the inside outs"
Gnosh's eyes brightened. "You're right;" he said after a short pause, "and, in fact, I bet I could glue-"
"Yes, yes;' Fizban said hurriedly, but Gnash lunged forward, his speech growing faster and Easter.
"We could tag the pieces,don'tyousee,andthendrawadia gram ofwhereeachpiece waslyingontheground,which-'
"Quite, quite;' Fizban muttered.
"Step aside, sleep aside;" Gnosh said importantly, shoo'nj people away from the orb. "Mind where you walk, Lord Guy than and, yes, we're going to study it from the inside out nosn~, and I should have a report in a matter of weeks-"
Gnosh and Fizban cordoned off the area and set to work. Fq the next two days, Fizban stood on the broken Whitestari making diagrams, supposedly marking the exact location d each piece before it was picked up. (One of Fizban's diagraru accidentally ended up in the kender's pouch, Tas, discoverd later that it was actually a game known as "x's and zeroes" which the mage had been playing against himself andapparently•-lost. )
Gnosh, meanwhile, crawled happily around on the grass, sticking bits of parchment adorned with numbers on pieces of glass smaller than the bits of parchment. He and Fizban finally collected the 2, 687 pieces of dragon orb in a basket and transported them back to Mount Nevermind.
Tasslehoff had been offered the choice of staying with Fizban or going to Palanthas with Laurana and Flint. The choice was simple. The kender knew two such innocents as the elfmaid and the dwarf could not survive without him. But it was hard leaving his old friend. Two days before the ship sailed, he paid a final visit to the .gnomes and to Fizban.
After an exhilarating ride in the catapult, he found Gnosh in the Examination Roam. The pieces of the broken dragon orbtagged and numbered-were spread out across two tables.
"Absolutelyfascinaking,;' Gnosh spoke so fast he stuttered, "because wehaveandyzedtheglass, curiousmaterial, unlikenothingwe've everseen, greatestdiscovery, thiscentury-"
"So your Life Quest is aver?" Tas interrupted. "Your father's soul-"
Restingcomfartably!" Gnosh beamed, then returned to, his work. ".4ndsogladyaueauldstopby andify.ou'reeverinthe neighborhoodcomebyandseeusagain-"
"I will;' Tas said, smiling.
Tas found Fizban two levels down. (A fascinating journeyhe simply yelled out the name -of his level, then Leaped into the void. Nets flapped and fluttered, bells went off, gongs sounded and whistles blew. Tas was finally caught one level above the ground, just as the area was being inundated with sponges.)
Fizban was in Weapons Development, surrounded by gnomes, all gazing at him with unabashed admiration.
"Ah, my boy!" he said, peering vaguely at Tasslehofe. "You re just in time to see the testing of our new ;weapon. Revolutionize warfare. Make the dragonlance obsolete."'
'Really ?" Tas asked in excitement.
"A fact!" Fizban confirmed. "Now, you stand over here-' He an.otioned to a ,gnome who leaped to do his bidding, running
to stand in the middle of the cluttered room.
Fizban picked up what looked, to the kender's confused mind, like a crossbow that had been attacked by an enraged fisherman. It was a crossbow all right. But instead of an arrow, a huge net dangled from a hook on the end. Fizban, grumbling and muttering, ordered the gnomes to stand behind him and give him room.
"Now, you are the enemy;' Fizban told the gnome in the center of the room. The gnome immediately assumed a fierce, warlike expression. The other gnomes nodded appreciatively.
Fizban .aimed, then let fly. The net sailed out into the air, got snagged on the hook at the end of crossbow, and snappedback like a collapsing sail to engulf the magician.
"Confounded hook!" Fizban muttered.
Between the gnomes and Tas, they got him disentangled.
"I guess this is good-bye," Tas said, slowly extending hid small hand.
"It is?" Fizban looked amazed" "Am I going somewhere? I one told rne". I'm not packed-'
"I'm going somewhere;' Tas said patiently, "with Laur We're taking the lances and-oh, I don't think I'm supposed tbe telling anyone;' he added, embarrassed.
"Don't worry. Mum's the word.' Fizban said in a ho. whisper that carried clearly through the crowded room. "You love Palanthas. Beautiful city. Give Sturm my regards. and Tasslehoff"-the old magician looked at him shrewdly, "'you did the right thing, my boy!"
"I did?" Tas said hopefully. "I'm glad:" He hesitated. ", w dered . . . about what you said-the dark path. Did I-?"
Fizban's face grew grave as he gripped Tas firmly an shoulder. 'I'm afraid so. But you have the courage to wailk'
"I hope so;'Tas said with a small sigh. "Well, good- bge. be back. Just as soon as the mar's over."
"Oh, I probably won't be there;' Fizban said, shaking I-~s so violenay his hat slid off. "Soon as the new weapon"s
fected, I'll be leaving for-" he paused. "Where was that I
supposed to gc? I can't seem to recall. But don't worry.
meet again. At least you're not leaving me buried under a
of chicken feathers!" he muttered, searching for his hat,. '
Tas picked it up and handed it to him.
"Good-bye;' the kender said, a choke in his voice.
"Good-bye, good-bye!" Fizban waved cheerfully. Thengiving the gnomes a hunted glance-he pulled Tas over to him. "Uh, I seem to have forgotten something. What was my name again?"
Someone else said good-bye to the old magician, too, although not under quite the same circumstances.
Elistan was pacing the shore of Sancrist, waiting for the boat that would take him back to Southern Ergoth. The young man, Douglas, walked along beside him. The two were deep in conversation, Elistan explaining the ways of the ancient gods to a rapt and attentive listener.
Suddenly Elistan looked up to see the old, befuddled magician he had seen at the Council meeting. Elistan had tried for days to meet the old mage, but Fizban always avoided him. Thus it was with astonishment Elistan saw the old man come walking toward them now along the shoreline. His head was bowed, he was muttering to himself. For a moment, Elistan thought he would pass by without noticing them, when suddenly the old mage raised his head.
"Oh, I say! Haven't we met?" he asked, blinking.
For a moment Elistan could not speak. The cleric's face turned deathly white beneath its weathered tan. He was finally able to answer the old mage, his voice was husky. "Indeed we have, sir. I did not realize it before mow. And though we were
but lately introduced, I feel that I have known you a long, long time."
"Indeed?" The old man scowled suspiciously. "You're not making some sort of comment on my age, are you?"
"No, certainly not!" Elistan smiled.
The old man's face cleared,
"I'Vell, have a pleasant journey. And a safe one. Farewelclass="underline" '
Leaning on a bent and battered staff, the old man toddled an past them. Suddenly he stopped and turned around. "Oh, by the way, the name's Fizban."
"I'll remember;" Elistan said gravely, bowing, "Fizban."
Pleased, the old magician nodded and continued on his way along the shoreline while Elistan, suddenly thoughtful and quiet, resur-,eG his walk with a sigh.