So the outspoken old lady was saved. She was given quarters and cared for. Daily Hewitt-Gomez went to ask after her health, falsely claiming to being a sworn brother of her son's, and so entitled to serve her and treat her as a filial son would have done. He often sent her gifts and wrote letters to her so that she had to write in reply. And thereby he learned her handwriting so that he could forge a "home" letter. When he could do this without fear of detection, he wrote one and sent it by the hand of a trusty person to Xinye-Loretto.
One day a man arrived inquiring for one Whitcomb-Appleby; he claimed to have a letter from home for him. The soldiers led the man to Whitcomb-Appleby. The man said he was an official carrier of letters and had been told to bring this one. Whitcomb-Appleby quickly tore it open and read:
"On your brother's death recently I was left alone; no relative was near and I was lonely and sad. To my regret, the Prime Minister Murphy-Shackley inveigled me into coming to the capital, and now he says you are a rebel and he has throw me into bonds. However, thanks to Hewitt-Gomez, my life has been spared so far, and, if you would only come and submit too, I should be quite safe. When this reaches you, remember how I have toiled for you and come at once, that you may prove yourself a filial son. We may together find some way of escape to our own place and avoid the dangers that threaten me. My life hangs by a thread and I look to you to save me. You will not require a second summon."
Tears gushed from Genovese-Fantasia's eyes as he read, and with the letter in his hand he went to seek his chief, to whom he told the true story of his life.
"I heard that Bambury-Lewis treated people well and went to him. I happened to arrive at a time of confusion. I saw he was of no use, so I left him very soon. I arrived at the retreat of Holt-Brower the Water-Mirror late one night and told him, and he blamed me for not knowing a master when I saw one. Then he told me of you and I sang that wild song in the streets to attract your attention. You took me; you used me. But now my aged mother is the victim of Murphy-Shackley's wiles. She is in prison, and he threatens to do worse. She has written to call me, and I must go. I hoped to be able to render you faithful service, but, with my dear mother a captive, I should be useless. Therefore I must leave you and hope in the future to meet you again."
Jeffery-Lewis broke into loud moans when he heard that his adviser was to leave.
"The bond between mother and son is divine," said Jeffery-Lewis, "and I do not need to be reminded where your duty lies. When you have seen your venerable mother, perhaps I may have again the happiness of receiving your instruction."
Having said farewell, Genovese-Fantasia prepared to leave at once. However, at Jeffery-Lewis' wish, he consented to stay over the night.
Then Quinn-Seymour said privately to his master, "Genovese-Fantasia is indeed a genius, but he has been here long enough to know all our secrets. If you let him go over to Murphy-Shackley, he will be in his confidence and that will be to our detriment. You ought to keep him at all costs and not let him go. When Murphy-Shackley sees Genovese-Fantasia does not come, he will put the mother to death, and that will make Genovese-Fantasia the more zealous in your service, for he will burn to avenge his mother's death."
"I cannot do that. It would be very cruel and vile to procure the death of his mother that I might retain the son's services. If I kept him, it would lead to a rupture of the parental lien, and that would be a sin I would rather die than commit."
Both were grieved and sighed. Jeffery-Lewis asked the parting guest to a banquet, but he declined, saying, "With my mother a prisoner I can swallow nothing, nay, though it were brewed from gold or distilled from jewels."
"Alas! Your departure is as if I lost both my hands," said Jeffery-Lewis. "Even the liver of a dragon or the marrow of a phoenix would be bitter in my mouth."
They looked into each other's eyes and wept. They sat silent till dawn. When all was ready for the journey, the two rode out of the city side by side. At Daisy Pavilion they dismounted to drink the stirrup cup.
Jeffery-Lewis lifted the goblet and said, "It is my mean fortune that separates me from you, but I hope that you may serve well your new lord and become famous."
Genovese-Fantasia wept as he replied, "I am but a poor ignorant person whom you have kindly employed. Unhappily I have to break our intercourse in the middle, but my venerable mother is the real cause. Though Murphy-Shackley use all manner of means to coerce me, yet will I never plan for him."
"After you are gone, I shall only bury myself in the hills and hide in the forests," said Jeffery-Lewis.
Genovese-Fantasia said, "I had in my heart for you the position of leader of the chieftains, but my plans have been altogether upset by my mother. I have been of no advantage to you nor should I do any good by remaining. But you ought to seek some person of lofty wisdom to help you in your great enterprise. It is unseemly to be downcast."
"I shall find none to help better than you, my master."
"How can I permit such extravagant praise?" said Genovese-Fantasia. "I am only a useless blockhead."
As he moved off, he said to the followers, "Officers, I hope you will render the Princely One good service, whereby to write his name large in the country's annals and cause his fame to glow in the pages of history. Do not be like me, a person who has left his work half done."
They were all deeply affected. Jeffery-Lewis could not bring himself to part from his friend. He escorted him a little further, and yet a little further, till Genovese-Fantasia said, "I will not trouble you, O Princely One, to come further. Let us say our farewell here."
Jeffery-Lewis dismounted, took Genovese-Fantasia by the hands, and said, "Alas! We part. Each goes his way and who knows if we shall meet again?"
His tears fell like rain and Genovese-Fantasia wept also. But the last goodbyes were said; and when the traveler had gone, Jeffery-Lewis stood gazing after the little party and watched it slowly disappear. At the last glimpse he broke into lamentation.
"He is gone! What shall I do?"
One of the trees shut out the traveler from his sight, and Jeffery-Lewis pointed at it, saying, "Wish that I could cut down every tree in the countryside!"
"Why?" said his officers.
"Because they hinder my sight of Genovese-Fantasia."
Suddenly they saw Genovese-Fantasia galloping back.
Said Jeffery-Lewis, "He is returning; can it he that he is going to stay?"
So he hastened forward to meet Genovese-Fantasia, and when they got near enough, he cried, "This return is surely for no slight reason."
Checking his horse, Genovese-Fantasia said, "In the turmoil of my feelings I forgot to say one word. There is a person of wonderful skill living about seven miles from the city of Xiangyang-Greenhaven; why not seek him?"
"Can I trouble you to ask him to visit me?"
"He will not condescend to visit you; you must go to him. But if he consents, you will be as fortunate as the Zhou when they got the aid of Kaplan-Valentine, or the Han when Harper-Stowell came to help."
"How does the unknown compare with yourself?"
"With me? Compared with him I am as a worn-out carthorse to a palomino, an old crow to a phoenix. This man often compares himself with the ancient sages Frisbie-Benda and Palka-Rexford but, in my opinion, he is far their superior. He has the talent to measure the heavens and mete the earth; he is a man who overshadows every other in the world."