Nerisa recovered and raised her head to look at him. She was smiling, but her lower lip was trembling. Her eyes were unguarded and he could see emotion boiling just beneath their dark surfaces. He realized that if he said the wrong thing just now she'd burst into tearsand suddenly he knew the reason for those welling tears. Nerisa was in love with him. He'd seen his sisters fall in love with much older lads and suffer the same torment. It was a quickly passing illness, he knew. A malady of the very youngalthough just as painful as anything an adult endured. It would be even harder on Nerisa, he thought, because she was so aloneso unloved. Safar, who still wore scars from his encounter with Astarias, knew that anything he did to hurt Nerisa would wound her deeply. He wondered what he ought to do about the situation. Then he thought, why do anything at all? Give her a chance to grow out of the crush, like his sisters had. He'd just have to tread carefully from now on.
Safar cleared his throat and picked up the turtle. Nerisa tensed for words of scornful dismissal.
"This spell will be much easier if you help me, he said calmly.
Nerisa's reprieved heart soared. She leaped to her feet. What do you want me to do? she asked eagerly.
He pointed to a battered trunk across the room. You'll find a wooden case in there, he said, with most of the things I need. Then, if it's no trouble, you might start a fire under the brazier."
"No trouble at all, she said, adopting Safar's casual tones.
She fetched him the case, and while she got the fire going he poured different colors of scented oils into a wide-mouthed jar. Then he sprinkled packets of mysterious powders and strong-smelling herbs into the oil, mixing it all together with a stone mortar. Nerisa heard him chanting as he worked, but his voice was so low she couldn't make out the words. When he judged the fire hot enough, he carried the large jar and turtle to the brazier. He set the jar on the grate and while it heated he drew colored chalk marks on the floor, making an elaborate, many-sided design that enclosed the fire.
When he was done he said, Now, if you'll sit right there… He motioned to a spot well inside the design.
She did as he directed, scooting in as close as she could to the brazier. Safar sat across from her. His image appeared watery through the heated fumes rising from the jar.
"Are you comfortable? he asked.
She nodded.
"We'll get started then, he said. But you have to promise me you won't laugh if I make a mistake. I'm just a student, you know."
Nerisa giggled. She was sure that, student or not, Safar just had to be the best wizard in all Esmir. Then she realized how relaxed she'd become since he'd asked her to help. She wondered if his request had been a ploy to put her at ease. If so, she loved him even more for it.
Safar sniffed the fumes. It's ready now, he said.
"What do I do? she asked.
Safar handed her a long-handled brush with a narrow blade made of boar's bristles. Dip this into the jar, he told her. Stir it around and get a good load on the bristles."
She stirred the brush through the thick, bubbling mixture. She wrinkled her nose at the fumes, although later she couldn't have said if the scent was foul or fair, sweet or sour. Safar signaled with a nod and she withdrew it. He picked up the stone turtle, centered it in his flattened right palm, then extended it over the fumes.
"Now paint the turtle's back, he said.
Nerisa gently stroked the brush across the green image of the island. Although the mixture from the jar was tarry black, it left only gray streaks on the green.
"Lay it on thick, Safar said. This isn't a job for a timid hand."
Nerisa furrowed her brow and daubed with a will until the goo spread all over the stone and spilled into Safar's hand.
"That's exactly right, he said. Now dip up some more and do another coat. Thicker than the last, if you can. But this time we need a chant to help things along. So listen closely to what I say and repeat it exactly."
Nerisa nodded understanding, loaded the brush again, and as she laid the mixture across the idol's back they chanted together:
"Light dawning through the night, What pearls hide beneath the stone? All that is dark emerge into bright, Give flesh to rock and marrow to bone."
Nerisa's pulse quickened as she saw a faint light emanating from the stone idol. She swore she saw the turtle's legs move and then she gasped as the idol twitched into life and scuttled across Safar's palm. He whispered for her to be still and laid the turtle on the floor. Instantly the light died and the idol sank down, freezing into its former lifeless pose. Safar swore, then looked up to give Nerisa an abashed grin.
"This is going to be harder than I thought, he said. We could chant all night and still not come up with the right spell.
From his sleeve he withdrew a small silver knife, double-edged and etched with elaborate and mysterious designs. It was the witch's knife Coralean had given him to unravel difficult problems.
"Fortunately, he said, indicating the knife, I have a way to cheat."
Again he signaled for Nerisa to be silent and he laid the knife against the idol's stone shellpoint touching the red painted mountain with the monster's face. He chanted:
"Conjure the key That fits the lock. Untangle the traces, And cut the knot…
Safar's voice dipped lower and the rest of the chant was lost to Nerisa. But she was so struck by his intensity that she probably wouldn't have heard the words even if they'd been shouted. She'd never seen such concentration. Safar's eyes seemed to be turned inward, smoldering with smoky blue fire. A soft light formed about his whole body, a rosy band shot with pinpricks of color. His long face shone with perspiration, making the hollows seem deeper and the edges sharper. Nerisa smelled the faint musk rising from his body and felt a great calm settle around her like the softest of blankets. Her eyes, as if they had a will of their own, fixed on the monster's painted face and became riveted there.
Safar gave the stone a final sharp rap with his knife and suddenly the monster's face broke free from the stone, floating up and up, and then the painted eyes blinked into life and its mouth moved, forming words:
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Nerisa heard it say.
A body formed beneath the face, and Nerisa pulled back in surprise as a little creature, perhaps three hands high, hopped off the turtle's back and stood on the floor. It had the visage of a toad, with huge eyes and a mouth stretched wide to reveal four needle-sharp fangs. But the rest of its body was that of an elegant little man, richly clothed in a form-fitting costume covering it from toe to neck. The creature seemed angry, hands perched on narrow hips, ugly toad head turned toward the stone turtle.
"If you don't shut up, it said to the idol, I'll make you! Just wait and see if I don't! Then the creature looked up at Safar, complaining, He gives me a headache! Always talking. Never listening. Sometimes I can't even hear myself think!"
"I'm sorry you're forced to live with such noisy company, Safar said, as natural as could be. But in case you haven't noticed you've just been summoned. And if you'll pardon my rudeness, whatever quarrel you have with your companion is of no interest to us."
The creature glared at Safar, then at Nerisa. That's the trouble with humans, he said. No concern for others. He cocked his head at the idol as if listening, then nodded. I couldn't agree more, Gundaree, he said to the idol. For a change you speak wisely. Then, to Safar, he said, Gundaree says all humans are selfish. And you've certainly done nothing since we met to disprove it."
"Who is Gundaree? Safar asked.
The creature snorted, tiny flames shooting from its nostrils. My twin! Who else? He spoke as if Safar were the most ignorant mortal in existence.
"And you are?"
Another fiery snort. Gundara, that's who!"