breathlessly, and plunged his head
and shoulders below the surface, to rise gasping and sputtering.
He glanced up at Eleanor. "Come and drink it!" he cried.
"I've never tasted water like it. It's-it's such powerful water! All
the ache's gone out of my legs! I feel marvelous!" The skin of
his face was glowing and his eyes were shining. "My whole
body's tingling and-" he scrambled out of the water, dripping,
and twisted round to examine the place where his sandal had
rubbed his left heel. "-that big blister's gone!"
He jumped in the air, a picture of vigor, and then ran to
where Eleanor stood uncertainly. He grabbed her arm. "Come on! Try some! It's terrific!"
She resisted and. shook her head. "Oh, John, I wish you
hadn't done that!" She was trembling and weeping from near
exhaustion.
Almost angrily John seized her head between his hands.
"Look at me!" he cried. "Can't you see what's happened to me!
Look! My blisters are gone. I don't ache anywhere. I'm not tired
anymore. I feel full of energy. The spell-or whatever it was has
been broken just like the writing said it would be! The water's
back to what it was in the past. It must have been some special
water the Changer made. And now-oh, come on and try it!"
Eventually Eleanor did. Her face bore a worried expression
as she dipped her hands in the water, but a moment after she
had tasted a little of it, the look changed to one of wonder. A
few more sips, then another handful, then more and more.
Soon she was laughing with merriment and dancing. "It's wonderful!"
John removed his cloak and spread it out to dry. They lay on
their backs letting the sun's heat pour over them, and stared up
at the blue sky above, discussing the strange events of the day.
By and by they drifted to sleep, and slept for three hours or
more. The cool of the evening was on them when they woke,
and as they opened their eyes and sat up the scene around
them had been transformed.
"Just look at that!" John said.
"It's all green!"
"You can hardly recognize it!"
While they had slept the valley had been clothed with vegetation. Many of the trees were festive with blossoms. Others
bore fully ripe fruit. Wild flowers were scattered everywhere
and the air was filled with the scent of flowers and blossom, and
the sound of bird song.
"How could it happen so quickly?"
"Mebbe we've been asleep for a hundred years!"
John laughed. "I don't think so. The place was under Mirshaath's spell, and the spell has been broken. "Hey! What happened to the skeletons?" There was no sign of them on the far
hillside. But on the crest of the hill opposite, a small knot of
people was making its way north.
"They must all have come to life!" Eleanor said wonderingly.
"They can't possibly have-"
"Then where are they? And how do we explain the trees and
the grass? They're every bit as impossible as skeletons brought
to life."
"It's incredible. .
Then, rested and filled with new strength, they set their faces
to the southeast, and began to climb out of the valley.
The forest did not look forbidding. It was beautiful, sunlit and
inviting. The trees were neither too tall nor too close together,
so sunlight filled open areas around them. The pathway they
were to follow wound and twisted before disappearing from
view. The forest seemed to be saying, "Hi, there! How are you
this morning? Why don't you come in and enjoy me?"
They had luxuriated the previous night in a Gaal tree, a
second one which they had discovered as they had emerged
from the Valley of Taavath-Basar. Then on setting out that
morning they had encountered no difficulty in following the
directions Authentio had given them. Eleanor carried a large
linen napkin knotted at the corners, bearing a lunch she had
made up for them before setting out. John carried the leather
water bottle and the book on his back
Dew sparkled in the early morning sunlight as they ap proached the wood. "There's something on that
and shoulders below the surface, to rise gasping and sputtering.
He glanced up at Eleanor. "Come and drink it!" he cried.
"I've never tasted water like it. It's-it's such powerful water! All
the ache's gone out of my legs! I feel marvelous!" The skin of
his face was glowing and his eyes were shining. "My whole
body's tingling and-" he scrambled out of the water, dripping,
and twisted round to examine the place where his sandal had
rubbed his left heel. "-that big blister's gone!"
He jumped in the air, a picture of vigor, and then ran to
where Eleanor stood uncertainly. He grabbed her arm. "Come on! Try some! It's terrific!"
She resisted and. shook her head. "Oh, John, I wish you
hadn't done that!" She was trembling and weeping from near
exhaustion.
Almost angrily John seized her head between his hands.
"Look at me!" he cried. "Can't you see what's happened to me!
Look! My blisters are gone. I don't ache anywhere. I'm not tired
anymore. I feel full of energy. The spell-or whatever it was has
been broken just like the writing said it would be! The water's
back to what it was in the past. It must have been some special
water the Changer made. And now-oh, come on and try it!"
Eventually Eleanor did. Her face bore a worried expression
as she dipped her hands in the water, but a moment after she
had tasted a little of it, the look changed to one of wonder. A
few more sips, then another handful, then more and more.
Soon she was laughing with merriment and dancing. "It's wonderful!"
John removed his cloak and spread it out to dry. They lay on
their backs letting the sun's heat pour over them, and stared up
at the blue sky above, discussing the strange events of the day.
By and by they drifted to sleep, and slept for three hours or
more. The cool of the evening was on them when they woke,
and as they opened their eyes and sat up the scene around
them had been transformed.
"Just look at that!" John said.
"It's all green!"
"You can hardly recognize it!"
While they had slept the valley had been clothed with vegetation. Many of the trees were festive with blossoms. Others
bore fully ripe fruit. Wild flowers were scattered everywhere
and the air was filled with the scent of flowers and blossom, and
the sound of bird song.
"How could it happen so quickly?"
"Mebbe we've been asleep for a hundred years!"
John laughed. "I don't think so. The place was under Mirshaath's spell, and the spell has been broken. "Hey! What happened to the skeletons?" There was no sign of them on the far
hillside. But on the crest of the hill opposite, a small knot of
people was making its way north.
"They must all have come to life!" Eleanor said wonderingly.
"They can't possibly have-"
"Then where are they? And how do we explain the trees and
the grass? They're every bit as impossible as skeletons brought
to life."
"It's incredible. .
Then, rested and filled with new strength, they set their faces
to the southeast, and began to climb out of the valley.
The forest did not look forbidding. It was beautiful, sunlit and
inviting. The trees were neither too tall nor too close together,
so sunlight filled open areas around them. The pathway they
were to follow wound and twisted before disappearing from
view. The forest seemed to be saying, "Hi, there! How are you
this morning? Why don't you come in and enjoy me?"
They had luxuriated the previous night in a Gaal tree, a
second one which they had discovered as they had emerged
from the Valley of Taavath-Basar. Then on setting out that
morning they had encountered no difficulty in following the
directions Authentio had given them. Eleanor carried a large
linen napkin knotted at the corners, bearing a lunch she had
made up for them before setting out. John carried the leather
water bottle and the book on his back
Dew sparkled in the early morning sunlight as they ap proached the wood. "There's something on that
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