Final Kingdom (13 page)

“I suppose it's only the Six Sleepers now,” Josh said solemnly. He shook hands with each of his friends, then remained standing while the others sat. “I will speak for the Sleepers,” he said, and his voice rang with authority. “What is being decided?”

Yanto said, “Your friends have asked us to go to war. I have asked them for a sign that this is the right thing to do, but they have given none. You have been with us magicians for some time. What is your feeling about joining Goél?”

Josh said confidently, “Goél did send us to summon you, but now he's appeared to me and commanded me to change our mission.”

Sarah gasped. “Josh, what are you saying?”

Josh faced the Sleepers. “I've learned a lot since living with the magicians. They are wise, and they've shared their wisdom with me. And now I've had a visit from Goél, and we talked a long time. He wants the
magicians to stay here and not join him at Dothan.

We're to remain here too.”

“That can't be!” Jake exclaimed.

“You'll have to take my word for it,” Josh said. “You know what Goél is like. Sometimes he gives commands that seem strange. You remember that, Sarah, from our first adventure. He gave you a command and said nothing to the rest of us.”

Sarah did remember how Goél had appeared to her and commanded her to trust him and obey. The others had not believed, and she had had the greatest struggle of her life obeying.

“I. . .I know that's true, Josh, but . . .”

“I'm afraid this time I'll have to assert myself as leader. We'll stay here with the magicians. There's much for all of us to learn here.”

Sarah could not put her finger on it, but
something
was different about Josh. She recognized that the difference was not in his voice or in his appearance. He certainly was the same Josh physically, but there was a difference in the expression of his eyes and certainly in his manner.

Josh has always been so humble and meek—but now he's giving orders in an arrogant way
, she thought.

Josh was indeed speaking confidently and with an air of great authority. “We must, of course, obey the voice of Goél.”

“Of course, you must,” Yanto agreed, “and since your leader has commanded you to stay here, the council welcomes you.”

Deormi shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her wise eyes studying the Sleepers. She said, “This is your decision then, Sleepers, that we
not
join battle with Goél at the Plains of Dothan?”

“That's right,” Josh said quickly. He turned to the others. “We all agree, don't we?”

Sarah saw that every Sleeper looked uncomfortable. They had thrown everything they had into this mission for Goél, and now their efforts seemed to have been for nothing.

“I don't like it, Josh,” Reb said suddenly. The tall Southerner usually had little to say about command decisions, but now his light blue eyes were half closed, and he studied Josh thoughtfully. “I lost the best friend I ever had on this mission. Wash's death doesn't mean anything if we don't go through with it.”

“We
are
going through with it!” Josh exclaimed. “Don't you see, Reb? Wash's life won't be lost. It's just that Goél has changed our orders. Now, instead of going back to Dothan, we stay here.”

Reb shook his head stubbornly. He was not a quick thinker, but once he got an idea, he would carry it through if it killed him. He had no words to answer Josh, and he stood there saying nothing. But, clearly, something did not feel right to him.

Then Abbey spoke up. “Could we have time to talk about this among ourselves?”

“Why, certainly,” Deormi said immediately. “We will declare a recess. You may go, and I trust that you will find Dave much better.”

As the council members moved out through a back door, the Sleepers began to question Josh.

Sarah herself said little, but she kept watching his eyes.

When finally they started walking back to where Dave was resting, she followed along, still very quiet.

“You're not saying much,” Abbey whispered.

“No, I don't feel right about this.”

“Neither do I, Sarah,” Abbey said quietly. “Goél
can change his tactics, I suppose, but to flip-flop his whole general plan like this doesn't seem like Goél. Besides, there's something . . . well . . .
different
about Josh. I don't like what these magicians have done to him.”

Dave was sitting up when the other Sleepers entered his room, and his face had good color. He experienced the same shock and amazement as the others on seeing Josh. After Dave had greeted him, and Josh had told of his strange adventures, Dave said, “Well, then, everything's all right, isn't it?”

When silence fell over the room, Dave looked at the faces of the others. “What's the matter?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”

Josh said, “We've had a visit from Goél, Dave. The plans have been changed.” He explained the situation and then said, “We haven't always agreed on things, but this time I'll just have to say that this is the way it will be.” He smiled.

There was a hollowness in his smile that disturbed Sarah, but still she said nothing.

“Well, I have a meeting with some of the council,” Josh said. “I'll bring back a report afterward.”

After he had gone, Dave looked up at Sarah. “He's Josh, but he's . . . changed . . . hasn't he?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, he has.” Sarah frowned. “I can't put my finger on it. It's Josh, all right. He's even got the little scar on his cheek that he got in the battle with the tigers. The exact scar in the exact place. It's his body all right, but . . .”

Gloom seemed to have fallen over the chamber. Sarah turned and went out.

Soon Abbey was left alone with Dave. She put her hand on his forehead, then smiled. “Your fever is all gone.”

“I feel much better.” He moved his arm. “They're wonderful with wounds here. Look—I couldn't even move that arm. Now, it's practically well. Just a twinge.”

“Dave . . . I'm worried about what's going on.”

“You mean about Josh and this new plan?”

“Yes. Sarah doesn't believe in it, and she doesn't trust Josh.”

Dave whistled softly. “Well, if
Sarah
doesn't trust him, where does that leave the rest of us? They were always the closest of friends.” He stood up and tested his weight. “I'd better get my strength back,” he said. “It looks like we're going to have to make a pretty hard decision soon.”

N
ever had Sarah been so confused or disturbed than she was after the meeting with Josh.

Or
was
it Josh?

She went over the scene in her mind, trying to remember word for word what had been said. “It
has
to be Josh,” she whispered as she walked up and down her room, wringing her hands. He had that scar on his face, and in every detail he was the same.

But what about the way he talks? The way he thinks?

Sarah threw herself down on a soft orchid-colored couch that comfortably adjusted itself to her body. Even something about
that
disturbed her. She did not
like
this Land of the Magicians. All of her needs were cared for; she was not hungry, or thirsty, tired, hot, or cold—still, something about the place troubled her.

“I'd feel better if we were out in a jungle with tigers or under the ocean trying to get away from sharks!” she exclaimed bitterly, leaping up from the couch. “Oh, Goél—Goél! Why don't you come to me? Tell me if what Josh says is right or not!” She waited, as if expecting Goél's voice to sound within her chamber, but nothing broke the silence.

In despair, Sarah left her room, walked down the hall, and made her way out of the palace. She walked the streets of Celethorn for a long time. As she moved among the citizens, she imagined she drew sharp glances. Was there something alien about her to these
wizards? She stopped once and stooped to pet a hammerheaded yellow tomcat that wandered up to her and said, “Meow.”

“Hello, Tom.” She smiled. “I wish I had some fish to feed you. You'd like that, wouldn't you?” When the cat meowed again, she made up her mind. Picking up the huge tom in her arms, she started for a shop across the street.

“I'd like some fish, please.”

“What kind of fish?”

“Any fish that cats like.”

The clerk, a tall, thin man, stared at her uncomprehendingly. “You're going to feed my fish to that stray cat?”

“Yes, and put it on the bill of Deormi, high priestess of Celethorn. I am Sarah, one of her guests.”

The clerk still stared at her, then forced a smile. “Certainly. I'll have it ready for you right away.”

Five minutes later Sarah was outside, had opened the wrapping, and was feeding small chunks of fish to the cat. “You can have all you want,” she whispered. “You're getting just what you asked for. I wish I could!”

When she had satisfied the cat and petted him once more, she returned to the palace. “No sense walking the streets,” she muttered. When she entered the hallway on the floor where the Sleepers' rooms were located, she was accosted by Beorn, who suddenly appeared from around a corner.

“This way, Sarah,” he said huskily.

“What is it, Beorn?”

“We've got to talk.” The dwarf led her to a room half filled with supplies. “I don't want anybody to hear us,” he said. His dark face was severe with strain. “I don't like what's going on, Sarah.”

“I don't like it, either,” she replied. “What do you think of Josh?”

“You know him better than anyone else, but he doesn't seem the same to me as when we started this journey.”

“He
looks
the same,” Sarah said.

“Looks can be deceiving. The false Josh that we turned to cinders looked like your friend. But this one
talks
different.”

“I think he
is
different.” Sarah had been thinking of little but Josh since their encounter, and now she said slowly, “Beorn, I believe these people are treacherous—I should say,
some
of them are.”

“You suspect Deormi?”

“No, I suspect Yanto.”

“So do I. What do you think he's done?”

“I think somehow he got Josh away from the ones who captured him, but then I think they've brainwashed him.”

Beorn stared at her. “Brainwashed? You mean took his brain out and—”

“Oh, no, no, not
literally,
” Sarah said quickly. “I mean . . . somehow they've put him under a spell.” She was satisfied that Beorn would understand that. When his eyes at once narrowed, she said, “I see you've thought of that too.”

“Yes, I have, but what are we going to do about it? It would be wrong to give up on these people.” The stubborn dwarf clenched his knotty fists, looking as if he would like to strike someone. “You remember what Goél said
—
one sword could make a difference. These magicians are powerful. Some of them are evil, but that's the way it is with power.”

“What do you mean, Beorn?”

“I mean that power can be used for either good or
for evil. The Dark Lord has power. He's used it for his own selfish desires—and used it cruelly. I think the council and the citizens here could be of great help in the battle that is to come if they would decide to use their powers for good.”

“You're right, Beorn,” Sarah said slowly. “But what are we to do?”

“That is beyond me. I am merely a guide. You are one of the Sleepers—and since Josh, your leader, is obviously unable to function, I think the rest of you will have to take action.”

Immediately Sarah made up her mind. “Come along. We've got to have a meeting.”

Sarah and Beorn summoned the other Sleepers at once, and soon the small group was gathered outside the palace gates. Sarah said, “I don't trust that place. They might have hidden microphones or something.”

“Meeting outside is a smart idea,” Jake said. “It's time we started showing some sense.”

When the group reached a small grove of trees in a park some distance from the palace, Sarah said, “Beorn and I have been talking. I guess we're all wondering what to do.”

Jake said, “What
can
we do, Sarah? Josh is the leader.”

“But I don't think he's the
same
Josh,” Sarah said.

“He didn't have the Dark Lord's mark on his chest,” Abbey reminded her.

“I know that. It's Josh all right, but I think his
mind
is a prisoner somehow.”

Dave was with them this time, not yet as strong as he had once been but glad to be out from under the pain of his wound. Taking a deep breath, he said, “From what I understand, he's not thinking or talking
or acting like the old Josh. Josh would never be one to give up on a mission.”

“But he says he's seen Goél,” Reb said. “What about that?”

Silence fell over the group, and Sarah knew this was the crux of the whole problem. None of them would go against the orders of Goél.

With a burst of energy she said, “I once heard someone say that the eyes are the window to the soul. You know what that means. You can look into people's eyes sometimes and tell what's inside of them.” She saw their nods. “Have any of you looked close into Josh's eyes?” When no one spoke, she said grimly, “Well, I have, and it's like—it's like looking into an empty room! Josh's eyes were always so warm, and he was so honest you could tell what he was thinking. Somehow there's a . . . well, a coldness in him now. And I think what we're seeing is not a false Josh but a Josh who's somehow been imprisoned in his mind.”

“By george, I think you're right!” Jake exclaimed. “He's just not himself. He's bossy, he's throwing orders around, and that's just not like Josh.”