They returned to Seema's house to find their friends fast asleep downstairs. Yago woke up long enough to mumble something about staying up half the night worrying, then rolled over and began to shake the entire hut with his snores. Seema giggled, then took Atreus's hand and led the way upstairs, where he discovered he was not quite as tired as he thought.
The next morning, Atreus awoke at the crack of dawn, roused from a sound sleep by an alarming hollow in the pit of his stomach. At first, he credited his anxiety to the loss of waking from a blissful dream, but when he felt Seema's warm body curled against his and looked over to find her smiling in her sleep, he knew this particular dream was not yet over.
Atreus lay there without moving for several minutes, trying to recover the peace he had experienced at the Fountain of Infinite Grace. Finally he realized that what he felt was guilt As of yet, he had said nothing to Seema about the vial in his cloak, and he did not see how he could. To admit filling it was to admit that he had planned to deceive her all along. Even more than he wanted to be handsome, he did not want to lose her love. He slipped out from beneath the heavy blanket, collected his clothes, and crept downstairs to dress. Part of him wanted to empty the vial and return it to the cabinet, but another part whispered that Seema need never know what he had done, that if he could keep the vial hidden for just two days, he would have both Seema's love and Sune's gratitude.
On the bottom floor of the hut, his friends were already up, brewing a pot of the greasy buttered tea that Yago loved more than anything in Langdarma. Atreus stopped on the stairs to pull on his tunic, drawing a sly grin from Rishi.
"Yago, look at our master. Does he not look content this morning?"
Atreus could not help beaming, but his joy was quickly spoiled by the thought of what he had done to win the compliment. The smile vanished from his lips, and he said, "I wish I felt as content as I look."
Rishi frowned. "She did not take you to the Fountain of Infinite Grace?" the Mar asked.
"She took me." Atreus tied his trousers, then added, "I filled the vial."
"Then what's your grumbling about?" Yago continued to stir his tea. "That's what Sune sent you for."
"I didn't tell Seema about it"
Rishi's eyes widened in alarm. "And why would you want to do such a foolish thing?" he asked. "If she knew-"
"Seema would only object if it endangered Langdarma," Atreus said. He hung his cloak on a wall peg. "And if it endangers Langdarma, then I shouldn't do it. That would be the worst kind of betrayal."
Yago looked up from his stirring and said, "So you'd betray your goddess instead and go home empty-handed? After coming all this way, you expect me to believe that?"
Atreus hesitated, unsure of his answer and hating himself for it "Maybe it won't come to that," he said.
"I do not think that is a chance you wish to take," said Rishi. "You saw the Sannyasi's power. Now, are you going to let us look at this marvelous water? I did not see it when Kumara used it on Timin's father, and I am most curious about its glow."
Atreus withdrew the vial from his cloak pocket, then scowled. The only thing sparkling in the flask was the reflection of the flames under Yago's tea pot
The ogre squinted at the glass. "Sure," he said, "I can see something sparkling in there."
"But not the way it should, I fear," said Rishi. He eyed Atreus nervously. This is not how it looked when you filled it?"
Atreus shook his head. "No." He stared at the vial for several moments, then noticed his knuckles turning white from squeezing it so hard. He placed it on the table and said, "The sparkle is gone."
Yago frowned. "Did Sune say it-"
"The water must be sparkling," Atreus said. "She even reminded me."
Rishi picked up the vial and held it to his eye.
"Then there is clearly more to the task than we thought"
"Why doesn't that surprise me? This whole trip…" A terrible thought occurred to Atreus, and he turned to Yago. "What do I look like?"
"Same as usual. Like the loser of a bad fight," Yago said. He used his bare hands to lift the tea pot off the fire, then placed it in on the table to cool. "Why?"
Atreus turned to Rishi and asked, "What do you think? Am I handsome?"
The Mar's eyes shifted away.
"Certainly, Seema must think so "
Atreus's heart sank at the word "certainly."
"It's a simple question, Rishi. I look no better than before?"
The Mar dropped his gaze and said, "No."
"By Sune's red hair!" Atreus cursed.
He plucked the vial from Rishi's hand and hurled it against the wall, then heard a small gasp. He turned to see Seema standing on the stairs behind him, her hands to her face, her gaze fixed on the shattered remains of the vial.
Atreus's fury was instantly replaced by shame and remorse. "Seema! This isn't what you think." Realizing how insincere and deceitful that particular lie sounded, he began again, "Well, I can't imagine what you must think."
Seema pointed at the corked neck of the broken flask and said, "I think that you broke one of my vials."
Atreus nodded.
"What was in it?" she asked.
Atreus started to answer, but found his throat so dry he could not choke out the words.
"It was my doing," said Yago, ever the loyal guard. "I took one of your vials-"
Atreus waved the ogre off, then said, "But I am the one who filled it… from the pool of sparkling waters."
Seema frowned and said nothing.
"It's what we've been looking for all along," Atreus explained. "My goddess, Sune Firehair, promised to make me handsome if I brought her a vial of sparkling waters from the Fountain of Infinite Grace."
Seema studied him for a long time, her eyes growing harder and more angry as each moment passed. Finally, she came down the stairs and began to pick up the pieces of her shattered vial.
"I do not know this Sune Firehair of yours, but I think you are a fool for worshiping her. To ask such a thing, she must be a heartless witch."
"Fickle as a game of knucklebones," agreed Yago.
"Fickle is not cruel," said Seema. She continued to avoid Atreus's gaze. "What Sune Firehair asks is impossible."
"I was afraid of that," Atreus sighed. "The last thing I want to do is harm Langdarma, but-"
Seema whirled on him and shouted, "Do not lie to me!" Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "If you feared for Langdarma, then you would have asked first."
"You said it was forbidden for anyone but healers to see the shining waters," Atreus explained. "We were-I was- afraid you wouldn't do it."
"I would do anything for you," Seema answered bitterly. She tossed the broken glass shards into the hut's fireplace. "Have I not proven that already?"
"You would not help him find Langdarma," Rishi reminded her.
Seema cringed, and her expression grew more sad than angry. She looked up at Atreus. "It seems we have both agonized over the wishes of our goddesses. I will fetch you all the sparkling water you wish, but that will change nothing. What your goddess asks is impossible. The pool's magic lasts only a few hours. By the time you return to her, the water in your vial will be as plain as the water from your own well."
Atreus was too stunned to reply. "What do you mean?" he finally asked. "It stops sparkling?"
Seema nodded. "Did you not see that for yourself?" She ran her fingers along the rough skin of his cheek. "I am sorry, but your goddess sent you for nothing."
"No!" Atreus collapsed onto a chair, shaking his head numbly. "All this way… why?"
Seema sat beside him and said, "I do not know. If she is not a cruel goddess, then perhaps she sent you looking for one thing knowing you would find something else."