“Is his inquisitive nature something that we should be concerned with?” Lyra asked.
“Oh no,” MistyTrail quickly responded. “If you mean could he be a spy, the answer is no. He is just a curious person. His mind is sort of like a sponge I guess.”
“So you trust him then?” the Star questioned.
“Oh yes,” MistyTrail nodded vigorously. “I like him. He is very handsome too. He would make good children.”
“Have you tried?” chuckled Lyra.
“No,” MistyTrail answered as her brow wrinkled and her eyes grew large with the shock of such a question. “Not me,” she continued defensively. “I was thinking what a nice couple you two would make,” she grinned.
“Thank you, MistyTrail,” laughed Lyra, “but I am not in the market for a family just yet.” The Star shook her head and waited for her laughter to subside. “Do you see any way he can help us in our conflict with the Omungans?” she inquired.
“Sure,” replied MistyTrail. “His people all adore him and would follow him anywhere. Get them all to move down here and our ranks would swell dramatically. The Omungans would not dare attack us then.”
“And we could make beautiful children together,” chuckled Lyra. “Nice try, MistyTrail. Go keep him occupied some more, but you can tell him that I will see him shortly.”
MistyTrail frowned as she rose. “You will like him,” she called as she darted out the door of the room and Lyra began laughing again.
“What was that?” StarWind queried as Jostin showed her in.
“Just an elf in heat,” laughed Lyra. Jostin hung at the door to find out who would follow Temiker and Lyra waved him away. “I am so glad you made it out of Okata, StarWind,” Lyra said as she motioned the Sakovan spymaster to a chair.
“Me too,” StarWind replied. “Nice touch with the room. I like it much better than how RavenWing had it.”
“How is Master Malafar handling the trip to StarCity?” Lyra asked skipping over the niceties.
“Not as bad as I feared,” StarWind responded. “Goral had a talk with him and gained his cooperation on the trip in, so that was not bad. It was touch-and-go when he saw Temiker, but at least they are talking now, although it is still strained somewhat. I cannot tell how much effect the drug still has on him. He is a very confused man right now and that is what bothers me the most. He is much too powerful to be an enemy to us and remain here.”
“I agree,” concurred the Star of Sakova. “I am seeing Temiker next. He should be able to judge how much of the old Malafar remains. I do not know what to do with him if remaining here is not an option though. I cannot just let my father be captured by the Omungans.”
“Perhaps that decision will not be necessary,” suggested StarWind.
“Perhaps,” mused Lyra. “I want a strategy meeting tonight regarding the Omungan problem. I would like you there to brief everyone on what has happened and where we stand. Can you do it?”
“Certainly,” agreed StarWind. “I think it is a great idea. We should invite the outlanders as well. Maybe their perspectives will let us see things from a different angle. I know that it will not hurt for Malafar to see things from our point of view.”
“Good idea,” Lyra said. “Can you get me the report to read before tonight? I want to make sure that I understand everything you will have to say.”
“I just finished it this morning,” noted StarWind. “I will see that you get it immediately. If you have any questions on the contents, send Jostin for me. I will just be relaxing this afternoon.”
“Good,” replied Lyra. “You deserve a bit of a rest after your trip. Have Jostin send in Temiker and tell him to wait outside. I am not sure who I will see after Temiker.”
StarWind nodded and left the room. Temiker entered immediately and helped himself to a chair. “What happened to you?” he questioned. “You had the whole city worried.”
“Nothing serious,” smiled Lyra. “How is Malafar?”
Temiker sighed and pulled on his beard. “He has had a rough time of it,” he finally said. “He is still as stubborn as a wasooki, but he is not sure what to be stubborn about. He finally believes that it was not my student who killed Alfred, but he cannot let go of the hostility he feels towards me because he had thought it true. Alazar fed him so many tales that he does not know what is truth and what is fiction.”
“Is he a danger to the Sakovan people?” Lyra asked pointedly.
“I don’t know,” sighed Temiker. “I have been trying to be his constant companion so that I can watch him, but he wants to be alone most of the time and does not welcome my company.”
“I don’t know what to do with him,” conceded the Star. “I wish I could put him back into his Academy and bring Rhodella back to life, but that is not possible. I can’t let him be taken by the Omungans and I fear to have him here. What can I do?”
Temiker nodded and stared at the floor. “I have been wondering the same thing,” Temiker admitted. “I thought about taking him back to Alamar with me, but they will be hunting him and that would not work.”
“Does he know about me?” Lyra asked.
“No,” Temiker answered. “He knows only that you are sick and nobody is permitted to see you except the healers. He argued at first, but we managed to make him see reason after a while. You should talk to him.”
“I will,” agreed Lyra. “I have been hesitant to do so, because I do not know how he will react, but it must be done and the sooner the better. Tell Jostin to fetch him.”
“Do you want me here for protection?” Temiker asked.
“No,” Lyra responded after a moment. “If he is inclined to kill Sakovans, then let him start with me.”
Temiker frowned as he rose and hesitated on his way to the door, but with a look back at Lyra, he continued out of the room. Jostin flew in and placed a stack of papers on Lyra’s desk and darted back out again. Lyra looked at the papers and saw that they were StarWind’s report. She sat scanning the papers while she waited for Master Malafar and didn’t get far before the door swung open. She looked up and saw Master Malafar standing in the doorway and she rose and went towards him.
“They told me that I was going to see the Sakovan leader,” Malafar said softly. “What kind of deception is this?”
Lyra halted on her way across the room and stared at him as if weighing her course of action. With an imperceptible nod, she continued across the floor and hugged Malafar’s stiff wooden body. After a few silent moments, Malafar softened and hugged Lyra back. With tears in her eyes she led him over to a chair and he sat down.
“You were not deceived,” Lyra said as she walked around the desk and sat down, “at least not by the Sakovans. I am the leader they promised you would see.”
Malafar’s body stiffened again and he sat ramrod straight in his chair. Lyra held her hand up in a gesture for him to let her explain, but the dark scowl on his face did not soften.
“This is not a decision that I made,” Lyra explained, “and do not blame Temiker, or Rhodella, or the Sakovans. Nobody made this decision except Kaltara.”
“Kaltara,” spat Malafar. “What nonsense have they been feeding you? Just how did some nonexistent deity make you the leader of the savages?”
Lyra found her fingers tapping rapidly on the desktop and she consciously calmed herself. She looked down at the mark on her finger and rose. Leaning across the desk she extended her hand towards Master Malafar. “See for yourself,” she said softly.
Malafar rose and took her hand, running his finger over the gemlike blue star fused with her skin. “What is this?” he asked.
“A good question,” responded Lyra. “I didn’t know what is was, but it was predicted in the Scroll of Kaltara. It is the sign of the Star of Sakova. I fought believing in it, as you do now, but I no longer have any doubt that it is genuine and that Kaltara has chosen me to lead the Sakovan people.”
“Preposterous!” exclaimed Master Malafar. “It is probably some freak accident. A reaction to something perhaps.”