is not dead or injured. I never found her ... he did." The bear shambled in on its hind legs
carrying the girl. He placed her gently on the ground between the two boys. Bleating aloud
with terror, the goats fled the cave.
Arnela warmed her hands at the fire. "I discovered the bear roaming around carrying the girl.
He would not let me near her. So I got it to follow me, and here we are. That's all I can tell
you."
Ben echoed Ned's thought. "Except to say that we're all alive and together again!"
Morning light filtered into the cave onto a curious scene. The goats huddled in the entrance,
fearing to enter lest the bear devour them. Karay, unharmed, sat up drinking herbal tea and
gazing affectionately at the sleeping bear. Steam rose from his fur as he lay close to her. The
girl stroked him gently. "He stayed with me, carried me and protected me. But why?"
Dominic scratched his head. "Who can say? Perhaps it was because you showed him kindness.
It was you who would not leave him in that cell, Karay. You insisted from the first moment
you set eyes on him that you would rescue him. He looks like a good creature. Can I stroke
him?"
Karay smiled. "Go on, he won't bite you."
Dominic patted the beast's head gingerly. The bear seemed peaceful enough. Encouraged by
this, Dominic scratched behind the bear's collar, the way he would with Ned. He was thrown
aside as the bear sat bolt upright, pawing at the metal collar that circled his neck.
Karay spoke soothingly to him, placing her cheek against the bear's huge paw. "Hush now,
my poor friend, did he hurt you? Well, I'm sure Dominic didn't mean to, did you, Dom?"
The creature turned his great sad liquid eyes toward Dominic, who stared into them for a
moment. He gasped. "Ben, Arnela, get those lanterns and bring them closer to its face—
there's something strange about this animal!"
Karay hugged her bear protectively. "Don't hurt him or frighten him. I'll never speak to any of
you again if you do!"
Ben reassured her. "I promise we won't. Let Dominic take a look at him—your bear is safe
with us, pal."
Plucking up his courage, Dominic sat as close to the bear as he could. Arnela and Ben held the
lanterns close while Karay hovered behind the bear, anxiety in her voice.
"What is it, Dominic, what d'you see? Oh, please tell me!"
The Facemaker of Sabada blinked as he gazed deep into the bear's eyes. He blinked again but
could not stop the tears that coursed down his face as he sobbed, "It's a man! A man
imprisoned in a bear's hide!"
The bear nodded its head, as far as the spiked collar would allow, and gave a long, anguished
groan.
Ned was invading Ben's thoughts. "Well, don't sit there gaping, get the poor wretch out!"
Arnela drew her sharp, hook-bladed knife. "I'll free him from that filthy skin!"
Karay held out her hand to the goatherd. "No, friend, I will. Give me the blade. See if you can
find soft cloth, or moss, then soak it in warm water. Oh, and have you got anything that'll cut
through his collar?"
Karay came around and took the bear's face in both hands. "Be quite still, trust me, I won't
harm you."
The bear pressed his nose against her forehead. "Mmmmmmmm." He lowered his head until it
was resting in her lap.
Arnela rummaged about and produced an old file. "I've filed many a misshapen hoof straight
with this."
With extreme care, Karay packed the inside of the collar with warm damp moss. Ben could
hear her teeth grinding as she muttered with barely controlled rage and fury, "This collar is
spiked on both sides. Filthy Razan scum! How could they do this to a human being? I'm glad
they're all dead. Glad!"
Arnela slid her hand under the collar and filed away at the green-encrusted copper rivet that
held it together. It did not take the sturdy goatherd long. With a single heave of both hands,
she bent the iron collar straight and flung it from her. "Go on, Karay, let's see what our bear
looks like!"
The girl's nimble fingers felt the row of tough rawhide stitches joining the head to the body.
She wiped away with a fresh cloth soaked in semihot water. Dried blood and matted fur parted
enough for her to see what she was doing properly. Stitch by stitch the sinewy yarn parted
until she had worked right around the neck with Arnela's knife. Shielding the head beneath by
placing her hand under the hide at the back of the nape, she sliced neatly upward toward the
top of the skull. All this time her patient lay quite still, never uttering a single sound. Arnela
had to help her to lift the bear's head skin free— the original bone was still inside the muzzle.
It was indeed a real man!
He sat in silence, tears brimming out of his deep brown eyes. His hair—long, greasy and
black as a raven's wing—had moulded itself to his head. He had a broken nose, and his skin
was like pale wax. A beard of whiskers grew from high on his cheekbones, almost masking
his lips. Around his neck were the scratches and scars left by the collar spikes. His teeth were
yellowed and stained but in good shape. It was hard to tell, but he looked to be around twenty
or so years of age. His eyes never once left Karay's face.
Ned shook his head in amazement. "Well, now I've seen everything!"
Ben agreed with the thought as he turned to Dominic. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking,
mate? Look at that face!"
Dominic had studied many faces before, and now his eyes roved over the features. "It's a good
face, Ben, a strong one. By the size of it, I'd say there is a very big man inside that bearskin.
I've seen faces like that in artwork in great churches and cathedrals—the faces of saints who
have suffered greatly."
Karay was hardly aware of Arnela taking the knife from her. The goatherd slit the skin at the
wrists, freeing the young man's hands.
Karay whispered to him. "Who are you, can you speak, my friend?"
He touched his throat and made a low noise. "'Damuuuh!"
Dominic and Ben whooped together. "Adamo!"
A smile like the rising sun lit up Arnela's face. "The little boy from years ago, I knew it! I
knew it all along, Adamo, it had to be you!"
Adamo looked at the big woman—he almost smiled. A grunt of recognition passed his lips.
Then Karay took charge. "Why don't you all go and see if the road is open through the
woodlands. Adamo can't return to his uncle in Veron looking like this. I'll help him to clean
up. Arnela, could you put a fresh edge on your blade and leave it with me?"
The big woman understood. She stropped her knife vigorously on a leather strap, issuing
orders. "Ben, you'll find some herbal ointment I made in that little box on the ledge. It's as
good as any soap. Dom, heat more water. Here's an old hair slide, Karay, that'll make do for a
comb. Come on, Ned, we'll go and scout the path out. You lads can follow us!"
They surveyed the landscape in the bright morning sunshine from the elevated view of a high
snowbank created by the enormous landslide. Distant hills appeared fresh and green with the
lilac haze of heather patchworking them. Stream water glinted along newly diverted courses.
Down in the valleys, larks ascended, trilling in the clear air.
Ben listened to his dog's thoughts. "What a day! It makes life worthwhile. I'm glad our angel
saved us from the Flying Dutchman. Our friend the old comte and a lot of folk in these