Выбрать главу

"This is the basic spell to restore her," he announced aloud. "Then, we'll cure her wounds."

The four adventurers nodded in agreement, and Calmet firmly proclaimed, "Lapis ad corpo!"

The words of the spell were no sooner read than the scroll disintegrated and the gray stone itself turned to sand, chalk, and finally, chalky flesh. Alhandra and Jozan embraced. Krusk and Yddith ran to greet her as Calmet hastened to read the second scroll.

" Abscindo!" was the word that echoed through the cave as the five adventurers savored their reunion. When they heard the power word and looked up, they realized that Calmet had disappeared.

Calmet found himself surrounded by ashes. His scroll had teleported him to the spot where his fall from Pelor began. There were the ashes of the mission house that Laud burned to the ground after Calmet's eye was sacrificed. There was the stairway that opened into Calmet's underground sanctuary. So much had happened since the last time he stood on that spot.

The heretic smiled as he thought of Jozan's courage. In spite of having to trick the boy and escape, he was proud of his former pupil. And, in spite of being on the run and having to hide, he was delighted to be free-free of both Laud and Jozan. From now on, Calmet vowed, no man would be his master.