The girl ran toward the bed, pulled up the blankets, slipped under the sheets, and instantly vanished. Once more, Amos had been unable to say a word.
Amos opened his eyes and sat up quickly. He was in bed. It was morning. He couldn’t feel the mask on his face. He looked around him. The mask had disappeared. He looked in the mirror: nothing on his face. He got up and approached a gray-tufted titmouse that was sunbathing on the balcony. The bird did not seem the least bit frightened. Amos extended his hand and asked softly if it would mind coming to rest on his arm. Right away the titmouse left the balcony railing and landed on his hand.
“It’s true, then,” Amos mused out loud. “All I went through last night is true. It wasn’t a dream. The mask has fit itself onto my face and I possess all its powers. And to think that only one of the four stones is set into it!”
A crow flew by. The bird nodded to Amos and continued on its way. Amos leaned on the rail of the balcony.
It’s difficult to imagine what my strength will be when the three other stones are there, he thought. And there are three other masks to find. I hope I’ll be able to gather them in my lifetime and accomplish what is expected of me.
In the small square below, children were trying in vain to fly a kite. Amos concentrated and lifted his left hand until the wind carried the kite high into the sky. The children shouted with joy. After a few minutes, the young mask wearer lost his concentration and the kite tumbled onto the nose of a passerby. Dizzy, Amos fell to the ground and the titmouse flew off.
The magic of the elements is exhausting, he thought. You need total and uninterrupted focus to sustain any effort. If what happened last night was not a dream, I must try one last thing this morning.
With both hands, Amos gathered air just as one collects snow. He made a transparent ball out of it, put it over his mouth, and whispered a message into it.
“Beorf, it’s Amos. I am well and I will come as soon as possible with an army of four hundred knights. Hold tight, my friend, I will soon be at your side.”
Amos saw the words twirl in the ball, unable to escape. Then, with all his strength, he hurled the ball.
“Go close to the ear of my friend Beorf Bromanson and shatter!” he instructed loudly.
He looked on as the ball flew in the direction of Bratel-la-Grande, where he hoped that his friend was still alive. He missed Beorf and regretted having left him behind. Lost in thought, Amos went down to the dining hall of the castle to nibble on something. Junos was there, helping the servants clean the tables after the knights’ breakfast.
“I’ve asked my men to get ready so we can leave soon,” Junos told Amos. “We have a long road ahead and many dangers await us. We have to be well rested if we hope to take Bratel-la-Grande back from the evil forces that occupy it. We can discuss our strategy later on. Long live the Knights of Equilibrium!”
As Amos looked at Junos, he felt dizzy again and lost consciousness. His last act of magic had drained him of all his energy.
14 THE EYES OF MEDUSA
For the last three days, Beorf and Medusa had shared the same hiding place. They did not go out of the cavern even once. Inside the pantry were enough provisions to allow them to survive for several weeks. The young gorgon had to be content with the few insects she found there. She did not like this diet too much. She would have preferred roaches rather than spiders.
Violent thunderstorms and heavy rains kept them confined, but gave them the chance to talk at length. Beorf told Medusa about his life in the forest, his daily routine with his parents, and his games with the bees. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked Medusa. Never before had he had the occasion to make friends, and meeting her had filled his heart with unknown happiness. The young gorgon was sweet and attentive, calm and easygoing.
Out of straw and small pieces of wood, Beorf made a charming doll in Medusa’s image. The young gorgon kissed him tenderly on the cheek to thank him. Beorf wished that their time in the cavern would never end. He felt respected and liked. He had fallen in love very fast. Medusa’s words sounded like soft music to his ears. At night they slept back-to-back to keep warm. The fat boy lived in a constant state of happiness. Hours seemed like minutes; days like hours.
On the morning of the fourth day, Medusa asked Beorf if he knew why the sorcerer had taken such an interest in Bratel-la-Grande.
“Oh, yes, I do know,” Beorf answered as he stuffed himself with hazelnuts. “He’s looking for a pendant. But don’t worry, he’ll never find it!”
“Why?” asked the gorgon, surprised by Beorf’s confident tone.
“Because I hid it myself,” Beorf answered proudly. “I don’t know what this pendant represents for the snake-man or what power it has. He told me a story about it, but I didn’t believe a word of what he said. One has to be wary of nagas. They’re wily liars.”
Medusa thought for a moment. “But if we had the pendant, maybe we could use it against him,” she said. “I know a little bit about magic. If I could see it, it might help us understand its power.”
“I believe it’s more dangerous to have it in our hands than to leave it where it’s hidden. I think that Karmakas could detect its presence. He would be after us in no time.”
“Yes, you’re right, my friend,” Medusa answered. “Yet I’m curious to know where it’s hidden.”
“I’d like to tell you but I won’t. If Karmakas ever captured you, you’d be tortured until he got the secret.”
Vexed, the young gorgon turned her back to him. “If Karmakas were to capture me, I’d be killed right away for having helped you to escape,” she said. “I understand that you wish to keep the hiding place secret. But I thought I was your friend. Back home, we tell everything to our friends. You may be right not to trust me. After all, I’m only a vicious gorgon!”
“Of course you’re my friend. Even my best friend,” Beorf said. He was confused. “It’s to protect you that I don’t want to tell you where the pendant is.”
“Pardon me,” Medusa said after a while. “I know that you’re doing this for my own good. I’m too inquisitive. I admire you so much! I’d just like to know what trick you used to keep the sorcerer from finding his pendant, that’s all.”
Beorf was touched by the compliment. “All right, I’ll tell you. It will be our secret,” he said, coming close to her ear. “I hid the pendant before I met Karmakas. My friend Amos Daragon told me that something or someone very powerful was looking for it. After he left for the woods of Tarkasis, I thought of a spot where no one would look for it. The pendant is hidden in Bratel-la-Grande’s cemetery. There are thousands of tombs and dozens of vaults there. It’s like a labyrinth of hiding places. I thought the gorgons would never question the dead, and I was right. I’m sure that Karmakas will never think to search there, either.”
Medusa smiled tenderly. “Thank you for trusting me, my friend. I’ll never tell this secret to anyone. But if I may ask you one more question, where did you hide it in the cemetery?”
“I’d rather keep that to myself,” Beorf answered. “It’s difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t know the place. I went there with my bees because the cemetery is covered with beautiful flowers rich in pollen. If you want, I’ll take you there later.”
At that precise moment, Karmakas entered the cavern. His long tail was gone and he moved on two legs. Promptly he grabbed Medusa and put a dagger to her throat.
“Ssss, it was about time! I’ve been watching you, ssss, for three days. I was becoming ssss, impatient. Now, young beorite, ssss, you will go to the cemetery and, ssss, bring me back my pendant. If not, ssss, I’ll kill your friend. One less gorgon makes no difference to my army.”