Jas took the glass and looked at the approaching light. "It looks more like a fiery carriage and four," she noted. "Leave it to Finder to travel in style."
Jas was about to hand the piece of glass back to Emilo when she noticed the depiction of the sun and the face carved on its surface. It looked like the holy symbol of Lathander.
"Emilo," the winged woman whispered, "where did you get this?"
"Walinda took it from Holly's backpack," the kender said. "I picked it up when she tossed it aside. Can you imagine doing that-as pretty as it is? I think it stung her."
"Holly was looking everywhere for that last night," Jas said. "She was in tears about losing it."
"Really?" Emilo asked with astonishment. "I must have been sleeping. I'll give it back to her."
The kender rose and hurried over to Holly and tugged on her sleeve to get her attention.
Finder landed his fiery flying carriage pulled by four flaming stallions. The god pulled the carriage up beside Beshaba and reined in the horses.
"I've come to offer you a ride, Lady Beshaba," Finder said with a cocky wink. "I'll even let you drive if you promise not to murder my priest."
Beshaba glared at Finder. "I have been in the Outlands nearly a whole day. What took you so long to come for me?" she demanded.
"I've been busy. Assassins and saboteurs have begun to strike against Tymora's church, and Lady Selune and I have been hard pressed to keep her priests safe," Finder explained.
"Or perhaps you were busy preparing some scheme at the base of the spire to betray me?" the goddess accused him.
"My lady, you know the natives of the region of the spire, the rilmani, would never allow that," Finder replied. "They serve only the Balance and will preserve our truce. I suggested the spire as a neutral ground where you would feel safe for just that reason."
"Ha!" Beshaba laughed coldly, but she removed her dagger from Joel's ribs. "The rilmani are just as likely to let you destroy me, then destroy you, all in the name of their precious Balance."
"I may be a reckless fool," Finder replied, "but I have no desire to quarrel with the rilmani. Hence you are safe."
"Where is my hateful sister?" Beshaba demanded.
"Lathander has set up a dead magic zone in Elysium to protect her from the drain on her power. Since we did not think you would wish to travel to Elysium, you will have to make do with the dead magic zone near the spire."
As Finder and Beshaba bickered, Emilo slipped Holly the red glass. "Walinda took this from your pack, but I saved it," he said. "Sorry I forgot to give it back right away."
Holly's eyes lit with joy. "Oh, thank goodness!" she declared. Then the paladin did something the kender hadn't expected. Indeed, if he'd known what she was going to do, he would have stopped her.
Holly gripped the glass firmly in her right hand, rocked back on her heels, and hurled the glass ornament at a rock, smashing it to pieces.
Finder's head snapped up and Beshaba whirled around. Both powers looked at the paladin, Finder with horror, Beshaba with fury.
"What was that?" Beshaba demanded.
"I broke a piece of glass," Holly said.
"What sort of glass, girl?" the goddess hissed as she moved toward the paladin with her dagger drawn.
"It was a holy symbol," Holly said. "To let Lord Lathander know I'd found you."
"Lathander senses all you do," Beshaba growled. "You broke it so he would know exactly where you were, didn't you?"
"I suppose so," Holly replied.
Something overhead gave an ear-piercing shriek.
Everyone looked up. Swooping toward them was a huge bird with the most brilliant plumage Jas had ever seen. Every color of the setting sun was reflected in its feathers. Its eyes were as red and shiny as rubies. It also flew faster than any bird Jas had ever seen.
"It's a phoenix! Some trick of Lathander's!" Beshaba gasped. "I warned you the bard's life would be forfeit," she growled to Holly. She turned about and lunged for Joel, grabbing him by his ponytail.
"No, Beshaba!" Finder cried out. "He had nothing to do with this. Leave my priest out of it." The phoenix's shadow covered them all.
Finder leapt forward to grab Beshaba, but he was too late. The goddess was snatched up in the talons of the phoenix and carried aloft, screeching like a banshee. Joel was carried off with her, dangling from her hand by his hair like a doll carried by a small child.
Finder jumped back into his carriage, snapped the reins, and gave chase. Within seconds, both the bird and the fiery carriage had become mere dots on the horizon.
Jas and Emilo looked at Holly.
"I had to do it," the paladin whispered, but there were tears pooling in her eyes.
A minute later Finder returned in the carriage. He didn't have Joel or Beshaba with him.
"What happened?" Jas asked.
"The phoenix went through a magic gate that closed before I could reach it," Finder said coldly. He stepped down from the carriage and strode up to Holly. Jas had never seen him look so angry before. His eyes blazed with light and his body shook.
"You," he said, thrusting a finger in Holly's face, "have some explaining to do."
ACT FOUR SCENE 2
Once he'd recovered from the initial shock of being yanked into the air by his hair, Joel grabbed at Beshaba's wrist with both hands and hung on for dear life. The phoenix flew with such speed that the wind in his face made it hard to breathe. Far below, the plains of the Out-lands became a blur. For a moment, Joel thought he saw Finder in his flaming carriage, but it might just have been a flash of light in the back of his eyes from the pain in his head.
The phoenix's talons were wrapped about Beshaba's waist and hips, so her arms were free. Although she was now the size of a human woman, she was still possessed of godly strength. With one arm, she raised Joel so that they faced each other eye to eye. The goddess gave the bard a cruel smile, one that reminded Joel of Walinda.
Joel was sure Beshaba was about to drop him to avenge herself on everyone she believed had betrayed her.
"Rat," the goddess murmured, and it appeared suddenly to Joel that the goddess and the phoenix overhead were growing larger.
A great blast of wind hit the phoenix sideways, very likely caused by Beshaba's bad luck. The phoenix lost altitude but recovered quickly.
The bard was beginning to feel relieved that Beshaba hadn't dropped him when he noticed with alarm that there was gray fur on his arms. He felt his nose, and was shocked to discover that it had become a snout. Beshaba had called him a rat, and a rat he had indeed become. Fearful that he might forget he was human, Joel writhed and called out to Finder, but all that came from his mouth was a pathetic squeak. A moment later Beshaba grabbed him about the belly with one hand and slipped him into a pocket of her gown. It was dark inside the pocket, but Joel fought back his sense of helplessness by reminding himself that at least he still remembered who and what he was.
It was also hot and stuffy inside the pocket of Beshaba's gown, but infinitely preferable to being dropped from such a height. In the relative safety of the warm darkness surrounding him, Joel was left to wonder why Beshaba didn't simply destroy the phoenix.
There was the possibility she no longer possessed enough power to attack the great creature. Yet she had wreaked havoc upon the Bastion of Hate, even after she had lapsed into unconsciousness. She may have thought to confront Xvim on an angry impulse, but if she had gone with the understanding that her lack of control could be used against Xvim, then she was very cunning indeed. She could be faking her weakness so that she could confront Lathander and cause the same sort of destruction in his realm.
This left Joel wondering just what kind of game Lathander was playing. He'd sent Holly to retrieve Beshaba, that much was obvious. But why? Did he think, as Tymora had, that Beshaba was behind Tymora's loss of power? Then why hadn't he told Finder what he was planning?