"As well as Dagu's lamp and Whittle's cape," Alanna sniffed. "I'm sure there's magic in both. The lamp because it belongs to a powerful wizard, if a very old and somewhat senile one, and the cape because anyone who wears it blends in with their surroundings. I fear it will be very hard to locate Clayton if he has Whittle's cape on."

"But not be hard to find balloon once is filled with air," the queen pointed out. "All need do is search sky around island."

"What if Clayton fills the balloon and leaves before we can stop him?" Alanna cried in distress. "Dagu's airship is our only means of escape. If Clayton flies off in it we'll have to stay here forever, or until the dragon finds and kills us!" She shivered at the last thought.

Queen Atar shook her head.

"Alanna must not get so worked up. A good sorceress have great sensitivity, but know how to control emotions."

"What do you know about such matters, Queen Atar?" Alanna asked, a little hurt by the queen's correction, mild as it had been.

"Father be King Jakin's councilor until Avery's storm throw him into sea. Even father's skill couldn't stop weaves and wind the dark power stir up to destroy good fairy folk."

"Are you saying that your father was a wizard?" Alanna cried in disbelief. "I have never heard of a pixie wizard before."

"Many things in this world Alanna not heard of. Old ways dying. Wizards be far and few between. Only a handful remain. Soon, if Avery have his way, he be only wizard left alive. Then he rule whole world and everything fall into darkness."

"Cedric and the other wizards wanted Whittle to lead them into battle against Avery," Alanna confided. "They said he had Brent's sword and was the rightful heir of a great kingdom."

"Sword not make Whittle great leader," the queen said knowingly. "Is what's in heart that makes a good ruler. From what Atar see and hear, young man been most kind and willing to sacrifice self for others. Those be things that make a good king."

"Well, Whittle can't help us stuck in the cave like he is; forced to play music for that beastly dragon," Alanna pointed out, some of her sensibility returning as she noticed how calm and rational the queen was in light of their present difficulty."

"No, and Alanna not be able to help hiding with Atar until Jakin think is safe. Husband good king, and thoughtful husband, but not understand affairs of wizards. Alanna have wizard's staff?"

"I have the wand Dagu gave me," she said, patting her skirt where the black stick lay deeply hidden.

"That be a mighty present indeed!" Atar said, her eyes lighting up. "Clayton find he not be so secure as he thought. Alanna must find Clayton and take back lamp and staff before he do great harm."

"But King Jakin said I was to say here with you, Queen Atar. Would you have me go against the king's command?"

"You stay with Queen Atar," the queen nodded her head in agreement. "But queen not hide like hunted animal while others put lives at risk. Is time queen come out of concealment and help those she love."

"But your wing!" Alanna cried, "We must be careful of your wing!"

The queen's twinkling laughter was very much like her son Timon's. Her eyes sparkled as she leaned closer to her companion.

"Not show anyone yet, not even King Jakin, but will show Alanna." With that announcement the queen spread her wings and took to the sky.

"How wonderful!" Alanna explained, clasping her hands together in delight. "Your wing has mended! But are you sure it is wise to tax it by flying? Maybe you should wait until King Jakin looks it over and says it's all right."

"Atar wife to Jakin, not his slave. She daughter of Kimball, great advisor and wise wizard who help Jakin and Jakin's father before him," the female pixie announced proudly. "If she feel is time to fly, is time to fly. If she feel she must help Alanna find Clayton and take back staff, than that be what she do."

"Very well, Queen Atar," Alanna said humbly. "But perhaps when King Jakin learns I disobeyed his orders, you'll be kind enough to explain to him that it was your idea, and not mine."

It wasn't hard for King Jakin to follow the trail Clayton and Chester had left. Flying high in the sky he saw the half inflated balloon with the red dragon on its side long before he came to the clearing. Unlike Hope, the small pixie knew Clayton was a desperate man who would stop at nothing to get off the island, so he approached the balloon only after watching for some minutes to make sure the man wasn't nearby.

His small heart sank as he looked into the basket and saw Hope laying face down, her hand still grasping the lamp's lever. For a moment he feared that Clayton had killed the girl for sabotaging his plan. Then he noted the faint rise and fall of her chest and sighed relief.

His brow puckered, however, as he spied the shiny gems and golden objects that lay scattered about the bottom of the basket. Clayton had been shrewd and only taken small items of great value. How long would it be before they were missed? And what would the dragons do in retaliation? It was certain that Garreth and his son would be enraged when they learned that someone had been in the cave and pilfered their coveted horde. It was possible that the red dragon wouldn't notice that a few things were missing, but Garreth knew every piece, and that included the beautiful Princess of Lark who Jakin was certain Clayton planned on taking with him. Clayton was clever enough to realize that he had to act quickly before his treachery was discovered. If Hope hadn't turned off the lamp the villain would probably have been on his way by now along with his treasures and an unwilling passenger. Brave, foolish girl, Tid-Bit thought gazing at the princess fondly. What sort of spell had Clayton used on her? He hoped it was only a simple sleeping spell. He had heard of other darker spells that took one's memory and left them a former shadow of themselves. It would be hard to think of the princess of Lark without her spunk and proud bearing. Her father would probably pay a great deal for the safe return of his daughter, and never notice, until it was too late, that Hope had suffered harm at the unskilled hands of a failed wizard's pupil.

"Must get Hope away from basket before Clayton returns," King Jakin muttered to himself. "Too big and heavy for pixie to move. Need help. Must find Julian. Where fool boy gone to? Think, Tid-Bit. Where you go if you be human boy searching for man who stole lamp and magic staff?"

Thinking that perhaps Timon had seen Julian wandering about, King Jakin took to the sky and hurriedly flew off toward the spot where his young son had taken over Obil's responsibility of keeping watch on the dragon's cave.

FROM THE BOOK STORE

Prince Adam returns home to find his father, the King, gravely ill, some say dying. Feeling unprepared for the duties of kingship, and unhappy about a proposed marriage between himself and a rather plain princess, Adam makes a plea to the Powers that be for guidance and help. Adam then falls into a deep sleep and awakes in an unfamiliar land full of sinister foes and wild men. Yet it is one of these wild men that takes Adam under his wing and teaches the young prince what it takes to be a real leader. Charles M. Clark has written this book for older children and teens, but older folks enjoy it as well. All Antelope Publishing's fantasy books are browser readable and come on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM contains TWO books. One book with music and special electronic enhancements, and one book without, for times when a quieter read is desired. For more information about browser readable e-books CLICK HERE

The Making of a King
Price $9.95  
    by Charles M. Clark
(Browser Readable E-Book on CD-ROM contains Music & No Sound Options)

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