Because it had been so friendly and interested, we also went out to visit the tree at the edge of the forest a couple of times . Some tree spirits seemed very interested in everything we were doing and regretted their past indifference to the active folk, but others weren't really interested and were only cooperating because the Great Tree had told them to.

We brought all the trees we conversed with in contact with one another by way of the Great Tree and named them. We asked each one what they would like to be named and if they didn't have any preference we named them ourselves, usually something that would remind us of where they were located.

The second night the Tirkenez family and Budin were with us they gave us a sample of their show. The wagon Budin drove opened into a platform where they did their performances. Everyone on the farm gathered around and sat on the grass. Since the local language would be used, Lira, Aril and I sat at the back with one of the little trees. We had found that even when we sensed speaking through the trees we could understand other languages. The gnomes did the same.

Before it started Aril and Lira, the two most beautiful girls in the world were cuddling up to me on both sides. Their soft warmth was very distracting. I was kind of afraid I'd miss everything in the show, but when the show started and we popped into the little tree, the physical feelings between us disappeared. Without that distraction I was able to enjoy the performance.

There had never been entertainment of this kind in my village; few of any kind of strangers ever came through, and no entertainers. We had many people who played musical instruments and there were often very sober dances, men only and women only, of course. But there was nothing like I saw that night.

First they acted out a story that the farm people found hilarious. We thought it was very interesting, but didn't see why the others thought is so funny. Later Malcolm told us that we had to understand the language and the culture to appreciate the humor; it just didn't come through the translations of the trees.

Then they played and sang several pieces of music such as I had never heard or imagined. Even little Shuah sang along and played a set of four drums with different tones, and did very well I thought.

Budin then recited what were later told was an epic poem of his people, the poetry didn't come through the translation, with background music. It could have been boring, but Budin acted out most of the parts including flashy sword-play and use of other weapons. He did it so well that we could almost see his adversaries.

Then there was more singing with the audience encouraged to join in. Many of the songs had alternating story lines and verses with the same words. We would pop out of the little tree to sing along even though we only knew what the words meant when we were in contact with the tree.

Late into the night there was dancing to the music of the Turkinez family, Budin and a couple of the farm people. It was lots of fun and we all went to bed exhausted.

Three days later we were all ready to leave except Malcolm, who hadn't arrived yet. The gnomes had all gone back after learning to pop in and out of trees and the rudiments of horseback riding. They would be teaching others as quickly as possible. We knew that there was still no word from Tintinel, but we didn't know what Malcolm had been doing to prepare for our trip.

We were just finishing lunch on the verandah when Malcolm came out of the barn looking much like he did when I first met him; traveling clothes, walking staff and backpack. He had us all gather around. "I would have loved to make each of you a pack like mine, but you will have to learn yourselves. It's not so much the larger inside than out, though you need to be involved and to learn to do it. You know that none of you can lift my pack though I do it easily. That has to be built in as the pack is created and the owner must be the one to do the work. That makes it much more complex and personal.

"But I thought on the problem of the little potted trees and came up with a solution." Here he put several cloth bags on the table. "Mrs. Penny and I could only make four but she is continuing to make more. We can have Suman ride after us on a fast horse to deliver some more bags as we travel. Each bag can be sewn into someone's clothes like a pocket and a little tree can be put in. You'll feel the whole weight, but the bag will stay flat so you won't notice any bulk; just weight. We'll use the smallest trees possible."

"I can provide some lighter pots." Interjected Mora.

"Good." Continued Malcolm, "Built into the bags is a light source, nowhere near as good as the sun, but it should allow the tree to stay in the bag several days if need be. Also, the little tree will be held upright no matter what happens to the bag so we won't have to worry about dumping it out of its pot. Lastly, if anyone who doesn't know how to do it reaches into the bag it will seem empty to them."

We each sewed one of the pockets into an article of clothing we would usually be wearing and each picked a little tree and repotted it in the lightest pot Mora could produce. When we tried it out it seemed no more than carrying an apple or two in our pockets but without the bulk; quite comfortable. Most of the time, however, at least on the first leg of the trip, they would all sit on a temporary rack on one of the Tirkenez wagons. We would have liked to take the first little tree to visit the sea, but it was thought it would be better for it to stay with Mora; it was fairly large.

The next morning Malcolm, Lira, Aril and I set off with the entertainers. We went back up to the tree where we'd first met them and visited with it a few minutes. Then we took the track where they'd come out of the woods. It had probably been a well traveled road at one time but was now mostly grass and bushes. Not far into the woods the trail split and we took the right fork.

Back in our country spring was getting into full swing, but here autumn was slowly approaching. The days were still warm but the nights were getting cooler and a few of the trees and bushes were beginning to change from green to reds and yellows. The girls and I hoped we'd not be here long enough to get into winter; we'd just come out of one and would like to enjoy our summer. Still, here it was very like summer yet with just a touch of autumn.

The trail soon came to a wide stream that flowed down toward the river east of Malcolm's farm and we wound upstream. Sometimes the stream meandered away from the trail and sometimes the trail meandered away from the stream, but it was always within hearing. The day was quite the warmest since we'd arrived but the trail was shaded by trees most of the time. It was a beautiful peaceful ride - we actually had time to appreciate the surroundings, not having to be any more that normally careful. There were some large animals in the area that could be dangerous but they would not normally stray near a large party like ours.

At lunch time we stopped where the Tirkinezes said they always stopped; a beautiful large pond in a bend in the stream with a meadow for the horses and a large flat rock the stream went around where we could picnic. The first thing Piro and Fortas did was grab some fishing gear and race down to a fishing hole they knew would provide both lunch and supper. The rest of us took care of the horses, made a fire and set up the rest of the lunch.

Very quickly Piro and Fortas came back with plenty of fish which were soon cleaned and roasting over the fire. The fish and the rest of meal was wonderful and afterwards many of us went swimming in the pool.

Now the trail got steeper and more winding and wide vistas of great forested valleys opened occasionally. We wound up the side of a winding valley and when we reached the top we were told that this was the summit. The way down to the sea would be about four times the distance we'd come so far and another day north up the coast to Garnet Bay. We'd seen this in our map lessons, of course, but now we were experiencing it.

It was about two hours to sunset when we came to the summit and it took another hour to go down to their usual camping place. The vegetation here was much more prolific, with a thick growth of ferns and mosses on the rocks and trees. Malcolm said it was because it rained a lot more on this side. Luckily, there was no rain as we drove the three wagons into their standard spots on three sides of an old fire pit. Malcolm set up his tent on the fourth side. I wasn't a bit shy about staying in the tiny tent any more, knowing how big it was inside. There were four rooms off the main entry, one obviously Malcolm's. The girls and I each chose one of the others. Shuah was enchanted by the "cute little tent" and rushed in behind us. She came to a sudden stop, went outside again and looked at the tent, then crept cautiously in again with big eyes. "How so big?" she asked.

Lira dropped to her knees in front of Shuah and whispered, "Magic!" A look of comprehension came over Shuah and now she was rushing around to see all the rooms and dive into the soft pillows spread around; now it was no longer mysterious, just fun.

Read Part Five 

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