Malcolm and Tintinel would quickly be able to tell if Olu was good or evil, but I just had to know what the tree spirit thought of him. So as the rest helped him clean up, I went around to the front and sat on his porch and looked out over his field, just as though I was trying to avoid the work going on. I leaned back with my hands touching the floor and popped into the tree.

My mind made the tree spirit look much like a twiggy, leafy version of Olu. "Greetings and welcome." he said, "As you know the Great Tree has told all of us about you and that we should cooperate and help you in any way we can. What can I do for you?"

"I don't have much time now, I just wanted to talk to you about the gentleman inhabiting your tree; I've never before heard of someone who could make a tree grow the way Olu does."

"Well," the tree replied, "I've never encountered it either in all my trees, but my trees have been inhabited by many creatures. Some have built nests on them, some have bored holes, some have made parts of my trees change to make better homes for themselves. These were usually tiny creatures, but since they could do it I wasn't surprised that a human could do it though none had done it before."

"No, they always cut the trees down and cut them into boards and then build homes with the boards. I assume Olu does not know of your existence."

"I don't believe so - he's never tried to communicate as you do."

"Well, thank you for your information. I hope next time I'll be able to talk more and bring a few friends too. I'll name you Ulo so we can send and receive messages if we need to; please let the Great Tree know. Good-by."

"Good-by, I'll look forward to your return."

I broke contact and went back to where my friends were helping clean up. Lira and Aril gave me knowing looks and I told them what I'd learned as Olu got himself ready for the trek to Garnet Bay.

As we passed from the fields before Olu's house into the woods, Olu pointed out several of the trees I'd thought were strange. They were growing various pieces of furniture and household and farm implements in various states of progress. "I have everything I need, but I keep growing new things to replace those that wear out, get lost or break. And sometimes I just like to have something new made from a different kind of tree than the old one; they can look quite different. I also make things that look like they are very odd natural growths to trade in towns for things I can't grow, like pots and pans, knives and other metal things and glass and ceramic goods. Obviously I couldn't show my finished stuff or I'd have all kinds of people trampling about my place.

"I always zip up my trail when I'm not using it so casual hikers aren't likely to find it; I unzipped it this morning so you could have an easier time. I wonder - how did you find it the other day?"

Olu and I were bringing up the rear and I watched the bushes bend over across the trail behind us. "We were looking for old abandoned trails and we're pretty good at finding things we're looking for. Your trail looked very interesting - long abandoned but having once been well traveled - no trees or bushes growing in the middle of it."

Olu chuckled, "I'm not quite as careful of the trail to the old farmstead. I guess what's meant to discourage most will attract a few; I'll just have to be content with an occasional curiosity seeker coming to the clearing you found and be even more careful of the trail from there to my home. And make sure I don't make a visible trail across the meadow." I passed the word up the line that everyone should take different routes across the meadow when we got there.

The rest of the hike was uneventful and we arrived at Captain Jar's late in the afternoon and he and Malcolm and Tintinel were waiting for us. We could also tell from the delicious odors in the air that supper preparations had begun. They greeted Olu warmly and after returning their greetings, Olu said to Malcolm and Tintinel in our own language, "After many many years, it is a great pleasure to meet fellow countrymen, never having hoped to ever meet any again. From what Justin and these beautiful twins tell me you found the way to this country after I found it. Unfortunately I lost it and never found it again. I've told them the story and I will tell you as well this day."

Rose, Mima and Tarl were invited to supper and they all stayed but went home afterwards. Olu told the story of how he came to this country for Malcolm and Tintinel had determined that Olu was a good man and a minor nature wizard; major in the unique areas he knew but without much breadth. Malcolm decided to tell him our story and invite him to help us seek for the Great Tree as our weather man.

"Justin," Malcolm said as we settled in the living room after supper, "Go bring one of our trees in here." I did so and set it on the low table in front of Olu.

He looked at it carefully and said, "This is an old tree but it's very small. Was it taken from a difficult environment or was it forced to be small in some way?"

"You may ask it yourself," Malcolm replied, "this is another member of our party. Let us all make the connection." Everyone held hands. Aril took one of Olu's hands and I at the other end of the chain touched the little tree.

Suddenly we were all there with the tree spirit. "Olu," I told him, "This can be quite disorienting at the beginning. Just relax, don't try to see or hear as you usually do - soon you will begin to make sense of what you are experiencing. We are in communication with the spirit of the little tree. Most trees have spirits associated with them. This one is called Sara. Sara, this is Olu."

"I'm pleased to meet you Olu."

"This is marvelous!" said Olu, "I never imagined there were spirits in trees that could be spoken with. I certainly heard what the tree said but I can only see a fog with vague shapes. Greetings Sara, I'm glad to meet you as well. Will I be able to see her too?"

"Yes." I replied, "Everyone has this problem at the start but it soon clears up. You're trying to see with you eyes, but while we're in contact with the tree spirit you sense this as the spirit does. It senses in a less focused way but we soon begin to interpret it as sight. Would you like to ask Sara about her origins now?"

"Why, yes. Sara, I was wondering if you grew in some place that made it hard to increase in size or if you were forced to remain small by human action?"

"I grew for many years on the rocky shore by the sea until Mora found me and spent several years gradually disconnecting the roots of my tree from the tiny pocket of soil and resetting them in a pot. Since then I've been repotted in a nicer pot and some of my limbs have been bent into positions that appear nicer to humans, I'm told. Other trees Mora has were found in other places and treated similarly, while still others were raised from seed and bent in the ways she wanted. Human manipulation doesn't bother us at all."

"I'm very glad of that, for I've been manipulating trees for many years. Now I can hardly wait to talk to my trees, especially my home tree!"

"You will have to wait to contract him directly," I said, "but I made brief contact before we left and we can talk to him through Sara here. Sara, will you have the Great Tree put you in contact with the tree I name Ulo?"

"Yes ... We are now in contact."

"Please tell my tree that I apologize if I've cause it any distress by my manipulations."

"The spirit of your tree says that no apologies and needed, it's been the most interesting tree the spirit has ever inhabited."

"Thank you. Now, fascinated as I am by all of this, I perceive that there's much more going on. You apparently need a weather man and I'm willing to be him if I approve of your purposes, so let's begin the discussion. By the way, I'm beginning to see my surroundings a lot better now."

To be continued...

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