"You must learn to tame your powers, master them," the guru said.

119.

"And then you will be able to see the future. But not like your friend here. In a different way. Your two ways might work well together." He nodded. "Or they might not. You will see."

"I'm on a quest," Erec said. "Or, actually, I still need to find out what the quest is. The only part I heard was 'Get behind.' So King Piter told me to consult the Oracle in Delphi. But I found out that it won't work for just anyone. We need to find a medium to talk to the Fates. I was wondering if you might come with us."

The guru laughed. "I haven't left this cave in years." He nodded at his computer. "Don't have to, with this thing. My friends bring me what I need. But you don't need me with you anyway."

"How will I find a medium?" Erec asked.

Swami Parvananda giggled. "Look in a mirror."

120.

CHAPTER NINE

The Little Dark Room.ME? EREC WAS dumbfounded at the Swami's statement. Sure, he saw snippets of the future with his cloudy thoughts, but he was no medium.

"Yes, you. You have everything you need. Just a little more learning, that's all."

"But how will I learn in time? Can you show me how to use my dragon eyes?" It did not seem odd to talk to this Upper Earth man about Oracles and dragon eyes. The Swami was not surprised at all.

121.

"No, that I cannot," he said. "But you do know somebody who can. Somebody from your past, and your future. From what I saw in your mind, he's a good-looking chap. Nice, trim. No hair cluttering his head. Stylish clothing."

Erec could not think of a stylish bald man for the life of him. But Bethany smiled. "You're talking about the Hermit."

"But the Hermit's crazy," Erec said, drawing back. "He makes no sense at all."

"A very, very good sign." The Swami nodded.

"And how could I even find him in time?"

"Oh, I don't think that will be difficult," the Swami said. "I get the feeling he pops up when he is needed."

That was true. Erec remembered how the Hermit had appeared out of the blue right before his first two quests. And King Piter had said he had made the Hermit Erec's magic tutor.

"I think there is something else you will need from here," the guru said. "I will give it to you now."

They followed him into a small crevice in the rock at the edge of the cave. A wave of music surged to their ears. It sounded like a sea of tuning forks struck at the same time. The Swami pointed at rows of clear quartz crystals jutting from a table of rock. "These are the singing crystals," he said. "They will sing when they are in the presence of great prana--magic, as you call it."

The ringing was a lovely, relaxing sound, but it slowly faded. "They were singing because of you," the Swami said. "They detected magic within you. But they adjust and become quiet again. If you left for a while and came back, they would make noise again." He broke off a tall crystal the size of a celery stalk and handed it to Erec. "I'm not sure why, but I think you'll need this."

"Thank you." Erec put it in his backpack. The crystal rang in a loud, clear note, then quieted again. Probably because of the 122.

Magiclight and Serving Tray in there, he realized.

Before they left, Erec pulled out the Serving Tray. "I see you still eat, contrary to popular belief. Do you want some lunch before we go?"

Curious, Swami Parvananda nodded. The three took turns naming items, watching them appear, then sampling them, desserts and main courses side-by-side. Seeing food magically appear in front of him did not throw the Swami off one bit. He named items they had never heard of, most of them delicious, and seemed just as happy trying blueberry waffles and tiramisu, although he avoided the meat dishes.

Bethany and Erec took a cue from Swami Parvananda and bowed low, like he did. Then they headed down the path.

"Do you think we should offer some food to Rajiv?" Bethany asked.

"I wish," Erec said. "I don't think he'd be as relaxed about magically appearing food, though."

"Couldn't we just tell him Swami Parvananda gave it to us?" she asked.

"And ruin his reputation for not eating in thirty years? I don't think so," Erec said. "Rajiv will be okay till we get back."

They hopped into the truck with smiles and waved at Rajiv in front. But Rajiv looked a little different from the way Erec remembered. Didn't Rajiv have hair?

"Hello, silly Erec." The Hermit swung around, black eyes twinkling. "Forget who I am already?"

Rajiv appeared from behind some trees and rushed over to them. "How was it? Did the Swami tell you what your path is, why you were called to him?" His eyes searched them for clues. "What was he like?"

"He was a true mystic," Bethany said. "You were right about him. And he really did help us."

"How? What did he say?"

123.

Erec could not begin to explain, and Bethany was at a lack for words. But the Hermit said, "Songs unsung have the sweetest tunes."

"Yes, yes." Rajiv nodded and climbed into the driver's seat. "I hope you kids don't mind. This holy man was wandering nearby. I'm taking him back with us. It's good luck to give them food and shelter."

Erec had to admit, the Hermit fit right in here. Today the Hermit was wrapped in a big white towel with only his scrawny arms and the ends of his stick legs popping out. It almost looked like the Swami's outfit, except the Hermit's was terry cloth.

Their ride home was relaxing, and as soon as they walked in, Sunita presented them with huge plates of food. After stuffing themselves with the Swami, they were far too full to eat. They picked at it awhile, until Bethany said that meeting the Swami had messed with their stomachs. "I'm sure we'll feel better by dinner," she added.

The Hermit was inside when the two of them walked out of the house, but as they strolled down a path, there he was, sitting on a rock in front of them.

"How do you do that?" Bethany asked.

"Sit on a rock? It's easy." The Hermit giggled.

Erec noticed his accent was similar to Rajiv's, yet different somehow. Erec was glad to see him. If he could just learn to use his dragon eyes, he could become enough of a medium to use the Oracle and learn the rest of his quest. He began to explain, "We need a medium--"

"And I need a rare." The Hermit pointed at Erec. "And a well-done." He pointed at Bethany.

Erec rolled his eyes. How would he ever learn anything from this guy?

"I know what you need, Erec Rex, and I will help you get it. But first you must prove your faith in me. You must do as I say, 124.

without thinking, to show your complete trust, if you want me to teach you."

Did he have any alternative? "Okay." Erec waited.

"Follow me." The Hermit led them to a bridge over a deep brook. "You must walk across this bridge with your eyes shut. No peeking. To show your confidence in me. Only then can I teach you."

The bridge was made of narrow wood slats with no sides or railings. If Erec took a wrong step he'd plunge into the water. "Where do I start?"

"Right here." The Hermit led him to the middle of the bridge. "Close your eyes." He spun Erec in circles, until Erec had no idea which direction the bridge was going under his feet. "Okay, now walk."

"Straight ahead?" Erec asked. He wasn't sure about walking on the bridge without looking where he was going. It made him nervous knowing he could step wrong and fall right off.

"Straight ahead. Don't peek. You must trust me."

"Okay." Erec went forward a few steps, feeling the hard wood boards under his feet. He was cautious, unsteady, but kept moving. Then his foot plunged straight down, with nothing under it to catch him. He splashed, face-first, into the brook.

The Hermit was doubled over laughing when he climbed out. "Very good, Erec," he chortled. "You passed your test."

"But you didn't pass yours," Erec said, shaking off droplets of water like a dog. Bethany was laughing now too. "How am I supposed to trust you now?"

"That's your problem." The Hermit giggled. "I never said you wouldn't fall off."

"Not very confidence-inspiring." The water felt good in the heat so it was hard to be upset. Oh well, he thought. If falling off of a bridge was what it took to learn how to use his dragon eyes, that was a small price to pay.

125.

The Hermit had Erec sit on a flat rock near a stream. The Hermit's legs were folded into a perfect lotus position. Erec's were sprawled in front of him. He was wearing another set of Rajiv's pajama bottoms and a top called a kurta. Bethany watched them from a grassy spot nearby, weaving a chain of wildflowers.

"Is reading the future with my dragon eyes like doing a dragon call or moving the Substance?" Both of those things Erec had done by concentrating on the love inside of him and sending it out through Aoquesth's eyes. He was getting pretty good at that.

"No." The Hermit slid a finger across the stone, drawing a picture in the dust. "When you call out to the dragons, and when you call out to the Substance, you are calling out. See? Now you will be calling in. Or crawling in, more like."

Erec waited in silence. He did not understand, but asking the Hermit questions did not always help.

"I will guide you," the Hermit said. He whipped the white terry-cloth turban off his head and spread it before him. "First, get out your Serving Tray."

Erec found Jam's tray and handed it to the Hermit. The Hermit produced a peeled orange, a soft-boiled egg, a bowl of pitted cherries, and three freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. He arranged them on the terry-cloth towel. "Now, when you use your dragon eyes for seeing into what will come, you are not throwing signals out through your eyes. You want to keep everything inside of you. It is like learning to work a movie projector. You must learn to go inside and be in control. Very different.

"Your eyes will show you the movie. You are in charge of the watching. You control the projector. Turn it on and off. Watch when you are ready. But can you control what you see?" The Hermit raised his eyebrows.

126.

"No, I don't think so," Erec said. "I couldn't control what I saw with my cloudy thoughts. And Aoquesth could only see certain things too, when he looked into the future."

"Wrong answer." The Hermit slapped the rock. "Try again."

"Okay. I can control what I see?"

"Wrong answer," the Hermit said. "Try again."

"There are no other answers," Erec said.

"Wrong again. The answer is you can, and you cannot, control what you see. You cannot control it because you must sit and watch what your eyes choose to show you. And you do do control it because they are your eyes. Somewhere inside, it is you making the choice of what to show yourself. You are not aware of it, but you show yourself what you need to see the most." control it because they are your eyes. Somewhere inside, it is you making the choice of what to show yourself. You are not aware of it, but you show yourself what you need to see the most."

It all sounded wonderful, but Erec still had no clue how to do it. He looked at the food spread before him. It would have looked more appealing were it not sitting on something that had been wrapped around the Hermit's bald head.

"Okay, now we start," the Hermit instructed. "It is a kind of meditation. Close your eyes and follow where I take you."

Erec closed his eyes. The hot sun filtered through the leaves above, its warmth relaxing him. Every now and then a soft breeze drifted by. He heard the Hermit say, "You are sitting on a rock, resting in your body. Relaxing. Every inch of you fills yourself up completely." Erec visualized what the Hermit was saying. It was easy because it was true.

"Now," the Hermit continued, "you will go inside yourself more. Go in deeper. Picture moving out of your fingers and toes, leaving them, and going into a box inside your head. It is a dark room in there, but comfortable. You move easily. There is plenty of room for you. You are still inside yourself, but now just in one spot. In this room."

Maybe because the Hermit's voice was so soothing and the hot sun so peaceful, Erec found it easy to picture doing just what the 127.

Hermit had said. He felt that he was deep within himself, safe in a dark room.

"Now go in again," said the Hermit, "through another door in that room into a smaller one, and then again into an even smaller one. They are deeper and deeper inside of you. All these rooms are comfortable, plenty big for you to go into. It feels good to be there."

Erec imagined going into two more rooms inside of each other. It was like entering doorways in a series of nesting boxes. He focused, and in his mind he was secure and protected in a warm, dark room in his mind.

"Now, in this room you see something. Two windows hang in front of you, but their shades are pulled down. No light is coming in. If you wanted, you could pull a cord that hangs between them and open the shades. But not yet. You are happy here now. There is another thing in the room too. It is a small box on a table. Go up to the box. Touch it."

Erec imagined walking up to a box on a table. He put his hands on it. It felt mysterious, exciting.

"Good," the Hermit said. "This box holds your future. Everything you want and do not want to know is in this box. What will happen to Alypium, to Upper Earth. If you will become king. When you will die. It is all inside."

The box seemed to pulse under Erec's hands. It held an enormous amount of energy. He was thrilled to touch it, be near it, but was afraid to see what was inside.

The Hermit's voice echoed through the dark room. "This box is your movie projector. Pull the cord to open the shades and concentrate on the box. It will show you something. Try it."

A chill raced through Erec. He grasped the cord and it felt warm and silky in his grip. Then he pulled.

The window shades flew open. Everything he saw through the windows was green. Fat ropes of Substance hung in the air. Then...

128.

Screaming. Terror. Blasting noise. Fear. Explosion.

He yanked the cord back and the shades slammed down.

Erec took a while to return to normal. He felt like he was running in a panic through dark rooms, searching for the way out. Finally, when he realized he was sitting on a rock in the sun, exhaustion hit him. It was all he could do to open his eyes.

"Cool!" Bethany squealed. "Green light shined out through your dragon eyes! Did you see the future?"

Erec shook his head. "Not really. At least I hope not." He remembered how green light had shone through Patchouli's eyes and Aoquesth's eyes when they were reading the future. So this is what they had gone through? No wonder Aoquesth had been exhausted afterward. Patchouli hadn't been. She must have been a tower of strength.

"Oh." Bethany looked disappointed. "It looked like something was happening."