The king nodded. "I'm afraid so. Even if Olwen did have the Twrch Trwyth vial, how would Erec ever get the five Awen? Are they just going to unlodge themselves for him?"

"Yes," the Hermit said. "That's exactly what they will do. He owns their master."

Everyone turned to him in shock. "I do?" Erec asked.

"In your backpack," the Hermit said. "You have one of the singing crystals."

So the crystal that the Swami had given him controlled the Awen somehow?

King Piter leaned back in surprise.

"Erec must make this choice himself," the Hermit said. "He knows what he is facing, his odds. But only he can secure the Substance to save Upper Earth."

Erec nodded. No problem. He just had to do what no powerful sorcerer had ever done before--and somehow not die in the process.

Erec pulled up his hooded sweatshirt, and Bethany and Jack wore hats so they would be harder to spot by flying Harpies. Olwen Cullwich lived in Alypium. They decided to pay him a visit sooner rather than later. Baskania knew what this quest was now, too. No doubt the Harpy had showed the paper to him. If the Twrch Trwyth still existed, Baskania would want it for himself.

"I can't think of Olwen Cullwich now without thinking about twelve pies in his face and all over him," Erec said.

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"He sounds like a nice guy," said Bethany. "I bet he'll help us if he knows where the Trwyth Boar vial is."

"He's gotta know," Erec said. "I mean, that's what my quest is. To get the Twrch Trwyth from Olwen Cullwich. Not to find it somewhere else."

Jack nodded. "This guy is a scientist who was in the king's court. He's going to want to help you save the Substance, I'm sure."

They kept their heads down on their way to the street where Olwen Cullwich lived. The sun had set, and Erec was glad it was dark outside.

"There it is!" Bethany pointed. Light shone from all of the rooms in the small home. When they grew nearer, voices rang through an open window downstairs.

"Maybe we better check it out first," Erec said. They crept in front of the house and peeked in.

Standing near the window was Thanatos Baskania, his black cape flowing. Erec could see two open eyes on his forehead, one on his cheek, and one on his chin. A man and woman nearby him, each wearing an eye patch, were tearing books off shelves, dumping out drawers.

The man who must have been Olwen Cullwich was motionless at the far end of the room, facing them. His well-combed gray hair and neat clothing made him look just as Erec had pictured him. He seemed familiar, as if Erec had known him long ago. But his bright blue eyes were wide with fear. He stood in an odd position, which made Erec sure that Baskania had frozen him to the spot.

But he was still able to talk. "I'm telling you, I don't have it. I haven't had it for years. Your...pals will find that out when they're done ransacking my house."

Erec, Bethany, and Jack wedged themselves into a row of hedges in front of the house where they could still see and hear through the window.

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Baskania sighed. "Dear Olwen, you don't understand. I happen to have evidence. It was decreed by the Fates that you give the vial to somebody. Now I just need to make sure that it will be me. If you want to keep your house neat and tidy, just tell me where it is, and we'll call this search party off. Simple. Or we can do it the hard way."

Erec couldn't believe it. Why had he waited to come here? Now Baskania would get the Trwyth Boar. Not that Olwen Cullwich would want to give it to him, he was sure. He hoped that Olwen could think of a way to fend off Baskania until Erec could talk to him alone.

Then Erec realized that he was probably lucky that he had arrived now, shrouded in darkness. This house would be watched around the clock when Baskania was not here. They would be waiting for Erec to show up so they could catch him.

Other people with eye patches poured into the room. "We can't find anything," one of them said in a deep voice. "We used the magic detectors and found a few other choice objects that we took apart and searched. But no vial."

"Then look again." Baskania glowered. "Tear the walls apart."

Olwen spoke through gritted teeth. "It's...not...here. How can I make you understand that?"

Baskania tilted his head as though he was considering this possibility. "Well, now that you put it that way, I do know ways you can help me understand better." He pointed a finger and a small puff of dark smoke flew from it.

Olwen screamed in pain. "Aaaannh! Stop. Stop. Please. I'll tell you anything. Please, make it stop!"

Baskania lifted his finger and blew on it like it was a match. Olwen's head drooped. "So you're ready to talk?"

Olwen nodded.

"Good." Baskania looked thoughtful, then he pointed again and a white puff of smoke shot from his finger. "This will ensure that when 226.

you do speak, everything that you say will be true." He smiled. "Now, when did you first get the Trwyth Boar?"

Olwen spoke slowly. "It was passed down to me from my mother, from her father, from many generations back. My mother gave it to me to guard when I was thirty-five."

"Very good." Baskania smiled, like a teacher helping a slow pupil. "I'm sure this is a prize I will very much like having. Now, where do you keep it, Olwen?"

"I don't. I no longer have the Twrch Trwyth."

"Hmmm. It seems the truth spell was not strong enough for you." He shot another white puff from his finger. "Or do you need the other kind of persuasion again?"

"No!" Olwen shouted. "I'm talking. What do you want to know?"

"Where is the vial?"

"I don't have it. I swear. I got rid of it. Too many people were after me for it. It was too dangerous for me to keep. And I had no use for it other than to guard it. It's gone."

Baskania tapped his chin. "You don't say. Well, then, let's hear it. Who did you give it to? Not that they could have it. I know it's on you, somewhere. But I'd like to hear your story anyway."

"I couldn't give it to anyone," Olwen said. "It was far too powerful. My father warned me that there was nobody I could trust with it. I had to get rid of it another way."

"Ahh. Now we're getting somewhere. What other way did you choose?"

Olwen mumbled something and looked away.

"What is that? I'm sorry, you'll need to speak clearer. That is, if you want to live."

Olwen eyed him darkly. "I swallowed it. I researched the best way to dispose of it before I decided. It was recommended as a way to cover up its magic, so it might not be found again someday in the future. I 227.

had to try my best to do that, since I was giving up my duty guarding it. Swallowing it changed it. When it went through my system, the magic was rearranged so it would stay hidden wherever it went."

Baskania regarded him with an odd expression. "You swallowed it." He was quiet a moment. "This can only mean one thing. But just to be safe, we will wait until the search party is finished."

People trickled in and out as the room was slowly chipped away. Baskania stood quietly, and Olwen gazed around, still paralyzed. Finally, it was decided that the vial was not in the house.

Baskania nodded. "You may all go now. Leave Olwen here with me."

Erec trembled as Baskania's one-eyed followers poured from the house. He shrunk farther back into the bushes with his friends.

Baskania spoke again. "Olwen, I'm afraid there is only one answer. If you swallowed the Twrch Trwyth"--he counted on one finger--"and we know that you still have it"--he counted on another--"then that means it is still inside you." He ticked off a third finger and sighed. "Such a shame."

"That's ridiculous." Olwen sounded desperate. "It's absurd. I swallowed it over eight years ago after eating a slice of pie. That pie isn't still in me, either."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Baskania shook his head. "Sometimes we live to pay the price for our poor decisions. Well, regardless, I am going to find the Trwyth Boar. I think I'll help you a little, though, keep you alive as long as possible, in case you have more to say to me." He raised both hands, curved as if they were claws, and streaks of green light shot from them into Olwen. "That should do it."

Olwen looked crazed. "What are you doing?"

"Just finishing the search," Baskania said. In front of their eyes, he made a motion and Olwen Cullwich ripped, his left half splitting from his right half, straight down the middle. The man, amazingly, was still 228.

alive, although his insides were spilling out. Each leg staggered a bit, but was held upright by Baskania's magic.

Bethany opened her mouth to scream, and Erec clamped a hand over it. "Shhh." He covered her eyes with his other hand, but she pushed him away.

Each half of Olwen was looking down at himself in shock. "What did you do to me?" When he spoke, both sides of his mouth moved at the same time, but his tongue was split so he sounded garbled.

Baskania stepped closer to inspect both sides of him. "No luck yet." He made another motion, and now both halves of Olwen were split front to back. Each arm and leg were cleaved in two so he was four long strips. The front halves tripped forward a bit, and all four parts of him wavered unsteadily.

Unbelievably, Olwen was still talking. Erec could not understand him anymore, nor did he want to. Jack threw up in the bushes, and Erec almost joined him. Tears flowed down Bethany's face. When Erec saw her, his eyes brimmed over as well.

Baskania casually looked through Olwen's body, then split him again and again. Soon he was shredded into tiny pieces all over his floor. Erec only hoped that Olwen was no longer alive.

"Oh, well. It's not here," Baskania said. "I suppose you were right, then." He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ghost Ship to Avalon.IT TOOK MOST of the night for the three of them to calm down. Jam was in and out of Bethany's mansion with hot compresses, trays of steaming milk, and hugs. Erec gagged on the milk and had to run to the bathroom, choking. Jack had a glazed look, as if he'd decided to take a vacation from reality. All three of them took turns crying and comforting each other.

"I guess that settles it," Erec said. "The Fates were wrong.

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There will be no fourth quest. Substance or no Substance." They all decided to sleep on Bethany's beanbags. None of them wanted to be alone.

In the morning Erec felt groggy and stiff, with the sense that he'd had a terrible nightmare. After a while he realized that it had been real. The three decided to take a walk in the castle gardens for a change of scenery. Normally Erec loved the perfect, warm weather Alypium had because of its golden dome, even in the middle of winter. But now it all felt wrong. He'd had enough here. Going further with the quest did not seem possible, or even remotely desirable.

"I've got it," he said. "We have a Port-O-Door. Let's take a trip somewhere fun. Jack's never been to Upper Earth. You'd love it there, Jack. We'll go somewhere relaxing and take a vacation."

"Great idea." Bethany perked up. "We could use a break. Somewhere warm. It's cold in North America now."

"Maybe we could go to an island in the Caribbean," Erec said. "Or Hawaii. I've always wanted to go there."

"I've heard of Hawaii," Jack said. "Something about ancient kings and magic totems."

"Forget all that," Erec said. "We're going to see the nonmagical part of Hawaii. Beaches, tourists, and luaus. I want to go scuba diving and climb a volcano."

"Hey! What about Tahiti?" Bethany hopped on her toes, excited. "That could be great."

"We'll do both!" Erec and Bethany high-fived each other.

Then Bethany's smile dropped. "Problem. What hotel will let us in--three kids without an adult? We'd get hassled the whole way."

Erec thought a moment then stuck a finger in the air. And with one word, they were all grinning again. "Jam."

"Yeah! He'll definitely come with us!" Bethany relaxed.

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"Everyone will think we're a bunch of rich kids with our butler taking care of us."

"We are are a bunch of rich kids," Erec said. "Don't forget the bags of gold, silver, and bronze coins we have. And you're living in a mansion here, remember? Now all we have to do is decide what we want to take with us. Who knows? Maybe we won't ever come back." a bunch of rich kids," Erec said. "Don't forget the bags of gold, silver, and bronze coins we have. And you're living in a mansion here, remember? Now all we have to do is decide what we want to take with us. Who knows? Maybe we won't ever come back."

"We've got got to take the Serving Tray," Bethany said. "And your Sneakers, in case we want to sneak anywhere." to take the Serving Tray," Bethany said. "And your Sneakers, in case we want to sneak anywhere."

"And Wolfboy," Erec added, "and Cutie Pie."

"Of course."

Jack thought a moment. "Maybe your mom could give you her glasses. Then we could stay as long as we wanted and check in with our families."

Erec thought about his mother a moment. How could she object to this after he'd already been all over the world? It would be a piece of cake after risking his life so many times. And Jam would be there to keep an eye on them. That would seal it.

"Of course you'll want to take a few bathing suits and towels," said a voice under them, making them jump. The Hermit was sitting cross-legged in a cluster of giant daisies, their huge multicolored tops spinning up and landing around his face. A large one covered his lap. Erec couldn't tell, but he hoped the Hermit was wearing something under the daisy. "And a good book or two. Nice to read by the beach." He nodded. "You could stay a long time. A good ten years at least, until the world ended and Upper Earth died off. You'd all be about twenty-four then. Too bad time ends up going faster than you think."

Erec scowled. He didn't want to hear it. "That's going to be someone else's problem. I'm through with it."

The Hermit nodded. "It will be someone else's problem. Everyone else's problem. Too bad none of them will be able to solve it."

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"I can't either." Erec pointed at himself, breathing harder. "It's over."

"It sounds like it is over," the Hermit agreed. "For everyone."

"Hermit!" Erec punched his palm. "What can I do? You know what happened, I'm sure. Baskania searched Olwen Cullwich's house, and..." He couldn't say it. "He's gone now, anyway, if I ever had a chance to get that Twrch Trwyth from him. Even Baskania's given up."

The Hermit put a finger to his lips. "Hmm. Who do you trust more, Baskania or the Fates? You know how our three girls work. How your cloudy thoughts work. Do you trust them? Did you doubt when your cloudy thought told you that Bethany would tell Oscar her secret, and Baskania would find it out if you didn't stop her?"