After some more rattling, Max heard the door close behind them.

Melody let out a deep breath. "That was close. I don't know what this thing is, but I'm sure I don't have the money to replace it." She placed the carving back on the shelf. "See, Max, bigger isn't always better."

"Yeah, imagine all those missions inside of small sundry shops I wouldn't be able to do."

Melody laughed and pointed ahead of Max. "Go find Eve."

Max walked down the aisle, fascinated by the various items on the shelves. Pa.s.sing an intersecting aisle, he saw nothing but more rows of shelves.

Where did that girl go? Oh well, she can't be too hard to...

Eve popped out of the side aisle between Melody and himself. "Hurry up guys."

Melody jumped and b.u.mped a shelf, causing several small figurines to teeter dangerously along its edge. "Eve!"

Eve snapped her tail along the shelf to steady the figurines. "This way already."

Spinning around, she walked back down the aisle she'd come from. Max tried not to laugh, but had little luck.

"Finally, she spooked someone besides me."

He thought Melody would smack him. "That wasn't funny!"

"Hey, at least she didn't pounce on you, and, yes, it really was funny."

Melody swung at Max's head. He ducked, jogging after Eve, leaving Melody fuming behind him.

"Where did she even come from?"

Max snickered. "If I could answer that, maybe I wouldn't get pounced on so often."

He had almost started after Eve too late. Walking hurriedly down one aisle after another, he'd barely see the tip of her tail before it whipped around another corner. After making several more turns, he rounded a corner and stopped abruptly in front of a desk. Behind the desk sat an old man painting a figurine similar to the ones Melody almost knocked off. Eve stood next to Max, elbows on the desk, watching the old man paint. A moment later, Melody rounded the corner, smacking into the back of Max.

"Sorry, Max."

"No problem."

Eve started to laugh, but saw Max blush. She squeezed between him and Melody.

"You should be more careful, Melody."

"Eve, it wasn't her fault."

Melody gave a strange smile. "It's okay, Max. Eve, I'll be more careful in the future. You don't have to worry about me."

Eve eyed Melody. "Kay."

Max looked back and forth between them. "What was that about, Eve? What's with that weird smile, Melody?"

"I'll explain later...maybe." Melody laughed. "For now, we shouldn't be so rude to our host."

Max knew he would not get an answer now, so he turned his attention back to the old man. The figurine sat completed on the desk. The old man sat starring at them, arms crossed. Max cleared his throat.

"Uhh, excuse me?"

The man didn't move. Max leaned over the counter, afraid the old man had stopped breathing.

"Uhh, hi, are you okay?"

Eve pushed Max to the side. "Oh, move over."

She bent over, plopped her elbows back on the desk and placed her head between her hands.

"Hiya, I'm Evangeline."

The old man cracked a smile. "Good afternoon, Evangeline. Welcome to my humble shop."

Eve scanned the nearby shelves. "It's very odd. I like it."

The man nodded. "Thank you. I doubt you will find any other place like it in all of Velrune. Look around, if you don't find anything you like, let me know. I am sure I can get it for you."

Eve focused back on the old man. "How about information?"

"I have a wide variety of that as well." The old man's lips drew tight as he gave Max a cold stare. "However, I reserve that commodity for special customers only."

Max returned the stare. "The law states that you give any information regarding illegal activity to the Protectors."

The old man didn't bat an eye. "Who said I knew anything about illegal activity? Besides, if you haven't noticed by now, few in this town care for your law."

Eve straightened, putting on her most innocent face; the one Max recalled having lulled him into more than one of her adventures. "Maxy is my friend and I'm sure he won't report anything back to the Protectors."

The old man remained firm. "Perhaps there is hope for him if a lacarnian can call him a friend, but he is no friend of mine."

Eve's tail swished back and forth in frustration. "But..."

"It's okay, Eve, I'll go outside. Someone should check on Lysander anyway."

"Wise choice, young man, and take the young lady with you." The man nodded at Melody.

"Me, I'm hardly in league with the Protectors. Besides, I have a message for you from Lady Metis."

"You may not be in league with the Protectors, but I believe the Church of the Immortals to be misguided. I do not trust anyone from their order with the truth. Hand me the message from your lady and leave."

"What do you mean you do not trust us with the truth?"

The old man shook his head. "I have nothing else to say."

Melody reached in her robe and pulled out a sealed letter which she tossed on the desk.

"Fine. Come, Maxwell."

Melody did an about face and headed for the door, or at least that is where she tried to head. Max had his doubts.

"Are you sure you remember the way out of here?"

"I think we turn left at the bonsai tree then right at the wooden fish."

Max laughed. This place could certainly carry such an a.s.sortment.

"That wasn't a joke, Max."

Sure enough, Max spotted a bonsai tree that was in desperate need of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g. Melody took a left then a right at a beautifully painted carving of a fish. Back outside, they found Lysander sitting impatiently among a stack of a.s.sorted chairs. He stood upon seeing them.

"So, what did you find out?"

"Nothing. He wouldn't talk to Melody or me, only Eve."

Lysander shook his head. "What is it with this town? They are awfully friendly with the fur b.a.l.l.s."

Melody rolled her eyes. "Gee, I can't imagine why he didn't want to talk to a member of the Protectors."

Lysander groaned. "Here we go again with how the Protectors treat the lacarna. You need to be careful about making judgments without knowing all the facts. You have let that girl Max calls a friend cloud your mind."

"I may not know everything that has happened in the past, but at the present there are a lot of people that don't like how the Protectors handle things."

"Someone is always going to get upset about what we do, lacarnians or humans." Lysander walked away from them. "I'll be in the tavern, come and get me when the fur ball is back."

Max watched him go. "I don't understand. My father protected everyone equally, but that's not what I'm seeing from the other Protectors."

Melody put her hand on Max's shoulder. "Maybe they have changed since then, Max. Or, maybe this is how they've always been, and your dad was the odd one out."

The door opened and closed behind them. Turning, they saw Eve walking towards them. She noticed their sour mood.

"What's wrong?"

Max sighed. "Apparently, you're clouding our minds."

Eve smiled mischievously. "You're just now figuring that out, or did Melody tell you?"

Max shook his head. "More like Lysander."

"Ahh, he's on to me. I guess I'll have to work my wiles on him too."

Max snickered. "Good luck with that."

Eve looked around. "Where did he go?"

"He headed for the tavern."

Eve shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, we can't do anything until tonight."

Max and Melody leaned towards Eve. "You found something out?"

"Yep. Here."

Eve handed both of them a small, black brooch in the shape of a cat. "We'll need to wear these or we won't be able to find the path that leads from the edge of town to the camp. They only work at night though."

Max and Melody examined the brooches then handed them back to Eve. Max spread his arms.

"Well, what do we do for the next few hours? I don't think the tavern is a good idea."

Eve sighed. "Can't we just leave him there until after we find the camp?"

Max hesitated for a second and then shook his head. "No."

Melody brightened with an idea. "How about we grab a bite to eat?"

Eve bounded up and down. "Great! I'm starved and so is Spook."

Max heard a squeak from the satchel on Eve's back. Maybe Eve had clouded his mind. He could have sworn the mouse just agreed to their plan of action. Max stepped back, raising his hand towards the busy street.

"Ok, Eve, you've got the nose, which way for the best food."

Eve sniffed at the air. "Mmmm, this way."

She started down the street, her nose held high in the air.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

Eve jumped to her feet. "Here they come."

Melody stopped pacing. "Good, now get down from there."

"Okay, Okay."

Eve walked down the sloped roof of the house. At the edge, she leapt off, landing on the ground next to an agitated Melody.

"So much for being subtle, Eve"

"There's no one around, or I'd have smelled them."

"Maybe, but that's what's bothering me. Why isn't there anyone here?"