Cyphallus went round to look into the stone, to see what he could see.
Instead of the Library of Nith and the Book of Lore, however, he found himself looking into a blacksmith shop where a big Human worked at something. He shrieked in vexation when he noticed what the Human was working on.
‘What is that? The object he fashions there?’
The Loremaster controlling the stone was unable to conceal his surprise.
‘It would appear to be some sort of periapt, though of a kind unknown to me.’
‘What does it do?’
Moved by genuine curiosity, the Loremaster at the podium said some words, causing the stone to react. A series of scenes played across their vision, causing the two to react with hope.
It had the opposite effect on Cyphallus, however.
‘What does this mean? Who is that woman in white?’
‘It means,’ said the Loremaster who controlled the stone, with a note of hope in his voice that he was unable to conceal, ‘that he has constructed a device which may be able to free the Earth Mother.’
Even as they watched, the device changed hands; it was now in a young Pixie woman’s possession. She herself had begun a journey . . .