Time of the Twins

“Uh, I’m s-sure I didn’t mean to offend,” Tas stuttered. “I know I always thought Raistlin looked much better in black—with that golden skin of his and all. I certainly don’t believe everyone has to be good, of course. Fizban—he’s really Paladine—we’re great personal friends, Paladine and I—Anyway, Fizban said that there had to be a balance in the world, that we were fighting to restore the balance. So that means that there has to be Black Robes as well as White, doesn’t it?”

“We know what you mean, kenderken,” Par-Salian said gently. “Our brethren take no offense at your words. Their anger is directed elsewhere. Not everyone in the world is as wise as the great Fizban the Fabulous.”

Tas sighed. “I miss him, sometimes. But, where was I? Oh, yes, Bupu. That’s when I had my idea. Maybe, if Bupu told her story, the mages would believe her, I said to Lady Crysania. She agreed and I offered to go and find Bupu. I hadn’t been to Xak Tsaroth since Goldmoon killed the black dragon and it was just a short hop from where we were and Tanis said it would be fine with him. He seemed quite pleased to see me off, actually.

“The Highpulp let me take Bupu, after a—uh—small bit of discussion and some interesting items that I had in my pouch. I—took Bupu to Solace, but Tanis had already gone and so had Lady Crysania. Caramon was—” Tas stopped, hearing Caramon clear his throat behind him. “Caramon was—wasn’t feeling too good, but Tika—that’s Caramon’s wife and a great friend of mine—anyway, Tika said we had to go after Lady Crysania, because the Forest of Wayreth was a terrible place and—No offense meant, I’m certain, but did you ever stop to think that your Forest is really nasty? I mean, it is not friendly”—Tas glared at the mages sternly—“and I don’t know why you let it wander around loose! I think it’s irresponsible!”

Par-Salian’s shoulders quivered.

“Well, that’s all I know,” Tas said. “And, there’s Bupu, and she can—” Tas stopped, looking around. “Where’d she go?”

“Here,” Caramon said grimly, dragging the gully dwarf out from behind his back where she had been cowering in abject terror. Seeing the mages staring at her, the gully dwarf gave a shriek and collapsed onto the floor, a quivering bundle of ragged clothes.

“I think you had better tell us her story,” Par-Salian said to Tas. “If you can, that is.”

“Yes,” Tas replied, suddenly subdued. “I know what it was Lady Crysania wanted me to tell. It happened back during the war, when we were in Xak Tsaroth. The only ones who knew anything about that city were gully dwarves. But most wouldn’t help us. Raistlin cast a charm spell on one of them—Bupu. Charmed wasn’t exactly the word for what it did to her. She fell in love with him.” Tas paused, sighing, then continued in a remorseful tone. “Some of us thought it was funny, I guess. But Raistlin didn’t. He was really kind to her, and he even saved her life, once, when draconians attacked us. Well, after we left Xak Tsaroth, Bupu came with us. She couldn’t bear to leave Raistlin.”

Tas’s voice dropped. “One night, I woke up. I heard Bupu crying. I started to go to her, but I saw Raistlin had heard her, too. She was homesick. She wanted to go back to her people, but she couldn’t leave him. I don’t know what he said, but I saw him lay his hand on her head. And it seemed that I could see a light shining all around Bupu. And, then, he sent her home. She had to travel through a land filled with terrible creatures but, somehow, I knew she would be safe. And she was,” Tas finished solemnly.

There was a moment’s silence, then it seemed that all the mages began to talk at once. Those of the Black Robes shook their heads. Dalamar sneered.

“The kender was dreaming,” he said scornfully.

“Who believes kender anyway?” said one.

Those of the Red Robes and the White Robes appeared thoughtful and perplexed.

“If this is true,” said one, “perhaps we have misjudged him. Perhaps we should take this chance, however slim.”

Finally Par-Salian raised a hand for silence.

“I admit I find this difficult to believe,” he said at last. “I mean no disparagement to you, Tasslehoff Burrfoot,” he added gently, smiling at the indignant kender. “But all know your race has a most lamentable tendency to, uh, exaggerate. It is obvious to me that Raistlin simply charmed this—this creature”—Par-Salian spoke with disgust—“to use her and—”

“Me no creature!”

Bupu lifted her tear-stained, mud-streaked face from the floor, her hair frizzed up like an angry cat’s. Glaring at Par-Salian, she stood up and started forward, tripped over the bag she carried, and sprawled flat on the floor. Undaunted, the gully dwarf picked herself up and faced Par-Salian.