The Map Maker's Quest (7 page)

“So all this happened because of you?” Jane asked slowly. “All the deaths and the missing people.”

Tasker just nodded.

“Is that why you're so desperate for this rebellion to succeed?” Jackie asked. She looked down at the dwarf with suspicion in her eyes. Literally Tasker was responsible for the missing year of her life, responsible for the kidnappings. “No, I'm sorry,” Jackie said. She stopped her train of thought immediately. “You're not responsible. Cain is. He's the one who took control of the Temple. He's the one who ordered the kidnappings. I can't blame you for what's happened.”

“You should,” Jacob muttered. He stared at Tasker with open hostility. “Without him this never would have happened.”

“Jacob,” Jackie replied. “That's like telling Hitler's mom that she's completely responsible for everything he did. Where does the line of personal responsibility get drawn?”

Jane was silent during this exchange. Their entire party had stopped on the beach, and they were standing around Tasker staring at him. Suddenly she felt Bella shift on her shoulder, and a voice whispered in her ear.

“It gets worse,” Bella said so lightly that no one else heard her.

“I am responsible,” Tasker said. Tears were streaming down his face. “Cain is my son.”

There were gasps from the trio of humans, but Tasker continued.

“You think I don't know about the pain and the loss Cain has brought onto the world, brought to both sides?” Tasker straightened as he spoke. His back stiffened and his face grew grim. “Cain ordered the death of my wife, his own mother. All of his brothers and sisters are passed on to the creator by his hand. I'm all that remains of his family and he's done his best to kill me also.” Tasker stopped and looked at each one of them directly in the face. “So, yes, I am responsible for what's happened. Indirectly, perhaps, but I'm to blame.” He wiped the tears from his eyes, and then his face hardened, “But don't ever say I don't know about the loss and pain I've brought onto the world. I buried each and every one of my children and my wife. Their faces will haunt me forever.”

 

Chapter Seven

Puck Returns

W
ait a minute!” Jacob burst out. He jumped as his voice broke the silence and made everyone present jump. He looked around, hoping no Adherents were close enough to hear his outburst.

“What!” Jane hissed. She turned to look at him.

“That still doesn't explain how the Adherents seem to know where we're going every time we turn around,” Jacob said. He held his voice in check but he folded his arms across his chest and stared at Tasker.

“There is a link shared among dwarf clans,” Tasker said. “I thought I had broken it and my movements would be hidden from him. It seems I was wrong.”

“So he can track us because you're with us,” Jacob growled. “The answer then is pretty simple. You have to go.”

“Jacob, we can't just send him away,” Jane piped up. What a quandary they were in, if Cain was keeping tabs on them through Tasker.

“I have a better idea,” Tasker said after a moment of silence. “It appears I'm a danger to you and to the forces we've gathered. No matter what I do, Cain will be able to track us through me. I'll part ways with you here and lay a false trail back towards Madeline Isle. Maybe I can get him to send his spies after me and leave you alone as you search for the book.”

“What do we do when we find it?” Jane asked.

“We trade it for our parents,” Jacob stated categorically. Once again his voice grew in volume, and this time he ignored the startled looks from Jackie and Jane. This was something he would not back down on. He had to see his mom was safe again.

“Do you really think he'll honor his end of the bargain?” Jane asked harshly. She liked Jacob, but he was being really naive.

“What else can we do?” Jacob muttered.

“I know what to do,” Jane muttered. The idea struck her only a moment before and she clamped her mouth shut. This thought she was going to keep to herself until the last possible moment.

“What?” Jacob asked.

“You're going to have to trust me on this one,” Jane replied. She refused to give an inch and her face showed it.

“I trust you,” Tasker replied.

“Wait a minute,” Jacob cried out. “This affects all of us. We should be making this decision together.”

“No, I think this one is better left to Jane,” Tasker replied. “I'll take my leave then.” He turned and started walking up the beach to the north. “Jane,” Tasker said. He turned back and looked at her sadly. “Be careful who you trust. Cain is a master at turning people to his ends. It could be he's managed to place someone into the rebellion already.”

With those words he vanished into the darkness and left a very confused trio of humans and one hidden fairy.

“So what now?” Jacob muttered. He felt like things were spiraling out of control and he disliked that feeling.

“We follow the clue and see where it leads us,” Jane replied. “What does it say again?”

Jackie removed the glass shard and turned it over so she could read the words.

 

The grandest of homes, built from iron,

Fire and stone, call it home,

Ghosts rise up and sadly watch,

Down the tunnel, a rod of iron

Take this shard, to light your path.

Four markers wait, to find the treasure.

 

“So what do you think it means?” Jane asked. She repeated the words in her mind over and over, trying to decipher where they could lead.

“Well, there are plenty of mansions around Lake Superior,” Jacob pointed out.

“Yes, but Uncle Ernie lived in Duluth,” Jackie replied. “He would have only had access to things close to Duluth.”

“Well, it has to be Glensheen then,” Jane replied. The big mansion by the lake was the only place she could think of that fit the bill perfectly. “We need to get back to Duluth. Where did you guys park the car?”

“Are you sure it's Glensheen?” Jackie asked. “There are a lot of big old places along the lake, and Glensheen isn't made out of iron. It is a grand home but . . .”

“Yes, but how many of them were built not out of iron but from iron wealth,” Jane replied. “It doesn't say it was built out of iron but
from
iron. I think that means from the money the owner and builder made selling and shipping iron.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Besides,” Jane said. The clincher came to her suddenly, “Remember the murders that happened at the mansion
. Ghosts rise up and sadly watch
.”

“Ah,” Jacob said at the same time Jackie did. That brought it more into focus for them.

“I see it,” Jackie agreed. “It does seem to fit.”

“Anyway,” Jane said. “Where did you park the car?”

“We didn't,” Jacob said unhappily.

“How did you get here?” Jane asked.

“Your grandpa's motorcycle,” Jacob replied.

Jane immediately felt a surge of jealousy as she thought about Jacob and Jackie riding for an hour on the bike. She wanted to be the one with her arms wrapped around Jacob and leaning against his back. Suddenly that sounded very relaxing, and if there was one thing she wanted, it was to relax.

“The sidecar was still hooked up to it, so we brought it,” Jacob explained. He looked at Jane curiously as her face suddenly turned beet red and she looked away sheepishly.

“Why didn't you bring your Mustang?” Jane finally managed to squeak out. She felt foolish, and she kicked at the smaller rocks on the ground around her feet. There was a sniffle from where Jacob was standing, and Jane looked at him in surprise, there was moisture in his eyes and a tear slipped down his cheek.

“Those jerks blew it up,” Jackie said after a moment. She'd noticed Jacob was having a hard time saying anything so she filled in the blanks.

“I'm sorry, Jacob,” Jane said. She stepped over to where he was standing and gave him a big hug. Jacob held her tightly, and Jane almost melted in his arms, he smelled of smoke from somewhere and it mixed with his cologne to form a unique smell. She felt the tension slowly leave him, and when she laughed and pulled back they both chuckled again.

“Think the motorcycle can carry us all back to Duluth?” Jane asked. There was a thin trail that led from the lake shore back up towards the highway. She followed Jacob up the trail until it reached an opening in the trees. The sounds of the highway were coming from up ahead, and she could see lights through the trees as cars traveled by their small turn off.

“I'll get the bike out,” Jacob said. He walked to where the old motorcycle had been stashed between two trees and started pulling the branches off it. Before he and Jackie walked down to Split Rock, he had stacked branches and leaves around the bike to obscure it from anyone who might happen by. It really was not well hidden but he had thought it might work if people were not paying attention.

Once the bike was uncovered and back out in the clearing, he started it up and looked over at Jane and Jackie, “Jackie can ride in the sidecar again. Jane you'll have to ride with me?” His voice was more of a question then anything else as he looked at her. He really hoped she would say yes.

“Sounds good to me,” Jane said too quickly, and her face turned bright red. She adjusted her jacket so Bella could squeeze into the inner pocket and be protected and then climbed onto the back of the seat.

Jackie just laughed and stepped into the side car and pulled her helmet down over her hair.

 

* * * * *

 

Eriunia and Carvin stood
looking
down over the cliffs at Palisade Head, the moon was climbing in the sky, and the night was turning cool. Below them the waves pounded on the rocks.

“Have you seen Bella lately?” Eriunia asked. She had not seen the fairy in two days now, and she was not sure what to make of her sudden disappearance. “Or what about Puck?”

“No, I haven't,” Carvin replied. “I talked to one of Puck's goblins yesterday. He said they haven't seen him in several days.”

“If that little sneak betrayed us, I'll hunt him down and kill him,” Eriunia muttered fiercely. She turned and started walking back to where their defenses were finally almost finished. There was very little movement around the camp this late at night, and those few who were still awake were slowly walking the perimeter, keeping a close watch in all directions.

“Who commands the forces on the Isle of Lakes now?” Eriunia asked. They walked back to where a dozen tents were set up amidst the scrub trees and boulders.

“Honestly, I'm not sure,” Carvin replied. He rubbed his face with his hands and considered. “Probably Commander Darkback if he has returned from Madeline Island.”

“Him I have heard about,” Eriunia said. She stepped up to the entrance to her tent and stopped. “He's an evil creature if there ever was one. I sometimes wonder if mortals were destined to be good or evil but in his case I think he might have been evil before time even began.”

“I believe everyone has a choice,” Carvin replied thoughtfully. “My father was the most evil man I've ever known. I always hated how he treated everyone else. I never thought it was right . . .” Carvin paused as he considered what to say, the young elf princess was beautiful but he ignored that. He knew the woman he loved, and he would walk through fire to be with her forever. “I knew I would do anything to stop him from the moment I met Jackie. She was the most amazing person I had ever met. Despite the horrible things that happened to her, she still stopped and paid attention to one of her captors. I love her, and I'll do anything to be with her, I don't care what side of the Divide it is on.”

Eriunia nodded.

Carvin bent over and stepped inside his small tent. A single bedroll lay on the ground as well as a wooden crate that held five of the magical guns. Eriunia had made sure every one of the weapons they had taken were accounted for and brought with the force.

Carvin slipped into his bedroll and pulled his blanket up around his neck. Sleep came quickly to him, and soon his dreams were full of a raven-haired prisoner who had taken him captive.

Inside her small tent, Eriunia moved her bedroll around until it was on a level spot on the ground. When that was done, she sat down on a crate with five of the new magical muskets. Before her on the ground were two more full crates acting as a small table. On the table a rough map of Lake Superior was spread out and held down by small stones in each corner. She examined the map carefully and marked in her mind the locations of the forces they knew about. The biggest question in her mind was the whereabouts of the monster Ironship that had been spotted at the dry dock on Isle of Lakes.

Suddenly Eriunia heard a rustle of her tent flap, and she turned her head to look back. Standing just inside the door to her tent she saw the goblin Puck. Carefully she put down the corner of the map and placed her hand on the hilt of a small dagger sitting on the edge of the crate.

“What do you want?” Eriunia asked carefully. The goblin was dirty and disheveled, the fur covering his legs matted and covered in oily filth. His clothes were ripped and torn to shreds, and he looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. In short he looked horrible, and she won­dered what that meant.

“I suppose everyone has been spreading stories about me,” Puck muttered. He slumped to the ground and rubbed his legs. He was exhausted, and he really had not eaten in days.

“Well, no one has seen you since the attack at the Isle of Lakes,” Eriunia pointed out. She sat up and palmed the knife. She slipped it around behind her leg and watched him. “Most people think you've been feeding information to Cain.”

“Well, I haven't been,” Puck said finally. He looked up at her and shook his head. “When the dragon started burning everything, I decided that was a good time to see what I could find out about Cain's plans. I snuck onboard that big ship of his and started to poke around.”

“Why did you wait until now to come find us,” Eriunia asked.

“Have you ever been around that much cold iron?” Puck asked. “It saps the will and the energy. It took everything I had just to remain hidden. Of course the fact that Cain is on the ship didn't help either. He may not be the strongest with a pen and map, but he is no idiot.”

“Cain is at the Isle of Lakes?” Eriunia exclaimed. She winced as her voice rang out and she saw a scared expression cross Puck's face. He motioned at her to keep her voice down.

“No, he's actually about a mile out from shore,” Puck replied. “He knows you're here.”

A look of surprise crossed Eriunia's face and she started towards the tent flap.

“Please wait,” Puck pleaded. “This is our chance to take a large portion of his army and maybe cut the head off the snake.” Ideas whirled in Puck's head. He had to convince the elf to listen to him.

“How so?” Eriunia asked. She was intrigued and stopped with her hand resting on the flap of the tent.

“You have to trap the force he landed here,” Puck muttered. Slowly he pushed his body up and walked to where the map was still laid out on the flat crates. “You won't need the dagger,” Puck said. “I'm too tired to fight you at the moment.”

“How did you get here?” Eriunia said suddenly.

“I snuck ashore with one of the landing boats and spent the night dodging patrols,” Puck admitted. He turned the map so he could look at it and picked up a small piece of charcoal sitting next to the map. “First off.” He picked up the map and ripped it in two with a broad sweeping motion.

“What are you doing,” Eriunia said. “That map was not connected to anything. If it was, I would have felt it.”

“No, you wouldn't,” Puck replied. “Cain has found a way to monitor the location of any map from his master map. Thankfully his master map is incomplete and only covers half of the great lakes. The bad news is that the half he concentrated on is centered on Lake Superior.” Puck tore a large section out of the middle of the map and held the section over the lamp. The fire ate greedily into the parchment. When it was almost gone Puck dropped it to the ground. When there was nothing left but ashes he flipped some dirt over it and looked up at her. “I heard him say it only works with complete maps.”