Chapter 3

Four months later, Cobweb was standing by the main door to Forever waiting on what he knew was coming. When the moment came, he turned the enormous door handle and pulled inward.

"Tiahaar Cobweb!" exclaimed the startled messenger. "I-- I-- How did you know I was coming?"

"What news do you bring?" Cobweb replied, not bothering to answer the question since the messenger would no doubt manage it on his own. Cobweb's intuition was legendary.

"The party from Harling Gardens has arrived, Tiahaar."

Cobweb abruptly took a few steps forward, looking down the walk and over to the road. "Have they?" He sighed dramatically. "Well, I don't see them here!"

Once again the messenger was thrown off balance and again began to stutter. "H-Here? Why-- Why of course not, they were taken to an inn, The Greedy Har. Was this not the plan?"

Cobweb crossed his arms and scowled. "No, it was not. Obviously someone has not been relaying my messages correctly!" When the messenger flinched, Cobweb was quick to add, "And by that I don't mean you, just someone." Cobweb could be cruel but was also capable of compassion.

The har was relieved and immediately set about correcting the error. Tiahaar Lisia had been promised a guest room at Forever during the entirety of his stay and he and his things were to be brought up to the house as soon as possible. The messenger rushed off to his horse and rode down the drive at a brisk pace.

Once Cobweb slipped back inside, he set about making sure the house was ready. The entire household had been anticipating Lisia's arrival for weeks, as it was more than a personal visit. The Parasiel House of Choice was in session and with Swift and Seel leading the proceedings, the coming week was scheduled for official hearings on a project the government had been working on for months: Harling Gardens.

Lisia was not the only har who would testify. For the past seven months, since the Gelaming army had come across the breeding facility in the northwest mountains, hara had been working across Megalithica to track down the many hara and numerous harlings who had left it behind after the fall of Fulminir had forced them to desperate measures. It seemed most of the group had covered their tracks well, but one administrator, one doctor, and two hostlings had been located and brought in to testify. The two staff members would be put on trial.

It had been a week and a half since Cobweb had received an unexpected summons to the office. Even before he entered he could hear the chimes of the thought transference unit noisily announcing an incoming message. He strode in and with one glance from Swift, knew the message was for him.

He acknowledged the message and immediately he was hailed by a clear mind of what was obviously a high-caste har. This was Adoxa, the caste educator. He was not, so he explained, the one who wished to communicate with Cobweb, but rather had merely placed the call, opening a channel for another har who required that assistance: Lisia.

Cobweb was impressed. No doubt Lisia had managed to reach Brynie already, for communicating via thought transference unit required a high level of concentration. Cobweb himself still had little experience with the unit, as it had been in the house for only a year and a half and was not something he often used himself. Smiling to Swift, he prepared himself for the communication.

For a moment the psychic line was filled with something like static but then out of it Cobweb caught the distinctive mindvoice that could only be Lisia.

"Cobweb! I recognize you!"

"And I you. How are you?"

Cobweb was old enough to remember being human and having a telephone. As always, he was struck by how much that form of technology differed from this one. He was not, after all, hearing Lisia's voice, but rather his projected thoughts, amplified over the miles.

For Lisia it was all new. "Very well. The school is successful."

"You will be visiting Galhea?"

"Yes, in two days the Gelaming are taking me down."

"How are you coming?

There was a pause and the static briefly returned. Finally Lisia came back. "Excuse me, I am new to this. How am I coming? They say the other lanes for a few hundred miles, then we will ride over land. They want me to see forests and fields and regular hara."

"I think it will be good for you," Cobweb encouraged him. "Once you arrive, you will be welcome at Forever."

"Thank you, Cobweb. Now I will go. I simply wanted to say hello -- and prove to Adoxa that I could use this machine!"

"Until then," Cobweb said in farewell. He couldn't help smiling at the interaction.

Now he was back at the door waiting for the messenger to return. A full hour had passed and although his intuition told him the messenger was about to arrive with Lisia, he wondered why it had taken so long. Finally he heard the sound of horses and flung open the door.

All around the entrance the grounds had been landscaped and planted with flowers, which were now beginning to flower with the coming of spring. There at the edge of the drive the messenger had dismounted and was helping a har off his horse. The har was obviously inexperienced but the messenger managed to get him down with a minimum of fuss.

"You brought him back, Tiahaar Edva!" Cobweb exclaimed. "I was beginning to worry!"

Suddenly the other har spun around. "Oh, Cobweb!" The look on his face was one of pure surprise. A moment later Lisia was flying down the path, leaving his bags behind in a heap on the ground.

They embraced. Cobweb noticed that Lisia's hair was wet and bound into a tight braid wound with black cord. Surely he had been taking a bath at the inn. He didn't even need to ask why it had taken Edva so long to bring him back. No doubt Lisia's first trip had taken its toll on him and he had needed the brief relaxation time.

"I'm so glad I made it!" Lis proclaimed, pulling back. "Although I think I could sleep for a week!"

"Ah, well, we can take care of you here. Come in, Lis, we have so much to talk about."

By the time Edva had finished picked up Lisia's baggage and hitching up the horses, the two other hara had already disappeared into the house.