Ebert and the Mysterious Encounters and Finds

[GodlyD&D]

Ebert said, "That would be fine. But without us having Rodston's vehicle, when you are going on from there, how will he, and I, return from Safe Wall when I am done with what I set out to do?"

Mr. Perechnel said, "Don't you know how powerful the artifact will be for you to use? With it you, and any with you, might go to where you want."

Ebert said, "That would not be quite right. Rodston is not to go with me to where it should be. If it is there I must use it there, and then return out from there without taking it, then I can meet Rodston again. We would still have to find a way to go back. And it is not certain that it will be there, as we hope, in order for Endemort to be stopped."

Mr. Perechnel said, "Very well, I will still take you, and I will arrange for a cab to take you both from there, to bring Rodston back here, and bring you to Winding Down, Ebert, shortly after I leave from there. You will both have a way back from there, still. Come, you will see what I have for a traveling carriage." Mr. Perechnel led the two others on.

In a nearby lot where Mr. Perechnel had parked before coming to the front of that hotel where he met with the others there, Ebert and Rodston found he led them right to a large round object that was like a globe, unlike anything they had ever ridden in before. It had a pattern of green and blue shapes, which were long with branching among each other. The door to its interior only became apparent when Mr. Perechnel opened it, on one side. He said, "Follow me in here," and he entered.

As Ebert came behind him, he felt the exterior surface right by the opened entrance. He noticed it had a feel like slippery ice, but not at all cold. He quickly checked his hand after that, but saw no evidence of wetness though he had the sensation of that. He came then through the door into the interior.

Within there was the floor surface near the bottom of the sphere shape's interior. It seemed like a grassy turf. Four seats were all on side, and one seat before those, two behind it on one side, and two behind it on the other side. Mr. Perechnel took the front seat, and indicated that the two with him could take seats behind him. Ebert went to one on the right side behind him, and Rodston took a seat on the left right behind Mr. Perechnel. Ebert found it was comfortable seating with good back support included. Ahead of them beyond Mr. Perechnel was a rather narrow but long window giving a view of the outside.

[GodlyD&D]

There were controls for this structure right before the seat, on either side, where Mr. Perechnel sat. Once Mr. Perechnel worked certain control knobs, Ebert and Rodston saw through the window in front that the ground area dropped away below, but gradually, indicating this craft that Mr. Perechnel called his carriage was floating upward.

Ebert said, "So this is like a hot air balloon?"

"No, not at all, except in going up away from the ground." Mr. Perechnel turned another knob at the control panel on his right side. Just then, Ebert and Rodston saw the ground and structures on it in this community of Washing Walls fly past below them, from what was seen through that window in front.

Mr. Perechnel announced, "We are going northward now toward Safe Well, where the search needed must begin. Once there, I will arrange for a cab to bring you each back to where you need to go."

It was so fast, Ebert said, "It is certainly no balloon! What is this for a traveling carriage?!"

Mr. Perechnel said, "This last time there was the encounter with a petriad was not the only encounter with petriads which I am familiar with. I have met with some before, as I am heir of Sharalden's leadership, among the Sons of Sharalden, and there are events coming immediately that it was needed that I be made aware of. As you have a mission, from one great one known to them as the Lord of Knowledge, who is in sovereign charge of the Hall of Knowledge, I was also given one, which requires speed that I would need. They had built this for carrying me, and it was brought to the S. O. S. Center in Vancago, where many of us meet. It is why I must go on after I leave you at Safe Well, to what there is for me. But still I will have a cab arrive there for you."

Ebert said still, "And you are going for what involves events coming immediately? Can it be of more importance than Endemort coming which would be with great destruction if there is the battle he and those he brings will make with the petriads there?"

"I should not tell you much about it, either. But the time of the revealing of important things is close to happening, it involves whether men find the great Hidden Key. It is close to being exposed as the ice cap melts further. I will need to go very soon there where I can take precautions to keep it hidden longer, while men are stationed now nearby where they would find it more easily. More should happen before the time of revealing that must yet come."

Ebert asked, "Would you be able to tell us any of the things that should happen before those important things that would be revealed should be?"

Mr. Perechnel said simply, "No."

Rodston said, "I thought that was going to be the answer."

This craft that Mr. Perechnel made use of flew rapidly over the ground below, over the fields, over rivers, and over some groves and a few forests, until they saw a community of houses and buildings ahead, that they approached quickly.

Ebert asked, "So what is this carriage, how does it move quickly and fly? Did petriads really make it?"

"No, petriads did not make it. It was from the Lord of Knowledge, and I know just that it has powerful gems that it uses, and the petriads I saw brought me to this, for the mission I should do soon. So I was about to do this right from bringing the manuscripts to the publishers I went to where I first met you. And helping you was really important too. But for this I cannot continue with you still."

Ebert said, "I see. So Rodston and I will be left in Safe Well, and you will have a cab sent for us to each go back where we need to go, him to Washing Walls and me to Winding Downs?"

"Yes. I will have it come right to the place where I drop you off, at the end of this day when evening comes. If you are not back for it, there will be instructions for it to wait right there for you, even for thirty six more hours. Don't you think that is much more time than you need.?"

Ebert said, "I really think so. We did not come prepared for being away so long, and we would get really hungry, and I guess thirsty, if I have not finished what I should do well before then."

Mr. Perechnel said, "This is Safe Well we are now coming to right now."

Ebert and Rodston saw then that the taller buildings they had seen of this community as they approached, making it look kind of like a city, were along the outside perimeter encircling the rest of the structures, the residential homes of Safe Well. These were all around a small center area where a small circular road went around a grassy area with structure seeming to be a well with a cover at its center. Eight other roads went as spokes outward from that small circular road to reach among the homes and continue on through those neighborhoods.

Mr. Perechnel came to a grassy spot just inside the encircling road, near to that well structure, and parked the flying spherical carriage he had from the Lord of Knowledge there. He said, "I will leave you both here, and wish you luck for finding what is needed that Endemort will be stopped. I cannot help further than I have, though this work from you is very important, while I still have the urgent matter that I need to deal with. There will be the cab right here by the evening, and it will wait here a long time, so that it will take you both back to the places you are going." He let Ebert and Rodston out right there through the opening from the spherical carriage, and then waved, and the flying carriage lifted off, and then swiftly moved on, toward the north.

[GodlyD&D]

Ebert and Rodston were aware of about four people in different spots by the surrounding homes watching them. Rodston said, "You have instructions, so you know which way to go, from that."

Ebert said, "Right. You are not to go with me. But I am to go where I need to, right here."

"At the well? You are going to climb into the well?"

"If it is a real well." As Rodston sat at one side of that apparent well, Ebert looked carefully at the side of this structure, and then he reached out, and moved a small knotty projection, and a portion of the side of that low circular wall for the apparent well swung out.

Rodston said, "You should also take my Flowergem light, it must be dim in there." He brought it out from where he carried it, and opened the light from it, and handed it to Ebert. Ebert then went in, felt the inside of that door for the well, and brought it behind him.

Rodston looked around him at the surrounding homes hundreds of feet away. There were still a couple of individuals, in different spots, who were yet watching where Rodston was, with Ebert there a little while ago. Did these people not know this was not a real well?

Ebert went further down a stepped slope glad for the light Rodston had provided him for this dark way. He could look at the instructions still, though he remembered the first ones at the top, including that there would be a fork ahead, lower in this interior to the earth, where he would need to first turn right to continue on. At some small but indeterminate extent of time he came to it. The stepped slope had just stopped there, and there were narrow openings, one going to the right from there, and one going to the left. Here he knew already to turn right, he would not come to anything he needed to with going left.

Both had looked like narrow ways, and this way to the right really was. He barely was fitting through, and the roof to this narrow tunnel was just right over his head. Rodston would never have fit in here with him. At some spots the uneven walls came a little too close to each other from either side, that Ebert could only manage going sideways. Soon he came to the next fork. It occured to him that if he came here without instructions for guiding him, it would be like a maze for him.

Ebert remembered he had a left turn at another fork ahead, which was good as the space was too tight for holding the light over the instructions as he looked at them. But he did not remember the details shown to guide him, beyond that. He could just hope there would be easier places to look at the instructions, ahead still.

He came finally to that fork where he chose the left way instead of the almost indistinguishable way to the right. His way beyond that was not with significantly more space for movement, but it was not quite so tight. But here there was still a slight decline. He went along a longer length here, and he started to realize this way had a very slight curve to it, inward towards the other way he had not gone, but not turning that much. And then he saw a small space ahead. As he came to it, there were three passages going on beyond this space that was a little wider than the passages he had come through.

Ebert stopped here, where he could hold the instructions for him out, holding the light over it. He looked to where he had come along the instructions. There, he saw, he was to take the middle passage, and where it branched further on, there would be a covered passage going down that he was to find and open, then going down into it. He felt the sensation of tightening spaces around him. And then there was a noise he heard.

Ebert continued on, more slowly, through that passage, and he came gradually to that next fork, where four passages went on from that narrow one he had gone through. And there was the distinct noise he heard coming from one, right in front of him. Then Ebert saw something in that direction. It was some kind of creature, and it filled up that passage some distance away. Ebert looked at it for a few moments, fearfully. The time the giant snake that had pursued Rodston and him was not very long before this. Yet it could not be a snake, though it must fill some length of that passage. And this creature had a mouth, but it was circular with no jaws. It was like a great earthworm. But then noises came from it, and Ebert thought they were like words. As he listened, it then sounded like this underearthworm was saying, "Go down! Go down!"

[GodlyD&D]

Ebert then remembered there was some covered up passage leading down from there. He looked down quickly, and found there really was some covering right there from the end of this passage before it divided to those other passages, including that one with this creature. Ebert glanced again at the underearthworm, and saw that it was not moving forward toward him, and he then worked at moving the covering, which seemed solid enough to walk on, but not even as heavy as the wooden plank that was over the passages by Supernatural Promotions. It felt smooth though. And there was space under it. With the light Ebert carried here, he saw there was a sloped walkway there going downward further ahead. Ebert looked again at the front of that underearthworm, that remained right there.

The underearthworm seemed to wait there watching him, though Ebert did not see how that creature would see, with only the mouth opening in view, so he stepped into that way leading downward. At least it was not steep at all, here there were no steps. Did he really hear the underearthworm say "Go down" or was it a noise that just seemed to him like those words? Ebert could not be sure. At least it was not aggressive, the underearthworm waited the whole time while Ebert came to the entrance to this way, and waited not moving while Ebert entered in. And this was the way according to instructions he had read for this.

This passage, still sloping downward, curved around on one side, toward the right, straightened out for a while, and then curved that way some more. Then it straightened, and turned a little leftward. It was a narrow way, rounded in a circle in intersection to that way he went. It seemed to be just the size of that underearthworm. Ebert wondered then if that creature had formed the passage going up this way to where he had seen it. But if so it must have been a long time ago. There were directions this way to what might be hidden there, which must have been since this passage was formed.

It went a long way, and here it was all in silence again. At long length, he saw what must be a passage crossing this way going to the right and to the left, where this way came to and stopped there.

Ebert brought the light with him to the instructions he would go by, and looked carefully at what it was saying for this place. What the instructions said though for this passage was that it would come to an end, and Ebert was to look around the area above that end for anything that could be opened from there. This was the end of this passage, though nothing was said of this other passage that was right there. But he held the Flowergem light up and looked around carefully at the uneven top, where nothing suggesting an opening was immediately apparent.

Ebert knew he could be missing a hidden spot for an opening, so rather than just going on randomly to find where there might be a conspicuous place to open above a passage further on, he reached up on the very low top of the passage to feel around. It was an earthy tunnel with rock just under the thin soil covering. But then after a while not too long, he felt something different. It felt more like old hard wood, and as he knocked on it, interrupting the silence more than he expected to do, it seemed to him that there was some empty space above that wooden surface. Ebert pushed at it awhile, with no effect. Then he pushed at different angles instead of straight up. Finally there was movement to it that he sensed, and he kept pushing that same way. He finally had that wooden surface pop up over the surface under that space that was above this tunnel. He could not see anything in that dark space. But he was sure he would have to look carefully. So put the instructions into a pocket on one side of him, and the light from Rodston that he carried into a pocket on the other side, so that it really became quite dark in there, and he reached up, and grabbing one side of that opening above he worked at pulling himself up, and over that edge, which took a lot of effort on his part. After some time of pulling his chest over that side and using his body to work itself further in, it occurred to him that Rodston would have had it easier doing this. It was all dark around him here, so he brought out the light to look about him. And to his surprise then he saw he was in a space that looked like a small room, with curved edges in this space like an interior to a box. In this light it all seemed to be of a tan brown color. A small hole was on one side from there. He gave the instructions he brought another look. It was at the end the instructions, with how to use the item he needed to find shown there, it was shown the item he was to find had to be found in a small hidden chamber in the second and smaller space he was to come to. Everything in these instructions led him to this. He really hoped what he needed to find would be there, or Endemort would never be stopped and there would be great destruction with loss of important information.

After his careful look at these instructions, Ebert went to the opening to the smaller space there, with the light he still held, and the page with the last instructions which he had come to. Ebert saw that this opening showed a much smaller space beyond it. Ebert could just crawl through that low opening, as he needed to do, and stay going that low into it to reach across a few feet beyond that opening to a open crack on the other side. He held this light up into that, to see if anything could be seen in there. There was still nothing but the sides of that crack reaching further in several feet where the space between the sides narrowed. But just beyond it seemed like something was reflecting the light. He came up to that crack and reached in with his right arm. His hand came into a slightly wider space just beyond where this narrowed. Here something that now seemed large, a hard object, filled much of that further space. He could not move it, it was certainly wedged in there.

Ebert explored what it was with his hand reached in feeling it out. It was very large, wedged very well in place. It was curved, and he figured out finally it must be shaped like the prong end of a huge trident without its handle to grip, with it formed with very wide thick bars. It must be really heavy. The points would be pointing upward and at an angle away from him. He looked at the instructions again, laying them in front on one side where he could look, with his left hand then holding the light, and reached in further again with his right hand, to feel around this curved item on the outside of that curve, until he found the slight protrusion according to the instructions, and pulled at it. It pulled outward, while there was some tension to pull the protrusion back in, and he then moved it to one side at an angle, like it was a lever, and read out what he saw in the instructions to read aloud.

It was a series of lines, with words to pronounce that did not hold meaning for Ebert, except for the last word of each line being Endemort. Thus, the first line was "Wellaway barank tarrarfan ibint Endemort!" Other lines after it were much like that, with small differences and ending with Endemort. Perhaps it was like a curse, it occurred to Ebert. He finished, and there was a very brief flash for just an instant which was then gone at that instant. He let go of the protrusion that was like a lever, and it went back into place from where it was pulled.

[GodlyD&D]

Ebert stayed in that position for a moment still. It had really happened, he then told himself. He had done what he came to do. That must be it. There was nothing more to do, beyond what he just did. That flash must be indication of that. Carefully then, Ebert withdrew his hand, and pulled himself out from that tight space and this very small room formed below the earth. He backed into the larger room he had first found, and brought the Flowergem light and the sheet of instructions with him.

Ebert thought to himself, if the instructions were left here, no one would ever find them. But that would be a problem to him. He needed to find the way back out of the passages, and he doubted that he would remember the turns among the separating passages properly to get back out the way he came, without looking at the instructions again. He saw his need to bring them with him. He then found the opening in the floor of this room through which he had entered this space. So taking hold securely of the things he brought, he brought his legs to hang over the edge of that opening, and prepared to jump down into the passage below.

Once he pushed off to land below, he had to get his legs spaced apart and ready to bend with the landing that he would not lose his grip on the light and on the instructions, it was just a little more than his own height standing below where he dropped from.

Ebert did not fall over as he held what he brought while landing on the floor of that tunnel below, and he was glad to not have hurt himself, as he was aware that he could have with that drop into this dark area.

He brought the light into position to see the instructions. He recognized the way he had come from the other ways divided from it. He went that way, though his thoughts went to where tunnels led going in the other ways. Maybe they went nowhere and together were just making a maze. But then, it seemed that someone would have made a maze here for it to be like that. There was a slope along the way for him to go upward along, so it was an assurance to him he was going the right way still. He went along as the passage weaved back and forth, going on a great length. It came up at last to the higher area of the other tunnel he had entered this one from, where the plank he had moved was put to the side. And he came through it, and looked then toward where he had seen the creature. It was still there in the passage that went on past where he had been coming.

Ebert turned and spoke out toward the creature. "Did you tell me to go down in there? I did it. I found what was needed and did what I needed to do."

The creature said, "I am Ungawim, I am here for watching."

That was all that was said. Ebert put the plank back over the space of that entrance. The underearthworm creature made no movement toward him that would threaten him, so Ebert went on still along the way he had come, trying still to figure out what it all meant. This creature was intelligent enough and could speak something to him. If the underearthworm, this Ungawim, was there to watch, then someone had the creature there to guard the way. But this creature still permitted Ebert to go that way, helpfully telling him which way to go. But why, he wondered. He had been sent to use the artifact of power, the way he did, but how would the underearthworm know he was sent for it, to do that?

When Ebert had come to the next intersection of the passages here underground, much further along, he looked again still at the instructions and figured out the way to go, in reverse from what was shown, to be sure to go the right way, for the angles of the different passages were close to being equal to each other. He then continued, along the passage right across between the other two, with a gentle slope upward this way, still wondering about the underearthworm. Perhaps, he thought, a messenger came to tell that creature one was coming, which would be Ebert, to use the hidden device to stop the destruction that would come from Endemort, so that the underearthworm would let him go do that, even being helpful to tell him where to go. It was just a thought, but what else could explain it? He could probably bring this up with someone, perhaps Rodston. It did not seem to him that it would be saying anything about the way to go to that hidden device.

He went on a good length again until he came to where two other passages joined to the end of this one, and he figured out the way going further from here. And this was where it was a bit narrower and he slowed down moving through it.

It seemed to Ebert that it was a slower process coming up along this narrow way then it had been earlier going down along the slight slope here. But he was holding the same things, the directions written out, and the light he brought to go through here, nothing more and nothing less.

Gradually Ebert came nearer to where he had entered. He came then to the intersection where another passage led away in another direction. Ebert wondered again about what might be a maze of passages down here, maybe it was deliberately this way to keep the powerful device more hidden. Yet there was a record of its location, kept still on these directions that were written down. He had held on to that to be sure he would go back the needed way to come back out from there. But what should he do with the directions then? They were not for anyone else, then.

Further on he was on the stepped slope again, and he knew he was near to the way he had come in. He continued on toward that place he had entered. He finally came to where the steps up along the slope stopped, it was the even platform area within the structure for a well. He found where the door that would open up was, and he opened it up. It was dark outside it, he saw.

[GodlyD&D]

There was lightening of the sky close along the eastern horizon. Ebert saw that this night was soon over. He looked around the round structure appearing as a well, and he found Rodston, sitting with his back leaning against this well structure.

Ebert spoke, though not loudly, "Rodston, are you awake? I have returned."

Rodston moved, and then looked up. His eyes seemed weary. But, Ebert thought, his own eyes might seem weary. Yet he himself had gone through darkened areas for longer than this night.

Rodston said, "I am awake, the best I can manage. About halfway through this time up to you coming back out from there, there was a sudden brief and almost instantaneous flash like a bolt of lightning, at the ground of this grassy area just some way further from this well, going a diagonal way to the sky over this place with the well and further on. I thought I saw something way up in the air with that instant of light where it would have been struck, but then I saw nothing but the darkness overhead and could not see if there were stars there right then from my eyes being exposed to so much light. I thought then it might be related to the item you needed to find."

Ebert said, "I think it was. Something happened when I had it work according to what I was supposed to do. It was huge, and secure in its place, there was no way I would have been moving it from there."

Rodston said, "We have a ride from here, that I saw. It came and parked at the edge along the road that circles around this area, and it came in the evening like we were told a ride for us would come. But it is not like anything I might have expected. It is not at all like what Mr. Perechnel was using to get here."

Ebert tried to look toward where Rodston indicated, but it was still so dark Ebert could not make out what was parked there.

Rodston said, "Come, it is waiting for us anyway, I will show you what I mean."

As they came nearer to the vehicle there, Ebert saw that it was a covered cab, that was to be drawn. It had four wheels. But the huge animal there to draw the cab forward was not like any animal Ebert had seen. It was huge indeed, with a sort of hump to its back, it stood there on rather thick strong looking legs.

Rodston said to the driver who just then looked toward them, "I had to wait for my friend here who had to finish his mission, and just got back now. We understand you were sent to wait for us. I am going toward Washing Walls, my friend needs to go on toward Winding Downs this morning, if it is possible to get him there. What will we owe for this?"

The driver looked at them a little more, and said, "This ride to the destinations is already arranged and payment has been made. You just need to get in the cab and sit in the seats, and we will be on our way."

Ebert said, as they took their seats there, "I have never seen anything like this. What is this animal that would draw the cab?"

The driver explained, "This is an urban camel. You probably have heard of the dromedaries, there are giant camels twice as tall and twice as long. These camels are in between in size, they are very good runners and work better with humans, being smarter in many ways."

The cab was moving now, quickly, toward a highway ahead, as there was the hint of dawn coming.

Ebert said, "I did not know you could have this cab go on the highway."

The driver said, "We have a license for this. Ziegel, this urban camel, is really very fast, as you will see."

Indeed, on the highway, with no traffic but for some distant vehicles seen, the urban camel ran rapidly forward, and the cab went on faster than Ebert expected, and Rodston seemed to be surprised as well.

Rodston asked, "How is it that there is this business of cabs using urban camels like this? I have never heard this was being done."

The driver, who only at times adjusted Ziegel the urban camel's direction and speed forward with reigns, said, "I just work for the business, and have not learned where the urban camels are brought from. You would need to contact Perechnel Enterprises to find out information about that."

Ebert repeated back, "Perechnel Enterprises? Then Mr. Perechnel was sending a cab from his own business there for us!"

"Yes, it is Mr. Perechnel who is owner of Perechnel Enterprises. And he gave the requirements for your pick up. I thought the wait for that might be even longer, from what he said."

Ebert said, "It was a very important matter I was dealing with, at short notice, and we did not know how long it was going to take. I just got back there right before we came to the cab."

The driver said, "I soon saw this other man there at the center of the area that road encircled, by that structure there, and thought he might be waiting, but there were to be two of you I was supposed to pick up and drive to your destinations. Well, I was right, and at least it was not longer a wait than it was. We will be at Washing Walls soon now."

While the other several vehicles were still ahead, they were not as distant as they had been, as the urban camel ran rapidly forward still.

[GodlyD&D]

The drawn cab was close to the vehicles which had been ahead of them, with some in those vehicles looking at the cab, when they came to a turnoff to Washing Walls. The driver announced to them, "We are here in Washing Walls. Where in this town do you want to be dropped off?"

Rodston said, "I will give you directions to my travel agency, where I work, and I can get off there."

Ebert said, "Maybe if we contacted Mr. Perechnel, he could say something about how successfully Endemort was stopped."

Rodston said, "I am sure that what happened from you going was effective for that. I saw that lightning bolt, and there would be noticeable disaster sometime, if what happened from what you did was not. That petriad had said the battle that would happen would be very far reaching."

The driver said, "I might reach him and ask about it myself. I saw that lightning bolt too."

Ebert asked, "How can you reach Mr. Perechnel? Can you do it now? I would really like to know what he would know about Endemort being stopped. There really was great danger to places all around here if he was not being stopped. And then, what happened to him then?"

The driver said, "If you are willing you can give me what contact information you would share for him to reach you, and I will let him know, that he should contact you."

"Let him have mine, too," Rodston said quickly. He reached into a pocket.

Ebert said, "Rodston, I can reach you and let you know what I hear from him."

Rodston said, "Sure you would. I don't doubt that. But I would want to find out the soonest I can, which I would if he will reach me with further information."

They were coming to the travel agency in Washing Walls that Rodston directed the driver to have the cab drawn to, so he gave the information to the driver for Mr. Perechnel to reach him as soon as he could with any information to share, he then got out from the cab where it stopped, near to where he would work.

Rodston said, "I will still be sure to reach you, Ebert. Take care, and may your friends there do well too."

Ebert said, "I want you to do well too. You're the friend I have over here, now. I may come again, and we can meet for a drink or something."

The driver then shook the reigns to indicate to Ziegel the urban camel to start moving on again.

Ebert looked back, just seeing Rodston further back opening the door of the building of his travel agency, and going in when the cab was already pretty far from it.

The sun was already up. The driver said to Ebert, "We will get to Winding Downs soon, and I will be sure to get your contact information to give to Mr. Perechnel, that he could reach you soon to let you know what you would want to know."

After a moment, as the urban camel ran onto the highway drawing the cab along, Ebert commented as he noticed it, "This urban camel, Ziegel, is extremely rapid as a runner. I didn't know there were animals that run this fast. Perhaps I would not be late that much getting to work, today."

The driver said, "Hopefully so. Winding Downs is still well ahead, and Ziegel will go fast as an urban camel can still, but there is no way for having him go faster."

This way there wound around the high hills between Washing Walls and Winding Downs, and before the sun was very much higher, that town came into sight at their approach.

Ebert said, "I do want to get to my work this day without being too late, so I guess it is better to give you directions there instead of to where I stay, as well, though I might have liked stopping to eat and fixing myself up."

The driver told him, "I happen to have a sandwich still with me, not eaten at all, and I can spare that. You are not vegetarian, are you?"

Ebert said, "I don't object to any vegetarian food, but no, I don't happen to be one."

"Then here, you might like this."

Ebert took this offer thanking the driver deeply. It was a large sandwich. As he opened the sandwich, he saw that there were indeed thin slices of shredded meat, with condiments in it. He smelled that, and then took a taste. He said, "I don't recognize the taste. What is this?"

The driver said to him, "I get these sandwiches from the Sigil Pub, they are strips of breast from speedy superducks, with bits of capsicum peppers and shredded cabbage and with shredded Overton cheese and mustard. I like them, hopefully you like the sandwich as much."

"Well, yes. It is really different from other sandwiches that I have had, still. Anyway, I am thankful, I really think I need to go right to work when we get there, and I would be skipping breakfast for that. Do please remember to pass the information to Mr. Perechnel to reach me, there are things to know about my endeavor where you had picked us up."

The sun reached higher, and while the cab with the urban camel went quite fast, Ebert realized as they reached Winding Downs that even with going right to his place of work he would be a bit late.

[GodlyD&D]

The driver came to that place where Ebert directed him, and when the driver had Ebert's contact information and gave Ebert the promise Mr. Perechnel would hear he wanted to be contacted and would reach him soon, Ebert asked him, "What is your name, if you are willing to tell me?"

The driver answered, "You may know. I am Joshua Westrains. I have some of my family who were among Sons of Sharalden, and it was through Sons of Sharalden that I got this work from Perechnel Enterprises, and it seems I do well enough for them to value me. And they provide for the cab and the urban camel, that I can pick up any special persons that they send me for. So I know I can let Mr. Perechnel know and he will reach you. I was glad to meet you. Enjoy this day and may your work go smoothly."

As Ebert left to go to the entrance where he worked, the cab with the urban camel quickly moved on again.

When Ebert saw his supervisor, he explained, "I am sorry about being late, I tried getting here on time, I was dealing with an urgent issue."

His supervisor said to him, "Your coworkers were helping you and they explained there was some big thing that was urgent and you would be delayed with it, and might not make it in here today. I am glad you did, we have enough for work we need to catch up with, but later you might tell me about it."

As Ebert was no longer an object of suspicion, his work day there went smoothly enough. But he was not forgetting that he really wanted to hear from Mr. Perechnel to learn things.

It was not a bad day while Ebert was at work. He was tired, for he had not had enough sleep lately. But this was very familiar work to him which he had generally done very well at. Late in the day there when the work was almost done, Ebert saw his friends Roger, Dan, Lenny, and Terry, and he said to answer their interest, briefly, "I went the last way alone after leaving Rodston, who went the furthest with me, beyond which I could have no other with me. After a long way with directions I took which I needed, I found what must be the device with which Endemort could be removed from this reality and not be the threat he was going to be. Something happened like it was triggered, and I don't know anything more about it, which I would still like to learn." Ebert knew he could hope for a call, from which he could learn more as he wanted to, but he said nothing of that, then.

He went back to his quarters where he stayed in Winding Downs during the work week, feeling tired, and ready for a nap. His friends understood and left him to go to their own quarters. After a quick snack Ebert went to lie down, right then Mr. Perechnel called him.

Ebert responded at once. "Oh, Mr. Perechnel! I am really glad to hear from you. I am going to sound tired, because I am. What I was sent to took me to do it through all last night, and I went right back to work this morning. But the driver you sent for taking us where we needed to go back to, that Joshua Westrains, was kind, and he let me have an extra sandwich he had with him, for a breakfast I could have before getting to work, and it meant a lot. There are things I believe I really need to know. Most of all, do you know what happened to Endemort when I went to do what should take care of him?"

Mr. Perechnel answered, "Well, I think you should be really glad to know I moved the Hidden Key that had become exposed enough, near to where men were doing research along the ice cap, to where it might remain hidden much longer, so that things may yet continue much longer. That was really important. But I heard about Endemort. He found out at last he had opportunity still to interfere with the station built from where petriads we met were working. He could just teleport to there. But he can also move like a speeding jet, and it seemed that he was signaling to other beings along his way doing that, to follow him to where he would work to destroy what the petriads had almost completed, though they would indeed fight him and the beings already with him, both sides would be using a lot of power against each other, and they are all nearly indestructible, so that there would be destruction even to the surrounding country with that happening. You successfully used the the device to deal with Endemort just then. It zapped him with destructive force that would leave him stranded in another realm from which he had first come. That way he had come from there to this world was first opened when Darafog brought the portion of the Astroplasm back from the Ezel Star. I learned this from those ones who brought the traveling carriage for me to reach the Hidden Key to hide it anew. Endemort won't come again and bother anyone in this world now."

"So, Endemort came once, but could never come again?"

"He is greatly weakened by that hidden device you used with that power. He is in his realm closed off without power to go forth from it. He never would in our lifetimes. But the way had been opened for him, originally, with the interference with the Ezel Star, and it is not impossible for something far into the future to release him again into this world, though that would really be undesirable. But it won't be easy and would not happen for a long time anyway."

"I found a creature along the way to that device, it looked monstrous. But it spoke to me, saying it was watching. And it had directed me where to go, that I found my way to that device. I did not really understand why I found that creature there."

Mr. Perechnel answered, "I too heard there would be a watcher along the way to the device. It would guard that way, but when it was needed for being used, the petriads permitted it to help one to go use it the way it needed to be used. That is all I know about that."

"Well, it was huge, looking like a great worm, an underearthworm. It still was intelligent for that."

"Yes, I believe that. There are several different very intelligent creatures, besides human people, which the human people generally know nothing about still. But there are beings such as the petriads which do know about such other very intelligent creatures."

[GodlyD&D]

Ebert said thoughtfully, "There was writing we found, including the book you saw that we brought, speaking of that realm of the Petriad Grotto outside of our reality, and there were intelligent creatures not like any here in that place."

Mr. Perechnel said, "Yes, there are the very intelligent creatures there, and there are such in some other realms outside of our reality as well. But I mean there are other very intelligent creatures in our own world. And those who have said things with their authority on animals still neglected to see such intelligence of certain creatures even when they saw them, because of assumptions had with widely held beliefs, without actually looking into it. But the most intelligent of the other creatures remain hidden and mostly avoid being seen by humans. But those who came from that realm to speak with me made such things known to me, including some examples of such intelligent beings of our world other than us."

Ebert said, "That is very interesting to hear and I will like hearing what examples you know that you could tell me. I will be discreet and can keep that from others if that is needed. But I really do have more questions too."

Mr. Perechnel said, "I don't have a very long time for this call to you through our devices. You are tired too, I can tell, and I would not keep you up long. But I will tell you of one group of such intelligent creatures, that some hear of but do not believe about them. They are the creatures often called bigfoots. They keep their groups very well hidden so that people would never find them, and they are very well camouflaged. They have culture and speech all their own. Probably none of them will ever be caught, although it has almost happened before. But in such event, the one caught will never be discovered to be so intelligent as that one really is, and their speech and their knowledge will never be discovered."

Ebert said, "I still really want to know about the other realm beyond this reality that the Sons of Sharalden know about, and the way of getting there from this reality."

Mr. Perechnel said, "That is something I am not able to just explain to you. This is what we try to bring people to, with having them join our group, the Sons of Sharalden. With training with us those things are answered. But you were never going to have that with the training you and those with you described meeting with Endemort."

Ebert said, "I figured we would not, and we certainly did not know who he really was, even the name was a little different from that. But what would have training with him led to?"

"He seeks to bring confusion to any knowledge anyone has, and he will do what he can to destroy any revelation. So the training might have you think there was a way to go beyond this reality, which Endemort was already able to do, but you would have moved further away from any real hope of anything beyond, with that."

"Well, I would like knowing what there really is for that. So, how would I then join with you? I mean, I would still need my work, where I am, here at Winding Downs."

"Joining with the initial steps of training will not require you to leave where you are. When you are ready to move on to the next steps, beyond those, you will need to leave Winding Downs, where we have no center where any among us meet, and move to where you will join and meet with others of us, where you would live and train for preparing for the way to move beyond this reality."

"I see. Yes, I would do those things if I can join with you. I want to learn what there really is about all this."

"Then I have materials to send you, that show things you have not come to yet, for a start. I will take your address there, and send some initial things, along with a question form that you should fill out answers to, which then should be sent right back to the address you will have for that, right away. Your training can start with the initial correspondence."

Mr. Perechnel finished the communication with Ebert, and Ebert realized then that he was really tired and wanted a good nap. Yet before he did he made sure he had information he wrote to send his request for involvement to the Sons of Sharalden where he would see it later. Then he went and lay himself down.

[GodlyD&D]

Ebert's dream then was really meaningful to him. He was wandering through woods, and came to where he saw a longhair bigfoot. That bigfoot gestured to Ebert, so that Ebert would follow, and turned to walk further in the woods. Ebert then followed after. After some time with just the bigfoot ahead of him, he saw they came to a very small glade, where an unusual looking gorilla sat on a log, and in a wide circle from the gorilla's right and left there were giant castorids, superwolves, dryad tigers, giant wader birds, giant raptor birds, and a supermonitor. Ebert halted, shy to come in their midst.

A voice spoke to Ebert then. "These creatures are in a council to find a way to deal with the threat to this part of the woods where they have their homes."

Ebert turned to speak to the one speaking with him. He saw then a large phoenix. He said, "Who is the threat? Did Endemort come back?"

"Endemort is not back, but those confused by him from his work are set to destroy places where other creatures live. These ones are determined to find the way to stop them."

Ebert said, "What if those affected by Endemort are more powerful than these ones who would stop them? Those ones who were affected will prevail, won't they?"

"They have prevailed, in other places. This time it will be different. And I am here to help them. And maybe you can help them too."

"Me? What can I do to help them?"

"Find those you can recruit, and make known to them the confusion from Endemort, and the destructiveness from that, needs to be stopped, and more of you can be involved for stopping it."

Ebert was sure he did not understand the meaning of that, but he woke up soon after that, while he remembered what he had dreamed, and he soon wrote it down.

He was going to be up again for awhile, he realized, before he would go back to sleep which he would need to do more. So he made a meal with soup he had on hand. And now he remembered what had been discussed, and he paid attention to what he was eating. Right about then he got a call from Dan.

Dan asked, "Are you alright? We left you to go to your suite, as you looked really tired and would need sleep, so the others and I did not gather and meet with you this time."

Ebert answered, "I am alright, and have had a nap. I am just having a soup now as I was hungry. I will probably go back to sleep again very soon, still. I am noticing what goes into soups now. I should say I spoke with Mr. Perechnel when I got here, and as we talked I was made aware there are some number of really intelligent animal creatures, and there are still animals that are very sensitive creatures which are in abusive circumstances that are being used for things we get such as food, and I see it is desirable for avoiding those things in foods to choose. And I agreed with him to join with their group, Sons of Sharalden, to learn much more."

Dan said, "Like what that Endemort claimed he was going to show? And that was just fake information to divert us!"

"Yes. Endemort was giving us fake information, while there was the real thing that he wasn't revealing to us. There is information the Sons of Sharalden have that would show information about that. I will get information through mail for awhile, before getting involved any further with them later on."

"Well, be careful. Maybe there really is something to them, maybe still there are fake things with them too, and you could just be led along still."

"Without them, Dan, we would never have stopped Endemort, which I went myself to actually do with the artifact I was sent to."

"You told us very little about that. I and I am sure the others want to hear about that."

"Very well. Tomorrow after work we can all gather again. I should not be as tired as I have been this day. But when you and the rest hear further about this, you will be hearing why I should have further involvement with the Sons of Sharalden, with there being more information to know."

Dan said, "Alright, I will tell them those things. They might think you would be trying to get them to join that group."

"It is not why I would speak about those things I would still tell you, but it would help you realize why I think I should join and learn those things I might. But if any of you wanted to learn those as much as I do, I think those of you would join as well."

After they talked, Ebert went back to finishing his small meal so that he might ready himself for a longer sleep, while he still thought of the revelations that had come and what more he might learn. Dan meanwhile went to Ebert's other friends there, Roger, Lenny, and Terry, to tell them that Mr. Perechnel had talked with Ebert, and got Ebert interested in learning further things in which they were involved in and why Endemort and his followers might be interested in those things. He explained as Ebert wanted him to that he just wanted them to understand his interest to learn more was why he explained about joining the Sons of Sharalden with access to more information that way, not to tell them any pitch to also join. So the friends were ready to hear Ebert when he would speak with them next, but they had made up their minds that they would not join them or anyone to learn more.

Ebert got into mail communication with Mr. Perechnel and others of the Sons of Sharalden, more and more, as he learned initial things, which involved steps to ready himself for another realm, and what threats there were from followers of Endemort. He told his friends soon after he was learning a lot more, but it was internal knowledge that was associated with his steps to ready himself, and they could just know those things doing the same thing, with joining. They all smiled and politely declined. While apart from Ebert, they spoke with each other wondering if there was really something to this, and it was real, or if it was another cult which now had got a hold on Ebert and pulled him in. Yet admittedly Ebert acted like the same friend they knew, and he was very secure with the things he said he learned, while they knew it was not yet with anyone coming and seeing him.

His work there was doing well, and it seemed that he would be likely to get a promotion. But within the year Ebert stated that he was moving out from the community of Winding Downs, to another community pretty far, where he had arranged work already. He told his friends he wanted to be in communication with them still after that, and they all arranged for continued communication. And Ebert was gone soon after that.

Ebert's messages to them always seemed to be from the friend they knew, but they would end with the ominous note to be ready, those influenced from Endemort and his followers were at work, with destructive results he could say were going to happen in one place or another in a short time. It was with encouragement to do things, as well. He did not seem to be wrong.