Phandebrass arrived with his drakes with Dar a few moments later. He was carrying four small medallions hanging on golden chains, medallions of a strange crystal shaped in a triangle. Instead of having the chain run through a corner, it ran through the center of a base, making the triangle point down instead of up. "I say, Dolanna, I'm finished with them," he said immediately.

"Finished with what?" Allia asked.

"Our way to find the Book of Ages, my dear," he replied with a smile. "Dolanna asked me to make these. It was bloody hard enough to do in just three days, but they work." He held up one of the amulets. "I enchanted these so they point to any object smaller than a large dog that's more than two thousand years old," he announced. "I figured that the Book of Ages may be a full sized codex, but it still can't be larger than a mastiff, and two thousand years was the oldest I was willing to risk. I say, I don't know how old the book really is, but I'm certain it's older than two thousand."

"How do these work?" Camara Tal asked, taking one from the mage and holding it up.

"It's easy, Camara," he replied. "Just hold it up. It'll point to the nearest ancient object to its current location, but they only have a range of about five longspans. They'll glow with light, and the brighter the light, the closer you are to the item. The beauty of their design is that if they're touched to an object they point to, they won't point to it again. That way, we can prevent ourselves from locking in on the same item over and over. But what one amulet rules out isn't ruled out by the others, so an amulet has to be used systematically."

Camara Tal held up the medallion in her hands, and it alit from within with a very soft reddish glow, and turned and pointed straight down and to her side. She looked down, and saw the dragon-sculpted hilt of the magical sword. "I guess it works," she said. "It's pointing at the sword."

"Now touch the medallion to the sword, and do it again," Phandebrass instructed. She did so, and when she held it up again, it didn't do anything.

"Clever," Sarraya said appreciatively.

"Thank you, my dear," Phandebrass smiled at the Faerie. "Just be lucky I had a spell that did something close to the same thing. I used to use it to locate relics when I used to search old ruins for knowledge. Ever since Dolanna told me what we're looking for, I've been altering the spell to hunt down the book."

"We?" Camara Tal asked pointedly. "You're with the circus, wizard."

"True, true, but I can't deny that what you're doing is much more important," he replied. "I've already told Renoit, and packed up my lab. When you leave, I'm going with you. You may need my magic and my library. After all, I don't think any of you other than dear Dolanna is much of a scholar."

"You don't have to do that, Phandebrass," Dolanna said gently. "You have helped us enough, and you cannot deny that what we are doing is very dangerous. It may be safer for you with Renoit."

"My dear, I'm not foolish enough to turn my back on this," he grinned. "This is a marvelous chance to learn, and not only will I learn, I can put my magic to a very good use. I know what's going on, my dear, much more than what you've told me. I'm not a fool. I know the legends, and I know what's at stake. And I must say, I do, that I'd much rather see Tarrin get his hands on the prize than some other people I know. Most people don't have the temperament for that kind of a promotion."

"It is not my place to invite you, Phandebrass," Dolanna said. "This is something to which we must all agree."

"I don't mind," Dar said. "Phandebrass has proved he can help. We may need his help again later."

"He has proven his right to stand with us," Allia agreed.

"If you try to cut off my hair again, I'll thrash you, wizard," Camara Tal warned.

"When did that happen?" Dar asked.

"A few rides ago. And he wasn't trying to cut off the hair on my head."

"It was for an experiment," Phandebrass said dismissively. "I was comparing the magical potential of different types of hair from different races. It was done in the name of learning."

"Sticking your hand up my skirt is a fast way to learn about the afterlife," Camara Tal said in an ugly tone, shaking a fist at the thin wizard.

Allia looked at the Amazon, then broke out into nearly girlish giggling behind a hiding hand. Sarraya didn't try to be diginified about it, she simply broke out laughing. "Well, that makes up my mind," Sarraya chuckled. "Phandebrass is just too amusing to leave behind."

"Tarrin?" Dolanna asked pointedly, looking at him.

Tarrin glanced at the mage. He was thin, and though his narrow face looked somewhat youthful, his white hair and the spectacles he was fond of wearing made him look so much older. It was hard to figure out just how old he was. Phandebrass had been there against the Doomwalker, had used his magic in Tarrin's support, had tried to help them defeat it. He had even turned himself into steel and leaped to Tarrin's defense, putting himself in the direct path of danger on Tarrin's behalf. Just as it had with Sarraya and Camara Tal, that one battle seemed to make up Tarrin's mind about those people he didn't call friend, helped convince him that they were worth his trust. If Phandebrass was willing to face death with him in such a direct and dangerous manner, he deserved Tarrin's respect.

"He can come," Tarrin said finally, looking at the mage.

Phandebrass gave him a broad smile. "I say, you won't regret it, my boy," he promised.

"I already do," Camara Tal grumbled.

"Oh come on, Camara, if you minded, you'd wear something underneath that skirt," Sarraya teased.

"Looking isn't touching, sprite," Camara Tal shot back. "And I do wear something under my skirt."

"Not when I looked," Sarraya pressed with a huge grin.

"How would you like a mouthful of steel?" Camara Tal threatened.

"Anything but that! Please, Camara Tal, accept my most humble apologies," Sarraya replied with complete insincerity.

"What were you doing looking underneath Camara Tal's skirt?" Dar asked curiously. "I mean, at least Phandebrass is a man. He'd have alot more reason than you to look under a woman's skirt."

Sarraya suddenly became quiet. Tarrin looked down at her, and saw she was blushing, her blue skin taking on a purplish hue.

Dolanna cleared her throat. "We digress, my friends," she said brusquely. "We have four of these amulets, so we will use them as well as we can by dividing the city into quadrants. We will start at the center of the city. Tarrin, Sarraya, Allia, and Dar, you will fan out from there, each going in one direction. You will search your designated sector as quickly and thoroughly as you can. Remember that we are not the only people looking for the book. We must find it first."

"Why them?" Camara Tal asked.

"They have skills uniquely suited to breaking into people's houses and searching them without raising an alarm, priestess," Dolanna replied.

"Tarrin, the bug, and Allia I can understand, but why Dar?"

"Dar speaks Arakite and looks Arakite, which gives him a distinct advantage. Besides, his affinity for Illusion will allow him to evade detection in someone's home, much better than any of us could."

"I've never done anything like that before, Dolanna," Dar said uncertainly. "I hope I can do it."

"It's not all that hard, Dar," Tarrin assured him. "The biggest thing will be locked doors. I think Phandebrass should lend you and Allia a drake. They know how to get into windows and unlock doors from the inside."

"I say, that's a capital idea," Phandebrass agreed. "I can tell them what to do, and tell them to obey you two. They could be a big help for you, they could."

"I can deal with a locked door, brother," Allia told him.