Wiz paced to the window, looked down into the courtyard, paced back to his chair, sat down, picked up the scroll, got up and strode to the window again.
"I've got to get out of here," he said turning to face his wife.
Moira kept her eyes on the blouse she was embroidering with a pattern of moss rose and holly leaves. "So go."
"No, I mean I've got to get away from the Wizard's Keep."
Moira looked up from her work. "You never wanted to go outside the castle before."
"Yeah, but I knew I could do it any time then. Now I'm cooped up here and its getting to me. I'm going stir crazy."
Moira put down her needlework and frowned. "With assassins about that is not safe, but if you feel you must, I can summon a troop of guardsmen . . ."
"No. That would be worse than not going out at all."
"Then you must stay in, I am afraid."
"Look, I could rig a spell that would protect me."
"Against what? Dwarves are clever and we do not know when or how they will strike again."
"We don't even know if they'll strike at all," Wiz said. "That may have been a fluke."
"Bal-Simba does not think so."
Wiz growled.
Moira took his hands in hers. "I am sorry, my love. I do not mean to sound unsympathetic. It is just that here you are safe. Outside the castle you cannot be protected."
"I feel like I'm wrapped in cotton wool and it's suffocating me," Wiz protested. "It's affecting my work. I just want to get away from everyone for a while."
Moira twisted her mouth sideways as she thought.
"I will speak to Bal-Simba," she said finally, "and see if he thinks it is safe."
"Where are we going anyway?" Wiz asked for the fifth time as Moira threw a light cloak over her new dress.
She smiled at him in the mirror as she adjusted the cloak on her otherwise bare shoulders. "To a special place. You will see."
Wiz stepped up behind her and put his hands around her waist. "Darling, any place is special with you. Especially in that dress."
"I am glad you like it, my Lord. I had it made specially for today." Then she turned practical in a flash. "But come, we do not want to be late for our own picnic. And bring the basket."
Moira didn't tell Wiz where they were going even when she took them on the Wizard's Way, so Wiz was completely unprepared for the place where they popped up.
A familiar flash of darkness and they were in a sunlit dell. Clear water leapt off the rocks above and splashed musically into the pool beside them. Sunlight poured into the open space about the pool and dappled through the trees and bushes around. The grass was bright green and tiny orange and red flowers spangled the meadow. In a quiet side of the pool, sweet blue irises reared above swordlike stands of green leaves. The bushes were blooming in clusters of pink and white and sometimes blood red. Where it was not stirred by the fall, the water was so clear Wiz could see minnows darting among the pebbles on the bottom.
"This is beautiful," Wiz said looking around him.
"Thank you, my Lord. Bal-Simba suggested it as a favorite picnic spot for those in the castle."
She forbore to mention Bal-Simba had also suggested it because it was easy to defend. Nor did she tell him the area had been swept by a troop of guardsmen and wizards only moments before their arrival. Nor did she mention the other precautions which had been taken.
Watching from the hilltop, Snorri the dwarf could not believe his luck. When they weren't working on Glandurg's contraptions, the dwarves had been scouting through the forest and surrounding countryside, hoping for something that would give them any entry into the castle. He had suspected something when he saw the guardsmen searching the dell. He had hidden himself among the bushes and now his patience had been rewarded.
Their quarry himself! Without guards and completely at his ease. The dwarf's hand crept to the sword strapped across his back. A quick charge and . . .
Then Snorri paused and frowned. There was magic about this strange wizard, and powerful magic at that. He did not recognize the spell, but its import was clear enough. Not only was the wizard shielded from violence, but any attempt at it would bring swift and deadly retribution. Protected as he was he could not be shot, cleaved, hacked, bashed or in any other wise attacked.
The dwarf bit his lip in frustration. He was closer to his prey than any of the party had been since the first day when that idiot Gimli tried. Yet he was as blocked from overt violence as if the wizard was still within the castle.
But that was only overt violence! Slowly, very slowly, Snorri put his hand into his belt pouch and felt the small tightly wrapped packet at the bottom. Then he turned his attention back to the protection spell. Finally he smiled. If his face had not been hidden by his hood it would have been a most unpleasant smile.
A fraction of an inch at a time, Snorri began to crawl forward toward the pair on the blanket.
Even if Wiz had been looking for the dwarf he couldn't have seen him and Wiz's mind—and eyes—were on other things.
Moira had laid aside her cloak and was bustling about spreading the blanket and laying out things from the hamper. As she came past, he reached out and pulled her to him for a long kiss.
"I thought you said you were hungry," Moira said, slipping from his grasp.
Wiz looked deep into his wife's green eyes. "There are all kinds of hunger."
"Food first," the hedge witch said firmly. "Then we shall see what else this blanket is good for."
She settled herself on the blanket with Wiz beside her and took out a green bottle.
"Currant wine for me," she said as she set the bottle to one side, "and for you, blackmoss tea." She wrinkled her nose as she pulled the earthen jug from the hamper.
"How you can stand to drink that stuff is beyond me," she told her husband, as Wiz poured the dark brew into a mug. "Especially when it is cold."
"Iced tea is a tradition where I come from. And it really isn't that bad once you get used to it."
"Ugh!" said Moira.
Wiz raised his mug. "To us."
Moira raised her goblet in response. Both drank and their eyes locked. Wiz eased closer, gazing deeply into his wife's wonderful green eyes.
"Pigs feet!" she said suddenly.
"Huh?"
"Pickled pigs feet." Moira turned and reached into the basket. Shauna sent some along."
"And you don't like blackmoss tea," he said, setting his mug down.
Moira unwrapped Shauna's contribution. "But blackmoss tea is disgusting," she said seriously. "Shauna's pig's feet are delicious."
"Ugh," said Wiz firmly.
Neither of them noticed the black gloved hand that snaked stretched out of the bushes behind them and passed over Wiz's mug. Nor did they see the surface of the tea roil briefly and then settle back into oily stillness.
Worming his way backwards Snorri kept his eyes on the couple. Wizard the Sparrow might be, and lucky he certainly was, but neither wizardry nor luck would save any mortal who consumed the powerful corrosive in that cup. Even gold itself would dissolve under the puissant acid formed when the magic powder met water.
Snorri was clever, but common sense wasn't his strong point.
"Well," said Moira, "I also brought along some of those meat pies you are so fond of."
"Now that's more like it. Darling, I don't know how to thank you for setting this all up. It's wonderful."
Moira picked up her goblet and took a sip. "I am glad you are enjoying yourself. And as for thanking me, perhaps we can think of something."
Without taking his eyes off Moira, Wiz picked up his mug and raised it toward his lips.
At which point the bottom fell out of the mug and the tea splashed all over the blanket.
"I think I made it too strong," Wiz said dumbly.
"Wiz, look!" Moira pointed at the blanket where the tea had splashed. The fabric was dissolving in smoking ruin and bare black earth was showing through beneath.
"Definitely too strong."
"You ninny, it's been poisoned!" Moira raised both her arms and gestured. Instantly five guardsmen and a blue-robed wizard popped through about them. The guardsmen surrounded Wiz and Moira and the wizard swung his staff over his head, throwing a glittering circle of protection around the group. Already Moira had started the spell to take them back to the castle along the Wizard's Way.
Back in their quarters Wiz and Moira surveyed the ruins of their picnic. The guardsmen had brought the basket and utensils back, but the food and drink had been disposed of as possibly poisoned. The remaining contents of the basket had tested safe, Arianne assured them. But somehow it didn't make up for the rest.
Moira looked sadly at the still-smoldering remains of the blanket. For a moment Wiz thought she would cry.
"I'm sorry about the blanket, darling."
Moira looked up at him, smiled and clutched his arm. "I'm glad it was only the blanket."