"I am glad, for I would wish you no harm, though your Canitaurian
friends obviously felt no such concern. But just as well, for they
always were unpredictable. I'm sorry that there is no one here at the
moment, or we should have a great welcoming parade for our newly arrived
kinsman redeemer, but they are off at the lake, inspecting the fire I
suppose. I must admit it caught me off guard for a moment or two, and at
first I was actually quite surprised. I soon remembered, though, that
our friends the Canitaurs would have gotten some notions in their heads
of a battle, at your arrival. It must be a grand sight in any case, and
not one to miss."

I gave him a strange look, for I was a bit confused myself at the
attitude he donned towards me, very friendly, as was Wagner, as I
recalled, though it seemed as contrary to his nature as it did to the
King's. He saw the expression of my eyes, and seemed to read right
through my thoughts and see my apprehension of punishment, for he
beckoned to his guards to leave us alone. They moved quickly and
uniformly, a well-trained unit, and positioned themselves in a line
formation along the street. The King and I then strolled down their
midst, they walking along with us at a distance of a few yards, which
was all that the closely built buildings would permit. In a moment or
two we reached the Temple of Time, which was on the far side of a large
square plaza that opened up between it, the palace, and the government
center. Once we reached it, he led me inside and the guards took up post
around its outside.

"You need not fear," he told me when we were alone, "You are among
friends here. You see, the Canitaurs were not the only ones waiting for
a kinsman redeemer, the Zards were as well. That day that you were seen
going into the Canitaur's outpost was a big disappointment for us, I had