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opened his eyes.
    “Well, Josiah, it’s been quite a day, hasn’t it? I’ll wager you never thought when you woke up this morning that you’d be preparing to leave on a trip around Tevenar by nightfall, did you?”
    “No, sir.”
    Elkan put his hands on Josiah’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “I’m glad you’re coming with me. I’m sure the Mother set us on each other’s paths, and her work is never without purpose, baffling as it may seem to us sometimes. Sleep well, Josiah. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    He clucked to Sar, and set off toward the street. Josiah watched them go. The wizard’s parting words left him with an uneasy feeling. He believed in the Mother, he supposed. The wizards’ power was certainly real enough; if he’d ever doubted that before, he’d had plenty of proof of it today.
    But he’d never given her much thought before, and the notion that she might take a special interest in him, to the point of influencing or even controlling his actions, was disturbing. Maybe even frightening. Certainly not comforting, as Elkan seemed to mean it.

Three
    T he Mother’s Hall rose on the far side of the square, tall and rectangular. Over the wide double doors, a mosaic in brown tile depicting the Mother’s cupped hands contrasted with the grey stone walls.
    Josiah had been there on occasion before, but it had been a long time, and he was nervous. The morning was already well advanced. People hurried across the square in every direction, intent on their tasks.
    Josiah gathered his courage and crossed the square. He pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped into a huge, open room, airy and spacious even though it was filled with people. Light streamed in through many small windows high on the walls.
    An older woman wearing the cloak of a wizard sat behind a desk just inside the door. “Welcome. Do you seek healing, justice, or some other help?”
    “Um, no,” Josiah replied, edging nervously forward as a woman carrying a baby entered behind him. “I’m looking for Wizard Elkan. He’s expecting me.”
    “Ah, you must be Josiah!” The old woman’s wrinkled face beamed at him. “Elkan told us all about you. We’re so glad he’ll have a companion on his journey. He’s right over there, helping with the healing. We’ve got quite a crowd today.”
    Josiah went where she directed him, to the left side of the large rectangular room. Benches stood in rows, filled with people of all ages and descriptions. Beyond them, a cluster of carved wooden screens marked off private spaces. A girl not much older than himself in a wizard’s cloak spoke in turn to each person waiting in the long line.
    Josiah made his way past the line and waited while the girl finished speaking. Before she could query the next person, he broke in. “Um, excuse me. I’m looking for Wizard Elkan. The lady up front said he was here?”
    The girl nodded. “He’s with a patient right now, but you can go back.” She gestured to a gap in the row of screens. Josiah thanked her and went on, trying not to feel like he was trespassing.
    The screens formed a hallway, with cubicles on either side. Josiah peered into the first. A man of middle years bent over a patient lying on a cot. Beside the wizard a small, shaggy dog nosed the patient’s leg. The dog looked up first and spotted Josiah. He gave a little woof, and the wizard followed his gaze.
    Josiah felt awkward. “I’m looking for Wizard Elkan, please?”
    The wizard nodded. “Last cubicle on the left. If he’s in the middle of a healing, just wait until he’s finished. Don’t disturb him. He’ll be glad you’ve arrived.”
    The wizard turned back to his work. Josiah made his way down the rows of cubicles. In each a wizard and a familiar tended a patient. Many had apprentices, some with familiars, some without, watching intently or listening to explanations. Josiah reached the last cubicle to the left and entered.
    Elkan sat on a chair, Sardonyx