It was close to dawn when we reached the site of the encampment.  The deserted lean-tos and shelters stood bleak and empty in the night, like some fearful city of the dead.  I found myself trembling.

We rode through it wordlessly, finally parking our bicycles on the slope just below the spring.  We could hear it babbling carelessly in the dark.

Taking care to keep as quiet as possible, we edged forward, up the hill.  I held my breath till we topped the rise, then let it out in a whoosh.  Yes, the nest was still there.

I believe I would have cried bitter tears had it been gone.  I am sure it would have killed Shoogar.  The frustration of having an enemy flee from him in such a manner would have been too much.

We crept back to the deserted encampment, there to wait the coming of dawn.  I ached for a chance to sleep, but Shoogar gave me a potion to keep me awake.  To keep him company, he said.  He began laying out his equipment, organizing and sorting.  "If I can only take him by surprise," he muttered.  He paused to oil a metal knife.  "And if only there were some way to draw him away from his nest..."

"That's not needed," I blurted.  "He will probably leave it by himself.  He is testing again.  He said this when I spoke to him.  He wants to test the mountain."

"H'm," said Shoogar.  "This is a bit of good fortune.  I hope that he tests the mountain the same way that he tested the village; for when he tested the village he was gone from his nest almost the entire day."

"What if he doesn't?  What if he returns before the curse is finished?"

"Let us hope he does not."

"Can't you do something?"

Shoogar paused, thought for a moment, then rummaged in his kit.  He produced a small leather pouch of dust and other of herbs.  "Here, go and spread this dust around the outside of his nest.  It is very fine dust; it will float in the air for hours.  If he breathes any of it, it will produce a very strong yearning in him.  He will not return until that yearning is satisfied."

"But, what about me?"

"That's what the herbs are for.  When you finish with the dust you will take half of those herbs and chew them well.  When they turn bitter in your mouth, swallow them, but not until they turn bitter.  Bring the rest of the herbs back to me, so I may chew them.  They will make us both immune to the power of the dust."

I nodded, then crept up the hill and did as I was instructed.  When I brought the two leather pouches back to Shoogar he was just laying out the last of his equipment.  One swollen pouch he handled most carefully.  "Powdered magician's hair," he explained.  I did not blame him for handling it carefully.  He had sacrificed much to produce it; his squat and shaven body trembled with the cold.

Abruptly, a troubled look crossed his face, "I am sure that Purple's power is in some way connected with his nest.  I must get into it somehow.  That is the only part of my curse that I am in doubt about.  I must get into that nest..."

My heart leapt.  "But, I can help you there -" I fairly shouted, then remembered to lower my voice.  "Today - I mean, yesterday (for dawn was fast approaching) - I was able to get close enough to Purple to observe how he worked his doorspell."

Shoogar nearly leapt at me, "Lant, you are a fool!"  Then he thought to lower his voice.  "Why did you not tell me this earlier?" he hissed.

"You did not ask me."

"Well, I am asking you now - how does it work?"