Sartoma's Experiment

His question was soon answered. A table materialised on the stage, laden with four ordinary plates and one for Astra that was some three feet in diameter, all five piled high with redfish and field peas. There was wine too, and water for Astra. It seemed that Sartoma must be quite a powerful magic user, able to teleport at least inaminate items from one point to another within the caves. Solbert had not mentioned that. Perhaps when he had told them about Sartoma he still did not quite trust them.

They began to eat. The food seemed to be in perfect condition. Given how long a time must have elapsed since it was stored, Fred suspected that magic must have been used to preserve it.

As they ate, they talked, with Astra, Fred and Checkers all telling their stories. When the meal was over, Sartoma examined the items that had been mentioned in their accounts: Astra's embryonic hoard, the statues of the knight and the Glider, and the globe.

"With your permission, I should like to try a little experiment," she told Astra. "May I borrow the golden statue of yourself for a few minutes. I shan't take it outside the Amphitheater."

Astra felt unreasonably possessive for a moment, and nearly said "no". Then she controlled herself, and said: "Of course." If anyone noticed her hesitation, they did not mention it.

Taking the statue, Sartoma went over to the globe. "The rest of you may want to come over here to get a better view of what I am going to do," she said.

When they had done so, she touched the base of the statue to the amber- covered portion of the globe.

1. But nothing seemed to happen.
2. "I can hear voices in my mind, dozens or even hundreds of voices," Astra said.
3. The amber on the statue seemed to fuse with that on the globe, so that the statue was held in place and could not be removed.
4. There was a change in the statue and/or the globe.

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