He opened it. "On the iddy biddy farm there were iddy biddy horses pulling iddy biddy plows. There were iddy biddy cows...oh for sand's sake this is the stupidest book, I've ever read. Iddy biddy cows my...er...backside." He tossed the book. "I've a better story. Once upon a time, your Uncles Ari and Janco were deep in the jungle. It was hot and muggy and bugs were crawling all over us. Even in places that bugs had no business being. We were tracking a big bad magician. Your Uncle Ari was scared so he hid behind a giant Vorskio tree 'cause any other tree's trunk was too small for his fat...er...backside. But your Uncle Janco bravely slithered on his belly through the mud and under the spiny bushes to get close to the man.

"The big bad sat in front of this roaring fire mumbling words and pulling magic. Nothing iddy biddy about it. And it didn't look good for the damsel he'd captured. But I loaded my blow pipe with a dart filled with Curare. I aimed, staying as still as a snow cat about to pounce. And I huffed and puffed and blew the dart straight into his neck. Boo yah! The guy toppled. I rescued the damsel in distress. She called me her hero. And then finally your Uncle Ari came crawling out of his hiding place. Too late again!"

With a big grin on her oval face, Liana clapped her hands. Janco took this as a request for more stories of his brave deeds. And he certainly had plenty to tell. But after a couple more, Liana squirmed and leaned forward, trying to dive off his lap.

"Okay, okay. I get it." He scanned his room. Too many weapons lay within reach. "All right. How about we go outside?" Janco packed the bag between mad dashes to redirect Liana's explorations--she was fast! Then he slung it over one shoulder and swept her into his arms. "Let's go on an adventure!"

Too bad Janco didn't have any idea of just what type of "adventure" he was getting himself and Liana into or else he'd stayed safely inside.

PART TWO

The sun shone on the Commander castle's walls. Its strange arrangement of shapes pile on top of each other on the huge rectangle, which served as the base, never failed to amaze Janco. The builder was either a genius or insane. The only symmetry to the structure were the four magnificent towers at the corners. The stain glass windows ringing them glittered with flecks of colorful light.