“What happened?”

“The King summoned the Paladin, and the Paladin destroyed them. After that, there was only one real wizard permitted—and he served the King.”

Ben frowned. “But if the unicorns were stolen by the wizards, what happened to them after the wizards were … disposed of? Why weren’t they set free?”

“No one knew where they were.”

“But shouldn’t someone have looked for them? Shouldn’t they have been found?”

“Yes and yes.”

“Then why weren’t they?”

Dirk slowed, stopped, and blinked sleepily. “The question no one asked then is the one you fail to ask now, High Lord. Why were the unicorns stolen in the first place?”

Ben stopped as well, thought momentarily, and shrugged. “They were beautiful creatures. The wizards wanted them for themselves, I suppose.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Is that the best you can do?”

“Well, uh …” He paused again, feeling very much a fool. “Why can’t you just explain it to me, damn it?” he demanded, exasperated.

Dirk eyed him steadily. “Because I don’t choose to,” he said softly. “Because you have to learn how to see things clearly again.”

Ben stared at him momentarily, glanced back at the G’home Gnomes who were watching from a safe distance back, and folded his arms across his chest wearily. He had no idea what Dirk was talking about, but it didn’t do any good to argue with the cat.

“All right,” he said finally. “Let me try again. The wizards discovered that the fairies were sending unicorns through Landover into the mortal worlds. They stole the unicorns for themselves instead. They stole them because …” He stopped, remembering suddenly the missing books and the drawings. “They stole the unicorns because they wanted their magic! That’s what the drawings in that book mean! They have something to do with the missing unicorns!”

Edgewood Dirk cocked his head. “Do you really think so, High Lord?”

He was so genuinely curious that Ben was left not knowing what to think. He had expected the cat to agree with him, but the cat looked as surprised as he!

“Yes, I really think so,” he declared at last, wondering nevertheless. “I think the missing unicorns and the missing books are tied together and the black unicorn has something to do with both.”

“That does stand to reason,” Dirk agreed.

“But how were the unicorns stolen? And how could the wizards steal their magic? Weren’t the unicorns as powerful as the wizards?”

“I am told so,” Dirk agreed once more.

“Then what happened to them? Where are they hidden?”

“Perhaps they wear masks.”

“Masks?” Ben was confused.

“Like your own. Perhaps they wear masks, and we cannot see them.”

“Like my own?”

“Would you mind not repeating everything I say?”

“But what are you talking about, for Pete’s sake?”

Dirk gave him a “Why bother asking me?” look and sniffed the late morning air as if the answers he sought might be found there. The black tail twitched. “I find I am quite thirsty, High Lord. Would you care to join me for a drink?”