“Is this true, Illius?” Thorgood questioned, his eyes blazing with anger. “Have you sent soldiers to Darvish? Did you try to organize an adventure to find the crown of Set?”

“Yes,” Illius spat back. “You old fool. You would let the opportunity of a lifetime slip away. We can control Darvish and make more in one year than we could in a hundred years of mining. You wasted time and money on a foolish quest for the Ring of Searching when true wealth lies at your doorstep.”

“You dishonor us all,” said Thorgood, shaking his head in sorrow. “Only a fool would try to control an oracle. If that was your only crime, it would be bad enough, but you have done more. You would seek to depose me and take the kingdom for yourself. Treason is in your heart, Illius, and you would do this whatever the cost to your people.”

“The people mean nothing,” Illius shouted, his face twisted with rage. “There are always people to do the bidding of the rich and powerful. You lavish wealth on the people, and they love you for it, but what good will it do you in the end?”

“Are you so blind?” Thorgood questioned. “Do you not see that the people make the king? The king does not make the people.”

“Do to me what you will,” Illius shouted. “I am dishonored by this foul youth, and my plans are made known. Yes, I am lost, but so are you, Thorgood. None of the dwarfs of this realm will ever accept you as king, not until you have the crown of Set, which you will never have. No adventurers would join the quest for the legendary crown, which can only mean that it is lost forever. Your kingdom will never be whole.”

“And now you speak of the second reason I had for coming here today,” said Alex. “Thorgood guessed that Thrang left out part of our adventure from his story when he told it last night. Now I will fill in that gap, as I alone was there when it happened.”

“The cave of the necromancer, and the dwarfs you met,” said Thorgood, his eyes wide with understanding.

“Yes,” said Alex. “In the necromancer’s cave, I spoke to the dwarf Set. He asked me to take his crown to his true heir in Benorg.”

“No!” Illius screamed as if in agony. “The crown is lost forever. There is no true king.”

“I carry the crown with me even now,” Alex went on, ignoring Illius. “I am prepared to return it to you, King Thorgood, but first I must ask you something. What promise did you make? What did you promise in exchange for the return of the crown of Set?”

“Ah, the promise,” Thorgood said with a nod. “It was a promise made by all the kings of the dwarf realm, and a promise I will not turn away from now. My lords all know the promise, which is simply this: one-half of all the wealth of the realm is to be given to the one who returns the crown of Set; or, if he wishes, one-half of the realm to rule as his own in the king’s name.”

“A great promise,” said Alex thoughtfully. “More, perhaps, than any crown is worth.”

“I am prepared to fulfill the promise,” said Thorgood proudly. “You need only say which you wish—half the wealth of my kingdom, or half of the kingdom to rule as your own.”

“And if I should ask for something else?” Alex questioned.

“What else would you ask? You have only to name your price,” Thorgood answered firmly.

“It’s all a lie,” Illius shouted as tears of rage ran down his face. “There is no crown. It is lost for all time.”

“King Thorgood and lords of the dwarf realm of Thraxon,” Alex spoke loudly enough to be heard over Illius. “In return for the crown of Set, I ask simply this—that you will swear to always be a friend to the Oracle of the Empty Tower. To aid her if she should call, to defend her if she is in need, and to always allow those seeking the oracle to pass through your realm freely.”

“That is all you would ask for so great a prize as the crown?” Thorgood questioned in disbelief. “Nothing for yourself, or for your company?”

“That is what I have asked, and the only thing that I will accept,” answered Alex.

“Then I swear as king of the dwarf realm, that we shall always be a true friend to the Oracle of the Empty Tower. I swear that we will aid her if she should call and defend her if she is in need. I swear we will do all that you ask and more,” said Thorgood, his voice shaking with joy, and his eyes glistening with tears. “And I swear that your name will always be remembered in this kingdom with the greatest of honor.”

“I will take you at your word, great king, the true heir of Set,” said Alex as he reached for his magic bag. “And I will tell you something more. The crown of Set will remain with your people forever, unless they break the promises you have made this day. If ever the dwarfs of Thraxon turn against the oracle, the crown will be lost once more.”

“So be it. How say you, lords of Thraxon?” Thorgood questioned.

“No, no, no, no,” Illius shouted wildly. “It cannot be.”

“We will keep the promises that have been made,” all the dwarfs, except Illius, replied firmly.

Alex bowed to Thorgood, and speaking into his magic bag, he produced the beautiful crown of Set. Bobkin, Belkin, and Dobkin had done a wonderful job repairing it, and Dobkin had figured out what magic had been in the crown before it had been broken. Alex had renewed the old magic, and added a bit of his own. It was his magic that would keep the crown in the dwarf realm, and his magic that would make it vanish if the dwarfs broke their promise to him.

The true-silver crown shined and sparkled in the sunlit chamber, and Alex held the crown up for all the dwarfs to see. The star sapphire on top of the crown glowed faintly with the inner light of magic. Thorgood dropped to one knee in front of Alex, his eyes fixed on the crown.

“Will you honor me by placing it on my head?” Thorgood asked. “What more could any king ask than to be crowned by a true wizard and dragon lord.”

“As you wish,” said Alex with a bow. He gently placed the crown on Thorgood’s head. “Rise, Thorgood, as the true king of the dwarf realm of Thraxon. And always remember the promises you have made this day.”

“No!” Illius shrieked in agony. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I was to be king! It was mine for the taking.”

Thorgood got back to his feet, and the star sapphire in the crown seemed to come alive, shining like a flame from the top of the crown. The dwarf lords began to cheer wildly, but Illius fell silent, shaking with both rage and fear.

“Summon the guards,” Thorgood commanded. “Illius must pay for his treason, as will all those who conspired with him.”

“King Thorgood, I must speak,” Alex said quickly. “I have spent the night searching your city, discovering the truth of what was being done. Illius is alone in his treason, and even the soldiers he sent to Darvish did not know why they had been sent. Illius told them it was by your wish that they were going and that they would receive instructions once they reached the city.”

“No, he’s lying,” Illius shouted. “I have many allies, many followers who wish for me to be their king.”

Thorgood ignored Illius’s ranting. “I will send the swiftest riders after the soldiers at once so they will not trouble the oracle. Illius will be tried for his crimes, but I will not place his evil on the house of Burnlap. Now, my friend, if you have finished, I must ask you to leave us. You have given my lords and myself many things to discuss this day.”

“As you wish, great king,” Alex answered, bowing.

Alex left Thrang in the council chamber and followed the guards who were dragging the ranting Illius away. Illius was shouting commands that the guards ignored, and Alex thought that the dwarf might have lost his mind.

“I’ll have my revenge on you, wizard. You’ve not won yet. I’ll hunt you across the known lands and make you pay for this day,” Illius shouted as the guards pulled him toward the dungeons.

“Be careful what you wish for, Illius,” Alex replied coldly. “If you live long enough to come hunting me, you will find something much more deadly than a wizard waiting for you.”