WHEN the leader woke up, he was no longer in the jungle, and his medical state was not as dire as he could recall. Cool wet towels had been placed on various parts of his body to mitigate his fever, and the curtains had been pulled across the windows to dampen the midday light.
A man and a woman were seated at a table across the room, playing some kind of board game. The woman looked up and saw that the leader was aware. She gestured in his direction, attracting the attention of his board game opponent.
“Who are you?” the leader asked.
The male player moved a piece on the board and the female player reacted instantly. With that done, the male player said, “Welcome to The Tavern. Your party was ill, so we took you in and helped you recover.”
“Who are you?” the leader repeated.
The male player went over to the bed and picked up a glass standing on a tray atop a chest of drawers. He offered the drink to the leader.
“I am Jéne E. Ilk,” said the man. “This is my ship, the walking building. Now.” Having passed the drink to the man, Jéne E. took out a folded piece of paper from a pocket and unravelled it. “Now, I suppose you could explain what this map is supposed to represent.”
“Give me that!” The leader snatched the map from Jéne E and hurriedly stashed it into his shirt.
Jéne E. wasn’t discourage. He said, “The fabled city of gold. Many have tried to find it, and many have died in the process. You’re lucky we found you in time.”
“I’m going,” the leader said, springing up from the bed and heading for the door.
“I can help you,” Jéne E. said before the man got too far. As the leader paused in his actions and turned around, Jéne E. continued, “I have been to the city. A bit dull, yes, but still a sight to behold. There is only one problem. It’s not of this world.”
Jéne E went back to the board game and made a move to which his female counterpart pondered a counterattack.
“I can take you to the city,” Jéne E. said, “on the condition that you stifle your anger.”
“What?”
* * *
The city of gold was really on another world. Captain Jéne E. of the stalwart ship The Tavern guided the planeswalking engine to the plane of Zendikar, situating itself right by the gates of a resplendent collection of towers, spires, monuments, and pillars.
The expedition leader was helped out of The Tavern by one of Jéne E.’s aides who also provided a walking stick to the unwell man. The rest of the expedition members strode out of The Tavern with their own two feet.
Jéne E. headed the group to the gates of the city and spread out his arms wide. “All the riches you could ever want, and all the curses that guard them.” He turned around to face the men. “There are plenty of booby traps. If you plan to go in, I suggest you stop thinking about celebrating your seventieth birthday.”
>End of story.
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