Max had been flying  almost non-stop delivering the news of the tragic events at Aolas. First he had gone to Lokias and informed the court of King Frega and though Frega himself was off somewhere on the   Northern Tundra visiting with the nomadic wolf-packs of his youth, his councilors were concerned enough to send several messengers to the area to find and apprise him of the situation.

From Lokias, Max had flown to Thoth to find Chumley. He had been informed of the rat's   journey with Thoris to World's End. Upon his  arrival at the seaside town, and learning of his other friends' disappearance, he had begun a   series of flights around Xenoth in hopes of finding Chumley and Thoris on their search and possibly Egbert and his companions alive and well.

It was late in the afternoon, in an almost empty sea, that Max  spotted a lone craft  making  for the Xenothian shore. It was a bright orange speck on a  placid blue main and the brightly colored parrot circled down to it. He knew from what the locals had told him that this was Willum's boat and that Chumley and Thoris were aboard. He landed softly on the stern. The rat and the weasel were slumbering gently near the rear of  the boat nestled in the soft down feathers of Gladiverserac's bosom, who was also sleeping  soundly. Only the swaggering orange pirate was  awake and he happily acknowledged Max's arrival.
"Well  bless me eyes," Willum  exclaimed  overdramatically, "if'n it ain't a fine cut of a  parrot! Who be you, my  fine-looking bird?"

"I'm Max, these are my friends, friends," he answered, pointing to the sleeping beasts.

"They be my friends as well, Max. What is it I can be a doin' fer ye?"

"I have important news, news," the parrot explained.

"If'n it can wait, I'd be preferin' to let those weary beasts rest a bit. They ain't salty old cats like meself, and the swayin' of  the sea's been a bit harsh on those poor landlubbers. Gladis on the other hand's been flyin' all day, as have you, I'll wager. Why don't ya rest yer tired wings a bit and I'll see to wakin' y'all afore dusk settles upon us. I'm makin' fer Farewell Ridge, we be lookin' fer some beasts which I reckon are chum's o' yourn as well," Willum  explained.

Max settled himself next to Chumley.
"I could use the rest, rest," he cocked his head at the pirate, "but who are you, you?"

The orange cat chortled amiably.
"Fergive me rudeness, me fine parrot, I be Orange Willum, terror of  the seas, rogue, scoundrel, and captain of this modest vessel  which be named the Vengeance."

Max laughed.
"I've  known a lot of rogues and scoundrels, but you, Master Willum, are the first 'terror' I ever met, met. Thank you for your hospitality and help, help." Max closed his eyes and began to drift to sleep.

"Yer welcome matey, besides, I've always had a fondness fer parrots."

The castaways, followed by Otto, left Ozab's cave in a high state of optimism. As they  walked down the beach back towards Farewell  ridge, Egbert voiced their hopefulness.

"Oi didn't believe him at first, but now Oi'm sure Ozab is what he says. Oi'm also sure he   didn't loi when he said the Brotherhood found a way to leave Xenoth. It a shame he has to hoid. Oi wish he knew how they  did it."

"What's important is it can be done," Zian echoed, "we just have to figure out how."

Otto interrupted.
"Do you still want to visit the ridge? We're pretty much there. Or do you want to go back to the ship and do this tomorrow, it's almost   dusk?"

"We're here already," Salto said, "let's go take a look."

"I agrees," Winky intoned, "anyways, lookee there," he pointed out to sea at an orange spot on the horizon, "I think dat's a boat comin' in."

Everyone looked to where Winky was pointing and saw the distant approaching vessel. The fifty or so beasts waiting on the ridge were   already beginning to make their way forward in the hope that the ship would be searching for them.

Otto nodded and took the lead. They turned towards the shoreline and fell to the back of the line marching along the ridge.

When the Vengeance  was about a mile from Farewell Ridge, Willum woke his crew and   guests. Thoris and Chumley were delighted to see Max, though his news from Vattus was met with groans and concerned gasps. Max told Chumley  about  Vattus' plans to contact King Sigus of Seth-E-Raman and his desire to have Chumley meet him with news of the Guild of Assassins. Chumley nodded without saying a word.

Willum introduced the parrot  to Gladiverserac. The two birds, neither having met a member of the other's species before, chattered amiably while glancing forward to  note their progress toward mooring. Being the sum total of Willum's crew, Thoris and Chumley were busy following the pirate's   instruction to bring the ship safely to a stop before crossing the barrier and as a   consequence becoming trapped on Xenoth.

As the Vengeance  approached the ridge, its sails were lowered to prevent any gusts of   wind from driving her inland. The anchor was  lowered  several hundred yards from the narrow land bridge which comprised Farewell ridge.

When the anchor was secured, a second was  lowered as a precaution. Gladiverserac remained  on board  to watch the ship while the remainder  of the friends lowered a dory and climbed aboard. Thoris and Chumley manned the oars. Willum stood at the bow with Max perched on his  shoulder and looked every inch the famous pirate that he was.

The spit of land that was called Farewell Ridge was twenty yards wide and extended   approximately one mile to the magical shield and then about another hundred yards  outside of it. The dory docked at the furthest point of   the ridge and the pirate and his passengers made their way towards the meeting point. This was the closest Thoris, Chumley, or Max had ever been to the barrier and it amazed them. The assumption by any who had never  seen the shield was that it was completely invisible and in the strictest sense they would be correct, but the outline of  the shield  was  clearly visible. Chumley asked Willum  about this optical anomaly.

The orange cat smiled.
"Well, matey, it be invisible all right, but the things what stick to it on the inside ain't. If'n you look at the bottom of the  shield on the  ridge, likely as not you'll find yerself some moss or lichen growin'  up from the bottom. That stuffs livin', ya see, and can't pass   through, might as well be a stone wall. Look up at the dome above the ridge, do ye see it, the fogginess?"

Chumley looked up, and indeed, he could make out the interior boundary.
"Yeah, looks dusty, don't it?" the rat agreed.

" 'Tisn't dust, me old mate, dust wouldn't 'ave no problem getting'  through. That's fresh pollen, a livin' thing," the pirate pointed out to the sea where the shield arced around the island. The water churned along the boundary, "those splashes be schools of fishies, tryin' to get back to the deep, but trapped like all these  other poor souls." He pointed at the massing group of creatures up ahead on the other side of  the shield.

When they were within ten yards of the shield, Thoris began jumping up and down in excitement.
"There! Look! I can thee Egbert!" he cried out in relief. There was no mistaking the giant mole among the dozens of shorter beasts    massed  in hopeful anticipation. Egbert, for his part, spotted Thoris and Chumley at about the same time and rushed up with his comrades to  the very edge of the barrier.

Willum and his companions approached more cautiously, not wishing to inadvertently pass  through into Xenoth. They stopped about five feet short, at a line drawn across the ridge in red paint by some creature in the past as a  warning mark.

Egbert and his companions elbowed themselves to the very edge of the shield. The giant mole ran his paw across the barrier's inner surface. It felt almost pliable, like a stiff  leather, but impenetrable to any appendage, no matter how hard he pushed.

Wilbur stood next to his uncle and gawked at Willum. He was more than a little familiar with the exploits of Orange Willum and seeing him standing in front of him, resplendent in his flowing silks, bright orange topcoat, calf-length leather boots, with his  cutlass and knife hanging at his side and Max perched on his shoulder made the young mole  smile broadly despite his present  circumstances. Chumley was the first to speak.

"Thanks ta Targas, ah can't believe we actually found ya, thought ya might be dead, didn't we?" he said grinning broadly.

"I'm thorry you're trapped on that acurthed island," Thoris added.

Egbert pressed his paw against the shield and spoke calmly.
"It may not be as bad as we fear. There is reason to be hopeful, there may be a way off of Xenoth if what we have been told is true."

Max cut in.
"There is definitely a way off Xenoth, Xenoth. The Deev have been seen in Aolas, Aolas," he said grimly.

The castaways looked back and forth at each other and Zian spoke.
"It's true then," he smiled, "there is a way out."

"But the newth ith not good from our thide. Tell him, Max," Thoris said.

Max related the disturbing news of the murders and theft of the Rubitar while Egbert and  his comrades listened in stunned silence.  When the parrot had completed  his account, Egbert spoke up.
"There's something going on here too. It can't be a coincidence. A cult called the Scarlet Brotherhood is kidnapping innocent creatures  for reasons Oi shudder to imagine. Dey are somehow connected to the Deev."

"Ya think those ghosty buggers'll be comin' back here then?" Chumley asked.

"It feels loike they will," Egbert agreed.

"What's your plan then?" the rat queried.

"We haven't worked that out yet, but it's got to be more than just foinding a way off. There are innocent creatures being taken, we have to  foind out whoi and put an end to it!"

All Egbert's friends nodded in agreement. Egbert continued, "Let everyone know we are   aloive and optimistic. Tell Yogi that Wilbur and Oi are foine, tell the same to  Zian's woife and children, reassure them."

"Of courth," Thoris affirmed.

Wilbur was still staring silently at the pirate. He finally addressed him.
"Are you really Orange Willum?" he asked breathlessly.

Willum smiled.
"Aye me little matey, it be I. Sorry ya ain't able ta shake paws with me, but we'll be a doin' that when you escape. Is that a deal, me liddle pal?"

Wilbur grinned broadly.
"You bet! You're my hero!"

The pirate chuckled.
"Quite a burden you're puttin' on me shoulders there, Willy. You just take care, 'specially round those Scarlet villains ya mentioned."

"I'm not scared of them," Wilbur said defiantly,  "we met dere leader's brother, Ozab, he knows all about dem. He hates dem too and is gonna help us. He may be old, but mongooses are tough."

Suddenly Willum became alert and serious.
"Did ya say da leader's brother was a mongoose?"

"Yes, an old mongoose, Ozab," Wilbur affirmed.

"Do ye happen ta know the name of his brother, the leader of that scurvy scarlet crew?" the pirate asked in a small tense voice.

Groggs answered.
"Sure thing mister Willum, I dink he's called 'Asparagus' or somethin'."

Willum's eyes grew dark and his voiced raised.
"It wouldn't be Azmeritus by any chance, would it, cully?"

Groggs grinned.
"Yeah, dat's it, Azmeritus!"

To the shock of everyone present, Willum threw back his head and let out a frightening  roar. Chumley and Thoris stepped back in shock and Max, who was on the pirates shoulder took off and circled the cat before landing on his shoulder again. The greater surprise was that after this primal scream of rage and pain, Willum stood, arms raised,   grinning in joy like some mad-beast.

"I finally found ya, ya rotten-fleshed freak!" he shouted toward the island, "It be me, Orange Willum Crookfang, I'll feed ya yer heart on a platter. Do ya hear me Azmeritus, I'm here fer yer soul!"

Chumley looked very concerned about the mental health of his friend.
"Sun getting' to ya? Are you okay Willum?"

The pirate smiled.
"Best I been in years, matey. How's yer sailin' skills?"

Chumley looked confused.
"Fine, ah suppose, why?"

"I'm gonna be leavin' ye here, that's why. I reckon I'll be helpin' your other friends here on the island. They'll be needin' some lookin'  after."

Thoris was aghast.
"You're thtaying here? On Xenoth? Why?"

"Like I said, ta help yer pals, plus I gots me some unfinished business with that pasty-furred freak what rules this land."

"Athmerituth?" Thoris asked.

"Aye, he be the beast what killed my crew and slaughtered me brothers. I still hears their screams and sees me ship burnin'. You got     business back on the mainland, my business be here."

Max gently pecked Willum on the shoulder to get his attention.
"You'll need a scout and messenger. I'll stay too, too."

Egbert smiled.
"We're glad to have you both, but there's no guarantee that we'll find a way off this land."

"Life don't give no guarantees, matey," Willum said sagely. He turned to Thoris and Chumley, "Good luck ta ye, me friends. Mayhaps we'll be seein' each other agin." With that farewell and Max still firmly perched on his shoulder he strode forward confidently through the barrier.