Rise of the Evening Star

It’s only fair that I now tell you about myself, Tanu said. Do you have any questions?

Are you from Hawaii? Seth asked.

I grew up in Pasadena, Tanu said. But my ancestors are from Anaheim. He flashed a broad smile, showing big white teeth. I’m Samoan. I’ve only been there as a visitor, though.

Have you traveled a lot? Kendra asked.

More than my fair share, he admitted. I’ve been around the world many times, seen many strange sights. My father made potions, and his father before him, going back many generations. My dad taught me what I know. He101 102 retired a few years back. He lives in Arizona in the winter,Idaho in the summer.

Do you have a family? Kendra asked.

I have my folks, some brothers and sisters, and a bunch of nieces and nephews and cousins. No wife, no kids. Drives my folks crazy. Everybody wants me to settle down. Dad once tried to slip me a love potion to make me fall for some neighbor girl that he liked. He already has seventeen grandkids, but he says he wants some from his eldest. I’ll throw down roots someday. Not yet.

You know how to make love potions? Seth asked.

And avoid them, Tanu grinned.

What else can you make? Seth asked.

Potions to cure illnesses, potions to induce sleep, potions that awaken lost memories, Tanu said. It all depends on what I have to work with. The toughest part of being a potion master is collecting ingredients. Only magical ingredients yield magical results. I study cause and effect, and I benefit from the studies of many who came before me.

I try to figure out how to combine different materials to achieve a desired outcome.

Where do you get ingredients? Kendra asked.

The most powerful ingredients are usually by-products of magical creatures, Tanu explained. Viola, the milch cow, is a potion master’s dream. Her milk, her blood, her dung, her sweat, her tears, her saliva-they all have different magical properties. At an icy preserve in Greenland, on the coast, they get their milk from a gigantic walrus, nearly a thousand years old, one of the eldest animals on the planet.103 The derivatives of the walrus have different properties fromthe cow’s. Along with certain similarities.

Cool, Seth said.

It is fascinating, Tanu admitted. You never know what skills you’ll need. I’ve climbed mountains, picked locks, ventured deep underwater, and learned foreign languages.

Sometimes you can trade for ingredients, or purchase them. But you have to be careful. Some potion makers are unscrupulous. They get their ingredients in horrible ways.

Dragon tears, for example. A very potent ingredient, but hard to come by. Dragons cry only when they are in the deepest mourning or when they have committed a terrible betrayal. They cannot fake the tears. There are bad people out there who would capture a young dragon and then murder its dear ones just to collect the tears. You don’t want to support that kind of barbarity, so you have to be careful who you trade with, and who you buy from. Most of the best potion makers prefer to find their own ingredients. Which is why some of the best potion makers don’t live very long.

Do you collect your own ingredients? Seth asked.

Most of the time, Tanu said. Every now and again I

barter with reputable dealers. I can find much of what I need on preserves. Other items I locate in the wild. My grandfather lived to retirement and died in his sleep. My dad lived to retirement and is still with us. They taught me some good tricks that help keep me safe. Hopefully I can pass some of that knowledge along to you.

Tanu picked up a pouch that was sitting next to his chair. He began removing small bottles with narrow necks105 and arranging them in a single row on the coffee table.What are those? Seth asked.

Tanu glanced up. Part of a demonstration, to prove that

I know my trade. A family specialty-bottled-up emotions.

Drinking them will make us feel a certain way? Kendra asked.

Temporarily, yes, Tanu said. In large doses the emotions can be overpowering. I want each of you to choose an emotion to sample. I’ll mix you a small dose. The emotions will pass quickly. You can try fear, rage, embarrassment, or sorrow. He removed more items from his pouch-jars, vials, and a small sandwich bag full of leaves.

Are they all bad emotions? Kendra asked.

I can do courage, calm, confidence, and joy, among others. But the negative emotions make better demonstrations.

They are more shocking, and less addictive.

I want to try fear, Seth said, coming to stand near.

Good choice, Tanu responded. He unscrewed the lid of a jar and used a tool that looked like a small tongue depressor to scoop out some beige paste. I’m mixing this so the effect will come and go very quickly, just giving you a brief sample of the emotion. Removing a small leaf from the bag, Tanu scraped the paste onto the leaf. He then dripped four drops from one of the bottles onto the leaf, added a single drop from a different bottle, and mixed the liquid into the paste with the tongue depressor. He handed the leaf to Seth.

Eat the leaf? Seth asked.106 Eat it all, Tanu said. Sit down first. When the emotionhits, it will be distressing, much more real than you probably expect. Try to remember that it is artificial and that it will pass.

Seth sat down on a brocaded armchair. He sniffed the leaf, then popped it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed quickly. Not bad. Tastes a little like peanuts.

Kendra watched him intently. Is he going to freak out?

she asked.

Wait and see, Tanu said, suppressing a grin.

I feel fine so far, Seth announced.

It takes a few seconds, Tanu said.

A few seconds for what? Seth asked, an edge of anxiety creeping into his voice.

See? Tanu said, winking at Kendra. It’s starting.

What’s starting? Seth asked, eyes darting. Why’d you wink at her? Why are you talking like I’m not in the room?

I’m sorry, Seth, Tanu said. We mean no harm. The effects of the potion are hitting you.

Seth’s breathing was becoming ragged. He was shifting in his seat, rubbing his thighs with his palms. What did you give me? he said, raising his voice and sounding paranoid.

Why’d you have to mix so much stuff? How do I know I can trust you?

It’s all right, Kendra said. You’re just feeling the effects of the potion.

Seth looked at Kendra, his face contorting, tears brimming in his eyes. He raised his voice more, sounding hysterical. Just the potion? Just the potion! He chuckled107 bitterly. You don’t get it? He poisoned me! He poisoned me,and you’re next. I’m going to die! We’re all going to die! He was curling up on the chair, quivering and hugging his knees. A single tear leaked from one eye and slid down his cheek.

Kendra looked at Tanu, distressed. Tanu raised a calming hand. He’s already coming out of it.

She looked back at her brother. He sat still for a moment, then straightened his legs and sat up, wiping the remnants of the tear from his cheek. Wow, Seth said. You weren’t kidding! That felt so real. I couldn’t think straight. I