# The Fool's Errand
*Story by Cliff Johnson*

## The Fool

One sunny day, a lighthearted Fool strolled along a hilly path, whistling a
merry tune. A long wooden pole was slung over his shoulder and attached to it
was a cloth bundle which carried his life's possessions.

"What a marvelous afternoon!" he exclaimed to no one in particular, pausing to
appreciate the lovely countryside.

Soon the trees parted and the path led to a small clearing, ending abruptly at
the edge of a treacherous cliff. But the Fool was undaunted and kept at his
swift pace, steadily approaching the sheer drop.

## The Sun

"Your folly is most curious," a voice boomed. "Have you no fear of death?"

Just as one leg dangled over the side of the cliff, the Fool hesitated.

"Who dares to interrupt my errand?" he demanded impatiently.

"I dare," the bright yellow sun replied.

"Well then," the Fool considered, "I seek the fourteen treasures of the Land
and I am told that a man who strays from his path is lost."

"That may well be true," spoke the sun, "but I fear that you are already lost.
Take this map as my gift. It will aid you in your quest."

And in a flash of light, an aged parchment appeared at his feet.

"At last! A path to follow!" cried the Fool, happily taking the map.

"Perhaps," the sun murmured, "yet things are never as simple as they may seem."

But the Fool had already run back down the hill and did not hear the sun's
parting words.


## Ten of Wands

He rested by the side of a dirt road and carefully unrolled the parchment. A
sudden breeze whispered through the rushes. A gale whistled through the trees.

"EG, LI, OC.. eg, li, oc.." a voice sang.

The Fool looked up and saw a young man carrying ten oaken staffs.

"That is a strange song that you sing," he began. "I have never heard such
words before."

"It is a spell to ward off strangers!" the boy shouted rudely. "These are evil
times and my mission cannot be delayed!"

"Oh, then I beg your pardon," the Fool apologized. "I did not know."


## Seven of Wands

Strolling over to the shade of a tall stone tower, the Fool sat down and began
to study his map once again.

"You there! Help me! I am in great need!"

With a start, the Fool jumped to his feet and looked around, but could not see
anyone talking to him. Scratching his head, he happened to look upward and on
the very top of the stone tower saw a man surrounded by seven magical staffs
that floated on the air.

"Oh, very impressive!" the Fool complimented. "You must be a very powerful
magician indeed!"

But the man was frantic.

"Are your eyes blind? I am under siege and have dropped my BOW!"

Eager to help, the Fool searched the base of the tower and quickly located the
fallen weapon. With a deft toss, he threw it back to the warrior.

"My thanks!" he replied. "Someday my bow may be of use to you too."


## Page of Wands

Wandering away, the Fool returned to the task of inspecting the sun's
parchment, but sadly, he could not make any sense out of it. Further along, he
met a Page who stood in the middle of the road, admiring his polished wooden
walking stick.

"That is indeed a fine staff," the Fool complimented, "yet I am lost and I
desire your assistance. Do you know how to read a map?"

"I fear not," answered the Page, not taking his eyes off the walking stick. "I
am lost also and I seek the pyramids."

"The pyramids? Why they are to the South," the Fool pointed out. "See? The
middle one is inscribed with the letter E."

"Well so it is!" the Page realized, dashing off in that direction.

Naturally this did not help the Fool at all.


## Eight of Wands

Keeping to the path, he approached a narrow stream that ran across the road and
just as he was about to jump over it, eight magical wands appeared on the
horizon and soared over his head.

"NZSLTZMB HGZUU.." creaked the enchanted wood.

"Ah, a mystical chant!" the Fool remarked. "I wonder what it could mean?"

But he did not wonder for very long and hopped across the stream.


## Knight of Wands

Just then, a great white horse galloped up to him, carrying a fully armored
Knight.

"Quickly! Have you seen a Page come this way?"

"Yes, he went to the South to seek the pyramids," the Fool replied.

"The South?" the Knight puzzled, "but the pyramids are to the East of us. See?
The middle one is inscribed with the letter X."

The Fool saw that this was so.

"What was then the South is now the East. I met him further back."

"That is good! The Queen shall reward you!" shouted the Knight as he galloped
away.


## The Wheel of Fortune

Further along, the Fool came to a wooden wheel mounted atop an old tree stump.

"A wheel of fortune!" he exclaimed. "Perhaps it will tell me of the fourteen
treasures."

He gave the wheel a spin and, after many long turns, it came to rest on a set
of jumbled letters. But unfortunately, the Fool knew of such magic and was
unable to decipher its meaning.

He traveled further up the road and saw three pyramids to the West, the center
one inscribed with the letter H. He stared at his parchment in dismay. It
showed the picture of a stone bridge crossing a pond.

"I may be a Fool," the Fool mumbled, "but either this map is in error or the
Land is!"

He decided to pack the confusing parchment in his knapsack.


## Six of Wands

Continuing along the road, he passed under a stone archway and encountered six
young warriors waving their staffs triumphantly.

"Is there a cause for celebration?" asked the Fool.

"Yes indeed!" the leader proclaimed. "This day the four Kings have declared a
truce to the horrible war that has ravaged our Land. And it is said that
between the four, one of the Land's lost treasures will be restored! Spread the
news and be joyful!"

The Fool found it hard to be joyful though, for he had yet to uncover even one
of the fourteen treasures.


## Four of Wands

Beyond the pyramids stood a quaint peasant village and here the Fool met a
jubilant party of townsfolk, gathered in the street. In the middle of the crowd
was a beautiful wedding canopy attached to four oaken staffs and underneath, a
man was searching through the presents frantically.

"RED URN! My red urn! Have you seen it?" he asked the perplexed Fool.

"A red urn?" he puzzled. "Is not red a gaudy color for an urn and is not an urn
for a funeral?"

"It is our custom at such an affair," the man sniffed. "There's to be a wedding
between our Kingdoms and everything must be just so. Now, have you seen it?"

The Fool assured the man that he had not and went on his way.


## Five of Wands

Nearby, a group of five boys were fighting with slender hickory staffs.

"BAD YAM! BAD YAM!" they shrieked back and forth.

"Why are you fighting over something of so little value?" the Fool wondered.

"He sold us a crate of bad yams!" one cried out. "And we want our money back!"

"But you left them in the sun!" another yelled back. "I will not reimburse you
for your stupidity!"

Not wishing to get involved, the Fool made his way past the crowd.


## Nine of Wands

By a stone wall was a burly fellow who guarded nine tall fighting staffs.

"Could you tell me if this is the correct way to the Queen's palace?" inquired
the Fool.

"NEW GNU" was his pert reply.

"I beg your pardon?" the Fool had to ask.

"New gnu," he repeated. "An old gnu is not new and only a new gnu is true."

The Fool nodded agreeably and quickly moved on.


## Two of Wands

Atop a watchtower, a lone sentry gazed longingly at the creeping vines that ran
up the walls of a nearby granite castle.

"Excuse me!" the Fool shouted as politely as he could, "Is that the castle of
the Queen?"

"The Queen?" he groaned. "RAT IVY..."

"Rat ivy?" the Fool echoed.

"Yes indeed," he sighed, leaning against his two wooden staffs. "If rats were
ivy, then they wouldn't steal into the royal kitchen. And if they didn't steal
into the royal kitchen, then they wouldn't eat the royal cheese. And if they
didn't eat the royal cheese, then I wouldn't have to set the royal rat traps
day in and day out. But alas, only little lambs eat ivy."

"I see," the Fool mumbled, walking over to the palace. "What a very strange
Kingdom this is!"


## Queen of Wands

On the way, he picked a bright yellow sunflower and presented it to the Queen.

"It is beautiful," she whispered, stroking its spreading petals, "yet it will
not bring back our most treasured possession. We did not want war, but when the
Swords stole our Royal Wand, we had no choice but to retaliate."

"But I thought that the war was over," the Fool pondered. "Surely your Royal
Wand will be returned to you in due course."

"I would like to believe your kind words," she murmured softly, "but I fear for
the worst. We are a pleasant countryfolk, not warriors.

"And even as we speak, the other Kingdoms betray our trust. If only my son, the
Page, would come home, my heart would be lightened."

The Fool considered this for a moment.

"Well," he began, "I met a Page in my travels and he was seeking the pyramids.
I told this to the Knight who was searching for him."

"Praise be!" the Queen cried out. "You have brought me much happiness! Please,
take this magic word CLAC and may it bring you equal happiness."

Eagerly, the Fool wrote down the magic word and skipped out of the castle
merrily.


## Ace of Wands

The narrow path lead him to a grassy plain and there he saw an immense wooden
staff mounted upon a stone pedestal, engraved with the letter S.

"Ah ha!" the Fool shouted. "The Royal Wand has been returned!"

"You are mistaken, little one," the statue replied solemnly. "Here I have stood
for many generations. I am the symbol of his Lordship, the King."

"Oh my," the Fool stammered, following the path once again. "This must mean
that the Royal Wand is even larger yet!"

He could not imagine such a thing.


## Three of Wands

Soon, a great ocean appeared over the horizon and on its shores, the Fool met a
tall man with three wooden staffs.

"It is an omen of ill," the man uttered gravely.

"Oh?" the Fool commented, walking closer.

"Three ships approach from the South," he continued. "I fear that it is a
surprise attack by the Swords. Though I possess the sacred RW, I am helpless to
prevent them from landing."

And with that, he jumped on his horse and galloped off. "I am the first of
six," he shouted back "Next you must seek he who chases a fish."

The Fool scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, that should be an easy task!" he realized, skipping a stone across the
water, "if all I have to do is locate a fisherman!"


## Two of Pentacles

Walking further along the beach the Fool came to a man who juggled two large
silver coins.

"I cannot stop!" he shouted, "You must warn the Queen!"

"Which Queen and of what?"

"Of Pentacles and of the two ships that approach! The Cups are attempting to
land upon our shores, but so far I have been able to prevent this with my
magical spell. I do not know how much longer I can last!"


## Seven of Pentacles

The Fool scurried northward and came to a small farmhouse. In a nearby field,
the farmer was at his wit's end.

"We have been cursed!" he moaned. "Of what good is wealth without food to eat!"

It was then the Fool noticed that, instead of fruit and vegetables, seven shiny
coins had grown from each of the hardy stalks.

"Our enemies intend to starve us to death with their magic," the farmer
lamented. "If only I had some fertile seeds to plant!"

The Fool expressed his sympathy, but could offer little else to help the man's
plight.


## Knight of Pentacles

Taking a short cut across the field, he encountered a regal Knight in a
dazzling suit of gold armor, riding atop a stately mount.

"I am here at the Queen's request!" he proclaimed. "And I have the seeds that
you desire, but they have gotten jumbled in my pouch. Will this matter?"

The Fool peered into the Knight's satin pouch and saw TEHWA, ERCI, and NCRO.

"Well I don't know about that," the Fool reflected, "but I do know that the
farmer you seek is not me. He awaits you at the other end of this field."

"You are indeed a man of honor!" declared the Knight. "In this time of famine,
there are those that would deceive me and steal this most rare commodity for
themselves!"


## Eight of Pentacles

Soon, the Fool came to a small craftshop and inside, he found a young man
working on eight copper dinner plates, each inscribed with the design of a five-
pointed star.

"AIH," the Fool read aloud from one of the plates. "What does that mean?"

The craftsman spoke without looking up.

"Althea Isabel Heatherstone!" he snapped. "And she wants these plates
monogrammed by sundown. Now trouble me no further! I have much to accomplish!"


## Five of Pentacles

Without another word, the Fool obliged and left the shop, following a gray
cobblestone road. He approached a dark cathedral with three high steeples and
paused for a moment to inspect each of its five stained glass windows, each in
the shape of a circle and each containing a five point star.

"ROI," read the Fool, noticing some letters in the center window. "Now why
would someone want to monogram a church?"


## Three of Pentacles

Further down the road was a quaint chapel and gathered in front were three
craftsmen.

"Yes, that's it. MYR. Right above the three Pentacles," the tallest man
instructed.

The Fool watched as one man climbed a ladder and began to carve the letters
into the steeple.

"No, no, to the left more!" the second man cried.

"No, no, to the right more!" the third man protested.

"What's done is done," the first man pointed out. "I cannot move an inscription
like a piece of furniture."

"How true," the Fool thought as he turned to walk away.


## Six of Pentacles

By the side of the road was an elderly gentleman with six shiny gold coins.
Judging by his fine silk apparel, he was a man of great means, yet his behavior
was most odd.

"Fie," said the man, giving one of his coins to an orphan.

"Fie," he repeated, giving another coin to an old woman.

When the gentleman approached the Fool, however, he was not so generous. "FIE,"
he snorted, not giving any of his remaining coins.

"Indeed!" the Fool huffed. "Well I do not want one of your coins anyway! Soon,
I will have the fourteen treasures of the Land!"


## Four of Pentacles

Indignant, the Fool marched down the road, wondering all the while why he had
been unable to locate even one of the fourteen treasures. Before long, he came
to a merchant seated in front of his shop. The man had one silver coin balanced
on his head, another in his arms and two more under his feet.

"Alas," the man sighed. "I have only half a puzzle."

"And how is four a half?" the Fool inquired.

"When the puzzle is eight, naturally," he replied sourly, "and even in this I
have failed. I need the words of the four who precede me."

"But why can you not obtain such a simple goal?" the Fool asked.

"Because," the man grimaced, "if I were to move from this spot, then the four
that precede me would no longer precede me."

"Ah, I see your point," the Fool was quick to realize.


## Nine of Pentacles

He followed the cobblestone road and discovered that it ended at the entrance
to a maze of tall hedges.

"I would not go in there if I were you," warned a woman tending to a garden of
nine star-shaped flowers. "No one has ever found their way out."

"Well," the Fool pondered, "since you are not me, then it must mean that I
should go in there!"

He disappeared into the maze and very quickly found his way to the exit.


## Ten of Pentacles

"I would not go in there if I were you," warned an old man tending to a garden
of ten star-shaped flowers. "No one has ever found their way out."

"But I have just done so from the other side!" the Fool boasted.

"That cannot be!" the old man snorted, "for if you had, one of the Land's lost
treasures would be found!"

Not wishing to argue the point, the Fool continued onward.


## Queen of Pentacles

Strolling inside the gates of a magnificent palace, the Fool located the Queen
in a lush garden of ivy.

"Are you the messenger from the Cups?" she demanded sternly. "Tell them that we
must have our most cherished possession back at once! We will accept no
bargains!"

"I'm afraid that I am not the messenger you expect," the Fool answered
politely, "but I was told to warn you that two ships approach from the South."

"So this is how they honor the truce!" shouted the Queen. "So be it. We will
show them how we deal with such treachery! If they think that we have grown fat
and idle over the many years, they are sadly mistaken. Our vast wealth has only
made us stronger and our revenge will be swift against those who dare to steal
from our bounty. I thank you for your most timely information. Take this magic
word TRSC as your reward. Use it wisely."

The Fool thanked the Queen and bowed graciously.


## Ace of Pentacles

Leaving the palace, he came to an elegant gold statue, glistening by the side
of the path. It was a monument of an immense coin inscribed with a five-point
star and in its center was the letter B.

"Perhaps the Cups have decided to return their treasure after all," the Fool
wondered aloud.

"No," the statue replied in a low voice. "I am not the One Treasure of which
you speak. I am the symbol of his Lordship, the King."

"Oh dear," the Fool thought to himself as he continued on his way. "What could
be of greater value than a giant gold coin?"


## Page of Pentacles

Further along the path, he came to a haughty Page, intently studying a map
etched onto a shiny silver plate.

"Are you seeking the fourteen treasures also?" worried the Fool.

"Hmpfff," the Page sneered. "I have hundreds of treasures. Why should I seek
fourteen more? Magic is what I desire. And once I have consulted with the four
sages that await me, I shall be halfway there."

But the Page had not yet finished reading his map and so the Fool went on ahead
of him.


## The World

Very soon, he came to an aged stone monument set upon a carved pedestal. It was
a model of the World.

"At last!" the Fool exclaimed, running over to the globe and searching it
carefully. "There must be a clue to the fourteen treasures here somewhere!"

"YES?," the World suddenly replied.

"Praise be!" he cried, leaping for joy. "Please, I am in haste. What can you
tell me?"

"Yes," the World repeated.

The Fool scratched his head in bewilderment.

"You say yes, yet nothing more?"

"Yes" was its final word on the matter.


## Strength

Disheartened, the Fool wandered toward a small cave in the side of a sloping
hill. As he peered into the darkness, a fierce lion leapt out of the shadows
and pinned him to the ground.

"Stop, my pet!" a voice commanded and out stepped a beautiful woman in a white
silk robe. "I am Strength. Why have you come here?"

As she petted her lion, the Fool eagerly stated the purpose of his his errand.
"Ah, but such a task would take an ERA," the woman advised.

"Then you cannot help me?" the Fool replied sadly.

"But I have," insisted Strength. "It is you who do not listen very well."


## Temperance

The Fool continued on his way and came to a stone bridge that crossed a crystal
clear pond. Floating over the water was an angel who held a jeweled chalice.

"I am Temperance. Why have you come to this place?"

Again, the Fool stated the purpose of his errand.

"All things in moderation," the angel commented. "You are too eager and have
missed much already. You must take a SIP of my mystical waters."

"Thank you, but I am not thirsty," he answered courteously. "Can you tell me
anything else?"

"A sip is all you need," spoke Temperance somberly.

The Fool found it rather odd that the three who had offered their advice so
freely had nothing of importance to tell him.


## The Hanged Man

Shrugging his shoulders, he crossed the bridge and discovered a man hanging
upside down from a tree by one foot.

"Does that not hurt?" the Fool wondered.

"I am a hanged man," said the hanging man.

"That is most obvious," the Fool retorted.

"What is obvious to some is not obvious to all," said the upside down man.
"Consider that the TOP is at the bottom of the upper half."

But the Fool was weary of such confusing talk and did not wish to consider this
at all.


## Page of Cups

He came to the shores of another great ocean and met a Page who held an
engraved copper cup. Just as the Fool was about to say "hello," a tiny green
fish jumped out of the cup and fell to the ground, wiggling its way back to the
sea. "Help me!" the Page screamed. "My KD is getting away."

The Fool removed his pointed hat and, after a few tries, captured the slippery
fish within it.

"Here's your fish," he offered, "but I did not see your KD."

"Ah, but they are one and the same!" the Page told him happily. "Now I owe you
a favor. Seek she who holds two swords."

Shaking the water out of his hat, the Fool departed.

"Well that will not be an easy task," he reflected. "Few people in these parts
carry even a single sword!"


## Knight of Cups

Further along the shore, a Knight atop his gray horse stared off into the still
waters.

"The ocean is calm, yet no ship approaches," he uttered gravely.

"But that is good, is it not?" asked the Fool, walking closer.

"No," the warrior replied. "The Wands had promised to return our most treasured
possession and have not done so. The Queen must be told. I will wait here until
sunset, no longer."

The Fool promised to deliver the message.


## Six of Cups

Following a gray gravel road, the Fool came to a quaint stone cottage where two
children were arranging flowers into six straw vases.

"Your flowers are very lovely," the Fool told them.

"Thank you," said the little boy, "but I'm afraid they are not for sale."

"A wise decision," he agreed. "It would be very difficult to place a price on
such beauty."

"Yet we might part with one basket," the little girl whispered, "if you were to
tell us the word of a star."

"And the word of the pyramids!" the boy quickly added.

But the Fool did not know these words and so he bid the children farewell.


## Two of Cups

At the next house, a young couple stood on the porch, drinking a toast from two
crystal wine glasses.

"Here's to my dearest love," the man toasted.

"And here's to peace between our Kingdoms," the woman replied.

"My congratulations and best wishes respectively," said the Fool. "You have
been recently married then?"

"Yes," the young man affirmed. "We are the last of those who CARE."

"You see," the young woman pointed out. "He is a Wand and I am a Cup. Our union
will bring peace to the Land."

"Will this restore your Kingdoms' lost treasures?" the Fool asked.

"That is the work of the Devil and Despair," she cursed. "It is sad that their
words must be spoken with ours. But as you can see, our friends do not share
our concern."


## Three of Cups

On the front lawn, three women were engaged in a merry dance, each drinking
from a hefty goblet of wine. "LEAP for JOY, my friends!" yelled the first.

"Yes, leap and forget our troubles!" cried the second.

"Will you not join us in our dance?" the third asked the Fool.

"Well, I'd really like to," he fibbed, "but I am on a most urgent errand for
the Queen!"

And with that, the Fool scurried away, his face blushing brightly.


## Ten of Cups

A few houses down, he met a family, celebrating in the street.

"The rainbow of hope smiles upon us!" the father shouted gleefully. "Our WISH
has been granted!"

Looking up, the Fool saw a beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky and amid
the many colors, he could see the faint outlines of ten heavenly chalices.

"For what did you wish?" the Fool wondered. "The food of fertile seeds!"
declared the mother. "At long last, the famine is at an end!"


## Nine of Cups

In the center of town, a large crowd had gathered for the local auction and
near the front, a man with a feathered cap carefully arranged a collection of
antique cups on a wooden table.

"Are you a merchant?" the Fool inquired.

"Certainly not!" the man huffed distastefully. "These NINE are mine and I am
the last. What more could one hope for?"

"The fourteen treasures of the Land," thought the Fool, but kept silent on the
matter.


## Queen of Cups

He crossed a wooden bridge spanning a dark moat and quietly entered a castle of
solemn beauty. There, he found the Queen sitting beside the shimmering waters
of a majestic fountain.

"Do you bring word of our treasure?" she asked eagerly.

"Alas, I do," he sighed. "Your Knight says that no ship has landed upon your
shore."

"So, they break their agreement," the Queen hissed through clenched teeth.
"What can be expected from such faithless ones! I fear that a holy war is the
only way to scourge this evil from the Land. And those who do not believe in
the words of truth shall live to rue the consequences! Please, I must have some
time alone. My heart is not yet hardened to the grim task that lies ahead. Take
the magic word YNAL for your troubles and go in peace."


## Ace of Cups

The Fool departed from the royal palace and came to another fountain at the
edge of the Kingdom. It was an immense ivory chalice, engraved with the letter
T, and from it issued four glittering streams of water.

"I will not be fooled a third time!" declared the Fool. "This is the symbol of
his Lordship, the King, and nothing more."


## Four of Cups

Walking across a grassy knoll, he discovered a young man sitting under a
spreading oak tree. Before him were three fine goblets and emerging from a
small cloud, a pale hand offered him a fourth.

"Why do you refuse such gifts?" the Fool had to ask.

"Why should I be satisfied with less than I am seeking," the boy grumbled.

"But you do not look like one who is seeking anything!"

"No, you are wrong! I seek the sacred 6 and 13, but this cloud offers me
trifles instead. So here I will sit until it gives me what I desire."


## Seven of Cups

Continuing on his way, the Fool came to a barren field, pitted with jagged
rocks.

"I can see them!" a man shouted, spinning about in a daze. "They are just out
of my reach!"

"I do not see anything," the Fool remarked.

"You must!" the man pleaded. "I see seven cups of treasure in a vile cloud. And
wait, I can see something else! The numbers 15 and 2 and 20!"

"There are clouds in the sky," the Fool observed, "but no numbers or cups."

"They're gone!" he cried. "It's your fault. You have no faith! You are blind
like all the rest!"

And then the man ran off, laughing maniacally.


## Five of Cups

Beyond the field stood a woman in a long cloak. Behind her were two chalices
filled with a bubbling liquid and before her were three others, their contents
spilled on the ground.

"You have knocked over three of your cups," the Fool felt obliged to mention.

"Quiet!" the woman snapped. "You will disturb the enchantment!"

The Fool watched as the bubbling liquid seeped into the cold earth. To his
dismay, a cloud of bluish-green smoke curled upward and formed the numbers 14
and 8 and 15. Not wishing to see what might happen next, the Fool departed in a
hurry.


## Eight of Cups

Heading up a steep mountain path, he discovered eight silver goblets, abandoned
on a rock ledge. Looking about, he spotted a man in a scarlet robe scaling a
distant peak.

"You have forgotten your cups!" the Fool cried out.

"No, I choose to leave them behind!" he shouted back. "I have grown weary of
this Kingdom. Blind faith is no replacement for true knowledge. I have the
mystical 16 and 16. That is all I desire."

Leaving the eight cups where they were, the Fool hiked onward.


## The Hierophant

Keeping to the path, the Fool located a hidden fortress, perched precariously
atop a lonely crag. It was here that he encountered the mighty Hierophant.

"I know of your quest," spoke the priest suspiciously. "Four others have come
before you."

"But I seek no harm to anyone," the Fool assured him.

"Ah, but harm has already been done. The four Kingdoms are on the verge of
another war. The countryside is ravaged by famine. And even as I speak, the
specter of Death roams the Land!"

He could not imagine how he had been the cause of such things.

"Nonetheless," the priest continued, "I am compelled to help you in this
matter, little good it may do you. Take this and be gone!"

And with a flash of lightning, the Fool appeared back on the mountain trail.
Etched into the rock at his feet were the numbers 15 and 24 and 2.


## The Moon

Yet the shadow of night had cloaked the Land, and the Fool could not tell from
which direction he had come or to which direction he should go.

"If only this map made any sense," he moaned, removing the wrinkled parchment
from his knapsack and staring at it.

"The Sun is a trickster!" echoed a voice from above.

"But it was he who gave me this map!" replied the Fool, looking up. "It was to
be my guide to the fourteen treasures of the Land!"

"And so it will be, but not in the way that you think," the Moon replied. "The
map shows you only of the places you have visited and never of the places you
have not."

"But how will that help me find my way out of these mountains?" the Fool
pleaded.

"Just follow the path to the West," he replied.


## The Emperor

Squinting into the darkness, the Fool did just that and by daybreak, he had
come to the home of the Emperor and the Empress.

"Fourteen treasures?" the Emperor boomed in a raspy voice. "I care not for the
other thirteen, but someone has stolen our One Treasure and they left me with
this ridiculous WIF DOVE! An absurd trade at best!"

The Fool looked at the pathetic creature and had to agree. It was a small bird
with three wings, two heads, and one leg.

"Perhaps it is magical," The Fool remarked.

"Magical? Ha! It is totally unnecessary! And look what has happened to my
beloved wife!"


## The Empress

The Empress was seated on a long satin couch, her tired eyes barely open. On
the wall, she cast two distinct shadows, her normal one and another jagged
silhouette that stood next to her like a second person. In its hand was a
crystal sphere with five mouths that wailed incessantly.

"Oh," the Fool mumbled, not really knowing what to say.

"Yes," the Empress sighed. "My husband may be bewitched by that wretched little
bird, but I am cursed with this VILE SHADOW and its unrelenting FIVE CIRCLE. I
have been unable to sleep ever since it arrived."

The Fool expressed his most solemn sympathies and departed from the unhappy
couple.


## The Star

Traveling further, he spotted a lone star in midst of the morning sky.

"How curious," he commented. "A Pentacle in this faraway place."

"You are in need of wisdom, my friend," the heavenly body replied. "I am the
Star, nothing more. But to ERR is human, so call me what you will."

"Then I beg your pardon," the Fool said with a low bow. "I stand corrected."


## The High Priestess

The road narrowed into a winding path that climbed up the side of a desolate
plateau. As the Fool reached its top, an explosion of crimson fire blocked his
way and out of the flames walked a stern woman, unscathed by the heat.

"You have dared to trespass!" she screamed wickedly. "It is common knowledge
that to face the High Priestess is death, yet you have come here alone. Why?"

"I am just following the path that the Sun advised," he blurted out nervously.
"Please tell the High Priestess that I meant no harm!"

"Tell her yourself," she grinned, "for I am she!"

The Fool trembled in his pointed shoes.

"Yes, and I know of the Sun's tricks," she cackled. "He has sent you on a
mission to uncover the fourteen lost treasures of the Land. Well, you are
doomed to failure, for no one can undo the treachery I have inflicted upon the
Land!"

"You?" he murmured. "You have taken the fourteen treasures?"

"I have no use for such foolish trinkets," she boasted. "I have merely
disguised them from the sight of their owners. I admit it was a most amusing
game, however, the manner of your death may prove to be more amusing yet!"

The High Priestess laughed sinisterly.

"But I will spare your worthless life if you fulfill these three tasks. First,
bring me the sacred inscription from the evil dark tower. And second, deliver
the letters from the banner of Death!"

"And the third?" the Fool asked meekly.

The sky erupted with lightning.

"Tell the Magician that his days are few... for I have conquered the Book of
Thoth and now its power is mine!"

The Fool ran for his life.


## Three of Swords

Completely out of breath, he collapsed near the banks of a foggy moor. Ahead
lay a ened dirt road, discolored, he realized, by the blood of the dead.

"Enter this Kingdom at your own peril," a voice rumbled. "This is a time of war
and no one is safe."

The Fool whirled around and saw a quivering heart pierced by three sharp swords.

"But I must go this way," he pleaded. "I cannot go back to the High Priestess!"

"Then you would be wise to procure a charm of protection," the ominous sentry
warned. "Take the blood of a man killed by ten and smear it upon the weapon of
an outnumbered warrior. Yet even this will be of little security against what
lies ahead."

Having no such things, however, the Fool had no choice but to hurry on his way
and hope for the best.


## Knight of Swords

In the distance the sound of thundering hooves grew louder and out of the fog
galloped a Knight wielding a fierce blade.

"What business have you here?" he demanded. "You are either very brave or very
foolish!"

"The latter, if you please," the Fool answered meekly.

"Our men are being attacked by eight magical wands which fly through the air,"
the Knight told him. "The truce has been broken and the Queen must be told, but
I am on a mission that cannot be delayed. Will you deliver this message for me?
Or would you rather feel the edge of my sword?"

"The former, if you please!" the Fool quickly replied.

Satisfied, he sheathed his weapon and galloped into the fog.


## Two of Swords

The Fool scurried down the road and discovered the ruins of a once great
village. On a stained marble bench sat a blindfolded woman with two rusty
swords held in her crossed arms.

"EZC," she murmured over and over again.

"Pardon me," the Fool began, "but is this the road to the Queen's castle?"

"Seek the family who departs by boat," the woman whispered.

"Oh, will they know the way?" he inquired further.

"EZC" the woman repeated over and over again.


## Four of Swords

Venturing further down the road, the Fool entered a desecrated temple and
within, a pale man lay asleep on the stone slab of an ancient crypt. By his
side was a long jeweled sword and on the floor were three others.

"Who are you?" the man shouted, reaching for his weapon.

"Just a fool in a place where he does not belong!" he quickly explained.

Slowly, the man lowered his sword and lay back down. "I have had this one dream
night after night," he sighed. "A giant wheel stood near the pyramids and I saw
three mystical words, one atop the other. A voice told me that these words were
of great importance. But alas, every time I awaken, I cannot remember what they
were."

Then the man drifted back into slumber.


## Nine of Swords

Very quietly, the Fool tiptoed back outside and inspected the ruins of a red
brick cottage that stood nearby. In a room towards the rear of the house, he
discovered a woman sleeping on a long bed, many times her size. On the wall
were nine precariously mounted swords.

"Oh, it was terrible!" she cried out, awakening from a nightmare. "I saw a man
carrying ten wooden staffs. He sang this haunting song again and again. I was
lost and he refused to give me any directions. I shall never forget his awful
words."

"This is very strange," the Fool puzzled. "You are the second person to have a
dream that is familiar to me. It is a most curious coincidence."

"Perhaps," she reflected, "yet dreams can have great meaning if one knows how
to interpret them. Some say that they can foretell the future."

"The future?" the Fool mumbled as he left the cottage. "Unless I am greatly
mistaken, I believe they remind me more of the past!"


## Queen of Swords

At the end of the dirt road, he approached a bleak three-towered citadel,
ravaged by the strife of recent battle. Gathering his courage, the Fool took a
deep breath and walked inside. The Queen was startled by his sudden appearance
and drew her great sword.

"Are you friend or foe?" she demanded.

"Neither, I believe," replied the Fool bravely. "I bring a message from your
Knight. He tells of an attack by eight magical wands."

"That cannot be!" the Queen shrieked. "We have never troubled the Kingdom of
the Wands! Our grudge is against the accursed Pentacles who have dared to steal
our most treasured possession. It is they who have broken the truce, not us. We
only fight to reclaim what is rightfully ours. But if the Pentacles have
enlisted the aid of another Kingdom, then we must strike quickly and compel
their surrender at the points of our blades. You have earned the magic word EKE
for your most timely counsel. Guard it well."


## Ace of Swords

Continuing across the desolate countryside, the Fool came to an immense
monument — a fierce battle sword thrust into the dry earth, its dented blade
encrusted with reddish-brown rust. On its tarnished handle could be seen the
letter E.

"If this be the symbol of his Lordship, the King," he stammered, "then I for
one, am in no great haste to make his acquaintance!"


## Six of Swords

Running along the path, the Fool crossed a rocky ledge and spotted a small boat
departing from its gloomy shore. A woman and her child were huddled together at
one end of the tiny craft and at the other end, a tall man steered the boat and
guarded six heavy swords.

"Do not try to stop us!" the father shouted. "We will not take part in this
horrible war. Too much blood has been spilt already. It is our intention to
follow the path of the sacred YH and then seek the broken wheel. You will have
to fare for yourself."


## Eight of Swords

As the boat faded into the mist, the Fool pressed onward and discovered an old
woman bound and blindfolded to one of eight long swords, stuck point first into
the ground.

"Here, I will help you," the Fool offered.

"Let me be!" she croaked, much to his surprise. "I am the shadow of Despair. It
falls to me and me alone to bear the burden of the Land's GRIEF. Now be gone or
you too shall share my fate!"

The Fool did not have to be told twice.


## Ten of Swords

In his haste, he stumbled into a briar patch and tripped over a limp body,
sprawled in the dirt. In its chest were ten glowing swords and instead of
blood, vile green PUS hissed out of the wounds.

Terrified, the Fool scrambled to his feet and ran until he was utterly out of
breath.


## Justice

Gasping for air, he looked up and seated on a crumbling marble throne was a
somber woman with a crown of iron. In one hand she held a fiery sword and in
the other a set of scales.

"I beg your forgiveness!" the Fool stuttered. "I did not mean to trespass.
Please do not take any offense!"

"You have nothing to fear," she answered solemnly. "I am Justice and my wrath
is reserved for those who have wronged the Land."

The Fool considered this a moment.

"Then have you judged the thief who stole the treasure from the Emperor and
Empress?" he asked, remembering their sorry plight.

"They have lost nothing," Justice told him. "To lift the curse, the Emperor
must simply take what is his from what is hers. Until that time, however, their
treasure will remain hidden from their eyes."


## Page of Swords

Taking his leave, the Fool came to a narrow pass and was stopped by a stubborn
Page, swinging a heavy sword.

"You cannot come this way!" he ordered. "The four Kings are in counsel!"

"Oh look!" cried the Fool. "Eight giant letters have just appeared across the
face of Land!"

"Where?" the Page demanded, looking all about. "I cannot see any such thing!"

But the Fool did not reply, for he had taken the opportunity to sneak past the
Page and run up the road.


## The Chariot

Scurrying along a narrow mountain path, the Fool was startled by the sudden
approach of a swift Chariot.

"Look out!" yelled the driver, steering it sharply.

The Chariot spun about and flipped on its side. With a loud crunch, one of the
wooden wheels broke into two pieces. The Fool offered to assist the man, but
was shoved aside.

"Out of my way!" shouted the driver, leaping onto one of the horses. "I have
uncovered the mystic HA and with it I must locate a thief who steals seven!"

And with that, he thundered away in a cloud of dust.


## The King of Swords

As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, the Fool became aware of the
low murmuring of many voices, coming from over a small hill. Departing from the
road, he scaled the slope and stood on the top, overlooking a wide valley.
Stretching out for as far as he could see were the mighty armies of the four
Kingdoms and gathered about a huge bonfire were the four great Kings engaged in
a vicious debate. The Fool crept closer to observe the proceedings.

The King of Swords, a most imposing figure, stood and flourished his weapon
which was engraved with the letter N.

"I demand that the Pentacles return our One Treasure at once!" he threatened,
"Or I shall order my men to attack!"


## The King of Pentacles

The King of Pentacles wore a fine silk robe and held a gold scepter, engraved
with the letter Z.

"Have you no ears?" he cursed bitterly. "I have told you repeatedly that we do
not have it nor have we ever desired it! But mark my words, the Kingdom of the
Cups had better surrender our One Treasure or the consequences will be most
severe!"


## The King of Cups

The King of Cups calmly took a sip from his jeweled chalice, engraved with the
letter T.

"We would have no use for such a thing," he sniffed. "We are a people of faith
and have always abided by the law of the Land. Unlike the heathens who have
stolen our One Treasure, the Kingdom of the Wands!"


## The King of Wands

The King of Wands tightened his grip on his stout fighting staff, engraved with
the letter U.

"It's a lie!" he shouted. "We are not common thieves! If you open your eyes,
you will see that there is only one among us who is capable of such treachery!
The very ones who have dared to rob us of our One Treasure! The murderous
Swords!"

With a vile curse, the King of Swords leapt forward and waved his gleaming
blade. Undaunted, the King of Wands held his ground, thrusting his staff
forward. The King of Pentacles withdrew a hidden dagger and the King of Cups
reached for a fierce battle axe. A sudden stillness came over the wide valley
as the many armies awaited their Lordships' commands.

"Oh no!" the Fool lamented. "It is just as the Hierophant had predicted. The
four Kingdoms are on the verge of another war!"


## Seven of Swords

Fearing for his life, he dashed down the slope and stumbled into a man sneaking
off in the same direction. With a loud clatter, the seven swords in his arms
fell to the ground.

"All is lost!" the Fool shouted. "Another war is at hand!"

"Quiet!" the man whispered. "They will hear you! Is it your desire to be hanged
for thievery?"

The Fool shook his head nervously.

"Well then, be silent!" he continued, retrieving the stolen swords. "If a new
battle is to begin, then my enemies will have to fight it with seven less
weapons. The magic word RW has given me the power of stealth, but it is the
last of its kind and has to be used wisely. Now I must be off."

As the man darted into the shadows, the Fool kept to the path and went as far
away as his legs would take him.


## Five of Swords

Pausing for a moment to rest, he noticed a nearby soldier gathering the five
fallen swords from a host of fleeing warriors.

"How is it that one unarmed man can so easily defeat five?" the Fool asked.

"I take no credit for this," the man replied somberly. "My comrades were
stricken with a sudden madness and have abandoned their posts to search the
Land for four mystic spells that will restore four of the Land's lost
treasures. I tried to reason with them, but alas, they could not be swayed."

"This is indeed ill news," the Fool realized. "I must make haste if I am to
outdo the efforts of five!"


## The Hermit

Very soon, the Fool found himself lost in a confusing tangle of crooked paths.
After wandering aimlessly for hours and hours, he got so exasperated that he
just sat down in the dirt and refused to move any further.

"The one who built this road is a greater Fool than I!" he huffed. "This is
hardly the shortest distance between two points!"

"Really?" croaked a scruffy Hermit, popping out from behind a bush. "And what
is the shortest distance between two points?"

"Why, a straight line of course," he snapped, "which this path does not in the
least bit resemble!"

"Ah, but a straight line can be the most difficult puzzle of them all!" the
Hermit insisted. "Especially if you do not know where to begin. If nothing
else, you must remember to locate a J and proceed from there."

Eventually, the Fool grew tired of sitting and decided to walk a bit further,
coming at last to the end of the tangle of paths. The next road was indeed as
straight as an arrow and naturally he had no difficulty whatsoever in following
it.

"That Hermit must have stayed out in the sun too long," he laughed to himself.
"This path is the easiest one yet!"


## Judgement

Venturing ahead, the Fool approached an angel who sat atop an enormous
hourglass.

"One who blindly follows a path without question," she spoke, "is as lost as
the one who follows no path at all."

"I beg to differ," he replied politely. "But as you can see I am no longer
lost."

"Yes, but have you yet uncovered one of the Land's lost treasures?"

The Fool shook his head sullenly.

"Then heed the advice of the Hermit and gaze into the sands of time!" she
commanded.

Reluctantly, he looked into the hourglass and watched the twinkling grains of
sand. The longer he stared, the brighter they seemed to become. Then his eyes
began to itch. His knees weakened. His stomach went queasy.

Then a faint voice spoke...

"4 to the North... 7 to the West... 3 to the North... 8 to the West... 6 to the
South... 5 to the East... 9 to the North..."


## The Tower

He woke up alone on the edge of a barren field. The Fool leapt to his feet and
could find no sign of the angel nor the hourglass. On the horizon stood a dark
abandoned tower. As he walked nearer, he observed that the parapet was engraved
with the letters QM.

Then, without warning, a twisted bolt of lightning burst from the clear sky and
shattered the tower utterly.


## The Devil

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" a sinister voice cackled.

The Fool whirled about and came face-to-face with the Devil himself. He had the
wings of a bat, the horns of a ram, the legs of a goat, and the feet of a bird.

"It is good!" he gloated. "Tell me little one, which do you prefer? To be
living or to be DEAD!"

"Living!" the Fool answered without hesitation.

"Then you had better choose another path to follow!" the Devil cackled, waving
a sizzling pitchfork over his head and vanishing in a burst of brimstone fire.

As the smoke cleared, the Fool beheld a rocky plain, strewn with the sun-
bleached bones of the dead. On a flat slab of rock, written in dried blood,
were the words:

"To secure that which cannot be gotten, you must invoke the points of a compass
and convince it to come to you."


## Death

Then, as if from nowhere, a knight astride a pale white horse appeared in the
distance. The Fool became too scared to move.

"It is true!" groaned a wary voice. "You do not have any fear of me! The Sun
has won his wager."

"Wager?" the Fool stuttered.

"Yes," Death replied, "I had agreed to spare your life if you had the courage
to face me unarmed and alone. It is a bargain that I heartily regret."

The armored knight raised the visor on his helmet and a skull, writhing with
worms, peered out to the northeast.

"Ah, but still," he hissed, "the outbreak of war may yet offer me satisfaction."

And with an awful shriek, the knight raised a banner bearing the letters ZA and
galloped away.


## The Magician

Beyond himself with fright, the Fool dashed down the road and fell at the
entrance of a dark cavern. Not knowing what to do, he scurried inside for
safety and trembled in the shadows.

In the dimly lit chamber stood an old man in a tattered gray robe, chanting an
incantation over four objects on a wooden table — a Sword, a Pentacle, a Wand,
and a Cup.

"At last, you have come!" cried the Magician. "I had begun to fear that my
spell was insufficient to lead you here. Now! Have you the Sun's map?"

The Fool was not the least bit aware of having been led to this place, but kept
silent. He removed the parchment from his knapsack and the Magician studied it
carefully.

"It is no wonder that you have been unable to locate any of the fourteen
treasures," he realized. "This map has been corrupted by a powerful
enchantment!"

"It has?" the Fool worried, backing away.

"It is not meant to harm, only to confuse," the Magician assured him. "The High
Priestess may have learned how to command the sacred Book of Thoth, but even
she cannot force it to do anything inherently evil. Still, her mischief is not
without consequence. The fourteen treasures must be recovered without delay."

"You must visit every corner of the Land and talk to its people. As you do,
each missing piece of the Sun's map will reappear, yet not always in its
correct position. To fully restore the map, you must use the knowledge of your
journey to rearrange the many pieces into the proper order."

The Fool had hoped to do far less work.

"But where will I find the fourteen treasures?" he asked.

"The Magician turned away solemnly. "Each of the four Kingdoms contains one of
the lost treasures and all require the use of secret words. But in every case,
the townsfolk have either told you of these words or told you where they can be
found."

The Fool was quite bewildered.

"I'm afraid that I can offer you little else," the Magician sighed. "Now it
falls to you and you alone to undo the treachery of the High Priestess. And
once you have returned the fourteen treasures to their rightful owners, peace
will be restored to the Land."

The Fool shuffled his foot along the dirt floor.

"But I had hoped," he began meekly. "Well, actually I had hoped to claim the
fourteen treasures for myself."

"And what would you do with such things?" said the Magician with a smile. "The
Land is in great need, my friend, and only you will have seen all of its
secrets. And if you are able to accomplish this great task, I know that you
will find what you are truly seeking in the end."

The Fool could not imagine how he would accomplish this without any further
help. Sadly, he rolled up the parchment and walked into the sunlight, feeling
very sorry for himself. He looked back to the Magician's cave for some
encouragement and saw that it resembled the shape of a skull.

"It is lucky that I did not notice this before!" he blurted out. "Otherwise I
might never have met the Magician at all!"


## The Lovers

As he turned away, however, the Fool discovered that there was one last road
ahead of him. So without another thought, he hurried along the path and very
shortly came to its end. There he found a man and a woman seated on a marble
bench, their hands embraced in love.

"Oh look, a wise man approaches!" they both exclaimed. "At last, there is hope
for the Land!"

The Fool twirled around, but saw no one standing next to him.

"Do you doubt their words?" the bright yellow Sun asked.

Pacing back and forth, the Fool took a moment to reflect upon the events of his
errand and then snapped his fingers with a smile.

"Why not at all!" he suddenly realized, "for I am the one who will save the
Land!"