The tale Dresden is about to embark on is elaborate, but the salient points are what Shah is after, thus we do not need to get into the detail. We will, eventually, I promise (unless you're not a fan of detail, in which case, feel free to skip said 'later details' when I write them). For now, let us take the summary of Dresden's tale instead as a taste of what is to come. Better still, the two boys have some distance to cover before they arrive at the 'Whitecrown Inn', so there is time.

According to the stories of old, the very first thing to exist in Creation was the Line, a partition from which God descended from His supreme abode (a mystical realm, Dresden explained, that sat above all Creation, and was also known as the Highest). The beginning of land itself, an actual, real place myriads of horizons Darkwards from the Hepstraad and known as the Dawnplains, was created by the first footstep of God. It was from this land that He began the journey of creation, weaving together the very ground beneath His feet and the sky above His head with each stride, as He followed the Line along its course. It was also in this primeval place that the first of the Artifacts – a bracelet made of red clay, used by God in his descension – was safeguarded. Dresden had only heard of this through the stories told him by teachers and by the Custodian, none of whom had set their eyes on the item. Moreover, the Dawnplains were very, very far away. The journey would take innumerable cycles, even if flying on the wings of a Line-catcher ("Tell me more about this creature later," Shah interjected, thinking: Sounds kinda cool!)

The second Artifact was the Teardrop, shed by God in both joy and mourning at the arrival of the first human, in a land that was now known as the Whitecrown Reach ("The inn we travel to is named after this land, Shah," Dresden said, then continued). It was said that God's joy stemmed from His regard of the new creature: the culmination of all His attributes manifested and embodied in one unified form. But His sadness, it was also said, stemmed from His foreknowledge of the vile acts this new creature would perform, in spite of its inherent capabilities. Light and Darkness, good and evil, encapsulated in a being that would embrace more of the latter than the former (by choice!), and cause tremendous harm to Creation. And for this, God cried a single tear, one that solidified into a transparent, colorless gemstone of tremendous magical potency.

This Artifact was hidden in an ice cave in the Aranspyre Highlands of the Reach, and while the Custodian told Dresden he had been to the frigid regions where these caves were located, he spent little time searching for it. The effort was known to be an exercise in futility, all but guaranteeing death. The existence of Teardrop was in no doubt, however. Its astounding (and sometimes terrifying) power radiated from the mountains of ice under which it was buried. All those in the vicinity of the mountains – man, woman, child, creature, even vegetation – were affected by its radiant aura.

("If we have a chance," Dresden said, "you may see specimens the Custodian brought with him from these lands. They reside in his garden."

Shah didn't comment on this. Instead, he re-iterated what Dresden had said: "So a colorless gemstone the size of a teardrop buried under ice," before continuing in his own language: "Well, yah, that would be a pain in the butt to find.")

Then came the third Artifact, the Robe of God, also known as the Ornament of the Hepstraad. God bestowed His Robe to the first human to declare allegiance to the Highest and become a follower of the Light. This human was a woman named Alrea, and in some versions of this story, she was more than just God's disciple; she was also His lover, and the children they bore would be the first among the Kings and Queens of the Hepstraad. Hep Duatab was the capital of the Hepstraad, and the Robe of God had remained in the hands of its rulers, the descendants of Alrea, since time immemorial. Lord Faramay was not a descendant of Alrea, no, but Queen Rylenia purportedly bore this lineage, her beauty an evident mark of her deified ancestry. And as Queen Rylenia was held to be a descendant of Alrea, she was thus, by proxy rather than fact, a descendant of God Himself.

("How do you know all this, Dresden?" Shah asked at this point.

Dresden shrugged and replied: "We are taught this knowledge from the very beginning, Shah. It is elementary."

"And so, you, too, are a 'descendent of God'?"

"The traits are most manifest in female progeny of Alrea," Dresden said. "I certainly don't feel very God-like. As the Custodian may tell you, my abilities with magic are... well, he uses the word 'stunted', but it makes me feel small."

"I see," Shah said, and Dresden continued.)

The Custodian had told Dresden (in secret, of course) that he was not a fan of the idea that the Queen of the Hepstraad was a 'descendent of God'. Dresden was a little dismayed by the man's skepticism, but the Custodian went on to elaborate that the reason for the Robe's possession by rulers of the Hepstraad was likely a consequence of less grandiose events. Of course, none denied that the item was God's Robe – the power it possessed was direct testimony – but the connection to the oft-flawed Kings and Queens of this land to God Himself was too much of a stretch to be given any credence. Perhaps it had been given to the ancestor of Alrea for safe-keeping, and the passage of history amplified her role to much, much more. The Custodian had cautioned Dresden that conflations like this were not without precedent.

(Shah smiled wryly and said: "Dresden, I would agree with the Custodian about this. We have such exaggerations in our land, too.")

There were many more Artifacts left by the passage of God in the journey of Creation. The lamp He used to guide His way in the darkest of lands was known as the Purple Lamp, and it was the emblem of healers and healing magic. Then there was a plain ring made of pure gold known as the Circle of Life ("Elton John might sue if he found out about that," Shah muttered to himself). There was also a crown made from the thorn-covered branches of a bloodwood tree, known as the Coronet of the Cross-bearer ("How about that," Shah interjected again, but Dresden continued anyhow). The Custodian also told Dresden of a staff called the Void Scepter, but the information on this Artifact was sparse. Details of other Artifacts and holy items were even sparser, beyond the knowledge of Dresden or any of his teachers, including the Custodian, so Dresden returned to telling Shah about the Robe.

"Before I continue," he said, "I need to ask: what do you know of magic?"

Shah shrugged. "In this land, it is possible to make things happen by simply asking it to be done. Is this true?"

"Spells are spoken, yes. But the caster – he or she who speaks the spell – must know what to feel and what to think when they speak the words." He raised one hand up, palm open. "I cannot simply say, 'let there be bread', and bread will appear in my hand."

"So, magic is difficult?"

Dresden let his hand fall away. "For me, yes. For others such as the Custodian, magic is not easy either, but it is possible to become competent in the art. Good magic, however – and by this, I mean lasting magic that has consequences, a duration longer than mere moments – well, this is hard for everyone."

"And how is the Robe of God connected to magic?"

"Fortunately, that is simple to explain," Dresden said. "When magic is performed, even by mages such as Custodian who know many spells, this magic is transient. It is temporary." He shrugged. "Sometimes, temporary magic is perfectly suitable. If it is raining, and I summon a barrier to protect me, I can remain dry." He spread his fingers out to illustrate the point. "And if I fell from a height and had my wits about me to cast a slowing spell, I may survive. But if I should summon food – bread, perhaps – would I eat it and be filled?" Now he closed the hand into a fist. "Maybe, for a time. But then I would be hungry again, and the summoned bread I consumed would return from my belly and into the Weave. Eventually, I would starve, Shah. The bread has no substance, though I may summon with the most powerful of spells."

Shah's brows furrowed in thought. "Rooster feasted in Castle Duatab," he said, recalling Sonic's memories of Rusty pigging out at the banquet tables. "He was satiated by food that appeared magically on the tables."

"Yes. Because that food was real," Dresden answered. "It was prepared by those tasked to the kitchens. The same is true of the feasting tables in the underwall. They provide real banquets. The magic is simply the storage and delivery."

"Teleportation or something, hey? Go figure," Shah said, then: "I understand. But you still haven't connected magic to the Robe?"

"The Robe of God creates permanence, Shah. What the Robe summons, stays." Dresden paused, before continuing: "It is very powerful."

"This is why the Gol'ur-Klem want it?"

"Of course. But the Robe has limits. It cannot be used to bring people back from the dead, or render anyone immortal."

"Thus, the Custodian uses it to summon walls?" Shah asked, thinking of what Sonic had witnessed at the beginning of the Gol'ur-Klem invasion.

"Yes, Shah. Walls, food, rains, good crops, health, even jewels and gold, and more. An abode needs repair? He would use the Robe to assist. The soil has lost fertility, and there is no time to rotate the crops? The Robe would provide replenishment."

"And now he's gone and handed the Robe to the enemy," Shah said, before realizing he was speaking the language of the Hep and not Earthling English.

"I'm sorry, Shah, what did you say?"

"Er, I said 'and so he's not going to handed the Robe to the enemy'," Shah said, wincing at both his grammar and his loose lips.

"Why would the Custodian give the Robe to the Gol'ur-Klem?" Dresden asked, puzzled. "And why would you suggest such a thing?"

Shah sighed. Lying was not his specialty. "Sonic believed the Custodian was working with the Gol'ur-Klem, Dresden," he said. "We both assume his intention is connected to the Robe. In fact, we suspect he wished to give it to them."

Dresden appeared to take this in. Then he shook his head vigorously. "No, Shah. The Custodian is not 'working' with the Gol'ur-Klem. Your assumption is mistaken." He looked grim. "We have won this battle with his help. Whatever it is you and Sonic suspect, dismiss it now. Better still, talk to him when we next meet."

Shah nodded. "I shall, Dresden. And I apologize in advance if our suspicion was mistaken. As you know, I do make mistakes."

"We all make mistakes, Shah. But to assume the Custodian is in league with the enemy is not only wrong, it is insulting. He is a great man, and he is my friend. Let us speak of this no more."

Shah nodded again. "Understood, Dresden." He raised the Rig once more to get their bearings. There was a fork up ahead, not far from where they stood. He mentioned this to Dresden, happy to be changing the subject.

"I am not sure which road to take," Dresden said. "Although this building on the right here – " He walked up to it to get a better view of the doorway (it was getting quite dark now) – "I recognize it. This is the workshop of the Pitch-Binder. Which means we need to turn right at the fork."

"Very well," Shah replied.

And right they went.