There seemed to be hundreds of soldiers in the Castle's huge entrance chamber. At their head stood the Lord Faramay, with General Weylin on one side, and – Shah was happy to see – Dresden on the other. The boy looked defiantly grim. Probably still smarting from the ear-walloping he got from his mother, Shah thought. Wherever the lady might be... He hadn't seen the Queen on their arrival.

He turned to Rusty. "Show Lord Faramay the bread."

Rusty made no move. He was staring blank-faced at the veritable army surrounding them in this huge room (a room he recognized, having been here before).

"Woops," Shah said, and repeated the request in English. "Er, Rust-bucket. Show the folks here the loaf."

"What?"

"Loaf. Now."

"This?" Rusty asked, holding the plastic bag up. He had opened it already, and eaten more than half the bread within.

Shah sighed. "Really?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Yah, I see that. Okay, never mind. Just hope it doesn't make you sick."

Rusty turned pale. "You're kidding, right? It was really good! Fruit loaf, I think."

"Yah, I put raisins in it," Shah said, then turned back to Lord Faramay. "As you are aware, Lord, I am a mage. However, as your son has told me, magic in this land is impermanent unless the caster dons an Artifact, such as the Robe." Then he pointed at Rusty. "Rooster here, on the other hand, is no mage. He bears no capacity in this regard, neither here in this land nor in my own."

Lord Faramay glanced at his son, then back at Shah. "Continue."

Shah turned back to Rusty. "Okay, man. Like I told you. Showtime."

"What?"

"Man. What we discussed on the way over here," Shah said, and sighed again, thinking about what Sonic observed when she first met the boy (that either he banged his head a little hard, or he was just dense. Looked like the latter was closer to home). "Put the coat on and think really hard about something."

"Oh, right, yeah." He held the near-empty bread-bag out. "You mind holding onto this?"

Shah sighed for the third time. "Sure," he said, and took the bag from Rusty.

Rusty put the Robe on gingerly. Funnily enough, it didn't smell bad at all, despite where he'd shoved it in his encounter with the floating no-head giant. "Okay... now what?"

"Close your eyes, and think of something."

Rusty closed his eyes.

Nothing happened.

Shah grimaced. He knew what Rusty was thinking. "I already told you, man. You can't think of going back home. Doesn't work like that."

Rusty opened his eyes. "How did – okay, never mind. What did you want me to think of?"

Shah shrugged. "Another loaf of bread?"

"How about some chicken?"

"Really? You want a live chicken in your hands?"

"Good point." Rusty closed his eyes once more. Held his hand out, palm up. "Hot cross buns."

A dozen buns appeared on his upturned hand, wrapped in cellophane. He opened his eyes. "Wow!"

Shah turned back to the Lord. "My friend here appears to wear the true Robe of God, Lord Faramay. It was this item the Gol'ur-Klem sought, and – "

A voice, commanding and authoritative, rang out from behind them: "The outsider speaks the truth!"

Rusty and Shah turned.

The Queen stood at the Castle entrance, helmet tucked under one hand, with several Hepsguard standing next to her. She was stone-faced and somber. Then Shah noticed what was in her other hand – the dirt-encrusted false robe the Custodian previously wore, the baubles on the item now a single color: brown.

There was a deafening metallic clatter as all the drawn weapons in the room were de-summoned.

Queen Rylenia regarded Shah and Rusty with a solemnity that had been absent before. "You don the birthright of the rulers of the Hepstraad, outsider," she said gravely. "What is your intention?"

"Rylenia?" Lord Faramay asked, sounding shocked. "Where is Aris?"

"We do not know," she said, and raised the bejeweled fake robe, "but this was found beyond his summoned wall. And now the once-hidden protection of my heritage is revealed."

"That is not the Robe, my Queen?"

"No, Piren. The boy there wears my birthright. What I hold in my hand here is a guise, a decoy to be used in last." She lowered her hand, dropped the gaudy coat to the ground, and kicked it aside. There was a collective gasp at this act that was loud and poignant.

The Queen ignored the reaction. "What is your intention, outsider?" she repeated.

Shah straightened up. "Rooster, hand the Robe to the Queen."

Rusty, once again, did not make a move.

"Does he refuse?" the Queen asked coolly.

"No, Queen, I have..." Shah began, then repeated himself in English: "Rusty. Take the coat off and pass it to the lady."

"That lady," Rusty said slowly, "is the hottest lady I have ever seen in my life! Holy hector!"

"And you're wearing her great-grandfather's jacket. Or something. Hand it over."

Rusty gave the pack of hot cross buns to Shah, who opened it and peeled one out. "I'm going to have to ration these," Shah said. "You'll get one after turning the shirt over."

Rusty grinned. "Right," he said, and took the Robe off. Then he walked to the Queen and gave it to the her. "Just so you know, ma'am, I'm a big fan."

"She can't understand you," Shah said behind him. "And get back here. I'm worried she's going to kick our butts next."

The Queen handed her helmet to one of her escorts, then held the true Robe up and inspected it carefully. She whispered something under her breath, then turned to the assembled army. "This is the Robe of God the enemy has long-sought, and it has remained where it belongs, in the Hepstraad," she said with a reverence that was almost palpable. "Those who tried to take it have failed, and they will continue to fail forevermore. For it is ours, and its power belongs to those wise enough to wield it."

Then she brought the Robe to her face and kissed it once, before folding it over her arm. "And what should I do with those who have returned my birthright?" she asked, looking directly at Rusty at Shah. "I would assume good faith, but would my own faith be misplaced?"

"Mother!" Dresden called out. He stepped forward. "They are to be trusted!"

"Son – " Lord Faramay said, and reached for Dresden's arm, but Dresden pulled away.

"You didn't trust them from the beginning, mother!" Dresden continued, slowly walking forward, his voice loud and echoing in the chamber. "You didn't trust Sonic, and she fought for us! You didn't trust her abilities, yet she wielded her power against the enemy! You didn't trust me when I said the outsiders were with us, yet it is clear they are!" He drew level with Shah. "Now I ask of you, as my mother and my Queen, trust them! They hand you back the Robe of God without conditions – "

"I do have a condition," Shah interjected, and Dresden stopped suddenly. Shah looked at the boy, and smiled: "It's a very simple one." He placed a hand on Rusty's shoulder. "Take care of Rooster here. He is powerful, he is your friend, and he must stay in the Hep for a time. I, on the other hand, cannot. I ask of this gesture in return, that is all."

Dresden recovered, then turned back to his mother. "Grant the one known as Rooster this boon, mother. And allow the outsiders to be friends of the Hep, whensoever they return."

The Queen did not immediately respond. She looked once more at the Robe on her arm. "It is a fair request," she said. "There are many who seek the Robe of God, and they will come once more to take it from us." She leveled her gaze at Shah before continuing. "Will you and your friends help us in our defense, outsider?"

"When we are within the Hepstraad, Queen," Shah replied, "we shall do so with honor." Then something occurred him. "But there is something I must tell you. Something very important."

"What is that?"

Shah patted Rusty's shoulder. "You're going to need to know this too, man, but let me explain it to the lady first."

"What?"

Shah ignored him, and spoke directly to the Queen: "There is a consideration you must account for, or else much will be lost, Queen. Maybe all will be lost. Something beyond the understanding of those here."

"And what is that, outsider?"

Shah took a deep breath. "Oh Queen, you must – "

BANG!

He vanished.

In his place, Rusty's surfboard spun around on its long axis, and crashed to the ground.

Rusty looked at it, then the Queen, then Dresden, then back at the surfboard. Then, finally, at Dresden again.

"Don't worry, Drongs-dong, he'll be back," he said, and grinned.