The Icy Quest

Chapter 13

A few minutes later, Pagoniá heard the muffled sound of arguing. Annoyed, she strode to the door and flung it open finding Tilepátheia arguing loudly with Pozhar.

"I'm telling you, that has to be a mountain!" Tilepátheia yelled to Pozhar.

"There are no mountains in the Kalahari!" Pozhar retorted, stiffening his back. "It can't possibly be a mountain!"

"It might not be in the Kalahari," Tilepátheia huffed, shooting Pozhar a glare. "Why do you think it has to be in the Kalahari? It could be anywhere."

"Yeah, but I think they would put it somewhere close by in case they needed it," Pozhar answered defiantly.

"Well, I think they would put it somewhere far away so the fire people couldn't find it," Tilepátheia snapped back.

"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Pagoniá asked, throwing out her hands.

"Oh, hey Pagoniá," Pozhar acknowledged. "Does this look like a mountain to you?" He pointed to a spot on the lithograph he was holding.

"Wait! You have the lithograph?" Pagoniá asked, her eyes widening.

"I walked by your door, read your mind, and came to the same conclusion you did, so I ran and got it. It's definitely a mountain, right?" Tilepatheiá asked, speaking quickly and matter-of-factly, as if her actions were perfectly normal for the average person. Pagoniá doubled over laughing.

"Yeah, that is definitely a mountain," Pagoniá agreed, after catching her breath from her laughing fit. "But I think we need to get some other maps to compare it to. Then we can know for sure."

"That's a great idea!" Pozhar exclaimed. "Then both of you will realize that there is no way that it is a mountain."

"I agree with the idea," Tilepátheia conceded, completely ignoring Pozhar's comment. "But where are we going to get maps?"

"The library has tons of maps and all sorts of things," Pagoniá offered. "I'm certain we would find something there."

"Ugh," Tilepátheia groaned, slumping her shoulders. "The whole reading thing again. I guess I have no choice. Which way is the library?"

"Follow me," Pagoniá declared cheerfully, striding towards the door. She walked confidently through the halls until she reached the library. Upon entering, she walked straight to the librarian and handed her the book she had checked out earlier that morning.

"Where would the maps be?" she politely inquired of the librarian.

"Go to the third aisle on the right side of the library, which is labeled M for maps," the librarian instructed her, gesturing in the general direction they needed to go. Pagoniá, Pozhar, and Tilepatheia quickly located aisle M and began inspecting the various books of maps.

"I found it!" Tilepátheia called. Pagoniá rushed over. "I'm positive it's in Antarctica. See how the lithograph has the same exact shape as the continent of Antarctica," Tilepátheia explained, comparing the lithograph to the map she had located.

"That makes perfect sense!" Pagoniá declared her voice rising. "The book I read this morning mentioned that the ice people once considered settling there permanently, but that choice would have required an ice person only society, and no one was willing to accept that restriction."

Pagoniá rushed outside to find a servant. "Can you notify the queen that I need an audience with her immediately?" Pagoniá asked urgently.

"Of course, your highness," the servant replied, leaving. Pagoniá walked back into the library and settled down into a chair to wait.