Anne-Christine gently poked a straw into Lisabeth's nose. For a moment Lisabeth didn't realize what was happening but then she woke up with a sneeze and saw her friend's laughing face.
"Drowsy-head!" Anne-Christine yelled. "We have been awake for hours and you are still in the hay!"
"I was busy last night", Lisabeth yawned, surprised by the vastness of the undulating landscape all around her.
"Have you been to Dreamland again?" Gosseling asked teasingly.
"Dreamland comes closer every day. It may be right around the corner now!" Lisabeth joked. She flung away her blanket and jumped up. "They are just over a day's journey from here. But they are resting now and won't depart before sunset".
"That's good news", Anne-Chrstine replied. "I hope I can wait for them, for then I can decide what to do with my Glassware."
"Don't you wan't to get rid of it, then?" Lisabeth asked "That's why we are causing all this trouble, isn't it?"
"I still haven't decided yet", Anne-Cristine declared darkly. "I thought about it last night and I still don't know whether I will be able to live without my Crystal".
"That question shouldn't bother you for the moment", was Govert Gosseling's opinion. "We haven't seen that Wine-set for months now. If Lisabeth didn't still think it exists, I would be comfortably at home now, instead of in this forlorn country."
"I rather like it here", Lisabeth mused. "And I think that the Glassware still exists. I suppose that Alexej has it."
"Did you see it then?" Anne-Christine asked fiercely.
"No, I haven't actually seen it," Lisabeth said with a smile. "But once in a while I can see from Alexej, that the Crystal is still powerful enough".
"Which explains your good humour", Gosseling understood.
"Indeed, in some ways the Gosseling family has remained very simple", Lisabeth joked, while she put on her boots to travel. Singing quietly to herself, she folded her blanket and tied it to her saddle. She then put it on her horse's back and pulled the girdle.
Just as she was about to ride away, Anne-Christine saw two horsemen approaching.
"Could that be Mary O'Lein and Alexej?" Lisabeth wondered anxiously. "They can't be this far yet?"
"I still can't see, but let's wait a while", Anne- Christine proposed. A minute later she saw that it wasn't two sailors but two monks coming their way.
"Good! Perhaps they know the way to the gold and silver mines", Gosseling said hopefully. "We'd better stay and wait for a while".
It was clear that the two monks had seen the three travellers from afar, for they rode straight towards them and raised their hands in a gesture of greeting. The travellers returned the greeting. Once halted, the monks started to exchange long polite phrases.
This was interrupted abruptly when one of the newcomers gave a loud cry of astonishment, pointing at the jewel which Lisabeth wore around her neck. Both monks jumped to the ground and approached Lisabeth in great curiosity. Lisabeth, frightened, took some steps backwards, but the two Mongolian monks seemed determined to inspect the object at any price. They nodded understandingly and were certain to know this object in one way or another.
"Do ask what's the matter with it!" Anne-Christine urged Gosseling, to free Lisabeth from her uncomfortable position. The scientist scraped together his knowledge of the Mongolian language to find out why the monks were so interested in the jewel which Lisabeth wore around her neck. There followed an impressive stream of sounds which Anne- Christine wasn't able to understand. Gosseling however, nodded affirmatively and, at the end the scientist said:
"They have seen a similar jewel on a local tribal chief, who lives a day's journey from here."
"The chief is blond and comes from very far away", Lisabeth interrupted him. "And he's definitely my father!"
"They didn't say that", Govert corrected her, but he understood why Lisabeth was so excited by this news.
"Don't let your joy take you away, Lisa", said Anne- Christine. "After all, we aren't here to look for your father".
"You shouldn't say that, Anne", Govert admonished, after having noticed how high Lisabeth's expectations had risen by every word the two priests had spoken. "If Lisabeth's father is really somewhere around here, then we definitively must look for him. That Crystal can wait for a while".
"All right, all right. I understand", Anne-Christine replied in a timid voice.
Lisabeth had already started to interview the two guests relentlessly about the tribal chief, but she showed she had not forgotten the original goal of their journey when she suddenly told her friends with relief:
"My father's camp is on the way to the gold and silver mines. The monks are traveling in that diretion too."
"What are we waiting for, then?" Anne-Christine asked. She mounted her horse and was the first to ride away. The others followed her soon afterwards.
For the rest of the day, Lisabeth rode close to the monks, endlessly asking questions. Govert listened carefully and translated parts of the conversation for Anne-Christine, who understood that they wouldn't reach the gold and silver mines until the next day.
"In that case Mary O'Lein will win the race after all", she said sadly. "Perhaps everything was in vain and we'll never know what happened to the Glasswork, let alone stopping her from doing awful things to my Crystal".
"Cheer up!" Govert Gosseling tried to improve her mood. "Lisabeth told us that, for them too, it was more than a day's journey. We still have equal chances".
"I do hope so", Anne-Christine said. "For clearing up that mess with Lisabeth's father will take some time too".
"That's not the way to talk now", Govert said. "You once knew your father, although he is dead now. But Lisabeth doesn't know anything about him and she clings to every word she hears. You would do the same in her place."
"Perhaps you're right", Anne-Christine admitted. "But I can't stop thinking about that Crystal. Of all people, it must be Alexej who possesses my treasure. That's an awful idea, isn't it?"
"You have been ahead of him once. Now it's his turn to be a step ahead of you", Gosseling said, returning to the endless conversation between Lisabeth and the two Mongolian priests, who seemed to answer, to the best of their knowledge, all the questions which Lisabeth was firing on them.
Almost unnoticed, twilight had come and it was Gosseling who halted at a place where the grass was growing higher than any they had seen during the day.
"I prefer a good night's rest tonight", he said, looking at the others.
"I'm also tired", Anne-Christine had to admit, but Lisabeth could not agree.
"We could drive to the camp. Perhaps my father has a real bed and then we could sleep even better." she ventured, but her friend had another opinion.
"No Lisabeth, we can't take that risk. The horses are as exhausted as we are. Tomorrow is another day," Gosseling said. "I don't feel like looking for your father's camp if it is indeed your father's camp. Perhaps he left only today; if so, we'll completely lose our track".
"I think that's unfair!" Lisabeth called, refusing to leave her saddle. We travel all around the world for Anne but for me you won't do anything at all!"
Both monks saw that thee was a problem, even though they couldn't follow the discussion that was going on. But they slid from their saddles and one of them stretched his hand to Lisabeth, indicating that it would be better for her to dismount. Lisabeth hesitated. Her face clearly showed that she favoured riding further on her own, so it needed many spiritual words to convince her to follow her friends advice.
Gosseling, to stretch his legs, strolled about before opening his saddlebag and taking out his water jar and a piece of flat bread. At last Lisabeth changed her mind and dismounted.
"You'd better not think that I can sleep tonight", she said. "I'm much too excited by the thought that my father could be around here."
"I still have a bit of your late first husband's sleeping potion," Anne-Christine teased.
"Are you serious or are you joking?" Lisabeth asked in surprise.
"No, I'm serious", Anne-Christine solemnly declared. "I hope it is still powerful enough. It's very old but aging seems to make it stronger."
"I don't mind" Lisabeth said. "I can use some of it now."
Anne gave her the bottle. Lisabeth carelessly emptied it. She just managed to take the saddle off the horse and to lay it down, before Govert Gosseling had to cover her with a blanket, as she was already unable to do it for herself.
"Over-excited", he murmured, kissing her cheeks. "We'd better follow her example right away".
Soon afterwards, darkness fell over the five travellers who peacefully slept side by side.
Lisabeth awoke to find herself lying close to Alexej. His presence annoyed her and she stood up swiftly to get away from him. In her bag, she looked for water and food. It was already dark and she guessed that Mary O'Lein had planned to leave in due course. This indeed was the case. In the moonlight, she saw how Mary O'Lein and Alexej started to stretch their bodies as if they had agreed together to do so at this time.
"You are already awake", Mary O'Lein said noticing that Lisabeth was almost ready to leave.
"I'm always awake", Lisabeth said. "If it isn't here, then it is somewhere else".
"Making yourself interesting," Alexej said. "You excel in that."
Lisabeth felt she was eager to predict that they would encounter a camp of tents today, in which a blond chief would wear the same travel-icon as she did. But she managed to stop herself thinking about that and permitted Alexej to utter his irritating remarks.
She leaned against her horse while slowly chewing the flat bread and drinking a gulp of water from her bottle now and then, without saying a further word. The others apparently weren't hungry as they both saddled their horses and mounted without taking any food. Lisabeth put away her rations and followed them.
It was a silent night. They spoke little while Lisabeth scoured the horizon, looking for a small light or other signs which could indicate the presence of a camp.
After hours, her patience was rewarded. It was almost morning as the eastern horizon was already turning blue, when she finally distinguished a distant tiny light. Lisabeth felt great joy, but didn't show it to her fellow travellers.
"We could ask there whether we are still on the right track or not", Mary O'Lein proposed, assuming that all the others had seen the lights too.
"A splendid plan", Lisabeth said, trying hard to avoid showing impatience in her voice.
"Would you mind doing the inquiring once more?" Mary O'Lein asked. "After all, you are the most fluent speaker of this..."
"I'll do my best" Lisabeth promised, interrupting Mary O'lein's words. She set her horse in the direction of the lights and the others followed her. With a wildly beating heart, she spurred her horse and drove towards the camp as fast as she could, hoping that Mary O'Lein and Alexej wouldn't be able to follow her that fast.
She rushed into the camp, almost running over one of its inhabitants. Astonished, she pulled her horse's reins and uttered apologies to the man, who wiped off the dust that Lisabeth had whirled up. Despite the darkness, she could clearly identify the blond chief, whose presence had been predicted.
"Hello father", she said, which made the man start. Puzzled, he gazed at her a long while. Then he asked: "Lisabeth?" She didn't give him a straightforward answer but slid out of her saddle right into his arms, kissing him wherever she could.
"I knew that sooner or later..." he started, but Lisabeth wouldn't let him continue.
"Me too", she said. "Those Mongolian coins and the icon.... but I've little time. I'll return at dawn. In what direction are the gold and silver mines?"
"From here a few hours north", the astonished chief said.
"I'm so sorry father, but I have to leave before my two friends arrive".
The chief didn't understand.
"Your friends are also welcome here. Please stay a bit longer!" he uttered. "You can't go away like that!"
"In a few hours I'll be back, but then with some other friends", Lisabeth said while she disengaged herself from his arms and remounted her horse, just as she heard Mary O'Lein and Alexej's two little horses arriving.
"See you in a while", she called, spurring her horse, as the two sailors entered the camp.
"Turn around, the heading is north!", she shouted to them, which made them change course and leave the camp even before they had visited it. Without looking back, Lisabeth rode with them in the direction which her father had indicated.
"Did you also ask the distance?" Mary O'Lein asked, when they were a long way from the camp.
"Still a few hours", Lisabeth answered in a toneless voice.
"Good! Then we'll stay in our saddles even when it's light", Mary O'Lein decided.
"Lisabeth has gone!" Anne-Christine cried. Govert Gosseling at first thought he was dreaming but it really was Anne-Christine he saw walking in despair, looking for her friend in the moonlight.
"Govert, where can she be? Could she be looking for her father all alone?" she wondered.
"Perhaps the two priests have seen something" was the scientist's first thought.
"They have gone, too!" Anne-Christine said. "Everything is gone, including their horses".
Govert unfolded his spectacles, perched them on his nose and had to think a very long time.
"That potion of yours made her sleepwalk before, but sleep-horseriding is something I've never heard of", he said. "But still that might be the solution, as she rides very easily".
"What are we going to do? Are we going to look for her?" Anne-Christine asked snappily.
"Why, of course", the scientist said. "Have you any idea how long she's gone already?"
"I woke up a short while ago and she was already gone, but it's very possible that she left hours before," Anne-Christine answered.
Very soon, they were already looking for Lisabeth. They had chosen the camp's assumed direction at first and noticed that not long before a couple of horses had made their way though the high grass.
"They left for the camp while we were sound asleep," Anne- Christine suggested. "She was so excited. We shouldn't have let her out of our sight. Who knows what may have happened already."
A short moment later, they realized what had happened, when they found Lisabeth near her horse which gleamed by its sweat in the early morning light. Lisabeth lay on the ground near the grazing animal and it was clear that a foolish ride had ended in an accident.
Anne-Christine was at her side first and put her ear next to Lisabeth's mouth, to hear if she was still breathing. Govert was well occupied trying to keep the three horses together without them quarreling.
"She is still breathing", Anne-Christine said when Lisabeth slowly regained consciousness.
"It really is my father, because he knew my name!" she said, after recognising Anne-Christine.
"You have been at your father's camp with the two priests", Anne-Christine ventured.
"No", Lisabeth replied laughing. "With Mary O'Lein and Alexej!"
"Now you've really gone too far, Lisabeth", was Govert Gosseling's opinion, after they had all sat down in the tall grass. "You may as well tell us what really happened".
"I must have sleepwalked!" Lisabeth said. "So I can horseride in my sleep too!"
"And by sheer coincidence you find that out, at the very moment you're eager to see your father", said Anne-Christine. "Why don't you just say that those two monks showed you the way this night?"
"Because they didn't!" Lisabeth cried angrily. "That has nothing to do with it. I haven't seen a sole monk this night, just Mary O'Lein, Alexej and my father!"
"Still, you must have taken the same route, as we've found several parallel tracks in the grass", Govert said.
"That may well be. But I just fell asleep right after I took Anne's potion and woke up when Anne took me in her arms", Lisabeth explained. "For the rest, I only know what I already told you a few moments ago".
"Your horse is still covered with sweat, as if it had galloped for a long time," Gosseling tried yet again, but all Lisabeth could reply was:
"Then I probably can also gallop in my sleep."
Anne-Christine and the scientist looked at each other; none of them knew what to think of this situation.
"Cheer up! My father is already waiting for us. I already announced our arrival!" she said triumphantly being the first to stand up to travel on. Anne-Christine and Govert followed her, both of them absorbed by their own thoughts.
It took less than an hour to reach the tents, which Lisabeth claimed to have visited before. She slid, as usual, from her saddle even before her horse had come to a standstil. Then she ran and stumbled the last few meters to the chief who caught her in his arms for the second time that morning. "Father!" she cried. "So I didn't dream, after all. You really exist!"