Rajhin and the Stone Maiden , Pt . 2 Content . " Very well , " Mazaram sighed . He explained that one of his agents — for Mazaram made his money in shipping — told him of a nearby land without a ruler . " It is far greater than this village , yet shines like a pearl in the darkness . A place to which you can lay claim , but that you ' ll never reach without my agent ' s aid . " Azelit - ra laughed scornfully , " No such land exists ! Is this some crude ploy to get me out of the way while you marry my daughter ? Fah ! I ' ll not fall for your tricks ! " " It is no trick , step - father , " Munilli asserted . " On my mother ' s honor , I have seen this land — as have you ! It is renowned for its beauty in story and song ! " At this , Azelit - ra was taken aback . As much as he knew Munilli wished to marry Mazaram , he also knew her as a truthful girl … and she valued her late mother ' s honor as much as her own life . But still he doubted , for an untrustworthy man does not trust easily . " Very well . What is this great land of which you speak , that I have seen yet do not know ? " Mazaram waggled one finger , " No , no … if I tell you freely , how do I know you won ' t try to conquer it without me ? I insist you ' ll need my agent ' s help , but you might try something foolish on your own . " " Very well , " Azelit - ra harrumphed . " If you won ' t tell me , then how will I know you speak the truth ? " " My agent , " Mazaram replied , " will take you there tonight . If he does so , will you agree I ' ve met the bride - price ? " ' A ruse , ' thought the greedy step - father . ' They hope to escape while I prepare for my " journey " to this land of theirs . Well , I can fix them ! ' " Agreed ! " Azelit - ra exclaimed , much to the surprise of the servants around him . " But I insist if we ' re to go on a journey , we must have your engagement feast beforehand ! You , Mazaram , shall sit upon my right and Munilli shall sit upon my left ! " ' Ha , ' he thought , ' try to escape while you ' re in arm ' s reach ! ' But the two agreed . Azelit - ra had no choice but to open his larder and wine cellar to the entire village . They feasted all afternoon . As was his habit , the plantation owner ate greedily , making sure no one else got more than he . The couple ate sparingly and never moved from his side . Soon , Azelit - ra grew sleepy , and then annoyed . " The moons are rising , Mazaram ! Where is this agent of yours ? " he asked . " I am right behind you , my lord , " a voice purred in Azelit - ra ' s ear . The old man jumped , but quickly recovered . When he turned , he saw what looked like a vagabond in a wide - brimmed hat . The traveler ' s tail twitched , but whether it was with nervousness or amusement , Azelit - ra could not tell . " Well , then , where is this land of yours ! " Azelit - ra bellowed at the man . " I ' m ready to go … or to see the back of you and Mazaram both ! " " You are ready ? " the vagabond asked . " Then let us go now ! " With a flash , the vagabond discarded his wide - brimmed hat . There stood Rajhin the Trickster God in all his glory . Without another word , Rajhin seized the fat man by his stained tunic and the two flew upward like shooting stars . Soon , their glow disappeared into the pearl - wide aura of Jode , the largest moon . " Truly , " Munilli mused aloud , " it is a land we can see from our village . " " And one that shines as beautiful as a pearl . " When the villagers recovered from their shock , the engagement feast turned into a wedding feast . By the time both moons had set , Mazaram and Munilli were married . But as they lay in their bower , a chill overcame both of them . The candles guttered . The darkness grew . Munilli cried out , and Mazaram groped in the dark for his sword . Suddenly , there was a flash of light . Rajhin stood before them , brushing moon - dust off his garments . " Now , then , where are you ? " he mused as the two lovers gaped . " Ah , there you are ! " With a movement too quick for the eye to follow , Rajhin reached out and grabbed at the air . Then he shoved his hand into one of the many small pouches on his person . The room grew light once more . " What was that , my lord ? What did you sieze ? " Munilli asked . " The fat man ' s shadow ! I took him to his new land so quickly , he jumped right out of it ! " Their laughter echoed across the riverbank .