THE AMBIVALENT MAGICIAN THE AMBIVALENT MAGICIAN &nbsp; Copyright © 1996 by Simon Hawke 
ebook ver. 1.0 &nbsp; FOR THE SONORA WRITERS WORKSHOP, with warm thanks to my students, Janis Gemetta, Carrie Cooper,Roser Hyland, Davis Palmer, Misha Bumett, Phil Fleishman, Barbara McCulloush,Shiori Pluard, Dan Tuttle, Ron Wilcox and Toby Herschler, with all the bestwishes in their own writing endeavors. Also, special thanks to Dave Foster,Margie and James Kosky, Bruce and Peggy Wiley, Bob Powers, Sandy West, all myfriends in the ECS and the SCA, and Otis Bronson and my colleagues in thewriting department at Pima Community College in Tuscon, Arizona. Thanks for thefriendship and support. &nbsp; One &nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;At last! I've done it! After months of ceaseless scrying, spellcasting and divination,endless, patient searching through the vast, uncharted reaches of the etherealplanes, I've finally found him!&quot; &quot;Found who, Master?&quot; the wizard's hairy little troll familiarasked, pausing in his dusting of the ancient vellum tomes and scrolls thatcrammed the bookcases and were piled high on almost every available flat surfacein the sorcerer's sanctorum. &quot;The voice in the ether!&quot; Warrick Morgannan replied triumphantly.&quot;That arrogant, omniscient spirit who calls himself ... the Narrator!&quot; &quot;Oh-oh,&quot; said Teddy, picking his nose and glancing up at theceiling apprehensively. Oh-oh, indeed. This is rather inconvenient. Your faithful narrator wasn'tready to start working on this book, yet. I have too many other things to do. Mydesk is piled high with papers from my students; I've got to complete somerevisions on another novel I've been working on; I'm finishing up work on agraduate degree; my checkbook is hopelessly unbalanced, and the last thing Ineeded right now was this. &quot;Never mind the excuses,&quot; Warrick said, his long white hair framinghis chiseled features as he bent over the scrying crystal. Dark red eddiesswirled like smoke within the pellucid ball as he concentrated on the crystal,focusing his energies in an effort to achieve resolution of an image.&quot;You've been hiding from me long enough! Now I've tracked you down throughthe ethereal planes and the time for reckoning has come!&quot; Reckoning, schmeckoning. I haven't been hiding, I've been busy. Look,I've got enough trouble with readers pestering me about when the next book inthis series is coming outwithout having one of my characters start interfering with my writing process.Now get out of my computer and slither back to the depths of my subconsciouswhere you belong. I've got work to do. &quot;No, you shall not get rid of me that easily,&quot; said Warrick,staring intently at the swirling eddies in the crystal. &quot;You have meddledin my affairs for the last time. Your powers are considerable, and I mustconcede a grudging admiration for your skills in this sorcerous art you call'narration,' but I, Warrick the White, of the House of Morgannan, Grand Directorof the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild and Royal Wizard to the Kingdom of Pitt, willnot be trifled with by some upstart demigod from the ethereal planes!&quot; Oh, please. For one thing, I'm no demigod, I'm just a struggling writertrying to make a living. And you're a fictional character, for God's sake. Youdon't even exist except in my imagination. &quot;Do not attempt to work your wiles on me, Narrator. I think, therefore Iexist.&quot; It's &quot;I think, therefore I am. Cogito, ergo sum.&quot; Rene&quot;Descartes. If you're going to quote, get it right. I will not have my readersthinking I'm a sloppy writer. You've already gotten this book off to a reallybizarre start, and my editors still haven't recovered from the last time youpulled something like this. They just don't understand how a writer can losecontrol over his own characters. I had to take some time off from this seriesand write a serious book just to prove to them I haven't gone totally around thebend. They're still not sure about me, and it's all your fault. This isn'thelping any. You're making my life very difficult, you know. &quot;Not nearly as difficult as it is going to be,&quot; said Warrick,concentrating fiercely on the crystal in an effort to bring forth an image ofthe Narrator, so he would finally know what the mysterious &quot;voice in theether&quot; looked like. However, at precisely that moment, Teddy, his little troll familiar, had aslight mishap. Only Warrick was capable of hearing the strange, disembodiedentity he called &quot;the Narrator,&quot;so as he watched his master speaking to the crystal ball, Teddy could only hearone side of the conversation. As a result, he wasn't paying very close attentionto his work, and the little troll backed into a chair and knocked over aprecariously balanced pile of ancient scrolls and vellum tomes. They wentcrashing to the floor of the sanctorum, making a tremendous racket and upsettingWarrick's concentration. &quot;Very clever,&quot; Warrick said, &quot;but you have only succeeded indelaying the inevitable. I have not attained the highest rank in the Sorcerersand Adepts Guild for nothing. My concentration is not so easily broken.&quot; Hereturned his attention to the crystal ball, willing an image of the narrator toappear. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen, because no matter how hard heconcentrated, he couldn't change the fact that this particular crystal ballwasn't equipped for optically correct visual reception. The most it could do wasallow him to hear voices from the ethereal planes and see vague, indistinctforms and pretty swirling colors. &quot;That's ridiculous!&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Of what use is a scryingcrystal if one cannot see images within it?&quot; Not much use at all, apparently. Too bad. &quot;This is absurd! I have been using this scrying crystal for years and ithas never yet failed to serve me properly.&quot; I guess it must be broken, then. &quot;Nonsense. The scrying crystal is functioning perfectly,&quot; Warrickinsisted. &quot;And as Warrick redoubled his prodigious powers of concentration,despite all the efforts of the Narrator, the swirling eddies in the crystalstarted to resolve into an image -&quot; No, they didn't. And cut that out. &quot;Despite all his narrative wiles, the voice in the ether could notcontrol the image that started to resolve within the crystal as Warrickconcentrated fiercely, and in answer to his will, the swirling mists within thescrying crystal cleared, revealing -&quot; There was a tremendous crash as Teddy the troll tripped over some ancientvellum tomes that had fallen to the floor andknocked into the table, dislodging the scrying crystal from its ornate pedestaland causing it to roll across the table and plummet to the floor, where itshattered into a thousand pieces. &quot;Ooops,&quot; said Teddy. &quot;You miserable, misbegotten warthog! Now see what you've done!&quot;Warrick shouted angrily, his chair crashing to the floor as he jumped to hisfeet and fixed a baleful glare on the frightened little troll. &quot;Forgive me, Master! I... I didn't mean it! It was an accident!&quot; &quot;I think not,&quot; said Warrick, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.&quot;'Twas the Narrator, working his wiles upon you to interfere with me. Ibegin to see the method in his craft. He strikes at me through you.&quot; &quot;But, Master, I would never betray you!&quot; &quot;No, not willingly,&quot; Warrick replied, &quot;but your will is tooweak to resist the powers of the Narrator. So long as you remain with me, he canuse you as a weapon with which to thwart my plans. That leaves me with nochoice. I must be rid of you.&quot; &quot;Master...&quot; the little troll said fearfully. &quot;Master, please!I have always served you faithfully!&quot; &quot;And in reward for your years of faithful service, I shall not take yourlife,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;But henceforth, Teddy, you are banished from mypresence. Go. Leave me. You are free.&quot; &quot;But, Master ...&quot; wailed the little troll miserably, &quot;whereshall I go? What shall I do?&quot; &quot;I don't know, go hide under a bridge or something. Isn't that whattrolls usually do?&quot; &quot;Under a bridge?&quot; said Teddy. &quot;But, Master, 'tis cold and dampunderneath bridges! I shall catch a chill! And however shall I live?&quot; &quot;Eat billy goats,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Consume the occasional smallchild. There are plenty of them running about unsupervised, painting graffiti onthe bridges. You would only be doingthe kingdom a service if you ate them. I'm sure no one would complain. Now getalong, Teddy, I have work to do.&quot; &quot;Master, please ... don't send me away!&quot; wailed Teddy. &quot;Idon't even like children!&quot; &quot;You have a very simple choice, Teddy,&quot; Warrick said. &quot;You mayeither take your freedom and go make something of yourself, or become thesubject of my next experiment.&quot; &quot;No, Master, anything but that!&quot; cried Teddy, with an alarmedglance at the strange and frightening apparatus that sat in the center ofWarrick's sanctorum. &quot;Then go. I grant you your freedom. The Narrator shall trouble you nolonger. And as soon as I fetch my spare scrying crystal, we shall see who mustprevail in this battle of wills.&quot; Warrick turned to get his spare scrying crystal from the carved woodenarmoire where he kept his magical supplies, but as he opened it and withdrew hisspare crystal ball, a punishing blow struck him from behind. He grunted andcollapsed to the floor, unconscious. The crystal fell and shattered into ahundred thousand pieces. &quot;Oh, no!&quot; said Teddy, staring with dismay at the broomstickwith which he had just brained his former master. &quot;What have I done?&quot; Dropping the broom, he bolted out of the sanctorum, fleeing in panic. Okay, that takes care of Warrick for a while. Now, where were we? Give me aminute to collect my wits. This book's already off to a rather rocky start. Ididn't really plan it this way. Honest. But those of you who haven't read thefirst two novels in this series are probably wondering what the hell is goingon. If you want to start at the beginning, pick up The Reluctant Sorcerer and The Inadequate Adept (Warner Books), but if you haven't read those novelsyet and want to know what this craziness is all about, I'll try to bring you upto speed. The rest of you hang in there for a while. One way or another, we'llget this sorted out. It all started when Marvin Brewster, a brilliant but absent-minded youngAmerican scientist working at the London headquarters of the multinationalconglomerate known as EnGulfCoInternational, invented time travel. This could not have come at a worse timefor his English fiancee, Pamela Fairburn, a beautiful cybernetics engineer whohad already been stood up at the altar on several occasions because Brewster wasso intent upon his secret project that he kept forgetting about such mundanethings as wedding dates. The wedding guests had even started a betting pool,wagering on how many times Pamela would have to put on her fabulous, white lacedesigner gown before she actually got married in it. Pamela's father had stoppedspeaking to her, because the whole thing was costing him a fortune, and herfriends were all convinced she'd lost her mind. But Pamela knew Brewster was agenius, and she understood that he wasn't simply toying with her affections. Shedidn't know what he was working on, but it had to be something terriblyimportant for him to be so excessively preoccupied, something that was liable tobe a significant scientific breakthrough that would bring him internationalacclaim . . . and scads and scads of money. But when he failed to show up forthe third scheduled wedding, and no one had heard from him for days, she becameconcerned and called the EnGulfCo CEO, who happened to be a golfing partner ofher father's. Together with Dr. Walter Davies, executive vice-president for research anddevelopment for EnGulfCo International, she broke into Brewster's privatelaboratory high atop the corporate headquarters building in downtown London,only to discover that her fiance had disappeared without a trace. Securitymonitors showed him entering his restricted private laboratory in the penthouse,but they never showed him leaving. He sh
uld have been there. But he wasn't. Pamela was not the only one who was upset at this development. The EnGulfCoCEO was very much concerned, as well. Brewster's research had netted over adozen very lucrative patents for the conglomerate, and the CEO had recentlyauthorized vast expenditures on his behalf for some surplus military hardwareand an unspecified amount of something called Buckminsterfullerine, also knownas &quot;Buckeyballs,&quot; an incredibly rare and expensive substance thatBrewster absolutelyhad to have for his latest secret project. The only trouble was, nobody had theslightest idea what it was, and Brewster had apparently disappeared off the faceof the earth, leaving behind evidence of what appeared to have been a sonic boominside his laboratory. Pamela was the only one capable of deciphering his notes and figuring out hisfiling system, so the CEO authorized her to have complete access to thelaboratory in an attempt to find out what Brewster had been working on. And ifit had been anyone but Brewster, the CEO would never have believed it whenPamela told him it was time travel, and that he had apparently succeeded in constructinga working prototype of a time machine. The CEO immediately authorized allnecessary expenditures for Pamela to duplicate Brewster's apparatus, and at thesame time, while reassuring her that he trusted her completely and was onlyconcerned for Brewster's welfare, he put detectives on her tail, had her phonetapped, and set plans in motion to corner the world market onBuckminsterfullerine. Meanwhile, Brewster had problems of his own. The first prototype of hismachine had failed to return from a test run, due to a faulty relay in a tinierswitch. It's always the little things that screw up the whole works, as anyonewho's ever had a British sports car would understand completely. Using up thelast of his raw materials, Brewster had constructed a second time machine,programmed with the same coordinates, so that he could go back in time and bringthe first one back. Unfortunately, he not only went back in time, but he crossed a dimensionalboundary as well, and crash-landed in a parallel universe where magic reallyworked. When the time machine's fuel tanks exploded, Brewster was left stranded.His only hope of getting back was to find the first time machine that had failedto return. It should have been at those very same coordinates, but it wasnowhere to be found. Unknown to Brewster, three brigands had discovered itsitting in the middle of a road and they had sold it to a nearby adept, who hadused a magic spell to activate it. But as we allknow from reading owner's manuals, when you don't follow the instructions,things often go awry. The machine remained exactly where it was, but the pooradept wound up being teleported to Los Angeles, where his magic didn't work andhe wound up becoming part of LA's homeless population. His apprentice, realizingthis was a dangerous piece of enchanted apparatus, loaded it up into a cart andbrought it to Warrick Morgannan, better known as Warrick the White, the GrandDirector of the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild and the most powerful wizard in allthe twenty-seven kingdoms. And that was when your faithful narrator's plotstarted to unravel. Now, whenever I teach character development in my writing classes, I alwaystell my students that it's not enough to say that your protagonist is boldlyhandsome or that your villain is ugly and malevolent. You need to pay attentionto specific detail. So then what do I do? I describe Warrick as &quot;the mostpowerful wizard in the twenty-seven kingdoms.&quot; Nice going, Hawke. Powerfulas compared to what? How about some perspective here? I could have saidsomething about what the extent of his powers were, and what limitations theyhad, but noooooo... I had to get lazy and throw in a description that had noreal specifics. Serves me right, I guess. Now I'm stuck with a villainous wizardwho's powerful enough to detect the presence of the Narrator and keeps trying totake over the story. And it's too late to put a limitation on his powers,because he's taken on a life of his own and no matter what I write, he keepsfinding spells to counteract everything I do. I really hate it when thathappens. And now he's banished Teddy, his ugly little troll familiar, and the chiefweapon in my arsenal against him has neatly been shuffled off the stage. Isuppose I could write him back in, but Warrick would only drive him off again,or maybe even kill him, and then Earth First! and the Sierra Club and theAudubon Society would be on my back for eliminating a member of an endangeredspecies. Environmentalists would boycott my books, and all the people who hangthose little long-haired rubber trolls off the rearview mirrors of their cars would bewriting me angry letters. Who needs the aggravation? I'll just have to think ofsomething else. Anyway, you're probably wondering what became of Brewster. (Heavy sigh.) Howam I supposed to summarize what happened in two novels in a couple of short andcogent paragraphs? If I go on too long, my editors will say it's an&quot;expository lump&quot; and then I'll have to cut it. If I don't cover itwell enough, people will write me letters and complain that the first chapterwas confusing and they found the rest of the novel hard to follow. I just don'tknow how guys like Anthony and Asprin do it. They write these series that go onforever and this sort of thing just doesn't seem to bother them. Sometimes I think maybe I should have listened to my father and become adoctor. Then perhaps I could get the big money, like Robin Cook and MichaelCrichton. Or I could've become a lawyer, and then maybe I'd have bestsellerslike John Grisham. Or I could have become an actor, like what's-her-name whoplayed Princess Leia in Star Wars and wrote Postcards From the Edge. IfI'd been smart, I would have stayed in radio, and then I could have had monsterblockbusters like Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern. But no, I had to be a writer. It seems nobody wants books by writers nowadays. Next thing you know, yourgarbageman will have a bestseller and I'll still be eating ramen noodles. Oh,what the hell, here goes: Brewster's crash landing was spotted by a leprechaun named Mick O'Fallon, whopulled our hero out of the flaming wreckage and took him under his wing, becausehe assumed Brewster was a powerful wizard who could teach him the secret of thephilosopher's stone, which in this particular universe had nothing to do withturning lead into gold, but with the manufacture of a much rarer substance knownas nickallirium. He set Brewster up in an abandoned keep that had been convertedto a mill, complete with a water wheel, and Brewster lost no time in modernizingthe crumbling ruin with a complete restoration, including plumbing andelectricity. He was assisted in his efforts by thenotorious Black Brigands from the nearby town of Brigand's Roost. (Actually, itreally wasn't much of a town, more like a couple of shacks and a tavern on theroad leading through the Redwood Forest to the Gulfstream Waters.) BlackShannon, the sultry, raven-haired queen of the brigands, cooperated withBrewster in his efforts in return for the promise of significant profitsdownstream, but as time passed and those profits kept failing to materialize,she started getting antsy. Meanwhile, Warrick Morgannan was busy trying to find the builder of the timemachine, having discovered what it was by eavesdropping on some narrativeexposition. To this end, he had employed the infamous Sean MacGregor, alias Macthe Knife, the foremost assassin in the Footpads and Assassins Guild. Togetherwith his hulking, bird-brained apprentices, the brawny brothers Hugh, Dugh, andLugh, Mac set out to find the builder of the time machine while Warrick emptiedout the royal dungeons for &quot;volunteers&quot; in his experiments, puttingthem into the time machine and using spells to tap into its temporal field,thereby teleporting them into our own universe. This resulted in a number ofunusual incidents that provided colorful fodder for the tabloids and alerted asomewhat seedy journalist named Colin Hightower, who was the first to notice apattern to these strange events. He smelled a story and started to investigate. Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of Pitt, in the capital city of Pittsburgh,Warrick had run out of prisoners to use in his experiments, so he had hisminions start kidnapping people off the streets. This resulted in a long streamof irate petitions to King Billy, who told Warrick he couldn't simply grabpeople off the streets and make them disappear, but allowed as how it would beokay to do it with convicted criminals. Unfortunately, Warrick had run out ofconvicted criminals, so he convinced Sheriff Waylon, the king's ambitious andcorrupt brother, to institute a whole slew of new restrictive edicts that wouldkeep the royal dungeons filled. So now, instead of Warrick's minions snatchingpeople off thestreets, the Sheriff and his deputies were doing it, and citizens of Pittsburghkept disappearing without a trace. Needless to say, this displeased thepopulace. People started packing up and moving like rats fleeing a sinking shipand a revolution was brewing. Brewster, unaware of all these goings on, had become totally caught up in hisefforts to bring progress to the muddy little town of Brigand's Roost. He hadshowed Mick and the brigands how to forge weapons more efficiently, produceSwiss Army knives, and construct a still to improve their yield of the potentand literally explosive peregrine wine. He had taught them how to constructbetter housing, and a small settlement had sprung up around the keep. And hetaught them how to make aluminum, which turned out to be the same thing asnickallirium, the most precious metal in the twenty-seven kingdoms and the basisfor the world's economy. All the coins were minted from it, and the secret ofits manufacture was guarded jealously by the alchemists of the Sorcerers andAdepts Guild. And although he didn't know it, Dr. Marvin Brewster had just takenthe first steps in bringing about a massive recession in the twenty-sevenkingdoms. Okay, how are we doing? Four paragraphs? Shoot, I didn't think I could do itin two. And there are still a few things I haven't covered, such as Harlan thePeddler's arrival in Brigand's Roost and Mac the Knife's romance with thenotorious Black Shannon. Oh, well, we'll just try to cover those bases as we goalong. I'll pull it all together one way or another, I promise. Remember, alwaystrust your narrator. I really would have done a much better job of this if Warrick hadn't gottenus off on the wrong foot. I hope all you people who wrote me letters demandingthe next book in this series are happy now. My editors are going to think thatliving out in the middle of the Arizona desert surrounded by nothing but coyotesand tarantulas and rattlesnakes has driven me right over the edge. I've probablylost all credibility with my students, another novel project has been put onhold until I finish this one, and now I've got one hell of a migraine headache. But this is it, I swear to God. This is absolutely the last and final novelin this cockamamie series! One way or another, no matter what happens, it allgets wrapped up in this one. And don't write me any letters asking for moresequels. I'm supposed to be a serious writer, for God's sake, and this thing hasgotten completely out of hand. Enough's enough. I just won't stand forit, I tell you! Okay. I feel a little better now. The pain in my temples is receding. I'll beall right. I'll have it all back under control by Chapter Two. Bear with me.Remember, always trust your narrator. Now, where were we? Oh, right, we were still trying to get this story started properly. Damn thatWarrick, anyway. I haven't had this much trouble since I wrote those BattlestarGalactica novels back in the early eighties. Don't ask. I don't want to talkabout it. Just forget I mentioned it, okay? It wasn't me, it was that other guy,what's-his-name. I just got confused there for a moment. Look, let's just get on with it, okay? Go ahead and turn the page. It'll beall right. I think... &nbsp; Two &nbsp; &quot;Now remember, luv, no tricks, now. If you try anything funny
 I'llscream.&quot; &quot;All right, all right,&quot; said Colin Hightower, glancing uneasily atthe pretty, blond, and very naked young woman huddled low in the back seat ofhis rental car. &quot;Just keep quiet and stay out of sight, for God'ssake.&quot; He sighed heavily. As a reporter, he'd been on the wrong side of thelaw more than a few times, but he'd never been an accessory in a mentalpatient's escape from an institution before. And given his less than stellarreputation, he rather doubted the authorities would believe that he had gonealong with it under duress. He opened the driver's side door and walked the dozen or so feet to the frontdoor of his motel room, unlocked it, glanced around, then said, &quot;Okay, thecoast is clear.&quot; The blonde jumped out of the car and quickly ran inside the room. Hehurriedly followed her in, then closed the door and locked it, mopping hissweaty brow with his handkerchief. &quot;Oooh,&quot; said the naked girl. &quot;What a comfy bed!&quot; Under other circumstances, Colin would have taken that straight line and runwith it like a Heisman trophy winner, but he was far too nervous to think abouthis slumbering libido. &quot;Megan,&quot; he said, in his Liverpudlian accent,&quot;I don't know if you realize this or not, but we're in an awful lot oftrouble. By now, they've probably discovered your escape, and if they haven't,they'll certainly know within a matter of hours. I was the last one there to seeyou. I bribed the orderly to let me in, and he knows who I am. To save his ownskin, he'll doubtless claim I forced him to do it at gunpoint or something, andI'm sorry to say most people in my business wouldn't put it past me. Either way,they'll put two and two together and they'll soon have an A.P.B. out on usboth.&quot; &quot;What's an A.P.B.?&quot; asked Megan as she bounced fetchingly on themattress. Colin had to look away for a moment. There was entirely too much bouncinggoing on for him to think straight, and he needed to be very clearheaded rightnow if he was ever going to get out of this mess. &quot;An All PointsBulletin,&quot; he said. &quot;That means the police will be looking for useverywhere.&quot; &quot;You mean like the sheriff and his deputies?&quot; asked Megan, with agrimace of distaste. &quot;And the State Police and Highway Patrol, as well,&quot; said Colin.&quot;We've got to get out of town and fast. But the first thing we have to dois get you some clothes. Get up a minute, will you?&quot; &quot;Why don't you come down here, with me?&quot; asked Megan, stretchingout coquettishly and patting the bed beside her with a sly smile. &quot;Later,&quot; Colin said. &quot;But for now, please get up so I can geta good look at you.&quot; &quot;Oh, very well,&quot; Megan pouted. She got up and posed for him.&quot;See? You like?&quot; &quot;Yes, very much,&quot; said Colin in a preoccupied tone as he looked herover carefully. &quot;Turn around for me.&quot; She did a slow, seductive pirouette. &quot;Let's see,&quot; said Colin, scratching his chin thoughtfully as heestimated sizes with a practiced eye. &quot;Bra, 32-B; panties, size 5; pantyhose, small; dress 4/5; shoes, size 6; and coat, small. I think that ought to doit. And maybe a scarf or something and some sunglasses. The mall should be openuntil nine tonight, so with any luck, I'll be able to pick everything up inabout an hour.&quot; &quot;You're not leaving?&quot; Megan said suspiciously. &quot;I'll have to,&quot; Colin said. &quot;But don't worry, I'll be rightback. And I'll bring some brand-new clothes for you.&quot; &quot;New clothes?&quot; said Megan, brightening. &quot;That's right. Now just stay here, okay? And for God's sake, don't doanything. Just stay here. Take a shower and wash your hair or something.I'll bring back some food for us,as well. Then we'll figure out what the hell we're going to do next.&quot; &quot;How do I know I can trust you? What's to keep you from just leaving mehere?&quot; &quot;My own sense of self-preservation, dear,&quot; Hightower replied wryly.&quot;I shudder to think what you'd tell the police if they found you here likethat. And you need me, so it looks as if we're stuck with each other, for betteror for worse. And I'm afraid it's going to be for bloody worse if we don't maketracks out of here real soon, so just sit tight, all right? I'll be backsoon.&quot; &quot;Don't take too long,&quot; she said. &quot;Don't worry, I won't. You just behave yourself. Remember, if we getcaught, they'll bloody well lock you right back up again. And this time, they'llprobably strap you to the bed.&quot; &quot;You could strap me to this one,&quot; Megan said coyly. &quot;I'm tempted to, but not for the reason you think,&quot; said Colin,with a grimace. &quot;Now stay put. Watch the, uh, magic box. I'll be back asquickly as I can.&quot; He went out and got back inside his car. As he pulled away, his mind wasgoing a mile a minute. He'd been in tough spots before, and he'd always somehowmanaged to wriggle out of them, but this one was going to be a real test of wit. I should've stayed in England, he thought, as he drove toward the mall heremembered passing on his way from the airport. Unfortunately, he had worn outhis welcome in London. Even the tabloids, with their notoriously lowjournalistic standards, had banned him from their pressrooms. Fortunately,however, America's journalistic standards had plummeted even lower, so he hademigrated to the States and secured a job with a major New York City newspaper,thanks to his impressive resume and the fact that all his former editors wereeager to have him permanently on the other side of the Atlantic. Before long,his American employers found out why, and he was now persona non grata with justabout every respectable and even quasi-respectable newspaper in the country. It wasa considerable achievement that in a profession known for sleaze andsensationalism, Colin Hightower had firmly established himself as the sleaziest,most sensationalistic reporter in the business. Even his colleagues hated him. Barbara Walters had kneed him in the groin.Pete Hamil had threatened to break his legs. Jimmy Breslin had brained him witha beer bottle and Mike Royko said he knew a guy who knew a guy who could drophim in Lake Michigan if he ever came near him again. Mike Wallace had called hima disgrace to the profession and Bob Woodward had said he was the worst exampleof irresponsible excess he had encountered since he'd done that book aboutBelushi. Even Rolling Stone had fired him, and Hunter Thompson hadactually taken a shot at him with a .44 Magnum. The tabloid news shows on TVwere out. Colin simply wasn't very telegenic, with his wide, working-class,ruddy Liverpudlian face, unruly shock of white hair, and red-veined W .C. Fieldsnose, courtesy of a long and intimate acquaintance with Jack Daniel's. And thenthere was his taste in clothes, which made him look like a cross between aused-car salesman and an Arkansas real estate broker. The only place left opento him was a well known tabloid based in Florida that ran stories about aliensmasquerading as congressmen and WWII airplanes discovered in craters on themoon. And right now, they weren't too thrilled with him, either. This time, however, Colin was on the track of a real story. He couldsmell it. The only trouble was, he didn't know exactly what it was. All over theworld, in widely scattered locations, people were popping up dressed in medievalclothing, apparently all suffering from a similar psychosis. They had no ideawhere they were; they seemed confused and frightened by modern technology; andthey all claimed to come from Pittsburgh. Their stories were all exactly thesame. They had been arrested and brought to a white tower, where a sorcerernamed Warrick had forced them into some sort of strange device that hadmagically transported them to this world. And this same Warrick had placed aspell on them,or so they claimed, that compelled them to somehow find their way back to him inthe Alabaster Tower and tell him where they'd been and what they'd seen. It sounded crazy, which was why many of them had wound up in hospitals andmental institutions, but Hightower was starting to wonder. None of these peoplehad any identification on them when they were picked up and not a singlesolitary individual had a paper trail. It was as though they had suddenlyappeared from out of nowhere. Their stories were all remarkably consistent, andnone of them displayed any physical signs of having lived in the modern world.No dental work; no surgical scars or inoculation marks; no modern haircuts andnot much evidence of personal hygiene. They seemed genuinely ignorant of suchthings as radio and television, modern plumbing, zippers and buttons, watches,automobiles, and so on, as if they really had come from a medieval time.If they were all suffering from the same delusion, it was a remarkablysophisticated and consistent one. &quot;Jesus, what if it's really true?&quot; Hightower mumbled to himself ashe drove. The strange device they all described might be some sort of timemachine. And the spell of compulsion they claimed this Warrick had placed onthem sounded a great deal like hypnosis. Was it possible that the government haddiscovered time travel and was conducting tests of some sort? He frowned. No,that made no sense. Even if something like that were possible, they'd surelyconduct their tests under strict laboratory conditions, and in utter secrecy.What possible reason would they have for going back into the past, kidnappingpeople from some medieval time, and transporting them into the present? And thenwhy transport them to so many varied locales and then simply leave them on theirown? No matter how he looked at it, there seemed to be no logical explanation.And yet there had to be an answer. Megan was his only solid lead. She claimed to be a prostitute from Pittsburghwho had been arrested because she wouldn't give a freebie to a sheriff's deputy.She had been brought to the Alabaster Tower, which was near the royal palace, and awizard named Warrick the White had placed her in his magical device andtransported her to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Only she denied that it wasPittsburgh, and said it was nothing like the Pittsburgh that she came from,which was in the Kingdom of Pitt, in a land of twenty-seven kingdoms. He had bribed an orderly at the sanitarium to get an interview with her and acopy of her file, but as he was leaving, she had pushed past him out the doorand escaped down the elevator, which they had left keyed open so that Colincould get in and out real fast in case his highly unauthorized visit wasdiscovered. The orderly's immediate concern had been to get him out of there, and thenthink up some story to account for the patient's escape. He'd been certain she'dnever make it past security in the lobby. However, she hadn't gone down to thelobby, but to the underground parking garage, where she had leaped into Colin'srental car. Under questioning, the orderly would probably break down and tellthe truth. Colin didn't dare leave Megan behind. She had jumped into his car,stark naked, and threatened to scream rape if he didn't help her get away. Nowhe was stuck with her. They'd never believe he didn't plan to break her out. Theonly way he could see to clear himself was to get to the bottom of this story.And Megan was his only chance to do that. Some chance, he thought. A bloody crazy nymphomaniac who thought thetelevision was a magic box and the rental car was some kind of magic chariot.&quot;You've really done it this tune, Hightower, old sod,&quot; he said tohimself. &quot;They'll lock you up and throw away the bloody key.&quot; He had to cover himself somehow, account for what he had been doing. As hepulled into the mall, it came to him. He'd file the story. He'd hoped to get tothe bottom of it all before going into print, because he didn't want anyone elsebeating him to the punch, but now he had no choice. And it occurred to him thatif he played it right, he could even get the mainstream media to go along. He'd become the story. Reporter investigating bizarre chain of occurrences kidnapped by mentalpatient. Yes, that was the way to do it. Lay it all out about how theseinc
dents taking place all over the world were somehow connected. StrangeMystery! People From Another Time? Yeah, they'd go for it. Especially with thekidnap angle. He'd claim that Megan was armed and dangerous and was keeping himwith her, making him file reports from different locations while they were onthe run for the purpose of getting her story out to the world. And once thepaper ran the story-and they would-they couldn't deny that he had been assignedto it. It had been his own idea, but his editor had approved it, and once thestory ran, he couldn't claim he hadn't known anything about it. Hightower decided he'd have to phone it in, as soon as possible, and then getout of town, fast. And after that? He'd play it by ear, stringing it out as longas possible until he found out what was behind it all. It would be risky, but itwould be worth it. The mainstream media would be sure to pick the story upbecause of the kidnap angle. And so what if it weren't exactly true? Who werethey going to believe, him or an escaped mental patient? He grimaced wryly.Well, given his reputation, it could easily go either way. But it just could behis ticket back into the big time. &quot;One step at a time, old boy,&quot; he told himself. &quot;One step at atime.&quot; Meanwhile, in another space and time (which technically contradicts the&quot;meanwhile,&quot; come to think of it, but you get the general idea), on adirt road winding through the Redwood Forest in the land of Darn, Dr. MarvinBrewster was sitting in a horse-drawn cart with Mick O'Fallon, the brawny littleleprechaun swordsmith, and Bloody Bob, the huge nearsighted brigand who hadsworn eternal allegiance to Brewster for magically restoring his sight.Actually, Brewster had done nothing of the sort. When he had met Bob, the agingformer mercenary's eyesight had grown so bad that he was incapable of seeinganything clearly unless it was about four inches in front of his face. Needlessto say, Bob had been forced to retire from soldiering and had joined up with the BlackBrigands, who were such a bunch of misfits that they would accept just aboutanybody. And they knew enough to stay well out of Bob's way when he startedlaying about him with his sword. Once, he had cleared half an acre of forestbefore he realized he was surrounded by trees and not human antagonists. After much trial and error, Brewster had made him a crude parr ofprescription lenses, which he had mounted in a helmet visor. The &quot;magicvisor&quot; had not quite corrected Bob's vision to 20/20, because Brewster wasnot a trained optometrist, but it was nevertheless a dramatic improvement andhad further added to Brewster's growing reputation as a mighty sorcerer. At first, Brewster had felt very uneasy about being taken for a wizard, butno matter how much he tried to explain that what he did was science and notmagic, nobody believed him. Even after he'd taught Robie McMurphy, a simplefarmer, how to grind lenses for some of the other villagers who were havingtrouble with their eyes, they still thought it was magic, and that Brewster hadto be a very gifted mage, indeed, to teach Robie how to work the enchantment sowell. To these primitive people, &quot;science&quot; was merely some advancedform of necromancy and Brewster had given up trying to dissuade them from thenotion. They called him &quot;Brewster Doc,&quot; mistaking his last name for atitle, as if he were an alchemist, and mistaking his title (he always liked hisfriends to call him Doc) for a name. He had grown to like the curiousappellation. And if they wanted to believe that he knew magic, he'd finallydecided, what was the harm? Besides, having a reputation as a sorcerer broughthim a great deal of respect in this strange world and made things considerablyeasier than they might have been if they thought he was merely an ordinary man. Initially, Brewster had believed his time machine had taken him back into thepast, to England in the ninth or tenth century, but it hadn't taken long for himto realize that he had traveled much farther than he'd thought. For one thing,there had been no dragons in medieval England, nor were there elves orunicorns or fairies. Brewster would never have believed such creatures couldexist, yet now he numbered among his friends one gigantic, scaley, talkingdragon named Rory, a coffee drinking beatnik vampire elf named Rachel Drum, anda leprechaun armorer and blacksmith named Mick O'Fallon. When he had first metMick, Brewster had thought he was a dwarf. Now, he was about to meet some real dwarves, and he was looking forward to it with both eagerness and a littleapprehension. Brewster tried, without a great deal of success, not to imagine dwarves theway they had appeared in the fairy tales he'd read as a child, because in thisuniverse, the fairy tales were twisted. Here, elves drank human blood-except forRachel, who was a vegetarian-unicorns smelled worse than skunks, bushes uprootedthemselves and wandered about the countryside, and dragons dreamed events inBrewster's universe, somehow tapping into it psychically while they slept.Brewster had no idea what to expect of dwarves. It was almost dawn, and they had pulled up at a fork in the road leading tothe Purple Mountains. As they waited, Brewster smoked his Dunhill pipe. He hadlong since run out of pipe tobacco, but Calamity Jane, the accident-prone wifeof the brigand known as Pikestaff Pat, had concocted a special blend for himmade from herbs and wildflowers and some other unspecified ingredients Brewsterwasn't sure he really wanted to know about. It was a very pleasant smoke, butever since he'd seen Jane grinding up some beetles for one of her hallucinatorytea blends, he had decided it was better not to question her too closely aboutsuch things. At least the &quot;tobacco&quot; Jane had blended for him didn'tmake him hallucinate, though it did impart a pleasant buzz. Sometimes, the life he'd left behind seemed almost like a dream. He had losttrack of how long he'd been in this peculiar world. It had to be at least a yearby now, perhaps longer. His clothes had all worn out, except for his durableHarris tweed sport jacket, and with his brown leather breeches, high lace-upboots with fringe tops, white cotton tunic and hounds-tooth sport coat, he nowlooked rather like a preppie peasant. He'd never been very good at keeping track of time, and for that matter, hehad no idea where he really was in time-or space. Some sort of paralleluniverse, in another dimension. That was all he knew. He wouldn't have beensurprised if Rod Serling suddenly stepped out from behind a rock and startedspeaking to an unseen television audience. Unwittingly, he had blundered into the greatest scientific discovery of alltime, but unless he found a way to get back home, no one would ever know aboutit. And since he'd wrecked his time machine, the only way back now was to findthe first machine he had constructed and programmed with these same coordinates.The good news was that he had finally learned where it was. The bad news wasthat it had fallen into the hands of a powerful wizard named Warrick Morgannan,better known as Warrick the White, the royal wizard to the King of Pitt. Andfrom what Brewster had heard of Warrick, getting the time machine away from himwould not be easy. The idea of going up against a real honest-to-God sorcerer was disconcertingenough all by itself, but Brewster had learned that Warrick was already tryingto find him. This knowledge had come courtesy of a professional assassin by thename of Sean MacGregor. Mac had been sent out in search of Brewster, but he hadmet Black Shannon first, and the two bloodthirsty killers had fallen for eachother like a ton of bricks. As a result, Mac had turned his back on Warrick,reneging on his contract, and had settled down in Brigand's Roost with Shannon,where he had opened a school for professional assassins. So far, he didn't havetoo many pupils-just his three hulking, birdbrained apprentices, Hugh, Dugh, andLugh, and the Awful Urchin Gang, a filthy and unkempt agglomeration of straychildren so obnoxious that no one would admit to being their parents. It had occurred to Brewster that perhaps training the Awful Urchins in theuse of weapons was not the smartest idea in the world, but at least it kept themoff the streets and out of people's hair, and teaching the only thing he knewgave Mac a feeling of accomplishment. And if Mac was happy,Shannon was happy, and if Shannon was happy, Brewster was relieved, becauseShannon basically had three ways of dealing with men-bed them, kill them, orbeat them into submission. She had done none of those with Brewster, thoughthere had been several close calls, and Brewster had an uneasy feeling that shewas still trying to decide which of the three courses she would take with him.So long as Mac kept her occupied, Brewster felt a whole lot safer. And he feltsafer still once he started to bring some profit to the muddy little town ofBrigand's Roost. It was to that end that he had come along with Mick on thistrip to see the dwarves. &quot; 'Tis very quiet you've been, Doc,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Something onyour mind?&quot; &quot;Oh ... just thinking, Mick, that's all,&quot; Brewster replied,abstractedly. &quot;About home?&quot; asked Mick. &quot;How did you know?&quot; said Brewster. &quot; 'Tis a certain look you get when you start thinking about home,&quot;said Mick. &quot;A distant, melancholy sort o' look.&quot; &quot;Ah.&quot; &quot;Are you not happy here, Doc?&quot; &quot;You know, Mick, the funny thing is, I am happy here. Happier than I canremember being in a long, long time. It's strange. Back home, I was a verywealthy man. I thought I had everything I ever wanted. I had a good home, therespect of my colleagues, and unlimited time to pursue my own research in aprivate laboratory, funded by a multinational corporation. I even had acharming, intelligent, beautiful young woman who was going to be my wife. Isuppose I thought I was happy, but I realize now that there was somethingmissing. I didn't really feel useful. Oh, I'd managed to come up with a fewthings that made enormous money for the corporation I was working for, and theyhad practical applications, to be sure, but I never really had the feeling thatI was making a difference in people's lives-not the way I am here.&quot; &quot;Aye, things have sure enough changed in Brigand's Roost since youarrived, Doc. And for the better, too. But tell me, what's a corporation?&quot; Brewster smiled. &quot;Well, you know all the plans you've been making withRobie and Pat and that peddler, Harlan? That's how a corporation starts. Youbegin with something that you want to market, like Jane's teas, forinstance-&quot; &quot;Celestial Steepings teas,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Celestial Steepings?&quot; Brewster raised his eyebrows. &quot; 'Tis what we're going to call the brews,&quot; said Mick. &quot;SinceJane has about a dozen different blends by now, we thought each should have itsown name, but they should all be known by a trade name, too.&quot; &quot;A brand name,&quot; Brewster said, with a grin. &quot;That's calledmarketing. Harlan's idea, right?&quot; &quot;Aye,&quot; said Mick. &quot;He's got a lot o' fine ideas. We'll bemarketing the Many-Bladed Knife, as well, and Doc's Magic Dirt Remover.&quot; &quot;Doc's Magic Dirt Remover?&quot; Brewster asked. &quot;Oh, you mean thesoap. You named it after me?&quot; &quot;We didn't think you'd mind.&quot; &quot;No, I'm very flattered. But that's precisely what I mean. You beginwith a plan for goods you want to market, and then you make arrangements for theproduction of those goods, and for their distribution, and for how you'lladvertise them ... that's mainly what a corporation does. It starts small and asit prospers, it grows bigger and bigger, employing more and more people,accumulating more assets, adding more products, acquiring other companies,selling stock-&quot; &quot;Stock? What is that?&quot; &quot;What is stock? Well, basically, it's a way of raising capital. Money tofinance your efforts. What you do is you sell small shares of your company toprivate investors. They give you money in return for those shares, which arepieces of paper that say they own an interest in a sm
ll part of your company.By purchasing these shares, they're gambling that your company is going toprosper and those shares are going to be worth more than what they paid forthem. And as the company makes money, it pays dividends to shareholders-a small portion ofthe profits. And that's how corporations grow.&quot; &quot;Interesting,&quot; said Mick. &quot;I'll have to mention it to Harlan.But if you say you're happy here, then why do you miss your home so much?&quot; &quot;Because I don't really belong here, Mick. And because ... well, mainlybecause I miss Pamela.&quot; &quot;Ah. Your intended. The beauteous sorceress.&quot; Brewster smiled. Mick and the others naturally thought Pamela was asorceress, because he'd told them she was a scientist, as well. &quot;I oftenwonder what she thinks happened to me. I wonder if she believes I ran offsomewhere and left her. Or if she thinks I'm dead.&quot; &quot;Perhaps her magic will enable her to follow you and find youhere,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Oh, I doubt that very much, Mick. We'd set the date for our marriagethree separate times, and each time I failed to show up. It was all my fault, ofcourse; I just became distracted. But who knows, maybe somewhere deep inside, Iwas afraid of getting married. No, I'm pretty sure Pamela's given up on me bynow. It'll probably make her father very happy. He never did like me very much.He thought his daughter could do better.&quot; &quot;Then he's a very foolish man,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Why, thank you, Mick. That was a very kind thing to say.&quot; &quot; 'Tis but the truth.&quot; &quot;Well, I don't know about that. But it was nice of you to say so.&quot; &quot; 'Tis almost sunrise,&quot; Mick said, looking up through the canopy ofbranches overhead. &quot;The dwarves should be coming soon.&quot; &quot;Why couldn't we just go meet them at their village?&quot; Brewsterasked. &quot;I don't think you would enjoy that very much, Doc,&quot; Mick replied.&quot;They live underground, you know, in warrens. I might be able to squeezethrough their little tunnels, but you're much too big.&quot; &quot;Oh.&quot; &quot;But they come by this way each morning at this time, on their way tothe mines up in the Purple Mountains. Whenever we have business to discuss, Ialways meet them here.&quot; Even as he spoke, Brewster could hear a curiouschanting approaching from the distance, down the road. It was a chorus of deepmale voices, accompanied by handclapping and foot stomping and percussive mouthnoises. A moment later, he could see them coming around a bend in the road,marching in ranks with a curious, bobbing, dancing sort of cadence. As they drewcloser, he could make out the. words of their rhythmic, sing-song chant. &quot;Early in the morning, we rise and shine, And haul our asses to themine, Hey, hey, my man! Hi, ho! It's off to work we go! &quot;We tunnel down hard and we tunnel down deep, We keep diggin' that oreuntil it's time to sleep, Hey, hey, my man! Hi, ho! It's the only work we know! &quot;Rappin' while we work, it's the way to go, It keeps the long day fromgoin' slow, Hey, hey, my man! Hi, ho! It's the way we run our show! &quot;Dig it! Boom-shacka-lacka-lacka! Boom-shacka-lacka-lacka! Boom-shacka-lacka-lacka!Boom!&quot; Brewster stared with astonishment at the tiny figures as they approached.They were even less than leprechaun-sized, the tallest of them shorter than Mickby at least a foot. Most of them were only about two feet tall, and Brewster wasamazed that such deep, basso profundo voices could come from such tinybodies. They were extremely muscular for their size, mostly blocky torso, withstubby, thick little legs and arms, and large heads crowned with masses of dark,Rastafarian-style dreadlocks. As they drew closer, he could see that their skinwas an ash-gray color, and their facial features looked almost Asian. Their eyeswere almond shaped and very wide apart, and they had graceful, turned-up nosesand pointed chins. Some of them had their hair pulled back in pony-tails andBrewster saw that their ears were pointed as well, and they were even largerthan elf ears. They all wore heavy leather boots with thick soles and heels, andbaggy leather shorts that came down to just below their knees. But what moststruck Brewster were the oversize shirts they wore, in a wide variety ofcolorful plaids. &quot;Those shirts...&quot; he said. &quot;They look like-&quot; &quot;Dwarven flannel,&quot; Mick said. &quot;Light, warm, and verycomfortable. Only dwarven weavers know how to make it, and they will not sharethe secret with anyone.&quot; &quot;Rapping, Rastafarian, grunge dwarves?&quot; said Brewster. As the dwarves stopped in front of their wagon, a couple of them detachedthemselves from the formation and approached. &quot;Hi, ho, Mick,&quot; one ofthem said. &quot;Hi, ho, Dork,&quot; Mick replied. &quot;Dork?&quot; said Brewster, raising his eyebrows. The dwarf drew himself up to his full height, though at a full height of onlytwo feet, something about the effect was lost. &quot;I am Dork, headman of mytribe,&quot; he said in a surprisingly deep voice. He thumped himself on hischest for emphasis. &quot;And this is Dweeb, my brother.&quot; &quot;Ho,&quot; said Dweeb, with a curt nod at Brewster. &quot;And this is the Brewster Doc, the mighty sorcerer I told youabout,&quot; said Mick. The two dwarves looked properly impressed, but not as impressed as theylooked when Mick showed them a couple of the Swiss Army knives from the recentproduction run back at the keep. They went back to the others and were all soonmumbling excitedly, as the knives were passed around. &quot;Dwarves are extremely fond o' tools,&quot; said Mick, in an aside to Brewster.&quot;They love nothing better. The knives will do most o' the work for us, butlet me do the bargaining. You just sit there and look important.&quot; &quot;Whatever you say, Mick,&quot; Brewster said, and he tried to look asimportant as he could when Dork and Dweeb came back up to the wagon. &quot;We must have these marvelous knives,&quot; Dork said intensely.&quot;Never have we seen such well-made, useful tools. How much will you takefor them?&quot; &quot;Nothing,&quot; Mick said. &quot;But we must have them!&quot; &quot;You misunderstood,&quot; said Mick. &quot; 'Tis a gift they are, fromDoc to your brother and yourself.&quot; The two dwarves glanced at Brewster with astonishment and Brewster merelynodded, trying to look important. &quot;Truly?&quot; Dork said with amazement. &quot;Truly,&quot; Mick replied. &quot;Doc would like to make you presents o'them, as a gesture o' goodwill.&quot; The dwarves glanced at each other. &quot;Do you have more knives such asthese?&quot; asked Dork. &quot;They are very difficult to craft,&quot; said Mick. &quot;And we requireonly the very finest materials, such as those you have provided me with in thepast, in limited quantities, for certain o' my swords.&quot; The dwarves glanced at each other again. &quot;And if we could providemore?&quot; &quot;You mean to say you might be interested in an alliance for our mutualbenefit?&quot; &quot;If it is to our mutual advantage,&quot; Dork replied cautiously. &quot;Well then, let's talk some business, lads,&quot; said Mick with a winkat Brewster as he got down out of the wagon. &nbsp; THREE &nbsp; The muddy little town of Brigand's Roost was no longer a muddy little town,and some of the older residents weren't quite sure what to make of all thechanges. Gentrification was a word that was unknown to One-Eyed Jack and BloodyMary, but as they sat on the second-floor balcony of One-Eyed Jack's Tavern,watching all the new construction, they wondered about the effect all thesechanges were having on their lives. Every day, more and more people arrived in Brigand's Roost. Jack had built anaddition to his tavern to house the overflow from the rooms he had to letupstairs, and no sooner had the construction been completed than he had to startbuilding yet another addition to accommodate the constant influx of newarrivals. In this manner, the tavern had expanded over the last year until ithad become surrounded by a commodious rooming house that had grown to take up anentire block, and was now known as The Brigand's Roost Hotel. Jack's life had changed completely. A year earlier all he had to worry aboutwas tending bar in his tavern and breaking up the occasional fight on Saturdaynight, when the brigands would come in to get all liquored up. And every now andthen, some traveler would get out of line with one of Bloody Mary's girls andJack would have to bust a head or two. Otherwise, life had been quiet, peaceful,relaxing, and uncomplicated. Now, everything had changed. He had found it necessary to hire three bartenders to work in the tavern,which was always full to capacity, even with the wall knocked down and the barextended. He now had a hotel manager working for him, and a staff of over twodozen employees. He no longer even had the pleasure of breaking up the fights,because Hugh, Dugh, and Lugh were nowon the payroll as bouncers, and they kept order with a brutal and directefficiency. In the twilight of his life, Jack was still fit and strong, if alittle creaky, and though he had lost most of his teeth and one eye, he stillfelt useful and productive. The only trouble was, now he had hardly anything todo. He had become, against all expectation, a wealthy man. And he was having ahard time getting used to the idea. Bloody Mary was getting on in years as well, but anyone could see that in herprime, she must have been a real heart-stopper. She was still beautiful, eventhough her face was lined with age and she had put on weight, and though it hadbeen years since she had entertained male clients, what she didn't know aboutthe art of love simply wasn't worth knowing. Ten years earlier, she had retiredto the country and found her place in Brigand's Roost, where she had becomepartners with Jack and operated a small and friendly brothel on the upper floorof the tavern. In the last six months, however, she had found it necessary tohire a dozen additional girls and the upper floor of the tavern was no longerenough to handle all the business. Directly across the street, a new buildingwas going up, three whole floors, and a sign in front of it said, &quot;FutureHome of Bloody Mary's Gaming and Pleasure Emporium.&quot; Mary wasn't sure about the gaming part, but Harlan had Insisted that it wouldbe good for the growth of the town's economy to have gambling on the premises,and as he had bought into her business, he promised he would run the gamblingconcession and she wouldn't have to worry about anything other than managing hergirls. And even there, she didn't have to do much. Saucy Cheryl had taken overmost of the managing duties, and Mary had to admit that Cheryl had a real flairfor it. She hired only the most beautiful girls and trained them all herself,and there was a list of recently arrived girls waiting to get hired on once thenew building was completed. As they sat on the balcony of the tavern, Mary and Jack watched the constantparade of people going in and out of the offices of Harlan's Townlot Company andHoldings, Ltd., situated next door to the Future Home of Bloody Mary's Emporium.Within a remarkably short time, Harlan the Peddler had become Harlan theEntrepreneur, a force to be reckoned with in Brigand's Roost. There was eventalk of running him for mayor. Brigand's Roost had never had a mayor before, butnow they had a Town Council that met in the tavern every Tuesday night, and forthe first time in anyone's memory, there were actually ordinances on the books.Before, there hadn't even been any books. No one had ever actually owned property in Brigand's Roost before. In thepast, if someone had arrived in town and chosen for some unfathomable reason tostay, they would simply have homesteaded a little patch of ground and built ashack upon it. Harlan had changed all that. Real estate was now big business inBrigand's Roost. The hawk-faced little peddler had recruited some of thebrigands to parcel out all the acreage around the town and survey it, and theownership was equally divided among all the old-time residents of the town andthe environs, which basically meant the brigands and a few 
f the locals wholived in and around the village. The Townlot Company administered the transfersof the deeds-for a percentage-and Harlan's offices were papered with plattedmaps indicating all the lots by number. And he had an interest in each and everyone of them. When all of the available lots had been sold, they simply clearedmore forest land around the town and parceled it out. New lots were sold asquickly as they were surveyed and made available. Suddenly everyone was makingmoney hand over fist. As Mary and Jack sat on their balcony, they could see the entire main streetof the town stretching out before them. It had more than tripled in length inthe last few months and would soon quadruple. Where once Brigand's Roost hadbeen nothing more than a curving, rutted dirt street with a few shacks on eitherside, now it was a full-scale town, with side streets and alleyways, and withina few years-if growth persisted at this rate-it would become a city. There was now a farmer's market at the end of Main Street, and there were twostables, a blacksmith's shop, two saloons,a hotel, an apothecary shop, four tailors, a dry goods store, a milliner, aleather worker, two construction companies, a soothsayer, three bakeries, twobutcher shops, a bank, a jeweler, and even a teahouse, serving a full selectionof Calamity Jane's Celestial Steepings teas with homemade muffins and pies. Atthe edge of town, there was a profusion of market stalls set up-all of whoseoperators had to pay a trade tariff to the Town Council, of which Harlan was afounding member. A small tent city had sprung up on the edge of town, full ofpeople waiting for housing to become available. And the steady stream of newarrivals showed no sign of letting up. &quot;Where do you think they're all coming from?&quot; asked One-Eyed Jack,scratching his heavily bearded chin. &quot;Pittsburgh, mostly,&quot; Mary replied, putting her bare feet up on thebalcony railing. &quot; 'Tiswhat the girls say. They're having some troublethere and people are leaving in droves.&quot; &quot;What sort of trouble?&quot; Jack asked. Mary shrugged. &quot;They say a revolution is brewing, and people want to getout before the fighting starts. There's already been some rioting, I hear.&quot; &quot;How come?&quot; asked Jack. Mary frowned. &quot;I'm not quite sure. I keep hearing different stories.Some say that King Billy has become a tyrant. Others say he's gone mad and thesheriff is the tyrant and that he has his brother under his thumb. Some say he'seven deposed the king and is ruling in his place, while King Billy serves onlyas a figurehead. But all agree that Pittsburgh has become a miserable place tolive, what with all the new ordinances the sheriff has instituted in the king'sname. They say a person can't even spit on the street anymore without beingarrested. And those who are arrested are taken to the dungeons and never seennor heard from again. Everyone says 'tis only a matter of time until the peoplerise up against the king.&quot; &quot;Assuming there's any people left to do it, at the rate they'releaving,&quot; Jack replied. &quot;What I don't understand is why they're allcoming here.&quot; &quot;Word has spread that there's a mighty sorcerer in Brigand's Roost andhe's helping people make a better life for themselves here,&quot; said Mary.&quot;Everyone who comes to town asks about him. It's that Harlan. He's the onewho started it all. Every time a new wagonload of goods goes out to market, hehas them take a stack of handbills telling all about the good life and all theopportunities in the booming town of Brigand's Roost. He calls it 'marketing.'&quot; Jack grunted in assent. &quot;I never saw a man with so much energy. He neverstands still. Every time you turn around, he's got some new plan cooking. Thingsjust haven't been the same in Brigand's Roost since he arrived. And I'm not sureall these changes are for the better.&quot; &quot;What are you complaining of?&quot; asked Mary. &quot;You're gettingrich.&quot; &quot;True,&quot; said Jack. &quot;But for the life of me, I can't reckonwhat a man's supposed to do when he gets rich.&quot; &quot;Work on getting richer,&quot; Mary said with a shrug. &quot;Doesn't seem like all that much work to me,&quot; Jack said, scratchinghis beard again. &quot;Somehow, it just sort of happens by itself.&quot; &quot;That's how 'tis when you have money,&quot; Mary said. &quot;It justsort of multiplies. Harlan calls it 'economics.'&quot; &quot;If you ask me, none of this would've happened without Doc,&quot; saidJack, &quot;but 'tis everybody else who's getting rich. What does Doc get out ofit?&quot; &quot;Well now, he's got the old keep, doesn't he?&quot; said Mary. &quot;Andhe never has to pay for anything in this town. There isn't a man, woman, orchild in Brigand's Roost wouldn't give him the shirt off their back if he askedfor it. And he gets a cut of all the export business.&quot; &quot;He does?&quot; &quot;Sure enough he does. Harlan manages it for him. He's not about to bitethe goose that gilds the eggs.&quot; &quot;What?&quot; said Jack, staring at Mary with confusion. &quot;Well, something like that, anyway,&quot; said Mary, with a scowl.&quot;I don't know, it made sense when Harlan said it.&quot; &quot;But if Doc gets a cut of all the export business, why is it he neverhas any money?&quot; Jack said. &quot; 'Tis all in the bank,&quot; said Mary. &quot;Oh,&quot; said Jack. He frowned. &quot;You know, I still don'tunderstand this newfangled bank idea.&quot; &quot; 'Tis very simple,&quot; Mary said. &quot;You wanted me to handle allour money, right, so you would not be bothered? Well, I took our money and putit all in the bank for safekeeping. In return for holding on to our money, thebank pays us a percentage called 'interest,' so by keeping our money in thebank, we're actually making more. The more money we keep there, the more moneywe make.&quot; &quot;But what does the bank get out of it?&quot; &quot;The bank uses our money as an asset, lending it out at interest. Thereare business loans, and construction loans, and home mortgages, and personalloans, and the longer people take to repay these loans, the more it costs ininterest.&quot; &quot;Seems to me I could lend out my own money at interest,&quot; Jack said,&quot;and cut out the middleman.&quot; &quot;But then you'd have to handle all the details,&quot; Mary said.&quot;This way, the bank takes care of all that for you.&quot; &quot;What happens if people fail to make the payments on these loans?&quot; &quot;Then the bank takes their assets.&quot; &quot;And then what?&quot; &quot;It sells them for a profit.&quot; &quot;This was Harlan's idea, right?&quot; &quot;Actually, I think he got the idea from Doc,&quot; said Mary. &quot;Buthe took to it right quickly.&quot; &quot;I notice that he quickly takes to anything that involves makingmoney,&quot; said Jack. &quot;Well, he's sure enough making money for you,&quot; said Mary.&quot;He's making us rich.&quot; &quot;And making himself richer still,&quot; Jack replied with a scowl.&quot;If you ask me, putting all that money in one place is just an invitationfor somebody to steal it. Wouldn't it be smarter to have our money where wecould keep an eye on it?&quot; &quot;It could be stolen from us, as well. But if we keep it in the bank,then 'tis insured.&quot; &quot;Tis what?&quot; &quot;Insured. That means if someone steals it, the insurance company makesgood the loss.&quot; &quot;What's an insurance company?&quot; &quot;Oh, that's another new idea Harlan got from Doc. 'Tis a business thatsells security. You buy an insurance policy that promises to pay you if yousustain a loss. You can buy different kinds of insurance. Fire insurance toprotect against your home or business burning down, theft insurance to protectyourself from being robbed, life insurance-&quot; &quot;Life insurance?&quot; &quot;So if you die, your family gets money.&quot; Jack shook his head. &quot;Sounds like a good reason for your family tomurder you, if you ask me.&quot; &quot;Harlan says 'tis protection for your family, in case anything shouldhappen to you. You pay for it in small amounts called 'premiums' each month. Andin return for these premiums, if you sustain a loss, the insurance company makesit good.&quot; &quot;But where do they get the money?&quot; &quot;From the premiums.&quot; &quot;So why not just save the money you'd pay in these premiums and have anest egg to guard against misfortune? It makes no sense to me. Who runs thisinsurance company?&quot; &quot;Harlan,&quot; Mary said. &quot;That figures,&quot; Jack replied dryly. &quot;Does Shannon know aboutall this?&quot; &quot;Of course,&quot; said Mary. &quot;Harlan knows better than to makemoney in Brigand's Roost without giving her a cut of all the profits. He says'tis a part of economics called 'extortion.'&quot; &quot;I'm just too old to understand all this newfangled stuff,&quot; saidJack, shaking his head. &quot;I prefer things the way they were.&quot; &quot; 'Tis called 'progress,' Jack. You have to change with the times.&quot; &quot;Why?&quot; &quot;Why?&quot; &quot;That's right, why?&quot; Mary shrugged. &quot;I don't know. You just do, that's all.&quot; &quot;Is that what Harlan says?&quot; &quot;Right.&quot; &quot;Somehow, I knew that,&quot; Jack said sourly. At that very moment the object of their deliberations was busy conducting aboard meeting of The Rooster Corporation, the name they had recently settled onfor their fledgling conglomerate. No sooner had Mick told Harlan about Doc'sexplanation of what a corporation was than Harlan insisted that they form one.They sat around a long table in the executive offices on the upper floor of theTownlot Company, which was now a subsidiary of The Rooster Corporation, alongwith The First Bank of Brigand's Roost, The Rooster Equity and AssuranceCompany, and Brigand Exports, Ltd. The corporation also had a strong financialinterest in The Brigand's Roost Hotel, Bloody Mary's Gaming and PleasureEmporium, and over half the other independent businesses in town, including theFarmers Market and the stall concessions in Tent City. &quot;All right, so the deal with the dwarves went down?&quot; said Harlan. &quot;A complete and unqualified success,&quot; replied Mick. &quot;Themoment they saw the knives, they just had to have them. It was clever o' you tosuggest giving a couple to their tribal leaders. Now all the others want them,too.&quot; &quot;It was a worthwhile investment,&quot; Harlan said, nodding. &quot;Neverbe afraid to spend money to make money. Especially if it hooks the customer andkeeps him coming back for more. So now we've got a supplier for raw materials.That's good. That's very good. So long as Dork's people keep their mouths shutabout dealing with us.&quot; &quot;That was part of the agreement,&quot; Mick said. &quot;In fact, theyinsisted on it.&quot; &quot;Why?&quot; asked Robie. &quot;I mean, why should they keep quiet aboutit?&quot; &quot;Because they're under exclusive contract to the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild,that's why,&quot; Harlan said. &quot;They're not supposed to be supplyinganybody else. So long as we're getting the bauxite and alchemite directly fromthem, it saves us having to mine it for ourselves. What was it Doc called thealchemite?&quot; &quot;Cryolite,&quot; said Mick. &quot;That's what they call it in the Landof Ing, where he hails from.&quot; &quot;Well, from now on, I think we should call it cryolite, as well,&quot;said Harlan. &quot;Why?&quot; asked Robie, yet again. &quot;Because nobody knows what the hell cryolite is, you putz,&quot; Harlansaid. (Narrator's Note: He didn't actually say &quot;putz,&quot; becauseno one spoke &quot;Yiddish in this universe. There were no Jews in thetwenty-seven kingdoms, but there was a tribe known as the Hazerai, which roughlytranslates as &quot;People Who Survive the Guilt,&quot; and the Hazeraiexpression Harlan used was a rough equivalent of &quot;putz.&quot;) &quot;Ifwe start talking about using alchemite, word will get around that we've got asource. You want the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild finding out we're buyingalchemite out from under them?&quot; &quot;Uh ... no,&quot; said Robie. &quot;So what do we call it?&quot; &quot;Cryolite.&quot; &qu
t;Good boy. You see, you're learning.&quot; &quot;Oh, and there's one more thing,&quot; Mick said. &quot;Doc and I had adrink with the dwarves to conclude the deal, and they just went wild for theMickey Finn. They want to arrange steady shipments.&quot; &quot;Great. You didn't tell them what it was, did you?&quot; Harlan asked. &quot;No, naturally not,&quot; Mick replied. &quot;Why shouldn't he have told them what it was?&quot; asked Robie, with apuzzled frown. Harlan sighed. &quot;Okay, kid, let's try this by the numbers. Mickey Finn isour trade name for what?&quot; &quot;Peregrine wine,&quot; said Robie. &quot;And peregrine wine is made from what?&quot; said Harlan. &quot;Peregrine bushes,&quot; Robie replied. &quot;And where can you find peregrine bushes?&quot; &quot;Well . . . just about anywhere. Especially when they migrate. They'reall over the damn place.&quot; &quot;Right. And if the dwarves know what Mickey Finn is made from, then theycan do what?&quot; asked Harlan. Robie concentrated. &quot;Try to duplicate the recipe for themselves?&quot; &quot;Brilliant,&quot; Harlan said. &quot;I think he's really coming along,don't you?&quot; Mick nodded and McMurphy looked very pleased with himself. He had become anunabashed admirer of Harlan and paid very close attention to everything he did.Harlan had a gift, and Robie was anxious to learn as much from him as possible. &quot;Of course, the dwarves don't have a still,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;Butwe can't expect to keep the knowledge of how to make a still to ourselves. Themore the demand for Mickey Finn increases, the more workers we have to hire forthe brewery, and sooner or later, one of the brighter ones will figure out howto make a plan for the still and sell it to the highest bidder. We can't controlthat. What we can control is the recipe, by making sure only the trustedbrewmasters have it. Always remember that half the secret of success is stayingahead of the competition. And if you can't stay ahead of them, buy themout.&quot; &quot;Right,&quot; said Robie. &quot;Okay, next item on the agenda,&quot; Harlan said. &quot;What are thecurrent distribution figures on the teas?&quot; Pikestaff Pat went over to the chart he had made up and placed on the easel.His wife Jane was in charge of all the manufacturing, which meant gathering theraw materials and creating the different blends of Celestial Steepings teas, buthe kept track of the business end of things. A year ago, he couldn't read orwrite, but now he had learned how to keep accounts and make flow charts thatallowed him to keep track of the inventory and the distribution. He picked up apointer and stood by the easel proudly. &quot;We've got three more stores handling our product in Franktown,&quot; hesaid. &quot;Last month they took a shipment of Dragon's Breath Brew and FairyMist, and they did so well for them that now they've placed an order for ourentire line.&quot; &quot;Excellent,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;Go on.&quot; &quot;So far, about half the marketing force has returned for resupply,&quot;said Pat. &quot;We've made inroads with our products in eight of thetwenty-seven kingdoms, and as soon as the wagons get back from the more distantones, we should have added at least five or six more. And the earlier complaintsfrom the peddlers about being under exclusive contract to us and handling onlyour trade goods have all disappeared once they've seen how well our productsmove. They're all anxious to get out on the road again.&quot; &quot;Just as I predicted,&quot; said Harlan, nodding with satisfaction.&quot;And word of mouth from them will make it that much easier for us to expandthe marketing force. We'll have to see about stepping up production.&quot; &quot;There's no problem in doing that with the teas, or with Doc's MagicDirt Remover,&quot; Pat said. &quot;The spam ranch is producing plenty of theugly beasts, so the rendering plant is operating at capacity, but it's going tobe tough expanding production on the knives and the Mickey Finn.&quot; &quot;That's true,&quot; said Mick. &quot;The dwarves will be buying up mostof our supply, and that will ensure a steady source of raw materials from theirmine. We can expand the brewery, but if we wait for the migration season everyyear, we'll run short on peregrine bushes. We'll just have to start raising ourown.&quot; &quot;Make a note of that, Pat,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;We need to start anursery. What about the knives, Mick?&quot; &quot;We're not really in a position to speed up production of the kniveswithout affecting quality,&quot; the burly leprechaun replied. &quot;Okay, let's not rush it, then,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;We want tomaintain quality, at all costs. The Many-Bladed Knife is our most importantproduct. It has to be first rate. We'll expand productiononly when it becomes practical. Until then, we'll raise the price. The demand isthere; the market can bear it. Now, I'd like to bring up some new business.Brigand's Roost is growing rapidly, and we need to think about the future. Up'til now, no one's paid very much attention to us here, but all that is going tochange soon. A little mud hole of a village that supports a motley bunch ofbrigands is one thing, but a boom town with a thriving economy is something elseagain. Sooner or later, someone's going to want a piece of it. And if we want toprotect our interests, we've got to make preparations now.&quot; &quot;What sort o' preparations?&quot; asked Mick. &quot;Well, we're all subjects of the King of Darn,&quot; said Harlan,&quot;and at the rate we're growing, it won't be long before His Majesty, KingDurwin, decides he's entitled to a share in our good fortune. I don't know aboutyou, but I'm not too thrilled about that idea myself. Durwin's never lifted afinger to help us, why should we have to cut him in for a percentage of theprofits in the form of taxes?&quot; &quot;But we've never been asked to pay any taxes before,&quot; said Robie. &quot;That's because there's never been any money in Brigand's Roostbefore,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;It was too much trouble to send tax collectorsto a muddy little hole like this. But now we're no longer a muddy little holeand it's suddenly become worthwhile for His Majesty to take an interest inus.&quot; &quot;So what do you think we should do?&quot; asked Pat. &quot;I propose we formally secede from Darn and form our own littlekingdom,&quot; Harlan said. Silence fell upon the room. For several moments no one spoke as the fullimport of Harlan's audacious proposal sank in. &quot;Our own kingdom?&quot; Robie said with disbelief. Mick gave a low whistle. &quot;That would sure enough get us noticed.&quot; &quot;If we form our own kingdom, we get to make our own rules,&quot; saidHarlan. &quot;And nobody gets to put their hands in our pockets. Nobody.&quot; &quot;King Durwin would never sit still for that,&quot; said Pat, shaking hishead. &quot;He's always left us pretty much alone before, but if we start ourown kingdom within his lands, he's liable to take exception.&quot; &quot;Let him,&quot; Harlan said. &quot;We've got our own sorcerer, and atthe rate people are arriving, we'll soon be able to have our own army, as well.And it will be a very well-paid army, which should attract the finestmercenaries. With Doc's knowledge and our skills, Durwin won't be able to doanything to stop us.&quot; &quot;I don't know,&quot; said Mick, dubiously. &quot; 'Tis an awfully bigstep. And a dangerous one. Who would be our king?&quot; &quot;Why not a queen?&quot; asked Harlan. Their eyes got very wide. &quot;Shannon!&quot; Pat said. &quot;Why not?&quot; said Harlan. &quot;The famous leader of the BlackBrigands would make a formidable queen, and her consort would be the formertop-ranked assassin of the Footpads and Assassins Guild. What better man totrain an army? He's already got the school for it. And with Doc as royal wizard,we would be invincible. No other kingdom would dare to interfere with us. We'dalso have our economy to back us up. If anyone decided not to recognize ourright to rule ourselves, we'd simply cut them off from our exports. And peopleare going to want our exports. What we've done so far is only thebeginning, my friends. Before long, Brigand's Roost is going to be a thrivingcity, with small towns and villages springing up around it. There's already asmall village around Doc's keep, and it's growing every day. There are only afew miles separating it from Brigand's Roost, and soon, it will all be one town.Doc's keep would make a perfect royal palace-once we expanded it, of course. Docwould still have his tower, which we could designate as the official wizard'sresidence, but we could extend the old walls and build the palace on the groundswhere the rendering is being done now. I'm sure Doc wouldn't mind the newconstruction if it resulted in a renovation of his tower and the renderingoperation being moved. He's never complained, mind you, but the smell is enoughto stun a unicorn.&quot; &quot;It has gotten pretty bad,&quot; Mick agreed. &quot;We could easilyclear some land and move it.&quot; &quot;My point is, before long, this is going to be the richest city in allthe twenty-seven kingdoms,&quot; Harlan continued. &quot;And if we want todetermine our own destiny, we're going to have to become numbertwenty-eight.&quot; &quot;Queen Shannon,&quot; Mick said thoughfully. &quot;Have you spoken toher about this yet?&quot; &quot;I wanted to be certain we were all in agreement first,&quot; Harlanreplied. &quot;I think we should present the idea to her together.&quot; &quot;Queen Shannon,&quot; Pat said, trying out the sound of it. &quot;Butqueen of what? What shall we name our kingdom?&quot; &quot;How about... Brigantium?&quot; asked Robie. &quot;Brigantium,&quot; said Harlan, raising his eyebrows and nodding.&quot;Now that has a ring to it. I like it.&quot; &quot;Queen Shannon of Brigantium,&quot; said Mick. &quot;It does soundrather impressive, doesn't it? But I'm not sure how Mac will feel about being acommon consort to a queen.&quot; &quot;Leave Mac to me,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;He'll be no common consort.He'll be Commanding General of the Royal Army of Brigantium and First Ministerof Defense.&quot; &quot;Impressive,&quot; Mick said, glancing at Harlan with respect. &quot;Ifind it hard to believe that only a short while ago you were a merepeddler.&quot; &quot;I was never a mere peddler,&quot; Harlan replied. &quot;I was avisionary. All I needed was the right opportunity. And this, my friends, is it.All we need is the courage to take it. All in favor?&quot; &quot;Aye,&quot; said Robie, immediately. &quot;Aye,&quot; said Pikestaff Pat after a moment, Mick nodded. &quot;Aye,&quot; he said softly. &quot; 'Tis a bold and riskystep, but I can see the reasons for it.&quot; &quot;That makes it unanimous,&quot; said Harlan, pouring them all drinks ofMickey Finn. &quot;I think this calls for a toast. Gentlemen, I give you . . .the Kingdom of Brigantium! Long live the queen!&quot; &quot;Long live the queen!&quot; they echoed, and tipped their goblets back. Harlan gasped and turned purple as the potent brew went down. &quot;Count of three,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Two,&quot; said Robie. Harlan stood swaying for several seconds, then his eyes rolled up and hecollapsed senseless on the table. &quot;Four,&quot; said Pat, impressed. &quot;He's getting better.&quot; &quot;Since the chairman is unconscious, I declare this meetingadjourned,&quot; said Mick. He wrapped Harlan's fingers around the gavel, raisedit, and let it drop onto the table. &quot;We'll go see Shannon first thing inthe morning, after he sleeps it off.&quot; &quot;What?&quot; saidShannon, staring at them with astonishment. &quot;Have you all lost yourminds?&quot; &quot;Think about it,&quot; Harlan said. He still looked a little greenaround the gills. &quot;We've got a pretty good thing going here. You're makingfar more money now than you ever did when the brigands were plying their outlawtrade, and for a lot less effort, too. But at the rate things are going, itwon't be long before King Durwin or one of the rulers of the other kingdomsdecides to move in on us. When there's fresh meat on the road, the carrion beginto gather. If we want to hold on to what we've g
t, we have to take steps toprotect ourselves. We must seize the initiative.&quot; &quot;He's got a point, my love,&quot; said Mac, nodding in agreement. &quot;Warrickis already searching for Doc. And that mercenary who tried to take you in forthe bounty on your head has doubtless reported to him long since. I am surprisednothing has come of it yet. Warrick the White is not one to sit idle for long.He may be gathering forces against us even as we speak.&quot; Shannon nodded. &quot;Aye,&quot; she agreed, &quot;but making preparations todefend ourselves is one thing, forming our own kingdom is quite another. Itwould be an open invitation to King Durwin to send troops against us.&quot; &quot;All the more reason for us to have a standing army,&quot; Harlan said.&quot;And Mac is just the man to lead it. A general needs troops, but he alsoneeds a king. Or, in this case, a queen. After all, who is better suited to thetask than you? No one would question your leadership.&quot; &quot;But how could I possibly be a queen?&quot; asked Shannon. &quot;I am acommoner, not someone of royal birth.&quot; &quot;Royal birth is merely an accident of fate,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;Ithas never rendered anyone fit to be a king or queen; it has merely allowed themto be born into the position. Keep in mind, however, that before any royallineage was ever established, someone had to be first to assume thetitle, and more often than not, they assumed that title by virtue ofoverpowering all the other aspirants. I don't happen to see any other aspirantsabout at the moment, but even if there were, I have little doubt that you couldoverpower them quite easily.&quot; &quot;True enough,&quot; said Mac with a smile. &quot;We would have ourselvesa warrior queen.&quot; &quot;After all,&quot; continued Harlan, pressing the point, &quot;you havealways ruled Brigand's Roost in all but name. We would merely be making itofficial. We are a thriving town now. 'Tis only right that we should do thingsin a manner that was proper and respectable.&quot; &quot;Respectable,&quot; said Shannon, mulling it over. &quot;I had alwayswondered what it would be like to be respectable. A proper lady.&quot; &quot;A proper queen,&quot; said Mick. &quot;First lady o' therealm.&quot; &quot;And you all want this?&quot; Shannon asked. &quot; 'Twas unanimous,&quot; said Robie. &quot;All that's left is an official proclamation,&quot; Harlan said.&quot;And the small matter of appointing ministers and recruiting a palace guardand an army. Mac is eminently suited to that task. After all, he has alreadyfounded a school to train assassins. It could easily be expanded to train anarmy, as well. With Mac's training and Doc's knowledge, we could have an armythat would be unsurpassed in might.&quot; &quot;Would I not need a king?&quot; asked Shannon with a sidelong glance atMac. &quot;Well, that would be your royal perogative, if and when you should everchoose to marry,&quot; Harlan said quickly. &quot;However, the CommandingGeneral of the Army of Brigantium and the First Minister of Defense wouldcertainly make a fitting royal consort.&quot; &quot;General MacGregor,&quot; said Mac. &quot;It does sound rather moreimpressive than 'Mac the Knife,' does it not?&quot; &quot;Have you spoken with Doc about this?&quot; Shannon asked. &quot;Not yet,&quot; said Harlan, &quot;but I feel certain Doc will go alongwith whatever we decide. He doesn't seem to care a great deal about such things,one way or the other. You've all known him longer than I have, of course, butfrom what I've seen, it appears that Doc's concern is solely for his craft. Heis not what I would call a terribly ambitious man.&quot; &quot;Unlike some people I could mention,&quot; Shannon said wryly.&quot;What's in this for you, Harlan?&quot; &quot;A fair question, to be sure,&quot; Harlan replied. &quot;What's in itfor me is a considerable measure of security, the ability to conduct mybusiness- our business, I should say-without having to concern myselfabout anyone trying to muscle in and take things over. Or cut themselves in fora substantial percentage of the profits.&quot; &quot;And if they did, then you could always claim you had no choice exceptto go along with the new regime,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;No, I think not,peddler. If we secede from Darn, then my head, as well as Mac's, and anyoneelse's who becomes part of our new regime is on the block. I think I'd feel muchbetter if you were to share in the risk, as well as in the profits.&quot; &quot;There has been talk of running him for mayor,&quot; said Robie. &quot;Not nearly risk enough,&quot; Shannon replied. &quot;If you want me tobe queen, then you, peddler, are going to be my prime minister.&quot; &quot;Well now, I'm not so sure that's such a wise decision,&quot; Harlansaid uneasily. &quot;After all, I am a businessman, not a politician. I lack thetalent for statemanship.&quot; &quot;Oh, I think we have yet to plumb the depths of your talents,&quot;Shannon said. &quot;If we are to form our own kingdom, then you, myfriend, are going to play one of the key roles. If you share equally in theresponsibility, then you shall also share equally in the blame if we shouldfail.&quot; Harlan looked decidedly uncomfortable. &quot;I feel 'tis only fair to remindyou that I already bear considerable responsibility. I am a member of the TownCouncil, and chairman of the board of The Rooster Corporation. I am also thechief executive officer of the First Bank of Brigand's Roost and Rooster Equityand Assurance. And I am also president of the Townlot Company and a silentpartner in The Brigand's Roost Hotel and Bloody Mary's Gaming and PleasureEmporium. Surely, that is more than enough responsibility for any man. Afterall, I am only human, and there is only so much I can do.&quot; &quot;Then learn how to delegate responsibility,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;Ifyour new duties as prime minister of Brigantium start to interfere with yourability to operate your various enterprises, which you would never havedeveloped had I not permitted it, then I suggest you find someone else to runthem. I know nothing about being a queen. If you expect me to accept the title,then you shall have to advise me on the proper way to rule.&quot; &quot;But I know nothing of such matters!&quot; Harlan protested. &quot;I am certain you know a great deal more than I,&quot; said Shannon. Andwith a lightning motion, she drew her sword and placed the point against thepeddler's throat. &quot;You will be my prime minister. I am afraid I mustinsist.&quot; Harlan swallowed hard. &quot;Well... since you put it that way ... I acceptyour gracious offer of the post.&quot; &quot;A wise decision,&quot; Shannon said, sheathing her blade. &quot;Andyour first duty as prime minister will be to inform Doc of our plans, and askfor his support. I suspect that we are truly going to need it.&quot; &quot;As you command... Your Majesty,&quot; Harlan said with a courtly bow. &quot;Your Majesty,&quot; Shannon said. And then she smiled. &quot;I mustadmit, I like the sound of that.&quot; &nbsp; FOUR &nbsp; It was a warm night, and the full moon bathed the grounds of the keep in asilvery glow. It would have been nice to say there was a perfume of heather onthe evening breeze, or something equally poetic, but unfortunately, yourfaithful narrator must report that the only &quot;scent&quot; on the air was thestench rising from the rendering pots in the courtyard. It would be difficult toconvey the precise sense impression, but if you've ever driven throughElizabeth, New Jersey, on a warm and muggy summer day, you'll get the generalidea. No matter how he tried, Brewster just could not get used to it. He had no onebut himself to blame. He had wanted to have something to wash with, and at thesame time do something about the personal hygiene of the brigands, most of whomhad smelled like bears in heat, so he had taught them how to render spam fatinto soap. The wild spam was a rather loathsome scavenger, a hairless, pinkspeckled creature that looked like a particularly ugly cross between a wild boarand a rat. They were so inedible that even starving hunters would pass them by.Rendering them into soap was the only practical use anyone had ever found forthem. Now, the brigands washed enthusiastically, the better to be walkingadvertisements for the soap they marketed under the name &quot;Doc's Magic DirtRemover,&quot; and the two or three rendering pots in the courtyard hadmultipled into a veritable sea of huge black cauldrons, bubbling away throughoutthe day and night, producing huge quantities of spam soap and a stench that madethe eyes water. The soap had become such a profitable commodity that to keep up with thedemand, the former brigands had become spam ranchers and the pens ofdomestically raised spams just beyond the walls of the keep meant that Brewsterhad to live not only with the stench&quot; of the rendering operation, but the onstant gruntingand squealing throughout the day and night. It wasn't exactly what he had inmind when he had set about bringing some progress to the muddy little town ofBrigand's Roost. On the other hand, it did keep most of the villagers at bay, asthey thought the &quot;sulphurous fumes&quot; coming from within the crumblingwalls were part of his wizardly arts. Since he had moved into the keep and started renovating it, adding plumbingand electricity, the little settlement that had sprung up outside the walls hadgrown from a few tents and shacks into a small village of identical two-bedroomframe cottages, all painted in bright and cheery colors. And though Bloody Bob'sconstruction company kept putting up new homes according to a simple planBrewster had drawn up for them, they still could not keep up with the demand.Every day, more land was being cleared and more homes were going up and soon thelittle village spreading out beyond the keep would meet the town of Brigand'sRoost, about four miles away. The roads between the houses were all dirt, whichmade things rather messy when it rained, and the sanitation was appalling,especially with the spam pens so close to the homes. Brewster made a mental note to see what he could come up with for paving thestreets. Cobblestones would work, but asphalt or something like it would be moreefficient. They would need some sort of steamroller. Perhaps the internalcombustion engine he was working on, powered by the explosive peregrine wine,could be adapted to the purpose. And something simply had to be done about thesanitation, before disease began to spread. Not knowing any better, the peoplesimply threw their refuse out into the streets. It was how the plague hadstarted in medieval times on Earth, and Brewster had no wish to see it happenhere. He would have to speak to Harlan about putting together some sort ofsanitation department. &quot;The aroma in the courtyard tonight is rather piquant,&quot; Rory saidas he perched on the parapet of the tower. As usual, fairies buzzed around thehuge dragon like flies arounda sweaty mare, their bright glow reflecting off his iridescent scales. &quot;It is getting pretty bad,&quot; said Rachel Drum as she satcross-legged on the flagstones, absently tapping her bongos with her fingertips.&quot;It wouldn't be a bad idea to consider moving the renderingoperation.&quot; &quot;Like, to another kingdom,&quot; added Brian, the Werepot Prince. Sincethe moon was full, he had reverted to his human form, which had remainedmagically youthful despite the fact that he was well over sixty years old. Hedidn't look a day over eighteen, and he was a very handsome prince, indeed.Unfortunately for him, he only looked this way on nights when the moon was full.The rest of the time, he was a talking chamberpot. It was the result of anenchantment placed upon him by a wizard whose daughter the irrepressible PrinceBrian had knocked up, along with half the other young girls in his kingdom. Whatbecame of all the other children he had fathered was anybody's guess, but thewizard's daughter had produced a son who had now grown into a man and become awizard in his own right-none other than Warrick Morgannan. &quot;I'd feel awkward asking them to move the rendering operation,&quot;Brewster said. &quot;The whole thing was my idea in the f
rst place. And itseems the soap is really selling well. It's given them a great sense ofaccomplishment. I'd hate to put a damper on their enthusiasm.&quot; &quot;So why can't they be enthusiastic somewhere else?&quot; asked Briansourly. &quot;Each day, the stench grows worse.&quot; &quot;I don't know, I rather like it,&quot; said the dragon. &quot;You would, you great worm,&quot; said Brian wryly. &quot;Look, we did not come here to argue,&quot; Brewster pointedly remindedthem. &quot;I'll see if I can convince them to move the rendering operationsomewhere else, but meanwhile, we have much more important things to discuss. Wehave to do something about Warrick.&quot; &quot;The time is not yet propitious,&quot; said Rory. Brewster sighed with exasperation. &quot;You always say that Meanwhile,Warrick continues to teleport people to my world,using my machine. I feel responsible. What's going to become of them all?They'll never be able to cope in a modern technological world. What's happeningto them is all my fault. I can't just sit by and do nothing!&quot; &quot;But you are doing something,&quot; the dragon replied. &quot;Each day,you are weakening Warrick's base of power. He is the Grand Director of theSorcerers and Adepts Guild, royal wizard to the richest of the twenty-sevenkingdoms, yet each day, that kingdom grows weaker and more unstable. And allbecause of you.&quot; &quot;He's right, you know,&quot; said Brian. &quot;People are leaving Pittby the score and coming here to make better lives for themselves. Warrick'sabuse of power has brought about civil unrest in Pittsburgh, and a revolution iscoming. As the economy of Brigand's Roost grows stronger, that of Pitt growsweaker. All this serves to undermine Warrick and make him appear ineffective notonly to the people of Pitt, but to his fellow sorcerers in the guild. And if heis perceived to be ineffective, he shall also be perceived as vulnerable.&quot; &quot;What I can't understand is why he hasn't moved against me yet,&quot;said Brewster. &quot;By now, he certainly knows who I am, and where I am. Sowhat's he waiting for?&quot; &quot;Don't ask me,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;He's Brian's son.&quot; &quot;Thanks for reminding me,&quot; said Brian with a sour grimace. &quot;Hemay be my son, but I've never even laid eyes on nun, so how should I know whathe's thinking?&quot; &quot;Well, the apple never falls far from the tree,&quot; said Rachel.&quot;What would you do if you were in his place?&quot; &quot;You know, that's an interesting question,&quot; Brewster said, gazingat Brian thoughtfully. &quot;Fathers and sons often have similar charactertraits. And you do know a great deal more about the workings of the guild andthe politics of this world than any of us. Seriously, Brian, if you were Warrick,what do you think you would do?&quot; Brian raised his eyebrows. &quot;Well... I don't know. Let me think amoment.&quot; He frowned, trying to picture himself in Warrick's place. &quot;IfI were the Grand Director of SAG, and I stumbled upon a magical device that wasbeyond my comprehension, such as your machine, then I think that I might easilyconclude it had been made by a sorcerer who could be more powerful than I.&quot;He nodded to himself. &quot;And if that were the case, then I would have towonder why I didn't know about him. The obvious answer would be that he wasn't amember of the guild. But why wasn't he a member of the guild? It isagainst the law for anyone to practice sorcery unless he is a certified memberof the guild. So... whoever this sorcerer might be, he's apparently not afraidof the law.&quot; &quot;But Doc didn't know about the law,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;He isn'tfrom this world.&quot; &quot;Yes, but if I'm Warrick, I don't know that, do I?&quot; Brian said.&quot;And a sorcerer who's not afraid of the law probably has enough power toset himself above it. If I were Warrick, I'd find that very disturbing, I shouldthink. So whatever I decide to do, I'm certainly not going to be hasty.&quot; &quot;Good point,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;But you'd have to dosomething.&quot; &quot;True, and so far, we know that Warrick has placed a bounty onDoc,&quot; said Brian, &quot;and sent Mac and others like him out to find him.That mercenary, Black Jack, was one such. Well, Mac has not returned, but if Iwere Warrick, I would not know why. As a wizard of considerable power andrepute, I would certainly be adept at the art of scrying with a crystal ball,but the question is, would I risk it in this case? It could mean opening anastral channel through which a more powerful adept could strike back at me. Docwould not be able to do that, of course, but if I'm Warrick, I have no way ofknowing that. I think I would err on the side of caution, at least until I knewmore. I would probably assume that Mac had found Doc and that Doc had defeatedhim, or else suborned him to his will.&quot; &quot;What about Black Jack?&quot; asked Rachel. &quot;Good question. If we assume he made his way back to Warrick, then thatmeans Warrick certainly knows who Doc is, and where he is. So, if I were Warrick,what would I do with that information?&quot; Brian paused to think a moment.&quot;I'd know that Doc was in Brigand's Roost, and by now I'd know that Brigand'sRoost is a town in the Kingdom of Darn that is growing by leaps and bounds, andproducing marvelous products said to be the result of sorcerous handiwork. Soclearly, my rival is not making any attempt to hide. Quite the opposite. Itwould seem almost as though he were taunting me, daring me and the rest of theguild to do something about him.&quot; &quot;It would?&quot; said Brewster, uneasily. &quot;Oh, aye, I think it would, indeed,&quot; said Brian as he paced backand forth across the parapet. &quot;That would make me very angry. Furious, infact. But I'm not the Grand Director of the Guild for nothing. I am not a fool.I have worked long and hard to gain my present position. I did not succeed byacting rashly. Someone who so openly defies the guild ... defies me ... must bea very powerful adept, indeed. I would need to learn more about him before Iattempted to take him on. I would need to be very cautious and discover if hehas any weak points, and if so, what are they? I would need to plan my course ofaction very carefully, because this is a conflict I could not afford to lose.Every day, I see that time machine in my sanctorum, and I know that I cannotdivine how it was made, nor even how to operate it properly. Perhaps I am even alittle afraid of it. And it daily serves to remind me that I am facing the mostpowerful adept I have ever encountered. So ... how would I proceed?&quot; Brian stopped his pacing. &quot;I would send spies to Brigand's Roost,&quot; he said, nodding tohimself. &quot;And at the same time, I would prepare for war.&quot; &quot;War?&quot; said Brewster, with alarm. . &quot;It would seem the perfect solution. I would go to King Billy and tellhim that Brigand's Roost is stealing our citizens and our trade. I would tellhim that they prosper at our expense. There have been riots in the city andrevolution is in the air. Our treasury is being depleted. Our tax base is beingundermined. Something must be done. And what better way to unite a kingdom in acommon cause than war? Take all the anger and frustration our subjects arefeeling and redirectthem at the outlaw sorcerer in Brigand's Roost He is to blame for everything.Aye, if I were Warrick, I think that is exactly what I'd do. Why risk taking ona powerful sorcerer all by myself when I can do it with an army?&quot; &quot;You know, I hate to admit it,&quot; Rachel said, &quot;but that makessense.&quot; &quot;You really think that's what he'll do?&quot; asked Brewster withconcern. &quot;It would certainly explain why he has not moved against us yet,&quot;said Brian. &quot;He has probably been making preparations, and waiting 'til thetime is right. For all we know, he has already planted spies among us. Theywould blend easily with all the new arrivals coming in. Doubtless, he has alsobeen seeking support from the other wizards in the guild, and that would takesome time. They all tend to look after their own interests first. A threat toWarrick would not concern them overmuch, but if there was a threat to all ofthem, then that would be another matter.&quot; &quot;But I'm not threatening anyone,&quot; Brewster protested. &quot;I fear 'tis not how they would see it,&quot; Brian replied. &quot;Apowerful sorcerer who practices his craft in open defiance of the guild? I thinkI would certainly consider that a threat. To say nothing of the fact that youare producing nickallirium.&quot; &quot;I am?&quot; said Brewster with a frown. &quot;What's nickallirium?&quot; &quot;The substance that you call aluminum,&quot; said Brian. &quot;Thesecret of its manufacture is jealously guarded by the guild, because 'tis themost precious metal in the twenty-seven kingdoms. All the world's coinage isminted from it&quot; &quot;Good Lord!&quot; said Brewster, aghast. &quot;Why didn't anybody tellme?&quot; &quot;We thought you knew,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;I never even had a clue!&quot; said Brewster. &quot;You mean to tell methat all this time we've been producing aluminum, or nickallirum, and devaluingthe currency?&quot; &quot;I don't understand,&quot; said Rachel with a frown. &quot;What do youmean, devaluing the currency?&quot; &quot; 'Tis simple,&quot; Brian said. &quot;Doc taught Mick to make nickallirium foruse in the manufacture of the Many-Bladed Knives. Each knife goes out to marketwith handles made of nickallirium. Harlan and his sales force will only acceptcoins of nickallirium for the purchase of the knives. No barter. Since we canmanufacture nickallirium, the knives can be priced very attractively, and thepurchasers are getting not only a useful tool, but a valuable commodity, aswell. Craftsmen in the other kingdoms, such as jewelers and armorers who makeprecious ornaments of nickallirium, are unable to compete. The knives are worthmore than the goods that they produce, yet they are priced more cheaply. And asthe demand for the knives increases, more coinage flows into Brigand's Roost.Since we do not import any goods from any of the other kingdoms, that coinageremains here, which means there is an imbalance of trade. People follow themoney. Our population increases, more craftsmen come to Brigand's Roost,jewelers and the like, and they can purchase nickallirium from us more cheaplythan they could back in their own kingdoms, where the available supply waslimited and the price reflected that accordingly. So, since they can buy it fromus more cheaply, they produce more ornaments of nickallirium here than they evercould back where they came from. All these goods are exported, and since theybought the raw material more cheaply, they can also price their goods morecheaply, thereby undercutting the craftsmen in all the other kingdoms. Thismeans the demand for our products increases even more, while the demand forlocal products in the other kingdoms continues to decrease, because they cannotcompete. And still more coinage flows into Brigand's Roost.&quot; Rachel frowned. &quot;But will this not eventually create a shortage ofcoins?&quot; &quot;Indeed, it will,&quot; said Brian. &quot;And the treasurers of theguild will have no choice but to mint more. However, that will not change thefact that the other kingdoms cannot compete with us on the price of goods madefrom nickallirium. To keep the worth of nickallirium high, they must control theavailable quantity. But so long as we keep on making more, they cannot controlit. The more we make, the less theirs is worth. And they cannot simply keep onminting more coinss, because the more coins they mint, the more they devaluetheir worth. Meanwhile, the flow of coinage into Brigand's Roost continues. Weget richer; they get poorer. And if it goes on long enough, their economies willsimply collapse. So I would say the guild would certainly regard Doc as asignificant threat. They will regard all of us as a threat. Aye, war seems avery likely possibility.&quot; Brewster swallowed nervously. &quot;This is terrible. I never even consideredanything like this.&quot; He shook his head. &quot;I only wanted to help peo
le,but instead I'm destroying the balance of trade and bringing about a recessionin all the kingdoms we do business with. Why didn't anybody tell me aboutthis?&quot; &quot;You never asked,&quot; said Brian with a shrug. &quot;You mean to sayyou've never even seen a coin?&quot; Brewster frowned. &quot;Now that I think of it, I guess I haven't. I've neverreally paid too much attention to such things. No one has ever asked me to payfor anything.&quot; He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. &quot;I hadno idea. Well, we'll simply have to stop making aluminum, that's all.&quot; &quot;At this point, I don't know if you can,&quot; said Brian. &quot;Thingshave changed too much. Brigand's Roost is well on its way to becoming a thrivingcity. The brigands are actually working for a living and enjoying it. They'reall becoming wealthy and even starting to dress like gentlemen. And what aboutall the people who have come here to make new lives for themselves? No one herewill give up what they have, what you have given them. There is probablymore wealth in Brigand's Roost now than in all the other towns and cities ofthis kingdom combined. And one way or another, sooner or later, someone's goingto try and take it.&quot; &quot;But if Warrick convinced King Billy to send an army against us, thenwouldn't that be an act of war against the entire kingdom?&quot; Rachel said. &quot;Oh, I doubt that would concern Warrick very much,&quot; said Brian. &quot;KingDurwin could never match his resources against those of Pitt. Of course, if wehad our own army, then Durwin might grant us his support, but I wouldn't counton that too much.&quot; &quot;Why not?&quot; asked Brewster. &quot;Darn is a poor little kingdom,&quot; Brian replied. &quot;And ifWarrick gains the complete support of his guild, then he would effectively havethe support of all the other kingdoms. ~ Of course, he may not get theircomplete support, but even if he only musters partial backing, those are stillodds King Durwin would be foolish to confront. The smart thing for him to dowould be to wait it out and see what happens, then throw in withwhichever side seems strongest.&quot; &quot;What can we do?&quot; asked Brewster with chagrin. &quot;Make ready to defend ourselves,&quot; said Brian. &quot; 'Twould seemthe prudent course.&quot; Brewster sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands. &quot;What have Idone?&quot; he said miserably. &quot;This wasn't what I intended at all. I onlywanted to help people.&quot; &quot;But you have,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;They owe you a great deal.You've given them knowledge, but they're the ones who have put it to work andthey owe it to themselves to fight for what they have achieved, if it shouldcome to that.&quot; &quot;It should not prove difficult to raise an army for defense,&quot; saidBrian. &quot;There is no shortage of mercenaries seeking employment, and itwould provide an occupation for many of the people coming in.&quot; &quot;And you already have an air force,&quot; the dragon said, thumping hischest with a massive claw. &quot;You mean you'd help?&quot; said Brewster. &quot;Of course,&quot; said Rory. &quot;What are friends for? Besides, lifehas been singularly uneventful lately. I haven't burned down a village in years.Terrorizing an army would be ever so much more entertaining.&quot; Brewster swallowed nervously. &quot;I don't think 'entertaining' is a wordI'd use in that context.&quot; He bit his lower lip. &quot;Surely, there has tobe a way to avoid violence.&quot; &quot;Peace through superior strength is what my father always used tosay,&quot; said Brian. Brewster shook his head. &quot;I need to think,&quot; he said. &quot;I'm theone who got us into this mess. It'll be my responsibility to think of a way toget us out.&quot; &quot;It's too bad you're not a real sorcerer,&quot; said Brian. &quot;Ofcourse, we're the only ones who know that. That could be a markedadvantage.&quot; &quot;Only until someone calls my bluff,&quot; said Brewster glumly. &quot;You were going to have to face Warrick sooner or later,&quot; Briansaid. &quot;I must admit, it will be interesting to see what happens whenscience goes up against magic. But don't worry Doc, we'll be with you every stepof the way!&quot; Brian's remark was punctuated with a clang as the moon wentdown and he turned back into a chamberpot, clattering down onto the flagstonesof the parapet. &quot;Oh, bollocks!&quot; &quot;A phony wizard, a vampire elf, an existential dragon, and atalking chamberpot,&quot; said Brewster wryly. &quot;How can we lose?&quot; Meanwhile, somewhere in Pennsylvania: &quot;Hightower! You crazy son of a bitch! What in God's name are you upto?&quot; Colin winced and held the receiver away from his ear, waiting until hiseditor stopped screaming. &quot;Jack, calm down, for Christ's sake,&quot; hesaid, when the torrent of invective ceased. &quot;Calm down? Are you kidding me? I just got through talking with thePittsburgh police, for crying out loud. The phone's been ringing off the hookever since we ran your story. They tell me you broke that girl out of thesanitarium at gunpoint!&quot; &quot;Jack, will you listen to me? You know perfectly well I wouldn't havethe faintest idea how to use a gun. Guns frighten me. I've been terrified ofthem ever since that maniac, Thompson, almost blew my head off with that cannonof his. I didn't break anybody out of anywhere.&quot; &quot;Hightower, goddamn it, you'd better start telling me the truth andyou'd better talk fast!&quot; &quot;Okay, okay, just calm down, will you? Look, this is exactly how ithappened. I bribed an orderly to get me a copy of the girl's file and sneak mein there to interview her. When he was letting me back out of her room, shebolted out the door and went down in the elevator. He thought she went down tothe lobby, but she went to the parking level, where she jumped into my car,stark naked, and made me drive her out of there.&quot; &quot;Made you? How?&quot; &quot;Jack... she was naked. Think about it.&quot; &quot;Oh. I see. Where are you calling from?&quot; &quot;I'm calling from a public phone booth. I won't say where. Now I've gotanother story to file. I'm going to fax it to you in about an hour, from anotherlocation, but meanwhile, I need you to back the police off for me.&quot; &quot;How the hell am I supposed to do that?&quot; &quot;Get onto the lawyers. Look, the girl hasn't broken any laws so far as Iknow. And she's not crazy. She was never formally committed. She doesn't want tobe there. You can't just stick someone in a sanitarium against their will. Theyhave to go be committed by their doctor or a family member. It's a complicatedprocess. They were just holding her there for observation until they could findout who she was. Only they're not going to find out who she is.&quot; &quot;What are you talking about?&quot; &quot;Jack, just listen to me, all right? I'll be faxing you all the details.That bastard little orderly just lied to save his own skin. How else could Ihave gotten a copy of her file if he didn't get it for me? I'll fax you a copyof the file, too.&quot; &quot;All right, Colin, what's going on? What are you on to?&quot; &quot;I'm going to need your help, Jack. This is too big for me to handle allby myself. But it's my bloody story. And if you screw me out of the credit forthis one, so help me, I'll break your bloody neck.&quot; &quot;Okay, okay! Jesus, I never heard you talk like this. I'll call thelawyers. But I need something more to go on.&quot; &quot;I'll be faxing you a list of people, Jack. People that have beencropping up in odd corners of the world, all telling the same fantastic story.Megan knows many of them. They're all from her hometown. None of these peoplehave a paper trail, Jack. Officially, they simply don't exist. It's as if theysuddenly appeared from out of nowhere.&quot; &quot;Jack, you're not seriously telling me you believe this nonsenseabout-&quot; &quot;Somebody's discovered time travel, Jack,&quot; Colin interruptedhim. &quot;I know it sounds incredible, but it's the only explanation that makesany kind of sense. There's a machine ... I'm going to get an artist's renderingof it based on Megan's description, and I'll be faxing that to you as well. Getsome of our people to follow up on some of these other cases. You'll findthey're all telling the same story. None of them know anything about moderntechnology. They won't know about anything that's happened within the lastseveral hundred years, at least. They're all from a medieval time, Jack. Someonenamed Warrick has transported them here for some reason.&quot; &quot;Colin, have you absolutely lost your fucking mind?&quot; &quot;Don't take my word for it, Jack. Check it out. I'm telling you, this isthe biggest story of the century. Possibly of all time, no pun intended.Somebody's built themselves a tune machine and gone back into the past, and nowthey're sending people here, God only knows why. I just need to find out who'sbehind it. If you print what I send you, it might shake things up a bit andsomeone might come crawling out of the woodwork.&quot; &quot;This is the nuttiest thing I've ever heard.&quot; &quot;Jack... have you read your own paper lately?&quot; &quot;Yeah, all right, but you're telling me this stuff is actually on thelevel, fahchrissake!&quot; &quot;Just run with it, Jack. You won't regret it, I promise you. I'll bringyou a bloody Pulitzer for this, I swear to God.&quot; &quot;I ought to have my head examined. Or maybe you ought to have your headexamined. But what the hell, it's boosting circulation.&quot; &quot;There's my boy,&quot; said Colin with a grin. &quot;I'll be intouch.&quot; He hung up the phone. &quot;So what happens now?&quot; asked Megan, sitting on the bed across fromhim in the motel room. &quot;We keep moving,&quot; Colin said. &quot;Somebody's got to knowsomething about all this. If we make enough noise, maybe they'll try to get intouch.&quot; &quot;It's ever so nice of you to help me, Colin.&quot; &quot;I'm trying to help both of us, my dear. I just hope somebody crops upto give us another lead. At the moment, I'm fresh out.&quot; &quot;You look tired, luv. Why don't you take your shirt off and let me rubyour back?&quot; Colin raised his eyebrows. Megan got up off the bed. She smiled and a moment later her dress slipped tothe floor. &quot;God, I love this job,&quot; said Colin, stretching out on the bed. &nbsp; FIVE &nbsp; All right, I've avoided it long enough, I suppose. I've dealt with Harlan andall his machinations in Brigand's Roost; I've covered what's happening withBrewster, and I've done some work on the subplot with Hightower, but even thoughI was going to open this chapter with Pamela, Brewster's brilliant bride-to-be(assuming he ever survives this story), the fact is I'm never going to getthrough this book if I keep ignoring Warrick. &quot;I was wondering if you would ever work up the courage to confront meonce again,&quot; Warrick said, sitting back in his chair and glancing up towardthe ceiling with a smug little smile. Look, don't tell me about courage, all right? You try making a decentliving as a writer. I wrote a book connected to a popular television seriesabout a starship and its crew, and it's been months since I delivered it, but I still haven't been paid. Meanwhile, the bills keep piling up. You think magic istough? Try dealing with publishers. &quot;So, it would appear as if the omnipotent narrator is not as powerful ashe seems,&quot; said Warrick. Powerful? Don't make me laugh. I can't even control the characters in my ownnovel. Well, one character, at least. Still, I created you, so I suppose I'mgoing to have to deal with you, one way or another. &quot;You created me?&quot; said Warrick, raising his eyebrows.&quot;What monumental arrogance! You dare ascribe to yourself the powers andvirtues of a deity?&quot; Hey, not me. I'm just a simple storyteller. Whereas you, my friend, arenothing but a royal fictional pain in the ass. &quot;Well, deity or not, I could easily say the same of you. I have manyimportant matters to occupy my attention, yet since you have chosen to descendfrom your ethereal plane toplague my existence, I have been able to think of little else. You have causedme to bani
h my familiar, and while Teddy left much to be desired, I was stillrather attached to him. I had him since I was a child.&quot; I know, numbnuts. I wrote that. &quot;And as for this ... time machine,&quot; Warrick continued, getting upand walking over to the device, &quot;I have deduced that you were the guidingforce behind its creation, and do not bother to deny it. You may not haveconstructed it, but you provided the inspiration. You see, I know a great dealmore than you may think.&quot; You do, huh? All right, just what exactly do you think you know? &quot;The sorcerer who had constructed this device,&quot; said Warrick,walking around it slowly, &quot;the one through whom you work... thanks to afreebooter by the name of Black Jack, I know his name now. 'Tis Brewster Doc. Iknow he is an alchemist who resides in the Kingdom of Dam, in a town calledBrigand's Roost. I also know he has acquired his knowledge of the sorcerous artswithout sanction from the guild, and that he has the secret of the philosopher'sstone. He has been making nickallirium, in violation of the law, and he hastaught the secret to mere peasants, an even grosser violation. He apparentlyseeks to dominate the trade of all the twenty-seven kingdoms. Shall I goon?&quot; By all means. I could use some interesting dialogue at this stage of thestory. &quot;I have not been idle, as you can see. I have my spies.&quot; Of course, you have your spies. You think this is news to me? I covered thatin Chapter Four. &quot;Do you wish me to continue, or not?&quot; All right, go ahead. But let's not get into a long and detailed summary,okay? The reader already knows all this stuff. &quot;Very well, then, I shall be brief and come right to the point. I wantthe secret of this time machine. And I want this outlaw sorcerer.&quot; I already know that. So? &quot;So, since we seem to be working at cross purposes, perhaps there issome way to settle this conflict between us. After all, I am not an unreasonableman. There must be something that you want.&quot; How about casting a particularly nasty spell at a certain editor who's beenholding up my check? &quot;That might be arranged,&quot; Warrick said. &quot;Anything else?&quot; You could stop interrupting the flow of my narrative, or would that be askingtoo much? &quot;Aye, if you expect me to bend to your will,&quot; Warrick replied.&quot;Rest assured that in the long run, I shall prevail, despite your narrativearts. For if you were truly as powerful as you pretend, then you would nothesitate to smite me down. And yet, you cannot, else you would have already doneso.&quot; Don't tempt me. About the only thing that's stopping me is the fact that itwould be very awkward to bring in a new villain at this point in the story. Butif you push me hard enough, I just might do it anyway. After all, readers whohave stayed with me this long know by now that anything could happen. And itmight be an interesting challenge, come to think of it. &quot;You are merely bluffing.&quot; Really? Are you so sure about that? &quot;There are limits to your powers. You can but influence events in thisworld in small degrees. You cannot alter them. For all your boasts, you have notthe ability to do away with me and replace me with someone else.&quot; Oh, yeah? Watch this, wise guy ... Suddenly there was a loud popping noise and three figures materialized out ofthin air in the center of Warrick's sanctorum. They were two men and a woman,dressed identically in black fatigues with military insignia. On their collarswere little golden pins, stylized symbols for infinity bisected with the numberone. &quot;What the hell?&quot; said Finn Delaney, glancing around. &quot;Where are we? This isn't Pendleton Base!&quot; Andre Cross tossed her blond hair out of her eyes and unholstered hersidearm with a quick, smooth, practiced motion. &quot;Take it easy,&quot; Lucas Priest said, holding his hand out.&quot;Something's gone wrong. I think we've clocked into the wrong series.&quot; &quot;Hey, Delaney, take a look at this,&quot; said Andre, pointing toBrewster's machine. &quot;What is it?&quot; the burly time commando asked. &quot;Some kind ofhelicopter?&quot; &quot;No, I think it's a crude temporal translocation device,&quot; saidAndre, approaching it with curiosity. &quot;That?&quot; Delaney said. &quot;It looks like something H. G. Wellscobbled together from spit and baling wire.&quot; Andre sensed a movement behind her and spun around, leveling her weapon.&quot;What was that? Come out of there, you!&quot; Slowly, Warrick peeked out from behind his desk. &quot;Careful, Andre,&quot; Lucas cautioned her. &quot;He looks like a local.We don't want to cause any temporal contamination in this period.&quot; &quot;Seems to me like somebody's already done that,&quot; Delaney said,glancing at the time machine. &quot;Who are you people?&quot; Warrick demanded. &quot;Colonel Lucas Priest, First Division, United States Army TemporalCorps,&quot; said Lucas, stepping forward. &quot;And who might you be?&quot; &quot;I am Warrick the White, of the House of Morgannan, Grand Director ofthe Sorcerers and Adepts Guild and Royal Wizard to the Kingdom of Pitt. What isthe meaning of this intrusion?&quot; &quot;Get him,&quot; Delaney said, looking him up and down. &quot;For a guywho dresses in a bedsheet, he's got more names than a Mexican softballteam.&quot; &quot;Careful, Lucas,&quot; Andre said. &quot;I don't like the looks of thischaracter.&quot; She raised her plasma blaster. &quot;Keep your distance,mister.&quot; She fired a warning shot that struck Warrick's desk and vaporizedit in a blinding flash of light. &quot;All right!&quot; cried Warrick with alarm. &quot;All right, Narrator,you have made your point!&quot; There was a loud popping noise and the Time Commandos disappeared. Now ... you were saying? Warrick looked shaken. He swallowed hard. &quot; 'Twould seem that I haveunderestimated you. Your powers are more extensive than I had believed possible.Who were those ... those beings? Demons from the ethereal planes?&quot; Hardly. They were characters from another series I wrote a few years back.Though demons might be interesting, actually ... &quot;No, no, never mind,&quot; said Warrick quickly. &quot;There shall be noneed for any other demonstrations. What is it you wish?&quot; Your promise ... no, your solemn oath to stop interfering with thenarrative. Warrick scowled. &quot;Very well. You have my solemn oath that I shall notinterfere with your narrative arts.&quot; Just go on about your business and let me get on with mine. &quot;As you wish,&quot; said Warrick in a surly tone. Good. Now that we've got that settled, you can see about getting yourself anew desk while I get on to the next scene. Pamela Fairburn was tired. More than tired, she was bone weary. Every musclein her body seemed to hurt and there was a pain in her lower back that wouldn'tgo away. &quot;Good Lord, Pamela, what are you doing to yourself?&quot; herchiropractor asked on her third visit. &quot;You're storing up an amazing amountof tension. You must be under enormous stress.&quot; &quot;I've had an awful lot of work to do, Lynn,&quot; she said, grimacing asthe chiropractor manipulated her. &quot;You'd better take some time off, and soon. I've never seen you likethis before. You need a vacation, girl.&quot; &quot;I can't afford it,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;I'm working on a veryimportant project.&quot; &quot;What's more important than your health?&quot; &quot;Some things are,&quot; said Pamela, getting off the table.&quot;Thanks, Lynn. That feels much better. I appreciate it.&quot; &quot;I'm going to give you a prescription for some muscle relaxants,&quot;the chiropractor said. &quot;But take it easy with them. They're verystrong.&quot; &quot;Thanks, Lynn. You're a lifesaver.&quot; &quot;Pamela ... Look, it's really none of my business, but maybe you shouldjust get on with things, you know? Stop driving yourself so hard. Go out on adate or something.&quot; &quot;A date?&quot; said Pamela. &quot;What do you mean, a date? I happen tobe engaged, or have you forgotten?&quot; &quot;How could I forget? You invited me to three of your weddings.Unfortunately, the groom failed to show up each time.&quot; &quot;What are you saying?&quot; &quot;Pamela... he's been gone for over a year now. Don't you think it'sabout time you accepted reality? Marvin ran off on you. And he isn't comingback.&quot; &quot;You don't understand, Lynn. It isn't like that.&quot; &quot;Isn't it? You can't go on carrying a torch for the guy, Pamela. Look atwhat you're doing to yourself. He isn't worth it.&quot; &quot;Yes, he is,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;And don't ask me to explain, Lynn.I can't get into it. Thanks for the scrip.&quot; &quot;You're welcome. But at least think about what I've said. And stoppushing yourself so hard. Burying yourself in work is not the answer. You'llonly give yourself a nervous breakdown. Get some rest, for God's sake.&quot; &quot;I will. And thanks again, Lynn.&quot; On her way home, Pamela stopped off to get her prescription filled. As shecame up to the cash register to pay for the pills, her glance fell on the racksof tabloids and she froze with astonishment. She grabbed the paper from the rackand stared at the photo and the headline. &quot;TIME MACHINEINVENTED&quot; &nbsp;the headline proclaimed. The photograph on the front page was an artist'srendering of a device that looked almost exactly like Brewster's sketches in his notes. Pamelapaid for the paper and hurried outside. She found a bench under a streetlamp andsat down to read the article. And as she read, she felt her stomach tighteninginto knots. The author of the article was a reporter named Colin Hightower. The namemeant nothing to her. She couldn't wait to get back to her apartment. She ran tothe nearest pay phone, pulled her electronic organizer out of her purse, andpunched up the home number for an editor she knew on The London Times. &quot;Howard? This is Pamela.&quot; &quot;Pamela! This is a pleasant surprise. Not setting another wedding date,are you?&quot; &quot;Howard, I need your help. Does the name Colin Hightower mean anythingto you? He's a reporter for -&quot; &quot;Hightower!&quot; The reaction was immediate. &quot;Good Lord! What onearth can you possibly have to do with a character like him?&quot; &quot;I need to get in touch with him. It's very important. But it has to behandled discreetly. Can you help?&quot; &quot;Well, yes, I imagine I can, but for heaven's sake, why? Are youaware of the man's reputation?&quot; &quot;No, I don't know anything about him.&quot; &quot;Well, perhaps I'd best enlighten you before you decide to pursue thisany further. The man is a walking blot on the profession of journalism. He isthe worst sort of Fleet Street muckraker, and there's nothing he won't stoop tofor the sake of a story, the more lurid and sensational, the better. He's anunethical and utterly unprincipled scoundrel who's been run out of everynewspaper job in London. Even the tabloids won't have anything to do with him.Last I heard, he was working for some sleazy little rag based in the States,which sounds like the perfect place for him. What could you possibly want with alowlife like him?&quot; &quot;I really can't get into it right now,&quot; said Pamela, &quot;but it'sextremely important. I must speak with him as soon as possible.&quot; &quot;And you can't tell me why?&quot; Pamela took a deep breath and bit her lower lip. &quot;Howard, I...&quot; Shehesitated. &quot;I really shouldn't say anything, but I know that if I don't,you'll only start digging and I can't have you doing that. It's an extremelysensitive matter. I'll need your word that if I do tell you what this is allabout, you won't breathe a word of it to anyone, under any circumstances.&quot; &quot;Well, now I'm dying of curiosity,&quot; said Howard. &quot;All right,you have my word.&quot; &quot;I can't speak about this over the phone,&quot; she said. &quot;Is theresomeplace we can meet?&quot; &quot;How about down by the Thames, across from Parliament near theArchbishop of Canterbury's residence?&quot; &quot;Perfect. I'll meet you by the souvenir stands in one hour.&quot; &quot;I'll be there.&quot; She hung up the phone an
 started walking quickly back toward her apartment.It was growing chilly and it looked like rain. She wanted to get her raincoatand umbrella, as well as take some time to read the article again and figure outjust what she was going to say to Howard St. John. She had no intention oftelling him the truth. He'd probably think she'd slipped a cog or two. And if hebelieved her, it would be even worse. She couldn't risk exposing Marvin'sdiscovery. Not only for his sake, but because she knew exactly what would happento her if she did. Technically, even though she didn't really work for them, she had become anemployee of EnGulfCo International ever since she started trying to piecetogether the details of what Marvin had been working on from his notes. She'dhad to sign a raft of legal forms-&quot;purely as a formality&quot;-which madeher liable for prosecution if she revealed any details of Marvin's work. Even ifshe managed to survive the crushing lawsuit that would follow if she told St.John the truth, her career as a scientist would be finished. However, she didn't see how St. John could possibly believe her. The truthwas simply too incredible. She had a hard time believing it herself, even withaccess to Marvin's files.No, she would have to come up with a convincing story to tell Howard, somethinghe could accept that would still fit the situation. As she walked briskly backto her apartment, she turned the matter over and over in her mind, trying towork up a plausible scenario. Hightower's story was immaterial. He had stumbled onto the truth somehow, butit made no difference. Judging from what Howard had told her about Hightower,he'd have no difficulty believing it was just some outrageous story the reporterhad concocted. So she would have to find some element of it that she couldconnect to the story she'd give Howard. The artist's rendering. She could showHoward some sketches she had made at home from memory based on Marvin's notes,which of course she had not been allowed to remove from the laboratory. Thatwould show that Marvin's machine and the artist's rendering in the paper weresimilar enough to cause her great concern, though coincidence was not out of thequestion. She nodded to herself. Yes, that would add some plausibility to thestory. It could just be a coincidence, and she wanted to contact Hightower tosatisfy herself on that point. But she still had to tell Howard something aboutwhat the machine was supposed to be. What could she tell him? The time machine looked vaguely like a helicopter.In fact, the bubble and part of the body, as well as the skids, had been takenfrom a military helicopter, though she could not recall which one in particular.It didn't matter. If Howard researched it, he could easily find that out himselfand that would add further plausibility. So, something similar to a militaryhelicopter. But what? There were no rotors, no guns were mounted, and part ofthe body was missing. Plus there was that unusual looking torus that surroundedit, the accelerator for the Buckminsterfullerine that created the time warp. Sothe machine looked somewhat similar to a helicopter, only it clearly wasn't one.What could it be? A simulator. Yes, that was it. A sophisticated military helicopter simulatordesigned for ... what? Some top-secret, super-advanced model of militaryhelicopter, obviously. Her firmhad done some work on the original Visually Coupled Aircraft Systems Simulators,fully enclosed, computerized helmets that were the basis of the Virtual Realitysimulators that were currently all the rage. She knew enough about that to throwaround some convincing technical details that would hold up under scrutiny incase Howard decided to investigate. But if she made the story convincing enough,there was no reason why he should. She knew Howard St. John was a man of hisword. He had promised to keep this to himself, and if he believed that nationalsecurity was at issue, he'd act responsibly. He was a journalist, but not of theHightower sort. All right, she thought, what was special about this particular simulator thatit should be so highly classified? VCASS technology was nothing terribly new,after all. It had to be the next generation. What could that be? Somethingsufficiently advanced-and perhaps just a little outrageous-to convince Howard ofthe need for absolute secrecy. Brain/computer interface. She stopped as the thought popped into her head.Yes, that was perfect. It was all still in the realm of theory in reality, morethe province of science fiction than science fact, but it was just outrageousenough to sound believable, though nowhere near as outrageous as time travel.The simulator was something Marvin had designed as a complement to animplantable microprocessor designed to decrease pilot reaction time and allowhim to operate the new helicopter with the speed of thought. Hightower hadobviously made something even more outrageous out of the story, but the questionwas, had he seen a copy of the top secret plans? Had the security of theEnGulfCo lab been compromised somehow? Was there the possibility that Hightowerwas part of an espionage network and this ridiculous story he'd concocted wasnothing more than an excuse to run the drawing in the paper and in that waytransmit it to some foreign power? Yes, that was a nice touch. Howard alreadyhad a very low opinion of Hightower, and that would fit right in. She startedwalking again, then stopped,wondering if perhaps that last touch was a bit much. And that was when she heard the footsteps. The street was practically deserted at this hour, except for the occasionalpassing car, and the sound of footsteps might not have struck her at all hadthey not stopped as soon as she stopped. She almost turned around, but caughtherself just in time. She continued walking, suddenly on the alert, the hairsprickling on the back of her neck. She was being followed. She was certain ofit. She continued walking toward her apartment without looking back, butlistening intently. When she paused, the footsteps paused. When she sped up, thefootsteps sped up. She ducked inside the lobby of her building and ran to theelevator. She pushed the button and the doors opened immediately. She wasthankful for that. She quickly went inside the elevator and pressed the buttonfor her floor, then ducked back out again before the doors could close. Then shehid behind some of the lush, potted plants in the lobby. No sooner had she concealed herself than a man wearing a trench coat and anIrish tweed walking hat came into the lobby. He approached the elevator andwatched the indicator lights until the elevator stopped at her floor. He did notpress the button to summon it. Instead, he merely nodded to himself, turnedaround, and went back outside. That clinched it. She waited until he'd left, then took the stairs, runningall the way up to her floor. She went into her apartment, closed the door behindher, and leaned back against it, breathing hard. She checked her watch. Stillabout forty minutes left before her meeting with St. John. Who could be following her? Who knew what she was working on? Only threepeople, herself included. The other two were the CEO and the vice president of Rand D for EnGulfCo. She exhaled heavily. Of course. They didn't trust her. Theywere having her watched. It occurred to her that the man following her couldhave been a stalker, but she dismissed the idea immediately. No, that would havebeen too much of a coincidence. Given the nature of Marvin's project, it made perfectsense that they would have her followed. They probably even had her phonetapped. She cursed herself for not thinking of that before. Stupid. Fortunately, she had called St. John from a pay phone. Of course, that was noguarantee the call had not been monitored. She knew only too well what kind ofsophisticated electronic surveillance devices were available to people withresources like EnGulfCo had. But she hardly ever used pay phones. And if theyhad her apartment wired, which was likely, then there would be no reason forsome sophisticated bolometric mike. There was a good chance the call had notbeen overheard. If it had been, then they already knew about the meeting and itwas too late to do anything about it. She'd have to proceed on the assumption that they hadn't overheard. Shegrabbed her raincoat and umbrella and took the stairs back down, going past thelobby to the basement level. She took the maintenance corridor to the backentrance and carefully slipped outside, then walked several blocks in the wrongdirection, taking side streets and checking to see if she was being followed.When she was satisfied that there was no one on her tail, she hailed a cab anddrove to her meeting with St. John. She got there a little late. St. John was already waiting for her. She gavehim the story she'd concocted, including the bit about Hightower possibly beinga foreign agent, which she said with just enough paranoia to convince St. Johnthat she was seriously alarmed and even slightly hysterical. &quot;Take it easy, Pamela,&quot; he said, patting her lightly on the back.&quot;I suspect you're overreacting just a bit. Hightower may be a lowlife, buthe's not that much of a lowlife. And I can't imagine any foreign power employingsomeone as unreliable and unpredictable as him. Still, I must admit the drawingslook remarkably similar. Perhaps it's only a coincidence, but I can certainlyunderstand your concern. Still, don't you think this sort of thing is a matterfor SIS? I mean, if military secrets are involved ...&quot; She hadn't thought of that. She improvised quickly. &quot;We can't riskinvolving SIS at this point,&quot; she said. &quot;I mean, they have beencompromised before, you know. The Philby case and all that. The security on thisproject is so tight that only a handful of people are even aware of itsexistence. You can appreciate why I had to swear you to absolute secrecy. Theydon't even trust the intelligence service. If anyone knew I'd spoken to youabout this, we'd both go to prison for violation of the Official SecretsAct.&quot; St. John nodded gravely. &quot;Yes, I can see that. All of which makes itsound that much more incredible that someone like Hightower could have gottenhold of the drawings. Especially in America. I mean, it just sounds so bloodyimprobable. It has to be a crazy coincidence, that's all.&quot; &quot;Howard, that paper's just come out,&quot; she said. &quot;If theintelligence service was in on this, they would already be investigating. Butthe handful of people who know about the project aren't really the sort to readthe tabloids, if you know what I mean. They probably don't know about this yet.What worries me is... well, it's Marvin. You know how he is. He's brilliant, butwhen it comes to things like this, he can be hopelessly naive. And you know howabsent minded he is. They always search him before he leaves the lab, notbecause they don't trust him, but because it's just like him to slip somethinginto his pocket and forget about it. And he doodles constantly. He might havemade a drawing and lost it, or perhaps left it somewhere . . .&quot; She sighedheavily. &quot;The thiing is, he's disappeared. He's done this sort of thingbefore, as you well know, but this time he's been gone for a long time, andwe're concerned that something may have happened to him. We've got peoplelooking for him, but the company is trying to keep the whole thing very lowprofile, because there's a great deal of money at stake, and, well, you know howit is.&quot; &quot;Yes, quite,&quot; said St. John, nodding several times. &quot;Theydon't want the government boys to know they've lost track of their pet genius.It does sound like a rather sticky situation. You poor dear, no wonder you're sofrantic.&quot; &quot;It's possible Marvin may have gone back to the States for somereason,&quot; she said, quickly following up. &quot;It would be just like him totake off to consult with one of his old colleagues back home and become socaught up in work that he's utterly lost track of time. That's why I've got tospeak with this Hightower person and try to find out if he knows anything aboutthis.&quot; &quot;But how do you intend to do that without tipping him off?&quot; St.John asked. &quot;He's a 
agey bastard.&quot; &quot;I don't know,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;I'll think of something. I thinkI can throw enough technical jargon around to utterly confuse him. Can you putme in touch with him? Discreetly?&quot; St. John nodded again. &quot;Yes, of course, I'll get on it right away. Itshouldn't take more than a telephone call or two. How do you want to handlethis? You want him to call you, or do you want to call him?&quot; &quot;We need to be very careful about this,&quot; she said. &quot;I think itwould be best if we arranged a time for him to call me, but not at home or atthe office. That would be too risky.&quot; &quot;You could use my place,&quot; St. John offered. &quot;You're a lifesaver, Howard. Thank you. But don't call me. I'll call youand check in periodically, to see if it's been arranged.&quot; &quot;Right. But this whole thing sounds so farfetched ... it's probably onlya bizarre coincidence.&quot; &quot;If it is, then it will be a great relief to me,&quot; she said.&quot;But I have to know for sure. And it's all got to be kept strictly on theQ.T.&quot; &quot;Mum's the word,&quot; said St. John. He checked his watch. &quot;Itshould be about noon in New York. I've got a friend at The New Yorker. I'llgive her a call as soon as I get home. She should be able to track downHightower without too much trouble. I won't tell her why, of course. She owes mea few favors.&quot; &quot;I don't know what I'd do without you, Howard. I owe you one.&quot; &quot;Nonsense, old girl. Glad to help. Now go on home and try to get somerest. No need to worry yourself into a state. Just leave everything to me. Giveme a call tomorrow.&quot; &quot;I will. And thanks again, Howard.&quot; He stayed with her until she flagged down a cab, then waved good-bye as itpulled away. She settled back in the seat and exhaled heavily. He'd bought it.Now, all she had to do was figure out how to handle Hightower. SIX &nbsp; While Pamela Fairburn was eluding the detectives on her tail and ColinHightower was eluding the police, not to mention half a dozen collectionagencies and his ex-wife, Marvin Brewster wasn't eluding anything. He hadstarted this entire mess and now the weight of it rested squarely on his slendershoulders. They all sat together in the great hall of the keep, around a long woodentable, while Calamity Jane served breakfast and dodged Thorny, who kept tryingto help, but only wound up getting in the way. The peregrine bush that Brewsterhad adopted when it was just a little shrub had grown alarmingly in the lastyear and now stood over seven feet tall, which meant it could no longer followBrewster all around the keep, the way it used to do. It would no longer fitthrough the narrow stairwells or the doorways of the smaller rooms, so it hadbeen relegated to the lower floor and the great hall, where it resided like anambulatory Christmas tree and visitors had to keep careful track of itsmovements for fear of getting impaled on its large and spiky thorns. Thorny didn't seem to understand that it was capable of hurting people. Itwas just a bush, after all. Actually, at this point, it more closely resembled amesquite tree on steroids, but the point is that shrubbery doesn't think. Itsimply reacts-to sunlight, to moisture, and in Thorny's case, to Brewster'skindness. Mick had intended to brew wine from its roots, but Brewster hadintervened and made a sort of pet of the plant. On some primitive level, thebush had sensed that and had bonded to him. During the last migration season, ithad disappeared, and Brewster thought he wouldn't be seeing it again, but whenthe peregrine migration season was over, Thorny had returned to the keep-only ithad grown another three feet. Now, with its much larger thorns, the plant wasdangerous, but Brewster couldn't bring himself to bar it from the keep. Like acat, it went out each night to burrow its roots into the soil and came backagain each morning. &quot;Watch it, you overgrown weed!&quot; said the chamberpot as Thornybrushed against the table and accidentally swept Brian off. Brewster justmanaged to catch the chamberpot before it struck the floor. &quot;Thorny!&quot; he shouted. The plant responded to his tone and backed away, its branches drooping. &quot;I just hope you all know what you're doing,&quot; Brewster said,glancing around at the others sitting around the table as he set Brian down.&quot;Raising some troops for defense is one thing, but actually breaking offand starting up your own kingdom is inviting trouble.&quot; &quot;Our kingdom, Doc,&quot; said Mick. &quot;You're just as much a parto' it as we are.&quot; &quot;Mick's right,&quot; said Harlan, nodding emphatically. &quot;After all,you started all this. We owe everything we have accomplished to you.&quot; Brewster looked uncertain. &quot;Well, maybe I provided some ideas andtechnical help, but I never considered the political implications. When it comesto things like that, I'm out of my depth.&quot; &quot;I'll handle the politics, don't worry,&quot; Harlan said. &quot;We justwanted your support on this. And we wanted to ask if you would accept the titleof Royal Wizard.&quot; &quot;But I've told you, I'm not a wizard!&quot; Brewster protested.&quot;I've tried and tried to learn how to do magic, but it's simply hopeless.Ask Mick.&quot; &quot; 'Tis true,&quot; admitted Mick with a shrug. &quot;But then I am not avery good teacher. I have some ability with magic, but only because I am aleprechaun and it comes to me naturally. I am not a trained sorcerer. 'Tis notthat you have failed, Doc, 'tis that I lack the knowledge to instruct youproperly.&quot; &quot;It makes no difference,&quot; Harlan said, dismissing the whole debatewith a wave. &quot;People believe you are a sorcerer, Doc, and your science is a sort of magic. 'Tis merely a different form of knowledge. In any case, thetitle is what counts. Every kingdom has a royal wizard. The office would bemerely a formality.&quot; Brewster turned to Shannon. &quot;Are you sure this is what you want?&quot;he asked her. &quot;Doc, you and I have had our differences,&quot; she replied. &quot;Inthe beginning, I had little faith in your abilities, but you have proved mewrong. I have learned to trust your judgment. And if I am to be queen-strange asthat may sound- I would like the benefit of your advice. I would be honored ifyou would accept the title.&quot; &quot;Well, if that's what you all want, then I'll accept, of course,&quot;said Brewster, &quot;but I'm not sure you really understand the implications ofwhat you are proposing to do. I had no idea that when I taught Mick and theothers how to make aluminum, I was actually showing them how to make nick-allirium.I didn't realize what that meant. In my world, gold is what the currency isbased on and aluminum has little value by comparison. Here, gold is worthlessbecause it is so plentiful.&quot; He shook his head. &quot;Everything isdifferent here. You'd think I would have learned more by now. Producing productsfor the market is one thing, but manufacuring nickallirium is something elseentirely. By manufacturing nickallirium, we are threatening the economies of thetwenty-seven kingdoms, and if we continue, they will have no choice but to go towar against us.&quot; &quot;All the more reason for us to be prepared,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;Shannon, you're talking about taking on the whole world!&quot; saidBrewster. &quot;Don't you see that our producing nickallirium is the one thingthat will unite the other kingdoms against us? And by forming our own kingdom,we would be announcing to the world that we are a power unto ourselves.&quot; &quot;What's wrong with that?&quot; asked Robie. &quot;Why shouldn't we havethe right to determine our own destiny?&quot; &quot;Excuse me,&quot; said the chamberpot in Brian's usually sarcastic tone,&quot;I'll admit it's been a few years since I've formally fulfilled any of myfunctions as a prince, so perhaps I've missed something, but since when havepeasants had any rights?&quot; &quot;They shall have rights in our kingdom,&quot; Shannon said. &quot;I see,&quot; said the chamberpot. &quot;And how do you suppose theother monarchs will respond to that? They'll see it as a challenge, a threat totheir power and their way of life. 'Twould be yet another compelling reason forthem to go to war against us.&quot; &quot;What if we entered into formal negotiations with the otherkingdoms,&quot; Brewster suggested, &quot;and promised to stop makingnickallirium if they recognized our right to rule ourselves?&quot; &quot;I do not think that would help, Doc,&quot; said Mac, entering the hall.He was carrying a bulging sack over his shoulder. &quot;Forgive me for beinglate, but I was unavoidably detained.&quot; He swung the sack off of hisshoulder. &quot;Look what I found,&quot; he said. He untied the sack anddumped it out onto the table. With a frightened cry, Teddy came tumbling out. &quot;Eeeuuw, a troll!&quot; said Rachel. &quot;Ah, but not just any troll,&quot; said Mac. &quot;Observe hiscollar.&quot; Teddy tried to scramble back out of the way, but Mick grabbed him and pinnedhim to the table. Teddy struggled to break free, but though trolls are not muchsmaller than leprechauns and surprisingly strong for their size, Mick was noordinary leprechaun. The years he'd spent at his forge had given him a powerfulphysique, and he clamped a muscular arm across Teddy's throat while he read thelittle metal tag on his collar. &quot;Property of Warrick Morgannan, AlabasterTower, Royal Mile, Pittsburgh.&quot; &quot;A spy!&quot; said Harlan. &quot;Warrick's own familiar, no less,&quot; said Mac. &quot;I caught himoutside in the bushes, scouting out the grounds.&quot; &quot;Well, we know how to deal with spies,&quot; said Shannon, drawing hersword. Teddy cried out in fear and kicked Mick in the stomach, breaking free andleaping up to run down the length of the tablewith surprising speed. Shannon swung her sword, but missed, and Teddy jumpeddown to the floor and bolted toward the door. However, Thorny happened to be inthe way. As Teddy tried to dodge around the bush, Thorny scuttled to one side toget out of his way, inadvertently blocking his path. Teddy darted in the otherdirection, but Thorny moved that way as well, blocking him once again, andbefore Teddy could dart around the bush, Mick brought him down with a flyingtackle. They thrashed on the floor until Robie and Pikestaff Pat came running upand grabbed Teddy by his arms, holding him between them. &quot;Don't kill me, please!&quot; the little troll wailed. &quot;I am not aspy, I swear it! I truly meant no harm!&quot; &quot;You lying little hairball!&quot; Mick said. &quot;You deny that you areWarrick the White's familiar?&quot; &quot;Aye, 'tis true I was, but no longer! He has banished me!&quot; &quot;A likely story,&quot; Harlan said. &quot;Do you take us all forfools?&quot; &quot; 'Tis the truth, I swear it on my life!&quot; said Teddy. &quot;Haveyour wizard place me under a spell of compulsion if you do not believe me andyou shall see that I speak truly!&quot; &quot;Warrick could have warded you against such spells,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Then surely your wizard would detect the wards, if he is as powerful asthey say,&quot; said Teddy. &quot;Please, you must believe me! I serve Warrickno longer!&quot; &quot;Then why are you here?&quot; asked Shannon. &quot;I came to offer my services to the mighty Brewster Doc,&quot; saidTeddy. &quot;I have been a sorcerer's familiar all my life. 'Tis all I know. Andno other sorcerer in the guild would accept a familiar who's been banished bythe Grand Director. I had nowhere else to go.&quot; He sniffled miserably. &quot;That's the most ridiculous story I have ever heard,&quot; said Harlan.&quot;You expect us to believe that?&quot; &quot; 'Tis the truth!&quot; insisted the troll. &quot;I swear it! And I canprove it to you, if you will but allow me.&quot; Shannon narrowed her eyes suspiciously. &quot;How?&quot; she asked. &quot;Before I left, I stole some items from my former master,&quot;Teddy said. &quot;Magical items he never would have parted with willingly.&quot; &quot;What items?&quot; Shannon asked. &quot;In the satchel,&quot; said Teddy. He glanced at Mac. &quot;He took itfrom me.&quot; &quo
;You mean this?&quot; said Mac with a derisive snort. He removed a smallleather bag from his shoulder. It did not look big enough to contain much ofanything. He tossed it to Shannon. She caught it and looked inside. &quot;It contains nothing but a few scrapsof food.&quot; She tossed it aside. &quot;Only because you do not know the secret of the satchel,&quot; Teddysaid. &quot;The satchel, itself, is one of the magical items that I took.&quot; Brewster picked up the bag and examined it. &quot;What secret?&quot; heasked. &quot;Take me to Brewster Doc and I shall reveal it to him,&quot; said thetroll. &quot;You're speaking to him,&quot; Shannon said. The troll's eyes grew wide. &quot;Him?&quot; he said with disbelief. &quot;He is the mighty wizard of Brigand's Roost?&quot; &quot;Well, I don't know about the mighty part,&quot; said Brewster,&quot;but I guess that is my formal title.&quot; Teddy looked skeptical. &quot;You do not look much like a wizard.&quot; &quot;Say the word, Doc, and I'll slit the little warthog's throat,&quot;said Shannon. &quot;No, don't,&quot; said Brewster. He crouched in front of Teddy, settingthe bag down on the floor. &quot;Look,&quot; he said, &quot;I don't want to seeyou hurt, but you're in a rather difficult position. If there's some way you canprove you're telling us the truth, I advise you to do so now.&quot; Teddy glanced at the two men holding him, then looked uneasily at Shannon,standing there with her sword drawn. He swallowed hard. &quot;Very well,&quot;he said. &quot; 'Tis a Bag of Holding. Place your hand upon the satchel and say,'Open wideand open deep, reveal the secrets that you keep.' And then open it.&quot; &quot;Be careful, Doc,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;It could be some sort oftrick.&quot; &quot;Allow me,&quot; said Mac, picking up the satchel and carrying it overto the table. &quot;Hear me, troll,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;If he opens it and anythinghappens to him, I will make sure you die a very slow and lingering death.&quot; Teddy merely swallowed hard and nodded that he understood. Keeping an eye on Teddy, Mac placed his hand on the satchel and repeated thewords, &quot;Open wide and open deep, reveal the secrets that you keep.&quot;And then, cautiously, bending back away from it, he opened the satchel. Nothinghappened. He glanced back at the troll, then carefully looked inside thesatchel. &quot;Well, I'll be damned,&quot; he said. &quot;What is it, Mac?&quot; asked Brewster. Mac reached into the pouch and pulled out a sword. The blade was much toolong to have been contained inside the small satchel, and yet, it neverthelesscame out of the bag. It had a hilt wrapped with silver wire and a round, flatpommel with the symbol of the sun carved into it. The curved cross-guards wereartfully twisted and the well-oiled leather scabbard was hand-tooled withintricate designs. Mac unsheathed the blade and it gleamed as it caught a shaftof sunlight shining through one of the windows of the great hall. The entirelength of the blade was etched with cursive runes. &quot;An elven blade!&quot; said Mac. &quot;I recognize the style of therunes, but I cannot read them.&quot; &quot;Let me see,&quot; said Rachel. Mac handed her the sword. The elf held the blade across her hands, so that she could read the runes.Her eyes grew wide and she inhaled sharply. &quot;What is it, Rachel?&quot; Shannon asked. &quot;Dwarfkabob!&quot; &quot;Gesundheit,&quot; Brewster said. &quot;No, Dwarfkabob!&quot; said Rachel. &quot;'Tis the enchantedSword of the Shaman!&quot; &quot;HOLD IT! CEASE! STOP EVERYTHING!&quot; Warrick! Damn it, what are you doing interrupting this scene? I thought youand I had made a bargain! &quot;Dwarfkabob?&quot; said Warrick. &quot;You named an enchanted sword Dwarflcabob?&quot; It dates back to the days when elves and dwarves were deadly enemies.Actually, they still don't like each other very much and... why am I explainingthis to you, anyway? Who's writing this thing, you or me? Besides, it was yoursword. Teddy stole it from you. &quot;Nonsense. Teddy would never have had the gumption to steal anythingfrom me. What is more, he knows that all of my valuable personal possessions arespell-warded against theft.&quot; No, he doesn't. I mean, he didn't. &quot;Yes, he did. You think he would have been my familiar for mostof his life and not known something like that? You think I would leave magicaltalismans lying around unprotected? Not even a sorcerer's apprentice would be sostupid. I certainly would not be. That would be completely out ofcharacter. You cannot have things happen simply for the convenience of yournarrative. That sort of thing lacks believability.&quot; Look who's talking. I don't believe this. I am just totally losing control.Look, I thought we had an understanding. You promised not to interfere and nowyou've broken your word. &quot;Of course, I've broken my word! I'm the villain of this tale,remember? I am wise to your design now, Narrator. I finally understand that thisnarrative art of yours is merely a form of sympathetic magic. You are observingevents here from your ethereal plane and setting down a chronicle of what yousee, and by doing so, you seek to influence the outcome.&quot; What? &quot;Aye, you are very clever in your application of this art, but the principlesare rudimentary. I should have realized this before, but you worked your tale insuch a way that you prevented me from seeing it before. However, by trusting me,you have allowed your guard to slip, and now I know what you intend. Well, I amafraid that I shall have to disappoint you.&quot; All right, that's it. You've messed with this story for the last time. Idon't care if it screws up the plot, I've had it! You're history, my friend.You're toast. You are out of here. &quot;Unfortunately, what the Narrator failed to realize was that while hewas busy chronicling the events in Brigand's Roost, Warrick had prepared apowerful warding spell to protect himself against being written out of thestory.&quot; Oh, is that right? Well, we'll just see about that. How would you like to go?A heart attack? No, not suitably dramatic. And not nearly satisfying enough. Forall the grief you've given me, I think I'll give you a particularly nasty,gruesome death. Let's see... &quot;I am waiting.&quot; - Keep your shirt on, I'm thinking. &quot;Do let me know when you have hit upon an interesting idea.&quot; Oh, you'll be the very first to know, trust me. &quot;Aye, I know. Always trust your narrator.&quot; Shut up! You're distracting me. &quot;By all means. Take your time.&quot; I could ... no. That's been done. Or else ... nah, that wouldn't work. Hmmm,let's see, now... &quot;You know, I believe I will take a nap,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Besure to wake me whenever you are ready. I would hate to sleep through my owndeath. That would hardly be very dramatic, would it?&quot; I'm gonna kill him. I swear, I'm gonna kill him... I give up. I guess it's just one of those days when I should have stayed inbed. Yes, I know I've been telling you to trust your narrator, but narrators arehuman, too, you know. We have bad days, just like the rest of you. And this has been a really bad day. It's now about three in the morning as I write these words, twelvehours since I wrote that last paragraph, and I haven't been able to come up withany way to write Warrick out of this damn story without having the whole thingfall apart. Let me tell you, it's been pure hell. Believe me, for a writer, there is absolutely nothing worse than hitting thewall. You feel like a spent marathoner. No matter what you do, nothing seems towork. The brain simply refuses to function. No matter how hard you try, thewords just won't come. So you get up and take a walk, or else go out and work inthe yard, or try to read a book, only that doesn't work because you're tooworried about your own writing to get into someone else's story. So you wash thedishes that have been piling up in the sink all week, then you clean the house,change your sheets and do the laundry, maybe shop for groceries, straighten allthe pictures on the walls and rearrange your bookshelves, and when you're donewith all of that and can't think of anything else to do, you try calling yourfriends. If it happens to be a weekday afternoon, all your friends are working,because they have real jobs, so then you call your writer friends, on theprinciple that misery loves company. Except the ones that are having troublewriting, just like you, aren't home. They're out taking a walk, or working inthe yard, or doing the laundry, or shopping for groceries... and the ones whoare home have their answering machines on because they are busy writing,damn it. So you succumb to the ultimate degradation and sit down to watch TVwith a bag of Doritos and a six-pack of beer. You tell yourself that you've just been trying too hard and you simply need abreak. You just need to take your mind off writing for a while. Maybe there's agood movie on HBO. Of course, with my luck, it turns out to be Throw MommaFrom the Train, where Billy Crystal plays a writer who spends the entiremovie trying to come up with an opening sentence for his novel. So you switchthe channel in frustration and you get The Owl and the Pussycat, whereBarbara Streisandspends the entire movie making George Segal feel inadequate because he's afailure as a novelist. In disgust, you switch the channel yet again and it's anepisode of Murder, She Wrote. Five minutes into the show, you've figuredout who the murderer is and you spend the rest of the show wondering how J. B.Fletcher got to be such a famous mystery novelist when she never actually seemsto do any writing. She's too busy solving murders in Cabot Cove or visitingrelatives, who immediately start dropping like flies whenever she shows up.You'd think when people saw her coming, they'd start locking their doors andputting on bulletproof vests. And there's another thing, publishers are alwayswining and dining her. The closest I've ever come to being wined anddined by a publisher was when an editor took me to a Brewburger about ten yearsago. Screw it, change the channel. Oh, great. It's Barbara Walters interviewing Judith Krantz at home in herluxurious, multimillion-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills, complete with threeswimming pools. Yech. Back to channel surfing. Okay, here's something. EntertainmentTonight. That's probably safe. Nope. They're doing a feature on MichaelCrichton, who's become so damn successful he could probably sell his shoppinglist. It would, of course, become a bestseller, get made into a movie, and he'dget to direct. Jesus, there's no getting away from it! Okay, the hell with it.I'll go cook dinner and then settle down to watch Letterman. &quot;On the show tonight, ladies and gentlemen, the master of horror, Mr.Stephen King -&quot; Gyahhhh! Quick, switch to Leno. &quot;Our first guest tonight is a genuine movie legend, an honest-to-Godsuperstar, ladies and gentlemen. You know him as Spartacus, but now he'sembarked on a new career as a bestselling author. Please join me in welcomingMr. Kirk Douglas-&quot; I shut off the TV and sit there in the dark with my empty, jumbo size bag ofDoritos and the crushed remains of a sixpack scattered on the floor around me,thinking, &quot;God hates me.&quot; Around one a.m., I slink back to my office, where Archimedes, my Apple Maccomputer, sits malevolently on my desk, and I just stand there in the doorway,glaring at it. It glares back. There's nothing much to do at one a.m. in theSonoran desert. The nearest town is Tucson, a forty-five-minute drive away, andby the time I get there, the bars will all be closed. And, of course, I can't goto sleep, because I've got insomnia. It's either face that damn computer orwatch the Home Shopping Network or those late night commercials with bimbos inlingerie moaning and pouting into the camera, exhorting you to call their 976numbers. I actually consider it for a moment. What the hell, I haven't even hada date in months. I imagine how the conversation might go... &quot;Hi, is this Stormy? Listen, if you had to knock off an evil wizard, howwould you go about it?&quot; &quot;Huh? What kind of fantasy is that?&quot; &quot;It's not a fantasy ... Well, yeah, actually it 
s, but not like youthink. See, I'm a writer and I'm working on this book and -&quot; &quot;You're a writer? Really? Hey, you know, I do a little writing. I mean,this phone sex thing is only temporary, something to tide me over, you know?Actually, I'm working on this romance novel and it's pretty hot. My friends allthink it's great, you know; they say it's got real commercial potential. As amatter of fact, I just happen to have it here with me and since you're a realwriter and all, maybe I could read you a few chapters and you could tell me whatyou think....&quot; God, even my fantasies are depressing. &quot;How utterly pathetic.&quot; Leave me alone, Warrick. Just... go away. &quot;I could have told you this would happen,&quot; Warrick said, &quot;onlyyou refused to listen. You think you can turn my own familiar against me withimpunity? You think you can conjure up spirits to threaten me in my ownsanctorum and I will submit meekly to your will? I, Warrick the White, of theHouse of Morgannan, Grand Director of the-&quot; Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know already. Spare me the resume. I wrote it,remember? &quot;As you wish. Perhaps now you are prepared to discuss mattersreasonably.&quot; I'm too tired to argue. And I can't just go back to the last scene in thekeep. You've completely screwed up the continuity of the story now. Okay, screwit, I give up. What do you want? &quot;I have told you what I want.&quot; He walked over to Brewster's timemachine and stood staring at it. &quot;I want the secret of this infernalmagical device. None of the subjects I have transported with it have returned,despite the spell of compulsion I had placed upon them. I want to know why. Iwant to know where they have gone. I want to know the purpose of this damnablemachine and the secret of its operation. I want to know everything aboutit.&quot; Okay, you win. It's a device for traveling through time, as you have alreadysurmised. Except that it does not merely travel through time, but through adimensional portal, as well. &quot;A dimensional portal?&quot; Warrick frowned. &quot;What is that?&quot; A warp in the fabric of time and space. Sort of a passageway to anotherworld, another plane of existence. &quot;A gateway to the ethereal planes?&quot; Something like that, yeah. &quot;To the world where you reside?&quot; Well... yes, I suppose so. In a manner of speaking. &quot;Then this sorcerer, this Brewster Doc, is not of this world? He is,like you, a creature of the ethereal planes?&quot; Well, he's ethereal, all right, but he's not like me. At least, I didn'tthink he was like me, but so far all my friends who've read pieces of this thinghave said he's just like me, so maybe you're right, I don't know. I'mjust not up to explaining it. &quot;I see,&quot; said Warrick, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. &quot;So thenBrewster Doc is a projection of you, an avatar, and this device is a gateway tothe ethereal planes? Fascinating. So that is why none of my subjects have beenable to return. There is no gateway for them on the other side.&quot; Right. &quot;And this outlaw sorcerer, Brewster Doc, cannot return to his own worldunless he possesses this machine?&quot; Correct. &quot;Excellent. Now we are getting somewhere. So then, for this machine towork properly, it must not only transport whoever is inside it through thegateway it creates, it must also pass through that gateway itself?&quot; Now you've got it. &quot;Of course, it all makes perfect sense,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Isimply did not know the secret of its proper operation. So ... what is thesecret?&quot; I'm too tired to argue. First, you've got to get into the machine. Warrick frowned suspiciously. &quot;And then?&quot; Well, nothing can happen unless you get into the machine. You have to beinside to work the controls. &quot;I see,&quot; said Warrick. Carefully, he got into the machineand sat in the pilot's seat. &quot;Now what?&quot; You have to strap yourself in. Warrick examined the safety restraints carefully, then strapped in.&quot;Very well. What next?&quot; You see that box in front of you, the one with what looks like a small darkwindow in it? &quot;Aye?&quot; That's the trip computer. You have to set it for time and destination. &quot;How?&quot; There's a little red button on the box, see it? &quot;Aye, I see it.&quot; Press it. &quot;What will happen when I do?&quot; The computer will be activated and the window will light up, along with allthe instruments. When that happens, you have to set the temporal translocationchronometer for the month, the day, the year, and the time of day. &quot;And how do I perform this task?&quot; You use the keyboard. &quot;What is a keyboard?&quot; Oh, jeez. This could take forever. Look, let's just do it the easy way. Stepby step, the Narrator patiently explained to Warrick how to use the computerkeyboard to enter the temporal chronometer settings, as well as the locationcoordinates. There. That ought to save some tune. &quot;Very well, now what?&quot; asked Warrick when he was done. Look to the right of the box. You see a switch with a dial above it? &quot;Aye.&quot; Push it down. Warrick clicked the toggle switch down. A high-pitched whine came from themachine. &quot;What is that noise?&quot; asked Warrick, alarmed. Just the engine wanning up. Don't worry. It's normal. Now throw the switchright next to it. As Warrick did so, the Buckminsterfullerine in the torus surrounding themachine began to accelerate. The sound of the whine increased, and over it arhythmic, whooping, pulsing sound ensued. All the indicators on the instrumentpanel started registering. Warrick's face lit up with excitement. &quot; 'Tis working!&quot; he shouted over the noise. &quot;It lives! Themachine lives!&quot; Okay, now you see that lever beside your right knee? &quot;Aye!&quot; Watch the indicators on the dials. When the needles start pointing into thered, pull it back. The noise became deafening. Warrick watched the dials carefully, then pulledthe lever back. The whooping whine built to a screaming pitch, then the airaround the time machine began to shimmer. Bright blue electrical arcs played allover the surface of the machine as the warp began to open up, then a sonic boomcrashed through Warrick's sanctorum and the time machine disappeared. Heh, heh, heh. Sucker. Mess around with me, will he? Okay, now let's see ifwe can't get this story back on track. When last we left Brewster and hisfriends, Mac had captured Teddy, Wamck's little troll familiar, who had made hisway to Brewster's keep with an aim to offering his services to the mightysorcerer of Brigand's Roost. Since Teddy didn't have a proper resume, he did thenext best thing. To demonstrate his good intentions, before leaving theAlabaster Tower, he stole some of Warrick's prized magical possessions, which,as Warrick pointed out before when we were so rudely interrupted, were spellwarded against theft. (Picky, picky, picky.) However, having been Wamck'sfamiliar for so many years, Teddy had learned the wards, and so before he stolethe items, he spoke the spell to take the wards off. So there. The little satchel Teddy brought with him was called the Bag of Holding, andmost of the time it looked and functioned just like an ordinary leather shoulderpouch. However, when one placed his hand upon the bag and recited the properspell, the bag could release its treasure trove. It was capable of holding alimitless number of items, the only limitation being that whatever was placedinto the bag had to fit through its opening. Now, how could this possibly work, you ask? Well, it was magic. Whatever wasplaced into the bag temporarily went into another dimension, where it remaineduntil the spell was spoken once again and the item could be retrieved from thebag. You know how sometimes you put your keys down and then you can't find themanywhere, no matter how hard you look, and then they turn up inexplicably in themost obvious place? Well, it's sort of the same principle. This was how the Bagof Holding was capable of containing an elven sword with a thirty-three inchblade. Now, as Rachel has already revealed, this was no ordinary elven blade. Itspommel was engraved with the figure of the sun, and the entire length of itsblade was etched with magical elven runes that identified the sword asDwarfkabob, the legendary Sword of the Shaman. &quot;What is the Sword of the Shaman?&quot; Brewster asked. (There, you see?We're, back on track again. I told you, always trust your narrator.) &quot;Long ago, in the days of the great wars between the. elves and thedwarves, there lived a mighty elven wizard known as the Shaman,&quot; Rachelsaid, beating out an accompanying tattoo on her bongos as she spoke. &quot;Hewas of no tribe, and he lived all by himself deep in the Redwood Forest, in asmall clearing by a brook. The leaders of all the elven tribes went to him forcounsel, for in those days, there were many rivalries among the differenttribes, and they were hindering the struggle against the dwarves. One day, theShaman called all the tribal leaders together and he brought out a wondroussword-this sword-and he called it Dwarfkabob. With this sword, he said, noopponent could prevail against its wielder, for it was enchanted, and the natureof the enchantment was such that it took the skill of the opponent andtransferred it to whoever wielded the sword. Each of the elven tribal leadersadvanced their claim for it, but the Shaman said the sword would only go to himwho could compose the finest poem, because whoever carried Dwarfkabob would bethe warlord of the elves, and such an elf needed to display cleverness andwisdom. &quot;So each of the elven leaders were sent back to their own tribes, towork on composing their poems. In a month's time, they were to return andperform their compositions before the Shaman, to decide who would win the rightto own the blade. Each tribe wanted their leader to win the sword, so they allparticipated in the composition of the poems. One elf would contribute a phrase,another would alter it and make it better, still another would follow it with arhyme, and so forth, until over the course of the month, these poems had beenwritten and rewritten and rewritten, until each tribe was certain they hadattained the finest composition possible. And at the end of the month, when themoon was full, they all gathered together to meet with the Shaman and performtheir poems to see who would win the sword. &quot;It was the largest convocation of elves the world had ever seen. Allthe tribes were present to support their leaders, from the oldest members ofeach tribe down to the youngest child. And the Shaman listened gravely andattentively as eachtribal leader stepped forth in turn and performed his composition, which was infact the composition of the entire tribe. From this convocation came thetradition of elven poetry, which has continued to this day, and each year, atthe time of the Summer Solstice, the elven tribes gather once again to performtheir compositions and choose which is the best. So it has been, ever since thatday.&quot; Rachel finished with a flourish on the bongos, and the others waited,expecting her to go on. The silence stretched. Shannon glanced at Mac andfrowned. Mac raised his eyebrows. Mick scratched his head. And finally, Brewsterasked, &quot;So ... who won the sword?&quot; &quot;Oh,&quot; said Rachel. Then she shrugged. &quot;No one won it.&quot; &quot;What do you mean, no one wpn it?&quot; Shannon said. &quot;How could that be?&quot; asked Mac. &quot;Was that not the point of theentire convocation?&quot; &quot;Aye, 'twas,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;But while everyone was gatheredaround the great bonfire, listening to the compositions, someone stole thesword. And it has never since been seen, until today.&quot; &quot;You mean, it's been lost all this time?&quot; asked Brewster. &quot;Aye,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;But how did Warrick come into possession of it?&quot; Shannon asked,picking up the sword and turning toward Teddy. &quot;He purchased it from a notorious dealer in stolen talismans inPitt,&quot; said Teddy. &quot;The dealer told him he was sure 'twas enchanted,but as he could not read the elven runes, he was unable to discern the nature ofits magic. So War
ick bought the sword from him and set about looking forsomeone to translate the inscription. Only when he found someone to translateit, it turned out that the inscription was a riddle which Warrick was never ableto solve.&quot; Rachel chuckled. &quot;What's so funny?&quot; Shannon asked. &quot;There never was any riddle to solve,&quot; Rachel replied. &quot;Theinscription tells nothing at all about the nature of the blade's enchantment.The Shaman was a very spiritual elf, wholoved poetry and found it everywhere in the world around him. The inscription onthe blade is merely a testament to that.&quot; &quot;What does it say?&quot; asked Brewster. &quot;The words of the inscription are, 'I think that I shall never see apoem lovely as a tree,'&quot; said Rachel. Brewster shut his eyes. &quot;I had to ask,&quot; he said. &quot;The point is that even if Warrick knew the secret of the blade'senchantment, it would have done him no good,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;Why not?&quot; asked Shannon. Rachel shrugged. &quot;It only works for elves.&quot; &quot;Well, in that case,&quot; Shannon said, handing the sword to Rachel,&quot;let's try it out.&quot; &quot;Oh, no,&quot; said Rachel, shaking her head. &quot;I couldn't.&quot; &quot;Mac,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;Draw your sword.&quot; &quot;Against her ?&quot; said Mac, with astonishment. &quot;I want to see if the story of this enchantment is true,&quot; saidShannon. &quot;But... I am no fighter,&quot; Rachel protested. &quot;I cannot even usea sword!&quot; &quot;All the better,&quot; Shannon said. &quot;That will make it a fittingtest. Mac... engage her.&quot; Mac sighed. &quot;As you wish, my love.&quot; He drew his blade and smiled.&quot;Fear not, I shall not hurt you.&quot; Swallowing heavily, Rachel drew the sword. With a condescending little smile,Mac took a fighting stance. Rachel nervously did her best to copy him. But assoon as their blades touched, Rachel suddenly underwent a transformation. Shedrew herself up, standing more erect, and shifted her fighting stance, holdingthe blade with confidence. And as they engaged, her blade whipped around soquickly that no one was able to see exactly how she did it, but in the nextinstant, Mac's sword was flying across the room. Both their jaws dropped simultaneously. &quot; 'Strewth!&quot; said Mac, with amazement. &quot;I did that?&quot; Rachel asked, wide-eyed. &quot; 'Twas my father's own technique for disarming an opponent!&quot; Macsaid. &quot;He taught it to me when I was but a lad!&quot; &quot;Interesting,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;And you say the magic only worksfor elves?&quot; Pikestaff Pat ran to pick up the sword and return it to Mac. &quot; 'Tis what the story says,&quot; Rachel replied. &quot;Pity,&quot; Shannon said. &quot;Mac, let Pat try.&quot; Pikestaff Pat took the blade and hefted it experimentally, nodding withsatisfaction at its balance. He took a fighting stance facing Mac. They engaged,and though Pat was a competent swordsman, he was not even remotely in Mac'sclass and it only took moments for Mac to disarm him and have his swordpoint atPat's throat. &quot;Well, the legend appears to be true,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;Isuppose that means the sword should go to Rachel, since she is the only elfamong us.&quot; &quot;To me?&quot; said Rachel, with disbelief. &quot;I guess that makes you the warlord of the elves,&quot; said Brewsterwith a smile. &quot;Good thing we're friends.&quot; Shannon pursed her lips thoughtfully. &quot;Hmmm. I wonder. How do yousuppose the elven tribes will react when they learn that Dwarfkabob has beenfound once again?&quot; &quot;You mean, would they follow Rachel and support Brigantium?&quot; saidMac. He grinned. &quot;Well, if they do, then 'twould make us the first kingdomwith elves among our army.&quot; &quot;But we don't even have an army yet,&quot; said Brewster. Shannon took the elven sword and handed it to Rachel, who stared at it withawe. &quot;Not yet,&quot; she said with a smile. &quot;But this could make agood beginning.&quot; She turned to Teddy. &quot;What else is in the Bag ofHolding?&quot; &quot;Warrick's Cloak of Darkness,&quot; Teddy said. &quot;You mean this?&quot; said Mac, pulling out a long, black hooded cloak.&quot;It looks like a perfectly ordinary cloak. What's so special aboutit?&quot; &quot;Put it on,&quot; said Teddy. Mac shrugged and slipped into the cloak. And promptly vanished fromeverybody's sight. &quot;Well, now what happens?&quot; he said. &quot;Good Lord!&quot; said Brewster. &quot;What?&quot; said Mac. &quot;What are you all staring at?&quot; &quot;Mac,&quot; said Shannon, &quot;you have become invisible!&quot; Mac raised his hand in front of his face, though of course, the otherscouldn't see that. &quot;But I can see myself perfectly well.&quot; &quot;Aye, but we can't see you!&quot; said Mick. &quot;Really?&quot; Mac said. A moment later, Shannon cried out and jumped,spinning around as Mac came up behind her and gave her a pinch. She looked allaround, but couldn't see any sign of him. &quot;Mac! Stop that! Where areyou?&quot; &quot;Right in front of you, my love,&quot; he said, and there was a smackingnoise as he kissed her on the lips. Shannon reached out quickly and snatched the black cloak seemingly out ofthin air, pulling it off Mac and revealing him. &quot;Well, now that's what I call a useful item of apparel,&quot; Mac said.&quot;But whoever wears it will have to be quick on his feet, to make sure it isnot snatched away from him like that.&quot; &quot;You see?&quot; said Teddy. &quot;You think Warrick would have partedwith such items willingly, merely to make you believe I was sincere in wishingto join you?&quot; &quot; 'Tis possible,&quot; said Shannon, with a frown, &quot;but I ratherdoubt it. Does the bag contain anything else?&quot; Teddy shrugged. &quot;I do not know, Mistress. I only placed the sword andthe cloak inside it. But there is no telling what else might be hidden within.The Bag of Holding can contain many, many things.&quot; &quot;We should explore the contents of this bag,&quot; said Shannon.&quot;Pat, Mick, see what else it holds. Meanwhile, troll, I am not yetcompletely satisfied that you are earnest in your intentions.&quot; &quot;But what more could I do, Mistress, to convince you?&quot; Teddy askedanxiously. &quot;You could tell us of Warrick's plans, for a start,&quot; she said. &quot;How much does he know about us, and what does he intend?&quot; And as Mick and Pat explored the contents of the Bag of Holding, Teddy toldShannon and the others everything he knew. He told them about Brewster's timemachine, and how Warrick was obsessed with learning the secret of its properoperation. He told them of Warrick's concern about the &quot;outlawsorcerer&quot; of Brigand's Roost, and of how Warrick had convinced the royalsheriff to draw up a comprehensive list of new repressive edicts, the better tokeep the dungeons stocked with &quot;volunteers&quot; for his experiments. He told them of Black Jack's arrival in Pittsburgh, and of how the villainousmercenary had reported everything he'd learned to Warrick. Black Jack hadapparently recovered from being shot by Brewster, and he had told Warrick howthe sorcerer known as Brewster Doc commanded a dragon and threw thunderbolts,which was apparently how he had interpreted his gunshot wound. He also toldWarrick that Brewster Doc was now allied with the infamous Black Shannon and herbrigands, and that Mac had betrayed him and gone over to the opposition. Theonly thing Teddy failed to mention was the &quot;voice in the ether,&quot; thedemonic spirit from the ethereal planes that Warrick called &quot;theNarrator,&quot; for while Teddy had never actually seen or heard thisdisembodied spirit, he had felt his power and was afraid to tempt fate bymentioning him. And finally, he gave them the most alarming news of all, thoughit was not entirely unexpected. &quot;Warrick has also told King Billy that 'tis Brewster Doc who isresponsible for the recent unrest in Pittsburgh,&quot; Teddy said. &quot;Betweenhim and Sheriff Waylon, they have the king convinced that the outlaw sorcerer ofBrigand's Roost has sent secret agitators into Pittsburgh, so that while heundermines Pitt's trade on one hand, he seeks to foster revolution on the other.Now King Billy is a decent sort, but he isn't very bright, while his brother,the sheriff, is crafty and ambitious, a fitting minion for Warrick. Betweenthem, they have convinced King Billy that the only way to prevent a revolutionis to muster an army to defend the kingdom and attackthe outlaw sorcerer before he grows too powerful. To that end, Lord Kelvin,Grand Marshal of the Army of Pitt, has begun recruiting more soldiers andmercenaries to bolster the strength of King Billy's troops. And Warrick haspetitioned the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild, in his post as Grand Director, tolend aid and sanction to this enterprise.&quot; Shannon glanced at Brewster, Mac, and Harlan. &quot;Brian was right,&quot;she said. &quot;There shall be war.&quot; &quot;Only they will be expecting a motley bunch of brigands and somepeasants armed with pitchforks, not an army,&quot; Mac said. &quot;That meansthere is no time to lose. We must declare ourselves a sovereign state and setabout raising troops at once. I will see to it that announcements are madethroughout Brigand's Roost, Keep Village, and the Tent City that every able-bodiedman who wishes employment is urged to join the Army of Brigantium.&quot; &quot;And I will make certain handbills go out with every member of our salesforce, advertising for soldiers and mercenaries,&quot; Harlan added. &quot;What about King Durwin?&quot; Brewster asked. &quot;Leave King Durwin to me,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;I have been thinkingabout this problem and I believe I may have a solution. I will send a delegationto Durwin's court, informing him of our decision to form the sovereign state ofBrigantium and thanking him for his support.&quot; &quot;But... he has not given us any support,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;Of course not, but that's beside the point,&quot; said Harlan. &quot;Mymessage to King Durwin will be printed up in all the handbills we shalldistribute throughout the other kingdoms. By officially thanking him for hissupport, we will be giving the impression that he has, in fact, supported usfrom the beginning. And as a gesture of goodwill, and to commemorate ouralliance, Darn will be given favored nation trading status, which means thatthey will be able to purchase all of our export goods at a significant discount,and that any goods imported from Darn will be admitted free of tariffs.&quot; &quot;But they are not exporting any goods to us,&quot; said Mac with afrown. &quot;And since when have we had import tariffs?&quot; &quot;Since about a minute ago, when I thought of it,&quot; said Harlan.&quot;You see, by publicly thanking Durwin for his support, as well as givinghim a discount on our trade goods and exemption from import tariffs, we will bemaking it appear as if Durwin has been giving us his official backing all along.And it might not be a bad idea to open a brewery in Franktown, Darn's capitalcity. We shall need to expand our production facilities anyway, to compensatefor our contract with the dwarves, and we've been talking about moving therendering plant, as well, which we shall need to do in order to expand the keepand build a fortified palace. We shall let Durwin have a brewery and a renderingoperation, which our people shall establish and run, but which will employ thepoor citizens of Franktown. In this manner, we shall be helping Durwin's economyand cutting him in for fifty percent of the profits. It will expand ouroperations, and at the same time, give Durwin an incentive not to interfere withus.&quot; &quot;And, coincidentally, establish an alliance in the eyes of all the otherkingdoms,&quot; Brewster said. &quot;That's very clever, Harlan. You have themakings of a brilliant politician.&quot; &quot;Politician!&quot; Harlan blanched. &quot;Sir, I am a respectedbusinessman! There is no need to be insulting.&quot; &quot;Sorry,&quot; Brewster said. &quot;But you are the prime minister, afterall.&quot; Harlan looked crestfallen. &quot;I know. I have reached a new low. I knew
Ishould have been a bard.&quot; &quot;Well, if you had been, I'm sure you would have been a very successfulone,&quot; said Brewster. Harlan brightened. &quot;You really think so?&quot; &quot;I know so,&quot; Brewster said. &quot;Well, perhaps in another life,&quot; said Harlan with a sigh. Then hisgaze fell on the table where Mick and Pat were exploring the contents of the Bagof Holding. &quot;Yipes!&quot; The table was piled high with ancient, rolled-up scrolls and leather-boundvellum tomes and glittering amulets and silver chains and gem-encrustedbracelets, several crystal balls on ornate pedestals, rings with hiddencompartments, golden goblets inscribed with eldritch runes, daggers etched with mysticaldesigns, carved wooden staves, human skulls turned into candleholders, glassvials containing potions of all sorts, ceramic pots storing magical powders andincense, and several dozen sets of keys. &quot;All that came out of there?&quot; asked Brewster, in astonishment. &quot;There seems to be no end to it,&quot; Mick replied. &quot;You still think Warrick would have surrendered all thatvoluntarily?&quot; asked Teddy smugly. &quot;What's this?&quot; asked Pat, reaching inside the bag and grunting.&quot; 'Tis heavy enough.&quot; He pulled out a large book that barely made itthrough the opening of the bag. It was at least four inches thick and handsomelybound in old black leather with silver fastenings. &quot;Let me see that,&quot; Brewster said, impressed by its appearance. Heread aloud the ornate script stamped into the cover in silver letters. &quot;TheGrimoire of Honorious.&quot; &quot;That's it!&quot; cried the chamberpot excitedly in a muffled voice.&quot;That's it, by the gods, that's it! Get me out of here!&quot; &quot;Brian?&quot; Brewster said, looking around. &quot;Where are you?&quot; &quot;I'm underneath all this bloody trash!&quot; Brian's voice came frombeneath the pile on the table. &quot;I took a nap and these stupid fools haveburied me!&quot; They started rummaging through the treasure trove on the table until theyfound the chamberpot and pulled it out. &quot;Honorious!&quot; said Brian. &quot;That's the wizard who enchanted me,curse his black, unlamented soul!&quot; &quot;Then ... if this is his grimoire,&quot; said Shannon, &quot;that couldmean-&quot; &quot;The spell! The spell he used on me is in there! It has tobe!&quot; &quot;Then maybe the spell to reverse it is in there, too,&quot; said Mick. &quot;Open it! Open it and see, quickly!&quot; the chamberpot cried. Brewster unfastened the silver clasps and opened the grimoire to its table ofcontents. &quot;Let's see . . . Spells of Compulsion, Love Spells, Spells ofRepulsion, Spells to RaiseDemons, Spells to Cure Headaches, Spells to Cause Headaches, Spells to EnsureRegularity, Spells to Cause Constipation, Spells to Make Noses Run... what kindsof spells are these?&quot; &quot;Go on, keep reading!&quot; the chamberpot urged him. &quot;... Spells to Cause Night Terrors, Spells to Attract Wealth, Spells toEnhance Sexual Performance ... hmmmm, page 362.&quot; Brewster started leafingthrough the pages. &quot;Later! Later!&quot; the chamberpot shouted. &quot;Go back to thelisting!&quot; &quot;Oh, okay,&quot; said Brewster, turning back to the table of contents.&quot;Let's see now, where was I? Oh, right. Spells to Bring About UnbelievableOrgasms .. . wait a minute, I want to see this one....&quot; &quot;Will you forget about that?&quot; cried Brian. &quot;You've got all dayto browse! I've been a chamberpot for sixty some odd years, for crying outloud!&quot; &quot;Okay, okay,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;Ah, here we are. Spells ofTransformation, page 593.&quot; &quot;Aye, that's the one!&quot; cried the chamberpot excitedly. &quot;Turnto that one, quickly!&quot; &quot;Hold on, I'm getting there,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;Okay, here weare. Now let's see ... Spell to Transform People into Newts, Spell to TransformPeople into Toadstools, Spell to Transform People into Footstools...footstools?&quot; &quot;Hononous had dozens of them,&quot; Brian said. &quot;He liked havinghis enemies under his foot.&quot; &quot;Right,&quot; said Brewster, wryly. &quot;Okay, here we go. Spell toTransform People into Chamberpots.&quot; Shannon grinned. &quot;I suppose he also liked his enemies to catch-&quot; &quot;Never mind,&quot; said Brewster, interrupting hastily. &quot;We get thepoint.&quot; &quot;Does it say how to reverse the spell?&quot; asked the chamberpot,anxiously. &quot;Hold on, I'm skimming it,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;The writing's abit hard to read. It's rather florid. Honorious seemed to go in for lots ofpurple prose and his script is really elaborate-&quot; &quot;Will you forget about his penmanship and get on with it?&quot; criedBrian. &quot;Ah, here it is,&quot; said Brewster. He read aloud. &quot;To reversethe spell, repeat the words, 'Abracadabra, change back.' &quot; About one third of the items on the table clattered to the floor as thechamberpot suddenly disappeared with a popping sound and Brian materialized inits place, sitting on the table in his normal human form. &quot;Abracadabra, change back?&quot; he said with disbelief. &quot;Sixtymiserable years of being a lousy chamberpot and that was all it took tobreak the spell?&quot; &quot;I guess it looks that way,&quot; said Brewster, raising his eyebrows. &quot;Aaaaarrrrrrgggggh!&quot; Brian screamed, kicking out his legs andsweeping most of the table clean as items went crashing to the floor. While Prince Brian, finally freed of his enchantment, tears his hair andhammers his fists against the table in frustration, we will diplomatically takeour leave and pay a visit to the Kingdom of Pitt, to check in on Bonnie KingBilly and his luscious queen, the lovely and ever-so-sultry Sandy. Thought yourfaithful narrator forgot all about them, huh? Well, just because they're onlyminor supporting characters and we haven't seen them since the last book in theseries (The Inadequate Adept, Warner Books) doesn't mean they've beenentirely neglected. They simply haven't had their lines come up yet. But we'reabout to get to their scene, don't worry. Remember, always trust your narrator.Now, where were we? Oh, right. Cue King Billy. &quot;_____________&quot; I said, cue King Billy. &quot;_____________&quot; Billy, younitwit! &quot;Huh? What? Sandy, my dove, did you just say something?&quot; Sandyturned from her vanity, where she sat holding a mirrorand brushing her lovely, long blond hair. &quot;No, I said nothing.&quot; &quot;I thought I heard someone call my name,&quot; said Billy with a frown.&quot;And rather disrespectfully, too.&quot; &quot;And you naturally thought it was me?&quot; said Sandy, raising herdelicate eyebrows. &quot;Really, William, you are developing a persecutioncomplex. You are starting to see conspirators everywhere.&quot; &quot; 'Tis because there are conspirators everywhere,&quot; saidBilly in a surly tone. &quot;First 'twas petitions, then 'twas demands, now I amfaced with public denunciations, with riots and demonstrations... they have evendefaced my statues!&quot; &quot;Well, the statues didn't look anything like you, anyway,&quot; QueenSandy said, resuming her brushing. &quot; 'Tis not the point! The point is that the people are losing respectfor me!&quot; &quot;That implies they had respect for you in the first place,&quot; QueenSandy said laconically. &quot;There, you see?&quot; said Billy, pointing an accusatory finger at her.&quot;Not even my own queen respects me! How can you say such a thing to me? Ihave always been a good king! I have always been good to my people! Do I notfeed the poor?&quot; &quot;Aye, but you feed them with spam,&quot; replied Queen Sandy. &quot;So what's wrong with that?&quot; &quot;Have you ever eaten spam?&quot; &quot;No.&quot; &quot;I didn't think so.&quot; &quot;Well, what should I feed them then?&quot; &quot;William, we have had this conversation countless times before,&quot;Queen Sandy said, putting down her hairbrush and turning toward him. &quot;Itell you that the people need bread, and vegetables, and meat, and you alwayssay that it would be too expensive. I tell you the people need jobs, and youalways say there are not enough to go around.&quot; &quot;Well, there aren't,&quot; King Billy said in a sulky tone. &quot;Especiallysince that outlaw sorcerer in Brigand's Roost has started stealing all ourtrade. Warrick warned me about him, and Warrick was right, as he usuallyis.&quot; &quot;Warrick has you twisted around his little finger,&quot; said QueenSandy with disdain. &quot;He has not! Waylon says the same thing. Something must be done aboutthat man! He is ruining my kingdom!&quot; &quot;Your brother Waylon's first allegiance is to Warrick, not to you,&quot;said Sandy. &quot;He resents you because you were born first and you got to bethe king while he only gets to be the royal sheriff.&quot; &quot;Nonsense! Waylon is loyal and true! Has he not been constantly engagedin putting down the riots and raising an army to defend my kingdom against thisupstart sorcerer?&quot; &quot;Give an army to an unscrupulous man whose ambition knows no bounds andwhat do you suppose he will do with it?&quot; asked Sandy. &quot;Waylon hasalways wanted your throne, and now you are giving him the means to seizeit.&quot; &quot;I do not want to listen to that kind of talk! You are only trying toupset me! You are always treating me as if I were a child! Well, I am not achild!&quot; King Billy said, stamping his foot. &quot;I'm not! Now leave mealone! I have important strategy to plan.&quot; He went over to a large table on which a relief map of the Kingdom of Darnhad been constructed with sand and dirt. Rows of little lead soldiers andcavalry squadrons were set up on the borders, and Billy started moving themabout, making galloping sounds and bugle noises with his mouth. Queen Sandy sighed and rolled her eyes, then got up and left the royalbedchamber. She knew there was no reasoning with Billy when he got like this.She was married to a moron, and a childish one at that. And the worst thingabout it was, she had no one in the palace in whom she could confide. She hadladies in waiting, of course, but she could not trust any of them. Warrickalways knew everything that went on in the palace. She had married Billy whenshe was just fifteen, an arranged marriage to cement an alliance between her kingdom andPitt, and though she was well loved by her subjects, she often felt like astranger in her own house. Billy had never mistreated her in any way, quite the opposite; he doted onher, and that made it all the worse. If he had been a cruel and unfeelinghusband, it would have been easy to resent him, but he was rather lovable in hisown goofy way. What she resented was his relentless stupidity. She realized hecouldn't help it, and that was the most frustrating thing about it. He wouldalways be a pawn for men such as Warrick and Waylon. Billy was simply a bornfollower. Unfortunately, he had also been born king. She went down the hall to her own private apartments and told the guards onduty that she was retiring early because she did not feel well, and was not tobe disturbed. This did not surprise the guards at all. They knew the queen oftenretired early when she did not feel well, which really meant that she and theking had argued once again and Billy would be spending the night alone. Theguards simply nodded and looked at one another knowingly. &quot;And stop looking at one another knowingly,&quot; Queen Sandy saidirritably. &quot;I hate that.&quot; The guards looked properly contrite, but she knew they would be smirking assoon as they closed the doors behind her. She smiled. They wouldn't smirk ifthey knew what was about to happen. She quickly changed out of her dressing gown and slipped into a pair of brownleather breeches, high boots, a white runic, and a brown doublet. Then she tiedher long blond hair back in a ponytail and tucked a long dagger into her belt.She knew there was no chance that Billy would feel bad about their argument andcome to her apartments to apologize. Billy never admitted he was wrong. He wasthe king, and the king could not possibly be wrong about anything. What Billypreferred to do was wait until the nex
 day and then simply pretend the argumenthad never happened. And since only the king could countermand her order to theguards that she was not to be disturbed, she knew that she could count oncomplete privacy until morning. She slipped on a long black hooded cloak and went into her bedroom. Shepressed a hidden button behind the headboard and a panel in the wall slid open,revealing a secret passageway. Billy had no knowledge of this passageway. Shehad discovered it quite by accident the third year of her marriage. When shefirst found the secret panel and opened it, she discovered a note inside. Itsaid, &quot;Don't tell anyone about this. It's just a little secret between usgirls.&quot; Thinking about the interesting dynamics of past royal marriages, Sandy lit acandle and ducked inside the passageway, then the panel slid shut behind her. &nbsp; SEVEN &nbsp; The private Lear jet landed at Heathrow Airport as Colin Hightower polishedoff the last of the Jack Daniel's in the well-stocked bar. The stewardess wasamazed at his capacity, but being a professional, she kept her opinions toherself. Her passengers were a decidedly odd pair. She had flown private flightswith everyone from corporate VIPs to rock stars and she thought she had seen itall, but this couple was definitely unique. The man looked like a seedy racetrack tout and the young woman with him,well, the stewardess had no idea what to make of her. She was a lot like thegroupies rock stars often brought along on their travels, but this one was areal case of arrested development. She seemed to have the mind of a child. Sheacted as if she had never even been on an airplane before. During takeoff, shehad acted frightened-which was not unusual, lots of people were afraid offlying-but once they were airborne and the captain had turned off the seat beltsign, she had flitted from window to window, marveling at the view andexclaiming with wonder that they were flying like birds. Undoubtedly, she had tobe on drugs. It was probably the only way a guy like that could get a prettyyoung girl like her. Maybe he was a dealer, but he sure as hell didn't look likeone. He certainly didn't look like anyone who could afford flying on a privatejet. His clothes were cheap and tasteless. But then again, rich people had theireccentricities. It was not for her to judge. She was glad she'd soon be rid ofthem now that they were landing. &quot;Oooh, look, Colin, we're coming down!&quot; Megan exclaimed excitedly. &quot;Just stay in the seat, luv, and keep your belt fastened until the planehas stopped moving,&quot; Hightower replied. It felt strange being back inLondon once again. It had been a long time.He wasn't sure what to expect, but his instincts told him he was really on tosomething. He had a feeling he was shortly going to find out what this wholething was all about. He had checked in with his editor and was told that there had been a call forhim, from someone on the staff of The New Yorker magazine, no less. Thecaller said it was urgent that he get in touch with her and left a number.Several cautious phone calls later, Colin was on the line with somebody namedPamela Fairburn, and she had given him a real earful. He had a feeling there wassomeone else present on her end, and that she could not speak freely, becauseshe had been somewhat evasive with her answers, but she had told him enough toreally pique his curiosity. She arranged to send a private jet for him, to meethim at whatever location he chose, and told him she would put him up at companyexpense, carte blanche, at the Mayfair Hotel. It was extremely urgent, she hadsaid, and concerned national security, high-level defense contracts and allthat, and it was extremely important that she meet with him in person. And byall means to bring Megan. Hightower was naturally suspicious, but he couldn't resist such a come-on. Itcertainly wasn't the police. They wouldn't spend that land of money. This hadall the earmarks of large-scale private enterprise. The jet had been charteredby EnGulfCo International, one of the largest multinationals on the face of theearth. Yes, he had rocked somebody's boat, all right. Whatever was behind thiscurious story, he was definitely on the right track. The jet had met him at a small private airfield outside Scranton,Pennsylvania, and the landing was practically a touch and go. They had stayed onthe ground only long enough to take him and Megan on. Now, as they landed, theytaxied not to the terminal, but to a private hangar, where a stretch limousinewas waiting for them. The driver held the doors open for them and they drove offas soon as they had entered. No going through customs or anything. And the barin the limo was well stocked with Jack Daniel's. Hightower decided he coulddefinitely get used to this sort of treatment. They arrived at the Mayfair Hotel a short while later and found a suitereserved for them on the top floor. Ordinarily, Hightower would not even be ableto get through the front doors of a place like the Mayfair, but the treatmentthey received was red carpet all the way. &quot;Yes, Mr. Hightower, your suiteis ready, of course. And if there is anything that we can do to make your staymore comfortable, please do not hesitate to let us know.&quot; The bellman took them up to their room and Colin started rummaging around inhis pockets for a tip, but the man only smiled and shook his head. &quot;Thankyou, sir, but that will be quite unnecessary. Everything's already been takencare of. Have a nice stay, sir.&quot; &quot;Right,&quot; said Colin, shutting the door behind him. &quot;Oooh, what a lovely room!&quot; said Megan. &quot;It looks like a roomin the royal palace!&quot; Colin frowned, then realized she wasn't talking about another hotel. And thenthe bedroom door opened and a woman came out dressed in an elegant, dark bluesuit and navy pumps. And she was carrying a gun. &quot;Bloody hell,&quot; said Hightower. &quot;I knew this was all too goodto be true.&quot; &quot;Please sit down, Mr. Hightower,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;And you, too,miss. And don't make any sudden moves, please. I've been shooting competitivelysince I was a little girl, and I'm really very good with this.&quot; &quot;Dr. Fairburn, I take it?&quot; Colin said. &quot;Pleased to meet you. Do sit down. We have a great deal to discuss. Ihope you had a pleasant flight. Would you care for some refreshments?&quot; &quot;We had some on the plane,&quot; said Hightower. &quot;But I sure coulddo with another drink.&quot; &quot;The bar's over there,&quot; said Pamela, gesturing with the gun. Colindidn't know very much about guns, but he knew enough to recognize asemiautomatic with a silencer when he saw one. &quot;Is the gun really necessary?&quot; he asked, slowly heading over to the bar andtaking care to make no abrupt moves. &quot;Or did you bring us all this way onlyto shoot us?&quot; &quot;If I wanted you dead, Mr. Hightower, I could have accomplished thatwith a great deal less trouble,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;EnGulfCo hasenormous resources. I could have hired a professional for a lot less money thanit would have taken to charter that private jet. No, the gun is for my ownprotection. You see, I don't know you, and you do not exactly come highlyrecommended.&quot; &quot;Ah, I see,&quot; said Hightower, relaxing somewhat. What she said madeperfect sense, of course. &quot;Yes, I am well aware of my considerably lessthan sterling reputation. However, I have prided myself on always getting thestory, regardless of what it took. I may not be upper crust, like you, but I ama competent professional.&quot; &quot;Very well,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;In that ease, why don't you proveit to me? And forget all the fanciful speculation in your story. Tell me exactlywhat it is you think you know.&quot; &quot;Well, that's rather difficult to do without speculating,&quot; Colinsaid, &quot;because I have no proof, you see, but here goes. I thinksomeone-probably EnGulfCo, given your rather intense interest-has invented timetravel. I think you've got yourself a top secret working prototype of some sortof time machine, only something has gone wrong.&quot; &quot;Go on.&quot; &quot;What I think must have happened,&quot; Colin continued, &quot;is thatwhoever took this machine into the past has either deviated from the plan orelse has suffered some sort of mishap and lost control of the machine, becausesomebody named Warrick now has it and is sending people from his time into ours,for reasons I can't fathom. Perhaps he is experimenting with the machine, tryingto figure out how it works. Perhaps he thinks it's some sort of device forexecution, because apparently he's using prisoners as his subjects. In eithercase, Megan here insists that he lives in an Alabaster Tower close to a royalpalace of some sort, and that he is a sorcerer. I'm not quite sure what to makeof that, but she obviously believesthat he is literally capable of casting spells and such.&quot; &quot;Interesting,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Keep going.&quot; &quot;He seems to have a rather highly placed position in the government ofhis nation, which Megan tells me is called the Kingdom of Pitt,&quot; Colinsaid, pouring himself a drink. &quot;She is from its capital city, which isknown, coincidentally, as Pittsburgh. From what she tells me, the period soundsdefinitely medieval. Now I've done a little research, but I can't find anyreference to any Kingdom of Pitt, nor a land of twenty-seven kingdoms or a cityknown as Pittsburgh. Except for the one in Pennsylvania, of course, and itshistory hardly goes back to medieval times. This initially led me to suspectthat Megan comes from a time period about which very little is known, possiblythe England of Celtic times. However, there's one thing that doesn't quite fit.She speaks a very modern sort of English, with only a few out of placeexpressions and constructions.&quot; &quot;And what conclusion do you draw from this?&quot; asked Pamela. &quot;That she wasn't genuine, but after spending some time with her, I amconvinced she is exactly what she claims. Either that, or she's one of the bestactresses I've ever seen. If it's a performance, it has absolutely noinconsistencies. What's more, I've interviewed several other people who claim tohave come from this same kingdom, and their stories are all the same, down tothe last detail, with only one variant. Some of them claim that before they weretransported here, this Warrick placed a 'spell of compulsion' on them, whichsounds rather like a posthypnotic suggestion. This suggestion, or compulsion,drives them to seek a way to return to him in the Alabaster Tower and tell himwhere they've been and what they've seen. However, I've also spoken to at leastone person who claims that no such compulsion was placed upon him.&quot; &quot;And is that all you have?&quot; &quot;Not quite. After the first story ran,&quot; Colin went on, &quot;mypaper received a rather interesting call from a young musician in New York. WhenI called back and spoke to him, he told me a fascinating story, after firstinforming me that if I used his name, he would say that it was only a publicitystunt to get his band's name in the paper. He said he was from this same timeperiod, only unlike the others, he was not from the Kingdom of Pitt. He claimedto have come from a kingdom known as Darn, where he worked as an apprentice to asorcerer. I asked him some questions pertaining to certain details I had leftout of the story, and except for the spell of compulsion, his answers matchedwhat I knew. Or at least what I'd been told by Megan and the others. &quot;One day, he said, some brigands brought a curious apparatus to thesorcerer to whom he was apprenticed. They claimed to have found it sittingabandoned in the middle of a road. This sorcerer proceeded to use every spell hecould think of to divine the purpose of this machine and figure out how itworked. One of them was apparently successful, because while he was sitting init and casting his spell, he suddenly disappeared, but the machine remained.This so-called apprentice then realized that it was a dangerous device, so hetook it to Pittsburgh and delivered it to Warrick the White, whose title is-getthis-the Grand Director of the Sorcerers
and Adepts Guild and Royal Wizard tothe King of Pitt. &quot;Warrick questioned him about the spells his master had used, thenforced him to get into the machine while he spoke the same spell. The next thingthis young man knew, he was in New York City. He managed to survive by living onthe streets for a short time, until he met a girl who took him in. Soonafterward, he got a job as a vocalist with a rock and roll band. He seemed quitehappy with his lot and had no desire whatsoever to return to his own time. LikeMegan and the others, he insisted that where he came from, magic really works.However, it apparently doesn't work here, because although he was a sorcerer'sapprentice and knew some magic, none of his spells would function since he hadarrived. This didn't seem to bother him, though. He was enjoying a considerablyupgraded lifestyle as an up-and-coming young musician and said he'd takeelectric guitars and MTV over magic anyday. He told me he was confident no onewould ever believe this story, except perhaps whoever had made the machine inthe first place, and if I knew what was good for me, I'd drop the wholeinvestigation, because the government was probably behind it all.&quot; Pamela raised her eyebrows, but said nothing, waiting for him to go on. &quot;All in all, it was quite an interesting conversation,&quot; Colin said.&quot;Under ordinary circumstances, I would have dismissed him as a drug-addledyoung neurotic, but then these aren't exactly ordinary circumstances, are they?So,&quot; said Colin, as he finished off his whiskey and poured himself another,&quot;what I think is that either this whole thing is the nuttiest and mostcomplicated hoax I've ever heard of, or else this time machine or whatever it ishas enabled you to discover the existence of a parallel universe. How am Idoing?&quot; Pamela had lowered her gun. &quot;A parallel universe!&quot; she said.&quot;Jesus, I hadn't even thought of that.&quot; She took a deep breath andexhaled heavily. &quot;Why don't you pour me one of those? I think I could useit.&quot; &quot;My pleasure,&quot; Colin said, reaching for another glass. &quot;Now,turnabout is fair play, Dr. Fairburn, if that is really your name. I realizeyou're the one with the gun, but don't you think I'm entitled to some answersafter all the work I've done? How close was I?&quot; Pamela took the drink from him and tossed it back in one gulp. &quot;Entirelytoo close,&quot; she said, and told him everything. &quot;Marvin Brewster, eh?&quot; said Colin when she'd finished. &quot;I'veheard of him. We used to call him 'the nutty professor.' Little did weknow.&quot; &quot;He happens to be my fiance,&quot; Pamela said. &quot;Sorry. No offense. So, where do we go from here?&quot; &quot;I wish I knew,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;I've been working onduplicating Marvin's machine, and it's almost complete, but without a freshsupply of Buckminsterfullerine, there's no way to make it work.&quot; &quot;And you can't get your hands on any more of this Buckminster-whatever-it-is?&quot;asked Hightower. &quot;It's not exactly something you can buy over the counter,&quot; Pamelasaid, wryly. &quot;Marvin got this supply from a meteor that fell to Earth onsome Pacific island. We have the capability to manufacture it now, but notnearly in the same density. EnGulfCo's working on it, but in the meantime,unless they can locate some more from another meteor fragment somewhere, there'snothing more that I can do.&quot; &quot;Which means that Brewster's stuck... wherever he is,&quot; said Colin. &quot;I don't even know if he's still alive,&quot; said Pameladisconsolately. &quot;Well, it's some terrific story, that's for sure,&quot; said Colin. Hetook a small tape recorder out of his pocket. &quot;This thing's gonna win me aPulitzer.&quot; There was a chuffing sound and the tape recorder flew out of Colin's hand,smashed by a .38 caliber hollowpoint bullet. Hightower glanced at Pamela withshock as she lowered the semiautomatic. &quot;Are you crazy?&quot; he shouted. &quot;Look what you just did!You could have killed me!&quot; &quot;She's a sorceress!&quot; said Megan. &quot;She's a bloody nutcase, is what she is!&quot; said Hightower. &quot;Relax, Mr. Hightower. I've been shooting clay pigeons and grousehunting with my father most of my life. If I had wanted to kill you, restassured, I would have. And believe it or not, I just did you a favor.&quot; &quot;A favor!&quot; &quot;That's right. If the chairman of EnGulfCo even suspected I'dspoken to you about this ... well, to be quite honest, I'm not really sure howfar he'd be willing to go, but at the very least, he'd make absolutely certainyou never published your story anywhere.&quot; &quot;If you people think you can suppress a story like this-&quot; Colinbegan, but Pamela interrupted him. &quot;Look, I'm taking a tremendous risk telling you all this. You have noidea. I've had my phone tapped and I've been followedever since I started on this project. I'm reasonably sure I wasn't followedhere, but it's only a matter of time before your part in this becomes exposed. Ichartered that jet on an EnGulfCo account, and that same account is paying foryour room.&quot; &quot;Well, that wasn't very smart, was it?&quot; Colin said. &quot;It makes no difference, Mr. Hightower,&quot; Pamela replied. Thechairman of EnGulfCo is not in the habit of reading the tabloids, but it's onlya matter of time before your story comes to his attention one way or another.And if you think he can't suppress it, think again. He could easily buy yournewspaper and have you fired. Or, for a lot less money, he could simply have youdisappear.&quot; &quot;Are you serious?&quot; said Colin. &quot;I'm not sure I'd put it past him,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;Thinkabout it. A discovery like this would mean a fortune to whoever controlled it.Think of the power it would place into their hands.&quot; She shook her head.&quot;I'm afraid Marvin's really done it this time. He's gotten himself, and allof us, into one hell of a mess.&quot; &quot;So what were you intending to do?&quot; asked Colin. Pamela shrugged. &quot;I don't know. I hadn't really thought it all through.Right now, all I can think about is Marvin. He's in trouble, and there doesn'tseem to be anything I can do to help.&quot; &quot;Well, perhaps there's something I can do,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Look,so long as this discovery remains a secret, EnGulfCo is holding all the cards.Granted, I want to write the story, so I have a vested interest. However,getting this whole thing out into the open is your best chance to help Brewster.So long as EnGulfCo remains in control, they can call the tune. But if you werein control, then it would be a different story, wouldn't it?&quot; &quot;What do you mean?&quot; asked Pamela. &quot;Right now,&quot; said Hightower, &quot;all that's happened is a coupleof pieces have appeared in an American tabloid that has printed stories aboutElvis being spotted in convenience stores. In other words, no one's likely totake any of this veryseriously. Especially given my rather less than savory reputation. However,while I might be easily dismissed, that wouldn't be the case with you.Especially if you had some sort of proof, such as detailed notes and diagrams ofthe machine. If we were to approach, say, The London Times, and you couldconvince them this whole thing was on the level, then EnGulfCo could no longercontrol the situation. Now, what's in it for me, you may well ask? Well, I getto write the story. And I'm on record as the guy who broke it, and my career ismade. What do you say?&quot; Pamela moistened her lips. &quot;I have a good friend on the editorial boardof The Times. The difficulty would be in getting the proof from Marvin'slaboratory. I'd never get it past security.&quot; &quot;You have access to the lab, right?&quot; &quot;Yes, of course. But I'd never get out with Marvin's notes.&quot; &quot;Well then, we'll simply have to think of something,&quot; said Colin.&quot;Are you allowed in after hours?&quot; &quot;Yes.&quot; &quot;Good. That means fewer people will be about. Do you have a pencil and apiece of paper?&quot; &quot;There should be some paper in the desk there. And I've got a pen.&quot; &quot;We'll need a rough layout of the place. The route to and from the lab.How many guards, how many cameras, elevators, flights of stairs, and so forth. Ineed to know as much as you can tell me about what sort of security they've got.Can you do that?&quot; &quot;Yes, I think so.&quot; &quot;All right, let's get to it.&quot; &quot;You sound as if you've done this sort of thing before,&quot; saidPamela. &quot;Dr. Fairburn, you wouldn't believe some of the places I've gotteninto.&quot; &quot;Well, if we're going to be partners in crime, you might as well call mePamela.&quot; Colin grinned. &quot;All right, Pamela.&quot; He glanced over his shoulder at Megan.&quot;Why don't you watch the magic box awhile, dear? Pamela and I have got somework to do.&quot; Queen Sandy made her way through the dark and winding streets to a part oftown where even a strong and well armed man out walking alone after sunset wouldbe taking his life in his own hands. However, if she felt afraid, she showed nosign of it. She headed purposefully toward the corner of Cutthroat Avenue andGarotte Street, and a raucous alehouse known as The Stealers Tavern. As shewalked with her cloak billowing out behind her, she watched the shadows andsteered clear of the mouths of alleyways, staying in the middle of the desertedstreet. But in this part of town, caution was not necessarily a guarantee ofsafety. As she approached the corner where the tavern stood, three figures detachedthemselves from the shadows and moved out into the street to block her way. &quot;Well, well,&quot; one of them said, &quot;what have we here?&quot; &quot;Is that the best you can do?&quot; Sandy replied. &quot;What?&quot; &quot; 'Well, well, what have we here?' What a cliche. Was that the mostoriginal line you could think of?&quot; &quot;What's a cliche?&quot; asked one of the other alleymen, for that iswhat they were, the term &quot;mugger&quot; not having been invented yet. &quot;Shut up!&quot; the first alleyman said. Sandy glanced over her shoulder. The street behind her was clear. &quot;Youmean you didn't even think of blocking my escape?&quot; she said. &quot;Have youthree ever done this before?&quot; &quot;Don't try running away,&quot; the first alleyman said. &quot;We'llchase ye down.&quot; &quot;Aye, we're very swift, ye know,&quot; the third alleyman added. &quot;Fleet of foot,&quot; said the second alleyman, nodding emphatically.&quot;Very, very fast.&quot; &quot;Shut up!&quot; said the leader. He pulled out a dagger. &quot;Right,now, lady, hand it over.&quot; &quot;Hand what over?&quot; Sandy asked. &quot;Your purse, of course! Don't be a twit!&quot; &quot;I haven't got a purse.&quot; &quot;What do ye mean ye haven't got a purse? Every woman's got apurse!&quot; &quot;Well, I don't.&quot; &quot;Come on, do ye think we're stupid?&quot; &quot;Incredibly,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;Ey, did you hear what she just said?&quot; the third alleyman said,turning to their leader. &quot;Of course, I heard, ye idiot! I'm standing right here, ain't I?&quot;He turned back toward Sandy. &quot;Now don't go making this any harder onyourself, lady. Let's have the money.&quot; &quot;I don't have any money,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;And if I did, Icertainly wouldn't give it to the likes of you. Now stand aside and let mepass.&quot; &quot;Look, lady, we've got knives,&quot; said the leader of the alleymen. Heheld his up so she could see it clearly, then nudged the other two and they heldtheirs up, as well. &quot;How nice for you,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;It so happens I have one, aswell. See?&quot; She pulled her dagger out. &quot;Aye, but there's three of us,&quot; the first alleyman said. &quot;I'm astonished you can count that high,&quot; Sandy replied wryly. &quot;Look, lady, what the bloody hell's the matter with ye? Ye don't want toget hurt, do ye?&quot; &quot;No. Do you?&quot; The three alleymen glanced at one another, perplexed. &quot;Ain't ye even alittle bit afraid?&quot; their leader said. &quot;Not really,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;I am getting a b
t impatient,though. If you're going to do something, I wish you would just get on with it. Ihave other things to do.&quot; &quot;I don't get it,&quot; the second alleyman said uncertainly, looking tothe leader of the trio. &quot;She ain't afraid. Why ain't she afraid?&quot; &quot;I think she's bluffing.&quot; &quot;Maybe she's an assassin?&quot; said the third alleyman. &quot;Don't be stupid,&quot; said the leader. &quot;There ain't any femaleassassins in the Guild.&quot; &quot;Well, maybe she's a mercenary?&quot; said the second alley-man. &quot;She don't look like no mercenary. Mercenaries carry swords. And sheain't got a sword.&quot; &quot;Well then, maybe she's-&quot; Sandy rolled her eyes in exasperation and gestured at the three men, mumblinga spell under her breath. The three alleymen froze as if rooted to the spot andshe simply walked past them. &quot;... a sorceress,&quot; the third alleyman finished. &quot;She's abloody sorceress!&quot; &quot;Shut up!&quot; the leader said as Sandy walked away. &quot;She could've turned us into toadstools, ye damn fool!&quot; &quot;Who're ye calling a damn fool?&quot; &quot;I'm calling you a damn fool!&quot; &quot;Shut up, or else I'll bust yer face in!&quot; &quot;Can ye move?&quot; &quot;No, I can't bloody well move! Does it look like I can move?&quot; &quot;Fool, fool, fool!&quot; &quot;Shut up!&quot; Sandy left them arguing, frozen into immobility in the middle of the streetbehind her. They would remain frozen until morning, at which point they wouldrecover their mobility with no ill effects, except possibly sore joints,assuming no one would do anything to them if they were found that way during thenight. However, that wasn't Sandy's responsibility. They had brought it onthemselves, and all things considered, they had gotten off easy. If Sandy were asorceress, they might easily have been turned into toadstools, or somethingworse, but she wasn't a sorceress. If she were, then she would have been amember of the guild and both Warrick and her husband would have known she hadability with magic. They didn't, and she preferred to keep it that way, becauseshe was a witch. Now, there were two kinds of witches in the twenty-seven kingdoms, licensedwi.tches and unlicensed witches. Licensed witches were registered with theSorcerers and AdeptsGuild, but they weren't really full members because they had not formallyapprenticed with a sorcerer, only paid half dues, and had no voting privileges.They were found primarily in the larger towns and cities, where they operatedsmall businesses out of garish storefronts with signs advertising such things aspsychic readings, palmistry, phrenology, astrological forecasts, tarot fortunetelling, crystal therapy and past life regressions. They usually adoptedfanciful names, such as Lady Starfire, Dame Isis, or if it was a male witch,something like Lord Woodchuck Dragonlance. They often formed groups with rankingsystems, sold mail order courses in witchcraft, and taught classes at the localextended university. Unlicensed witches, like Sandy, could be found almost anywhere, but it wasdifficult to tell who they were, because they looked and acted pretty much likeanybody else. Most of them practiced witchcraft quietly as a religion, somepracticed it as a system of ethical philosophy. Some met in small groups, othersfollowed a solitary practice, but none of them made a commercial activity ofwhat they called &quot;the Craft.&quot; They shared their beliefs only withthose who were honest and sincere in their desire to learn, refused to performspells that would cause harm to any living being, and never charged money foranything they did. As a result, all the licensed witches claimed that theyweren't real witches at all, and denounced them in their newsletters when theyweren't busy denouncing one another. And since unlicensed witches were notregistered with the guild, they were technically in violation of the law eachtime they practiced magic. As queen, Sandy had tried to use her influence to change things, not only forother witches like herself, but for all the downtrodden citizens of Pitt.However, it would have been unethical for her to cast a spell to make herhusband change the laws. She had tried subtle persuasion, but soon found thatsubtlety was completely lost on Billy. And with Warrick as the royal wizard andBilly's crafty and ambitious brother, Waylon, as the Royal Sheriff, any directaction on her part would have been dangerous and quickly neutralized. So she had done the onlyother thing that she could do. She played her part as the aloof and pamperedqueen, while secretly being a member of the Underground. Now, unlike the various underground, politically subversive groups in Earth'shistory, the members of this particular band were not guerrilla fighters. Theywere strictly nonviolent in their actions, and did what they could to embarrassKing Billy's regime, thwart the activities of the Royal Sheriff, and support thedowntrodden lower classes of the city, which included practically everybody.They published inflammatory manifestos, scrawled political graffiti on thewalls, and tried to interpose themselves between the sheriff's deputies andanyone they attempted to arrest unjustly. In other words, they were a sort ofmedieval Greenpeace. In the course of her clandestine activities with the Underground, Sandy hadmade a number of interesting and unusual acquaintances, not the least of whichwas Lady Donna, known simply as &quot;La Donna&quot; to the members of TheStealers Guild and as &quot;The Lady&quot; to the members of her local, theSluts And Strumpets Sisterhood, or SASS for short. As Sandy came into TheStealers Tavern, she pulled her hood up around her face and quickly made her waytoward the back, where La Donna was at her usual table in a secluded, candlelitbooth. She was sitting with several of &quot;her girls,&quot; as she referred toher sisters in the local that she headed, and with a tall and dapper-looking,dark-haired dandy who wore a rather threadbare doublet of faded green brocadeand a brown velvet coat with worn-through elbows. He looked like an aristocratwho had fallen on hard times, but in fact, he was a low-born peasant namedGentlemanly Johnny, head of the Swindlers local of The Stealers Guild. Now one might think that thieves, assassins, cutthroats, alleymen,pickpockets, and the other assorted criminals who made up the membership of TheStealers Guild would have more sense than to hang out in a bar known as TheStealers Tavern. It did seem a little bit obvious. However, the laws of Pittwere such that while it was illegal to commit a crime, it was not a crime tobelong to a guild for criminals. (Don't ask meto explain it, I don't really understand it either. It has something to do withthe complexities of labor negotiations and PAC funding.) Anyway, since thesheriff and his deputies all knew where The Stealers Guild hung out, they werealways on the lookout for any crimes committed in The Stealers Tavern. As aresult, The Stealers Tavern was at the same time the biggest hangout forcriminals in Pitt and the safest bar in Pittsburgh. &quot;I need to speak with you,&quot; said Sandy as she approached La Donna'stable. Rumor had it that when she was young, La Donna was a svelte and sultry beautywho turned heads everywhere she went. But that was just a rumor, and as rumorsoften go, it happened to be false. La Donna started it herself. However, sinceLa Donna was fairly advanced in age, to put it diplomatically (or to put itundiplomatically, she was a pretty old broad), no one recalled what she hadlooked like when she was young, so her secret was safe. As a girl, La Donna hadbeen rather plain and very pudgy. Now, she was still plain, only she had grownfrom pudgy to immense. Despite her size, however, and her age, La Donna wasextremely sexy. What made her sexy was the fact that she believed that she wassexy, and one's self-image has a great deal to do with how one is perceived. Shelooked up at Sandy and languidly raised one eyebrow, then made a dismissivemotion with her heavily beringed hand and her girls got up from the table andwent off to mingle. Gentlemanly Johnny stayed, however. &quot;I need to speak with you,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;Sit down, then,&quot; said La Donna. &quot;Have a drink.&quot; &quot;No, thank you,&quot; said Sandy, joining them at their table. They bentlow over the table and put their heads together, speaking in low voices so asnot to be overheard, which may have drawn attention to them because it made themlook as if they were plotting something. However, in The Stealers Tavern, almosteverybody sat that way. There was more complex plotting going on in The StealersTavern than in a dozen Agatha Christie novels. &quot;So, what can I do for the Underground?&quot; asked La Donna. She did notrecognize Sandy, of course, and did not even know her name. One would hardlyexpect to find the queen visiting The Stealers Tavern, much less being a memberof the Underground, and commoners never got close enough to the queen torecognize her. Granted, her face was stamped on all the coins, along with KingBilly's, but it was a very poor likeness. It looked a great deal like KingBilly, in fact, which was not surprising because the mint used the same stampingfor them both as a cost-cutting measure. &quot;I cautioned you that your people were going too far, incitingriots,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;I told you that violence is not the way. Now thearmy is mobilizing. The call has gone out for mercenaries to augment the troopsand they have already started arriving in the city.&quot; &quot;With all due respect, my dear,&quot; said Gentlemanly Johnny, withoutsuspecting whom he was addressing, &quot;your concerns are groundless. Thetroops are not being recruited to put down the revolution, but to march againstthe outlaw sorcerer in Brigantium.&quot; &quot;Brigantium?&quot; asked Sandy, frowning. &quot;What is Brigantium? Myinformation was that the outlaw sorcerer was in Darn, in a town known asBrigand's Roost.&quot; &quot;Then your information is somewhat out of date,&quot; said La Donna. Shepulled out one of Harlan's flyers. &quot;They have broken off from Darn andcreated the Kingdom of Brigantium, forming an alliance with King Durwin. It isagainst them that King Billy sends his army.&quot; &quot;And as for the mercenaries,&quot; added Johnny, &quot;only the dregshave been answering King Billy's summons. All the best ones are going toBrigantium, because they are offering much better pay.&quot; &quot;Be that as it may,&quot; said Sandy, &quot;once the troops defeat theoutlaw wizard of Brigantium, they will be returning home, rich with plunder andseasoned from battle. And then they shall make short work of yourrevolution.&quot; &quot;Oh, I think not,&quot; said Gentlemanly Johnny with a smile. &quot;Forone thing, you are assuming the Army of Pitt will be victorious, and that is byno means a certain thing. For another,this war could not come at a better time. While King Billy sends his troopsagainst Brigantium, there will be only the sheriff's deputies and the palaceguard remaining behind, with perhaps a squad or two of archers. It will be theperfect time to stage an assault upon the palace.&quot; &quot;And assuming you succeed, what then?&quot; asked Sandy. &quot;You willhave captured the palace, and perhaps the king and queen, though they willdoubtless have ample time to escape while the deputies and the palace guardrepel your assault, and then you will only be in possession of the palace. Thearmy will return and displace you easily. Meanwhile, the revolution's leaderswill have been revealed, and they shall hunt you down.&quot; &quot;Oh, not us,&quot; said Gentlemanly Johnny. &quot;You think we arethe leaders of the revolution?&quot; Sandy frowned. &quot;The Stealers Guild has been behind all of the riots thathave taken place.&quot; &quot;To be sure,&quot; La Donna said. &quot;But we are not fools. We havemerely provided the spark to light the powder trail. We have not taken creditfor any of our actions. By now, the revolution has gathered its own momentumamong the people of the city, and they have chosen their own leaders. We areprivy to their plans, of course, because our members do attend the s
cretmeetings, but none of us are among the actual leaders. We merely work behind thescenes, so to speak. It is much safer that way.&quot; &quot;I see,&quot; said Sandy dryly. &quot;So if the revolution fails, all ofyou are safe, because they will arrest the leaders. And if it succeeds, then youshall benefit.&quot; &quot;We benefit either way,&quot; said Gentlemanly Johnny. &quot;Think ofall the opportunities that will arise when the revolution starts. We areexpecting record profits.&quot; &quot;So then you don't care about the people at all,&quot; said Sandy.&quot;You don't care about ridding the kingdom of corruption. All you care aboutis money.&quot; &quot;That's not true,&quot; La Donna said. &quot;King Billy might not be abad ruler if he had good people to advise him, but he has Warrick the White andSheriff Waylon and their cronies. Ifwe are rid of them, then life in the kingdom will improve for everyone. We wouldlike to see the revolution succeed, for everybody's sake.&quot; &quot;But if it should fail,&quot; Johnny added, &quot;then is that anyreason why we cannot make some money on the venture?&quot; &quot;I see I have wasted my time,&quot; said Sandy, getting up. &quot;TheUnderground has been struggling to improve life for the people of the kingdom.But you are only going to doom them.&quot; &quot;A word of caution, my dear,&quot; said Gentlemanly Johnny. &quot;Wewould welcome the support of the Underground. However, if you are not with us,then we must assume you are against us.&quot; &quot;Is that a threat?&quot; asked Sandy. &quot;Consider it a word of sage advice,&quot; said Johnny, giving her alevel stare. &quot;If you will not support us, then stay out of our way.Interference is something that will not be tolerated.&quot; &quot;I will pass on the message,&quot; Sandy said. She turned on her heeland left. Gentlemanly Johnny made a small hand signal to a large man sitting at thebar. He glanced up as Ferret Phil, the leader of the Burglars local, came overto the table. &quot;Follow her,&quot; said Johnny. &quot;Find out who she is andwhere she lives, and who her friends are. And be discreet.&quot; &quot;I always am,&quot; said Ferret Phil with an ugly grin. &quot;Considerit done.&quot; And he hurried off on Sandy's trail. &nbsp; EIGHT &nbsp; If Brewster had thought his courtyard was a place of frenetic activitybefore, then it was in absolute pandemonium now. Bloody Bob had pulled all theworkers off their other construction jobs to work full-time on the palace ofBrigantium, and since none of the laborers were unionized, Brewster was amazedat how quickly things got done. Harlan had offered Bloody Bob a bonus for eachday they came in under the construction deadline, and as a result, the huge workforce labored literally around the clock, toiling through the night bytorchlight to get the job done. It was the home improvement project to end all home improvement projects. Thespam rendering operation had been moved out of the courtyard to a forestclearing several miles away, until it could be moved to Franktown, and now whatused to be the courtyard was rapidly shaping up as the new palace of Brigantium.Having worked as a top-rank mercenary for much of his life, Bloody Bob had seenhis share of royal palaces, and with Brewster's help, he had drawn up a completeset of plans to ensure that the palace of Brigantium would outshine every otherhe had seen. The sprawling courtyard in front of the keep was going to be thenew great hall of the palace, and the ruins of the outer walls had been knockeddown to make room for the new walls of the palace, which would be surrounded byan inner and an outer bailey. There would be a well fortified barbican anddrawbridge, crenellated towers with cruciform loopholes, sally ports, hoardings,and machicolations and all sorts of neat medieval stuff. It was going to bereally cool. The walls of the outer and the inner bailey were going up rapidly, becausefortifications were the most important part of any castle. After studying someof Bloody Bob's designs, Brewster had made some modifications, so that the outerand theinner bailey were not simply square or circular, but star-shaped. Initially, Bobthought there could be some magical significance to this, but Brewster hadexplained how the points of the star, with fortified towers and walkways at thetop, enabled the walls to be better defended by affording a much wider field offire. Any assault force attacking the walls would be vulnerable not only fromthe front, but on their flanks, as well. Bloody Bob was deeply impressed. He waspuzzled by the large embrasures Brewster added for the cannon, because he didnot know what a cannon was. Brewster tried explaining the concept to him, thenfinally gave up and realized that nothing short of a scale model demonstrationwould suffice. With Mick's help, he had forged a small cannon that he christened the&quot;water gun.&quot; Actually, the name was something of a misnomer, becausethe gun did not use water. The design was meant to use the highly explosiveperegrine wine as a propellant. When Brewster set it off for the first time, theexplosion, even for a small model, was deafening, and the range of the tinycannon balls he'd made was truly impressive. &quot;Now, imagine the same thing,&quot; he'd said, &quot;only about tentunes this size, with one emplaced at each embrasure on the walls, facing everypossible avenue of approach.&quot; &quot; 'Strewth!&quot; said Bob. &quot;The castle would be impregnable! Noarmy would even dare approach the walls!&quot; &quot;Oh, they might get close,&quot; said Brewster, &quot;but it would costthem. Still, in case we should be attacked by a large enough force where thecommanders wouldn't mind significant casualties, I've come up with another ideathat should help, if we can get them built in time.&quot; He took Bloody Bob, Pikestaff Pat, Harlan, Mac, and Shannon down to Mick'sshop, where Mick and his apprentices had been hard at work producing a crudeinternal combustion engine from sand castings Brewster had designed. &quot;I had initially envisioned this engine driving a sort ofsteamroller,&quot; Brewster explained, &quot;so that we could pave the streets, but thenit occurred to me that it could just as easily drive a tank.&quot; The tank itself was not yet finished, but the frame was ready with the enginemounted. Brewster fired it up, using the peregrine wine as fuel. The noise alonewould have been enough to rout an army, but when he shifted into drive and thetank rolled out across the meadow on crude but effective iron caterpillartreads, their reaction was one of pure astonishment. &quot;Of course, this just gives you an idea of how it moves,&quot; saidBrewster, after he'd put it through some simple paces and shut off the engine.&quot;We can mount an armored turret on it, with a smaller version of our watergun, and it would make a practical assault vehicle to use against foot soldiersor cavalry. Each tank would require a crew of two. One to drive it and one to bethe gunner. Of course, they would be most effective supported by a squad of footsoldiers.&quot; &quot;Doc,&quot; said Mac, &quot; 'tis you who should be the general and notI. With this tank of yours, we shall be invincible! Thirty or forty of thesewould make cavalry charges obsolete!&quot; &quot;Well, we'll be lucky if we can get just this one built in time,&quot;said Brewster. &quot;And it still may have some flaws. I don't know how muchtime we'll have to test it. And I'm still not entirely happy with the way theengine's running. It's almost as temperamental as Pamela's antique Jaguar.&quot; &quot;A jaguar?&quot; Shannon said. &quot;What sort of creature isthat?&quot; &quot;Uh... a very finnicky one,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;If you don'tgrind the shims just right... oh, well, never mind. The point is, I'm stillworking out the bugs.&quot; &quot;Bugs?&quot; said Mac. &quot;Nagging little problems,&quot; Brewster explained. &quot;It's just anexpression.&quot; &quot;Sometimes, Doc, I don't think we speak quite the same language,&quot;Shannon said with a frown. &quot;Mmmm. I know what you mean. 'Strewth, and all that. Anyway, I'vethought of another application for this engine design, on a rather smallerscale. If we can get it working right, I might be able to come up with somethingelse you mightfind useful. It all depends on how much time we'll have.&quot; &quot;Word has it that the troops are massing in Pitt,&quot; said Mac.&quot;King Billy has recruited more soldiers from among his populace and sentout a call for mercenaries. However, we have the jump on him there, as our callwent out first, thanks to Harlan's distribution network. We're offering a muchhigher salary, and we've been attracting some of the best fighters. I've beenhousing them at the Assassins School. A few of them have even guest lecturedsome of the classes. I think we're in good shape there.&quot; &quot;When do you suppose Pitt's army will march against us?&quot; Brewsterasked. &quot; 'Tis difficult to say,&quot; Mac replied with a shrug. &quot;The newtroops must be organized and drilled, and outfitted as well. They have been busymaking preparations for the past few months, however, so 'tis possible that theymay move against us anytime. How long do you think it will take to get thepalace and the fortifications completed?&quot; &quot;At the rate they're going, if they keep up this pace, the outer wallsand the exterior of the castle should be complete by the end of the nextmonth,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;Bloody Bob's got all his crews working aroundthe clock, in shifts, and they're making amazing progress. The castle won't beready to move into for another several months, but it'll be a place where we canmake a stand.&quot; &quot;That's the important thing,&quot; said Mac. &quot;How are we doing with arming the troops?&quot; asked Shannon. &quot;Well, Mick's been busy with Doc's projects, but we have all the smithsand armorers in town producing weapons. And many of the troops we have recruitedalready have their own. Our biggest problem is with training them, appointingofficers and so forth. It is there that King Billy is ahead of us. He has hadmore time. What is more, his spies have doubtless been reporting to him and heknows by now that we are preparing for war, and that the longer he delays, thebetter it is for us. I do not think he will wait much longer, and I cannot seehow our army will be as well prepared as his.&quot; &quot;About those spies,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;You think there's anychance they might have learned about what we're doing here at the keep?&quot; &quot; 'Tis possible, but I strongly doubt it,&quot; Mac replied. &quot;Onlyour most trusted friends have been admitted through the inner walls, and no onehas seen anything you are preparing here save us and Mick's apprentices. Andthey have been camped out here on the grounds as a condition of their service,the better to ensure the secrecy of the work in which they have been engaged. Wemay not have succeeded in unmasking Warrick's spies, but neither have theysucceeded in discovering what goes on here at the keep.&quot; &quot;Good,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;If their army is going to be bettertrained than ours, then we'll need the element of surprise. And I think I canguarantee a few surprises. But I'm still worried about Warrick. I'm not surewhat, if anything, I can do against his magic.&quot; &quot;Have you not been studying the Grimoire of Honorious with Brian?&quot;Shannon asked. &quot;I have,&quot; said Brewster, &quot;but this magic stuff is not exactlysomething you can pick up overnight. And apparently, if you try to rush it andoverreach yourself, it can be very dangerous. The other night I tried a simplefire spell before I was really ready and I burned one of the big tapestries inthe great hall by accident. Brian gave me quite a stern lecture.&quot; &quot;Do the best you can, Doc,&quot; Shannon said. &quot; 'Tis all any mancan do. You have already done more than enough. 'Tis past time for the rest ofus to do our part.&quot; &quot;What do you think Warrick's been doing all this time?&quot; askedBrewster. &quot;Well, Warrick is not the only one with spies,&quot; said Harlan.&quot;We've sent the Awful Urchin Gang as s
ies to Pittsburgh. However, theyreport that no one has seen Warrick recently. He has not left his AlabasterTower, and there is no way of telling what he may be up to in there.&quot; &quot;Up to no good, that much is for certain,&quot; Mac said with a grimace.&quot;Still, there is no point in worrying about things we cannot control. Hemay be preparing spells to aid his army, but we shall have a few tricks up oursleeves, as well.&quot; &quot;I hope so,&quot; Brewster said as he watched Mick and his apprenticesworking on the armor plating for the tank. &quot;I surely hope so.&quot; By now, you're probably wondering what became of Warrick since he vanished inBrewster's time machine. Has he been transported to some limbo, doomed to remainforever trapped between dimensions and thereby written out of the story? Well,in a word, no. Much as I would have liked to have done something like that, I'mafraid it would have been anticlimactic. That wouldn't have satisfied you, wouldit? No, some of you would have thrown the book across the room and sworn neverto buy anything I wrote again, others would have written me angry letters,calling me to task for being sloppy and taking the easy way out; and a few ofyou, I'm sure, would have come up to me at one of the conventions I attend andread me the riot act, telling me how you would have handled the situation betterif you'd been in my place. Well, never fear, your faithful narrator has not fallen down on the job. Imay &quot;not have started this book off as smoothly as I'd have liked and I mayhave lost control a few times here and there, and I may have whined and bitcheda bit about how frustrating life can be when you're a writer, but hey, that'sjust the sort of thing that brings us closer together, right? No, huh? Well, okay, maybe not. But haven't I always told you to trust yournarrator? Haven't I gotten us all this far without any major mishaps? All right,the occasional expository lump and authorial intrusion notwithstanding, we'vemade it to this point, haven't we? I mean, we're about three quarters of the waythrough the story, the big war is coming up, the subplots with Colin and Pamelahave come together, we've found out that Queen Sandy is more than just anotherpretty face ... well, that counts for something, doesn't it? Okay, okay, so you want to know what happened to Warrick. The fact is, hereally had me by the short and curlies. I can't tell you how many hours I spentsitting at my trusty Apple Mac, staring at the screen and trying to come up withsome way to do him in that wouldn't completely screw up the story. I'd go to bedat night and lie awake for hours, wishing to God that I could get some sleep,but all I could think about was Warrick. Believe me, lying there at four-thirtyin the morning, tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling, wondering why Iever decided to do this for a living, I knew exactly how Dr. Victor Frankensteinmust have felt. I had created a monster and I couldn't figure out a way to getrid of him. The worst thing about it was that I had laid the ground rules for my owndilemma. I had made Warrick a mighty wizard with no effective limitations to hispowers-or his ambition-and I had given him the ability to stymie all my effortsto control him. Now, this might sound a little silly to some of you, but thefact is, a writer has to believe in his characters. It says so in allthose books on writing you see in the stores. I believed in Warrick, and so hismagic worked on me. And when he came up with a spell to prevent me from writinghim out of the story, there was simply nothing I could do about it. I knew itwas only a matter of time before he devised a spell that would allow him to takeover the book completely. And what's more, he knew it, too. But there was onething he didn't know. Having cast a spell to prevent himself from being written out of the story,he thought he had me beaten. He knew I couldn't kill him off and he thought thatby wearing me down and forcing me to show him the secret of the time machine, hecould cross the boundaries between the dimensions of reality and nonreality andconfront me where I lived. Well, no thanks. I've got enough problems withreality as it is. So guess where he wound up? Pamela inserted her EnGulfCo Security ID into the machine to open the steeldoors, then pulled her Jaguar E-type intothe parking garage. It was late and everyone had long since gone home. Sheparked the car in her reserved space by the elevators and they got out. She gaveHightower a quick once over. &quot;Button up your raincoat,&quot; she told him. &quot;No self-respectingscientist would wear anything like that frantic sport jacket of yours.&quot; &quot;Well, we can't all shop in Savile Row,&quot; said Colin, wryly. &quot;In your case, Skid Row is more like it,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;Cute,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Now remember, if we're challenged, let me do all the talking,&quot;Pamela said. &quot;What if someone asks me something?&quot; asked Megan. &quot;Don't answer,&quot; Colin said. &quot;Just roll your eyes and lookimpatient. Let Pamela handle everything.&quot; They got into the elevator and Pamela pressed the button for the top floor,just beneath the penthouse. As the doors slid shut and the elevator started toascend, a voice came over a concealed speaker. &quot;Good evening, Dr. Fairburn. Working late again tonight?&quot; &quot;No rest for the weary,&quot; Pamela replied with a smile. &quot;Is thatyou, Jerry? How's everything tonight? Keeping it all safe for queen andcountry?&quot; The guard on duty at the station chuckled. &quot;All locked up tight. Who isthat with you, Doc?&quot; &quot;Dr. Simmonds and Dr. Radinski.&quot; &quot;They're not on staff here, are they?&quot; &quot;No, but they're consulting with me on a special research project up atthe lab.&quot; &quot;I see.&quot; There was a slight pause. &quot;I'm sorry, Dr. Fairburn,but I don't seem to have a clearance registered for them.&quot; &quot;Really? Are you sure?&quot; &quot;I'm afraid so. I've double-checked.&quot; &quot;Well, that can't be right,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Dr. Davies told meearlier this afternoon that he'd taken care of it personally.&quot; &quot;I'm sorry, Dr. Fairburn, but there's no record of that on thecomputer.&quot; &quot;Oh, bloody hell,&quot; said Pamela in an irate tone. &quot;He told me he was going totake care of it himself. He must have given it to that new secretary of his,Miss Legs and Busoms.&quot; Pamela grimaced. &quot;That woman is a bloodydisaster. This is the third time she's dropped the ball on something relating tothis project. It's simply insufferable.&quot; &quot;Well, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to check in at thestation,&quot; the security guard said. &quot;We can give Dr. Davies a call athome and sort this thing out.&quot; &quot;Yes, I suppose-oh, Christ,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;We can't reach Dr.Davies at home tonight. He told me he was leaving early for a weekend of fishingin the country.&quot; She turned to Colin and Megan. &quot;I'm really sorry,this is all terribly embarrassing.&quot; Colin merely nodded for the benefit of the hidden video camera while Meganshook her head and tapped her foot impatiently. &quot;Look, Jerry, we're on a very tight schedule here. Dr. Simmonds and Dr.Radinski have a late flight to catch at Heathrow in about&quot;- she glanced ather watch,-&quot;three and a half hours. That's barely enough time for us to goover... well, I can't really discuss it, you understand. I was fortunate tocatch them at the Defense Ministry this afternoon and they've both got to be inWashington by tomorrow morning. If we miss this opportunity, it could set theproject back by months and Dr. Davies will have an embolism.&quot; &quot;Well... I shouldn't really be doing this, you understand,&quot; saidJerry, &quot;but seeing as it's you, Dr. Fairburn, I guess it'll be all rightthis time.&quot; &quot;You're a lifesaver, Jerry, thank you. But I want you to be sure tomention in your log that we had a problem with this.&quot; &quot;Uhm... if it's all the same with you, Dr. Fairburn, I'd really rathernot, because then my supervisors will want to know why I skipped procedure.That, uh, could make things rather sticky.&quot; &quot;Right, of course,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Well, I certainly wouldn'twant to cause you any problems, particularly since you're being such a dearabout this. I'll just speak to Dr. Davies privately. That new secretary of hishas simply got to go, but there'sno reason to involve you. We'll just keep this between ourselves.' &quot;I appreciate that, Dr. Fairburn,&quot; said Jerry. &quot;Well, have agood night then. I'll see you on the way out.&quot; &quot;Thank you, Jerry.&quot; She turned to Colin and Megan. &quot;Iapologize for this.&quot; Colin simply shrugged. They rode the rest of the way up in silence, thenstepped out on the top floor. Hightower noted the security cameras outside theelevator and in the hallway, and the security station, now unmanned, by theelevator leading to the penthouse. &quot;That was very well done,&quot; he said in a low voice. &quot;Relax, the corridors aren't wired for sound. But we're not out of thewoods yet,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Getting in is only half the problem.Smuggling Marvin's notes out is going to be the trick.&quot; &quot;You think your friend Jerry's going to insist on searching us?&quot;asked Colin. &quot;It's standard procedure for everyone working in a restrictedarea,&quot; said Pamela, indicating the unmanned security station with a nod.&quot;During the day, there's always a guard stationed there, and there arecheckpoints at every floor with restricted access. Not much goes on here atnight, so they just use a skeleton crew. With all the surveillance equipmentthey have installed, they can monitor the whole building from the centralstation just off the lobby. Jerry's a good man, but he's already bent the rulesby allowing you up without a registered clearance, merely on my say so. If Itried to get us out without checking in with him, I'd be pushing my luck.&quot; &quot;What if we're in a big rush to make our so-called flight toWashington?&quot; asked Colin. &quot;It could be worth a try,&quot; said Pamela as she pressed her palmagainst the scanner panel of the elevator to the penthouse, &quot;but Jerry'snot a fool. EnGulfCo doesn't hire run-of-the-mill security personnel. They'reall either former police officers or executive protection specialists. And someare former military. They're all very well paid. I told Jerry we have a limitedamount of time, but he'll become suspicious if I press the issue. I know whatthe procedures are. And going through security on the way out wouldn't take morethan a few minutes, anyway, so he'll want to know why I'm avoiding it.&quot; &quot;Okay,&quot; said Colin, &quot;just how complete is the security checkon the way out?&quot; &quot;All personal baggage such as purses and briefcases are examined, andthere's a body search,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Are there any female security personnel on duty at this time?&quot;asked Colin. &quot;No, I don't think so,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;Why?&quot; &quot;I've got a miniature spy camera in my coat pocket,&quot; Colin said.&quot;We could simply photograph what we need, and then conceal the camera. Ican think of a good place to hide it. On a woman, that is.&quot; Pamela stared at him. &quot;Surely, you don't mean...&quot; &quot;Well, I'm trying to be somewhat delicate about this,&quot; Hightowerreplied. &quot;We could have Megan do it, but I think you'd be a safer bet. Idoubt your friend Jerry would get that personal with you.&quot; The elevator arrived and they stepped inside. Pamela simply stared at him,and her look conveyed exactly what she thought of his suggestion. Colin merelyshrugged. They got out at the penthouse and Pamela placed her palm against the scanner,then punched in the special entrance code. The laboratory doors openedautomatically and they went inside. Almost immediately, Pamela halted in hertracks and caught her breath. &quot;What is it?&quot; Colin asked. Sitting in the center of the lab was the duplicate time machine she hadconstructed from Brewster's plans, an exact copy in every detail save that itwas nonf
nctional without the Buckminsterfullerine inside the torus thatencircled it. And beside it was an absolutely identical machine. &quot;It's a second time machine!&quot; she said. &quot;It's Marvin's! It hasto be!&quot; She rushed into the lab, glancing all around her. &quot;Marvin?Marvin, darling, where are you?&quot; She came to an abrupt halt as a man stepped out from behind the machine. Helooked perhaps in his late thirties or early forties, but his shoulder-lengthhair was snow-white. He wore white robes, a loose-fitting white tunic, whitebreeches, and white velvet boots. &quot;And who might you be?&quot; he asked in a demanding tone. Pamela stared at him, shocked speechless for a moment. Megan gasped. &quot;Warrick the White!&quot; she said, cowering behindHightower. Warrick glanced at her and smiled. &quot;I remember you,&quot; he said.&quot;You were one of my experimental subjects, were you not?&quot; &quot;What are you doing here?&quot; demanded Pamela. &quot;Where's Marvin?What have you done with him?&quot; Warrick turned toward her and raised his eyebrows. &quot;I do not know whothis Marvin may be, but who are you?&quot; &quot;My name is Dr. Pamela Fairburn,&quot; she replied tensely, &quot;andyou are in a restricted area. If you don't tell me where Marvin is and whatyou've done with him, I'm going to call security and have you taken intocustody!&quot; &quot;That sounds rather threatening,&quot; said Warrick, unperturbed. &quot;Oh, I can do a lot more than threaten,&quot; Pamela replied, headingfor the phone. &quot;Watch out!&quot; cried Megan. &quot;He is a fearsome sorcerer!&quot; &quot;I don't care what the hell he is,&quot; said Pamela. She put her handon the phone. &quot;Are you going to answer my question or do we do this thehard way?&quot; &quot;Pamela, wait,&quot; said Colin. &quot;The last thing we want right nowis security guards up here. Let's try to sort this out on our own first.&quot;He approached Warrick. &quot;So, you're Warrick, eh?&quot; &quot;Aye,&quot; said Warrick, looking Hightower up and down with a criticalgaze. &quot;And who are you?&quot; &quot;The name's Hightower. Colin Hightower. I'm a reporter. And I've heard agreat deal about you, sir.&quot; He held out his hand. Warrick glanced down, butrefused to take it. &quot;Have you? And just what have you heard, and from whom?&quot; &quot;I've spoken with some of the people you've been sending here, fromwherever it is you came from,&quot; Hightower said. &quot;The Alabaster Tower,is it? In Pittsburgh? In a land of twenty-seven kingdoms? You mind telling mewhy?&quot; &quot;Perhaps not,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;But first, I have a fewquestions of my own that I want answered. I have only just arrived here and Iwould like to know exactly where I am. What is this place?&quot; &quot;Fair enough. It's Dr. Marvin Brewster's research laboratory in theheadquarters building of EnGulfCo International, in London, England,&quot;Hightower replied, and then added, &quot;in the twentieth century.&quot; &quot;Brewster?&quot; Warrick said, his eyes narrowing. &quot;BrewsterDoc?&quot; &quot;Dr. Brewster, that's right,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Where is he?&quot; Pamela demanded. &quot;Is he all right? Have youseen him?&quot; &quot;Oh, I would like very much to see him,&quot; Warrick replied, &quot;butI have some other matters to attend to first. Where is the Narrator?&quot; &quot;Who?&quot; asked Pamela with a frown. &quot;The Narrator,&quot; repeated Warrick. &quot;The voice in the ether. Thedemigod who governs this ethereal plane.&quot; &quot;I have no idea what you're talking about,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Butyou are illegally in possession of highly classified equipment, and you havegained unauthorized entry into a restricted area. That's enough right there toput you in prison for a very long time, so I strongly suggest that you cooperateor else suffer the consequences.&quot; Megan made a soft whimpering sound behind Colin and shut her eyes. &quot;For a wench, you are exceedingly arrogant,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Itake it you are in some position of authority here. Well, thus far, I have beentolerant, but there is a limit to my patience. I wish to see the Narrator atonce. You will send wordto him that Warrick Morgannan has arrived and demands an immediateaudience.&quot; &quot;Now just hold on a minute, friend,&quot; said Colin, stepping betweenthem. &quot;I don't think you fully understand your situation. You're way out ofline here. Now why don't we just-&quot; Warrick raised his hand in a sorcerous gesture and quickly mumbled a spellunder his breath. Absolutely nothing happened. &quot;I beg your pardon?&quot; Colin said. &quot;I didn't catch that.&quot; Warrick frowned, raised his hand once more, and gestured toward Colindramatically, repeating the spell with no more result than the first time. (God,I love this ...) &quot;Now see here, old chap,&quot; said Colin irritably, &quot;I don't likepeople waving their hands in my face, and I didn't particularly care for thetone of that remark, whatever it was.&quot; Warrick raised both hands high above his head, shouted out the spell at thetop of his lungs, and swept his arms down at Colin, fingers splayed, inches fromhis face. &quot;Right, that does it,&quot; Colin said, and he cracked Warrick acrossthe jaw with a right hook. The wizard crumpled to the floor, unconscious. &quot;That was constructive,&quot; said Pamela, wryly. &quot;Now what?&quot; &quot;You struck him down!&quot; said Megan with astonishment. &quot;Youstruck down Warrick the White, the mightiest sorcerer in all the twenty-sevenkingdoms!&quot; &quot;I don't care who the bloody hell he is,&quot; said Colin, gazing downat Warrick's prostrate form. &quot;No one takes that kind of tone with me.&quot; Pamela headed for the time machine in which Warrick had arrived. &quot;What are you doing?&quot; Colin asked. &quot;Checking the temporal chronometer settings,&quot; Pamela replied as shegot in. &quot;I should be able to reset and return to his departure point.&quot; &quot;Now wait a moment,&quot; Colin said uncertainly. &quot;Surely, you'renot thinking of taking off in that thing!&quot; &quot;Marvin is still back there,&quot; Pamela said as she started up the engines.&quot;And he'll be trapped permanently unless I go back for him.&quot; &quot;I'm going, too!&quot; said Megan, rushing toward the machine. &quot;Iwant to go home!&quot; &quot;All right, get in,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;I won't know my way aroundand I'm going to need some help in finding Marvin.&quot; &quot;Hold it!&quot; Colin shouted over the noise of the engines. &quot;Youcan't just leave! What about him? And what am I supposed to do?&quot; &quot;He's not going anywhere,&quot; Pamela shouted back, over the rapidlyrising whine of the engines. &quot;Security will take care of him. Tell themwhat's happened.&quot; &quot;Tell them what?&quot; Colin shouted. &quot;That you've gone backin time to get your boyfriend? They'll throw me in the loony bin and leave methere to keep my mouth shut! Besides, if you think I'm missing out on this,you're crazy! It'll be the story of the century! Move over! I'm coming withyou!&quot; &quot;There's no room!&quot; &quot;Megan can sit on my lap!&quot; &quot;All right, I'm not going to argue. I'll need all the help I can get.Get in!&quot; Hightower got into the machine and readjusted the safety straps so that hecould slip them over both himself and Megan as she sat on his lap, leaning backagainst him. &quot;This isn't going.to hurt or anything, is it?&quot; he asked. &quot;I haven't the faintest idea,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;I've neverdone this before.&quot; &quot;Oh, Lord. Are you sure you know what you're doing?&quot; &quot;All I need to do is throw this switch here when that indicator movesinto the red.&quot; &quot;And then?&quot; &quot;And then hold on to your hat!&quot; &quot;Oh, Jesus ...&quot; She threw the switch. &nbsp; NINE &nbsp; Well, your faithful narrator feels more in control now. Warrick has finallybeen neutralized. As we all know, magic doesn't work in modern London, for if itdid, England would still have an empire and the royal family would probably behaving a lot less trouble. Fortunately, Warrick did not suspect his powers wouldbe useless in our world, otherwise your faithful narrator would be in aconsiderable pickle. As it is, Warrick is now trapped in London, at EnGulfCoheadquarters, with no way of getting back home. And that means he can'tinterfere with this story anymore, to my immense relief. In a short while, Jerry the security guard will realize that more than fourhours have gone by since Pamela told him her consulting colleagues had to catcha flight from Heathrow Airport and he'll call upstairs to see if everything'sall right. Warrick will not pick up the phone, because although he'll certainlyhave regained consciousness by then, he has no idea what a telephone is andhe'll be baffled by the mysterious ringing noise. When Jerry gets no answer,he'll call in the alarm and discover that Dr. Davies, the head of EnGulfCo R andD, hadn't left for a fishing weekend in the country after all. Dr. Davies willimmediately rush to the lab, where the reprogrammed palm scanner will admit himand a detachment of security and they'll find Warrick, take him into custody,and subject him to a long and strenuous interrogation. Now, I realize that by telling you all this, I'm violating one of thecardinal rules of writing. Ask any of my students, and they'll say I alwaysteach them that a good writer should show, not tell. However, I alsoteach them that good writers should avoid authorial intrusion, and I've alreadyblown that all to hell and gone. But you see, this is the sort of thing that happens when youdecide to push the limits of the envelope, as they say in The Right Stuff. Theauthor of that book, Tom Wolfe, did it when he invented the New Journalism in TheKandy-Kolored Tangerine Flake Streamline Baby and Hunter Thompson did itwhen he invented Gonzo Journalism in The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent andDepraved. (Actually, he didn't really &quot;invent&quot; Gonzo Journalism,it was more like a freak accident, but that's another story and we've alreadygotten ridiculously sidetracked.) The point is, I wanted to experiment with &quot;Fantastic Metafiction,&quot;because I learned in grad school that this is what you do when you want collegeprofessors to take you seriously. You write something really weird and come upwith a multisyllabic label for it-like &quot;Literary Deconstructionism&quot;-andthen you become the acknowledged expert in that field, because nobody but youcan understand what the hell you're doing. So, to explain it, you write articlesfor The English Journal and you give talks at academic conferences andthen you write grant proposals to get money to conduct intensive research inthis new field you've just invented. This is called &quot;getting tenure.&quot; Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked yet again. The point I'm trying to make is... what the hell was the point I was trying to make? Oh, yeah, right. Iwas trying to invent this new literary form and it just sort of got away fromme. But... that's okay. That's part of it. That's the very nature of&quot;Fantastic Metafiction.&quot; It's what was supposed to happen. Yeah... that's it, that's the ticket... I could have chosen to write the scene where Warrick gets captured andinterrogated, and actually show it happening, because I'd dearly love to see oldWarrick squirm after all the trouble he has caused me, but the fact is itwouldn't really advance the main plot of the story and we'd only wind up gettingbogged down in nonessential details (which is what I'm doing right now, come tothink of it, but hey, that's how &quot;Fantastic Metafiction&quot; works. It's atechnique known as ... uh ... &quot;Narrative Transcendentalism.&quot; Yeah,right, that's it. I'll explain it more fully in the essay I'm planning to write for TheEnglish Journal). However, if we have a chance, we will drop in on Warrickonce again, because it's not good storytelling to leave subplots unresolved. Speaking of which, some of you may be wondering whatever became of all thepeople Warrick had teleported to our world with Brewster's time machine. Well,we don't really have
the time to get into all the individual case histories,otherwise this book would be a Robert Jordan novel, so we'll simply look at arepresentative sampling. Those of you who have been with us from the beginning will recall the dottyold wizard known as Blackrune 4, to whom the brigands sold the time machineafter they discovered it in the Redwood Forest. Why does he have the number 4after his name, you ask? Well, if you'd read the first installment of thismetafictional adventure (The Reluctant Sorcerer, Warner Books), you'dalready know that, but for those of you who haven't, it was because theSorcerers and Adepts Guild registers all mage names, and there were alreadythree other wizards named Blackrune, 1 through 3, respectively, registered withthe guild. It was Blackrune 4 who had first stumbled on a magic spell toactivate the time machine by tapping into its temporal field. He was teleportedto Los Angeles, where his magic wouldn't work and he wound up becoming part ofthe homeless population. He met a lot of other homeless people who found himabsolutely fascinating and made him into a sort of street guru, which resultedin his being featured in a PBS documentary about the homeless. A Hollywoodproducer saw the program and it gave him an idea for a sitcom called StreetSmarts. Blackrune was found and hired as a consultant for the show, whichstarred George Carlin in his second series television venture, and it became aninstant ratings hit. Blackrune 4 changed his name to George R.R. Blackrune,renegotiated his contract, and is now one of the show's executive producers,with a house in Sherman Oaks, a regular table at Spago's, and a Mercedes Benzconvertible in his garage. Blackrune's young apprentice, who delivered the time machine to Warrick andbecame his first test subject, wound upin New York, where he lived on the streets for a while until he took up with anineteen-year-old performance artist who introduced him to all her friends inthe East Village arts community. He adopted the name Johnny Snot, got a gig as alead singer with a heavy metal band called STD, and their last CD, AnotherTime, Another Place, just went triple platinum. Remember the Pittsburgh hooker who was teleported on stage in the middle ofan Allman Brothers concert in Georgia? Well, after becoming hysterical on stagebehind a mike, tearing her hair and wailing about going back home, she was givena five-minute standing ovation and hailed as a great white blues artist. She gota recording contract with Atlantic Records, got a great write-up in RollingStone after the debut of her first album, Shriek, then disappeared aftergiving birth to a beautiful blond baby boy. Rumor had it the father was GreggAllman. Well, she and her son are now living in Arkansas, where she's happilymarried to a prosperous real estate broker who is currently under federalindictment for tax fraud. One of Warrick's test subjects was teleported to Japan, where the urbandensity of Tokyo coupled with the sight of people unlike any race he'd ever seenand speaking a language he couldn't understand put his nervous system intooverload. He ran hysterically through the streets, convinced he'd beentransported to a world of demons, until he was finally apprehended by the Tokyopolice. When questioned by an officer who spoke English, he fearfully told hisstory, which resulted in his being sent to a hospital for psychiatricobservation, where he remained for about ten months. Once convinced no one wouldharm him, he stopped being violent and was allowed to mix with the otherpatients and watch television. This proved to be an immensely educationalexperience for him. He learned Japanese, discovered a great deal about ourworld, and was eventually released. However, having been a criminal in his ownworld, he naturally gravitated to what he knew best, and is now working as anenforcer for the Yakuza. A great many of Warrick's test subjects wound up in various institutions,where some of them remain, perfectly content. However, most were eventuallyreleased. Television had made an immense difference in their lives and they haveall more or less acclimated to their new environment. Many of them tookcorrespondence courses and got their GEDs, and are now working in productivejobs in their communities. Some turned to crime, as they had in Pittsburgh, butmost took advantage of the opportunities in their new world and started to buildproductive lives for themselves, working at such diverse occupations as shortorder cooks, highway construction workers, sanitation engineers, toplessdancers, and postal service employees. One is now a deputy sheriff in PimaCounty, Arizona. Another is a popular veejay on MTV. Several became used-carsalesmen and one, a former member of The Swindlers Guild, became a televangelistand is now running for Congress from the state of Louisiana. However, most ofthem, with the exception of Warrick's first few test subjects, had at least onething in common-they were still under the spell of compulsion Warrick placed onthem, directing them to return to him in his Alabaster Tower and tell of whatthey'd seen. In many cases, drugs helped dull the uncontrollable compulsion. Given enoughthorazine, even Godzilla would mellow out. The rest of them, however, were stilldriven by a relentless urge to reach the Alabaster Tower and tell Warrick whatthey'd seen. Unfortunately, there was really nothing they could do about it,save toss and turn all night and redirect the compulsion into such activities asovereating, gambling, alcoholism, sex addiction, and watching soap operas. Manyof them wound up buying sets of Lego blocks and constructing large plastic whitetowers in their apartment living rooms, rather like Richard Dreyfus building amountain out of mud in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. They wereimmensely frustrated, knowing there was no way they could get back home untilone day something very strange happened to all of them simultaneously. For no apparent reason they suddenly all felt compelled to go to London. (Oh,by the way, did I mention that the EnGulfCo Corporate headquarters building wasfaced with white ferroconcrete slabs and known as &quot;The White Tower?&quot;) It was almost sunrise when Queen Sandy started heading back toward thecastle. It had been a long and busy night. After leaving The Stealers Tavern,she had hurried to another end of town, not far from the market district, and asmall stone coffeehouse and bakery known as The Smorgasbard. It was a placewhere one could partake of coffee and herbal infusions and a wide assortment offresh baked bread and pastries while listening to bards regale the patrons allnight long with their songs in exchange for gratuities dropped into their hatsor instrument cases. The Smorgasbard was open until the wee hours of themorning, and was a popular gathering place for artists, bards, and craftsmen, aswell as the occasional aristocrat. They even allowed filkers to perform. Theirslogan was, &quot;All the bards that you can stand.&quot; On entering, Sandy pulled her hood closer around her face and headed straightfor the door to the back room. She knocked three times, paused, then twice, thenpaused again, then once. A small panel set into the door at about eye level wasslid aside and someone asked, &quot;Who knocks?&quot; &quot;One who seeks,&quot; Sandy replied, giving the password. &quot;Enter,&quot; said the voice, and the window slid shut. A moment later,the bolt was drawn and the door opened. Sandy walked into the dimly lit back room, illuminated only by a few candlesplaced on a long table. There were no windows, and the walls were thick,ensuring privacy. The men and women seated around the table immediately got totheir feet as she entered and pulled back her hood. &quot;Your Highness,&quot; said one of them, bowing politely and sweeping hishat from his head. He was middle-aged, with long, wavy brown hair, a luxuriantbeard, and a wide, ruddy face. Beneath his dark cloak he wore a brown leatherdoublet, a lace-trimmed shirt, brown breeches, and high black boots. He alsowore an extremely well-crafted sword. &quot;Good evening, Lord Aubrey,&quot; Sandy said, nodding to the othermembers of the Underground. &quot;Please, let us dispense with formalities. Beseated, my friends. What news?&quot; &quot;None that is good, I fear,&quot; Lord Aubrey replied, resuming his seatas Sandy took her place beside him. &quot;The army is marching for Brigantiumtomorrow. They have formed their own kingdom, separate from Darn, and apparentlywith King Durwin's support. His Majesty has received assurances of solidarityfrom all the other rulers-save King Durwin, who has sent no reply-but onlythree, King Vidor, King Alan, and King Rodney, have chosen to support his warwith troops. Our forces have been augmented by six regiments of foot and threeregiments of horse. It makes for a formidable army, the largest ever assembledin the twenty-seven kingdoms. Brigantium will never stand a chance.&quot; Sandy sighed heavily. &quot;I am the queen, and yet you know more about myhusband's plans than I do,&quot; she said. &quot;He never confides in meanymore.&quot; &quot;Your husband, madame, is a fool,&quot; one of the other men seated atthe table said. &quot;Whatever he may be, Lord Edward, he is still your king, and I willdemand you speak of him with respect,&quot; Sandy replied firmly. Lord Edward merely inclined his head in response. Clearly, while Sandycommanded respect within the room, her husband, the king, did not. &quot;Let us be honest with one another, Your Highness,&quot; said Luke theLuthier, director of The Craftsman's Guild. &quot;We all have our own reasonsfor being here. The aristocrats among us have lent their efforts to our causebecause they see Warrick as a threat and they realize, with no disrespectintended to His Majesty, that the king simply lacks the capabilty to stand up tohim. We commoners are here because with each passing day, our freedoms areeroded further and the people suffer more.&quot; &quot;You think I do not care about the people, Luke?&quot; asked Sandy. &quot;No, Your Highness, clearly you do, and if you were on the throne in placeof your husband, I have no doubt the welfare of the people would be your firstconcern. But the fact remains that while your husband sits upon the throne ofPitt, Warrick and Sheriff Waylon rule in all but name. We had all hoped to avoida violent revolution, but it may be the only answer.&quot; &quot;You speak treason, Luke,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;My lady, may I remind you that you are committing treason yourself bythe mere fact of your presence here,&quot; the soft-spoken luthier replied. Sandy compressed her lips into a tight grimace. &quot;Well, I will have youknow that I have just come from a meeting with two of the prime movers behindthis revolution, and what I have learned may change your mind.&quot; &quot;You met with them yourself?&quot; Lord Aubrey said withastonishment. &quot;I have met with them on several occasions,&quot; Sandy replied.&quot;But you may relax, Lord Aubrey. They do not suspect who I really am.&quot; &quot;Still, the danger to you-&quot; &quot;Is not as great as you may think,&quot; Sandy said, cutting him off.&quot;However, 'tis not the point. The point is that The Stealers Guild fomentsthis revolution merely to advance their own criminal purposes. If it succeeds,then they shall benefit from the removal of Sheriff Waylon and the period ofdisorder that is bound to follow until proper rule can be restored. And if itfails, then they shall take advantage of the fighting to line their pocketsunmolested, for they have taken care to see that others will take the blame whenit is ended. They have lit the fire, and now it has gathered its own momentum.Those who are vocal as the leaders of this revolution are but the unknowingpawns of The Stealers Guild. The support they now receive from them will quicklyfade the moment anything goes wrong. And you may rest assured it will gowrong.&quot; &quot;With the army marching for Brigantium, what is to stop it?&quot; one ofthe others asked. &quot;They leave behind only the palace guard, augmented bysome soldiers.&quot; &quot;And what do you suppose will happen when the army returns?&quot; LordAubrey said. &quot;The king ma
 be deposed, and Sheriff Waylon and his deputieslynched by the mob, but Warrick will take care to keep himself protected, evenif the mob does gather up the nerve to storm his tower, which I strongly doubt.Warrick will merely sit back and let it all happen, and when the army returnsfrom Brigantium, they will seize power effortlessly and place Warrick on thethrone. The crafty wizard has played his hand extremely well. He has convincedthe king to send the army to put down this outlaw mage, whom Warrick fears as arival to his power, and at the same time, the absence of the army tempts thosewho would plot against the king to action. With one move, Warrick seizes powerand consolidates it.&quot; There was silence in the room as they all saw the logic of Lord Aubrey'sremarks. &quot;What are we to do, then?&quot; someone asked. &quot;I can think of but only one solution, for the present,&quot; Sandysaid. &quot;We must abduct the king.&quot; &quot;What?&quot; said Luke with disbelief. &quot;My husband does not wish to see the truth,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;Hemust be made to see it. The revolution will doubtless come soon after the armymarches on Brigantium. The palace will be their first objective. If they seizethe king, his life is surely forfeit. But what if they cannot find the king?When the army returns and puts down the rebels, Warrick will not be able toassume the throne so long as the king lives. Then he will be seen as a usurper,and as such, will never gain support from any of the other kingdoms.&quot; &quot;True,&quot; Lord Aubrey said, nodding in agreement. &quot;The otherrulers would be fools to sanction such a blatant seizure of power. They would beforced to unite against him, if only to safeguard their own positions.&quot; &quot;A clever plan to save your husband, Highness,&quot; Luke said softly.&quot;And once he is back upon the throne, what will have changed?&quot; Sandy gave him a hard look. &quot;If you think I propose this plan merely tosave my husband's life, then you have learned nothingabout me since I joined you. He is my husband and my king, and I will do my dutyby him. But I am also queen, and I have a duty to my people. My presence here isevidence of that. If I cannot prevent the revolution, then I shall do my utmostto prevent the people suffering from its results. If you can think of a betterplan, then I am sure we are all eager to listen.&quot; Luke looked down and remained silent. &quot;Fine then,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;There is little time to waste. Nowhere is what I propose ...&quot; &quot;I think I'm going to be sick,&quot; said Hightower with a moan. &quot;Then let me up first,&quot; Megan said quickly, fumbling with thesafety straps and jumping out of the machine. &quot;Where are we?&quot; Pamela asked, looking around at the room in whichthey had materialized. &quot;Warrick's sanctorum, in the Alabaster Tower,&quot; Megan said.&quot;We're home, in Pittsburgh!&quot; &quot;Well, you're home, maybe,&quot; Pamela said as she got out of themachine and looked around. &quot;But as a little girl named Dorothy once said,'I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.'&quot; The walls around them in the circular chamber were all constructed of largeblocks of heavy, mortared, pale white stone. The floor was made of thick woodplanks. The furnishings were well made, but crude by modern standards, fastenedtogether with wooden pegs instead of nails. The windows in the thick walls werearched and shuttered. Everywhere Pamela looked, there were piles of ancient,leather-bound vellum books and rolled-up scrolls, just stacked wherever therewas room. The tables and shelves were covered with ceramic jars and glassbeakers containing dried herbs and powders and other unidentifiable objects,some of which looked like specimens from a pathology lab. There was a largecarved desk that held a human skull, turned brown with age, with a hole in thetop to hold a candle. Pamela examined some items spread out on what appeared to be analtar. There were candles of several colors, a large silver chalice, severalcauldrons of varying sizes, amulets holding precious stones, ceramic bowls,ritual knives and crystals, oils and unguents and jars of powdered incense alongwith a mortar and a pestle. &quot;This looks like a set for a bloody horror film,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;If you think it looks strange in here, take a look outside,&quot; saidHightower, standing by a window. Pamela came up beside him. What she saw made her gasp. The tower was builtupon a hill, and spreading out below them was a medieval city, with several mainavenues paved with cobblestones and twisting, narrow side streets and backalleys. The buildings were all constructed of wood and mortared stone, and thepeople moving through the streets were dressed in tunics and loose breeches,with thick leather belts and woolen cloaks. Several horse-drawn wagons rolledthrough the streets, containing wooden barrels and hay and produce from outlyingfarms. Nearby and to their left, rising high above the surrounding buildings,was a stone castle, complete with moat and drawbridge, walls and battlements andcrenellated towers. It was shortly after sunrise. The city was slowly comingawake. &quot;If I wasn't seeing this with my own eyes, I'd never believe it,&quot;said Hightower. &quot;It works, Pamela! We've actually gone back through time!We're in London in the Middle Ages!&quot; Pamela scanned the horizon. She frowned and shook her head. &quot;No, I don'tthink so,&quot; she said. &quot;The Thames should be over there,&quot; she said,pointing. &quot;Where is it? And look at those mountains in the distance. We'renot in London. We're somewhere else entirely.&quot; &quot;You're right,&quot; said Hightower. &quot;But where?&quot; Pamela shook her head. &quot;I don't know,&quot; she said. &quot;But Marvin'shere, somewhere. He's got to be.&quot; &quot;Are you sure this is the same place he went back to?&quot; Colin asked. &quot;That man, Warrick, came from here,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;This is hishome, apparently. And he had Marvin's time machine. The question is, how did heget his hands on it?&quot; &quot;Look,&quot; said Colin hesitantly, &quot;I don't want to rain on yourparade, but I think you should consider the possibility that something may havehappened to him.&quot; &quot;I know,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;I've already thought of that, believeme. It's been over a year since Marvin disappeared. But I can't give up until Iknow for sure.&quot; &quot;I understand,&quot; said Colin. &quot;But now that we're here- wherever'here' is-we need to make a plan.&quot; He glanced back at the time machine.&quot;That thing's our only way back home. How do we know it's safe to leave ithere while we go out looking for Brewster?&quot; &quot;No one ever comes to Warrick's sanctorum,&quot; Megan said. &quot;Thepeople are afraid of this place. No one who's ever entered this tower has everbeen seen again.&quot; &quot;Yes, and now we know why,&quot; said Pamela. She leaned out the windowand looked to the left and right. &quot;This tower doesn't appear connected toany other structure. But at the same time, except for the castle over there,it's the tallest building in the area. It seems hard to believe that just oneperson would be living here. Megan, what are we liable to find if we go out thatdoor?&quot; &quot;Warrick has his minions,&quot; Megan said. &quot;They reside here inthe tower, on the lower floors. Warrick's private living quarters are on theupper levels, but I have never seen them. I think no one has.&quot; &quot;Minions?&quot; Colin said. &quot;What do you mean?&quot; &quot;Men-at-arms and servants,&quot; said Megan. &quot;They dress inWarrick's colors, a white surplice with a light blue band across it.&quot; &quot;You mean soldiers?&quot; Pamela said. She glanced at Colin uneasily.&quot;That could present a problem. How do we get past them?&quot; &quot;Ever play poker?&quot; asked Hightower. &quot;You mean bluff?&quot; said Pamela, uncertainly. &quot;We don't evenknow what we're doing.&quot; &quot;Leave it to me,&quot; said Colin. &quot;I'm an old hand at this sort of thing. Look,Warrick's stuck back in our own time, right? Without that machine, there's noway he can get back here. So, instead of trying to sneak around, which alwaysmakes people suspicious, we put on a bold front instead and confront things headon. Warrick is some sort of royal sorcerer, right, Megan?&quot; &quot;Aye, he is royal wizard to the King of Pitt,&quot; said Megan. &quot;That means he undoubtedly has some pull around here,&quot; Colin said.&quot;So, since he's not here to contradict us, we'll simply claim he sent ushere to take care of things while he's off in-what did he call it?-The etherealplane?&quot; &quot;Yes, I think that's what he said,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;But areyou sure this is the smart thing to do?&quot; &quot;It's our best chance,&quot; said Colin. &quot;We're completely on ourown here, and what we need more than anything right now is information. Andthese are primitive people, aren't they? It shouldn't be too difficult to pullthe wool over their eyes.&quot; Pamela took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. &quot;I hope you're right. Butit's going to be very risky.&quot; &quot;Risky?&quot; Colin said, raising his eyebrows. &quot;Are you joking?We've just traveled back in time, for God's sake, and we don't even know forcertain where we are. Just how much more risky can things get?&quot; &quot;I think from here on in, the risk is only going to escalate,&quot; saidPamela wryly. &quot;But your suggestion's worth a try. We're simply going tohave to make things up as we go along.&quot; &quot;Right,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Okay, Megan, I want you to go out thereand find whoever's in charge around here and tell him ... hmm, let's see ...just tell him Warrick wants him to report here at once. We'll just improvisefrom there. Go on, now. And be firm. Act as if you're carrying out Warrick'spersonal instructions.&quot; &quot;Very well,&quot; she said, and turned to go. &quot;Megan, wait,&quot; said Pamela. She turned around. Pamela moistened her lips nervously. &quot;You ... you will come back, won'tyou?&quot; Megan looked startled, and then she looked a little hurt. &quot;Colin helpedme get out of that awful place they kept me in,&quot; she said, &quot;and youhelped me get back home. Did you really think I would be so selfish andungrateful as to leave you in the lurch?&quot; &quot;I ... I'm sorry, Megan,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;It's just that. . .well, I must confess, I'm more than a little bit afraid.&quot; &quot;Warrick is no longer here,&quot; said Megan, &quot;so there is far lessreason to be afraid. And now that I have seen him and returned to his tower, thecompulsion he had placed upon me is gone. I will return to help you. Ipromise.&quot; She turned and went out the door. &quot;Don't worry, she'll be back,&quot; said Colin. &quot;She may seem a biterratic, but she's a good girl.&quot; &quot;Well, in that case, I hope you're a good poker player,&quot; Pamelareplied. She took out a pack of cigarettes and her lighter, and stared at themruefully for a moment. &quot;I'd quit smoking, you know. I started again whenMarvin disappeared. I suppose I'll be giving it up again. I don't imagine I'llbe able to buy any cigarettes here.&quot; &quot;Hold on a moment,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Don't light up yet.&quot; &quot;What? Why not?&quot; &quot;I've got an idea. Give me your lighter.&quot; Puzzled, she handed it over. &quot;Let me have one of those cigarettes.&quot; She shook one out and handed it to him. &quot;Take one and hold it between your thumb and middle finger, likethis,&quot; he said, demonstrating, holding it so that his palm was cuppedaround it. She followed his example. &quot;When Megan comes back, just follow mylead. I may not know my history all that well, but tobacco was a New World crop,wasn't it? It was never seen in Europe until old Sir Walter Raleigh startedshipping it back home. So chances are these people have never seencigarettes.&quot; Pamela smiled as understanding dawned. &quot;Very clever,&quot; she said. &quot;You just need to start thinking like a con man,&quot; Colin replied.&quot;Anything we can do to play on these people'
 superstitions is only goingto strengthen our position. You still have that pistol, don't you?&quot; &quot;Yes, it's in my purse.&quot; &quot;Good. How many bullets do you have?&quot; &quot;A full magazine, less one round,&quot; she replied. &quot;And I alwayscarry a spare, so that makes a total of thirteen.&quot; &quot;Well, we'll have to be very sparing of them,&quot; Colin said. &quot;Wedon't know how long we're liable to be here. What else have you got in thatpurse?&quot; &quot;My compact, a lipstick, keys, wallet, checkbook and change purse, some... some feminine things, a packet of facial tissues, an electronic organizer, apenlight, two ballpoints, a pocket tape recorder, a small canister of Mace, arape whistle ... can't be too careful, you know. Oh, and a small pocket knife,one of those Swiss Army things. Marvin gave it to me for a present.&quot; &quot;Regular Girl Scout, aren't you?&quot; Colin said with a grin. &quot;Letme see that tape recorder.&quot; She took it out and handed it to him. &quot;Right,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Now let's see if we can't prepare asmall demonstration of our 'supernatural powers,' shall we?&quot; A short while later, there was a knock at the door. Colin quickly lit their cigarettes. &quot;Enter,&quot; he said imperiously. The door opened and Megan came in with the captain of Warrick's personalguard. &quot;I have brought the minion you summoned, my lord,&quot; said Megan witha deep curtsy. The captain of the guard stared at them uncertainly, taking in their strangeclothes, and then his eyes grew wide as he saw both of them exhale smoke throughtheir nostrils. &quot;Kneel, mortal, and show proper respect for the astral familiars of yourmaster,&quot; said Colin, &quot;or I shall burn you withmy touch!&quot; And with that, he snapped the cigarette lighter. At the sight of the flame apparently emanating from Hightower's fingers, thecaptain dropped immediately to his knees and lowered his head. &quot;Forgive me,my lord!&quot; he said. &quot;Do not burn me, I beg you! I... I did not know!The wench did not explain-&quot; &quot;Silence!&quot; Colin said; The captain bit off his words and remained on his knees, his head lowered. &quot;Look at me,&quot; Colin commanded. The captain swallowed hard and looked up, fearfully. Colin put his hand into his jacket pocket and pushed the play button on therecorder. &quot;Shall I kill him now, Master? Shall I tear him limb from limband feast upon his flesh ? &quot; The playback was his own voice doing a rather poor Peter Lorre impression,but it served its purpose admirably. The captain gasped and his eyes bulged. Heturned white as a ghost and started shaking. &quot;Nay, Unseen One,&quot; Colin said theatrically. &quot;There will yet betime for you to feast on human flesh. We have need of this one.&quot; &quot;I... I beg you ... do not harm me, Lord!&quot; the captain stammered,gazing wildly around him for the source of the disembodied voice. Colin hit the playback once again. &quot;This one seems a poor servant forour purpose. Perhaps we should feast on him and find another.&quot; &quot;Please, Unseen One! Stay your hand!&quot; the captain cried. &quot;Ishall do whatever you ask! Give me but a chance to prove myself!&quot; Colin raised his hand to his chin, as if in thought, and took a deep drag onthe cigarette he had cupped in his palm. He exhaled a long stream of smokethrough his nostrils. &quot;What is your name, worthless one?&quot; &quot;I am Ivor, captain of the royal wizard's guard, my lord.&quot; &quot;Well, Captain Ivor, I bring a message from your master, Warrick,&quot;Colin said. &quot;He has departed for the ethereal plane and sent us here tosee to matters until his return. You and all here are to give us yourunquestioning obedience, or suffer the fangs of the Unseen One. Do youunderstand?&quot; &quot;Aye, my Lord, I shall do whatever you command!&quot; &quot;Good,&quot; said Colin. He turned to Pamela. &quot;Perhaps he willdo.&quot; &quot;That remains to be seen,&quot; said Pamela, exhaling smoke. &quot;I have always served Lord Warrick faithfully! I shall prove myselfworthy, Mistress,&quot; Ivor said. &quot;I swear!&quot; &quot;We shall see,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Rise, Captain Ivor.&quot; Ivor rose trembling to his feet, but kept his head lowered. &quot;What do you know of one called ... Brewster?&quot; Colin asked. &quot;The outlaw mage?&quot; said Ivor. &quot;I only know what people say, mylord. That he is a mighty wizard who works wonders and sets himself above allothers. And I know he is my master's enemy. This very day, the army marches forBrigantium, to wage war upon his forces.&quot; Pamela suppressed a gasp. &quot;Brigantium, you say?&quot; said Colin quickly, before Pamela's alarmcould be noticed by the soldier. &quot;And where might that be? Remember, we arestrangers to this world.&quot; &quot;Aye, of course, my lord. Brigantium lies to the west, near the foot ofthe Purple Mountains, about a week's journey hence by horse,&quot; the captainreplied. Pamela frowned, but Colin shook his head, forestalling any comment from her. &quot;And they march today, you say?&quot; asked Colin. &quot;Doubtless, they have already departed, my lord,&quot; Ivor replied.&quot;It is a mighty army King Billy has assembled, and victory isassured.&quot; &quot;I see,&quot; said Colin. &quot;And the king is leading them?&quot; &quot;Oh, no, My Lord,&quot; said Ivor. &quot;King Billy lead an expeditioninto war? It is all he can do to find his way around the palace. The commanderof the royal army, Lord Kelvin, leads the force, together -with commanders sentwith regiments from other kingdoms, and the mercenaries, who are led by one of theirown number, a freebooter known as Black Jack.&quot; &quot;It sounds like quite an army,&quot; Colin said. &quot;It is, indeed, my lord. The largest ever assembled in the twenty-sevenkingdoms. But Brigantium presents a threat that must be eliminated. The outlawmage, Brewster Doc, is said to be a very mighty wizard, and a dangerousone.&quot; &quot;Listen to me, Ivor,&quot; Colin said. &quot;Warrick has left strictinstructions with us that this sorcerer, Brewster, is not to be harmed. He wantshim alive.&quot; &quot;But. . .&quot; Ivor looked worried. &quot;But Lord Kelvin has swornthat he would return with the outlaw mage's head upon a pike!&quot; &quot;That would make Warrick very angry,&quot; Colin replied as Pamelapaled. &quot;The wizard Brewster must not be harmed, under anycircumstances.&quot; &quot;I fear that is not in my power to change, my lord,&quot; said Ivor,with a nervous swallow. &quot;Only the king can issue such commands.&quot; &quot;I see,&quot; said Colin, trying to decide what to say next. &quot;Shall I summon the king to you, my lord?&quot; asked Ivor. Colin raised his eyebrows. &quot;Summon the king? Is Warrick in the habit ofdoing that?&quot; &quot;Lord Warrick sends word that he requests an audience,&quot; Ivorreplied. &quot;It is always made as a request, for the sake of appearances, butthe king always comes whenever Lord Warrick sends for him.&quot; &quot;Well, then by all means send for him,&quot; said Colin. &quot;But donot tell him who it is that summons him. Let him think it comes from Warrick. Wewould not wish to frighten him unduly.&quot; &quot;I understand, my lord. But... your pardon, my lord, I would not knowwho it is that summons His Majesty, in any case. How should I address yourhonored presences?&quot; &quot;Our true names would sear your tongue should they ever pass yourlips,&quot; said Colin, improvising. &quot;However, you may address us as LordCharles and Lady Diana. Those names will do as well as any others.&quot; &quot;Aye, my lord Charles,&quot; said Ivor. &quot;I shall do as you command:Do I have your leave to send word to the king?&quot; &quot;You do,&quot; said Colin. Then, as Ivor rose and started to back out ofthe room, he said, &quot;Oh, and, Ivor ... one more thing.&quot; &quot;Aye, my lord?&quot; &quot;We could do with something to eat.&quot; Ivor's eyes grew very wide and he swallowed hard. &quot;Who ... whom shall Ifetch for your dinner, my lord?&quot; &quot;Well, we shall try to refrain from consuming human flesh for thepresent,&quot; Colin replied. &quot;In its place, some roasted animal flesh fromyour kitchens will suffice. Along with some vegetables, some bread, and somewine, perhaps?&quot; &quot;It shall be done, my lord,&quot; said Ivor. &quot;Good. You may go.&quot; Ivor backed, bowing, out of the room and Megan closed the door behind him,with a giggle. &quot;Charles and Diana?&quot; Pamela said, raising her eyebrows. &quot;First thing that came to mind,&quot; said Colin, with a shrug.&quot;Anyway, what difference does it make? That was a pretty good performance,if I do say so myself. I think we're off to a good start.&quot; &quot;A good start?&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Are you kidding? There's an armyon the way to kill Marvin! What in the world has he gotten himself into? Andwhat's all this about him being a sorcerer?&quot; &quot;Makes sense, really, if you think about it,&quot; Colin said. &quot;Wejust convinced old Ivor we were a couple of demons. Brewster probably did muchthe same sort of thing. And seeing as how he's a lot smarter than I am, I'm surehe did a much better job of it, all told. But it seems he's run afoul of thelocal power structure.&quot; &quot;That's putting it mildly,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;What are we goingto do?&quot; &quot;Well, the most important thing is not to panic. Act like you'recompletely in control. Attitude is everything when you're trying to con people.We're making pretty good progress. We've got Ivor terrified of us, we've got arough ideaof where Brewster is, we've snapped our fingers and the king is about to comerunning, and dinner's on the way. Not too shabby, really, considering we'vebarely been here half an hour.&quot; &quot;You're actually enjoying all this, aren't you?&quot; Pamelasaid. Hightower grinned. &quot;It is a bit of a kick, isn't it?&quot; &quot;This isn't a game, Colin. One mistake and we could easily wind up dead.I don't relish the idea of being burned at the stake.&quot; &quot;Oh, they don't burn people anymore,&quot; said Megan. &quot;Well, that's a relief,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;They draw and quarter them, hang them, or chop their heads off.&quot; &quot;I'm so glad you shared that,&quot; Pamela replied wryly. She glanced atColin. &quot;What are you going to tell the king?&quot; &quot;I'm not quite sure yet,&quot; he replied. &quot;It all depends on whatsort of chap he is. Warrick apparently has the king under his thumb. Ivor'sopinion of him certainly did not seem very high. If it proves accurate, thenthis whole thing may be a lot easier than we thought.&quot; &quot;Just don't get overconfident,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;We're on a luckystreak so far. But lucky streaks run out.&quot; &quot;Believe me, I'm well aware of that,&quot; said Colin. &quot;I've beenon a streak of bad luck that's lasted damn near ten years, but I have a feelingall that's about to change. When I get back with this story, I'll be sitting ontop of the world. I'll wind up editor of the bloody New York Times. Ormaybe even USA Today.&quot; &quot;Let's worry about getting back in one piece first,&quot; said Pamela.&quot;With Marvin. Somehow, we've got to get to this place Brigantium and findhim before the army gets there.&quot; &quot;Well, now that we know where he is, we could simply take the timemachine,&quot; said Colin. &quot;If he's become some sort of famous wizard orwhatever in Brigantium, he shouldn't be too difficult to find once we getthere.&quot; &quot;There's just one problem,&quot; Pamela said. &quot;I don't know how toget us there.&quot; &quot;What do you mean?&quot; &quot;Exactly what I said. How do I program the destination? I can't justtype in, 'Brigantium, at the foot of the mountains to the west.' I need specificcoordinates. Aside from which, I'm not exactly certain how it works.&quot; &quot;What are you talking about?&quot; said Colin. &quot;You got ushere.&quot; &quot;The machine got us here. I simply used the auto-return functionof the program. If I alter the settings now, I'm not convinced I can reprogramthe exact coordinates to get us back. I didn'
 design this system. Marvindid.&quot; &quot;But you're a cybernetics engineer,&quot; said Colin, with a frown. &quot;Yes, but Marvin's got his own way of doing things when it comes tocomputers. His mind works in a very strange way. The basic commands are easy,but the programming functions are like nothing I've ever seen.&quot; &quot;But you've read his notes. You've duplicated his machine.&quot; &quot;I've duplicated the hardware, but it's not functional,&quot; Pamelareplied. &quot;I know Marvin better than anybody else, and I've still gotmigraines trying to decipher his notes. He's totally nonlinear. Part of it wason the paper, and part of it was in his head. And I have no idea how toduplicate the software. Given enough time, I might be able to figure it all out,but even then there's no guarantee I'd get it right.&quot; &quot;Well, now wait a minute,&quot; Colin said. &quot;What is it you'resaying? You mean ... you don't know how to get us back!&quot; &quot;Oh, I can get us back, all right,&quot; she said, &quot;so long as wedon't alter the programmed settings.&quot; &quot;But.. . you can check them, can't you? I mean, can't you just bringthem up on the screen and copy them down or something?&quot; &quot;It's not that simple. If I changed them and then didn't reenter themexactly the right way, there's no telling what could happen. At best, it simplywouldn't work. At worst, we could wind up in outer space or something.&quot; &quot;Well, that's just bloody marvelous, isn't it?&quot; said Colin.&quot;Why didn't you tell me this before?&quot; &quot;Look, I didn't twist your arm to come along, you know.&quot; &quot;Right. And where would you be now if I hadn't?&quot; &quot;I must admit you've got a point there.&quot; Colin exhaled heavily. &quot;Well, we'll simply have to make sure no onemucks about with that thing and spins the dials on the combination. I don'timagine that will be too difficult. If nobody comes in here but Warrick'sservants, then it's not too likely anyone would mess about with his things, hisbeing the royal wizard and all. I suppose we could put the fear of God into oldIvor and have him and some of his soldiers guard it with their lives while we'regone, but the smart thing to do would be for us to stay right here.&quot; &quot;And what about Marvin?&quot; Colin shrugged. &quot;Let the army bring him to us. We'll simply tell theking that Warrick wants him to send a message to his general that Brewster is tobe taken alive and unharmed, and brought back here.&quot; &quot;And what if something happens to him during the fighting?&quot; askedPamela. &quot;What if the message doesn't get through? We can't just sit hereand do nothing. I'm not going to take that chance.&quot; Colin sighed. &quot;I was afraid you'd say that. Well, then I guess there'snothing else to do but set off for Brigantium and try to get there before thearmy does. We should be able to manage that. An army on the march doesn't movevery quickly. I suppose we'll have to use horses, won't we?&quot; &quot;I doubt they've got any helicopters,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;Canyou ride?&quot; &quot;I was on a pony once, when I was ten years old,&quot; said Colin.&quot;Since then, my only relationship with horses has been betting onthem.&quot; &quot;Then we'll have to see if we can get some sort of carriage,&quot;Pamela said. &quot;And an armed escort,&quot; Colin added. &quot;I don't think travelingunprotected would be wise. We're not going for a ride through Hyde Park. We onlyhave thirteen bullets, a can of Mace,and a rape whistle. That's not exactly a formidable arsenal.&quot; Pamela nodded. &quot;No, it's not. I wish we'd had time to prepare for thistrip.&quot; &quot;Bit late now. But leave it up to old Colin. I'll just record a coupleof messages for His Majesty from our friend, the Unseen One. And you might getthat rape whistle of yours out. A blast or two on it at the appropriate timecould make for a nice effect.&quot; Pamela shook her head. &quot;The Unseen One, astral familiars, feasting onhuman flesh ... where do you come up with this stuff?&quot; &quot;Have you forgotten whom I work for?&quot; &quot;Oh. Right.&quot; &quot;Relax. I'll get us through this. I've been in tight spots before. Trustme.&quot; Pamela grimaced. &quot;Whenever a man says, 'Trust me,' I grab a firm hold ofmy purse and cross my legs.&quot; &quot;Well, in this case, I don't happen to have an interest in either ofthose two commodities,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Although I would keep a firm gripon that purse if I were you. It's about all we've got, aside from ourwits.&quot; &quot;Perhaps we'd better look around and see if there's anything else herewe can use,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Take care,&quot; said Megan. &quot;Warrick may have his possessionsspell-warded. Wizards often do that.&quot; &quot;Spell-warded?&quot; Pamela asked with a frown. &quot;What's that?&quot; &quot;Protected by magic,&quot; Megan replied. &quot;If you touch any of histhings, something terrible could happen.&quot; &quot;Don't be ridiculous, my dear,&quot; said Colin. &quot;There's no suchthing as magic.&quot; &quot;Well, then how do you suppose Warrick learned to use yourchariot?&quot; &quot;You mean the time machine?&quot; said Colin. &quot;He probably sawBrewster using it and copied what he did. Or else he simply experimented andthrew a switch and-&quot; &quot;He did no such thing,&quot; insisted Megan. &quot;He never even touched it. Hestood ten feet away or more and spoke a spell and gestured.&quot; &quot;That's impossible,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;I swear 'tis true. He is a mighty sorcerer, I tell you, and allthese&quot;-she indicated the books and scrolls stacked everywhere,-&quot;arehis arcane spells and enchantments.&quot; &quot;Nonsense,&quot; Colin said. He put down the tape recorder he washolding and reached out to one of the stacks, picking up a leather-bound tome.&quot;It's merely a lot of primitive superstition. See? I've touched this andabsolutely nothing's happened.&quot; He glanced at the cover of the book.&quot;The Grimoire of Honorious, eh? Sounds like something you'd buy in one ofthose New Age shops.&quot; He opened it. There was a loud pop and a puff of smoke, followed by a metallic clang asColin disappeared and a chamberpot fell to the floor where he stood. &quot;Ow! Jesus bloody Christ! the chamberpot cried out in Colin's voice. Pamela stared, wide-eyed with disbelief. &quot;Oh, my God!&quot; &quot;I told you,&quot; Megan said. &quot;Now look what you've gone anddone.&quot; There was a pounding at the door. Pamela looked toward the door, fearfully. &quot;My lord! 'Tis Ivor!&quot; &quot;Now what do we do?&quot; asked Megan. Pamela took several deep breaths, trying to compose herself. &quot;You'dbetter open it.&quot; Megan opened the door and Ivor came rushing in, bending low as he dropped toone knee. &quot;My lord, I rushed here as soon as I-&quot; He looked around.&quot;Where is my lord Charles?&quot; &quot;Right here,&quot; said the chamberpot. Ivor stared. &quot;Lord Charles has decided to change form,&quot; said Pamela quickly.&quot;What news do you bring?&quot; &quot;Terrible news, My Lady,&quot; Ivor said. &quot;The king has beenabducted!&quot; &quot;What?&quot; &quot;It occurred shortly before dawn, my lady,&quot; Ivor said. &quot;Rebelshad gained admission through a secret passageway unknown to the palace guard. Itled to the queen's chamber. They overpowered the guards in the corridor and madeoff with the king and queen! The alarm has been given, and the palace guard iscombing the city, searching for them. Sheriff Waylon has taken command in theking's absence and he requests an audience with my lord Warrick.&quot; &quot;Did you tell him Warrick wasn't here?&quot; &quot;Nay, my lady, I did but do your bidding not to announce your presence.But what should I do? What should I tell the sheriff?&quot; Pamela thought fast. &quot;Tell him nothing. The king and queen are none ofour concern. We must make certain that the wizard Brewster is taken alive forWarrick, for those were his commands. Assemble an armed escort at once withprovisions to take us to Brigantium. We will need swift horses.&quot; Sheglanced down at the chamberpot and swallowed hard, still unable to believe whathad just happened. &quot;Lord Charles will travel with me in his present form.But we must move quickly. Go!&quot; &quot;Aye, my lady, as you command,&quot; said Ivor. The moment he left the room, Pamela leaned against a table for support. &quot;That was quick thinking,&quot; said the chamberpot. &quot;But what inthe bloody hell happened to me?&quot; &quot;I don't think you really want to know,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Give me a hand,&quot; said the chamberpot. &quot;I can't seem to getup.&quot; &quot;A hand?&quot; said Pamela, shaking her head in dismay. &quot;Yes, give me your hand.&quot; &quot;All right, if you say so,&quot; Pamela replied. She reached down andpicked him up. &quot;What... ?&quot; said Colin. &quot;How did you ... ?&quot; &quot;Prepare yourself for a shock,&quot; said Pamela. She carried him overto a small, ornate mirror mounted on the wall. &quot;This is whathappened te you,&quot; she said, holding him up to the mirror. &quot;Holy shit! It can't be! It's impossible! It's ... it's some kind oftrick!&quot; &quot; 'Tis a spell of transformation,&quot; said the mirror. &quot;Youopened the Grimoire of Honorious, didn't you?&quot; Pamela stepped back from the mirror, startled. &quot;I'm having a bad dream,&quot; said the chamberpot. Pamela slowly approached the mirror. &quot; 'Tis all right, I won't bite,&quot; the mirror said. &quot;I am theEnchanted Mirror of Truth. How may I serve you?&quot; &quot;I don't believe it,&quot; Pamela said. And then, involuntarily, shegiggled. &quot;Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?&quot; &quot;Well, 'tis all relative, isn't it?&quot; the mirror said. &quot;Beautyis in the eye of the beholder. And there's much more to being beautiful thanjust a great body and a pretty face. There's a person's inner beauty toconsider. Like, is she nice? Does she have a good personality? A sense of humor?A kind and understanding nature? I must admit, you score pretty well on thosepoints. About an eight and half, I'd say.&quot; &quot;This can't be happening,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;It's a two-waymirror. Who's there? Who's on the other side?&quot; &quot;No one. Unless, of course, you mean the question in a metaphyscialsense, in which case, the answer would be rather lengthy and complex. The answerdepends on which truth you seek, for as I told you, milady, I am the EnchantedMirror of Truth.&quot; Pamela shook her head. &quot;Enchanted? But. . . that isn't possible. There'sno such thing as magic!&quot; &quot;Excuse me,&quot; said the chamberpot wryly, &quot;you want to run thatby me again?&quot; &quot;This has to be some kind of hallucination,&quot; Pamela said.&quot;Magic doesn't exist!&quot; &quot;It does not exist in your world,&quot; said the mirror, &quot;but itdoes in this one.&quot; &quot;In ... this one?&quot; Pamela said weakly. &quot;What do youmean?&quot; &quot;I think perhaps you'd better sit down,&quot; the mirror replied.&quot;This could take a while.&quot; &nbsp; TEN &nbsp; Well, it looks as if things are coming to a head. Pamela has crossed thedimensional boundaries and is now in the same world as Brewster; Warrick issafely stuck in modern-day London, where he can no longer cause any trouble;Megan has found her way back home; and after years of sticking his nose intoother people's business, Hightower has finally discovered that curiositysometimes kills the cat... or in this case, turns it into a talking potty. Itonly goes to show that just when you think you've got things under control, lifehas a way of pulling the rug out from under you. The important thing is thatI've finally got this story back on track. You see, I told you, always trustyour narrator. What? How did Colin happen to pick up a copy of the Grimoire of Honoriouswhen Teddy stole it from Warrick and brought it to Brewster in the Bag ofHolding? He had a spare copy, all right? Well, he had a spare crystal ball,didn't he? You mean to tell me you don't have duplicates among your favoritebooks? (Picky, picky, picky ...) T
e point is, Warrick had, indeed, spell-warded all his valuable possessions,and unlike Teddy, who knew the wards and canceled them before he stole the Bagof Holding, Hightower set off the magical ward the moment he opened the book.Now the same fate that had befallen Prince Brian has befallen him, and sinceopening the grimoire would only set off the spell again, Pamela can't help himby looking up the spell to change him back. Brewster could, of course, butneither Colin nor Pamela know that, yet. And Pamela's having enough problemsjust trying to deal with what the magic mirror told her. Fortunately, the magic mirror wasn't spellwarded, because Warrick hadnot considered it a particularly useful possession. (Hah, thought you caught meon that one, didn't you?) Hehad grown impatient with its equivocating, politically correct replies to allhis queries, and so he had simply hung it on the wall and left it there, usingit only on occasion to comb his hair or apply some magical disappearing salve toan outbreak of pimples. As a result, the mirror had grown terminally bored, andwas only too happy to have someone finally ask it questions once again. After a hearty, room-service dinner of roast venison and veggies provided byWarrick's staff, Pamela had Captain Ivor prepare some horses and saddlebagsloaded with provisions. Then, together with an escort of half a dozenmen-at-arms in Warrick's colors, she had set out for Brigantium, with Colin theChamperpot slung across her saddle and the magic mirror wrapped and safelypacked away inside her bedroll. It was at least a week's ride to Brigand'sRoost, and since she no longer had to worry about Colin being unable to ride,there was no need of a coach. Speed was of the essence if they were to beat theroyal army, so they set off on horseback first thing after breakfast. Meanwhile, King Billy was having a rather rude awakening. Over the recentmonths, Queen Sandy had taken to spending a great deal of time by herself, andthey rarely slept together in the royal bedroom anymore. It seemed thateverything he did made the queen angry and irritable. She was always complainingthat he deferred too much to Warrick, and that his brother, Sheriff Waylon, wasexceeding his authority and making himself more and more unpopular with thecitizens of Pittsburgh. She complained that he was making the people pay toomuch taxes, that he didn't care about their welfare, and that, in general, hewas a pretty piss-poor king. All this only made Billy more stubborn and truculent, and he had taken tospending more and more time making grandiose plans for troop movements andstrategies for the upcoming war. He would spend hours maneuvering his toysoldiers around on the sand table, updating his plans daily, and forwarding themto Lord Kelvin, the commander of the royalarmy, who-being a man who knew his business- promptly crumpled them up and threwthem all away. Now, with the royal army on the march against the upstart new Kingdom ofBrigantium, and Lord Kelvin promising that with such a mighty force, a speedyvictory was assured, Billy was looking forward to basking in the glory of theirreturn. He wouldn't have anything to do with their victory, of course, but itwas his army and the credit would reflect on him. He would have LordKelvin decorated, and there would be a great parade-Billy simply lovedparades-and the people would be happy. The army would come back with theirspoils of war, Lord Kelvin would present Warrick with the head of the outlawwizard on a pike, and all this talk of revolution would disappear. There wasnothing like a war to bring about national unity and lift people's spirits. All in all, thought Billy, things were going very well. Maybe Warrick wouldeven be grateful enough to devise a spell that would make the queen respectfuland compliant. She was a beautiful, seductive woman, with a body that made hismouth water, but lately, she had been denying it to him because she was upsetwith him and that made him feel extremely frustrated. He was the king, afterall. What was the use in being king if you couldn't even command your own wife?He would simply have to make sure that Warrick did something about that. Afterall, hadn't he always done everything that Warrick asked? Would it be too muchto expect him to return just this one small favor? Thinking of Warrick made Billy realize that it had been a while since he'dseen or heard from him. Word had it that Warrick was cloistered in his AlabasterTower, doubtless conjuring spells to ensure the army's victory over the outlawmage. Well, now was not the time to interrupt him. Billy had learned the hardway that sending for Warrick was counterproductive. Warrick would always sendthe courier back with the message, &quot;What does the king want?'' And thenBilly would have to explain to the courier what he wanted and send him back toWarrick, and Warrick would invariably reply that he was too busy to come rightthen, but he would behappy to see to whatever His Majesty wished at the earliest opportunity. After awhile of this, even the couriers had started smirking. Billy finally resolvedthat if he wanted anything of Warrick, it was best to simply go and see himhimself. Well, there would be plenty of time for that after the war was over. Inthe meantime, Billy kept revising his battle plans, just to make sure, andsending updates to Lord Kelvin right up until the last minute. The night before the army was due to depart, Billy had stayed up very late,maneuvering his toy soldiers and making detailed notes. He wanted to makeabsolutedly certain that Lord Kelvin had the benefit of the finest battle planhe could devise, because then he could take the credit for it when the armyreturned victorious. He was so intent upon his task that he never heard thescuffling in the hall when Sandy came back through her secret passageway withLord Aubrey and some members of the Underground and overpowered the royal guardsstationed in the corridor. The first inkling Billy had that anything was wrongwas when the doors to his bedchamber burst open and a bunch of cloaked andhooded figures descended upon him. Before he could even cry out, a gag wasstuffed into his mouth and his arms were tied behind him. Then a sack was placedover his head and he was frog-marched out into the corridor. They spun him around several times and he quickly lost all sense ofdirection, so he had no idea that he was marched straight back to the queen'schambers and through her secret passageway. Eventually, he knew he was outsidebecause he felt the breeze and the cobblestones beneath his feet, but almost atonce he was hustled into a coach and forced down on the floor. He had no ideahow long the jarring ride was, but before long he was rudely lifted up andcarried out. He was marched a short distance down a street and then insidesomewhere, and after a few more minutes he was pushed down into a chair and tiedto it. The sack was not removed from his head, so he had no idea where he was,or who his captors were. And he was very much afraid. Terrified, in fact. &quot;Who... who are you?&quot; he demanded. &quot;How dare you? What is themeaning of this? What do you want of me?&quot; &quot;Please accept our humblest apologies, Your Majesty,&quot; a voice said,&quot;and rest assured that we intend no harm to you. We truly regret thenecessity for this, and we apologize for the inconvenience, but 'tis all foryour own good.&quot; &quot;For my own good?&quot; said King Billy with disbelief. &quot;Aye, Sire,&quot; the unknown voice replied.&quot; 'Twas necessary tospirit you out of the palace and someplace safe, where your enemies could notreach you.&quot; &quot;My enemies?&quot; said Billy. &quot;Are you seriously trying to suggestthat you are my friends? When I am bound and gagged and abducted from my ownbedchamber, then held this way, with my hands tied and a sack over my head, likesome common criminal?&quot; &quot;The sack will shortly be removed, sire, and the bonds as well. I regretthe temporary inconvenience, but I fear that 'twas necessary to preserve ouranonymity. We are the Underground, you see, people dedicated to the cause offreedom and improving conditions within the kingdom.&quot; &quot;You are the rebels,&quot; Billy said, as his stomach contracted withfear. &quot;No, Sire, we are not. A number of us might even be known to you asmembers of the aristocracy, or perhaps even your own palace guard. Our memberscome from every walk of life, and we have one thing in common-to work againstinjustice and help those who have been oppressed. But we are not the revolution.Our methods are nonviolent, yet we are still branded as criminals under yourregime. And ironic as it may seem, we have abducted you to save your life. Wehave learned that once the army had departed for Brigantium, the revolutionwould begin, and the first target of the rebels would surely be the royalpalace. Your palace guard would never be sufficient to repel the force. Youwould have been seized and executed. 'Twas our intention to prevent that.&quot; &quot;And the queen?&quot; asked Billy. &quot;What of her?&quot; Lord Aubrey glanced at the queen, who stood beside him as he spoke to herhusband. King Billy, of course, was oblivious to her presence. &quot;The queen is not far from here,&quot; Lord Aubrey replied truthfully.He disguised his voice, to keep the king from recognizing it. &quot;You may restassured that we will keep her safe.&quot; &quot;I demand to see her,&quot; said King Billy. &quot;In due time, sire,&quot; Lord Aubrey replied. &quot;For the present,you shall not be kept together. 'Tis purely a safety precaution, youunderstand.&quot; &quot;I do not understand. Why?&quot; &quot;The revolution will certainly succeed,&quot; Lord Aubrey said, &quot;atleast in the short term. They shall seize control of the government, and one oftheir first priorities, on finding you and the queen gone, will be to search foryou. Should anything go wrong, we cannot afford losing you both, so you will bekept separate.&quot; &quot;I see,&quot; King Billy replied. &quot;If I should be found andexecuted, then the queen succeeds me. And if she should die, then I will stillbe left alive. Your reasoning makes sense. And when the royal army returns, theyshall put down the revolution and proper rule shall be restored.&quot; &quot;Precisely,&quot; said Lord Aubrey. &quot;But there is more to it thanthat, Your Majesty. You have enemies within your regime, as well. If anythingwere to happen to you and the queen, the blame would doubtless fall upon theleaders of the revolution, but the advantage would fall to your royal wizard,because then, since you are childless, there would be nothing to prevent himfrom claiming the throne.&quot; &quot;Warrick? Assume the throne? Don't be absurd!&quot; said King Billy.&quot;Warrick is a sorcerer. He cares only for his books and potions. Of whatuse would earthly power be to him?&quot; &quot;Warrick is the Grand Director of the Sorcerers Guild, YourMajesty,&quot; Lord Aubrey said. &quot;As such, he has already proven himselfadept at politics. The recent edicts, which have so incensed the populace andwere instituted in your name, were all written by the sheriff, at Warrick'sbehest. It is also a well known fact throughout the kingdom that whatever favorWarrick asks of you, you grant. And is not our army at this very moment marchingoff to war against Brigantium for no other reason than because Warrick sees thisso-called 'outlaw mage' as a threat to his own power?&quot; &quot; 'Tis not true,&quot; King Billy protested. &quot;Brigantium is athreat to the entire economy of our kingdom. They steal our trade through unfaircompetition, they cause our currency to be devalued, and they steal our citizensby luring them away with the promise of riches gained at our expense.&quot; &quot;And who was it that told you this?&quot; Lord Aubrey asked. &quot;Why, 'twas...&quot; &quot;Warrick, was it not? The people who have left our kingdom forBrigantium fled from our repressive laws, which you empowered the royal sheriffto enact. And your brother, the sheriff, does whatever Warrick tells him. As forthese economic grievances you cite against Brigantium, was there ever even anattempt to send a delegation there to negotiate our differencespeacefully?&quot; &quot;Well... no, but...&quot; &quot;Is that not normally the first step when kingdoms have differencesbetween them?&quot; &quot;Well, perhaps, but in this case, Warrick felt that...&quot; &quot;Warrick felt? I thought you said that Warrick did not concernhimself with such earthly things, that he cared only for his books and potions.Yet here we see that he advises you on foreign policy. Or perhaps he dictatesthat policy?&quot; &quot;Now you are sounding like the queen,&quot; said Billy. &quot;She neverliked him.&quot; &quot;Perhaps, sire, because Her Highness realized, as you did not, thatWarrick was never your friend.&quot; King Billy remained silent. &quot;Doubtless, sire, you do not reply because of your physicaldiscomfort,&quot; said Lord Aubrey. &quot;In a moment we shall see to that. Aroom has been prepared for you. The accommodations are paltry compared withthose of your palace, but we have endeavored to make them as comfortable aspossible. There is no window, I am sorry to say, and the walls are thick, but weshall provide you with an adequate supplyof candles and as good a bed as we could find. You will be well fed, with thebest we have to offer, and if there is anything we can provide to make your staymore comfortable, we shall endeavor to do so. Meanwhile, perhaps you can use thetime to contemplate these things we have discussed, and consider the lives thatwill be lost in the coming revolution and the war against Brigantium, and thedeaths that will occur when the army returns and finds it must put down a coup,all of which could easily have been avoided if you had listened less to Warrickand more to the people of your kingdom. And now, Your Majesty, I must say goodnight. My companions will conduct you to your room, where your bonds will beremoved. I have other pressing matters to which I must attend.&quot; The king was led away and Lord Aubrey turned to the queen. &quot;Well,&quot;he said, &quot;now we are guilty of an offense that could put our heads upon theblock.&quot; &quot;You spoke well,&quot; said the queen. &quot;Strangely enough, he seemedto listen to you, whereas he never listened to me.&quot; &quot;Had he done that, Your Highness, none of us would be here now.&quot; &quot;My lord,&quot; said one of the men, entering the room, &quot;it seemsthat we have caught a spy.&quot; &quot;A spy!&quot; Lord Aubrey said. &quot;He was following the queen,&quot; the man said. &quot;Then ... he must know everything,&quot; said Aubrey. He sighed andshook his head. &quot;Bring him in.&quot; A moment later two men entered, holding a frightened Ferret Phil betweenthem. &quot;I have seen this man before,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;He was at TheStealers Tavern. Gentlemanly Johnny and La Donna must have had me followed frommy meeting with them there.&quot; &quot;And you came directly to our meeting,&quot; said Lord Aubrey,&quot;from which we left for the palace. If he has been following you all thistime, then he could not have had a chance to report what he has learned.&quot; The look of alarm that briefly registered in Ferret Phil's eyes told Aubreyhe was right. &quot;Well, we can spare neither the time nor the effort to hold him,&quot;Aubrey said. &quot;And there is always a chance he may escape. Besides, he knowstoo much and he has seen us.&quot; &quot;We agreed to use no violence,&quot; said Queen Sandy. &quot;Aye,&quot; Aubrey replied, &quot;but given what's at stake, what otherchoice do we have?&quot; &quot;There is one,&quot; said Sandy. She glanced at the men holding Phil andsaid, &quot;Leave us.&quot; They released Phil and left the room, shutting the door behind them andleaving Sandy and Aubrey alone with him. Sandy approached Ferret Phil, gazingdeep into his eyes, and made a languid pass with her hand before his face. Hiseyelids closed and his body relaxed. In a slow, chanting voice, Sandy spoke aspell. &quot;Of what you've seen and what you've heard,
you shall utter not one word.
From the moment we first met, everything you shall forget.
All events of this past night,
now will vanish from your sight.
Tomorrow morning, when you wake,
this night's memories you'll forsake.
All of these commands you'll keep,
now descend to dreamless sleep.&quot; The moment she stopped speaking, Ferret Phil collapsed to the floor andimmediately started snoring. &quot;Well, smite me,&quot; said Aubrey, staring at the queen withastonishment. &quot;You're a witch!&quot; She turned to him and nodded. &quot;Now there are no secrets left between us,Lord Aubrey.&quot; He gave her a slight bow. &quot;And unless you wish to cast a like spell uponme, Your Highness, I shall take this one to my grave.&quot; She smiled and said, &quot;I know your word to be more binding than any spellI could devise, Lord Aubrey.&quot; &quot;You honor me, my queen.&quot; &quot;And you me, Aubrey, with your friendship. Now, let us have this mantaken to another part of town and find him a room where he may sleep in comfort.There is yet much for us to do.&quot; &quot;I am at your command,&quot; Lord Aubrey said. &quot;Then fetch us two fast horses and some provisions,&quot; said Sandy.&quot;You and I must leave at once and try to beat the army to Brigantium.&quot; &quot;Brigantium!&quot; said Aubrey. &quot;But, Your Highness, do you realizewhat you're proposing? Quite aside from the risks of such a journey, if theyrealize who you are-&quot; &quot;I intend to tell them who I am,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;And the moment that you do, they shall seize us both and take usprisoner.&quot; &quot;That is precisely what I intend for them to do,&quot; Sandy replied.&quot;And then when Lord Kelvin arrives with his army, they can hold me hostageagainst his attack.&quot; Aubrey shook his head with admiration. &quot;With no disrespect intended toHis Majesty, he does not deserve such a queen.&quot; He clapped his hand to hissword and bowed deeply. &quot;It shall be my privilege to escort you toBrigantium, Your Highness.&quot; Ah, adventure! Ah, romance! Ah, the courtly graces and the noble gestures!Don't you wish you knew people like that? Don't you wish we could still walkaround in cloaks and boots and breeches, with leather doublets and flowing whitedueling shirts and swords strapped around our waists? Of course, if we did,given the way things are today, there would be people out there lobbying forsword control, and we'd need a National Sword Association and bumper stickersthat would read, &quot;Swords don't kill people, knights kill people,&quot; andthere would be a five-day waiting period and background check before you couldbuy a rapier. We'd have drive-by lungings and people would be afraid of childrencarrying broadswords to school. &quot;Milady&quot; would be regarded as a sexistterm and feminists would go absolutely berserk if any woman called a man&quot;Milord.&quot; Ralph Nader would probablyget quarter horses banned because they are too small and unsafe in a collisionand someone would figure out a way to put seat belts and air bags on oursaddles. That's why people join the SCA and read fantasy novels, because thereal world sucks. Anyway, where were we? Oh, right, we were in the process of pulling togetherthe various elements of what we laughingly refer to as &quot;the plot&quot; ofthis story. Don't worry, we'll get there, I promise. Remember, always trust yournarrator. And speaking of promises, I know I said we'd check back in with Warrick andsee how he was getting on in modem London. Heh, heh, heh. Not too well, itseems. When last we left the royal wizard, he was making the unpleasantdiscovery that magic didn't work in our world and getting pasted in the jaw byColin Hightower. Well, since then, as predicted, he regained consciousness andwas discovered in Brewster's lab by Dr. Davies, the EnGulfCo executivevice-president of R and D, and a detachment of security. They handcuffed him andtook him into custody and subjected him to a rigorous interrogation, whichresulted in Dr. Davies placing a call to the EnGulfCo CEO. Of course, it was illegal for them to detain him like that without callingthe police, but since Warrick didn't know enough to demand to see a lawyer-orbarrister, as they call them in England-they just went ahead and did it anyway.Even if he had demanded to see an attorney, they probably would have disregardedhim in any case, because they were not about to go public with any of thisstuff. There was just too much at stake. And we all know what happens when anindividual tries to take on a huge multinational corporation. Can you say,&quot;Bambi meets Godzilla&quot;? For twenty-four hours, Warrick was kept in a holding room in the securitywing at EnGulfCo corporate headquarters. He was questioned by Dr. Davies, thenhooked up to a polygraph machine and questioned once again, and finally he wasbrought to the opulent private office of the EnGulfCo CEO. &quot;Leave us,&quot; he said to the security guards as they sat Warrick in acomfortable leather and brass-studded chair opposite the massive mahogany desk.The security guards left, leaving Warrick alone with the CEO and Dr. Davies. &quot;Well, Mr. Warrick, is it? You've posed us quite a pretty problem.&quot;The CEO glanced down at the report lying on his desk. &quot;No doubt, you arewondering just what it is that's happened to you, and where you are. At themoment, you are in the office of the chairman of the board of EnGulfCoInternational. That's me. I am a very busy man. A very wealthy and powerful man,as I imagine you were where you came from, wherever that may be. I've read thereport of your questioning, you see, and you have the look of someone accustomedto authority. Well, I am in authority here. I have only to say the word&quot;Jump,&quot; and heads of state ask, 'How high?' Would you care for somewine?&quot; &quot;Thank you, I would,&quot; said Warrick. The CEO merely nodded to Dr. Davies, who went over to the sideboard andpoured them both some sherry. &quot;You had come into possession of something that belonged to us,&quot;said the CEO. &quot;The time machine,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Precisely. You understand what it is?&quot; &quot;A device for traveling through the ethereal planes,&quot; said Warrick. The CEO smiled. &quot;I suppose that could be one way of putting it,&quot; hesaid. &quot;The man who built it, Dr. Marvin Brewster, whom you apparently knowas 'Brewster Doc,' works for me.&quot; &quot;I see,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;He is your court wizard.&quot; The CEO smiled again and took a sip of sherry. &quot;In a manner of speaking.The woman you saw up in the lab was Dr. Pamela Fairburn. She is engaged to Dr.Brewster and is, uh, something of a wizard in her own right. At my direction,she had attempted to duplicate the machine that Dr. Brewster built, butunfortunately, it does not work. We lack some of the key components, and itseems the notes Dr. Brewster left behind were not entirely complete. What thatmeans is the onlyworking model of Dr. Brewster's time machine is the one in which you had arrivedhere, and which Dr. Fairburn apparently took back to wherever it is you camefrom, along with those two other individuals, one of whom it seems you know. Theother one, the man who struck you, has since been identified. He is a ratherunscrupulous reporter with a distinctly unsavory reputation.&quot; &quot;I am not surprised,&quot; said Warrick wryly. &quot;You appear to be a good judge of character,&quot; said the CEO.&quot;We may be able to help each other.&quot; &quot;I was about to suggest the same thing,&quot; Warrick replied with asmile. &quot;Excellent,&quot; said the CEO. &quot;It is obvious that Dr. Fairburnwent back to get Dr. Brewster. If she fails to return, then there is probablynothing we can do but keep working on the machine she duplicated and try to finda way to make it function. The odds of that, however, seem slim and none. If shesucceeds, however, then a world of possibilities will open up to us. She hasproven to be an extremely resourceful woman, and I have great confidence in her.Let us hope that she succeeds.&quot; &quot;And if she does?&quot; asked Warrick. &quot;Then you and I will have a great deal to discuss,&quot; replied theCEO. &quot;The situation could be of great profit to us both, if we were to worktogether.&quot; &quot;Perhaps,&quot; said Warrick, &quot;but first, there is something that Iwant.&quot; The CEO raised his eyebrows. &quot;Really? And what would that be?&quot; &quot;I am seeking someone who calls himself 'the Narrator.' It was for thatpurpose that I came.&quot; Oh-oh. No, you don't. At that moment, the door to the CEO's office opened and the head of securitycame rushing in. &quot;I thought I said that we were not to be disturbed,&quot; the CEO said,frowning. &quot;Yes, sir, but I think you'd better have a look at this,&quot; the headof security said, moving to the window and opening the blinds. The CEO gotup and looked. Outside, there was a crowd of people jamming the sidewalk andspilling out into the street, blocking traffic. Police were trying to break themup, apparently without success. More police cars were arriving as they watched,along with several vans. &quot;What's going on down there?&quot; the CEO asked. &quot;Who are thosepeople?&quot; &quot;They started arriving about half an hour ago,&quot; the security mansaid. &quot;It seems like some sort of protest demonstration. Their numbers.have swelled dramatically in the last ten or fifteen minutes and a bunch ofthem have broken through into the lobby. We can't contain the situation andwe've been forced to call in the police. And now we've reporters down there,too, along with several TV crews.&quot; &quot;What do they want?&quot; asked the CEO. The head of security glanced at Warrick. &quot;They want him.&quot; The CEO turned to Warrick with a frown. &quot;What do you know aboutthis?&quot; &quot;They must be my test subjects,&quot; Warrick said. &quot;Test subjects?&quot; The CEO suddenly remembered the report and whatWarrick had revealed during his questioning. &quot;But how could they have knownyou were here?&quot; &quot;Before transporting them in the time machine, I had placed each of themunder a spell of compulsion to find a way back to me and report where they hadbeen and what they had seen,&quot; Warrick explained. He shrugged. &quot;Myspells are not effective here, but it seems t
e effects of the spells I cast inmy own world linger on in this one. They must have been drawn to me by myarrival here.&quot; &quot;Wonderful. And we've got the media down there,&quot; the CEO said.&quot;Can you imagine what will happen if any of those people talk tothem?&quot; &quot;Never fear, they will not speak with anyone about this before they havespoken with me first and fulfilled the conditions of the spell,&quot; saidWarrick. &quot;And then what?&quot; &quot;Then they will no longer feel the effects of the compulsion.&quot; &quot;I see.&quot; The CEO turned to the head of security. &quot;Let themin,&quot; he said. &quot;Sir?&quot; &quot;You heard me. Let those people in. But the media stays out. And if theywant to know what's going on, just tell them 'No comment.'&quot; He turned backto Warrick. &quot;Well, since this is your doing, I guess you'd better speakwith them.&quot; &quot;All of them?&quot; said Warrick. &quot;All of them,&quot; said the CEO. &quot;But it could take days for them to tell me all that's happened to themsince they have arrived here,&quot; Warrick protested. &quot;I imagine it will probably take several weeks, at least,&quot; the CEOreplied. &quot;It makes no difference to me. I want this situation brought undercontrol. Besides, it isn't as if you have anything better to do for the present.Afterward, I'm sure I can come up with something useful for a man of yourpeculiar talents, but meanwhile, I want you to take care of this. You can useone of the offices downstairs.&quot; He turned back to the security man. &quot;Iwant the names of all those people, and their addresses and telephone and socialsecurity numbers. I want us to be able to find each and every one of them againif we have to. Find accommodations for them and put them all on the payrolluntil Warrick's finished with them. Make sure they sign the standard contractand that they read and understand the security clause. Got it?&quot; &quot;Yes, sir.&quot; &quot;It would appear as if I have unintentionally caused you a great deal ofinconvenience,&quot; said Warrick. &quot;Such was not my intention. Iapologize.&quot; &quot;Oh, you'll make it worth my while, Warrick, one way or another,&quot;said the CEO. &quot;As of now, you work for me.&quot; Well, the plot thickens. Brewster and the others, whom we shall join in thenext chapter, are frantically working to prepare for the upcoming invasion.Harlan's spies have reportedthat King Billy's army is on the move, and things are indeed hectic right now atthe keep. The fortifications are almost complete, and the assembly lines arerunning at full tilt. Mac is busily trying to whip the newly recruited Army ofBrigantium into shape with the assistance of the mercenaries he has hired;Rachel Drum, bearing Dwarfkabob, the enchanted Sword of the Shaman, has flownwith Rory to the convocation of the elves to seek their help; and Harlan, havingfreshly returned from his mission to King Durwin, who has decided to sit thiswhole thing out and see what happens, has departed for a meeting with thedwarves to see if he can negotiate an alliance with them against Lord Kelvin'sarmy. All in all, things have been pretty busy in the newly formed Kingdom ofBrigantium. Meanwhile, Pamela and Megan are on their way to Brigand's Roost, escorted bysix of Warrick's men-at-arms, while the rest of Warrick's guard remain behindwith Captain Ivor, who is convinced that Warrick has sent the two demons to aidin the invasion. It has not occurred to him to wonder why two powerful demonsfrom the ethereal plane would need an armed escort to travel to Brigantium, orwhy they would travel on horseback rather than fly or teleport themselves, oreven why one of them would choose to assume the rather unusual form of achamberpot. Ivor had long since learned not to question magical goings-on. Time after time, he and his men had dragged prisoners from the royal dungeonsinto Warrick's sanctorum and none of them ever came out again. So far as Ivorwas concerned, what Warrick or any of his conjured demons chose to do was theirbusiness. He simply followed instructions, taking up watch on the time machine,which he was careful not to approach too closely. There were, to be sure, easiergigs to be had in Pittsburgh for skilled men-at-arms, but Warrick's minions werepaid very well, even better than the palace guard, and they had generousbenefits, such as free health care, a uniform and weapons allowance, free roomand board and even a retirement plan. If that meant putting up with the occasionalsupernatural manifestation, Ivor figured it was worth it. And finally, Queen Sandy and Lord Aubrey are also galloping at full speedtoward the town of Brigand's Roost in a desperate effort to stop the war beforeit gets started. Sandy did her best to reason with The Stealers Guild, butclearly they would have been unable to stop the revolution even if they wantedto, and the most Sandy could hope for was a minimal loss of life among hersubjects. To be sure, the palace guard would be overrun, but she doubted theywould put up much of a resistance once they realized how greatly the odds wouldbe against them. Unlike Warrick's minions, they were poorly paid and had nobenefits. Chances were they would simply cut and run, or even throw in with theforces of the revolution, and the palace would fall without much of a struggle. Sheriff Waylon and his deputies would be the ones who would be mosthard-pressed. The people had no reason to despise the palace guard, but they hadplenty of reasons to hate Sheriff Waylon and his men, who had comportedthemselves like thugs. Waylon would be the first to feel the mob's wrath,especially once they discovered that the king had gone into hiding. UnlessWaylon was able to escape, he was probably going to have his neck stretched, andSandy couldn't think of a more deserving candidate for such a fate. What worriedher was Warrick. She had no idea what the Grand Director of the Sorcerers Guild was liable todo when the revolution started. She had no way of knowing that he would besitting in a London office, drinking pots and pots of coffee while he conductedinterminable interviews with his test subjects, who would regale him with longtales of what they had experienced and learned since he had transported them toour world. Okay, have we left anybody out? No, I don't think so. I think that just aboutcovers it as this story approaches its dramatic climax. It's time we checkedback in with Brewster, who is feeling very ambivalent about this whole thing. Hehad never thought, when he first arrived in Brigand's Roost, that his efforts toimprove the lives of the town's residents would lead to such a crisis. He feltresponsible, and he was determined to do everything he could to help them. Tothat end, he has been driving himself mercilessly, working around the clock toprepare for the coming battle. And if you think this story's been pretty weirdso far, just wait 'til you see what happens next. &nbsp; ELEVEN &nbsp; Brewster was exhausted. For the past several weeks, he had averaged at bestthree or four hours sleep each night, and the last few days he had gone almostcompletely without sleep, just grabbing a quick nap here and there whenever hecould. Mick had the weapons crews working in shifts around the clock and lastminute construction was being completed on the fortifications. The keep hadtaken on the appearance of a factory. All work on the palace had been abandoned,and it stood unfinished as they concentrated on the walls and gun emplacements.The grounds of the keep had become a crowded tent city as people from Brigand'sRoost and the settlement just outside the walls moved in for protection fromLord Kelvin's army, which was fast approaching. Advance scouts had already beensighted. The land beyond the settlement had already been cleared in preparation fornew construction. Now, it would become an open field of fire. Bloody Bob's workcrews had cut down small trees to make large stakes, sharpening them at theends, crisscrossing and bracing them and setting them into the ground at anglesin staggered lines, to impede the advance of troops in large formations acrossthe open ground. Frenetic activity was taking place everywhere. WheneverBrewster wasn't checking on the work in progress, he was huddled in the greathall of the keep with Mac and Shannon, going over crudely drawn maps of thesurrounding area in an effort to come up with defensive strategies. &quot;It looks as if they will avoid the town on their approach,&quot; saidMac, as they stood around the table, looking down at the map he'd drawn. Hepointed to it with a dagger. &quot;The watch reports the army here at present.Their advance scouts have crossed the river and are now swinging around to thewest, thisway. That indicates they will be taking a circuitous approach.&quot; &quot;Why not simply continue down the road and through the town?&quot; askedBrewster. &quot;Because the road to Brigand's Roost is narrow,&quot; Mac replied,&quot;with thick woods all around. The troops would be stretched out along itfor a good distance, which would afford too many possibilities for ambush fromcover. Lord Kelvin is too good a general for that. He will circle round theforest, through the meadows here, and approach us from the west, down the roadfrom Franktown. 'Tis a wider road, and it skirts the forest, following the riverbefore bending around past the keep here, and going on toward Brigand'sRoost.&quot; He outlined the course with the tip of his dagger as he spoke. &quot;That will still take them through part of the forest,&quot; Shannonsaid. &quot;True,&quot; Mac replied, &quot;but for a much shorter distance. 'Tisthe logical approach. Lord Kelvin knows that if we come out to meet him inforce, we'd have to meet him on ground of his own choosing, here in this rollingmeadow&quot;-he pointed with the dagger-&quot;where he will doubtless disposehis troops upon the rise. Otherwise, he will expect us to attack when he moveshis troops down the road and through the forest, toward the keep. If I were him,I would send one column down the road, and wide flanking columns of skirmishersthrough the forest on either side. That way, if the main column was attacked, hecould bring his skirmishers in and trap the attacking force, then advance uponthe keep, saving the town for last. 'Twould make a good incentive for his troopsto have the town to plunder once the keep had fallen.&quot; &quot;The keep isn't going to fall,&quot; said Shannon firmly. &quot;If it does,&quot; Mac replied, &quot;then there will be nothingstanding between Lord Kelvin's forces and the town.&quot; &quot;What do you propose to do?&quot; asked Brewster. &quot;Well, we are vastly outnumbered, and our force is poorly trained,&quot;said Mac. &quot;Lord Kelvin would have the decided advantage if we met in opencombat on a field where he could maneuver. There has been no word fromRachel?&quot; Brewster shook his head. &quot;No, and we have heard nothing from thedwarves, either. So, unless something happens very soon, we cannot count on anyhelp from either the elves or the dwarves. We may have to do this on ourown.&quot; &quot;Then our best bet is to make our stand right here,&qu
t; said Mac.&quot;I will position the main body of our force here in the woods, to the eastof us, between the keep and Brigand's Roost, so that they may strike Kelvin onhis flank as he comes at the keep and then fight a defensive action and retreatback toward the town as necessary. The remainder of our force will man thewalls. What progress are you making with your special weapons?&quot; &quot;They're just about ready,&quot; Brewster said. &quot;We've only got twoof the big guns finished, but there hasn't been much time for field testing.We'll, just have to hope they work, that's all.&quot; &quot;You look tired, Doc,&quot; said Shannon. &quot;You have done all youcould. You need to get some rest.&quot; &quot;Yes, I'm about dead on my feet,&quot; Brewster replied, running hishand through his hair. &quot;I feel as if I could sleep for a week. I just wishthere was some way we could avoid all this. I feel as if it's all myfault.&quot; &quot;There is no sense in blaming yourself, Doc,&quot; Mac said. &quot; 'Tisnot you who is responsible for this. We are the ones being attacked.&quot; &quot;Yes, but it's all because of me,&quot; Brewster replied sadly. &quot;IfI hadn't come here in the first place, none of this would have happened.&quot; &quot;But think of all the wonderful things that have happened because youdid come,&quot; Shannon said. &quot;You have changed many lives for the better,Doc, ours included. If you were to leave, there is no one who would not bedeeply sorry to see you go. And no one holds you to blame for this war.&quot; &quot;Aye, 'tis Warrick who is behind it all,&quot; said Mac. &quot;And heremains the unknown factor in this conflict. We know what Kelvin will do. As toWarrick's plans, we can only guess. Get some sleep, Doc. There is nothing morethat you cando for the present. Fear not, 'twill all turn out for the best.&quot; &quot;I sincerely hope so,&quot; Brewster said. &quot;I don't know how I'mgoing to get any sleep, thinking about all the people who are going to die soon,but I suppose I'll have to try.&quot; They watched him go off toward the stairs, moving slowly andslump-shouldered, like a man bearing the weight of the entire world. Shannonturned to Mac and said, &quot;What do you really think of our chances?&quot; &quot;Well, it depends on how well Doc's weapons work,&quot; said Mac.&quot;Lord Kelvin will not expect anything like Doc's guns. They just may turnthe tide. But without them ...&quot; He shook his head. &quot;Have you noticedthat Thorny has disappeared?&quot; Shannon frowned. &quot;Doc's pet bush? No, I had not.&quot; Mac nodded. &quot; 'Tis been over a week now. There is an old saying amongsailors about rats leaving a ship before it departs upon its voyage. They say itmeans the ship is doomed, and the creatures know somehow.&quot; Shannon gave him a sharp glance. &quot;Say nothing like that aroundDoc,&quot; she cautioned him. &quot;He has enough worries. I have never seen himlike this. He looks drawn and haggard. Despite all we say, he still blameshimself for this.&quot; &quot;Aye, I know,&quot; said Mac grimly. &quot;He only wanted to changethings for the better, but change never comes easily.&quot; &quot;Mac,&quot; said Shannon, &quot;however things turn out, I just wantedyou to know that if I should-&quot; He placed a finger lightly up against her lips. &quot;Hush now,&quot; hesaid. &quot;Let us not speak of such things. Remember the lessons of my father.Admit neither the possibility of victory nor defeat. Address the task at hand.Live in the moment. Now come, let us see if those mercenaries I've appointed toinstruct our troops have killed anybody yet.&quot; Shannon grinned. &quot;They have been driving them hard,&quot; she said. &quot;As they should be,&quot; Mac replied, rolling up the map. &quot;Do you think we can really count on them?&quot; asked Shannon. &quot;Imean, they are mercenaries, after all. And they know the odds against us.&quot; &quot;They know,&quot; said Mac. &quot;As they know the benefits that theycan reap after this is over. We have hired the best, my love. And their worthshall go up considerably when they can claim they've turned back the mightiestarmy ever assembled in the twenty-seven kingdoms.&quot; &quot;You really think that we can do it?&quot; she asked. &quot;Trust in your sword,&quot; said Mac. &quot;And trust in Doc. He hasnever let us down before.&quot; &quot;And what of Warrick?&quot; &quot;We shall deal with Warrick when the time comes,&quot; Mac replied.&quot;We cannot anticipate what he will do, so there is no point to worryingabout it.&quot; &quot;Mac ... I must confess, I am a little afraid.&quot; &quot;Only a little?&quot; He grinned. &quot;Shannon, my love, I'm scared outof my wits.&quot; &quot;You?&quot; &quot;Aye, is that so surprising?&quot; &quot;I never thought you could be afraid of anything,&quot; she said. &quot;Well, fortunately, it does not happen very often,&quot; he replied.&quot;But when it does, I simply accept it. As my father used to say, why wastetime fighting fear when there are other things to fight?&quot; &quot;Your father was a wonderful teacher,&quot; Shannon said wistfully,recalling the man who had taught her all she knew. &quot;Aye, as I intend to be. But first, there is the minor matter of an armyto dispose of.&quot; He offered her his arm. &quot;Shall we, YourHighness?&quot; She took his arm and smiled. &quot;We shall, my general.&quot; Queen Sandy and Lord Aubrey reached the river with Lord Kelvin's army perhapsseveral hours behind them. They lost valuable time in circling through theforest, around the troops, and when they reached the crossing, the ferry was onthe opposite shore. Aubrey rang the bell to summon the ferryman, and after a fewmoments, they could see the ferry raft moving out slowly from the far bank,along the guide ropes that kept it from drifting away with the current. Seeing the ferry's slow progress toward them, Sandy shook her head withimpatience. &quot;Why must it take so long?&quot; &quot;Patience, my queen,&quot; said Aubrey. &quot;The delay will work forus, in the long run. We will gain significant time here. There is but the oneferry, and even if Lord Kelvin constructs additional rafts, which he willundoubtedly do, 'twill take days for the entire army to cross.&quot; &quot; 'Twill take even longer if we cut loose the raft once we reach theother shore,&quot; said Sandy. Aubrey grinned. &quot;Funny you should mention that,&quot; he said. &quot;Iwas just thinking that very same thing.&quot; And then the grin slipped from hisface as he glanced back sharply toward the road. &quot;Horses,&quot; he said,&quot;coming fast.&quot; &quot;Could it be the army already?&quot; Aubrey shook his head. &quot;No, they are still several hours behind us. Butit could be an advance party of scouts. We had best get out of sight, andquickly.&quot; They rode their horses to a stand of trees, behind some shrubbery,dismounted, and covered the mouths of their mounts with their hands to preventthem from whickering and giving their hiding place away. Moments later, a groupof riders came into view. &quot;Warrick's men!&quot; said Aubrey, softly as he recognized their colors. &quot;Are they after us?&quot; asked Sandy. Aubrey shook his head. &quot;I do not know. 'Tis possible. Warrick may havedivined our plan somehow.&quot; &quot;What shall we do?&quot; &quot;Keep still and wait,&quot; said Aubrey. &quot;I do not think they sawus.&quot; &quot;But what of the ferryman?&quot; asked Sandy. &quot;Perhaps he'll think 'twas they who summoned him,&quot; said Aubrey. They watched as the riders reined in at the riverbank, by the crossing. Theferry was not quite halfway across the river. &quot;There are two women with them,&quot; Sandy whispered. &quot;Do yourecognize them?&quot; Aubrey frowned and shook his head. &quot;The ferry comes, milady,&quot; said one of the men at arms. &quot;Good,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;How much farther?&quot; &quot;Once across the river, 'tis but a few hours ride to Brigand'sRoost,&quot; the man replied. &quot;So we should be there by nightfall,&quot; Pamela said. &quot;How farbehind us is the army?&quot; &quot;Perhaps three, four hours march, at most, milady. We could have mademuch better time had we not gone around them. I confess, my lady, I still failto see the necessity for that. Would it not have been more prudent for us tojoin Lord Kelvin and-&quot; &quot;It is not for you to question my decisions,&quot; Pamela repliedcurtly. &quot;Aye, your pardon, milady. Yet, once we cross the river, we shall be inenemy territory, and we are wearing Warrick's colors, which are well knownthroughout the land. If we were to ride into an ambush-&quot; &quot;You say the road on the opposite shore leads straight to Brigand'sRoost?&quot; asked Pamela, interrupting him. &quot;Aye, milady.&quot; &quot;Then you need not cross with us. We shall proceed alone fromhere.&quot; &quot;If that is what you wish, milady,&quot; said the man-at-arms, withobvious relief. &quot;Have we your leave to go then?&quot; &quot;We need some coin with which to pay the ferryman,&quot; said Megan. The man removed his purse from his belt and tossed it to her. &quot;With mycompliments, milady,&quot; he said. &quot;Thank you. You may go,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Good fortune to you, milady,&quot; said the man-at-arms. He signaled tothe others and they wheeled their horses round and rode away. &quot;Most strange,&quot; said Aubrey, watching from their hiding place.&quot;I have never known Warrick's minions to take orders from anyone butWarrick, much less a woman. I wonder who they are.&quot; &quot;Well, there is one way to find out,&quot; said Sandy, mounting up. &quot;Your Highness, wait!&quot; said Aubrey, but she was already riding outtoward the two women. He hurriedly mounted and rode after her. Pamela turned quickly at the sound of their approach, her hand going into herpurse for her pistol. &quot;Stop right there!&quot; she said. &quot;What do youwant?&quot; &quot;I might well ask you the same thing,&quot; Sandy replied, unaccustomedto being challenged in such a tone, but reining in a short distance away asAubrey rode up beside her. &quot;You ride with Warrick's men-at-arms, and yougive them orders, yet you are unknown to me. And you are dressed most strangely.Who are you?&quot; &quot;Who wants to know?&quot; asked Pamela, her hands grasping the butt ofthe pistol in her purse. Sandy pulled back the hood of her cloak. &quot;You do not know me?&quot; &quot;No,&quot; said Pamela cautiously. &quot;Why should I?&quot; &quot; 'Strewth!&quot; said Megan.&quot; 'Tis the queen!&quot; Lord Aubrey unsheathed his sword. Pamela quickly drew her pistol, aimed, andfired. The bullet struck the guard of Aubrey's sword and he dropped it with ayell. It would have been very dramatic as a threatening gesture if it had simplyended there, but as anyone familiar with both firearms and horses can attest, ifyou plan on firing a gun from the back of an unfamiliar horse, you'd best bringalong a parachute. Horses and loud, sudden noises don't really mix too well,unless the horse is used to such things and trained not to react. These horseshad never heard the sound of gunfire before, and while a Walther .38semiautomatic does not sound anywhere near as loud as a .44 Magnum going off, itdoes have a very sharp report, enough to make all four horses in this case startplunging around in consternation. Lord Aubrey's horse reared up and almost threw him, but he managed to hangon, struggling to keep the animal from bolting.Megan's horse whinnied in alarm and plunged into the trees, where an overhangingbranch swept her out of the saddle and the horse took off, galloping back downthe road the way th
y came. Pamela's horse started bucking like a rodeo bronc,and though Pamela was an expert rider, Larry Mahon she wasn't. She tried to rideit out, but was unable to remain in the saddle for more than a few seconds. Shewent over the side and rolled down the bank into the river as the horse tookoff. Sandy managed to stay in the saddle, but only because the moment her horsereacted to the shot by neighing and veering off sideways, she clamped tight withher knees and reached out to grab the animal's mane, speaking a spell to calm itdown. All in all, it was a rather ludicrous scene, fully worthy of F Troop. Aubrey finally got his horse back under control, twisted the reins around hisfist, dismounted, and snatched up his sword. Megan was still groggy from beingstruck by the tree branch. She lay on her back in the underbrush, moaning andclutching her head. Pamela managed to grab on to some reeds growing by theriverbank and slowly pulled herself out of the water, streaming wet and gaspingfor breath. Sandy dismounted and walked over to where Pamela had dropped herpurse and her gun. She bent to pick up the pistol, examining it curiously. Sheturned it and looked down into the bore. &quot;Don't!&quot; Pamela said quickly. She held out her hand in a warninggesture. &quot;Don't move! Don't even breathe!&quot; Sandy glanced at her with a puzzled frown. Pamela approached her, cautiously, water streaming from her hair and clothes.&quot;Be careful!&quot; she said. &quot;Please, point that thing away from you,and to the ground.&quot; Sandy did as she was told. &quot;The safety was off and a round was chambered,&quot; Pamela said.&quot;You could have been killed.&quot; &quot;Safety? Round?&quot; said Sandy. She glanced at the pistol and shookher head in confusion. &quot;I do not understand.&quot; &quot;No, you wouldn't, would you?&quot; Pamela said. She retrieved herpurse. &quot;It's a weapon. It, uh ... shoots very smallprojectiles with a great deal of force and speed. And it's very lethal.&quot; &quot;If you try to harm her, then you shall have to kill me first,&quot;said Aubrey, stepping between them with his sword. Pamela backed away. &quot;Take it easy, Mister,&quot; she said. &quot;I wasn't trying to hurtanyone.&quot; &quot;Wait, Aubrey,&quot; Sandy said, placing a hand on his shoulder.&quot;Stand aside.&quot; &quot;But, Your Highness ...&quot; &quot;You drew your blade. She was merely trying to defend herself. Go see toher companion.&quot; &quot;As you wish, my queen,&quot; Aubrey said, glancing at Pamelauncertainly before leading his horse over to where Megan lay, groaning. &quot;I have never seen nor heard of such a weapon,&quot; Sandy said,carefully holding it out to Pamela in her open palm. &quot;It seems so small tobe so fearsome. I have never seen such magic.&quot; &quot;It's not exactly magic,&quot; Pamela replied, taking the gun back andclicking on the safety. &quot;Are you not a sorceress?&quot; &quot;No, not really. Just a stranger in a strange land.&quot; She grimaced.&quot;A really strange land.&quot; &quot;Who are you, then? And why do you ride with Warrick's men atarms?&quot; &quot;It's a long story,&quot; Pamela said, &quot;and I really don't have thetime to get into it right now.&quot; She glanced toward the ferry, which hadalmost reached the bank. &quot;I've got to get to Brigand's Roost before thearmy does.&quot; &quot;As do I,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;Oh, my God!&quot; said Pamela suddenly, glancing around with alarm. &quot;Colin!&quot; &quot;And who is Colin?&quot; Sandy asked with a frown. &quot;Somebody who really should have stayed home,&quot; said Pamela with asigh of resignation. &quot;He's probably halfway back to Pittsburgh by now. AndI can't spare the time to go after him.&quot; &quot;Hallo!&quot; shouted the ferryman, having heard the noise and seen allthe commotion. &quot;What goes on?&quot; &quot; 'Tis all right!&quot; Sandy shouted. &quot;All is well! We need to getacross!&quot; &quot;We?&quot; said Pamela. &quot;We have the only horses,&quot; Sandy replied. &quot;Without us, youwill have a long walk ahead of you to Brigand's Roost.&quot; &quot;Wait a minute,&quot; Pamela said. &quot;If you're the queen, and yourarmy's marching to war against Brigantium, then what are you doing trying to getthere first?&quot; &quot;I am trying to prevent the very war of which you speak,&quot; saidSandy. &quot; 'Twas all Warrick's doing, and not mine. And 'twas the poorjudgment of the king, my husband, to lend his sanction to this venture. If youare in Warrick's service, then you shall have to try and stop me. Yet you arenot with Wanick, are you?&quot; &quot;No, I'm not. It looks as if we both want the same thing,&quot; Pamelareplied. &quot;As for Warrick, you don't have to worry about him. Where he isnow, there's nothing he can do. But how did you intend to stop the war all byyourself?&quot; &quot;By offering myself as hostage to the wizard Brewster Doc,&quot; saidSandy. &quot;Lord Kelvin will not attack if he knows they hold me prisoner. Hewill be forced to negotiate, and thus many lives may be spared.&quot; &quot;Girl, we need to talk,&quot; said Pamela. She glanced toward the ferrypulling up to the bank, then looked to see Aubrey approaching, leading his horsewith Megan sitting astride it groggily. &quot;You'd better brace yourself,&quot;said Pamela. &quot;You're going to find this real hard to believe.&quot; Sandy glanced at the pistol as Pamela put it back into her purse.&quot;Somehow, I doubt that,&quot; she replied. &quot;Come, let us go. I am mostcurious to hear your tale.&quot; Okay, now we're cooking. The big climax is approaching, Warrick's finally outof my hair, all the different plot elements are coming together, and the stageis set for the grand finale. Lord Kelvin's army is coming up hard on Pamela andSandy's heels, but they still have to cross the river,which will give them plenty of time to reach Brigand's Roost and find out thatBrewster's at the keep. There will be a touching reunion between Pamela andBrewster, Sandy will find out that Brewster wasn't at all what she had thought,and when Lord Kelvin finally gets his army into position, he'll discover thatthe queen is being held hostage in the keep and he won't dare to attack. Flags of truce will be sent out and they will commence negotiations, withHarlan arriving in the nick of time to handle the talks on Brewster's end. He'llinform Lord Kelvin that an alliance has been agreed to with the dwarves and theyare on their way in force with their deadly little crossbows and their nastylittle warhammers-boy, let me tell you, nothing hurts as much as beingkneecapped by a dwarf-and at the last minute, Rachel will arrive on Rory's backto bring the news that the elves are on their way, as well. Lord Kelvin,realizing that the odds have shifted, will be compelled to agree to a trucewhile riders are sent back to King Billy with the terms, and... wait a minute.What the hell is so dramatic about that? Brewster won't get to use any of his neat new weapons, and the dwarves won'thave anything to do but stand around and rap, and we haven't even seen theelves yet, except for Rachel, and she still hasn't had a chance to use the magicsword which we made such a big deal about, and Rory won't get to breathe fire onanybody, and Mac and Shannon and the brigands won't get a chance to show whatthey can do, and Mick will have gone to all that trouble with his work crews tomake all those weapons which never get used and that wouldn't be much of aclimax at all, would it? Of course, on the other hand, using Queen Sandy and her hostage ploy to forcenegotiations with Lord Kelvin would avoid a violent ending, and then we couldhave a nice romantic scene with Pamela and Brewster, where the focus would be onhow she braved the dangers of the unknown, all for love, and went back throughtime and across dimensions to get her man and rescue him. Queen Sandy would have saved the day, and once her subjects learned about thetreaty she had negotiated with Brigantium, which included economic benefits andtrade agreements that would lower taxes and provide thousands of new jobs, therevolution would fizzle out and she'd be hailed as an enlightened ruler. SheriffWaylon and his corrupt deputies would all be thrown into prison; King Billywould finally come to his senses and realize the error of his ways and rule withSandy in a comonarchy, or else abdicate in her favor and simply be her consort(that would please the feminists among the readership) and we could even haveTeddy appointed Royal Mascot and Thorny made the state tree or something. (Theenvironmentalists would like that.) Actually, that would be the perfect,politically correct ending to the story. Nah... that sucks. I know why you people buy these books. You want action. You want adventure.You want ferocious dragons and valiant elves and courageous dwarves andswashbuckling heroes and heroines and all that hack-and-slash, role gaming,Tolkien kind of stuff. Whoever heard of politically correct fantasy? Hell, youcan't even teach Snow White and the Seven Dwarves anymore, because it shows awoman in a subservient role to little men. They're saying that the BrothersGrimm are much too violent and could traumatize small children; Hansel andGretel depicts cannibalism and cruelty to senior citizens; Little Red RidingHood and The Three Little Pigs shows cruelty to animals; Sleeping Beautypromotes sexual molestation, because the prince kisses her while she's sufferingfrom diminished capacity; Peter Pan has Native Americans functioning in raciallystereotyped roles and promotes a negative image of the physically challenged inCaptain Hook; and Cinderella depicts class envy and has disturbing overtones offoot fetishism. I tell you, enough's enough. Somebody's got to draw the line andtake a stand. Never fear. Remember, always trust your narrator. And your faithful narratorstill has an ace up his sleeve. In this case, it happens to be a character we'vemet before, in the secondnovel of this trilogy (The Inadequate Adept, Warner Books). RememberBlack Jack, the freebooter who captured Shannon and would have taken her in forbounty if riot for Brewster's dramatic rescue at the end of the last book? Youmay recall we mentioned that he's now leading the mercenaries with Lord Kelvin'sarmy. (Yes, I know he's been offstage for the length of this entire book, butthat's what really minor supporting characters are for. You introduce thembriefly in the beginning or somewhere near the middle and in the end, it turnsout they have a key role to play in the resolution of the plot. Well, they do itall the time on Murder, She Wrote.) Anyway, it so happens that Black Jack was riding out ahead of the main bodyof the army with the mercenaries under his command when what should comegalloping down the road toward them at breakneck speed but Pamela's horse, withColin the Chamberpot tied to the saddle and screaming at the top of his lungs. Now, the sight of a riderless horse coming straight at you and apparentlyscreaming &quot;Help!&quot; is enough to give most anybody pause, unless yourname happens to be Wilbur Post and you're used to talking horses. Some of themercenaries freaked and started shouting, &quot;Sorcery!&quot; and&quot;Witchcraft!&quot; However, Black Jack was made of sterner stuff and herode out and stopped the runaway horse, at which point he discovered it wasn'tthe horse that was screaming after all, but the chamberpot tied to its saddle.We'll take it from there... &quot;What in blazes are you supposed to be?&quot; Black Jack said, cuttingthe chamberpot loose and holding it up before him. &quot;Ohhh, thank God!&quot; said Colin with a groan of pain. &quot;I neverwant to see another bloody horse as long as I live!&quot; Black Jack took out his dagger and smacked the chamberpot with its hilt.&quot;I asked you a question, pot!&quot; &quot;Ow! Jesus! Take it easy, for Christ's sake!&quot; &quot;I will ask you one more time, before I crush you beneath my ho
se'shooves. Who and what are you?&quot; &quot;All right, all right! Just hold your bloody horses! No pun intended. Myname is Colin Hightower, and I'm a reporter.&quot; &quot;A reporter of what?&quot; &quot;Of news, what do you think?&quot; &quot;You are a paid informant?&quot; &quot;No, I'm not a ... oh, never mind. You wouldn't understand.&quot; &quot;What are you? Are you human?&quot; &quot;Of course, I'm bloody human! I'm under a spell or something!&quot; &quot;How came you to this state?&quot; &quot;I was standing in Warrick's place and I picked up a book and opened it,and the next thing I knew, poof. I was a bloody bedpan.&quot; &quot;I see,&quot; said Black Jack. &quot;And how came you here? Whose horseis this?&quot; &quot;It's ... excuse me, but do you mind telling me exactly who youare?&quot; &quot;Ohhhhh, someone get me out of here!&quot; came a voice from thebedroll tied to the back of the saddle. &quot;What's this?&quot; asked Black Jack with a frown. &quot;Moreenchantment? Here, hold this.&quot; He tossed Colin to one of his men, whohobbled the chamberpot a moment before getting a firm grip on it. &quot;Watch it!&quot; Colin said. The man stared at the chamberpot wide-eyed, holding it well away from himwhile Black Jack cut loose the bedroll with his dagger and unwrapped it,revealing the magic mirror. &quot;Many thanks, kind stranger,&quot; said the mirror. &quot;I thought Iwas about to be jarred loose from my frame!&quot; &quot;And what are you supposed to be?&quot; asked Black Jack, holding up themirror and staring into it at his own reflection. &quot;I am the Enchanted Mirror of Truth. Ask me any question, and the truthshall be revealed.&quot; &quot;Indeed?&quot; said Black Jack. He frowned, thinking of a way to test this claim.&quot;All right, then. What was my father's name?&quot; &quot;Ah, well, it depends, you see,&quot; the mirror replied. &quot;Thetruth is always relative. There is the truth you know, or think you know, andthen there is the truth as 'twas told to you, which is the truth the tellerknew, or thought she knew, and then there is the objective truth, which oftenhas subtle shades of meaning-&quot; &quot;What in thunder are you babbling about?&quot; demanded Black Jack.&quot;I asked you a simple question!&quot; &quot;No question is ever truly simple,&quot; the mirror said. &quot;Youbelieve your father was called Jack the Red, a legendary freebooter with whomyour mother fell in love while he was passing through your town on the way tothe War of the Three Kingdoms. But in fact, while there really was a Jack theRed, and he was a legendary freebooter, your mother never even met him. Shesimply told you that story so you would have a strong male role model to thinkof as your father. Your mother always believed your real father was a man namedWalt the Tinker, an itinerant peddler who sold pots and pans, dry goods, andherbal suppositories. He also did odd jobs and small repairs. Your mother wasalmost certain that he was your father, for it could have been any one of abouta dozen men or more and he seemed the most likely candidate. But in truth, 'twasyour Uncle Fred.&quot; &quot;My Uncle Fred!&quot; said Black Jack with astonishment. &quot;But...you mean my mother's brother?&quot; &quot;Well, half brother,&quot; said the mirror. &quot;They had differentfathers, although your grandfather never knew that. You see, yourgrandmother-&quot; &quot;Enough!&quot; said Black Jack, scowling. &quot;Was the pot telling thetruth?&quot; &quot;Colin? Well, reporters are supposed to tell the truth, though ofcourse, accuracy in reporting is always subject to a certain amount of inherentbias on the part of the reporter. In Colin's case, telling the truth was neverreally one of his strong suits, but in this particular instance, his reportingof the facts can be considered essentially reliable.&quot; &quot;I am getting a headache just listening to all of this!&quot; Black Jackreplied. &quot;Whose horse is this?&quot; &quot;Yours,&quot; said the mirror. &quot;Not the one I'm sitting on, you benighted piece of glass! The runawayone bearing you and the pot!&quot; &quot;Ah, well, you didn't really specify which horse you meant. The oneyou're asking about belongs to Warrick the White. 'Tis part of the stable usedfor his men at arms.&quot; &quot;I meant who was riding it?&quot; &quot;Well, you did not ask me who was riding it, did you? You asked to whomit belonged. If you wish a correct reply, you need to ask the correct question.The horse under discussion was being ridden by Dr. Pamela Fairburn, who was onher way to Brigand's Roost in search of her intended, Dr. Marvin Brewster.&quot; &quot;You mean the sorcerer, Brewster Doc?&quot; &quot;He is also known by that appellation, although in truth his real nameis-&quot; &quot;Was she traveling alone?&quot; &quot;She was traveling in company with a wench named Megan and a squad ofWarrick's men-at-arms, but Warrick's men had left her at the river crossing,where she met two others.&quot; &quot;Aye, those men passed us but a short while ago. They seemed in a greathurry. Who are the two others that she met?&quot; &quot;Lord Aubrey of Ravenhurst and Her Highness, Queen Sandy of Pitt.&quot; &quot;The queen!&quot; said Black Jack. &quot;Impossible! What would thequeen be doing on this road?&quot; &quot;She is en route to Brigantium, to offer herself as hostage to thewizard Brewster, so that Lord Kelvin will be unable to attack and will be forcedto negotiate, instead, thereby averting the war.&quot; &quot;Blabberglass!&quot; said Colin. &quot;Quiet, you!&quot; said Black Jack. He scowled. &quot;If there is to beno war, then there will be no spoils. We shall not be able to pillage thetown.&quot; &quot;Indeed, 'twould be bad form to despoil a town after a truce had beenagreed upon,&quot; the mirror reflected. &quot;Shut up. I'm thinking.&quot; Black Jack frowned, considering thesituation. &quot;All right, I have it. We shall tell Lord Kelvin that this taleof the queen held hostage is merely a ploy of the sorcerer, Brewster Doc, meantto prevent our attack. 'Tis not really the queen, but only an apparition. Thereal queen is safe in her palace, back in Pittsburgh. And you, mirror, willconfirm this.&quot; &quot;Excuse me, but I am the Enchanted Mirror of Truth. And that is not thetruth, you see. I cannot tell a lie.&quot; &quot;Then I will smash you into a thousand pieces.&quot; &quot;Well, actually, now that I think of it, the queen's heart is with herpeople back in Pitt, and since home is where the heart is, then I suppose anargument could be made that she really is at home, in a sort of metaphysicalsense.&quot; &quot;I rather thought you'd see it my way,&quot; said Black Jack, with anevil grin. &quot;Captain, what should I do with this?&quot; asked the burly mercenary towhom Jack had thrown the pot. &quot;I have no use for that baggage,&quot; Black Jack replied. &quot;Keepit, if you wish, or else throw it away.&quot; &quot;Now wait a minute ...&quot; Colin said. &quot;I never had a chamberpot that talked before,&quot; the mercenary said.&quot;And 'twould be more convenient than squatting in the bushes.&quot; &quot;No!&quot; Colin said. &quot;You wouldn't!&quot; &quot;Aye, I think I'll keep it,&quot; said the mercenary, tying Colin to hissaddle. &quot;I could always sell it later.&quot; &quot;Let's move on,&quot; said Black Jack. &quot;Send word back to LordKelvin about the wizard's ruse with the queen, and tell him I have Warrick'senchanted mirror to confirm it. I want to be across the river within the hour. Iwant to see what sort of preparations these Brigantians have made.&quot; As the riders galloped off, Colin jounced helplessly against the saddle ofthe mercenary, clanking painfully against his scabbard. &quot;Oh, no, not again!&quot; he wailed. &quot;If I ever get out of this, Iswear to God I'll quit this bloody job and become a CPA!&quot; And as Colin Hightower contemplated the unpleasant prospect of being used asa field latrine, the mercenaries moved on toward the river, with the main bodyof Lord Kelvin's army just behind them. &nbsp; TWELVE &nbsp; Sandy and Aubrey's horses had traveled a long way, and for the last fewmiles, they had carried two people each, so they needed rest. The groupdismounted several miles past the river crossing, so the horses could be walkeda bit to cool them down. As they walked, Pamela told Sandy and Aubrey the storyof how she had arrived in their world and where she had come from. Aubrey andSandy listened with fascination, and when she was done, they peppered her withquestions, which Pamela tried to answer as best she could. &quot;So your intended, Marvin Brewster, is not really a sorcerer, afterall?&quot; asked Aubrey. &quot;I suppose it depends on what you mean when you say sorcery,&quot;Pamela replied. She took out her pistol. &quot;In my world, this is notconsidered an example of sorcery. It's an example of technology. Given theproper knowledge and skills, and the proper tools and materials, anyone couldmake one of these.&quot; &quot;But one could say the same of sorcery,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;Giventhe proper knowledge and skills, and the proper tools and materials, anyonecould cast spells. The trick is in acquiring those things.&quot; &quot;Exactly,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;No reputable scientist in my worldtakes magic seriously, and yet, a lot of what science has produced would havebeen regarded as sorcery in days gone by. Who knows, maybe the laws of physicsare different somehow in this dimension. Warrick was unable to work his magic inmy world. So perhaps, here, given the proper knowledge and skills, even Marvinor I could learn to do it.&quot; &quot; 'Tis possible,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;I had been taught the Craftfrom the time I was a child. Had Aubrey been given the benefit of the sameinstruction, he too could have been a witch.&quot; &quot;It just all seems so amazing,&quot; Pamela said, in an awed tone. &quot;Foryears, there have been theories of parallel universes existing in otherdimensions, and now we have proof. When I think of what this could mean for ourrespective worlds...&quot; &quot;Indeed,&quot; said Sandy. &quot;We have much to learn about oneanother. I would be most curious to see your world. Carriages that move withoutbenefit of horses to pull them, flying machines, boxes that transmit sounds andimages through the ether, devices that allow one to speak with people many milesaway ... It sounds like a truly wondrous place. We must seem so simple to you bycomparison.&quot; &quot;In a way,&quot; said Pamela, &quot;but at the same time, I can think ofcountless people in my world who would give anything to live as you do here, inpristine, natural surroundings, without all the stress and noise of our modernsociety. There are many people in my world who long for the simpler times of thepast. I think I could easily make my home here. And I'm not all that sure thereare many things about my world that I would miss. Toilet paper, maybe. And hotshowers.&quot; &quot;Toilet paper?&quot; Aubrey said with a frown. &quot;Hot showers?&quot; asked Sandy. &quot;You mean the rain is hot in yourworld?&quot; Pamela shook her head. &quot;I'll explain all that some other time,&quot; shesaid. &quot;Right now, I'm more concerned about-&quot; &quot;Horses!&quot; Aubrey said, turning suddenly and looking back the waythey had come. &quot;And they're coming up behind us.&quot; &quot;It couldn't be the army,&quot; Pamela replied. &quot;They couldn't havecrossed so soon, could they?&quot; &quot;I do not see how,&quot; said Aubrey, &quot;but whoever they are, wewill never outrace them mounted two up, on tired horses. We had best takeshelter and let them pass.&quot; They led their horses into the trees and underbrush by the side of the road.Moments later a large party of about forty mounted men galloped into view. &quot;Mercenaries!&quot; Aubrey said in a low voice. &quot;They must havecrossed right behind us. I recognize the one in front, a murderous rogue namedBlack Jack.&quot; The riders reined in almost parallel to them as Black Jack raised his hand toindicate 
 halt. He glanced down at the road, looking for tracks, then scannedthe trail ahead of them. Then he looked off to the side of the road and smiled. &quot;You may as well come out, Your Highness!&quot; he shouted. &quot;I knowyou're there. You cannot escape. Come out, or must I send my men to beat thebushes for you? If they find you, they will be none too gentle, I assureyou.&quot; Sandy sighed with resignation. &quot;To have come so close and failed!&quot;she said miserably. &quot;We haven't failed yet,&quot; said Pamela. She reached into her purseand palmed her rape whistle, then took out her Walther. &quot;Come on,&quot; shesaid. &quot;When all else fails, take the bull by the horns and spit in hiseye!&quot; They stepped out of hiding. &quot;Ah, there you are, Your Highness,&quot; said Black Jack with a grin.&quot;And Lord Aubrey, the great friend to the common people. A bit far afield,are you not? Have you lost your way?&quot; &quot;If you lay one hand on the queen, you rogue, you shall answer tome!&quot; Lord Aubrey said, placing a hand on his sword. &quot;I tremble,&quot; Black Jack replied. His gaze fell on Pamela and hiseyes widened appreciatively. &quot;And you must be the Lady Pamela, the outlawwizard's woman. I must say, he has exquisite taste. But you waste your beauty ona sorcerer, my lady. They are not known for indulging in the pleasures of theflesh. Whereas I would indulge with you at every opportunity.&quot; He grinned. &quot;In your dreams, you arrogant ass,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;I am morethan merely a sorcerer's lady. I am a sorceress myself. And if you do not turnaround and ride back the way you came, you will find out just what sort ofpleasures I indulge in.&quot; &quot;Indeed? Pity your manners do not match your looks. I will have to teachyou how to address a man with more respect.&quot; &quot;I would do as she says, Jack,&quot; said Aubrey. &quot;You have already oversteppedyour bounds. I am surprised she has not already struck you down.&quot; Black Jack smiled. &quot;You expect me to fall for such an obvious bluff? Youdisappoint me, my Lord Aubrey. I thought you gave me credit for having moreintelligence than that.&quot; He turned to Pamela. &quot;Very well, then ...sorceress, if that is truly what you are. Go ahead and strike me down.&quot; &quot;If I call upon the power of the thunder,&quot; Pamela said, &quot;youand all your men shall die.&quot; Black Jack made an airy gesture. &quot;Call away.&quot; Pamela raised her rape whistle, took a deep breath and blew a shrill andpiercing blast. The horses of the mercenaries all started plunging about andrearing. Several of them bucked their riders off. Black Jack's horse shied, buthe got it back under control after a moment and shouted out an order to his men.&quot;Hold your ground, you fools! Are you frightened of a child's pennywhistle?&quot; &quot;Well, so much for that idea,&quot; Pamela muttered. Black Jack brought his horse around to face her. &quot;Is that feeble trickthe best that you can do?&quot; &quot;I have only called upon the power of the thunder,&quot; Pamela replied.&quot;And now it grows within me. If you force me to unleash it, you will all bedoomed.&quot; &quot;Enough of this nonsense!&quot; Black Jack replied irritably. He drewhis dagger and flipped it around expertly, holding it by the point. &quot;Nowthen, Sorceress, I shall call your bluff. You have until the count of three tostrike me down with this so-called power of thunder. For when I say three, Ishall lodge this dagger in your heart. One!... Two!...&quot; Pamela flipped off the safety on her pistol, brought it up quickly, aimed andfired. &quot;Three,&quot; she said. The knife fell from his hand as Black Jack tumbled from the saddle, a bulletright between his eyes. The horses of the mercenaries, already skittish, reactedviolently to the gunshot and started neighing and rearing about wildly, plungingoff the side of the road as the men shouted out in fear and confusion. And thenthere came a new sound ... the sound of frenzied, bloodcurdling screams fromsome of the mercenaries whose horses had bolted into the trees. &quot;What the hell?&quot; said Pamela, staring in the direction of thesounds. &quot;Flee!&quot; one of the mercenaries shouted. &quot;Flee, or she shallkill us all!&quot; But in that moment, a hail of arrows erupted from the forest all around them,every shaft finding a target as the mercenaries tumbled from their saddles oneafter the other. &quot;Get down!&quot; Aubrey cried, pulling both the queen and Pamela tothe ground with him. Within seconds, all the mercenaries lay dead and their horses either tookoff, bolting into the trees or back down the road, or else reared and pawed theground where they stood, neighing and eyes rolling in confusion. Pamela looked up. She saw bodies sprawled all over the road. And a momentlater several slim figures, all dressed in black, stepped out of the woods. Theyhad long, spiky black hair, sharp features, pointed ears, and piercing eyes.They wore studded black armbands and chokers and they carried longbows, withquivers on their backs and swords buckled round their waists. More joined them,and still more, until they were completely surrounded. &quot;Elves!&quot; said Aubrey. &quot;We are lost.&quot; &quot;Elves?&quot; said Pamela. And then a large shadow passed over them and a fearsome roar reverberatedthrough the sky. Pamela looked up and her jaw dropped. &quot;Oh, my God!&quot;she said. &quot;A dragon!&quot; Sandy said. Rory banked and came gliding in for a landing in the middle of the road.Rachel jumped off his back and came toward them, the Sword of the Shaman buckledround her waist. &quot; 'Tis all right!&quot; she said. &quot;Have no fear! Weshall not harm you!&quot; &quot;Who are you?&quot; Sandy asked. &quot;I am Rachel Drum, the warlord of the elven tribes. And this is myfriend, Rory.&quot; &quot;How do you do?&quot; said the dragon. &quot;Oh, my God! It talks!&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Actually, it would be more correct to say, 'It speaks,' &quot; saidRory. He glanced down at Black Jack's body. &quot;I've seen this onebefore,&quot; he said. &quot;A most unsavory individual. He looks much betterwith a bullet hole between his eyes. What did you use, if you don't mind myasking?&quot; Numbly, Pamela held up the pistol, her hand trembling slightly as she showedit to the dragon. &quot;Ah, a Walther PPK,&quot; said Rory. &quot;The gun made famous by Agent007, James Bond, of Her Majesty's Secret Service.&quot; Pamela swallowed hard, blinked, and shook her head. &quot;I don't believethis,&quot; she said weakly. &quot;Brewster Doc has a gun, too,&quot; said Rachel. &quot;Brewster?&quot; Pamela said. &quot;You know Marvin?&quot; &quot;Marvin?&quot; Rachel's eyes grew wide. &quot;Is your name ...Pamela?&quot; &quot;Yes! How did you know?&quot; In response, Rachel came rushing up to her and gave her a big hug. &quot;Oh,but this is wonderful!&quot; she said. &quot;Rory, do you know who thisis?&quot; &quot;I heard,&quot; said Rory. &quot;But who are these other two?&quot; &quot;I am Lord Aubrey of Ravenhurst,&quot; Aubrey said with a slight,nervous bow. &quot;And this is Her Majesty, Queen Sandy of Pitt. And we areindebted to you all.&quot; &quot;The Queen of Pitt?&quot; said Rachel, glancing at Sandy withastonishment. &quot;I came in search of the wizard, Brewster Doc,&quot; said Sandy,&quot;to offer myself as hostage in an effort to forestall the war so that anegotiated peace might be achieved, instead.&quot; &quot;Will somebody get me off this bloody beast?&quot; They turned to see an elf holding one of the mercenaries' horses. Tied to thesaddle was a chamberpot that rocked back and forth as it yelled. &quot;Get me the hell off this thing!&quot; &quot;Colin!&quot; Pamela said, rushing forward with relief. &quot;Another one?&quot; said Rachel with a frown. &quot;What do you mean, another one?&quot; asked Pamela, as she untied thechamberpot from the saddle. &quot;Prince Brian was afflicted with the selfsame spell, until Doc spoke themagic words to free him.&quot; &quot;What magic words?&quot; asked Pamela turning around with the chamberpotin her hands. &quot;Abracadabra, change back,&quot; said Rachel. With a loud pop, Colin reverted to his normal form and both he and Pamelatumbled to the ground. &quot;Jesus bloody Christ!&quot; said Colin. He picked himself up unsteadily,his clothing and hair disheveled. He reached out and helped Pamela to her feet.He stared at Rachel. &quot;You mean that was all it took?&quot; Rachel shrugged. &quot;Where is Marvin?&quot; Pamela asked. &quot;I've got to see him!&quot; &quot;Hop on,&quot; said Rory. &quot;I will take you to him.&quot; &quot;Oh, no,&quot; said Colin. &quot;Being a chamberpot strapped to a horsewas bad enough, but if you think I'm going riding on a bloody dragon, you're outof your bloomin' mind!&quot; Pamela grinned. &quot;I wouldn't miss this for the world,&quot; she said. &quot;Pamela! You're not... I mean, you can't seriously-&quot; &quot;Just watch me,&quot; Pamela said, climbing up onto Rory's back. Rachelgot up behind her and held her hand out. &quot;Come on, Your Majesty,&quot; shesaid. &quot;Don't worry, 'tis quite safe, I assure you.&quot; &quot;Come, Aubrey,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;You shall have a marvelous taleto tell your grandchildren!&quot; &quot;If 'tis all the same to you, Your Highness,&quot; Aubrey said, &quot;Ithink I would prefer to ride on horseback.&quot; &quot;I'd rather take a cab,&quot; said Colin wryly. &quot;But if it's achoice between Rodan there and a horse, I think I'll take the horse.&quot; There was a knock at Brewster's door up in the tower of the keep and hegroaned as he sat up in bed. &quot;Yes, I'm up, what is it?&quot; The door opened and Shannon came in. &quot;You have a visitor,&quot; she saidwith a smile, and stood aside to let Pamela come in. Brewster was out of bed like a shot. &quot;Pamela? Good God! Is it reallyyou?&quot; They rushed into each other's arms as Shannon closed the door behind her togive them some privacy. They kissed and held each other, squeezing tight, as ifto reassure themselves of the other's reality. &quot;I can't believe you're here!&quot; said Brewster. &quot;I can hardly believe it, either,&quot; she replied with a smile.&quot;God, I could just strangle you! You've disappeared on me before,but this time, you've really surpassed yourself!&quot; &quot;How on earth did you get here?&quot; &quot;It's a long story. I tried to duplicate your machine, but I couldn'tget it to work. As usual, your notes were incomplete, and we didn't have anymore Buckminsterfullerine.&quot; &quot;So then, how ... ?&quot; &quot;Warrick.&quot; Brewster's eyes grew wide. &quot;Warrick? Do you mean to tell me he broughtyou back here?&quot; &quot;No, he's still there,&quot; said Pamela. &quot;Where?&quot; &quot;In your lab, at EnGulfCo. Colin knocked him out and we took the machineback, using the auto-return function.&quot; &quot;Colin? Who's Colin?&quot; &quot;A reporter.&quot; She shook her head. &quot;Darling, we've got about ayear's worth of catching up to do, and we don't have the time to do it. There'san army on the way here even as we speak, and you're the one they'reafter.&quot; &quot;Yes, I know.&quot; &quot;Listen, I've got some of Warrick's guards keeping an eye on the timemachine back at his tower,&quot; she said. &quot;They think I'm a demon Warricksent back from the ethereal plane to take care of things for him while he'sgone. If we leave now, before the army gets here-&quot; &quot;I can't,&quot; said Brewster. She stood back away from him. &quot;What do you mean, you can't?&quot; &quot;Just that. I can't leave. I've got to stay here and help thesepeople.&quot; &quot;Are you crazy?&quot; &quot;Pamela, I got them into this war. This whole thing is my fault. I can'tjust leave. Besides, these people are my friends. They helped me. I don't knowwhat I would've done without them.&quot; Pamela gave him a level stare. &quot;Yes, I saw one of those friends justnow. She looked like something out of Penthouse.&quot; &quot;Oh, you mean Shannon.&quot; &quot;Yes, I mean Shannon. She seemed very comfortable walking into yourbedroom.&quot; &quot;Shannon would be comfortable around King Kong,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;Exactly who is she?&quot; &quot;Oh, she's the queen.&quot; &quot;Another queen?&quot; Brewster frowned. &quot;What do you mean, another queen?&quot; &quot;Well, I've got one, too. Queen Sandy of Pitt. She's downstairs.&quot; &quot;What?&quot; &quot;As I said, it's a long story. I'll try to give you the abbreviatedversion, but first, since it looks as if we're going to be staying, do you thinkyou could find me a change of clothes?&quot; &quot;I'm sure some of Shannon's stuff will fit you.&quot; Pamela grimaced. &quot;I think you need your eyes examined. But I'm flatteredthat you think so. Ask her if she can lend me something not too tight to wear.Meanwhile, I'll bring you up to date while we go down to the stream, so I canwash some of this road dust off me.&quot; &quot;Wouldn't you rather take a shower?&quot; She stared at him. &quot;You're kidding.&quot; &quot;Oh, no, we've got hot and cold running water, flush toilets,electricity, the works,&quot; said Brewster. Pamela shook her head. &quot;You know, somehow, I'm not surprised. No wonderthey think you're a sorcerer.&quot; &quot;They think you're one, too.&quot; Pamela grimaced wryly. &quot;Well, right now, I wish I could make both of usdisappear. Well, all right, where's the bathroom? We can try to catch each otherup while I wash.&quot; They stood up on the battlement of the tower, watching as Lord Kelvin's armyapproached from the west of the keep. &quot;Jesus, look at them all,&quot; saidColin, who had recently arrived with Aubrey. &quot;I cannot understand how they could have crossed the river soquickly,&quot; Sandy said. &quot;Warrick gave Lord Kelvin a spell to freeze the river,&quot; said themagic mirror, which was being held by Aubrey. &quot;They simply marchedacross.&quot; &quot;Nice trick,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;I hope they haven't got too manyothers.&quot; &quot;I will show myself upon the battlement when they approach,&quot; saidSandy, &quot;and you can send out a rider with a flag of truce to tell them I'mbeing held hostage here.&quot; &quot;Uh ... I fear that shall not work,&quot; the mirror said. Aubrey frowned. &quot;What do you mean? Why not?&quot; &quot;Black Jack made me tell him what your plan was, and he sent riders backto Lord Kelvin with a message that Doc had conjured an illusion of the queen, asorcerous apparition, and that the real queen was safely back in Pittsburgh. SoI don't think he'll go for it.&quot; &quot;I ought to toss you right over the side,&quot; said Aubrey to themirror with a scowl. &quot;You'll get seven years bad luck ...&quot; Brewster tensed as he watched the army forming up on the open ground beyondthe settlement outside the walls of the keep. &quot;Are the guns ready?&quot; Mick used signal flags to communicate with Pikestaff Pat, who was in chargeof the gun crews on the walls. He waited for the return signal, then turned toBrewster and said, &quot;Ready.&quot; &quot;I wish we didn't have to do this,&quot; Brewster said with a sigh.&quot;Well, maybe we can scare them off. They've never seen cannon firebefore. You're sure Pat knows to aim short for the first volley, right in frontof them? And over the village?&quot; &quot;Aye, I told him,&quot; Mick replied. &quot;All right. Give him the signal to fire.&quot; Mick gave the signal and the two big guns mounted on the wall emplacementsroared. There was a huge flash from each of the guns and smoke from theexplosive wine propellant as pieces of iron and stone were hurled up into theair. Several of the brigands on the walls screamed. &quot;What the hell happened?&quot; Pamela said. &quot;The barrels blew up!&quot; said Mick. &quot;That idiot, Pat, used toomuch propellant!&quot; &quot;Do you think anyone's hurt?&quot; asked Brewster. &quot;Well, 'twill be some burns and cuts and bruises, to be sure, but ifthere are any injuries more serious, they bloody well deserve it!&quot; Mickreplied. &quot;Now we have no guns!&quot; &quot;I don't know, it might've done the trick,&quot; said Pamela, watchingthe soldiers. &quot;They surged back in alarm when the guns went off and nowthey're milling around and looking very disorganized.&quot; &quot;They will not remain that way for long,&quot; said Aubrey. &quot;Kelvinis a good general, and afraid of nothing. He will rally them.&quot; &quot;Then we'd better press the advantage before he does,&quot; Brewstersaid. &quot;Send out the tank.&quot; &quot;The tank!&quot; said Pamela, staring at him with disbelief.&quot;You're joking.&quot; But Mick had already given the signal. As the gates in the walls slowly swungopen, a ferocious roar and clatter erupted from the courtyard below. The doorsto Mick's shop opened and the tank came rolling out, belching peregrine winesteam and sounding like a locomotive. &quot;You've got to be kidding!&quot; Pamela said as she stared at thecontraption that rolled and lurched toward the gates. It looked like adilapidated, mobile Quonset hut with a stubby gun barrel protruding from theturret, and as it rolled forward, several squads of armored men carrying swordsand shields fell in behind it as tank support troops. &quot;I don't believe it!&quot; Colin said as he stared down at the tankrolling out through the gates. &quot;Christ, I wish I had a camera!&quot; Some of the troops were rallying, but when they heard the tank lurchingtoward them, through the settlement beyond the walls, they froze with shock andturned with apprehension in the direction of the sound. When they saw the tankcome clattering down the road and toward the open ground, they simply stared,slack-jawed. &quot;Okay, prepare the Wild Bunch,&quot; said Brewster. Pamela glanced at him, puzzled. &quot;The Wild Bunch?&quot; Mick gave the signal, and in response, a roaring, thunderous noise explodedfrom below in the courtyard. And from behind the work sheds by Mick's shop, adozen incredibly crude-looking motorcycles powered by peregrine wine internalcombustion engines wheeled out into the central courtyard. Bloody Bob was in thelead, attired in his &quot;magic visor&quot; helm and chain mail, and the otherbrigands fell in behind him, blipping their throttles. Long Bill and FroggyBruce, Fifer Bob and Malicious Mike, Fuzzy Tom and Silent Fred, Winsome Wil andLonesome John, and Mac's three apprentices, Hugh, Dugh and Lugh, all sat astridethe bikes, looking like a bunch of Hells Angels at a Renaissance fair. BloodyBob looked up toward the tower battlement, waiting for the signal. &quot;Who's driving the tank?&quot; asked Rachel. &quot;Brian,&quot; Brewster said. He grinned, despite his tension. &quot;Hesaid after being trapped as a chamberpot for years, what's a few hours inside astove? And Robie's manning the gun.&quot; The tank was rolling across the open ground and toward Lord Kelvin's troops,belching smoke and sounding like a laundry dryer inching its way across a tilefloor. Lord Kelvin was forming up his cavalry for a charge. About a hundredyards away from the troops, Brian opened fire. &quot;All right,&quot; said Brewster. &quot;Mick, tell them to drop thehammer!&quot; Mick swept his signal flag down and the Wild Bunch roared out through theopen gates, spreading out as they hurtled through the village toward the troops.The first shot from the tank struck the ground just in front of the cavalry andthe already skittish horses went berserk, rearing up and throwing their riders,plunging and bucking all over the place as the men desperately tried to controlthem. And then the Wild Bunch came roaring up, pulling wheelies and sweepingdiagonally across the front ranks of the disorganized troops and tossinggrenades into their midst. The ranks were completely broken up as men scatteredin all directions, yelling with panic. &quot;All right, Rachel, it's your turn,&quot; said Brewster. Rachel stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. From behind thetower, Rory rose up to the battlement, flapping his great, leathery wings.Rachel leaped astride his back as he took off from the parapet. As Rory sweptdown over the walls and toward the opposing army, Rachel drew her sword, holdingit high above her head, and yelled out, &quot;Dwarfkabob!&quot; Already panic-stricken by the tank and the grenades lobbed by the Wild Bunch,Lord Kelvin's troops just flat soiled their breeches when they got a load of thefire-breathing dragon. And then the elves came streaming out of the forestbehind them, screaming out their war cry, &quot;Dwarfkabob!&quot; &quot;Doc!&quot; yelledMick. &quot;Look there!&quot; Brewster looked in the direction Mick was pointing, and for a moment hewasn't sure he was seeing right. From the west, the same direction that LordKelvin's army came from, a forest was moving down the road. &quot;Do I see what I think I'm seeing?&quot; Pamela asked with disbelief. No, it wasn't a scene from Macbeth, it was, indeed, a moving forest,or more precisely a herd of peregrine bushes. (Actually, &quot;herd&quot; isn'tquite the right word. You can have a herdof cattle, but I guess a bunch of bushes would be called a &quot;hedge.&quot;) &quot;It's Thorny!&quot; Brewster shouted. &quot;He didn't desert me, afterall!&quot; &quot;They're cutting off Kelvin's retreat,&quot; said Aubrey. Indeed, they were. Several platoons of soldiers had taken off en masse downthe road to the west, running back the way they had come, but when they saw thegigantic hedge of adult peregrine bushes moving toward them, with thorns largeenough to impale Dracula himself, they turned and ran the other way. And then,over the noise of the battle, a new sound came from the east, the sound ofhundreds of deep voices rapping in unison: &quot;Heeyyy, hogooo! Heeyyy, Hoooo!
We're marching to Brigantium,
So stand aside and let us pass!
We're marching to Brigantium,
We're gonna kick some Pittsburgh ass!&quot; &quot;It's the dwarves!&quot; said Mick. And as the dwarves came marching down the road, carrying their nasty littlecrossbows and their mean little warhammers, the Army of Brigantium appeared,with Mac leading the foot soldiers and Shannon leading the cavalry. LordKelvin's army suddenly found itself completely boxed in. Okay, now I know what some of you are thinking. These guys are going to getcut to ribbons and Brewster's forces are going to win the day, because it wouldbe a real letdown if they lost, but at the same time, it's downright cruel tomake Queen Sandy watch her people being slaughtered. After all, she dideverything in her power to avert this battle and at considerable risk to her ownsafety, she rode all the way to Brigantium to offer herself up as hostage in aneffort to save lives. Now, it looks as if all her efforts were in vain and theArmy of Pitt is doomed. But then again, some of you are thinking, &quot;Hey, this is the good part.This is where we get to see all the hacking and slashingthat we read high fantasy for. We've not only got brave dwarves and valiantelves and a fire-breathing dragon, but we've got medieval bikers with grenadesand a handsome prince driving a tank! This is going to be really good!&quot; Well, now, your faithful narrator has a problem. If I try to please the groupthat wants to spare Queen Sandy and have the entire Army of Pitt simplysurrender en masse, thereby achieving a nice, nonviolent ending to the story,the hack-and-slash freaks will be disappointed. And if I try to please thehack-and-slash freaks by having all sorts of mayhem break out on the field ofbattle, then the first group will be upset. And it really doesn't seem as if Ican please everybody, does it? Well, never fear. Remember, always trust your narrator. So far, all I've hadis a couple of big guns blow up, causing superficial injuries to the gun crews,and the tank has fired at the feet of the cavalry, causing all sorts ofconsternation. True, the Wild Bunch has thrown a bunch of grenades, but I didn'tsay what kind of grenades they were, did I? I mean, they could befragmentation grenades, or they could be just smoke grenades, designed tofrighten the troops. So far, we haven't really had any serious violence, havewe? Well, all right, Black Jack did get shot between the eyes, but he was a realbastard and he was sexually harassing Pamela, as well as threatening her life,so no one will argue that he had it coming. And the elves did kill a bunch ofmercenaries, but hey, they were mercenaries, and nobody really likes mercenariesvery much. Well, except maybe those guys who read Soldier of Fortune, butyou can't have a war without offending somebody. So, in the besttraditions of interactive fantasy, here's what we'll do. You get to pick yourown ending. All you hack-and-slash freaks just skip the next paragraph. Now, for all you people who don't want to see Queen Sandy's noble gesture bein vain, imagine the Army of Pitt going into an absolute panic at all thefireworks and being struck dumb with terror by the fire-breathing dragon, thetank, the Wild Bunch, the coffee-drinking beatnik vampire elves and therapping Rastafarian grunge dwarves, Shannon charging in with the cavalry, Maccoming up behind her with the foot soldiers, and Thorny attacking with hishedge, whereupon Lord Kelvin realizes it's an utterly hopeless situation, and inan effort to forestall wholesale slaughter, he has his troops throw down theirarms and surrender. After that, Lord Kelvin and his officers meet with Brewsterand Harlan and Shannon to negotiate a treaty that will benefit both kingdoms andit all ends more or less peacefully, with a minimum of bloodshed. Okay, now skipthe next paragraph. Now, for all you hack-and-slash freaks, imagine this: Lord Kelvin manages torally his panic-stricken troops and launches a desperate counterattack. Thecavalry regroups to face Shannon's charge from down the road to Brigand's Roostand a wild melee breaks out as the two units collide at full gallop, with steelringing against steel and men shouting and horses neighing and all that stuff.The rapping Rastafarian grunge dwarves join up with Mac's infantry and they wadeinto Kelvin's left flank, swords flashing and spears thrusting and dwarvenwarhammers shattering human kneecaps. The Wild Bunch wreck havoc with theirfragmentation grenades and then Rory swoops down over the panicked troops withRachel on his back and roasts entire battalions to a crisp. A number of LordKelvin's soldiers, mostly the low-paid mercenaries, break and run for it, onlyto get impaled on the deadly thorns of the peregrine hedge. The coffee-drinkingbeatnik vampire elves let loose with volley after volley of arrows from theirlongbows, then charge in and start munching on the surviving troops, just likein Night of the Living Dead. Now, when the body count rises high enoughto satisfy your bloodthirsty appetites, imagine the remains of Lord Kelvin'sarmy-assuming there are any- throwing down their arms and surrendering. Okay, so much for the big, climactic battle scene. At the end, there was abad moment when the dwarves and elves almost went for one another, because theynever did like each other very much, but fortunately, in the nick of time,Thorny maneuvered his peregrine hedge between them and a nasty brawl wasnarrowly avoided. Arrangements were made to send Queen Sandy back to Pittsburghwith the survivors, with Harlan going along as a representative of Brigantium toarrange a final peace settlement and begin trade negotiations. The revolution had taken place in Pittsburgh, meanwhile, and Sheriff Waylonand his deputies were all tarred and feathered and then thrown into prisonawaiting execution, but Sandy would grant them clemency when she returned andsentence them to twenty years of community service, along with GentlemanlyJohnny and La Donna and the rest of The Stealers Guild. King Billy, upon beingreleased by the Underground, would realize what a fool he'd been and what anincredible asset he had in his wife and from that moment on, they would ruletogether in a comonarchy, which basically meant that Sandy called the shots, andall the repressive edicts would be repealed and the citizens of Pitt would allrejoice. All that remains now is the final, closing scene, where Brewster and Pamela,reunited once again, decide to remain in Brigantium and settle down. Harlan willmake sure the time machine is dismantled, and since EnGulfCo doesn't have aworking model, and only Pamela was capable of deciphering Brewster's notes, noone from our universe will ever again be able to journey to the land of thetwenty-seven kingdoms, which means that old Warrick will- Excuse me a minute, my phone is ringing. &quot;Hello?&quot; &quot;Simon? This is Wayne Chang, from Warner Books.&quot; &quot;Oh, hi, Wayne. I was just finishing up the book. I was about to writethe closing scenes and-&quot; &quot;Good, that's what I was calling about. Look, Betsy wants to talk toyou. Can you hold on a second? She's on another line.&quot; &quot;Sure. I'll hold.&quot; &quot;Simon? Betsy Mitchell.&quot; &quot;Hi, Betsy, what's up?&quot; &quot;Look, I was just speaking with management and they want some changes inthe book.&quot; &quot;Changes? What do mean, changes? I haven't even submitted it yet. Iwas just about to write the closing scenes and...&quot; &quot;Never mind that. Just stop it where you are and send it in. We'llcomplete it in house.&quot; &quot;Huh? What are you talking about? You mean you just want me to cut itoff right where it is, when it's almost done, and you're going to finishit?&quot; &quot;Yes, that's right.&quot; &quot;Wait a minute, are you kidding me? That's the most ridiculous thing Iever heard! There's not a single writer I know who's ever gotten a request likethis!&quot; &quot;There isn't a single writer I know who's ever written a book like this,either. Besides, it's not a request. This comes straight from upstairs, from thenew management at the parent company.&quot; &quot;What parent company?&quot; &quot;EnGulfCo International. They've just concluded a leveraged buy-out ofWarner Communications and they're taking direct control of the publishingbranch. I just got off the phone with their vice-president ofacquisitions-&quot; &quot;No! Don't tell me!&quot; &quot;-a Mr. Warrick Morgannan, and he specifically instructed me to have youstop work immediately and submit the manuscript as is.&quot; &quot;Oh, no! Forget it! There's no way! We've got a contract!&quot; &quot;And in case you've forgotten, there's an acceptability clause in thatcontract that gives us the right to edit the book, which means we can make anychanges deemed necessary in order to make it publishable. Look, Simon, I knowhow you must feel and I'm really sorry about this, but there's nothing I can do.My hands are tied. And I have to tell you that if you rock the boat on this,it's probably going to jeopardize our next contract.&quot; &quot;No, no, noooo ... this can't be happening!&quot; &quot;Listen, I know this stinks, but I'll try to make it up to you. I'm notreally supposed to tell you this, but Mr. Morgannantold me we're going to get the contract to do a series of novelizations based ona new British TV program about an intergalactic starship that's a bar. It's oneof those high concept things, Cheers in outer space. And they want you towrite it.&quot; &quot;Aaaaarrrrrrrrgghhhh!&quot; &nbsp; EPILOGUE &nbsp; A Note from the Publisher Literary satire has often been considered one of the most challenging of artforms, with a long and honorable tradition behind it. Some of the finest writersof our time have published satirical works, among them such diversely talentedand influential authors as Robert Heinlein, Paddy Chayevsky, Gore Vidal, JohnIrving, and Hunter S. Thompson. Simon Hawke, while not even remotely in theirleague, has nevertheless been a popular and prolific author for close to twentyyears, and Warner/Aspect has been proud to publish some of his most successfulnovels. It is, therefore, with deep regret that we must announce that Mr. Hawke,the author of this novel, has recently suffered a nervous breakdown and has beenadmitted to a private psychiatric facility for treatment. Close friends and associates of Mr. Hawke have informed us that they haveseen this coming for a long time now, as evidenced by his recent move to asecluded location in the Arizona desert and his erratic behavior on therelatively few occasions that he has recently been seen in public. For legalreasons, we will refrain from commenting on those occurrences, other than to saywe understand the extreme stress that creative individuals are often subject toand that, as publishers, we try to sympathize and follow a policy of reasonabletolerance wherever and whenever possible. As such, we fully sympathize with Mr.Hawke, and with his friends and family, and hope for his eventual recovery.Warner/Aspect stands by its authors and we shall continue to consider Mr. Hawkea valuable talent, and hope to continue publishing his works, when and if he isable to start writing once again. In the meantime, due to contractual obligations and production deadlines, weare publishing Mr. Hawke's current, unpolishedmanuscript as written, without any changes or revisions, in part to show theerratic and often fascinating inner workings of an undisciplined creative mindat work, with all its hebephrenic narrative asides and the uncontrolled flow ofthe novel's satirical devices, and in part to help defray the author's medicalexpenses. In the process of experimenting with the new literary form he was creating,&quot;Fantastic Metafiction,&quot; Mr. Hawke unfortunately laid the groundworkfor his own mental breakdown, and while we commend his efforts to stretch theboundaries of literary convention, we feel that as regards the issue ofliability in this matter, we must stress that Warner/Aspect does not in any wayendorse, sanction, or recommend the practice of &quot;Fantastic Metafiction,&quot;and we earnestly caution all our readers not to try this at home. In closing, we would like to add that Mr. Hawke's family and friends haverequested that we do not disclose the name of the private facility at which heis currently being treated, and they ask that in lieu of sympathy cards,letters, and donations, fans lend their support to struggling new authors bypurchasing their books. Mr. Hawke's family and friends have also requested thatwe do not disclose their names, either. As the parent company of WarnerCommunications, we at EnGulfCo International join in extending all wishes of aspeedy recovery to Mr. Hawke, so that the time may .someday come when we may,once again, &quot;trust the Narrator.&quot; Warrick Morgannan
Executive Vice-President
EnGulfCo International
London, England The executive secretary finished reading back the dictation and looked up ather boss. &quot;Was that correct, sir?&quot; Warrick leaned back in his chair and lit up an expensive cigar. &quot;Yes, Ithink that will do quite nicely. Go ahead and send it off.&quot; &quot;Sir?&quot; &quot;Yes, Emily, what is it?&quot; &quot;Sir, I've read the manuscript, and I was just wondering ... well, youknow he's named the villain of the story, the evil wizard, after you?&quot; &quot;Yes, I believe Ms. Mitchell mentioned something about that.&quot; &quot;Well, sir, don't you think we should have that changed? Or at leastmake some sort of comment about it in the epilogue?&quot; Warrick smiled. &quot;No, I don't really think that will be necessary. Ithink the readers will understand that Mr. Hawke was merely venting his spleenin frustration, a pointless little gesture of defiance against the new corporatemanagement of his publishing company. Let it stand. Personally, I think it'srather amusing. After all, in a manner of speaking, the evil wizard does win inthe end, doesn't he?&quot; He winked at her. Emily smiled. &quot;Well, it's certainly the strangest book I've ever seen.And it was rather amusing, in places. It really is too bad about poor Mr.Hawke.&quot; &quot;Aye, 'tisn't it?&quot; said Warrick with a smile. &quot;I beg your pardon, sir?&quot; Warrick shook his head. &quot;Never mind, Emily. It was nothing. Nothing atall.&quot; &nbsp; ABOUT THE AUTHOR &nbsp; Simon Hawke became a full-time writer in 1978 and has sixty novels to hiscredit. He recieved a BA in Communications from Hofstra University and an MA inEnglish from Western New Mexico University. He teaches writing through PimaCollege in Tucson, Arizona. Hawke lives alone in a secluded Santa Fe-style home in the Sonoran desertabout thirty-five miles west of Tucson, near Kitt Peak and the Tohono O'odhamIndian Reservation. He is a motorcyclist, and his other interests includehistory, metaphysics, gardening, and collecting fantasy art.