“Money,” Aahz said bluntly.
“Oh Aahz.” Tanda punched him a little too hard for it to be playful. “You’re such a kidder.”
“Don’t you want to know what the mission is?” I asked Quigley.
“Oh, yes, I suppose you’re right, lad. Forgive me. I was carried away by my enthusiasm.”
“Tell him, Skeeve,” prompted Tanda.
“Actually,” I said, with a sudden flash of diplomacy, “Aahz explains it much better than I do.”
“It’s really quite simple,” mumbled Aahz, still sulking a bit. “We’re going after Isstvan.”
“Isstvan?” Quigley looked puzzled. “The harmless old innkeeper?”
“Harmless? Harmless, did you say?” Aahz took the bait. “Quigley, as one demon hunter to another, you’ve got a lot to learn.”
“I do all right for myself.”
“Sure you do. That’s why you got turned to stone, remember?”
“I got turned to stone because I put my faith in a magik sword that….”
Things were back to normal.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” I interrupted. “We were talking about the upcoming mission.”
“Right, kid. As I was saying, Quigley, that harmless old innkeeper is working so closely with demons I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he was one himself.”
“Impossible!” scoffed Quigley. “Why, the man sent me out hunting for demons.”
“Ahh!” smiled Aahz. “Therein lies the story.’ I caught Tanda’s eyes and winked. She smiled back at me and nodded. This might take a while, but as of now Quigley was in the bag!
Chapter Twenty-Two:
This is another fine myth you’ve gotten me into!”
-LOR L. AND HAR D.
THERE was something there in the shadows. I could sense its presence more than see it. It was dark and serpentine … and it was watching me. I was alone. I didn’t know where the others had gone, but I knew they were counting on me.