“I don’t understand!” he whimpered plaintively.
“Shut up, Quigley,” Aahz growled. “We’ll explain later.”
“That’s assuming there is a later,” Frumple sneered.
I tended to agree with Frumple. The atmosphere, in the room no longer had even the semblance of joviality. It was over. We had lost. We were all exposed and captured, and Isstvan was as strong as ever. Whatever Aahz’s secret weapon was, it apparently hadn’t worked.
“Well, I’m afraid all good things must come to an end,” Isstvan sighed, draining his flagon. “Now I’m afraid I’ll have to dispose of you.”
He sounded genuinely sad, but somehow I couldn’t muster any sympathy for his plight.
“Just one question before we begin, Aahz,” he asked in surprisingly sane tones.
“What’s that?” Aahz responded.
“Why did you do it? I mean, with as feeble a team as this, how did you possibly hope to beat me?”
Isstvan sounded genuinely sincere.
“Well, Isstvan,” Aahz drawled, “that’s a matter of opinion.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Isstvan asked suspiciously.
“I don’t ‘hope’ we can beat you,” Aahz smiled. “I know we can.”
“Really?” Isstvan chuckled. “And upon what are you basing your logic?”
“Why, I’m basing it on the fact that we’ve already won,” Aahz blinked innocently. “It’s all over, Isstvan, whether you realize it or not.”
Chapter Twenty-Five:
“Just because you’ve beaten a sorcerer, doesn’t mean you’ve beaten a sorcerer.”
-TOTH-AAMON
“AAHZ,” Isstvan said sternly, “there comes a time when even your humor wears a little thin.”
“I’m not kidding, Isstvan,” Aahz assured him. “You’ve lost your powers. Go ahead, try something. Anything!”