Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“What?” exclaimed Brockhurst.

“Why?” challenged Higgens.

“To help, of course,” she smiled. “I want to be there when you teach Quigley about demons. Maybe I can help him learn.”

“Wonderful, wonderful,” Isstvan beamed, overriding the Imps’ objections. “The more the merrier. Aahz? Skeeve? Will you be joining us?”

“Not this time, thanks,” Aahz replied before I could open my mouth. “The kid here and I have a few things to go over that won’t wait.”

“Like what? “I asked.

“Shut up, kid,” Aahz hissed, then smiled again at the group. “You all run along. We’ll be here when you comeback.”

“We’ll be looking forward to it.” Brockhurst smiled grimly.

“G’bye, Aahz, Skeeve!” Tanda waved. “I’ll look for you next time around.”

“But Tanda.. ..”I began.

“Don’t worry, lad,” Quigley assured me. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”

Behind him, Tanda shot me a bawdy wink.

“Aahz!” Isstvan chuckled. “I do enjoy your company. We must work together more often.”

He adjusted the settings on the D-Hopper and prepared to trigger it.

“Good-bye, Isstvan.” Aahz smiled and waved. “Remember me!”

There was a rippling in the air and they were gone. All of them.

“Aahz!” I said urgently. “Did you see how those Imps looked at us?”

“Hmm? Oh. Yeah, kid. I told you they were vicious little creatures.”

“But what are we going to do when they get back?”

“Don’t worry about it, kid.”

“Don’t worry about it!” I shrieked. “We’ve got to….”

“. . . because they aren’t coming back,” Aahz finished.

That stopped me.

“But… when they get done on Deva….”