Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“But you said I might be a target!”

“Yeah, well, that’s the way it crumbles. Tell ya what.

Start running and maybe they won’t find you until it’s over.”

My head was awhirl. Things were happening far too fast for clear thought. I still didn’t know what or who the demon was or if I should trust him, but I did know one thing. He was the nearest thing to an ally I had in a situation where I was clearly outclassed.

“Couldn’t you help me?”

“No time. I’ve got to move.”

“Couldn’t I come with you?”

“You’d just get in the way, maybe even get me killed.”

“But without you. I’ll be killed!”

I was getting desperate, but Aahz was unimpressed.

“Probably not. Tell ya what, kid. I’ve really got to get going, but just to show you I think you’ll survive, I’ll show you a little trick you might use sometime. You see all this crud Garkin used to bring me across the barrier? Well, it’s not necessary. Watch close and I’ll show you how we do it when our apprentices aren’t watching.”

I wanted to shout, to make him stop and listen to me, but he had already started. He spread his arms at shoulder height, looked heavenward, took a deep breath, then clapped his hands.

Nothing happened.

Chapter Three:

“The only thing more reliable than magick is one’s friends!”

-MACBETH

AAHZ scowled and repeated the gesture, a bit quicker this time.

The scene remained unchanged.

I decided something was wrong.

“Is something wrong?” I asked politely.

“You’d better believe there’s something wrong,” Aahz snarled. “It’s not working.”

“Are you sure you’re doing it right?”