We got inside and the door closed against the storm.
“Are we shielded?” Aahz asked Tanda.
“Up and solid,” she said. “Skeeve was right; there is powerful energy here. I can hold the shield for as long as we need it.”
“So Glenda can’t pop in and surprise us?” I asked, moving to the stove to get it started before I took off my coat.
“Not a chance,” Tanda said. “She hops back here, she’s going to get awful dirty standing out there in the dust.”
Aahz laughed. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer demon.”
“Want something to eat?” Tanda asked, working around in the cabinets as I sat at the table.
“Just more carrot juice,” I said.
I could feel my body starting to get really tired, as if someone had pulled the energy plug and what I had left was draining onto the floor.
I dug into my pouch for the canister that I had been carrying. It was gone. I checked again and it was still not there. I couldn’t remember doing anything with it, but I might have dropped it in the excitement of watching cows become vampires and bite on people.
“You have the other canister of juice?” I asked Aahz. “Afraid not, apprentice,” he said. “Left it back on Kowtow when we hopped out of there.”
My first reaction was not to believe him. Then it became clear that he had left the rest of my carrot juice, and my reaction was anger.
“How could you do that?” I shouted. “Easy,” he said.
He showed me by reaching into his pouch, taking out an invisible canister, and dropping it to the floor. “But what am I going to do without it?” Again I shouted. I needed that carrot juice; right down to the very bottom of my soul I needed it.