“We demand to be taken to your leader,” Aahz said, stepping toward the man. “We are powerful magicians from another dimension with important information your leader will want.”
The guy actually laughed, which rocked Aahz back on his heels. Not too many people actually laughed at my mentor and got away with it.
“Drop my disguise,” Aahz said, whispering to me.
I shrugged. At this point, it couldn’t get any worse, so I did as he asked.
Not a one of the men on the horses even seemed to notice that there was now a green-scaled ugly Pervect standing in front of them. Not even their horses cared.
That was not what Aahz was expecting.
The guy again just laughed.
“You can drop the act,” he said. “Our leader knows exactly why you are here.”
Then the guy did something that just flat scared me to death. He pointed a finger at Aahz and a moment later the map came floating out of Aahz’s belt pouch, unfolded in midair, and fluttered there. Then it refolded and returned to the pouch.
“Now please come with us,” he said.
He turned his horse and started at a slow pace toward the city.
I glanced at Aahz, who was looking almost stunned, then at Tanda.
“Don’t you think this might be a good time to head for home?” I asked.
“I wish we could,” Tanda said.
Sweat dripped off her forehead as we all stepped back onto the road to follow the guy who had done the talking. The rest of his group of riders waited and fell in behind us.
“Excuse me?” I said. “How about jumping us to the dust storm?”
“Trust me,” she said, “I tried.”