“I know,” she nodded. “I can do more than bodyguard, and from the sound of the odds you can probably use a little extra help.”
“I can use a lot of help!” I admitted.
“Well, even though you couldn’t find your friend, it does show that you and yours don’t mind working with Pervects. Besides, I can travel the dimensions well enough to get us to Klah directly.”
That settled it. I had been unsure that my plan to simply remove my monitor ring would be an effective way to signal Massha for a pickup, and Pookie had just come up with a good way to get there. Whatever Massha was doing right now, I wasn’t wild about her dropping everything just to provide me with transport.
“All right. You’ve got yourself a job,” I announced. “Just give me a minute to get things together and we’ll be off.”
That was my original plan, but as I opened the door to my room, I realized I had a visitor.
“Well, don’t just stand there with your mouth open. Are you coming or going?”
If there was any doubt in my mind as to who my visitor was, that greeting banished it.
“AAHZ!”
After all my searching—and soul-searching—I couldn’t believe my mentor, friend, and partner was finally in front of my eyes, but there he was!
“That’s right. I heard you wanted to talk to me . . . so talk.”
“I suppose it’s reassuring to know that some things never change, Aahzmandius . . . like you.”
That last came from Pookie as she slipped past me into the room.
“Pookie!? Is that you?”
For the moment, Aahz seemed to be as dumbstruck as I was.
“You two know each other?”