It didn’t work.
I had barely gotten the words out when a large chunk of brick ripped through the air just over my head . . . passing through what would have been the chest of the disguised me. “Disguise spell!” the thrower called. “Go for him like we saw him before!”
To say the least, I figured it was time for the better part of valor. Trying to keep my mind under control, which is harder to do than it sounds with half a dozen bully-boys charging down on you, I slapped on a levitation spell and took to the skies.
. . . At least, I tried to.
I was barely airborne when a vise-like grip closed on my ankle.
“I’ve got him!”
The grip hurt, which made it difficult to concentrate on my spell. Then, too, it seemed the day had taken a lot more out of me than I had realized. Normally, I can, and have, levitated as many as two people besides myself . . . count that as three since one of them was Massha. In the scramble of the moment, however, I was hard pressed to lift myself and the guy who was holding my ankle. I struggled to get him into the air, then something bounced off my head and. . .
The ground slammed into me at an improbable angle, and for a moment, I saw stars. The pressure seemed to be gone from my ankle, but when I opened my eyes, the leader was standing over me with his trusty board in his hands.
“Nice try, wise guy!” he sneered.” But not good enough. Now give me the . . .”
Suddenly he went sprawling as someone piled into him from behind.
“Quick, Mr. Skeeve! Get up!”
It took me a moment to realize it was the street vendor I had spoken to that morning. He crouched over me, facing down the circling gang.