side of the floor. He reached up, grabbed the nearest
chandelier, and made his way across the ceiling gracefully,
without disturbing any of the other customers.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Jon-Tom was muttering.
“If no one knows of any specific danger in Cranculam,
why doesn’t anyone go mere?”
“I could think of several reasons,” said Jalwar thought-
fully.
“Can you really, baggy-nose?” said Mudge. “Why
don’t you enlighten us then, guv’nor?”
“There may be dangers there mat remain little known.”
146
Alas Dean Foster
“He would have told us anything known,” Jon-Tom
argued. “No reason to keep it from us. What else, Jalwar?”
“There may be nothing there at all.”
“I’ll take Clothahump’s word that there is. Go on.”
The ferret spread his hands. “This shop you speak of so
hopefully. It may be less than you wish for. Many such
establishments never live up to their reputations.”
“We’ll find out,” Jon-Tom said determinedly, “because
no matter what anyone says, we’re going there.” His
expression altered suddenly as he stared past the ferret.
“Wot is it, mate?” asked Mudge, abruptly alert. “Wot
do you see?”
“Darkness. Nighttime. It’s been night out for a long
time. Too long. Folly should have returned by now.”
He whirled angrily on the otter. “Damn it, Mudge, did
you…?”
“Now ‘old on a minim, mate.” The otter raised both
paws defensively. “I said my piece and you said you
didn’t want to sell *er. I wouldn’t do anythin’ like that
behind your back.”
“If you were offered the right price you’d sell your own
grandmother without her permission.”