Spellsinger 03 – The Day of the Dissonance by Foster, Alan Dean

disturb you. We could come back tomorrow.” He tried to

see past her, into the store. “You haven’t by any chance

had a couple of other out-of-town customers in recently,

have you? An old ferret, maybe accompanied by a human

female?” He held his breath.

The kangaroo scratched under her chin with her free

hand. “Nope. No one of that description. In fact, I haven’t

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had any local out-of-town customers stop by in some

time.”

Forbearing to inquire into the nature of a local out-of-

towner, which seemed to Jon-Tom to be a contradiction in

terms, he permitted himself a moment of silent exultation.

They’d done it! With Drom’s help they’d succeeded in

beating Jalwar to Crancularn. Now he could relax. The

object of their long, arduous journey was almost in his

grasp.

He turned to leave. “We don’t want to upset your siesta.

We’ll come back tomorrow.”

A small brown shape pushed past him. Mudge took

up an aggressive stance on the lowest step. “Now let’s

‘old on a minim ‘ere, guv’nor.” The otter fixed the

proprietress with a jaundiced eye. “This ‘ere dump is

the place I’ve been ‘earin’ about for weeks? This

cobbled-together wreck is the marvelous, the wondrous,

the magnificent Shop o’ the Aether and Neither? And

you’re the owner?”

The kangaroo nodded.

“Well,” announced Mudge in disgust, “it sure as ‘ell

don’t look like much to me.”

“Mudge!” Jon-Tom angrily grabbed the otter by his

shoulder.

The kangaroo, however, did not appear upset. “Ap-

pearances can be deceiving, my fuzzy little cousin.” She

turned to face Jon-Tom as she stood on enormous, power-