situation. “So she didn’t go with you voluntarily, did
she!”
“No.” Jalwar made the admission indifferently. “But
she came, and that was all I required. I needed assistance
in hauling rudimentary supplies, and she struck me as the
THE DAY or THE DISSOJKAJVCE
263
easiest of all of you to manipulate. As a beast of burden
she proved adequate.” He smiled thinly, enjoying himself.
“Then, too, the destruction of innocence has always appealed
to me, and she still had a little left.”
Jon-Tom struggled to restrain himself. He didn’t for a
second doubt the lethality of those multiple darts or Jalwar’s
willingness to employ them.
“Where is she? What have you done with her?”
“In good time I will tell you, my impetuous blind
friend.” The ferret cocked an eye toward Snooth. “So that
is the precious medicine our friend Clothahump requires so
desperately. How interesting. I suddenly feel the need for
some medication myself. You, proprietress! I’ll take that
container, if you don’t mind.”
“Take a ‘elluva lot more than that to cure wot ails you,
mate,” said Mudge insultingly.
“You think so, do you? Yet I am not so sick that I have
failed to outwit you all. I did not think you would make it
here without the map, and in my confidence I slowed my
approach. I thought in any event that with the aid of my
help I would always know your location. Indeed, without
that help I would not have been able to rush in close on
your heels and track your progress within this place from
two aisles over.”
“What help?” Jon-Tom asked warily.
“Now, be that the right tone with which to greet an old