A hand the size of a bus lowered to block her from
Jon-Tom’s sight.
“THE MEDICINE YOU MAY TAKE. IF YOU CAN SATISFY
ME. AND YOU HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS TO MERE MOR-
TALS WHO DISPLEASE ME.”
Jon-Tom was beginning to understand why Crancularn
had acquired a less than favorable reputation among travel-
ers in this part of the world, in spite of the miracles it
offered for sale.
“YOU THINK LONG, MORTAL. Do NOT THINK TO TRICK
ME BY SOME FOOLISHNESS SUCH AS ASKING ME TO SHRINK
MYSELF INTO A BOTTLE.” A hand hovered above them and
Folly flinched. “I DON’T NEED TO CHANGE MY SIZE TO
SHOW MY POWER. ALL I NEED TO DO IS PUT MY THUMB ON
YOUR HEAD.”
“Whatever happened to the customer’s always right?”
Jon-Tom shot back.
The djinn hesitated. “WHAT OTHERWORLDLY IDIOCY is
THAT?”
“Just good business practice.”
“A MORTAL WITH A KNACK FOR BUSINESS.” The djinn
looked interested. “I WILL LET YOU PAY WITH YOUR
BUSINESS, THEN, AND PERHAPS YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS
WILL LEAVE HERE WITH YOUR BONES INTACT. YOU ARE A
SPELLSINGER. I HAVE HEARD MANY SPELLS INGERS, BUT
NONE THAT PLEASED ME. I DO NOT THINK I KNOW OF ONE
FROM YOUR WORLD. SlNG ME A SPELLSONG OF YOUR
WORLD, WORM. SlNG ME A SONG THAT WfLL AMUSE ME,
INTRIGUE ME. SlNG ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THEN,
AND ONLY THEN, WILL I LET YOU TAKE THE MEDICINE
284
Alan Dean Poster
AND GO!” The djinn folded arms with thick muscles like
the trunks of great trees.
“THINK CAREFULLY ON WHAT YOU WILL SING. I GROW
IMPATIENT QUICKLY AND WILL NOT ALLOW YOU A SEC-
OND CHANCE.”
Jon-Tom stood sweating and thinking furiously. What