shoulder and started for the door, keeping a wary eye on
the stoned djinn.
“Just a second.” Drom paused at the portal and snatched
the container of medicine from Snooth’s fingers.
“Hey, what about my payment, sonny?”
“You’ve already been paid, madame.” The unicorn
used his horn to point at Harun al-Roojinn.”Collect from
him.” Drom trotted out, through the storeroom of broken
devices, through the living area, and out the front door to
join his friends.
Snooth watched him go, hands on hips, her expression
grim.
THE DAY OF THE DISSONANCE
287
“Tourists! I shouid’ve known they’d be more trouble
than they’re worth.” She stomped out onto the porch and
watched until they’d vanished into the woods. Then she
reached inside, found the sign she wanted, hung it on the
door, and slammed it shut. The message on the sign was
clear enough.
OUT TO LUNCH
BACK IN TEN THOUSAND YEARS
Jon-Tom bounced along on Roseroar’s powerful shoul-
der. Mudge kept pace easily alongside, Folly rode atop the
reluctant but soft-hearted Drom, and Charrok scouted their
progress from above.
As the Shop of the Aether and Neither receded behind
them, Jon-Tom gradually began to emerge from the
mental miasma into which he’d plunged both himself
and Harun al-Roojinn. Fingers moved less steadily over
the duar’s strings, and his voice fell to a whisper. He
blinked.
” ‘E’s comin’ round,” Mudge observed.
“It’s about time,” said Folly. “What did he do to
himself?”
“Some wondrous magic,” muttered Drom. “Some pow-
erful otherworldly conjuration.”
Mudge snorted and grinned. “Right, mate. What ‘e did