"CANwe move now?" I asked.

"Notyet, kid. Wait until the lights have been out for a full day."

"Youmean a full hour."

"Whatever.Now shut up and keep watching."

Wewere waiting in the dead-end alley across the street from Frumple'sshop. Even though we were supposedly secure in our new disguises, Iwas uneasy being back in the same town where I had been hung. It's ahard feeling to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it. Thentoo, it was strange being with Aahz after I had gotten used to theidea of him being dead.

Apparentlythe neck muscles of a Pervect are considerably stronger than those ofa human. Aahz had simply tensed those muscles and they providedsufficient support to keep the noose from cutting off his air supply.

Asa point of information, Aahz had further informed me that his scalesprovided better armor than most chain-mail or plate armor availablein this dimension. I had heard once that demons could only bedestroyed by specially constructed weapons or by burning. It seemedthe old legends may have actually had some root in fact.

"Okay,kid," Aahz whispered. "I guess we've waited long enough."

Heeased himself out of the alley and led me in a long circle around theshop, stopping again only when we had returned to our original spotby the alley. "Well, what do you think, kid?"

"Don'tknow. What were we looking for?"

"Tellme again about how you planned to be a thief," Aahz sighed."Look, kid. We're looking over a target. Right?"

"Right,"I replied, glad to be able to agree with something. "Okay, howmany ways in and out of that shop did you see?"

"Justone. The one across the street there."

"Right.Now how do you figure we're going to get into the shop?"

"Idon't know," I said honestly.

"C'nion,kid. If there's only one way in…."

"Youmean we're just going to walk in the front door?"

"Whynot? We can see from here the door's open."

"Well…if you say so, Aahz. I just thought it would be harder than that."

"Whoa!Nobody said it was going to be easy. Just because the door's opendoesn't mean the door's open."

"Ididn't quite get that, Aahz."

"Think,kid. We're after a Deveel, right? He's got access to all kinds ofmagic and gimmicks. Now what say you close your eyes and take anotherlook at that door."

Idid as I was told. Immediately the image of a glowing cage spranginto my mind, a cage that completely enclosed the shop.

"He'sgot some kind of ward up, Aahz," I informed my partner.

Itoccurred to me that a few short weeks ago I would have held such astructure in awe. Now, I accepted it as relatively normal, justanother obstacle to be overcome.

"Describeit to me," Aahz hissed.

"Well…it's bright… whitish purple… there's a series of barsand crossbars forming squares about a hand-span across…."

"Isit just over the door, or all over the shop?"

"Allover the shop. The top's covered, and the bars run right into theground."

"Hmm,well, we'll just have to go through it. Listen up, kid. Time for aquick lesson."

Iopened my eyes and looked at the shop again. The building looked asinnocent as it had when we first circled it. It bothered me that Icouldn't sense the cage's presence the way I could our own wards.

"Whatis it, Aahz?" I asked uneasily.

"Hmm?Oh. it's a ward, kind of like the ones we use, but a lot nastier."

"Nastier,how?"

"Well,the kind of wards I taught you to build are an early warning systemand not much else. From the sounds of it, the stuff Frumple is usingwill do considerably more. Not only will it kill you, it'll knock youinto pieces smaller than dust. It's called disintegration."

"Andwe're going to go through it?" I asked, incredulously.

"Afteryou've had a quick lesson. Now, remember your feather drills? Howyou'd wrap your mind around the feather for control?"

"Yeah."I said, puzzled.

"Well,I want you to do the same thing, but without the feather. Pretendyou're holding something that isn't there. Form the energies into atube."

"Thenwhat?"

"Thenyou insert the tube into one of the squares in the cage and expandit."

"That'sall?"

"That'sit. C'mon now. Give it a try."

Iclosed my eyes and reached out with my mind.

Choosinga square in the center of the open doorway, I inserted my mental tubeand began to expand it. As it touched the bars forming the square, Iexperienced a tingle and a physical pressure as if I had encountereda tangible object.

"Easy,kid," Aahz said softly. "We just want to bend the bars abit, not break them."

Iexpanded the tube. The bars gave way slowly, until they met with thenext set. Then I experienced another tingle and additional pressure.

"Remember,kid. Once we're inside, take your time. Wait for your eyes to adjustto the dark. We don't want to tip Frumple off by stumbling around andknocking things over."

Iwas having to strain now. The tube had reached another set of barsnow, making it a total of twelve bars I was forcing outward.

"Haveyou got it yet?" Aahz's whisper Sounded anxious.

"Justa second…Yes!"

Thetube was now big enough for us to crawl through.

"Areyou sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay.Lead the way, kid. I'll be right behind you."

Strangelyenough, I felt none of my usual doubts as I strode boldly across thestreet to the shop. Apparently my confidence in my abilities wasgrowing, for I didn't even hesitate as I began to crawl through thetube. The only bad moment I had was when I suddenly realized I wascrawling on thin air about a foot off the ground. Apparently I hadset the tube a little too high, but no matter. It held! Next time Iwould know better.

Ieased myself out of the end of the tube and stood in the shop'sinterior. I could hear the soft sounds of Aahz's passage behind me asI waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark.

"Easeaway from the door, kid," came Aahz's whispered advice in my earas he stood behind me. "You're standing in a patch of moonlight.And you can collapse the tube now."

Properlynotified, I shifted away from the moonlight. I was pleased to note,however, that releasing the tube did not make a significantdifference in my mental energies. I was progressing to where I coulddo more difficult feats with less energy than when I started. I wasactually starting to feel like a magician.

Iheard a slight noise behind me and craned my neck to look. Aahz wasquietly drawing the curtains over the door.

Ismiled grimly to myself. Good! We don't want witnesses.

Myeyes were nearly adjusted now. I could make out shapes and shadows inthe darkness. There was a dark lump in the corner that breathedheavily. Frumple!

Ifelt a hand on my shoulder. Aahz pointed out a lamp on a table andheld up four fingers.

Inodded and started counting slowly to four. As I reached the finalnumber, I focused a quick flash of energy at the lamp, and its wickburst into flame, lighting the shop's interior.

Aahzwas kneeling beside Frumple, knife in hand. Apparently he hadsucceeded in finding at least some of our weapons in the dark.

Frumplesat up blinking, then froze in place. Aahz had the point of his knifehovering a hairsbreadth from the Deveel's throat.

"Hello,Frumple," he smiled. "Remember us?"

"You!"gasped the Deveel. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Dead?"Aahz purred. "How could any harm befall us with our old palFrumple helping us blend with the citizenry?"

"Gentlemen!"our victim squealed. "There seems to have been a mistake!"