Thedemon continued to inspect the hut, while I inspected him. He washumanoid; that is, he had two arms, two legs, and a head. He wasshort but powerfully built, a bit broader across the shoulders than aman, and heavily muscled, but he wasn't human. I mean, you don't seemany hairless humans with dark green scales covering their body andpointed ears lying flat against their head.

Idecided to risk a question.

"Ah,excuse me."

"Yeah,kid?"

"Um,you are a demon, aren't you?"

"Huh?Oh, yeah, I guess you could say I am."

"Well,if you don't mind my asking, why don't you act like a demon?"

Thedemon shot me a disgusted look, then turned his head heavenward in agesture of martyrdom.

"Everybody'sa critic. Tell ya what, kid, would you be happier if I tore yourthroat out with my teeth?"

"Well,no, but…."

"Forthat matter, who are you, anyway? Are you an innocent bystander, ordid you come with the assassin?"

"I'mwith him," I hastened to reply, pointing a shaky finger atGarkin's body. That bit about tearing my throat out had me on edgeagain. "Or at least I was. Garkin. The one who summoned…him!… I'm… I was his student."

"Nokiddin'? Garkin's apprentice?" He began advancing toward me,reaching out a hand, "Pleased ta… what's wrong?"

Ashe moved toward me, I had started backing away from him. I tried todo it casually, but he had noticed.

"Well…it's… you are a demon."

"Yeah.So?"

"Um…well, demons are supposed to be…."

"Hey,relax, kid. I don't bite. Look, I'm an old buddy of Garkin's."

"Ithought you said you were a demon?"

"That'sright. I'm from another dimension. A dimension traveler, or demon forshort. Get it?"

"What'sa dimension?"

Thedemon scowled.

"Areyou sure you're Garkin's apprentice? I mean, he hasn't told youanything at all about dimensions?"

"No,"I answered. "I mean, yes, I'm his apprentice, but he never saidanything about the demon-suns."

"That'sdimensions," he corrected. "Well, a dimension is anotherworld, actually one of several worlds, existing simultaneously withthis one, but on different planes. Follow me?"

"No,"I admitted.

"Well,just accept that I'm from another world. Now, in that world, I'm amagician just like Garkin. We had an exchange program going where wecould summon each other across the barrier to impress our respectiveapprentices."

"Ithought you said you were a demon," I said suspiciously.

"Iam'. Look, kid. In my world, you'd be a demon, but at the currentmoment I'm in yours, so I'm a demon."

"Ithought you said you were a magician."

"Idon't believe this!" The demon made his angry appeal to theheavens. "I'm standing here arguing with some twerp of anapprentice…. Look, kid."

Hefixed me with his gaze again.

"Letme try it this way. Are you going to shake my hand, or am I going torip your heart out?"

Sincehe put it that way… I mean, for a minute there, when he losthis temper and started shouting, he sounded just like Garkin. It gavecredibility to his claim of friendship with my ex-teacher. I took hisextended hand and shook it cautiously.

"I'm….My name is Skeeve."

Hisgrip was cold, but firm. So firm in fact that I found it impossibleto reclaim my hand as rapidly as I would have liked.

"Pleasedta meetcha, kid. I'm Aahz."

"Oz?"

"Norelation."

"Norelation to what?" I asked, but he was examining the room again.

"Well,there's certainly nothing here to arouse the greedy side of hisfellow beings. Early primitive, enduring, but not particularly soughtafter."

"Welike it," I said, rather stiffly. Now that I was over beingscared, I didn't like the sneer in his voice. The hut wasn't much andI certainly wasn't overly fond of it, but I resented his criticism.

"Don'tget your back up, kid." Aahz said easily. "I'm looking fora motive, that's all."

"Motive?"

"Areason for someone to off old Garkin. I'm not big on vengeance, buthe was a drinking buddy of mine and it's got my curiosity up."

Hebroke off his inspection of the room to address me directly.

"Howabout you, kid? Can you think of anything? Any milkmaids he's seducedor farmers he's cheated? You've got an interest in this too, youknow. You might be the next target."

"Butthe guy who did it is dead." I gestured to the charred lump bythe door. "Doesn't that finish it?"

"Wakeup, kid. Didn't you see the gold cloak? That was a professionalassassin. Somebody hired him, and that somebody would hire anotherone."

Achill ran down my spine. I hadn't really thought of that. I began tosearch my memory for a clue.

"Well…he said Isstvan sent him."

"What'san Isstvan?"

"Idon't… wait a minute. What do you mean, I might be the nexttarget?"

"Neat,huh?" Aahz was holding up the gold cloak. "Lined, andcompletely reversible. Always wondered how come no one noticed themuntil they were ready to pounce."

"Aahz…."

"Hmmm?Oh, didn't mean to scare you. It's just if someone's declared openseason on magicians in general or Garkin specifically, you might havesome…. Hello, what's this?"

"What'swhat?" I asked, trying to get a look at what he had found.

"This,"he said, holding his prize aloft. "It seems I'm not the onlydemon about."

Itwas a head, apparently the assassin's. It was badly charred, withbone showing in several places. My natural revulsion at the sight wascompounded by several obvious features. The chin and ears of the headwere unnaturally pointed, and there were two short, blunt, hornsprotruding from the forehead.

"Adevil!" I exclaimed in horror.

"Awhat? Oh, a Deveel. No, it's not from Deva, it's from Imper. An Imp.Didn't Garkin teach you anything?"

"Comeagain?" I asked, but Aahz was busy scowling at the head.

"Thequestion is, who would be crass enough to hire an Imp for anassassin? The only one I can think of is Isstvan, but that'simpossible."

"Butthat's who did it. Don't you remember? I told you…."

"Ithought you said 'Isstvan.'"

"Idid! Wait a minute. What did you say?"

"Isaid Isstvan. Can't you tell the difference?"

"No,"I admitted.

"Hmmm…must be too subtle for the human ear to detect. Oh, well. No matter.This changes everything. If Isstvan is up to his old tricks there'sno time to lose. Hey! Wait a minute. What's this?"

"It'sa cross bow," I observed.

"Withheat-seeking armor-piercing quarrels? Is that the norm in thisworld?"

"Heat-seeking…."

"Nevermind, kid. I didn't think so. Well, that tears it. I'd better checkthis out quick."

Hebegan to stride into the pentagram. I suddenly realized he waspreparing to leave.

"Hey!Wait a minute! What's going on?"

"Itwould take too long to explain, kid. Maybe I'll see you againsometime."

"Butyou said I might be a target!"

"Yeah,well, that's the way it crumbles. Tell ya what.

Startrunning and maybe they won't find you until it's over."

Myhead was awhirl. Things were happening far too fast for clearthought. I still didn't know what or who the demon was or if I shouldtrust him, but I did know one thing. He was the nearest thing to anally I had in a situation where I was clearly outclassed.

"Couldn'tyou help me?"

"Notime. I've got to move."

"Couldn'tI come with you?"

"You'djust get in the way, maybe even get me killed."

"Butwithout you. I'll be killed!" I was getting desperate, but Aahzwas unimpressed. "Probably not. Tell ya what, kid. I've reallygot to get going, but just to show you I think you'll survive, I'llshow you a little trick you might use sometime. You see all this crudGarkin used to bring me across the barrier? Well, it's not necessary.Watch close and I'll show you how we do it when our apprenticesaren't watching."