Iwanted to shout, to make him stop and listen to me, but he hadalready started. He spread his arms at shoulder height, lookedheavenward, took a deep breath, then clapped his hands.

Nothinghappened.

AAHZscowled and repeated the gesture, a bit quicker this time.

Thescene remained unchanged.

Idecided something was wrong.

"Issomething wrong?" I asked politely.

"You'dbetter believe there's something wrong," Aahz snarled. "It'snot working."

"Areyou sure you're doing it right?"

"Yes,I'm sure I'm doing it right, just like I've been sure the last fiftytimes I did it!"

Hewas starting to sound annoyed.

"Canyou…."

"Look,kid. If I knew what was wrong, I'd have fixed it already. Now, justshut up and let me think!"

Hesank down to sit cross-legged in the center of the pentagram where hebegan sketching vague patterns in the floor as he mumbled darkly tohimself. I wasn't sure if he was trying some alternate incantation orwas simply thinking hard, but decided it would be unwise to ask.Instead, I used the time to organize my scrambled thoughts.

Istill wasn't sure if Aahz was a threat to me or if he was my onlypossible salvation from a greater threat. I mean, by this time I waspretty sure he was kidding about ripping my heart out, but that's thesort of thing one wants to be very sure of. One thing I had learnedfor certain, there was more to this magik stuff than floatingfeathers around.

"That'sgot to be it!"

Aahzwas on his feet again, glaring at Garkin's body.

"Thatill-begot son of a wombat!"

"What'sa wombat?" I asked, then immediately wished I hadn't. The mentalimage that sprang into my mind was so horrifying I was sure I didn'twant details. I needn't have worried. Aahz was not about to take timeto answer me.

"Well,it's a pretty crummy joke. That's all I have to say."

"Urn….What are you talking about, Aahz?"

"I'mtalking about Garkin! He did this to me. If I thought it would gothis far, I would have turned him into a goat-fish when I had thechance."

"Aahz….I still don't…."

Istopped. He had ceased his ranting and was looking at me. I shrankback reflexively before I recognized the snarl as his smile. I likedit better when he was raving.

"I'msorry, Skeeve," he purred. "I guess I haven't been veryclear."

Iwas growing more uneasy by the minute. I wasn't used to havingpeople, much less demons, being nice to me.

"Um….That's okay. I was just wondering…."

"Yousee, the situation is this. Garkin and I have been… playinglittle jokes on each other for some time now. It started one timewhen we were drinking and he stiffed me with the bill. Well, the nexttime I summoned him, I brought him in over a lake and he had to dohis demon act armpit deep in water. He got even by… well, Iwon't bore you with details, but we've gotten in the habit of puttingeach other in awkward or embarrassing situations. It's really verychildish, but quite harmless. But this time…." Aahz'seyes started to narrow, "But this time the old frog-kissers gonetoo… I mean, it seems to have gotten a little out of hand.Don't you agree?"

Hebared his fangs at me again in a smile. I wanted very badly to agreewith him, but I didn't have the foggiest idea what he was talkingabout.

"Youstill haven't told me what's wrong."

"What'swrong is that stinking slime-monger took away my powers!" heroared, forgetting his composure. "I'm blocked! I can't do aflaming thing unless he removes his stupid prankish spell and hecan't 'cause he's dead! Now do you understand me, fly-bait?"

Imade up my mind. Savior or not, I'd rather he went back where he camefrom.

"Well,if there was anything I could do…."

"Thereis, Skeeve, my boy." Aahz was suddenly all purrs and teethagain. "All you have to do is fire up the old cauldron orwhatever and remove this spell. Then we can each go our separate waysand…."

"Ican't do that."

"Okay,kid," his smile was a little more forced. "I'll stickaround until you're on your feet. I mean, what are friends for?"

"That'snot it."

"Whatdo you want? Blood?" Aahz was no longer smiling. "If you'retrying to hold me up, I'll…."

"Youdon't understand!" I interrupted desperately. "I can't doit because I can't do it! I don't know how!"

Thatstopped him.

"Hmm.That could be a problem. Well, tell you what. Instead of pulling thespell here, what say you just pop me back to my own dimension andI'll get someone there to take it off."

"Ican't do that either. Remember, I told you I'd never even heard of…."

"Well.what can you do?!"

"Ican levitate objects… well, small objects."

"And…."he encouraged.

"And…urn… I can light a candle."

"Lighta candle?"

"Well…almost."

Aahzsank heavily into a chair and hid his face in his hands for severalminutes. I waited for him to think of something.

"Kid,have you got anything in this dump to drink?" he asked finally.

"I'llget you some water."

"Isaid something to drink, not something to wash in!"

"Oh.Yessir!"

Ihastened to bring him a goblet of wine from the small keg Garkinkept, hoping he wouldn't notice the vessel wasn't particularly clean.

"Whatwill this do? Will it help you put your powers back?"

"No.But it might make me feel a little better." He tossed the winedown in one swallow, and studied the goblet disdainfully. "Isthis the biggest container you've got?"

Icast about the room desperately, but Aahz was way ahead of me.

Herose, strode into the pentagram, and picked up the brazier. I knewfrom past experience it was deceptively heavy, but he carried it tothe keg as if it were weightless. Not bothering to empty out Garkin'sconcoction, he filled it to the brim and took a deep draught.

"Aah!That's better." He sighed.

Ifelt a little queasy.

"Well,kid," he said, sweeping me with an appraising stare, "itlooks like we're stuck with each other. The setup isn't ideal, butit's what we've got. Time to bite the bullet and play the cards we'redealt. You do know what cards are, don't you?"

"Ofcourse," I said, slightly wounded.

"Good."

"What'sa bullet?"

Aahzclosed his eyes as if struggling against some inner turmoil.

"Kid,"he said at last, "there's a good chance this partnership isgoing to drive one of us crazy. I would guess it will be me unlessyou can knock off the dum-dum questions every other sentence."

"ButI can't understand half of what you're saying."

"Hmm.Tell ya what. Try to save up the questions and ask me all at one timeonce a day. Okay?"

"I'lltry."

"Right.Now here's the situation as I see it. If Isstvan is hiring Imps forassassins…."

"What'san Imp?"

"Kid,will you give me a break?"

"I'msorry, Aahz. Keep going."

"Right.Well… umm…. It's happening!" he made his appeal tothe heavens. "I can't remember what I was saying!"

"Imps,"I prompted.

"Oh!Right. Well, if he's hiring Imps and arming them with non-specweapons, it can only mean he's up to his old tricks. Now since Idon't have my powers, I can't get out of here to sound the alarm.That's where you come in, kid…. Kid?"

Hewas looking at me expectantly. I found I could contain my misery nolonger.

"I'msorry, Aahz," I said in a small, pitiful voice I hardlyrecognized as my own. "I don't understand a single thing you'vesaid."

Isuddenly realized I was about to cry, and turned away hurriedly so hewouldn't see. I sat there, with tears trickling down my cheeks,alternately fighting the urge to wipe them away and wondering why Iwas concerned over whether or not a demon saw me crying. I don't knowhow long I stayed that way, but I was brought back to reality by agentle hand on my shoulder, a cold, gentle hand.