Mendanbar stiffened and looked at Cimorene.

"We'd better go out, or he'll tear the house down," she said. "Jack, can you mix up a bucket of soapy water with a little lemon juice in it, quick?"

"Huh?" said Jack.

"A bucket of soap and water and lemon juice," Cimorene repeated impatiently. "It melts wizards. Hurry up and bring it out after us.

I think we're going to need it."

"Soapy water with lemon melts wizards?" Telemain said with great interest. "How did you discover that?"

Another explosion rocked the house. "Never mind that now," Cimorene said. "Come on!" She pushed the door open and darted out.

With a muttered curse, Mendanbar followed. He remembered the steps just in time to jump over them instead of tripping. As he landed, he dodged to one side and pulled his sword out. Only then did he stop to look around.

Cimorene stood with her back against the house, watching the wizard warily. The wizard was very easy to see, even though it was by now quite dark, because he was glowing as brightly as a bonfire. He was taller than the wizard who had invaded Cimorene's cave, and he wore red robes instead of blue and brown, but his staff was of the same dark, polished wood and his sandy beard was just as long and scraggly.

Mendanbar wondered irrelevantly whether the Society of Wizards had a rule against its members trimming their beards.

"Cimorene!" the wizard said. "I might have guessed. What have you-no, you haven't got it. Where is it?"

"Where is what?" Mendanbar demanded. "And what do you mean by causing all this commotion? Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock on doors and ask for things politely?"

"So you've picked up a hero" – the wizard said to Cimorene with a sneer.

"He won't do you any good. Where is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cimorene said.

"Neither does he," Telemain commented from the doorway. "Unless he's even more fuzzy-headed than he seems. From the way he's been leaping to conclusions without any evidence at all, that's entirely possible."

The wizard's eyes narrowed and he pointed his staff at Telemain.

"Who are you?"

"That's the first intelligent thing you've said since you arrived," Telemain said. "My name is Telemain. I'm a magician."

"A magician!" The wizard sucked in his breath. "I suppose we are after the same thing. I warn you, you had better not cross me. I represent the Society of Wizards in this matter."

"What matter?" Cimorene asked crossly.

"Yes, you have displayed a lamentable lack of precision in your account of your purposes," Telemain said. 'Just what-" Mendanbar felt the harsh swell of the wizard's magic an instant before the spell left the man's staff. Without thought, he swung his sword to parry it. As it touched the bolt of magic, the sword hummed hungrily. A shiver ran up Mendanbar's arm from the hilt of the sword to his shoulder, and the spell was gone.

"I wouldn't do that again, if I were you," Mendanbar told the wizard.

Everyone stared at Mendanbar. The wizard was the first to recover.

"The sword? he cried. "I should have seen it at once. Excellent! This makes everything easy."

He moved the end of his staff a few inches to point at Mendanbar and muttered something under his breath. Mendanbar sensed magic building up in the staff again. This time he didn't wait for the wizard to release the spell.

He pushed a tendril of his own magic out through the sword and touched the wizard's staff gently with it.

Power flowed into the sword like water being soaked up by a sponge.

The feeling of magic that surrounded the wizard vanished, and so did his glow. The wizard gave a squawk of surprise. He lowered his staff, staring at Mendanbar.

"How did you do that?" he demanded. "You're just a hero. How could you possibly reverse my spell?"

"I didn't reverse your spell," Mendanbar said. "I stopped it, that's all.

And I'm not a hero. I'm the King of the Enchanted Forest."

The wizard's eyes widened. Certain that the man was going to try another spell, Mendanbar reached out with the sword's magic, hoping to stop him before he could properly begin. He wasn't quite fast enough.

As the threads of the sword's magic wrapped themselves around the wizard's staff, the wizard disappeared.

There was a moment of silence. "Mendanbar, what did you do?" Cimorene said at last.

"Nothing," Mendanbar said. "I wasn't quick enough. I'm sorry. I should have expected him to try to get away."

Telemain walked over to the spot where the wizard had been standing.

"Interesting," he muttered. "Very interesting-ah!" He bent over, and when he straightened up he was holding the wizard's staff in one hand.

"Here's your bucket," Jack said from the door of the house. "What's all this about wizards?"

"It doesn't matter now," Cimorene said. "He's gone."

"Then you won't be needing this?"Jack said, lifting the bucket.

"Don't throw it out," Mendanbar said hastily. "We might want it later.

In case he comes back."

"I seriously doubt that it is necessary to worry about his return," Telemain said as he rejoined them. "Wizards depend a good deal upon their staffs. Without his, our recent visitor is unlikely to be much of a problem."

He sounded very satisfied with himself, and his fingers stroked the staff lightly as he spoke.

"Then he's sure to come back for it," Cimorene pointed out.

"Yes, but how long will it take him to get here?" Telemain responded.

"I assure you, he didn't transport himself anywhere close by. We'll be long gone by the time he makes his way back."

"We?" said Mendanbar.

"Of course." Telemain smiled. "I've been trying to get my hands on one of these"-he lifted the wizard's staff-"for years. You've managed to get hold of one in a few seconds. You don't think I'm going to miss an opportunity like this, do you?"

"If that's all you want, keep it," Mendanbar said. "I haven't any use for a wizard's staff."

"Neither have I," Cimorene agreed.

Telemain bowed. "Thank you both." He paused. "I would still like to join you, if you are willing. There are other matters I find intriguing about you."

Completely at sea, Mendanbar stared at the magician.

Cimorene sighed. "Mendanbar, your sword is at it again, worse than ever. I'll bet that's what he means."

"Oh." Mendanbar put his sword back in its sheath and inspected Telemain for a moment. The magician was still something of a puzzle, but he had been very helpful so far. And it was clear from the wizard's behavior that magicians and wizards did not get along, which was another point in Telemain's favor. "I can't promise I'll let you study my sword, but it's all right with me if you come along." He glanced at Cimorene.

"It's fine with me, too," Cimorene said. "But you'd better hear the whole story before you make up your mind. You might not want to come with us after all."

"If you're all done out here, come in and eat," Jack said. "Supper's ready, and if you're sure there won't be any more wizards, I'll just use this water for the dishes afterward."