"Really." interrupted Tas, rather flattered. "I could give yarn a demcnstration of how it works, if you like."

The gnome's ewes brightened. "'Thatwou;vdbeznuch-"

'And now:' interrupted the kender again, feeling pleased chat he was learning to communicate, "what is your name?•'

THE DRAGONS OF WINTER NIGHT

Fizban made a quick gesture, but too late.

"Gnoshoshallamarianininillisyylphanitdisdisslishxdie-"

He paused to draw a breath.

"Is that your name?" Tas asked, astounded.

The gnome let his breath out. "Yes;" he snapped, a bit disconcerted. "It's my first name, and now if you'll let me proceed-"

"Wait!" cried Fizban. "What do your friends call you?"

The gnome sucked in a breath again. "Gnoshoshallamarioninillis-"

"What do the knights call you?"

"Oh"-the gnome seemed downcast-"Gnash, if you-"

"Thank you," snapped Fizban. "Now, Gnash, we're in rather a hurry. War going on and all that. As Lord Gunthar staked in his communique, we must see this dragon orb:'

Gnosh's small, dark eyes glittered. His hands twisted nervously. "Of course, you may see the dragon orb since Lord Gunthar has requested it, but-if l might ask-what is your interest in the orb besides normal curi-?"

"I am a magic-user=" Fizban began.

"Magicuser!" the gnome stated, forgetting, in his excitement, to speak slowly. "Comethiswayimmediatelytothe Examination room sincethedragonorbwasrnadebymagicuser

Both Tas and Fizban blinked uncomprehendingly,

"Ol,., just come-" the gnome said impatiently.

Before they quite knew what was. happening; the gnome talking-hustled them through the mountain's entrance, setting off an inordinate number of bells and whistles.

"Examination Room:?" Tas said in an under-tone to Fizban as the}• hurried after Gnash. "What does that mean? They wouldn't have hurt it, would they?"

"I don't think so" Fizban muttered, his bushy white eye

brows coming together in an ominous V -shape over his nose. "Gunthar sent knights to guard it, remember:'

"Then what are you worried about?" Tas asked.

"The dragon orbs are strange things. Very powerful. _'Ay fear;" said Fizban more to himself than to Tas, "is that they may try to use it!"

"But the book I read in Tarsis said the orb could control dragons!" Tas whispered. "Isn't that good? I mean, the orbs aren't evil, are they?"

"I don't suppose;" Fizban asked in a hopeless tone, "that the Examination Room would be on the ground level?"

Gnosh shook his head. "Examination Room on level fifteen-"

The old mage heaved a heart-rending sigh.

Suddenly there was a horrible grinding sound that set Tas's teeth on edge.

"Ah, they're ready for us. Come along-" Gnosh said.

Tas leaped after him gleefully as they approached a giant catapult. A gnome gestured at them irritably, painting to a long line of gnomes waiting their turn. Tas jumped into the seat of the huge sling catapult, staring eagerly up into the shaft, Above him, he could see gnomes peering down at him from various balconies, all of them surrounded by great machines, whistles, rapes, and huge, shapeless things hanging from the sides of the wall like bats. Gnosh stood beside him, scolding.

"Elders first, young man, so get outoftherethis instantandlet"-he dragged Tasslehoff out of the seat with remarkable strength="the magicusergofirst="

'Uh that's quite all right." Fizban protested, stumbling backwards into a pile of rape. "I-I seem to recall a spell of mine that will take me right to the tap. Levitate. How did that g-go? v Just give me a moment:"

"You were the one in a hung-" Gnosh said severely, glaring at Fizban. The gnomes standing in line began to shoat rudely, pushing and shoving and jask:iing.

"t7h, vep,r well;' the old mage snarled, and file climbed into'; the seat, with Gnosh's help. The gnome operating the lever that' launched the catapult yelled something a': Gnosh which sounded like "whalevel?"

Gnoshpainted up, yelling, back. "SiFimbos5~'

The chief walked over to stand in front of the first o? a series; of five levers. An inordinate number of ropes stretched upward info infinity. Fizban sat miserably in the seat of the catapult stir trying to recall his Spell.

"Now;" yelled Gnosh, drawing Tas closer so he could have the advantage of an excellent. view, "in just a moment, the chief will give the signal, there it is-"

The chief pulled on one of the ropes.

"What does that do?" Tas interrupted.

"The rope rings a bell on Skimbosh-er-level fifteen, telling them to expect an arrival-"

"What if the bell doesn't ring?" Fizban demanded loudly.

"Then a second bell rings telling them that the first bell didn t-"

"What happens down here if the bell didn't ring?"

"Nothing. It's Skimbosh's problem not yours-"

"It's my problem if they don't know I'm coming?" Fizban shouted. "Or do I just drop in and surprise them!,

'Ah;' Gnosh said proudly, "yousee-'

"I'm getting out . . :" stated Fizban.

"No,wait," Gnash said, talking faster and faster in his

anguish, "tl•.ey'reready

"Who's ready?" Fizban demanded irritably.

"Skimbosh! Withthe net tacakchyou,yousee-"

"Net"." Fizban turned pale. "That does it!" He flung a foot over the edge.

But before he could move, the chief reached out and pulled

on the first lever. The grinding sound started again as the catapult began pivoting in its mooring. The sudden motion threw Fizban back, knocking his hat over his eyes.

"What's happening?" Tas shouted

"They re getting him in position;' Gnosh yelled. 'The longitude and latitude have been precalculated and the catapult set to come into the correct location to send the passenger-'

"What about the net?" Tas yelled.

"'The magician flies up to Skimbash-oh. quite safely, L

assure you-we've done studies, in fact, proving gnat flying is safer than walking-and just when he's. at the height of his trajectory, beginning to drop a bit, Skimbosh amp;,rows a net out

underneath him, catching him post like this"-G'nosh demonstrated with his hand, making a snapping motion like catching a fly-`and hauls him-"

"What incredible timing that must take!

– 'The timing is ingenious since it all depends on a certain hack We've developed, though"-Gnosh pursed his lips, his

eyebrows drawing together-"something is throwing the timing off a bit, but there's a committee..

The gnome pulled down on the lever and Fizban-with a shriek-went sailing through the air.

"Oh dear;' said Gnosh, staring, "it appears-"

"What) What?" Tas yelled, trying to see.

"The net's opened too soon again"-Gnosh shook his head"and that's the second time today that's happened on Skimbosh alone and thisdefinitelywillbebroughtupatthe nextmeetingoftheNet Guild-"

Tas stared, open-mouthed, at the sight of Fizban whizzing through the air, propelled from below by the tremendous force of the catapult, and suddenly the kender saw what Gnosh was talking about. The net on level fifteen-instead of opening after the mage had flown past and then catching him as he started to fall-opened before the mage reached level fifteen. Fizban hit the net and was flattened like a squashed spider. For a moment he clung there precariously-arms and legs akimbo-then he fell.

Instantly bells and gongs rang out.

"Don't tell me;' Tas guessed miserably. "That's the alarm which means the net failed:"

"Quite, but don't be alarmed (small joke);' Gnosh chuckled, "because the alarms trip a device to open the net on level thirteen, just in time-oops, a bit late, well, there's still level twelve-"

"Do something!" Tas shrieked.

"Don't get so worked up!" Gnosh said angrily. "And I'll finish what I was about to say about the finaI emergency backup system and that is-oh, here it goes-"