Mything Persons

how to execute demons over here."

I spun around to face the others.

"Massha! Go get your jewelry case. Guido, Nunzio!

Gear up. We're going to pay a little call on our neigh-

bors."

I tried to keep my voice calm and level, but somehow

the words came out a bit more intense than I had in-

tended.

28

Robert Asprin MYTH-ING PERSONS 29

"Not so fast. Boss," Guido said. "There's something

you oughta know first."

"Later. I want you to...."

"NOW, Boss. It's important!"

"WHAT IS IT!"

Needless to say, I was not eager to enter into any pro-

longed conversations just now.

"She's one of'em."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The three that went out through the back door. The

ones your partner is chasing. She's the broad."

Thunderstruck, I turned to the girl for confirmation,

only to find the doorway was empty. My mysterious

visitor had disappeared as suddenly as she had arrived.

"This could be a trap, you know," Massha said

thoughtfully.

"She's right." Guido nodded. "Take it from some-

one who's been on the lam himself. When you're run-

ning from the law and there are only a couple of people

who can find you, it gets real tempting to eliminate that

link. We've only got her word that your partner's in

trouble."

"It wouldn't take a mental giant to figure out that

you and Aahz are the most likely hunters for the Deveels

to hire. After all, they knew whose house they were cut-

ting through for their getaway," Massha added.

Guido rose to his feet and started pacing.

"Right," he said. "Now suppose they've got Aahz.

Can you think of a better way to bag the other half of

the pair than by feeding you a line about your partner

being in trouble so you'll come charging into whatever

trap they've laid out? The whole set-up stinks, Boss. I

don't know about strange dimensions, but I do know

about criminals. As soon as you step through that door,

you're gonna be a sitting duck."

"Are you quite through?"

Even to my ears my voice sounded icy, but for a

change I didn't care.

Guido and Massha exchanged glances, then nodded

silently.

"Very well. You may be right, and I appreciate your

concern for my well-being. HOWEVER ..."

My voice sank to a deadly hiss.

"... what if you're wrong? What if our fugitive is

telling the truth? You've all been on my case about not

doing anything to help Aahz. Do you really think I'm

just going to sit here while my partner AND friend

burns for a crime he didn't commit ... on the off-

chance that getting involved might be dangerous to

me?"

With great effort I forced my tones back to normal.

"In ten minutes I'm going through that door after

Aahz... and if I'm walking into a trap, it had better be

a good one. Now do any of you want to come with me,

or am I going it alone?"

Chapter Four:

"It's useless to try to plan for the unex-

pected ... by definition!"

—A. HITCHCOCK

ACTUALLY, it was more like an hour before we were

really ready to go, though for me it seemed like a lot

longer. Still, even I had to admit that not taking the

proper preparations for this venture would not only be

foolish, it would be downright suicidal!

It was decided that Nunzio would stay behind so there

would be someone at our base to let Tananda and

Chumley know what was going on when they returned.

Needless to say, he was less than thrilled by the assign-

ment.

"But I'm supposed to be your bodyguard!" he ar-

gued. "How'm I supposed to guard you if I'm sittin'

back here while you're on the front lines?"

"By being sure our support troops get the informa-

tion they need to follow us," I said.

As much as I disliked having to argue with Nunzio, I

would rather dig in my heels against half a dozen Mob-

type bodyguards than have to explain to Tananda and

30

MYTH-ING PERSONS 31

Chumley why they weren't included in this rescue mis-

sion.

"We could leave a note."

"No."

"We could...."

"NO! I want you here. Is that plain enough?"

The bodyguard heaved a heavy sigh. "Okay, Boss.

I'll hang in here until they show up. Then the three of us

will...."

"No!" I said again. "Then Tananda and Chumley

will come in after us. You're going to stay here."

"But Boss...."

"Because if Hay-ner and his crew show up again,

someone has to be here to let them know we're on the

job and that we haven't just taken off for the tall

timber. Assuming for the moment that we're going to

make it back, we need our exit route, and you're going

to be here making sure it stays open. All we need is for

our hosts to move in a new tenant while we're gone...

say, someone who decides to brick up this door while

we're on the other side."

Nunzio thought this through in silence.

"What if you don't come back?" he asked finally.

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it," I

sighed. "But remember, we aren't that easy to kill. At

least one of us will probably make it back."

Fortunately, my mind was wrenched away from that

unpleasant train of thought by the arrival of Guido.

"Ready to go. Boss."

Despite the desperateness of the situation and the

haunting time pressures, I found myself gaping at him.

"What's that?" I managed at last.

Guido was decked out in a long dark coat and wear-