"That doesn't sound very familiar," Jon-Tom re-
plied slowly. And he'd been so positive!
"From another world, perhaps, but not necessarily
yours," Clothahump told him. "Interesting. Not nec-
essarily dangerous, but interesting."
"Even if he is from your own world, sir," Pandro
told Jon-Tom, "1 wouldn't plan on him helping you
to get back to wherever you're from. From what
Opiode says, this magician helps no one but himself."
"Maybe because he's frightened," Jen-Tom suggested.
"Maybe if by working together, the both of us can
return home, he'll turn out to be much less threaten-
ing."
"If you can get him to leave, regardless of how you
help yourself, sir, all of Quasequa would be grateful"
He hesitated. "Opiode did not say as much, but
there are rumors that this Markus has plans for
• doing away with the Quorum and installing himself
as an emperor or king or something. That would be
a disaster for Quasequa. We have no tradition of
powerful, single rulers. I think what Opiode the Sly
is saying is that now is the time to stop the newcomer
before he can put any evil designs into effect."
"y he has any such intentions. That may be noth-
ing more than your employer's paranoia at work."
'That is something Opiode felt you would sense,
Alan Dean Foster
58
sir. He said that you were wise and knowledgeable,
brave and bold."
Clothahump removed his glasses, spoke while clean-
ing them. "Even as a student, I recall this Opiode
being somewhat of a stickler for accurate descriptions"
"I wish I could tell you more, sirs, but I am only a
messenger."
"You've done better than could have been expected
of you."
"So you will send help?" asked Pandro hopefully.
"Certainly I will."
"You'll come yourself?"
"I will send help," Clothahump said firmly. "You
may convey that message to Opiode. I'm sure he
expects some sort of reply, and that should cheer
him. As for specifics, I prefer not to divulge my
methodology to the hired help."
"I understand, sir," said Pandro, bowing and
finishing his stiff drink. He set the glass aside and
headed for the front door. "Any other messages,
sir?"
"Sorbl. Sorbl!" Clothahump yelled. "Never mind.
I'll do it myself." The door swung inward at the flick
of his hand. It was a tiny magic, very minor wizardry,
but it impressed Pandro nonetheless. A good impres-
sion the raven would carry with him all the way back
to Quasequa.
"No, no other message. Tell Opiode if he feels the
need to convey additional information to me to send
you back again."
"Oh, no, sir! He may send more information back
to you. but I won't be bringing it. I've had enough of
wizardly goings-on. Humans from other worlds, face-
less demons, no thank you, sirs! I'll inform him
you're sending help down to Quasequa and I'm sure-
he will be heartened by that, but if he wants to thank
THB MOMENT OF THE MAOJCUUV 89
you he can do it himself. I've had more than enough
of such doings. Never again."
"Don't you mean 'nevermore'?" Jon-Tom asked
him.
Pandro eyed him oddly for a moment before bow-
ing a last time. Then he left, closing the heavy
wooden door behind him.
"Hope for the better rather than for the worst,"
said Jon-Tom after the raven had taken his leave.
*TU start packing our supplies."
Clothahump coughed softly. "What do you mean
*our* supplies, my boy?"
Jon-Tom hailed in mid-stride. "Now, wait a minute.
What about all that business about your being
'courageous, brave, and bold'?"
"Dear me, is that what he said?" Clothahump was
studying the ceiling. "I thought certain he said
'courageous, brave, and old.' Because that is an accu-
rate description. In any case, I'm certainly not about
to leave my work here to embark on some long hike
simply to salve the injured feelings of a deposed
wizard. As 1 said, this hardly sounds to me like a
crisis"
"No crisis, eh? Some evil sorcerer from another
world throws a colleague of yours out of office and is
scheming to take over an entire city with who-knows-
what eventual aims in mind, and you don't call that a
crisis?"
"It's not my city, and I'm not the one who's been
deposed. As for Opiode the Sly's being a colleague.
I've never worked with him and know of him only by
reputation."
/ "That's one hell of a cold attitude."
"I would rather say realistic. However, I did say I
would send help, and so I shall. You are so con-
vinced that this Markus the Ineluctable is from your
world that I wouldn't think of putting off the day of
Alan Dean Poster
60
that meeting by so much as an hour. I would only
slow you down, my boy." He indicated the duar
Jon-Tbm cradled against his side.
"You can handle anything that comes before you.
You now know enough of this land and have mastered
sufficient of your spellsinging skills to extricate your-
self from any minor difficulties." He grinned. "Should
this Markus turn out to be as belligerent as Opiode
feels, you can always threaten him with a bouquet.'*
Jen-Torn gave the wizard a sour look. "What would
I do without your confidence and support?"
"Oh, I support you, my boy, I support you. Your
talent is developing nicely. I merely try to keep a
close watch on the diameter of your head, lest in a
dangerous moment of overconfidence it grow too
large.
"Opiode desires speed in this matter and so do
you. I would be an encumbrance to you both. I am
quite confident of your ability to manage this matter
on your own."
"What if he's not from my world?" wondered
Jon-Tom, suddenly thoughtful. "What if he is some
strange demonic being in human guise? That raven's
description of his attire and his attitude, those don't
make him sound much like an old friend from back
home"
"Then you must deal with him as the circum-
stances dictate," the wizard told him firmly. "I can't
wet-nurse you through maturity."
"I'm already mature."
"Then act like it." He winced. "Besides, my arthri-
tis is acting up."
"Funny how your arthritis always seems to act up
whenever there's a long journey to be taken."
"Yes, it is peculiar, isn't it?" Clothahump admitted
without batting an eye. He lumbered toward his
bedroom, peered through the doorway. "Ah! Sorbl
THE MOMENT Of THK XAOICIAW 61
has excavated my bed. I can hear him shearing away
in there. Presumably he is not so drunk that he has
cut off either of his wings." He raised his voice
.
"Sorbll How are you managing in there, you useless
befeathered sot?"
"I am tired. Master," came the faint reply from
somewhere deep within the thorny brambles. "These
vines are tough." A pause, then, "Can't you just
magic them away?"
"Perhaps I could, but I did not acquire an appren-
tice so that I might engage in menial labor. Besides,
a little exercise is good for the system, especially
when that system is overloaded with ethyl molecules."
"With what. Master?"
"Liquorish magical symbols."
"Not me, Masteri I would never—I"
Clothahump closed the door to the rosebush-ridden
bedroom, shutting off Sorbl's too-emphatic protesta-
tions of innocence. He turned back to jon-Tom,
peered up at him over steepled lingers.
"Opiode has a reputation for exaggeration, my
boy, and all salamanders are notoriously paranoid. I
know that you will enjoy the journey to Quasequa. It
will be a long but pleasant trip. The city itself is
rumored to be most beautiful, constructed on a
series of islands out in the middle of a body of water
called the Lake of Sorrowful Pearls. If 1 were a hun-
dred years younger, I would not hesitate to accompa-
ny you."
jon-Tbm was nodding knowingly. "Sounds delightful.
In fact, it sounds a lot like our recent relaxing
vacation jaunt to distant Snarken."
Clothahump shifted his eyes away from the tall
youth- "Ah, any excursion can be dogged by unforeseen
bad luck." He cleared his throat self-consciously. "This
time you will encounter no oceans to cross, no mo-
rose moors to traverse. Merely shallow tropical lakes
03 Alan Dean Footer
and lagoons, such as the one on which Quasequa
itself is constructed. A land of moderate tempera-
tures and quiet beauty. A veritable paradise com-
pared to these cold Bellwoods. Often's the time I've
thought of traveling there with an eye toward retir-
ing in such a place."
"You'll never retire. You like your reputation too
much."
"No, 1 mean it, my boy. Someday I will consider
it seriously. Perhaps when I turn three hundred."
"When you hit three hundred 1 hope I won't be
around to see it."
"Yes, your unquenchable desire to return home.
Perhaps this Markus the Ineluctable will turn out to
be helpful."
"You're just trying to make me feel better about
going off without you, but you're right. I'd go
anywhere, under any conditions, if I thought there
was a chance I could get a little closer to home."
"And what of Opiode's concerns?"
"Maybe he exaggerates, just like you say. If this
Markus is from my own world, I'm sure that if the
two of us can get together and chat for a while, he'll
be as happy to see me as I will be to see him, and we
can work something out"
"And if he's not of your world, and Opiode does
not exaggerate?"
Jen-Tom took a deep breath. "In that case, I've got
my duar. If it comes to a battle of sorceral skills, I
think I can handle anything." Except my own mistakes,
he added silently to himself-
"Good for you, my boy! That's the spirit! Main-
tain that attitude and I'm sure you'll have things in
Quasequa sorted out in no time."
Jon-Tom looked uncertain. "There is one drawback.
I can't make a journey like that all by myself. Oh, I
understand if you don't feel up to coming along or
TBK MOMENT Of THK SSAQSCZAM
63
don't feel it's necessary, or whatever. But I won't risk
a trip like this all by my lonesome. I know that flier
wouldn't have guided me. Not his job, and fliers get
bored having to hang back with us land-bound types.
That much I've learned. What about making use of
public transportation systems along the way?"
"A good thought, except that there aren't any, my
boy. There is no commerce between the Bellwoods
towns and Quasequa. All trade from Lynchbany and
Timswitty and the like goes to the Glittergeist Sea or
Polastrindu."
"Then I'd like to have an old buddy accompany
me."
Clothahump shook his head sadly. "I wonder that
your choice of company does not otherwise mirror
your normal good taste."
"1 Just feel comfortable with Mudge around. He's
clever with words, knows the customs and ins and
outs, is good with weapons, and is reasonably trust-
worthy so long as I keep an eye on him round the
dock and don't let him get his paws on the expense
money."
Clothahump shrugged beneath his shell. "It's your
neck, my boy. You choose your own companions."
Jon-Tom frowned. "The only problem is, I haven't
the slightest idea where he's to be found. Last time I
had to track him all the way up to Timswitty. Since
Quasequa lies in the other direction, I'd lose a lot of
time if I had to hunt through the Bellwoods in..
search of him." He Finished on a hopeful note-
"I agree. And don't give me that innocent-apprentice
look. It doesn't have the slightest effect on me.
However, if you will insist on having him with you..."
"1 wouldn't insist," Jon-Tom said quickly. "It would
Just make me a lot more confident about the whole
business."
"Very well, very well. I will see what I can do. I will
64
attempt to locate him and explain that he is wanted
here.
"As for yourself, you'd best begin preparing for
the journey. Fill your backpack with care, make cer-
tain you have ample spare strings for your duar, and
try to get a good night's sleep. 1 will be able to
discuss this matter of your 'friend' with more certainty
tomorrow rooming."
"How long do you think it will take for you to
locate him and give him the message?"
"We will just have to wait and see, my boy. We will
have to wait and see."
Jen-Tom arose the next morning still excited by
the prospect of meeting someone else from home,
someone who might be able to help him get back
where he belonged. It wasn't that Clothahump hadn't
been good to him- In his own distinctive, demanding
fashion, the wizard had gone out of his way to make
the displaced human feel welcome.
Nor had his sojourn in this land. been uneventful.
Quite the contrary. But he was more than ready to
return to the calm, familiar life of an anxiety-ridden
pre-law student in Weslwood, CA.
He washed his hands and face in the wooden basin
that grew from one of the tree's inner walls, wonder-
ing not for the first time what kind of intricate
magical spell could provide indoor plumbing within
the dimensionally expanded trunk of an oak. After
drying himself and dressing carefully, he went through
the contents of his
backpack.
It held jerked meat, dried fruit and nuts, a selec-
tion of medicinal herbs and potions, a small metal
box holding the few Band-Aids and pills he'd had on
his person when he'd been sucked into this world, a
change of underclothing, and a small assortment of
toiletry items and personal effects. Packed to bursting,
it was heavier than it had been when he'd set out on
Ttffi StOUKHT W THE MAGICIAN
65
a previous journey to distant Snarken. On that trip
Clolhahump had informed him he would encounter
towns and villages in which to purchase food and
other necessities. The land between here and Quase-
qua, however benign, was apparently a good deal
less urbanized.
That meant living more off the land. Well, he'd
always enjoyed camping out, and if Clothahump's
description of the country south of the river Tailaroam
was accurate, it should be a relaxing experience-
First breakfast, then he'd ask if the wizard had
succeeded in locating Mudge. Probably he'd have to
meet the otter somewhere. A couple of quick hellos,
and off they'd go, traveling at a brisk but unhurried
pace southward, enjoying the clear weather while
reminiscing about—
A terrible scream split this image and pushed
everything else into the background. It pierced the
thick walls of living wood. was followed by a second
and third. Each howl was more horrible than its
predecessor. Jon-Tom's skin prickled.
His first thought was that Markus the Ineluctable
was everything Opiode feared and more, and that
he'd somehow tracked the course of Pandro the
raven and had sent his faceless demons to do away
with any potential allies the flier might have made
contact with. Jon-Tom grabbed his ramwood staff
and rushed for the next rooms.
He flicked the concealed switch in the wooden
shaft, and six inches of sharp steel emerged from the
base of the staff. If only he wasn't too late and
whatever had entered the tree hadn't gotten ahold of
Clothahumpi The screams continued, but their inten-
sity had fallen somewhat. They seemed to be coming
from the vicinity of the kitchen. He turned down a
narrow hall, keeping his head low, and bounced off a
Alafi Dean Porter
66
wall, then skidded to a halt just inside the dining
area.
Clothahump sat in his reinforced chair next to the
table that grew out of the floor. He was spooning
ground fish and water plant from a steaming bowl.