The little creature addressed them in what seemed a rather garbled version of their own nguage. A question about who they were? Im answered them in the Zikem of Hirstel. “This is Na and I am Im. We travel to the sea.” He chose not to name Qu’orthseth.

  There was surprise on the dwarf’s square face. “You are no Tesrans,” he stated, in something very close to the same nguage. “I was not aware anyone spoke cssic Zikem these days.”

  Na broke in with a carefully worded expnation. “We descend from an isoted group that hid away. Only now have we come out to see what the world has to offer.”

  The dwarf spat. “Better to stay hidden, maybe. The world gets worse every day, year by year. And I’ve seen a couple hundred years so I know.” He turned his eyes to the crimson demon. “What’s with the monster?”

  “Our servant, sir, and my, uh, bodyguard, you might say.” Im also looked to where Qu’orthseth remained bound. “Not too good at the bodyguard job today, it seems.”

  “So it does,” came a deep sonorous voice from behind him. The bck demon and its two minions stood there.

  All eyes turned to them; all but those of Na. She was still looking toward Qu’orthseth, her eyes squinted in a frown of concentration.

  “Destroy the human,” came the command, “and close this case.” The two blue demons stepped forward.

  “What’s this?” asked the chieftain. “You pnning to interfere in my territory?” Immediately, spears bristled and dwarf warriors stepped forward.

  “Step aside or be torn apart,” spoke the bck monster. “I order this as a High Magistrate of —”

  “Ain’t no magistrate here!” interrupted one of the dwarfs. A couple others made rude noises.

  “They really can tear you in pieces,” warned Im. “Best to back off.” He gnced toward Qu’orthseth. “Unless you have more of those things you threw.”

  “All out,” admitted their chief. “I reckon we threw them at the wrong beastie.”

  “Ah! There!” came Na’s sudden excmation. The bolos fell from about Qu’orthseth’s legs and it leaped to its feet.

  By her grin, Na was exceptionally pleased with herself. “Now for these goons,” she said. As Qu’orthseth careened into one of the police-demons, the other reached toward Im.

  How had Xido accomplished what he did against that demon? Even if he knew, it was foolish to think Im could do the same. He had been studying them from the moment they appeared. Smooth, featureless, there was no evidence of muscuture nor aught else beneath their shiny skins. How did they work? Just what were they?

  Now he had to act. A binding. He didn’t know what else to try. Oh, Na was attempting the same thing. Part of himself he sent roundabout through other worlds to slip an invisible bond around the demon’s ankle. No good. It stumbled and shook it off, as Im rapidly backed away. If only he could hide!

  Of course. He could pull fog or shadow around himself. Hadn’t he seen Xido do that to cloak his transition from one world to another? Im reached into a world filled with smoke and drew it to him. If he didn’t cough too much, maybe it would conceal his form. But the demon seemed to see right through it. He had known they sensed the world differently than he.

  Meanwhile, the dwarfs were between him and the blue creature, poking at it with their spears. It was no more than a distraction for the demon, but Im could use the time it gave him. The other cop demon still grappled with Qu’orthseth, while the magistrate stood calmly watching, looking like nothing so much as the great bck bag of air it was. Literally, as well as figuratively?

  That would expin a few things. Xido had partially defted the one he faced. How? By sending some of it elsewhere, Im guessed. And the being was not entirely in this world to begin with which might make it easier.

  Indeed, he realized at once that it would be impossible with a creature that was completely here, tied to this realm. In passing, he noted that Na has attempted bonds as well and that the demon had shed those as easily as his own. But it gave a few extra seconds. He reached out, sending a part of himself into the world from which the blue beast came and to which it was nearly imperceptibly linked. Im knew that directing his attention there made him more vulnerable. It was close to impossible to be aware of what was going on in two worlds at once.

  Where the two versions of the demon connected, where it was neither here nor there, where its substance seemed broken up in some way, was where it could be attacked. And that glowing ether surrounding it — he recognized at once it was what he was after. A spell, a bold spell, unlike Im had ever attempted before, was necessary. His life depended on it.

  He reached out, with a vague recognition that his hand back at the camp was also reaching toward the demon, and tried to send the tiniest part of it to another world. At once, the demon cop halted its advance, fixing its featureless face on its would-be victim.

  Im tried again. Now the creature backed away, calling out something to its companions. A moment ter, all three disappeared and Im colpsed from the great effort he had made.

  He heard a voice. Xido, wasn’t it? “Well done. You didn’t hurt it enough for its safeguards to whisk it away, but it could recognize what you were doing to it.”

  “I could catch some sense of it,” Na put in. “It was a mighty conjuring.” There was a respect in her voice Im had not before heard.

  The young wizard sat up. Had Xido been near all along? He hoped that the god would have stepped in if his magic had failed! Im realized now it was not exactly air but some other essence that filled the demons. Perhaps it was what they absorbed from their sun. Im had the slightest glimpse of the huge red orb when he sent himself forth. He strongly suspected that if he truly entered that demon world, its rays would kill him in an instant.

  “It was indeed a mighty effort,” agreed Xido. “I’m more impressed that our Im figured out the physiology of these demons.”

  “These are wonders,” observed the dwarf chieftain, who had gathered his men. There were many whispered exchanges among the group of dwarfs. “We would like to know more and offer you the hospitality of our home.” He turned his eyes to Qu’orthseth. “Even you, should you wish.” He did not sound overly eager to have the demon as a guest.

  Before Xido or any other could answer, Im rose to his feet. “We gdly accept, sir. Lead on!”