He paused to take another gulp of wine. Surprisingly, I felt no urge to interrupt with questions.
"Technology in different dimensions has progressed at different rates, as has magik. Some magicians use this to their own advantage. They aren't showmen, they're smugglers, buying and selling technology across the barriers for profit and power. Most of the inventors in any dimension are actually closet magicians."
I must have frowned without realizing it, but Aahz noted it and acknowledged it with a wink and a smirk.
"I know what you're thinking, Skeeve. It all sounds a little dishonest and unscrupulous. Actually, they're a fairly ethical bunch. There's a set of unwritten rules called the Smugglers Code they adhere to pretty closely."
"Smugglers Code?" I asked, forgetting myself for a moment. Aahz didn't seem to mind this time.
"It's like the Mercenaries Code, but less violent and more profitable. Anyway, as an example, one item in that code states you cannot bring an 'invention' into a dimension that is too far in advance of that dimension's technology, like bringing guided missiles into a longbow culture or lasers into a flint and powder era."
I kept my silence with great difficulty.
"As I've said, most magicians adhere to the code fairly closely, but once in a while a bad one crops up. That brings us to Isstvan."
I got a sudden chill at the sound of that name. Maybe there was something different in the way Aahz pronounced it.
"Some say Isstvan isn't playing with a full deck. I think he's been playing with his wand too much. But whatever the reason, somewhere he's gotten it into his head he wants to rule the dimensions, all of them. He's tried it before, but we got wind of it in time and a bunch of us teamed up to teach him a lesson in manners. As a matter of fact, that's when I first met Garkin there."
He gestured with the brazier and slopped a bit of wine on the floor. I began to doubt his sobriety, but his voice seemed steady enough as he continued.
"I thought he had given the thing up after his last drubbing. We even gave him a few souvenirs to be sure he didn't forget. Then this thing pops up. If he's hiring cross-dimension help and arming them with advance technology weapons, he's probably trying to do it again."
"Do what?"
"I just told you. Take over the dimensions."
"I know, but how? I mean, how does what he does in this dimension help him rule the others?"
"Oh, that. Well, each dimension has a certain amount of power that can be channeled or converted into magik. Different dimensions have different amounts, and each dimension's power is divided up or shared by the magicians of that dimension. If he can succeed in controlling or killing the other magicians in this dimension, he can use its entire magical energy to attack another dimension. If he succeeds in winning there, he has the power from two dimensions to attack a third, and so on. As you can see, the longer he keeps his plot moving, the stronger he gets and the harder he'll be to stop."
"I understand now," I said, genuinely pleased and enthusiastic.
"Good. Then you understand why we've got to stop him."
I stopped being pleased and enthusiastic.
"We? You mean us? You and me?"
"I know it's not much of a force, kid, but like I said, it's all we've got."
"I think I'd like a little of that wine now."
"None of that, kid. You're in training now. You're going to need all the practice time you can get if we're going to stop Isstvan. Bonkers or not, he's no slouch when it comes to magik."
"Aahz," I said slowly, not looking up. "Tell me the truth. Do you think there's a chance you can teach me enough magik that we'll have a chance of stopping him?"
"Of course, kid. I wouldn't even try if we didn't have a chance. Trust me."
I wasn't convinced, and from the sound of his voice, neither was he.
Chapter Four:
"Careful planning is the key to safe and swift travel."
-ULYSSES
"HMMM... Well, it's not a tailored jump-suit, but it will have to do."
We had been trying to outfit Aahz in a set of clothes and he was surveying the results in a small dark mirror we had found, turning it this way and that to catch his reflection piecemeal.
"Maybe if we could find some other color than this terrible brown."
"That's all we've got."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I have two shirts, both brown. You're wearing one, and I'm wearing the other."
"Hmmm... ." he said, studying me carefully. "Maybe I would look better in the lighter brown. Oh, well, we can argue that out later."
I was curious as to his attention to his appearance. I mean, he couldn't be planning on meeting anyone. The sight of a green, scaly demon would upset most of the locals no matter what he was wearing. For the time being, however, I deemed it wisest to keep quiet and humor him in his efforts.
Actually, the clothes fit him fairly well. The shirt was a bit short in the sleeves due to the length of his arms, but not too because I was taller than him, which made up for most of the difference. We had had to cut off some of the trouser legs to cover for his shorter legs, but they, like the body of the shirt, were not too tight. I had made the clothes myself originally, and they tended to be a bit baggy, or at least they were on me. Tailoring is not my forte.
He was also wearing Garkin's boots, which fitted him surprisingly well. I had raised minor protest at this, until he pointed out Garkin had no further use for them but we did. Pragmatism, he called it. Situational ethics. He said it would come in handy if I was serious about becoming a magician.
"Hey, kid!" Aahz's voice interrupted my thoughts. He seemed to be occupied rummaging through the various chests and cupboards of the hut. "Don't you have anything here in the way of weapons?''
"Weapons?"
"Yeah, you know, the things that killed old Garkin there. Swords, knives, bows, stuff like that."
"I know what they are. I just wasn't expecting you to be interested in them, that's all."
"Why not?"
"Well... I thought you said you were a magician."
"We aren't going to go through that again, are we, kid? Besides, what's that got to do with weapons?"
"It's just that I've never known a magician who used weapons other than his powers."
"Really? How many magicians have you known?"
"One," I admitted.
"Terrific. Look, kid, if old Garkin didn't want to use weapons, that's his problem. Me, I want some. If you'll notice, Garkin is dead."
It was hard to argue with logic like that.
"Besides," he continued, "do you really want to take on Isstvan and his pack with nothing but your magik and my agility going for us?"
"I'll help you look."
We went to work rummaging for weapons, but aside from the crossbow that had killed Garkin, we didn't find much. One of the chests yielded a sword with a jewel'encrusted handle, and we discovered two knives, one white handled and one black handled, on Garkin's workbench. Aside from those, there was nothing even remotely resembling a fighting utensil in the hut. Aahz was not overjoyed.
"I don't believe this. A sword with a cruddy blade, bad balance, and phony jewels in the handle and two knives that haven't been sharpened since they were made. Anybody who keeps weapons like this should be skewered."
"He was."
"True enough. Well, if that's all we've got, that's what we'll have to use."
He slung the sword on his hip and tucked the white handled knife into his belt. I thought he would give me the other knife, but instead he stooped down and secured it in his boot.