always damp anyway."
"Yes, Master." They left him hacking away with the
shears at Clothahump's bedchamber.
The raven awaited them on the guest perch which
had been installed by Clothahump for the comfort of
winged visitors. He might have come a long ways,
but he didn't look particularly fatigued to Jon'Tbm.
Of more interest was the bruise on his forehead, the
feathers missing from one wing, and the ugly scar
which ran down the back of his neck. The wounds
looked recent, and Jon-Tom wondered if they had
anything to do with the raven's reason for coming to
the Bellwoods.
If Clothahump noticed any of this, he gave no
sign, preferring instead to stare grimly at the
widemouthed glass from which the raven was sip-
ping decorously.
"What's that?"
"What's what?" said the raven uncertainly, looking
up as they entered. "Oh, this?" He gestured with the
glass. "A drink, and nice and strong, too- I sure as
hell needed it. Thanks to your—"
"1 know who to thank," rumbled Clothahump
dangerously, "He did not by any chance have one
himself? Just to prove that he could be a proper
host?"
Before the raven could reply, the wizard had whirled
and was clomping angrily back toward his bedroom.
"SORBL!"
Jon-Tom and Pandro eyed each other uncomfort-
ably for a couple of minutes until Clothahump
returned.
"I'll be lucky if he has my bedroom cleaned out by
nightfall, and he'll be lucky if he doesn't cut off one
of his own feet in the process- I'll deal with him
THE MOMENT OF THE MAOICIAJI 51
Her." He calmed himself as he gazed over at his
;uest.
"Please pardon the interruption. Now then. Your
| name is Pandro and you come from far Quasequa?"
\. The raven put his glass aside on the shelf that was
^attached to the perch- "That's right, sir."
I "That is quite a journey."
I "Tell me about it." Pandro fluttered to the floor
•and hopped over to stand close to them. "Keep in
: mind that I'm just a hired messenger. I'm not
[ completely sure what this is all about. I could tell you
what I know, but 1 imagine these documents I was
instructed to deliver to you will explain what's going
; on in my country much better than I could." He
| removed the papers from the cylinder hanging from
| his neck chain.
[ "These come from Opiode, former chief advisor
' in matters arcane and mystic to the Quorum of
| Quasequa."
" 'Former'?" Clothahump peered at the messages
through his thick glasses. "Um." He turned to read
silently-
Jon-Tbm tried to make conversation. "What hap-
Ipened to your neck?"
| Instinctively, a wing felt of the recently acquired
ground. "I was attacked while on my way here. Some-
tone or something wanted to make sure I didn't n^ake
|cay delivery."
| "Who attacked you?"
| "Demons." Pandro said with admirable casualness.
I^Taceless demons. Gray and black they were, with
pong curved teeth and no eyes."
•is. It wasn't the explanation Jon-Tom expected, and
^he was more than a little taken aback. "You don't
' IW
• • "They were demons," Pandro insisted, mistaking
Jim-Tom's surprise for disbelief. "I know a demon
Alan Dean Poster
when I see one, let alone when it tries to take my
head off."
"I wasn't disputing you," Jon-Tom replied.
The raven studied him with interest. "You're the
biggest human I've ever seen."
"I'm also a spellsinger," Jon-Tom told him proudly.
Clothahump .spoke without looking up from his
reading. "That he is. If you want to see a demonstra-
tion of his powers, have a look in the next room
over."
"It doesn't matter. It's not very impressive," Jon-
Tom said hastily. "This wizard Opiode: you work for
him?"
"I was only hired to make this single delivery. I'm
not in his regular service, if that's what you mean."
Clothahump concluded his perusal of the papers
with a noncommittal grunt. "This doesn't sound too
serious, even though Opiode's language borders on
the hysterical- Certainly not important enough to
warrant my personal attention. Still, if he feels he
needs help, I suppose it is incumbent on me to
provide some." He turned back to face the raven.
"This new advisor, this Markus the Ineluctable
Opiode refers to: have you met him?"
Pandro shook his head. "I just run a small messen-
ger service. I don't get into the halls of the Quorumate
Complex much. No, I haven't met him. From what
I've heard, not many have. Keeps to himself a lot.
But there are plenty of stories about him. And about
his peculiar powers."
"And he's a human?"
Pandro nodded. "That's what they say."
Clothahump examined the papers again. "A hu-
man who claims to have come here from another
world?"
Jon-Tom felt suddenly faint -,. but not so faint that
he couldn't interrupt with anxious questions.
THE MOMENT OF THE MAGICIAN
S3
"Another world! Tell me, does he sing his magic,
spellsing like 1 do, or use a musical instrument when
he's exercising his powers?"
Pandro flinched, taken aback by the gangling young
human's unexpected enthusiasm. "Not that I've heard,
sir, no. It's said that he whispers his spells so that
none can hear him. I haven't heard anyone mention
music."
"It is not used," said Clothahump, "or Opiode
would have mentioned it in his communication. The
rest he does confirm, however." He was watching
Jon-Tom carefully. "A human magician who claims to
have come here from another world."
"It's possible," said Jon-Tom excitedly. "Don't you
think it's possible? It happened once, to me. Why
not to another?"
"All things are possible- However, just because you
have a good heart and good intentions does not
mean that this new visitor is as good and kind as
yourself, or that he even comes from your world.
The plenum is full of other worlds."
"That's right," said Jen-Torn, momentarily downcast.
"I got so excited I forgot about that."
"In fact," the wizard went on, still eyeing the
'papers, "from what Opiode says, this Markus ap-
; pears to be sadly lacking in the social verities. Opiode
• is not only afraid of what the newcomer has done;
he is even more afraid of what he may intend to do
anext. As for the visitor's magic, it is powerful indeed."
L'He folded the papers.
I "This is none of my business. I'm not one to
[insinuate myself into another wizard's difficulties.
Opiode admits that this Markus defeated him in a
battle of talents. These 'fears' he alludes to may
merely be a reflection of his own disappointments.
And he speaks only of worries and concerns, not of
any actual threat. I see no reason for such panic.
Alan Dean Foster
This Markus hasn't instituted any sort of reign of
terror or inquisition or anything so boring since
assuming Optode's office, has he?"
**No sir," Pandro admitted. "As far as the average
citizen is concerned, nothing's changed. At least, not
insofar as I've seen. Of course," he added thoughtfully,
"I was attacked on my way here, and the forest where
I encountered my assailants is not noted for having a
large demonic population."
"I wouldn't know," Clothahump murmured. "1 am
not familiar with that part of the world. What do you
think of all this, Jon-Tom?"
Sorcerer and spellsinger discussed the matter while
Pandro stood and waked quietly. While hardly an