A vast statue of Aahz scratched the sky. Standing with hands on its hips, the statue had a huge smile that beamed out over the landscape, Aahz's array of knife-sharp teeth looking more terrifying than ever in twenty-times scale. I was so surprised I let go of the control I was holding over the winds of change. A whirlwind, more a state of mind than an actual wind, came rushing through. Trees melted away, leaving a smooth black road under my feet. White pathways appeared on each side of the pavement. People rushing back and forth on foot and in vehicles. Across the way the palace was now undisputedly a white marble building of exquisite beauty. But the statue of Aahz remained, looming over the landscape, grinning. I realized to my surprise that it was an office building. The eyes were windows.
With Alder's help I located a door in the leg and entered. People bustled busily around, unlike the rest of the Dreamland where I had seen mostly Klahds, here there were also Deveels, Imps, Gremlins, and others, burdened down with file folders and boxes or worried expressions. Just as I had thought, given infinite resources Aahz would have a sophisticated setup with half of everybody working for him, and the other half bringing him problems to solve. And as for riches, the walls were polished mahogany and ivory, inlaid with gold and precious stones. Not flashy— definitely stylish and screaming very loudly of money. I'd always wondered what Aahz could do with infinite resources, and now I was seeing it. A small cubicle at one end of the foot corridor swept me up all the way to the floor marked 'Headquarters.'
A shapely woman who could have been Tananda's twin with pink skin sat at a curved wooden desk near the cubicle door. She spoke into a curved, black stick poking out of her ear. She poked buttons as buzzers sounded. 'Aahz Unlimited. May I help you? I'm sorry. Can you hold? Aahz Unlimited. May I help you? I'm sorry. Can you hold?'
I gazed into the room, at the fanciest office suite I could imagine. I knew Aahz was a snazzy dresser, but I never realized what good taste he had in furniture. Every item was meant to impress. The beautifully paneled walls were full of framed letters and testimonials, and every object looked as though it cost a very quiet fortune. All kinds of people hurried back and forth among the small rooms. I found a woman in a trim suit-dress who looked like she knew what she was doing and asked to see Aahz.
'Ah, yes, Mr. Skeeve,' she said, peering at me over her pince-nez eyeglasses. 'You are expected.'
'Gleep?' added my dragon, interrogatively.
'Yes, Mr. Gleep,' the woman smiled. 'You, too.'
'Partner!' Aahz called as I entered. He swung his feet off the black marble-topped desk and came to slap me on the back. 'Glad to see you're okay. No one I sent out has been able to locate you.'
'I had a guide ...' I said, looking around for Alder. He must have turned his back and blended in with the paneling. I brought my attention back to Aahz. After all the worrying I had done over the last many days I was relieved to see that Aahz seemed to be in the very best of health and spirits. 'I was worried about you, too.'
'Sorry about that,' Aahz said, looking concerned and a little sheepish. 'I figured it was no good for both of us to wander blindly around a new dimension searching for one another. I decided to sit tight and wait for you to find me. I made it as easy as I possibly could. I knew once you spotted the building you'd find me. How do you like it?'
'It's great,' I said firmly. 'A good resemblance. Almost uncanny. It doesn't... put people off, does it?' I asked, thinking of the seven-foot fangs.
'No,' Aahz said, puzzled. 'Why should it?'
'Oh, Mr. Aahz!'
A small thin man hurried into the office with the efficient-looking woman behind him with a clipboard. 'Please, Mr. Aahz, you have to help me,' the man said. 'I'm being stalked by nightmares.'
Aahz threw himself into the big chair behind the desk and gestured me to sit down. The little man poured out a pathetic story of being haunted by the most horrible monsters that came to him at night.
'I'm so terrified I haven't been able to sleep for weeks. I heard about your marvelous talent for getting rid of problems, I thought...'
'What?' Aahz roared, sitting up and showing his teeth. 'I've never heard such bunkum in my life,' Aahz said, his voice filling the room. The little man looked apprehensive. 'Pal, you've got to come to me when you really need me, not for something minor like this.'
'What? What?' the little man sputtered.
'Miss Teddybear,' Aahz gestured to the efficient woman, who hustled closer. 'Get this guy set up with Fazil the Mirrormaster. Have him surround this guy's bed with reflectors that reflect out. That'll scotch the nightmares. If they see themselves the way you've been seeing them they'll scare the heck out of themselves. You'll never see them again. Guaranteed. And I'll only take a ... thirty percent commission on the job. Got that?'
'Of course, Mr. Aahz.' The efficient woman bowed herself out.
'Oh, thank you, Mr. Aahz!' the little man said. 'I'm sorry. You're just like everyone said. You are absolutely amazing! Thank you, thank you!'
Aahz grinned, showing an acre or so of sharp teeth. 'You're welcome. Stop by the receptionist's desk on the way out. She'll give you the bill.'
The little man scurried out, still spouting thanks. As soon as the door closed another testimonial popped into existence on the already crowded wall. Aahz threw himself back into his chair and lit a cigar.
'This is the life, eh, partner?'
'What was that about?' I asked, outraged. 'The guy was frightened out of his life. You gave him a solution without leaving your office. You could have gone to see what was really going on. He could have someone stalking him. someone with a contract out on him ...'
Aahz waved the cigar and smoke wove itself into a complicated knot. 'Psychology, partner, I keep telling you! Let him worry that he's wasting my time. He'll spread the word, so only people with real troubles will come looking for me. In the meantime, Fazil's an operative of mine. Hell check out the scene. If the guy just has some closet monsters that are getting above themselves, the mirrors will do the trick. If it's something worse, Fazil will take care of it' He pounded a hand down on a brown box on the desktop. 'Miss Teddybear, would you send in some refreshments?' Aahz gestured at the wall. 'Your invisible friend can have some, too. I owe him for getting you here safely.'
'It's nothing, friend,' the backwoodsman said. He had been disguised as a section of ornamental veneer. He turned around and waddled over to shake hands. 'You've made yourself right at home here.'
'You bet I have,' Aahz said, looking around him with satisfaction. 'I've been busy nonstop since I got here, making connections and doing jobs for people.'
The efficient aide returned pushing a tray of dishes. She set before Gleep a bowl of something that looked disgusting but was evidently what every dragon wishes he was served every day. My pet lolloped over and began to slurp his way through the wriggling contents. My stomach lurched, but it was soon soothed by the fantastic food that Aahz's assistant served me.
'This is absolutely terrific,' I said. 'With all the information you've gathered, have you figured out a way to get us back to Deva?'
Aahz shook his head.
'I'm not going back.'
'Well tell everyone about this place, and ... What?' I stopped short to stare at him. 'What do you mean you're not going back?'
'For what?' Aahz asked, sneering. 'So I can be the magik-free Pervert again?'
'You've always been Pervect without them,' I said, hopefully trying to raise his spirits with a bad joke.
It didn't work. Aahz's expression was grim. 'You don't have a clue how humiliating it is when I can't do the smallest thing. I relied on those abilities for centuries. It's been like having my arm cut off to be without them. I don't blame Garkin. I'd have done the same thing to him for a joke. It was just my bad luck that Isstvan's assassin happened to have picked that day to put in the hit. But now I've found a place I can do everything I used to.'
'Except D-hop,' I pointed out, slyly, I hoped. 'You're stuck in one dimension for good.'
'So what?' Aahz demanded. 'Most people live out their whole lives in one dimension.'
'Or hang out with your old buddies.'
Aahz made a sour face. 'They know me the way I was before I went through the mirror. Powerless.' He straightened his back. 'I won't miss 'em.'
I could tell he was lying. I pushed. 'You won't? What about Tanda and Chumley? And Massha? What about
