well. 'I have been instructed by your colleague to explain her discovery while she keeps the devil under control,' he said. 'But be advised it might take several hours, and any attempt to rush could completely destroy what is being demonstrated.'
'Several hours,' Astron said. 'How curious. It must be a ritual I have not witnessed before. Under any other circumstances, I would be most eager to add the details of its performance to my catalogues.'
'Masters, if you please,' Kestrel persisted. He flexed his shoulders trying to dislodge the tiny burr of apprehension that had suddenly made its presence felt under the smooth blanket of confidence in his scheme. 'The key insight that Phoebe exploited in her experiment was the willingness of the demon to come. It is true that mighty djinns, virtual kings in their own realm, are ill-disposed for the journey through the fires. Only with exotic woods to reduce the barriers and great struggles of will have you been able to woo them.
'But consider instead another approach-an approach in which you provide a bait, an enticement for the devil to journey on his own accord. Phoebe has shown it to be true; simpler flames are all that is needed, and the demons' spirits are more docile when they appear in our realm. One must provide in addition only the cadence of sounds that sends notice of the lure to the realm where they live.'
Kestrel paused and looked at the assemblage carefully, one by one. 'Think of it,' he said. 'Mighty djinns at your beck and call. No more costly expenditure for rare powders and woods.'
'Another example,' one of the wizards behind the first row called out. 'Although this one before us is no simple imp, he seems to have little more value beyond his increased size.'
'Little value?' Astron said. 'But I am a cataloguer. I know perhaps more of your realm than any other of my kind. My prince values me highly. Because of that I am here rather than any oth-'
'Exactly so, a cataloguer.' Kestrel scowled at Astron again. 'He was enticed here by the scroll that Phoebe laid out before the flame. See it there in the pond. It was the lure that made possible a transition even in the fire of pine.'
'That is the second time you have looked at me that way,' Astron said. 'What message are you trying to convey?'
'What is this that the demon is asking?' Geldion said. 'Phoebe, have you given him leave to speak of his own free will?'
'No, no, pay him no heed,' Kestrel said. 'Focus instead on the second experiment. The key is to assemble a lure from your possessions that will entice another demon here. I will manipulate the door as before and you will see.'
'What kind of lure; what do you mean?' Benthon asked.
'Anything,' Kestrel said. He felt his apprehension lessen. Benthon speaking now could not have been more nearly perfect. 'Anything at all. It seems the greater the quantity, the mightier is the demon that responds.'
He paused a moment and nibbed his chin. 'I guess there is one thing, however, that you of course will not attempt to employ. I have heard the jingle of your purses and could not help thinking of it. A brandel from Procolon will fetch a gold imp, a sackful, a bigger devil of the same bent. Their only interest is in hoarding. About the only useful command you could give them is to go and find it in the ground where it is not yet discovered by men.'
Kestrel stopped and shrugged. 'Of course I realize that you are all men of ethics and would not use your powers for such base gain of a few nuggets of metal.'
'You stated that the bigger the lure, then the more powerful the demon which would respond and the more able he would be to perform his special talents?' Benthon asked.
'Yes, that is the fact of it,' Kestrel said. 'Why, I would imagine that a gold djinn would not even have to look. He would transform the metal out of baserock, as much as was commanded.'
Benthon's eyes widened. He opened his purse and thrust it at Maspanar. 'Then such an experiment it will be. Empty what you have into mine and we will share in whatever is gained in return.'
'I think that we proceed without sufficient caution,' Geldion said. 'I am not yet satisfied with the explanation of what little we have seen transpire.'
'Then do not participate,' Benthon said. 'Only those who take the risk shall benefit from the returns as well.' He turned back to Kestrel. 'What would it take to fetch the likes of this gold djinn to do our bidding?'
'From what Phoebe has instructed me, I would say about eight or nine times the amount in your purse alone. And with such a demon in your power, he should be able to produce tenfold that amount in less than a day.'
'What do you say, Maspanar?' Benthon persisted. 'If you decide to join, then surely the others will follow.'
Maspanar grunted, looked at Astron and then back at the dying fire in Phoebe's cabin. He shrugged and reached for his belt. 'What is the harm?' he said. 'The worst that can happen is that the claim is not true. And with woman's work, I suspect that somehow that certainly is the case.'
'But if she is correct?' one of the masters in the second row asked.
'With ten of us here, surely we can dominate whatever comes through the flames.' Maspanar shrugged a second time. 'If it proves to be small, we can command it into a magic bottle for study at our leisure. If something of greater size appears, we can call forth clouds of imps on our own that will harry it until it too is subdued.'
For a moment no one moved. Then, in a flurry of jingles and flailing straps of leather, the six wizards who stood behind crowded around Benthon and added their contribution to a growing store. Finally Benthon himself held his bulging purse in front of Geldion, gently waving it to and fro.
Geldion scowled once and reached for his own pouch. Showing no pleasure, he emptied his coins in with the rest and then folded his arms across his chest.
Kestrel tried not to let his excitement show. The wizards had all come better prepared than he had dared hope. Now for a little more maneuvering and it would all be done.
'But, but your ethics,' he said. 'If you get too much gold, then even the economy can be altered-just as it was on Pluton across the sea some two decades ago.'
'A wizard indeed is entrusted with a most solemn trust.' Benthon stepped forward, thumping his chest with his free hand while his sack hung heavy in the other. 'Therefore, we judge the risks and take onJy those that are prudent.' He turned and waved back at the others. 'And here our judgment is unanimous. What Phoebe has apparently discovered must be verified with all expediency. Any reward that is possible for our efforts will be administered with discretion.' He stopped and looked Kestrel in the eye. 'There might even be a brandel or two for the lackey who made the process all the quicker rather than throw up objections that are of no real concern to one of his station.'
Kestrel looked down at the sack and ran his tongue over his lips. 'I guess there is only one more thing to be aware of, and then my conscience is clear,' he said. 'Whichever one of you actually controls the demon will have some advantage over the others. And, as Phoebe has explained it, the closer you are to the flame, the greater your chances of being the most likely to grab the demon's will. But then, of course, the closer you are, also the greater the danger. In good faith, I recommend that you all stay outside as did the woman, rather than try to crowd around the flame inside the cabin.'
'One side,' Benthon said. 'My will is the strongest and I am not afraid.'
'Wait, drop the gold here in the pond,' Kestrel said as he rapidly stepped aside. 'By the scroll that lured the first demon to Phoebe. You must be between the lure and the flame for the connection to work.'
'Watch this for us, Phoebe,' Benthon said as he gathered up speed. He tossed the sack into the water. It fell with a plunk satisfying to Kestrel's ears. 'We will be back for it in a few moments, and, if you indeed are correct, for a good deal more.'
Maspanar and two more wizards followed Benthon. Then, in a mass of elbows and shoves, came the others.
'The cadence of sound for a gold djinn calls for fifteen immediate slams and then a wait of some twenty minutes for the last,' Kestrel said. 'If the door is opened before then, the connection is broken and the entire effort wasted.' He looked with satisfaction as Geldion started to join the rest. Mentally he measured the strides from the pond to his waiting wagon.
'I have pondered the existence since you first mentioned it,' Astron interjected suddenly, 'and I cannot think of a single example. No, I am sure of it. None in Elezar's domain nor any of the princes who hang in the void near him have ever known of such. It is an extraordinary occurrence. I devote my life to cataloguing the mysteries and surprises of other realms and find that there is still much I cannot know of my own natural surroundings. Gold imps and even djinns of gold. Yes, it is extraordinary. There is no other word for it.'
Geldion paused in the doorway and turned around. 'What did he say?' he asked. 'It sounded as if he is
