'On, no! Centaur eyes have inferior flavor,' Chester said quickly.
'You are too modest' But the demon smiled reassuringly. 'Screams have more fat than smilks, so their eyes provide more flavor, as you recognized.'
After the repast they retired to Beauregard's den, where a tame firedrake blazed merrily. 'Now we shall provide you excellent accommodations for the night,' the demon said. 'We shall not interfere in any way with your quest. However-'
'What is it you know, that we don't?' Bink asked anxiously.
'I know the nature of demons,' Beauregard said.
'Oh, we don't plan to bother you here! We're going on to-'
'Bear with me, Bink.' Beauregard brought out a fancy little bottle, uttered an obscure word, and made a mystic gesture. The cork popped out, vapor issued forth, and formed into-Good Magician Humfrey.
Amazed, Bink could only ask: 'But where is Crombie?'
'Back in the bottle,' Humfrey said shortly. 'It would help if you recovered your fumble promptly.'
'But if Beauregard can rescue you-'
'I have not rescued him,' the demon said. 'I have conjured him. He must now do my bidding.'
'Just as you once did his bidding!' Bink said.
'Correct. It all depends on who is confined, and who possesses the controlling magic. The Magician has dabbled in demonology; he is now subject to our humanology.'
'But does that mean-'
'No, I shall not abuse the situation. My interest is in research, not ironies. I merely make this demonstration to convince you that there is more to magic than you may have supposed, and that the possible consequences of your quest may be more extensive than you would care to risk.'
'I already know something is trying to stop me,' Bink said.
'Yes. It is some kind of demon-and that is the problem. Most demons have no more magic than most humans do, but the demons of the depths are something else. They are to ordinary demons like me as Magicians are to ordinary people like you. It is not wise to venture into their demesnes.'
'You're a demon,' Chester said suspiciously. 'Why are you telling us this?'
'Because he's a good demon,' Jewel said. 'He helps people.'
'Because I care about the welfare of Xanth,' Beauregard said. 'If I were convinced Xanth would be better off without people, I would work toward that end. But though I have had doubt on occasion, so far I believe the species of man is a net benefit.' He looked at the Magician. 'Even gnomes like him.'
Humfrey merely stood there. 'Why don't you set him free, then?' Bink asked, not wholly trusting the demon.
'I can not free him. Only the holder of his container can do that.'
'But here he is! You summoned him from your bottle!'
'My magic has granted me a temporary lease on his service. I can only evoke him briefly, and can not keep him. If I had his bottle, then I could control him, since he was so foolish as to confine himself in that manner. That is why you must recover that bottle, before-'
'Before it breaks!' Bink said.
'It will never break. It is an enchanted bottle; I know, for I occupied it, and made sure it was secure. No, the danger is that your enemy will recover it first.' Bink was appalled. 'The enemy!'
'For then that enemy would control the Magician, and all Humfrey's power would be at the enemy's service. In that event, Humfrey's chances of surviving would be poor-almost as poor as yours.'
'I must get that bottle!' Bink cried. 'If only I knew where it is!'
'That is the service I require,' Beauregard said. 'Magician, inform Bink of your precise location, so he can rescue you.'
'Latitude twenty-eight degrees northwest, longitude one hundred and-'
'Not that way, simpleton!' Beauregard interrupted. 'Tell it so he can use it!'
'Er, yes,' Humfrey agreed. 'Perhaps we'd better put Crombie on.'
'Do it,' the demon snapped.
The griffin appeared beside the Magician. 'Say, yes,' Bink said eagerly. 'If we have him point out your direction from here, I mean our direction from there, we can reverse it to reach you.'
'Won't work,' Beauregard said. But Crombie was already whirling. His wing came to rest pointing directly at Bink.
'Fine,' Bink said. 'We'll go that way.'
'Try walking across the den.' Beauregard said. 'Griffin, hold that point.'
Perplexed, Bink walked. Crombie didn't move, but his pointing wing continued aiming at Bink. 'It's just a picture!' Bink explained. 'No matter how you look at it, it looks right at you.'
'Precisely,' the demon agreed. 'This conjuration is in a certain respect an image. The same aspect
