the situation anew. “You never meant to bargain with Inky, did you? You want to keep him out of the castle. Do away with him entirely, if you have to. Isn’t that true?”
Ferne settled back in the recliner and lifted the glass to her lips. “And if it is?” she said quietly.
“But … ” He threw out his arms helplessly. “But you can’t hope to prevail against the Hosts by yourself! Surely you don’t think yourself the equal of Inky as a magician. No one is. He’s the master of Perilous! Only he can tap the castle’s deepest source of power.”
“Because he’s a man?”
Deems was brought up short. “Eh? Because he’s a —? Well … yes!” He shrugged expansively. “I
“You suppose.”
“This is ridiculous! Females may succeed to the throne only in the absence of a suitable male heir apparent. You know that as well as I do. What of it?”
“That is the tradition. But it has no bearing on who may tap the castle’s power. You silly men have simply got to realize —”
Deems silenced her with an upraised hand. “Stop confusing the issue! I see now what you’ve done, and why you did it. This was all a scheme to divide the family, clearing the way for your bid to power. You haven’t the least intention of sharing power — with Inky, or me, or anyone else! You want all of it!”
“I deserve it,” she said. “I’m the only one who’s not afraid to use it.”
“But surely you realize that the Hosts don’t mean to share with you, either!”
“I don’t know about that. They have certain ambitions, but they can be placated for the time being. Pacified.”
“Appeased, you mean?”
Ferne’s blue eyes turned to ice. “I needed allies, powerful allies! Who was I to turn to? You? Trent? Or maybe my fat cow of a sister.”
Deems grunted. “Dorcas is the best one of a bad litter.”
“Pig shit. I needed allies, and I found them.”
“Not yet. Not while they’re still ensconced in their hellhole.”
She laughed, throwing her head back.
Appalled, Deems regarded her. “What in the name of all the gods … ” Understanding bloomed on his face. Paling, he brought his hand to his throat. “The gods be merciful. Woman, tell me you haven’t already unbuttoned them.”
She continued laughing and he knew.
Ashen-faced, he sat down and stared at the floor. When he spoke, his voice was empty. “Inky’s the only card you hold. He’s the threat you’re holding over them. The threat that Inky will return and detransmogrify the castle.”
“And I have him bottled up,” she said, still giggling. “Corked.” She burst into another bout of laughter.
“It was the security spell on the Hosts’ portal that you undid first,” Deems droned on. “One of the oldest in the castle. One of Ervoldt’s spells. No wonder Inky was concerned. No wonder he raced off to earth to find Trent. Trent specialized in ancient magic. Inky probably needed his advice. Doubtless Inky suspected Trent of having done it, but in any event he had to confront him.”
Recovered from her mirth, Ferne regarded her brother with raised eyebrows. “Deems, this new pastime of yours may prove your undoing.”
“Eh?”
“Thinking. You’ve done so little of it in your life. This much exertion all at once … Well, it can’t be healthy.” She took another sip. “Anyway, you’re wrong in all the details. Details are important, Deems.”
Deems slowly rose and crossed to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself another glass of sherry, retired to the leather throne again, and sank into it.
Suddenly he bolted upright and set his glass down on a side table. He fixed his sister in a penetrating stare. “Here’s more thinking for you. If the Hosts have had access to the castle for — how long? — six months? If they’ve had time to send out scouts, or agents, or whatever, may they not now be on Earth trying to do Inky in?”
“I doubt it.”
“You doubt it? Great gods, woman! You mean to say the possibility exists?”
“Well, yes. Before I stabilized the Earth portal, it was free for anyone to use, if it could be located. But why would the Hosts send agents to Earth?”
“To keep an eye on you, of course! Tell me, are any of your servants at your Earth residence?”
“Of course, some of my bodyguards. Their job is to keep Inky from —”
“Listen to me. Have you hired any new servants within the last six months?”
She thought. “Yes. Those bodyguards, in fact.” Suddenly Ferne became motionless, a strange light in her eyes. She stared off for a moment. Then she shrugged, and drank the last of the sherry. “I suppose the possibility
Twenty-two
Temple
“Try it again,” Gene said.
Linda put out her hands and closed her eyes. A china plate with a hamburger on it materialized on the stone floor of the temple.
Gene picked the hamburger up and bit into it, tasting it clinically. “Better than the last one,” he pronounced. “Edible, but still not what you’d call gourmet.”
“It’s getting a little easier,” Linda said. “But I doubt if I’ll ever be as good as I was in the castle.”
“Well, that goes without saying. The castle is a huge power source.”
Sheila said, “Let me see if I understand this. You’re saying that this world is one in which magic works. Right?”
“Right,” Gene said.
“But it’s not the same kind of magic that’s in the castle?”
“Right again. Different universe, different laws.”
“But you say you’re slowly getting used to this different kind of magic.”
Linda answered, “Sort of. But, again, it’s not going to be the same as back in the castle. Everything is
“At least we won’t starve,” Gene said, holding up the half-eaten hamburger. Then he looked over at Snowclaw, who was sleeping on the narrow stone bench near the wall. “But that doesn’t solve all our problems.”
“It doesn’t solve any of them,” Linda said. “We can’t stay here.”
“Right,” Gene said. “So, I say we try it.”
“I’m not up to it yet,” Linda said. “If I can’t conjure a hamburger right, how the heck could I do a portal?”
“Well, let’s look at it this way. There are an infinite number of possible hamburgers. Now, an
Linda giggled. “Gene, you always have a strange way of looking at things. I don’t think I find things and fetch them. I just whip ’em up and they appear.”
“No, I think you
