WINMX Assorted Textfiles/Ebooks.tar/Text - Compilations - The Library - Volume 02 - D to L - 350 fiction ebooks (PDF HTM(L) RTF TXT DOC).zip/Heinlein, Robert A - Magic, Inc.txt

Text File | 2001-02-21 | 206KB | 3,960 lines

by Robert Heinlein
Version 1.1

MAGIC, INC

'Whose spells  are you  using, buddy?' That was  the first thing  this bird
said  after coming  into my  place of  business, He  had hung  around maybe
twenty  minutes,  until  I  was alone,  looking  at  samples of  waterproof
pigment, fiddling with plumbing catalogues, and monkeying with the hardware
display.  I didn't  like  his manner.  I don't  mind a  legitimate business
inquiry from a customer- but I resent gratuitous snooping.

'Various of the local licensed practitioners of thaumaturgy,' I told him in
a tone that was chilly but polite. Why do you ask?'

'You  didn't answer my  question,' he pointed  out. Come  on - speak  up. I
ain't got all day.'

I restrained  myself. I  require my clerks  to he polite, and,  while I was
pretty sure this chap  would never be a customer, I didn't want to break my
own  rules. If you  are thinking of  buying anything,'  I said, 'I  will be
happy to tell you  what magic, if any, is used in producing it, and who the
magician is.'

'Now you're  not being cooperative,' he complained.  'We like for people to
be  cooperative. You  never can  tell what  bad luck  you may run  into not
cooperating.'

'Who d'you  mean by  we,'  I snapped, dropping all  pretence of politeness,
'and what do you mean by bad luck?'

'Now  we're getting  somewhere,'  he said  with a  nasty grin,  and settled
himself on the edge of the counter so that he breathed into my face. He was
short  and swarthy -  Sicilian, I judged,  and dressed  in a suit  that was
overtailored.  His clothes  and haberdashery  matched perfectly in  a color
scheme that I didn't  like. 'I'll tell you what I mean by "we"; I'm a field
representatve for an organisation  that protects people. from bad luck - if
they're smart, and cooperative.  That's why I asked you whose charms you're
usin'.  Some of  the magicians  around here  aren't cooperative;  it spoils
their luck, and that bad luck follows their products.'

'Go on.' I said. I wanted him to commit himself as far as he would.

'I knew you were smart,' he answered. 'F'rinstance - how would you like for
a  salamander to get  loose in your  shop, setting  fire to your  goods and
maybe scaring  your customers? Or you sell the  materials to build a house,
and it  turns out there's a  Poltergeist living  in it, breaking the dishes
and souring the milk and kicking the furniture around. That's what can come
of dealing with the  wrong magicians. A little of that and your business is
ruined. We  wouldn't want  that to happen,  would we?' He  favoured me with
another leer.

I  said nothing;  he  went on,  'Now, we  maintain  a staff  of  the finest
demonologists in the business,  expert magicians themselves, who can report
on how  a magician conducts himself  in the Half World,  and whether or not
he's likely to bring  his clients bad luck. Then we advise our clients whom
to deal with, and keep them from having bad luck. See?'

I saw  all right. I wasn't born yesterday. The  magicians I dealt with were
local men that I had known for years, men with established reputations both
here  and  in the  Half  World.  They didn't  do  anything to  stir up  the
elementals against them, and they did not have bad luck.

What this  slimy item meant was that I should  deal only with the magicians
they selected at whatever fees they chose to set, and they would take a cut
on the fees  and also on the profits of my business.  If I didn't choose to
'cooperate', I'd be persecuted by elementals they had an arrangement with -
renegades, probably,  with human vices -  my stock in trade  spoiled and my
customers frightened away. If  I still held out, I could expect some really
dangerous  black magic  that would injure  or kill  me. All this  under the
pretence of selling me protection from men I knew and liked.

A neat racket!

I had heard of  something of the sort back East, but had not expected it in
a  city as  small as  ours. He sat  there, smirking  at me, waiting  for my
reply,  and twisting  his neck  in his  collar, which  was too  tight. That
caused me  to notice  something. In spite  of his foppish  clothes a thread
showed on his neck  just above the collar in back. It seemed likely that it
was there to support  something next to his skin - an amulet. If so, he was
superstitious, even in this day and age.

'There's something  you've omitted,' I  told him. 'I'm a  seventh son, born
under a caul, and I've got second sight. My luck's all right, but I can see
bad luck  hovering over you like  cypress over a grave!'  I reached out and
snatched at the thread.  It snapped and came loose in my hand. There was an
amulet on it, rght enough, an unsavoury little wad of nothing in particular
and about as  appetizing as the bottom of a bird cage.  I dropped it on the
floor and ground it into the dirt.

He had jumped off  the counter and stood facing me, breathing hard. A knife
showed up in his right hand; with his left hand he was warding off the evil
eye,  the first  and  little fingers  pointed at  me,  making the  horns of
Asmodeus. I knew I had him - for the time being.

Here's some  magic you  may not have  heard of,' I rapped  out, and reached
into a  drawer behind the counter. I hauled Out a  pistol and pointed it at
his face.  Cold iron! Now go  back to your owner  and tell him there's cold
iron waiting for him, too - both ways!'

He backed away, never taking his eyes off my face. If looks could kill, and
so forth. At  the door he paused and spat on the  doorsill, then got out of
sight very quickly.

I put  the gun  away and went about  my work, waiting on  two customers who
came  in just  as  Mr Nasty  Business left.  But  I will  admit that  I was
worried. A  man's reputation  is his most  valuable asset. I've  built up a
name, while still a young man, for dependable products. It was certain that
this bird and his pals would do all they could to destroy that name - which
might be plenty if they were hooked in with black magicians!

Of course  the building-materials  game does not  involve as much  magic as
other lines  dealing in less durable goods. People  like to know, when they
are building a home,  that the bed won't fall into the basement some night,
or the roof disappear and leave them out in the rain.

Besides,  building involves  quite a lot  of iron,  and there are  very few
commercial sorcerers  who can cope with cold iron. The  few that can are so
expensive it isn't economical  to use them in building. Of course if one of
the cafΘ-society  crowd, or  somebody like that,  wants to boast  that they
have a summerhouse or  a swimming pool built entirely by magic, I'll accept
the contract, charging accordingly,  and sublet it to one of the expensive,
first-line magicians.  But by and large my business  uses magic only in the
side issues  - perishable items and doodads which  people like to buy cheap
and change from time to time.

So I was not worried about magic in my business, but about what magic could
do  to my business -  if someone set out deliberately  to do me mischief. I
had the  subject of  magic on my  mind, anyhow, because of  an earlier call
from  a chap  named  Ditworth -  not a  matter of  vicious threats,  just a
business proposition  that I was  undecided about. But it  worried me, just
the same,

I closed up a  few minutes early and went over to see  Jedson - a friend of
mine in  the cloak-and-suit business.  He is considerably older  than I am,
and quite a student,  without holding a degree, in all forms of witchcraft,
white and black magic,  necrology, demonology, spells, charms, and the more
practical forms  of divination.  Besides that, Jedson is  a shrewd, capable
man in  every way,  with a long  head on him. I  set a lot of  store by his
advice.

I expected to find  him in his office, and more or less free, at that hour,
but he  wasn't. His office boy  directed me up to a  room he used for sales
conferences. I knocked and then pushed the door.

Hello, Archie,'  he called out  as soon as he  saw who it was.  Come on in.
I've got something.' And he turned away.

I came in and looked around. Besides Joe Jedson there was a handsome, husky
woman  about thirty  years old  in a  nurse's uniform,  and a  fellow named
August  Welker, Jedson's  foreman.  He was  a handy  all-around man  with a
magician's licence,  third class. Then I noticed  a fat little guy, Zadkiel
Feldstein, who was agent for a good many of the second-rate magicians along
the  street, and  some  few of  the first-raters.  Naturally,  his religion
prevented him from practising magic himself, but, as I understand it, there
was no theological objection to his turning an honest commission. I had had
dealings with him; he was all right.

This ten-percenter  was clutching a  cigar that had gone  out, and watching
intently Jedson and another party, who was slumped in a chair.

This other party was  a girl, not over twenty-five, maybe not that old. She
was  blonde, and thin  to the point  that you  felt that light  would shine
through her.  She had  big, sensitive hands  with long fingers,  and a big,
tragic mouth. Her hair was silver-white, but she was not an albino. She lay
back in the chair,  awake but apparently done in. The nurse was chafing her
wrists.

What's up?' I asked. The kid faint?'

Oh no,' Jedson assured me, turning around. She's a white witch - works in a
trance. She's a little tired now, that's all.'

What's her speciality?' I inquired.

Whole garments.'

Huh?' I  had a right to be surprised. It's one  thing to create yard goods;
another thing  entirely to  turn out a  dress, or a suit,  all finished and
ready to wear. Jedson  produccd and merchandised a full line of garments in
which  magic  was used  throughout.  They were  mostly sportswear,  novelty
goods, ladies' fashions, and  the like, in which style, rather than wearing
qualities, was the determining  factor. Usually they were marked One Season
Only',  but they  were perfectly  satisfactory for  that one  season, being
backed up by the consumers' groups.

But they  were not turned out in one process.  The yard goods involved were
made  first, usually  by Welker.  Dyes and  designs were  added separately.
Jedson had  some very  good connexions among  the Little People,  and could
obtain shades  and patterns  from the Half  World that were  exclusive with
him. He  used both  the old methods  and magic in  assembling garments, and
employed some of the  most talented artists in the business. Several of his
dress designers  free-lanced their magic in  Hollywood under an arrangement
with him. All he asked for was screen credit.
But to  get back to the blonde girl- That's  what I said,' Jedson answered,
whole garments, with good  wearing qualities too. There's no doubt that she
is the  real McCoy; she was  under contract to a  textile factory in Jersey
City.  But I'd  give a thousand  dollars to  see her do  that whole-garment
stunt  of  hers just  once.  We haven't  had  any luck,  though I've  tried
everything but red-hot pincers.'

The kid  looked alarmed at this, and  the nurse looked indignant. Feldstein
started to expostulate, but Jedson cut him short. That was just a figure of
speech; you know I don't hold with black magic. Look, darling,' he went on,
turning back  to the girl, do you feel like  trying again?' She nodded, and
he added, All right - sleepy time now!'

And  she tried again,  going into her  act with  a minimum of  groaning and
spitting. The ectoplasm came  out freely and, sure enough, it formed into a
complete dress  instead of yard goods. It was  a neat- little dinner frock,
about a size sixteen, sky blue in a watered silk. It had class in a refined
way, and  I knew that  any jobber who saw  it would be good  for a sizeable
order.

Jedson grabbed  it, cut off a swatch of cloth  and applied his usual tests,
finishing by  taking the swatch out of the  microscope and touching a match
to it.

He swore.  Damn it,'  he said, there's  no doubt about  it. It's  not a new
integration at all; she's just reanimated an old rag!'

Come again,' I said. What of it?'

huh? Archie,  you really ought to  study up a bit.  What she just did isn't
really creative magic at  all. This dress' - he picked it up and shook it -
had a  real existence someplace at some time. She's  gotten hold of a piece
of it,  a scrap or maybe just a button, and  applied the laws of homeopathy
and contiguity to produce a simulacrum of it.'

I understood  him, for I had  used it in my own business.  I had once had a
section of bleachers, suitable for parades and athletic events, built on my
own grounds  by old  methods, using skilled  master mechanics and  the best
materials - no  iron, of course. Then I cut it to  pieces. Under the law of
contiguity, each piece remained  part of the structure it had once been in.
Under  the  law  of  homeopathy,  each  piece was  potentially  the  entire
structure.  I would  contract  to handle  a Fourth  of  July crowd,  or the
spectators for  a circus parade, and  send out a couple  of magicians armed
with  as many  fragments of the  original stands  as we needed  sections of
bleachers. They  .vould bind a spell to  last twenty-four hours around each
piece. That way the stands cleared themselves away automatically.

I  had had only  one mishap with  it; an  apprentice magician, who  had the
chore of being on  hand as each section vanished and salvaging the animated
fragment for  further use, happened one  day to pick up  the wrong piece of
wood from  where one section had  stood. The next time  we used it, for the
Shrine  convention,  we found  we  had  thrown up  a  brand-new four-  room
bungalow  at the  corner of  Fourteenth and  Vine instead  of a  section of
bleachers. It could have been embarrassing, but I stuck a sign on it

MODEL HOME NOW ON DISPLAY

and ran up another section on the end.

An out-of-town  concern tried to chisel me out  of the business one season,
but  one of  their  units fell,  either through  faulty workmanship  on the
pattern or  because of  unskilled magic, and injured  several people. Since
then I've had the field pretty much to myself.

I  could  not  understand  Joe  Jedson's  objection  to  reanimation.  What
difference does it make?' I persisted. It's a dress, isn't it?'

Sure,  it's a  dress,  hut it's  not a  new one.  That style  is registered
somewhere and  doesn't belong to me. And even if it  were one of my numbers
she  had  used,  reanimation  isn't  what  I'm  after. I  can  make  better
merchandise cheaper without it; otherwise I'd be using it now.'

The blonde girl  came to, saw the dress, and said, Oh,  Mr Jedson, did I do
it?'

He explained what had happened. Her face fell, and the dress melted away at
once.  Don't you  feel bad  about it,  kid,' he  added, patting her  on the
shoulder, you  were tired. We'll try  again tomorrow. I know  you can do it
when you're not nervous and overwrought.'

She  thanked   him  and  left  with  the   nurse.  Feldstein  was  full  of
explanations, but  Jedson told him to forget it, and  to have them all back
there at  the same  time tomorrow. When we  were alone I told  him what had
happened to me.

He listened in silence,  his face serious, except when I told him how I had
kidded my  visitor into thinking I  had second sight. That  seemed to amuse
him.

You may  wish that you  really had it -  second sight, I mean,'  he said at
last,  becoming solemn  again.  This is  an unpleasant  prospect.  Have you
notified the Better Business Bureau?'

I told him I hadn't.

Very well then. I'll give them a ring and the Chamber of Commerce too. They
probably can't  help much, but  they are entitled to  notification, so they
can be on the lookout for it.'

I asked him if  he thought I ought to notify the police. He shook his head.
Not just  yet. Nothing  illegal has been  done, and, anyhow,  all the chief
could  think of  to cope  with the situation  would be  to haul in  all the
licensed magicians  in town and sweat them. That  wouldn't do any good, and
would just cause hard  feeling to be directed against you by the legitimate
members of  the profession. There isn't a chance  in ten that the sorcerers
connected with  this outfit are licensed to  perform magic; they are almost
sure to  be clandestine. If the  police know about them,  it's because they
are protected. If they don't know about them, then they probably can't help
you.'

What do you think I ought to do?'

Nothing just  yet. Go home and  sleep on it. This  Charlie may be playing a
lone  hand, making small-time  shakedowns purely  on bluff. I  don't really
think so;  his type sounds like a mobster. But we  need more data; we can't
do anything until they expose their hand a little more.'

We did not have  long to wait. When I got down to  my place of business the
next  morning I  found a  surprise waiting  for me  - several of  them, all
unpleasant.

It was as if it had been ransacked by burglars, set fire to, then gutted by
a flood.  I called  up Jedson at once.  He came right over.  He didn't have
anything to  say at first, but  went poking through the  ruins, examining a
number of things. He  stopped at the point where the hardware storeroom had
stood, reached  down and gathered up  a handful of the  wet ashes and muck.
Notice anything?' he asked, working his fingers so that the debris sloughed
off and left in  his hand some small metal objects - nails, screws, and the
like.

Nothing in particular. This is where the hardware bins were located; that's
some of the stuff that didn't burn.'

Yes, I know,' he  said impatiently, but don't you see anything else? Didn't
you stock a lot of brass fittings?'

Yes.'

Well, find one!'

I poked around with  my toe in a spot where there should have been a lot of
brass  hinges and  drawer pulls  mixed in  with the  ashes. I did  not find
anything but  the nails that had held the  bins together. I oriented myself
by such  landmarks as I could  find, and tried again.  There were plenty of
nuts and bolts, casement hooks, and similar junk, but no brass.

Jedson watched me with a sardonic grin on his face.

Well?' I said, somewhat annoyed at his manner.

Don't you  see?' he  answered. It's magic,  all right. In  this entire yard
there is not one scrap of metal left, except cold iron!'

It was plain enough. I should have seen it myself.

He messed  around awhile longer. Presently we came  across an odd thing. It
was a slimy, wet  track that meandered through my property, and disappeared
down one of the  drains. It looked as if a giant slug,  about the size of a
Crosley car, had wandered through the place.

Undine,' Jedson announced, and wrinklcd his nose at the smell. I once saw a
movie,  a  Megapix super  production  called  the  Water  King's Daughter.
According  to  it undines  were  luscious  enough to  have interested  Earl
Carroll, but if they left trails like that I wanted none of them.

He took out his handkerchief and spread it for a clean place to sit down on
what had  been sacks  of cement -  a fancy, quick- setting  variety, with a
trade name  of Hydrolith.  I had been  getting eighty cents a  sack for the
stuff; now it was just so many big boulders.

He ticked  the situation off on his fingers.  Archie, you've been kicked in
the teeth  by at  least three of  the four different types  of elementals -
earth, fire, and  water. Maybe there was a sylph of the  air in on it, too,
but I can't prove  it. First the gnomes came and cleaned out everything you
had that  came out of the  ground, except cold iron.  A salamander followed
them and  set fire to the place, burning  everything that was burnable, and
scorching  and smoke-damaging the  rest. Then  the undine turned  the place
into a  damned swamp, ruining anything that  wouldn't burn, like cement and
lime. You're insured?'

Naturally.' But  then I starred to think. I  carried the usual fire, theft,
and flood  insurance, but business-risk insurance  comes pretty high; I was
not covered  against the business I  would lose in the  meantime, nor did I
have any way to complete current contracts. It was going to cost me quite a
lot to  cover those contracts; if  I let them slide  it would ruin the good
will of my business, and lay me open to suits for damage.

The situation was worse than I had thought, and looked worse still the more
I thought about it. Naturally I could not accept any new business until the
mess was cleaned up,  the place rebuilt, and new stock put in. Luckily most
of my  papers were  in a fireproof steel  safe; but not all,  by any means.
There would be accounts receivable that I would never collect because I had
nothing to show for them. I work on a slim margin of profit, with all of my
capital  at work.  It began  to look  as if  the firm of  Archibald Fraser,
Merchant and Contractor, would go into involuntary bankruptcy.

I explained the situation to Jedson.

Don't get your wind up too fast,' he reassured me. What magic can do, magic
can undo. What we need is the best wizard in town.'

Who's going to pay the fee?' I objected. Those boys don't work for nickels,
and I'm cleaned out.'

Take  it easy,  son,' he  advised, the  insurance outfit that  carries your
risks is due to  take a bigger loss than you are. If we can show them a way
to save money on this, we can do business. Who represents them here?'

I told him - a firm of lawyers downtown in the Professional Building.

I  got  hold of  my office  girl  and told  her  to telephone  such of  our
customers  as were  due for  deliveries that  day. She  was to  stall where
possible and pass on  the business that could not wait to a firm that I had
exchanged favours with in  the past. I sent the rest of my help home - they
had been  standing around  since eight o'clock, making  useless remarks and
getting in the way  - and told them not to come back until I sent for them.
Luckily  it was Saturday;  we had the  best part  of forty- eight  hours to
figure out some answer.

We  flagged  a magic  carpet  that was  cruising  past and  headed for  the
Professional Building. I settled  back and determined to enjoy the ride and
forget my  troubles. I like taxicabs  - they give me  a feeling of luxury -
and I've  liked them even better since they took  the wheels off them. This
happened to  be one  of the new  Cadillacs with the teardrop  shape and air
cushions. We  went scooting down the boulevard,  silent as thought, not six
inches off the ground.

Perhaps  I should  explain  that we  have  a local  city ordinance  against
apportation unless  it conforms to traffic  regulations - ground traffic, I
mean, not  air. That may surprise  you, but it came about  as a result of a
mishap to a man  in my own line of business. He had an order for eleven-odd
tonsof glass brick to  be delivered to a restaurant being remodelled on the
other  side of town  from his yard.  He employed  a magician with  a common
carrier's licence to deliver  for him. I don't know whether he was careless
or just plain stupid, but he dropped those eleven tons of brick through the
roof  of the Prospect  Boulevard Baptist  Church. Anybody knows  that magic
won't work over consecrated ground; if he had consulted a map he would have
seen that  the straight-line route  took his load over  the church. Anyhow,
the  janitor was  killed, and  it might  just as  well have been  the whole
congregation. It  caused such  a commotion that apportation  was limited to
the streets, near the ground.

It's people like that who make it inconvenient for everybody else.

Our man  was in  - Mr Wiggin,  of the firm  of Wiggin,  Snead, McClatchey &
Wiggin. He had already  heard about my fire', but when Jedson explained his
conviction that magic was  at the bottom of it he baulked. It was, he said,
most irregular. Jedson was remarkably patient.

Are you an expert in magic, Mr Wiggin?' he asked.

I have  not specialized in thaumaturgic jurisprudence,  if that is what you
mean, sir.'

Well, I  don't hold a licence  myself, but it has been  my hobby for a good
many years.  I'm sure of what  I say in this case; you  can call in all the
independent experts  you wish - they'll confirm  my opinion. Now suppose we
stipulate, for the sake  of argument, that this damage was caused by magic.
If that is true, there is a possibility that we may be able to save much of
the loss. You have authority to settle claims, do you not?'

Well,  I  think  I  may say  yes  to  that  -  bearing  in  mind the  legal
restrictions and the terms  of the contract.' I don't believe he would have
conceded that  he had five fingers on his right  hand without an auditor to
back him up.

Then it  is your business to hold your company's  losses down to a minimum.
If I  find a wizard who  can undo a part,  or all, of the  damage, will you
guarantee the  fee, on behalf of  your company, up to  a reasonable amount,
say twenty-five per cent of the indemnity?'

He  hemmed and  hawed  some more,  and said  he  did not  see how  he could
possibly do  it, and  that if the fire  had been magic, then  to restore by
magic  might be  compounding a  felony, as  we could  not be sure  what the
connexions of  the magicians involved  might be in the  Half World. Besides
that, my  claim had  not been allowed  as yet; I  had failed  to notify the
company of my visitor  of the day before, which possibly might prejudice my
claim. In any case, it was a very serious precedent to set; he must consult
the home office.

Jedson stood up. I can see that we are simply wasting each other's time, Mr
Wiggin.  Your  contention  about  Mr Fraser's  possible  responsibility  is
ridiculous,  and you  know it.  There is  no reason  under the  contract to
notify  you, and  even if there  were, he  is within the  twenty-four hours
allowed  for any  notification. I think  it best  that we consult  the home
office ourselves.' He reached for his hat.

Wiggin put  up his hand. Gentlemen, gentlemen,  please! Let's not be hasty.
Will Mr Fraser agree to pay half of the fee?'

No. Why should he? It's your loss, not his. You insured him.

Wiggin tapped  his teeth with his  spectacles, then said, We  must make the
fee contingent on results.'

Did you ever hear  of anyone in his right mind dealing with a wizard on any
other basis?'

Twenty minutes later we walked out with a document which enabled us to hire
any witch or wizard to salvage my place of business on a contingent fee not
to exceed  twenty-five per cent of the value  reclaimed. I thought you were
going to throw up the whole matter,' I told Jedson with a sigh of relief.

He grinned.  Not in the wide world, old son. He  was simply trying to horse
you into  paying the  cost of saving them  some money. I just  let him know
that I knew.'

It took  some time to decide whom to  consult. Jedson admitted frankly that
he did not know of a man nearer than New York who could, with certainty, be
trusted  to do  the  job, and  that was  out  of the  question for  the fee
involved. We  stopped in a bar,  and he did some  telephoning while I had a
beer. Presently he came back and said, I think I've got the man. I've never
done business with him  before, but he has the reputation and the training,
and everybody I talked to seemed to think that he was the one to see.'

Who is it?' I wanted to know.

Dr  Fortescue Biddle.  He's  just down  the street  - the  Railway Exchange
Building. Come on, we'll walk it.'

I gulped down the rest of my beer and followed him.

Dr Biddle's  place was impressive. He had a  corner suite on the fourteenth
floor, and  he had not spared expense in  furnishing and decorating it. The
style  was modern;  it had  the austere  elegance of a  society physician's
layout. There was a  frieze around the wall of the signs of the zodiac done
in intaglio glass, backed  up by aluminium. That was the only decoration of
any sort, the rest  of the furnishing being very plain, but rich, with lots
of plate glass and chromium.

We had  to wait about thirty minutes in the outer  office; I spent the time
trying to estimate what  I could have done the suite for, subletting what I
had  to and  allowing ten  per cent.  Then a  really beautiful girl  with a
hushed voice  ushered us  in. We found  ourselves in another  smaller room,
alone, and had to wait about ten minutes more. It was much like the waiting
room, but had some  glass bookcases and an old print of Aristotle. I looked
at the  bookcases with Jedson to kill time. They were  filled with a lot of
rare old  classics on magic. Jedson  had just pointed out  the Red Grimoire
when we heard a voice behind us.

Amusing,  aren't   they?  The  ancients  knew   a  surprising  amount.  Not
scientific, of  course, but  remarkably clever-' The voice  trailed off. We
turned around; he introduced him- sell as Dr Biddle.

He was  a nice enough looking  chap, really handsome in  a spare, dignified
fashion. He  was about ten years  older than I am  - fortyish, maybe - with
iron-grey  hair  at  the  temples  and  a  small,  stiff,  British  major's
moustache. His  clothes could have been out of the style  pages of Esquire.
There  was no  reason for  me not  to like  him; his manners  were pleasant
enough. Maybe it was the supercilious twist of his expression.

He led  us into his private office, sat us  down, and offered us cigarettes
before business was mentioned. He opened up with, You're Jedson, of course.
I suppose Mr Ditworth sent you?'

I cocked an ear  at him; the name was familiar. But Jedson simply answered,
Why, no. Why would you think that he had?'

Biddle hesitated for a  moment, then said, half to himself, That's strange.
I was  certain that  I had heard  him mention your  name. Do  either one of
you,' he added, know Mr Ditworth?'

We both nodded at once and surprised each other, Biddle seemed relieved and
said, No doubt that  accounts for it. Still - I need some more information.
Will you gentlemen excuse me while I call him?'

With that  he vanished. I had never seen it  done before. Jedson says there
are two  ways to do it,  one is hallucination, the  other is an actual exit
through the Half World. Whichever way it's done, I think it's bad manners.

About this  chap Ditworth,' I started  to say to Jedson.  I had intended to
ask you-'

Let it wait,' he cut me off, there's not time now.'

At this Biddle reappeared. It's all right,' he announced, speaking directly
to me.  I can take your  case. I suppose you've  come about the trouble you
had last night with your establishment?'

Yes,' I agreed. How did you know?'

Methods,' he  replied, with  a deprecatory little smile.  My profession has
its means. Now, about your problem. What is it you desire?'

I looked at Jedson; he explained what he thought had taken place and why he
thought so. Now I  don't know whether you specialize in demonology or not,'
he concluded,  but it seems to  me that it should  be possible to evoke the
powers responsible  and force them to repair the damage.  If you can do it,
we are prepared to pay any reasonable fee.'

Biddle smiled at this and glanced rather self-consciously at the assortment
of diplomas hanging on the walls of his office. I feel that there should be
reason to reassure you,' he purred. Permit me to look over the ground-' And
he was gone again.

I was beginning to  be annoyed. It's all very well for a  man to be good at
his job, but there is no reason to make a side show out of it. But I didn't
have time to grouse about it before he was back.

Examination  seems  to confirm  Mr  Jedson's  opinion; there  should be  no
unusual difficulties,' he said. Now as to the .

ah  . .  . business arrangements-'  He coughed  politely and gave  a little
smile, as if he regretted having to deal with such vulgar matters.

Why do some people  act as if making money offended their delicate minds? I
am out for a legitimate profit, and not ashamed of it; the fact that people
will pay money for my goods and services shows that my work is useful.

However, we  made a deal without much trouble, then  Biddle told us to meet
him at  my place in about  fifteen minutes. Jedson and  I left the building
and flagged another cab. Once inside I asked him about Ditworth.

Where'd you run across him?' I said.

Came to me with a proposition.

Hm-m-m-' This  interested me; Ditworth had made  me a proposition, too, and
it had worried me. What kind of a proposition?'

Jedson screwed  up his  forehead. Well, that's  hard to say -  there was so
much impressive sales talk along with it. Briefly, he said he was the local
executive secretary of a nonprofit association which had as its purpose the
improvement of standards of practising magicians.'

I nodded. It was the same story I had heard. Go ahead.'

He dwelt  on the inadequacy of  the present licensing laws  and pointed out
that anyone  could pass the examinations  and hang out his  shingle after a
couple of weeks' study  of a grimoire or black book without any fundamental
knowledge of  the arcane laws at  all. His organization would  be a sort of
bureau of standards to improve that, like the American Medical Association,
or  the  National  Conference  of Universities  and  Colleges,  or the  Bar
Association. If  I signed an agreement to  patronize only those wizards who
complied  with their  requirements.  I could  display their  certificate of
quality and put their seal of approval on my goods.'

Joe, I've heard the  same story.' I cut in. and I didn't know quite what to
make of it. It sounds all right, but I wouldn't want to stop doing business
with  men who  have given me  good value in  the past,  and I've no  way of
knowing that the association would approve them.'

What answer did you give him?'

I stalled him a  bit - told him that I couldn't sign anything as binding as
that without discussing it with my attorney.'

Good boy! What did he say to that?'

Well, he  was really quite decent about it, and  honestly seemed to want to
be helpful. Said he thought I was wise and left me some stuff to look over.
Do you know anything about him? Is he a wizard himself?'

No, he's not. But I did find out some things about him. I knew vaguely that
he was something in  the Chamber of Commerce; what I didn't know is that he
is on the board of a dozen or more blue-ribbon corporations. He's a lawyer,
but not in practice. Seems to spend all his time on his business interests.

He sounds like a responsible man.'

I would  say so. He seems to have had  considerably less publicity than you
would  expect of  a man of  his business  importance - probably  a retiring
sort. I ran across something that seemed to confirm that.'

What was it?' I asked.

I looked  up the incorporation papers for his  association on file with the
Secretary of State. There  were just three names, his own and two others. I
found that  both of the others were employed in  his office - his secretary
and his receptionist.

Dummy setup?'

Undoubtedly. But  there is  nothing unusual about that.  What interested me
was this: I recognized one of the names.'

Huh?'

You  know, I'm  on the  auditing committee  for the  state committee  of my
party. I looked up the name of his secretary where I thought I had seen it.
It was  there all right. His secretary, a chap by  the name of Mathias, was
down for  a whopping  big contribution to the  governor's personal campaign
fund.'

We did not have  any more time to talk just then, as  the cab had pulled up
at  my place. Dr  Biddle was there  before us  and had already  started his
preparations.  He had  set  up a  little crystal  pavilion, about  ten feet
square, to  work in. The entire lot was blocked  off from spectators on the
front by an impalpable screen. Jedson warned me not to touch it.

I  must say  he  worked without  any of  the  usual hocus-pocus.  He simply
greeted us and entered  the pavilion, where he sat down on a chair and took
a loose-leaf  notebook from a pocket and commenced  to read. Jedson says he
used  several pieces  of paraphernalia too.  If so,  I didn't see  them. He
worked with his clothes on.

Nothing happened for a  few minutes. Gradually the walls of the shed became
cloudy, so that everything  inside was indistinct. It was about then that I
became aware that there  was something else in the pavilion besides Biddle.
I could not see  clearly what it was, and, to tell the truth, I didn't want
to.

We could  not hear anything that  was said on the  inside, but there was an
argument going on -  that was evident. Biddle stood up and began sawing the
air  with his hands.  The thing threw  back its  head and laughed.  At that
Biddle threw a worried  look in our direction and made a quick gesture with
his  right hand. The  walls of the  pavilion became  opaque at once  and we
didn't see any more.

About five minutes later  Biddle walked out of his workroom, which promptly
disappeared  behind him.  He  was a  sight -,  his  hair all  mussed, sweat
dripping from his face,  and his collar wrinkled and limp. Worse than that,
his aplomb was shaken.

Well?' said Jedson.

There is nothing to be done about it, Mr Jedson - nothing at all.'

Nothing you can do about it, eh?'

He stiffened a bit at this. Nothing anyone can do about it, gentlemen. Give
it up. Forget about it. That is my advice.'

Jedson said nothing, just looked at him speculatively. I kept quiet. Biddle
was  beginning  to regain  his  self-possession. He  straightened his  hat,
adjusted his necktie, and added, I must return to my office. The survey fee
will be five hundred dollars.

I was  stonkered speechless  at the barefaced  gall of the  man, but Jedson
acted as  if he hadn't understood him. No doubt  it would be,' he observed.
Too bad you didn't earn it. I'm sorry.

Biddle turned red, but preserved his urbanity. Apparently you misunderstand
me, sir. Under the agreement I have signed with Mr Ditworth, thaumaturgists
approved by  the association are not  permitted to offer free consultation.
It  lowers the  standards of  the profession.  The fee  I mentioned  is the
minimum fee  for a magician of  my classification, irrespective of services
rendered.'

I see,'  Jedson answered calmly; that's  what it costs to  step inside your
office.  But you  didn't  tell us  that, so  it  doesn't apply.  As  for Mr
Ditworth, an  agreement you  sign with him does  not bind us in  any way. I
advise you  to return  to your office  and reread our contract.  We owe you
nothing.'

I thought this time  that Biddle would lose his temper, but all he answered
was,  I shan't  bandy  words with  you. You  will hear  from me  later.' He
vanished then without so much as a by-your-leave.

I heard  a snicker behind me  and whirled around, ready  to bite somebody's
head  off. I  had had  an upsetting day  and didn't  like to be  laughed at
behind my  back. There  was a young chap  there, about my own  age. Who are
you, and what are you laughing at?' I snapped. This is private property.'

Sorry, bud,' he apologized with a disarming grin. I wasn't laughing at you;
I was laughing at the stuffed shirt. Your friend ticked him off properly.'

What are you doing here?' asked Jedson.

Me? I guess I owe you an explanation. You see, I'm in the business myself-'

Building?'

No - magic. Here's  my card.' He handed it to Jedson, who glanced at it and
passed it onto me. It read:

JACK BODIE

LICENSED MAGICIAN, 1ST CLASS

TELEPHONE CREST 3840

You see, I heard  a rumour in the Half World that one  of the big shots was
going to  do a hard one  here today. I just stopped in  to see the fun. But
how did you  happen to pick a false alarm like Biddle?  He's not up to this
sort of thing.'

Jedson  reached  over and  took  the card  back.  Where did  you take  your
training, Mr Bodie?'

Huh? I took my bachelor's degree at Harvard and finished up postgraduate at
Chicago. But that's not  important; my old man taught me everything I know,
but he insisted on my going to college because he said a magician can't get
a decent job these days without a degree. He was right.'
Do  you think  you could  handle this  job?' I  asked. Probably not,  but I
wouldn't have made the fool of myself that Biddle did. Look here - you want
to find somebody who can do this job?'
Naturally,' I said. What do you think we're here for?'
Well, you've gone about  it the wrong way. Biddle's got a reputation simply
because he's  studied at Heidelberg and Vienna.  That doesn't mean a thing.
I'll bet  it never  occurred to you to  look up an old-style  witch for the
job.'
Jedson answered this one. That's not quite true. I inquired around among my
friends in the business,  but didn't find anyone who was willing to take it
on. But I'm willing to learn; whom do you suggest?'
Do you  know Mrs Amanda Todd Jennings? Lives over in  the old part of town,
beyond the Congregational cemetery.'
Jennings ... Jennings. Hm-m-m  - no, can't say that I do. Wait a minute! Is
she the old girl  they call Granny Jennings? Wears Queen Mary hats and does
her own marketing?'
That's the one.'
But she's not a witch; she's a fortune-teller.'
That's what you think. She's not in regular commercial practice, it's true,
being ninety  years older than Santa  Claus, and feeble to  boot. But she's
got more  magic in her little  finger than you'll find  in Solomon's Book.'
Jedson looked at me. I nodded, and he said:
Do you think you could get her to attempt this case?'
Well, I think she might do it, if she liked you.'
What  arrangement do  you want?'  I asked.  Is ten per  cent satisfactory?'
He seemed  rather put out at  this. Hell,' he said,  I couldn't take a cut;
she's been good to me all my life.'
If  the tip is  good, it's worth  paying for.'  I insisted. Oh,  forget it.
Maybe  you boys  will have some  work in  my line someday.  That's enough.'
Pretty soon we were off again, without Bodie. He was tied up elsewhere, but
promised to let Mrs Jennings know that we were coming.

The place  wasn't too  hard to find. It  was on an old  street, arched over
with  elms, and  the house  was a  one-storey cottage,  set well  back. The
veranda had a lot of that old scroll-saw gingerbread. The yard was not very
well taken  care of, but there  was a lovely old  climbing rose arched over
the steps.

Jedson gave  a twist to  the hand bell set  in the door, and  we waited for
several minutes. I studied the coloured-glass tri- angles set in the door's
side panels and wondered if there was anyone left who could do that sort of
work.

Then she  let us in. She  really was something incredible.  She was so tiny
that I found myself  staring down at the crown of her head, and noting that
the  clean pink  scalp showed  plainly through  the scant, neat  threads of
hair. She couldn't have  weighed seventy pounds dressed for the street, but
stood proudly  erect in lavender alpaca  and white collar, and  sized us up
with  lively black  eyes  that would  have  fitted Catherine  the Great  or
Calamity Jane.

Good morning to you,' she said. Come in.'

She led  us through  a little hall,  between beaded portieres,  said, Scat,
Seraphin!' to  a cat on  a chair, and sat  us down in her  parlour. The cat
jumped down, walked away with an un- hurried dignity, then sat down, tucked
his tail neatly around his carefully placed feet, and stared at us with the
same calm appraisal as his mistress.

My boy Jack told me that you were coming,' she began. You are Mr Fraser and
you are Mr Jedson,' getting us sorted out correctly. It was not a question;
it was  a statement. You want your futures read,  I suppose. What method do
you prefer - your palms, the stars, the sticks?'

I was about to  correct her misapprehension when Jedson cut in ahead of me.
I think we'd best leave the method up to you, Mrs Jennings.'

All right,  we'll make it tea  leaves then. I'll put  the kettle on; twon't
take  a minute.' She  bustled out. We  could hear  her in the  kitchen, her
light footsteps clicking on  the linoleum, utensils scraping and clattering
in a busy, pleasant disharmony.

When she returned I said, I hope we aren't putting you out, Mrs Jennings.'

Not a  bit of it,' she  assured me. I like a cup of  tea in the morning; it
does a body comfort. I just had to set a love philter off the fire.- that's
what took me so long.'

I'm sorry-'

Twon't hurt it to wait.'

The Zekerboni formula?' Jedson inquired.

My  goodness gracious,  no!'  She was  plainly upset  by the  suggestion. I
wouldn't kill  all those harmless little  creatures. Hares and swallows and
doves -  the very  idea! I don't  know what Pierre Mora  was thinking about
when he set that recipe down. I'd like to box his cars!

No, I use Emula campana, orange, and ambergris. It's just as effective.'

Jedson then  asked if she had  ever tried the juice  of vervain. She looked
closely into his face before replying, You have the sight yourself, son. Am
I not right?'

A little, mother,' he answered soberly, a little, perhaps.'

It will  grow. Mind how you  use it. As for  vervain, it is efficacious, as
you know.'

Wouldn't it be simpler?'

Of  course it  would. But  if that  easy a  method became  generally known,
anyone and  everyone would be making it and using  it promiscuously - a bad
thing.  And witches  would  starve for  want of  clients  - perhaps  a good
thing!' She flicked up one white eyebrow. But if it is simplicity you want,
there is  no need to bother  even with vervain. Here-'  She reached out and
touched me  on the  hand. "Bestarberto  corrum pit viscera e)us  virilis. '
That is as near as I can reproduce her words. I may have misquoted it.

But I  had no  time to think  about the formula  she had  pronounced. I was
fully occupied  with the  startling thing that  had come over me.  I was in
love,  ecstatically, deliciously in  love -  with Granny Jennings!  I don't
mean that  she suddenly looked like a beautiful young  girl - she didn't. I
still  saw her as  a little, old,  shrivelled-up woman  with the face  of a
shrewd  monkey, and ancient  enough to  be my great-grandmother.  It didn't
matter. She was she - the Helen that all men desire, the object of romantic
adoration.

She smiled into my face with a smile that was warm and full of affectionate
understanding. Everything  was all  right, and I was  perfectly happy. Then
she said,  I would  not mock you, boy,'  in a gentle voice,  and touched my
hand a second time while whispering something else.

At once  it was all  gone. She was just  any nice old woman,  the sort that
would bake  a cake for a grandson or sit up  with a sick neighbour. Nothing
was changed, and the cat had not even blinked. The romantic fascination was
an emotionless memory. But I was poorer for the difference.

The  kettle was  boiling. She  trotted out  to attend  to it,  and returned
shortly with  a tray  of things, a plate  of seed cake, and  thin slices of
homemade bread spread with sweet butter.

When we had drunk  a cup apiece with proper ceremony, she took Jedson's cup
from him and examined  the dregs. Not much money there,' she announced, but
you shan't  need much; it's a fine full life.'  She touched the little pool
of tea with the  tip of her spoon and sent tiny ripples across it. Yes, you
have the sight, and  the need for understanding that should go with it, but
I  find you  in business  instead of  pursuing the  great art, or  even the
lesser arts. Why is that?'

Jedson shrugged  his shoulders  and answered half  apologetically, There is
work at hand that needs to be done. I do it.

She nodded.  That is well. There is understanding to  be gained in any job,
and you will  gain it. There is no hurry; time is  long. When your own work
comes  you will  know it and  be ready for  it. Let  me see your  cup,' she
finished, turning to me.

I handed  it to her. She  studied it for a moment  and said, Well, you have
not the  clear sight such as your friend has, but  you have the insight you
need for your proper  work. Any more would make you dissatisfied, for I see
money here. You will make much money, Archie Fraser.'

Do you see any immediate setback in my business?' I said quickly.

No. See  for yourself.' She motioned towards the  cup. I leaned forward and
stared at it. For  a matter of seconds it seemed as if I looked through the
surface of  the dregs into a  living scene beyond. I  recognized it readily
enough. It was my  own place of business, even to the scars on the driveway
gate- posts where clumsy truck drivers had clipped the corner too closely.

But there was a  new annex wing on the east side of the lot, and there were
two beautiful  new five-ton dump trucks  drawn up in the  yard with my name
painted on them!

While I  watched I  saw myself step out  of the office door  and go walking
down the  street. I was wearing  a new hat, but the suit  was the one I was
wearing in  Mrs Jennings's  parlour, and so  was the necktie -  a plaid one
from the tartan of my clan. I reached up and touched the original.

Mrs Jennings said, That will do for now,' and I found myself staring at the
bottom of  the teacup. You have seen,' she went  on, your business need not
worry you.  As for love and marriage and  children, sickness and health and
death  -  let  us look.'  She  touched  the surface  of  the  dregs with  a
fingertip; the  tea leaves  moved gently. She  regarded them closely  for a
moment. Her brow puckered;  she started to speak, apparently thought better
of it, and looked  again. Finally she said, I do not fully understand this.
It is not clear; my own shadow falls across it.

Perhaps I can see,' offered Jedson.

Keep your peace!' She  surprised me by speaking tartly, and placed her hand
over the cup. She  turned back to me with compassion in her eyes. It is not
clear. You have two possible futures. Let your head rule your heart, and do
not fret  your soul  with that which  cannot be. Then you  will marry, have
children, and be content.' With that she dismissed the matter, for she said
at once to both  of us, You did not come here for divination; you came here
for help of another sort.' Again it was a statement, not a question.

What sort of help, mother?' Jedson inquired.

For this.' She shoved my cup under his nose.

He looked  at it and answered, Yes, that is true.  Is there help?' I looked
into the cup, too, but saw nothing but tea leaves.

She  answered, I  think so. You  should not  have employed Biddle,  but the
mistake was  natural. Let us be going.'  Without further parley she fetched
her gloves  and purse and coat, perched a ridiculous old  hat on the top of
her  head, and  bustled us  out of  the house.  There was no  discussion of
terms; it didn't seem necessary.

When  we got  back  to the  lot her  workroom  was already  up. It  was not
anything  fancy like  Biddle's,  but simply  an  old, square  tent, like  a
gypsy's pitch,  with a  peaked top and  made in several  gaudy colours. She
pushed aside the shawl that closed the door and invited us inside.

It was  gloomy, but she took  a big candle, lighted it  and stuck it in the
middle of the floor.  By its light she inscribed five circles on the ground
.- first a large  one, then a somewhat smaller one in front of it. Then she
drew two  others, one on each  side of the first  and biggest circle. These
were each  big enough  for a man  to stand in,  and she  told us to  do so.
Finally she made  one more circle off to one side and  not more than a foot
across.

I've never  paid much attention to the  methods of magicians, feeling about
them  the way  Thomas Edison said  he felt  about mathematicians -  when he
wanted  one he could  hire one. but  Mrs Jennings  was different. I  wish I
could understand the things she did - and why.

I know  she drew a lot of cabalistic signs in  the dirt within the circles.
There were  pentacles of various shapes, and some  writing in what I judged
to be  Hebraic script, though Jedson  says not. In particular  there was, I
remember, a sign like a long flat Z, with a loop in it, woven in and out of
a Maltese  cross. Two more candles were lighted and  placed on each side of
this.

Then she jammed the dagger - arthame, Jedson called it - with which she had
scribed the  figures into the ground  at the top of  the big circle so hard
that it quivered. It continued to vibrate the whole time.

She placed a little  folding stool in the centre of the biggest circle, sat
down  on it,  drew  out a  small book,  and  commenced to  read aloud  in a
voiceless whisper. I could not catch the words, and presume I was not meant
to. This  went on for some  time. I glanced around  and saw that the little
circle off to one side was now occupied - by Seraphin, her cat. We had left
him shut  up in  her house. He  sat quietly, watching  everything that took
place with dignified interest.

Presently she  shut the book and threw a pinch of  powder into the flame of
the largest candle. It  flared up and threw out a great puff of smoke. I am
not quite sure what happened next, as the smoke smarted my eyes and made me
blink,  besides  which,  Jedson  says I  don't  understand  the purpose  of
fumigations at  all. But I prefer to believe my  eyes. Either that cloud of
smoke  solidified into  a body  or it  covered up  an entrance, one  or the
other.

Standing in the middle  of the circle in front of Mrs Jennings was a short,
powerful  man about  four  feet high  or  less. His  shoulders were  inches
broader than mine, and  his upper arms were thick as my thighs, knotted and
bowed with  muscle. He was dressed in a  breechcloth, buskins, and a little
hooded cap. His skin  was hairless, but rough and earthy in texture. It was
dull, lustreless.  Everything about him was  the same dull monotone, except
his eyes, which shone green with repressed fury.

Well!'  said Mrs Jennings  crisply, you've  been long enough  getting here!
What have you to say for yourself?'

He answered sullenly, like an incorrigible boy caught but not repentant, in
a  language  filled  with rasping  gutturals  and  sibilants. She  listened
awhile, then cut him off.

I don't  care who  told you to; you'll  account to me! I  require this harm
repaired - in less time than it takes to tell it!'

He  answered back  angrily, and she  dropped into  his language, so  that I
could no  longer follow the meaning. But it was  clear that I was concerned
in it;  he threw me several dirty looks, and finally  glared and spat in my
direction.

Mrs Jennings reached out  and cracked him across the mouth with the back of
her hand. He looked at her, killing in his eye, and said something.

So?' she answered,  put out a hand and grabbed him by  the nape of the neck
and  swung him  across  her lap,  face down.  She snatched  off a  shoe and
whacked him  soundly with  it. He let  out one yelp, then  kept silent, but
jerked every time she struck him.

When she  was through she stood  up, spilling him to  the ground. He picked
himself  up and  hurriedly  scrambled back  into his  own circle,  where he
stood, rubbing himself. Mrs Jennings's eyes snapped and her voice crackled;
there  was nothing  feeble  about her  now.  You gnomes  are getting  above
yourselves,' she  scolded. I never heard of such a  thing! One more slip on
your part  and I'll  fetch your people  to see you spanked!  Get along with
you.  Fetch your  people for your  task, and  summon your brother  and your
brother's  brother. By  the great  Tetragrammaton, get  hence to  the place
appointed for you!'

He was gone.

Our next  visitant came almost at  once. It appeared first  as a tiny spark
hanging in the air.  It grew into a living flame, a fireball, six inches or
more across. It floated above the centre of the second circle at the height
of  Mrs Jennings's  eyes.  It danced  and  whirled and  flamed, feeding  on
nothing. Although  I had never seen  one, I knew it  to be a salamander. It
couldn't be anything else.

Mrs Jennings watched it for a little time before speaking. I could see that
she was enjoying its dance, as I was. It was a perfect and beautiful thing,
with no fault  in it. There was life in it, a  singing joy, with no concern
for - with no  relation to - matters of right and wrong, or anything human.
Its harmonies of colour and curve were their own reason for being.

I  suppose I'm  pretty matter-of-fact.  At least  I've always lived  by the
principle of doing my job and letting other things take care of themselves.
But here was something  that was worth while in itself, no matter what harm
it did by my standards. Even the cat was purring.

Mrs Jennings  spoke to it in a clear, singing soprano  that had no words to
it. It answered back  in pure liquid notes while the colours of its nucleus
varied  to suit the  pitch. She turned  to me  and said, It  admits readily
enough that  it burned your place,  but it was invited to  do so and is not
capable of appreciating your  point of view. I dislike to compel it against
its own nature. Is there any boon you can offer it?'

I thought for a  moment. Tell it that it makes me happy to watch it dance.'
She sang  again to it. It spun and leaped,  its flame tendrils whirling and
floating in intricate, delightful patterns.

That was good, but not sufficient. Can you think of anything else?'

I thought  hard. Tell it that  if it likes, I will  build a fireplace in my
house where it will be welcome to live whenever it wishes.'

She nodded approvingly and spoke to it again. I could almost understand its
answer, but Mrs Jennings translated. It likes you. Will you let it approach
you?'

Can it hurt me?'

Not here.'

All right then.'

She  drew a  T  between our  two circles.  It  followed closely  behind the
arthame,  like a  cat  at an  opening door.  Then it  swirled about  me and
touched  me lightly  on  my hands  and face.  Its touch  did not  burn, but
tingled, rather,  as if I  felt its vibrations directly  instead of sensing
them as heat. It  flowed over my face. I was plunged into a world of light,
like the  heart of the aurora  borealis. I was afraid  to breathe at first,
but finally had to. No harm came to me, though the tingling was increased.

It's an  odd thing, but I  have not had a  single cold since the salamander
touched me. I used to sniffle all winter.

Enough, enough,'  I heard Mrs Jennings saying.  The cloud of flame withdrew
from me  and returned  to its circle.  The musical discussion  resumed, and
they  reached an  agreement almost  at once,  for Mrs Jennings  nodded with
satisfaction and said:

Away with you then, fire child, and return when you are needed. Get hence-'
She repeated the formula she had used on the gnome king.

The undine  did not show up  at once. Mrs Jennings  took out her book again
and  read from  it in  a monotonous whisper.  I was  beginning to be  a bit
sleepy  - the  tent was  stuffy - when  the cat  commenced to spit.  It was
glaring at the centre circle, claws out, back arched, and tail made big.

There was  a shapeless something in  that circle, a thing  that dripped and
spread its slimy moisture  to the limit of the magic ring. It stank of fish
and kelp and iodine, and shone with a wet phosphorescence.

You're late,' said Mrs Jennings. You got my message; why did you wait until
I compelled you?'

It heaved with a sticky, sucking sound, but made no answer.

Very well,' she said firmly, I shan't argue with you. You know what I want.
You will do it!'  She stood up and grasped the big centre candle. Its flame
flared up into a  torch a yard high, and hot. She thrust it past her circle
at the undine.

There was  a hiss, as when  water strikes hot iron,  and a burbling scream.
She jabbed  at it again and  again. At last she  stopped and stared down at
it, where  it lay,  quivering and drawing  into itself. That  will do,' she
said. Next time you  will heed your mistress. Get hence!' It seemed to sink
into the ground, leaving the dust dry behind it.

When it was gone  she motioned for us to enter her circle, breaking our own
with  the dagger  to  permit us.  Seraphin jumped  lightly from  his little
circle to  the big one and  rubbed against her ankles,  buzzing loudly. She
repeated a  meaningless series  of syllables and clapped  her hands smartly
together.

There  was  a rushing  and  roaring. The  sides  of the  tent billowed  and
cracked.  I heard  the chuckle  of water  and the  crackle of  flames, and,
through that,  the bustle  of hurrying footsteps.  She looked from  side to
side, and wherever her gaze fell the wall of the tent became transparent. I
got hurried glimpses of unintelligible confusion.

Then it  all ceased with a suddenness that  was startling. The silence rang
in our  ears. The  tent was gone; we  stood in the loading  yard outside my
main warehouse.

It was  there! It  was back - back  unharmed, without a trace  of damage by
fire or water. I  broke away and ran out the main gate to where my business
office had  faced on the street.  It was there, just as  it used to be, the
show windows shining in  the sun, the Rotary Club emblem in one corner, and
up on the roof my big two-way sign:

ARCHIBALD FRASER

BUILDING MATERIALS & GENERAL CONTRACTING

Jedson  strolled out  presently and  touched me  on the  arm. What  are you
bawling about, Archie?'

I stared at him. I wasn't aware that I had been.

We were doing business as usual on Monday morning. I thought everything was
back  to normal  and that  my troubles  were over.  I was  too hasty  in my
optimism.

It was  nothing you could put  your finger on at  first - just the ordinary
vicissitudes of  business, the little troubles that turn  up in any line of
work  and  slow up  production.  You expect  them  and charge  them off  to
overhead. No  one of them would  be worth mentioning alone,  except for one
thing: they were happening too frequently.

You  see, in  any  business run  under a  consistent management  policy the
losses due to unforeseen  events should average out in the course of a year
to  about the same  percentage of total  cost. You  allow for that  in your
estimates.  But  I  started  having  so  many small  accidents  and  little
difficulties that my margin of profit was eaten up.

One  morning two  of  my trucks  would not  start.  We could  not  find the
trouble; I  had to  put them in  the shop and  rent a truck for  the day to
supplement my  one remaining truck. We  got our deliveries made,  but I was
out the  truck rent, the repair bill, and  four hours' overtime for drivers
at time and a half. I had a net loss for the day.

The very next day I was just closing a deal with a man I had been trying to
land for  a couple of years. The deal was not  important, but it would lead
to a  lot more business in  the future, for he owned  quite a bit of income
property -  some courts and  an apartment house or  two, several commercial
corners, and  held title or options on well-located  lots all over town. He
always had repair jobs to place and very frequently new building jobs. If I
satisfied him, he would  be a steady customer with prompt payment, the kind
you can afford to deal with on a small margin of profit.

We  were standing  in  the showroom  just outside  my office,  and talking,
having about  reached an agreement.  There was a display  of Sunprufe paint
about three feet from  us, the cans stacked in a neat pyramid. I swear that
neither one  of us touched it, but it came crashing  to the floor, making a
din that would sour milk.

That was nuisance enough,  but not the pay-off. The cover flew off one can,
and my  prospect was drenched with red paint. He let  out a yelp; I thought
he was  going to faint. I  managed to get him back  into my office, where I
dabbed futilely at his  suit with my handkerchief, while trying to calm him
down.

He was in a  state, both mentally and physically. Fraser,' he raged, you've
got to fire the clerk that knocked over those cans! Look at me! Eighty-five
dollars' worth of suit ruined!'

Let's not  be hasty,' I said soothingly, while holding  my own temper in. I
won't discharge a  man to suit a customer, and don't like  to be told to do
so. There wasn't anyone near those cans but ourselves.'

I suppose you think I did it?'

Not at all. I know you didn't.' I straightened up, wiped my hands, and went
over to my desk and got out my chequebook.

Then you must have done it!'

I don't think so,' I answered patiently. How much did you say your suit was
worth?'

Why?'

I want to write you a cheque for the amount.' I was quite willing to; I did
not feel to blame, but it had happened through no fault of his in my shop.

You can't  get out of it  as easily as that!'  he answered unreasonably. It
isn't  the cost  of the suit  I mind-' He  jammed his  hat on his  head and
stumped out. I knew his reputation; I'd seen the last of him.

That is the sort  of thing I mean. Of course it could have been an accident
caused  by  clumsy  stacking  of  the  cans.  But  it  might have  been  a
Poltergeist. Accidents don't make themselves.

Ditworth came to see  me a day or so later about Biddle's phony bill. I had
been  subjected  night  and  morning to  this  continuous  stream of  petty
annoyances,  and  my temper  was  wearing thin.  Just  that day  a gang  of
coloured  bricklayers  had quit  one  of  my jobs  because  some moron  had
scrawled some  chalk marks on some of the  bricks. Voodoo marks,' they said
they were, and woi.∞ld not touch a brick. I was in no mood to be held up by
Mr Ditworth; I guess I was pretty short with him.

Good day  to you, Mr Fraser,' he said quite pleasantly,  can you spare me a
few minutes?'

Ten minutes, perhaps,' I conceded, glancing at my wristwatch.

He settled  his briefcase against the  legs of his chair  and took out some
papers. I'll  come to the point at once then.  It's about Dr Biddle's claim
against you. You and  I are both fair men; I feel sure  that we can come to
some equitable agreement.'

Biddle has no claim against me.'

He  nodded. I know  just how you  feel. Certainly  there is nothing  in the
written  contract obligating  you  to pay  him.  But there  can be  implied
contracts just as binding as written contracts.'

I don't follow you. All my business is done in writing'

Certainly,'  he  agreed;  that's  because you  are  a  businessman. In  the
professions  the situation  is somewhat  different. If  you go to  a dental
surgeon and ask him to pull an aching tooth, and he does, you are obligated
to pay his fee, even though a fee has never been mentioned-'

That's true,' I interrupted,  but there is no parallel. Biddle didn't "pull
the tooth .'

In  a way he  did:' Ditworth persisted.  The claim  against you is  for the
survey, which was a service rendered you before this contract was written.

But no mention was made of a. service fee.'

That  is where  the implied  obligation comes  in, Mr  Fraser; you  told Dr
Biddle that  you had talked with me. He assumed  quite correctly that I had
previously  explained  to  you  the  standard  system  of  fees  under  the
association-'

But I did not join the association!'

I  know, I  know. And  I explained  that to  the other directors,  but they
insist that  some sort of an  adjustment must be made.  I don't feel myself
that you  are fully  to blame: but  you will understand our  position, I am
sure. We  are unable to accept you for  membership in the association until
this matter is adjusted - in fairness to Dr Biddle.'

What makes you think I intend to join the association?'

He looked  hurt. I had not  expectcd you to take  that attitude, Mr Fraser.
The association  needs men of your  calibre. But in your  own interest, you
will  necessarily join,  for  presently it  will be  very difficult  to get
efficient thaumaturgy  except from  members of the association.  We want to
help you. Please don't make it difficult for us.'

I stood  up. I am afraid  you had better sue me and  let a court decide the
matter, Mr Ditworth. That seems to be the only satisfactory solution.'

I am  sorry,' he  said, shaking his  head. It will  prejudice your position
when you come up for membership.'

Then it will just have to do so,' I said shortly, and showed him out.

After he  had gone I crabbed  at my office girl  for doing something I told
her to do the day before, and then had to apologize. I walked up and down a
bit, stewing, although there was plenty of work I should have been doing. I
was  nervous; things  had begun  to get  my goat  - a  dozen things  that I
haven't mentioned - and  this last unreasonable demand from Ditworth seemed
to  be the  last touch  needed to  upset me  completely. Not that  he could
collect by suing me  - that was preposterous - but it was an annoyance just
the same. They say  the Chinese have a torture that consists in letting one
drop of water fall on the victim every few minutes. That's the way I felt.

Finally I called up Jedson and asked him to go to lunch with me.

I felt better after lunch. Jedson soothed me down, as he always does, and I
was able  to forget and  put in the past  most of the things  that had been
annoying  me simply  by telling  him about them.  By the  time I had  had a
second cup  of coffee  and smoked a  cigarette I was almost  fit for polite
society.

We strolled back towards  my shop, discussing his problems for a change. It
seems  the blonde  girl,  the white  witch  from Jersey  City, had  finally
managed to make her synthesis stunt work on footgear. But there was still a
hitch;  she had turned  out over eight  hundred left  shoes - and  no right
ones.

We were  just speculating as to  the probable causes of  such a contretemps
when Jedson said, Look, Archie. The candidcamera fans are beginning to take
an interest in you.'

I looked.  There was  a chap standing  at the kerb directly  across from my
place of  business and focusing a camera on the  shop. Then I looked again.
Joe,' I  snapped, that's the bird I told you about,  the one that came into
my shop and started the trouble!'

Are you sure?' he asked, lowering his voice.

Positive.' There  was no doubt about it; he was  only a short distance away
on the same side  of the street that we were. It was the same racketeer who
had tried  to blackmail me into  buying protection', the same Mediterranean
look to him, the same flashy clothes.

We've got to grab him,' whispered Jedson.

But I had  already thought of that. I rushed at him  and had grabbed him by
his  coat  collar and  the  slack  of his  pants  before he  knew what  was
happening, and pushed him across the street ahead of me. We were nearly run
down, but I was so mad I didn't care. Jedson came pounding after us.

The yard  door of  my office was  opcn. I gave  the mug a  final heave that
lifted him  over the threshold and sent him  sprawling on the floor, Jedson
was right behind; I bolted the door as soon as we were both inside.

Jedson  strode  over to  my  desk,  snatched open  the  middle drawer,  and
rummaged hurriedly  through the  stuff that accumulates in  such places. He
found what he wanted, a carpenter's blue pencil, and was back alongside our
gangster before  he had  collected himself sufficiently to  scramble to his
feet. Jedson  drew a circle around  him on the floor,  almost tripping over
his  own  feet in  his  haste,  and closed  the  circle  with an  intricate
flourish.

Our unwilling guest screeched  when he saw what Joe was doing, and tried to
throw himself out of the circle before it could be finished. But Jedson had
been too  fast for him - the circle was closed  and sealed; he bounced back
from the  boundary as if he had struck a glass  wall, and stumbled again to
his knees.  He remained so for the time, and  cursed steadily in a language
that I  judged to be Italian, although. I think there  were bad words in it
from several other languages - certainly some English ones.

He was quite fluent.

Jedson pulled  out a  cigarette, lighted it,  and handed me  one. Let's sit
down, Archie,'  he said, and  rest ourselves until our  boy friend composes
himself enough to talk business.'

I did  so, and we smoked  for several minutes while  the flood of invective
continued. Presently Jedson cocked one eyebrow at the chap and said, Aren't
you beginning to repeat yourself?'

That checked him. He  just sat and glared. Well,' Jedson continued, haven't
you anything to say for yourself?'

He growled under his breath and said, I want to call my lawyer.'

Jedson  looked amused. You  don't understand  the situation,' he  told him.
You're not under arrest,  and we don't give a damn about your legal rights.
We might just conjure up a hole and drop you in it, then let it relax.' The
guy paled a little  under his swarthy skin. Oh yes,' Jedson went on, we are
quite capable of doing that - or worse. You see, we don't like you.

Of  course,' he  added meditatively,  we might  just turn  you over  to the
police. I get a  soft streak now and then.' The chap looked sour. You don't
like that either? Your  fingerprints, maybe?' Jedson jumped to his feet and
in two  quick strides was standing  over him, just outside  the circle. All
right then,'  he rapped,  answer up and  make em good! Why  were you taking
photographs?'

The  chap muttered something,  his eyes  lowered. Jedson brushed  it aside.
Don't give me that stuff - we aren't children! Who told you to do it?'

He looked utterly panic-stricken at that and shut up completely.

Very well,' said Jedson,  and turned to me. Have you some wax, or modelling
clay, or anything of the sort?'

How would putty do?' I suggested.

Just the  thing.' I slid out  to the shed where  we stow glaziers' supplies
and came  back with a five-pound  can. Jedson prised it  open and dug out a
good big  handful, then sat at  my desk and worked  the linseed oil into it
until  it was  soft  and workable.  Our  prisoner watched  him with  silent
apprehension.

There!  That's about right,'  jedson announced  at length, and  slapped the
soft  lump down  on my  blotter pad.  He commenced  to fashion it  with his
fingers, and  it took shape slowly as a little  doll about ten inches high.
It did  not look like much  of anything or anybody -  Jedson is no artist -
but Jedson  kept glancing  from the figurine  to the man in  the circle and
back again, like a sculptor making a clay sketch directly from a model. You
could see the chap's nervous terror increase by the minute.

Now!' said  Jedson, looking once more  from the putty figure  to his model.
It's just as ugly as you are. Why did you take that picture?'

He did  not answer, but slunk farther back in  the circle, his face nastier
than ever.

Talk!' snorted  Jedson, and twisted a foot of the  doll between a thumb and
forefinger. The  corresponding foot  of our prisoner jerked  out from under
him  and twisted violently.  He fell heavily  to the  floor with a  yelp of
pain.

You were  going to  cast a spell on  this place, weren't you?'  He made his
first coherent  answer. No, no, mister!  Not me!' Not you?  I see. You were
just the errand boy. Who was to do the magic?'

I don't  know- Ow!  Oh, God!' He  grabbed at his  left calf  and nursed it.
Jedson had  jabbed a  pen point into  the leg of  the doll. I really  don't
know. Please, please!'

Maybe you don't,' jedson  grudged, but at least you know who gives you your
orders, and who some of the other members of your gang are. Start talking.'

He rocked back and forth and covered his face with his hands. I don't dare,
mister,' he  groaned. Please don't try to make  me-' Jedson jabbed the doll
with  the pen  again;  he jumped  and flinched,  but this  time he  bore it
silently with a look of grey determination.

OK,' said Jedson, if  you insist-' He took another drag from his cigarette,
then brought  the lighted end slowly towards the face  of the doll. The man
in the  circle tried  to shrink away from  it, his hands up  to protect his
face, but  his efforts were futile. I could actually  see the skin turn red
and angry and the blisters blossom under his hide. It made me sick to watch
it, and,  while I  didn't feel any real  sympathy for the rat,  I turned to
Jedson and  was about  to ask him to  stop when he took  the cigarette away
from the doll's face.

Ready to  talk?' he  asked. The man  nodded feebly, tears  pouring down his
scorched cheeks.  He seemed about to collapse.  Here - don't faint,' Jedson
added, and slapped the face of the doll with a finger tip. I could hear the
smack land, and the chap's head rocked to the blow, but he seemed to take a
brace from it.

All right,  Archie, you take it down.' He turned  back. And you, my friend,
talk - and talk  lots. Tell us everything you know. If you find your memory
failing  you, stop  to think  how you  would like  my cigarette  poked into
dolly's eyes!'

And  he did talk  - babbled, in  fact. His  spirit seemed to  be completely
broken, and  he even seemed anxious to  talk, stopping only occasionally to
sniffle, or  wipe at  his eyes. Jedson  questioned him to  bring out points
that were not clear.

There were  five others in the  gang that he knew  about, and the setup was
roughly as we had  guessed. It was their object to levy tribute on everyone
connected with  magic in  this end of  town, magicians and  their customers
alike. No, they did not have any real protection to offer except from their
own mischief. Who was his boss? He told us. Was his boss the top man in the
racket? No, but he did not know who the top man was. He was quite sure that
his  boss worked  for someone  else, but he  did not  know who. Even  if we
burned him again  he could not tell us. But it was  a big organization - he
was sure  of that. He himself  had been brought from a  city in the East to
help organize here.

Was he a magician?  So help him, no! Was his section boss  one? No - he was
sure; all  that sort of thing  was handled from higher  up. That was all he
knew, and could he  go now? Jedson pressed him to remember other things; he
added a number of  details, most of them insignificant, but I took them all
down. The last thing he said was that he thought both of us had been marked
down for special attention because we had been successful in overcoming our
first lesson'.

Finally Jedson  let up on him.  I'm going to let you  go now,' he told him.
You'd better  get out of town.  Don't let me see  you hanging around again.
But don't go too  far; I may want you again. See this?' He held up the doll
and  squeezed  it gently  around  the  middle. The  poor devil  immediately
commenced to  gasp for  breath as if  he were being compressed  in a strait
jacket. Don't forget  that I've got you any time I want  you.' He let up on
the pressure, and his victim panted his relief. I'm going to put your alter
ego - doll to  you! - where it will be safe, behind  cold iron. When I want
you, you'll  feel a  pain like that'  - he nipped the  doll's left shoulder
with his  fingernails; the  man yelped -  then you telephone  me, no matter
where you are.'

Jedson  pulled a  penknife from his  vest pocket  and cut the  circle three
times, then joined the cuts. Now get Out!'

I thought  he would  bolt as soon  as he was  released, but he  did not. He
stepped  hesitantly over  the pencil  mark, stood  still for a  moment, and
shivered. Then he stumbled  towards the door. He turned just before he went
through it and looked back at us, his eyes wide with fear. There was a look
of appeal in them,  too, and he seemed about to speak. Evidently he thought
better of it, for he turned and went on out.

When he was gone I looked back at Jedson. He had picked up my notes and was
glancing through them. I  don't know,' he mused, whether it would be better
to turn this stuff  at once over to the Better Business Bureau and let them
handle it, or whether to have a go at it ourselves. It's a temptation.'

I  was not interested  just then. Joe,'  I said,  I wish you  hadn't burned
him!'

Eh? How's  that?' He  seemed surprised and  stopped scratchin' his  chin. I
didn't burn him.'

Don't quibble,' I said, somewhat provoked. You burned him through the doll,
I mean with magic.'

But I  didn't, Archie.  Really I didn't.  He did that  to himself  - and it
wasn't magic. I didn't do a thing!'

What the hell do you mean?'

Sympathetic  magic  isn't  really  magic  at  all,  Archie.  It's  just  an
application of neuropsychology and  colloidal chemistry. He did all that to
himself,  because  he  believed  in  it.  I  simply  correctly  judged  his
mentality.'

The  discussion  was  cut  short;  we  heard an  agony-loaded  scream  from
somewhere outside  the building.  It broke off  sharply, right at  the top.
What was that?' I said, and gulped.

I don't  know,' Jedson answered, and stepped to the  door. He looked up and
down  before  continuing. It  must  be  some distance  away.  I didn't  see
anything.' He came  back into the room. As I was saying,  it would be a lot
of fun to-'

This time  it was a  police siren. We heard  it from far away,  but it came
rapidly nearer,  turned a corner, and yowled down  our street. We looked at
each other.  Maybe we'd better go see,' we  both said, right together, then
laughed nervously.

It  was our  gangster  acquaintance. We  found him  half  a block  down the
street,  in the  middle of a  little group  of curious passers-by  who were
being crowded back by cops from the squad car at the kerb.

He was quite dead.

He lay  on his back, but  there was no repose in  the position. He had been
raked  from forehead  to  waist, laid  open to  the  bone in  three roughly
parallel scratches, as if  slashed by the talons of a hawk or an eagle. But
the  bird that  made those  wounds must  have been  the size of  a five-ton
truck.

There was  nothing to  tell from his  expression. His face  and throat were
covered  by, and  his mouth  choked with,  a yellowish substance  shot with
purple. It was about the consistency of thin cottage cheese, but it had the
most sickening smell I have ever run up against.

I turned  to Jedson, who was  not looking any too  happy himself, and said,
Let's get back to the office.'

We did.

We decided at last to do a little investigating on our own before taking up
what we had learned  with the Better Business Bureau or with the police. It
was just as well  that we did; none of the gang whose names we had obtained
was any  longer to  be found in the  haunts which we had  listed. There was
plenty of evidence that such persons had existed and that they had lived at
the addresses  which Jedson had sweated out of their  pal. But all of them,
without exception,  had done  a bunk for  parts unknown the  same afternoon
that their accomplice had been killed.

We did  not go to the  police, for we had no wish  to be associated with an
especially unsavoury  sudden death. Instead, Jedson  made a cautious verbal
report to  a friend of his at the Better Business  Bureau, who passed it on
secondhand to the head  of the racket squad and elsewhere, as his judgement
indicated.

I did not have any trouble with my business for some time thereafter, and I
was working very hard,  trying to show a profit for the quarter in spite of
setbacks. I  had put  the whole matter  fairly well out of  my mind, except
that I  dropped over  to call on  Mrs Jennings occasionally and  that I had
used  her young  friend Jack  Bodie once  or twice  in my business,  when I
needed commercial  magic. He  was a good  workman - no  monkey business and
value received.

I was beginning to think I had the world on a leash when I ran into another
series  of accidents.  This time  they did  not threaten my  business; they
threatened me - and I'm just as fond of my neck as the next man.

In the house where  I live the water heater is installed in the kitchen. It
is a  storage type,  with a pilot  light and a  thermostatically controlled
main flame. Right alongside it is a range with a pilot light.

I woke up in  the middle of the night and decided that  I wanted a drink of
water. When  I stepped into the  kitchen - don't ask me  why I did not look
for a drink in  the bathroom, because I don't know - I was almost gagged by
the smell  of gas. I ran  over and threw the  window wide open, then ducked
back out the door and ran into the living room, where I opened a big window
to create a cross draught.

At  that point there  was a  dull whoosh  and a  boom,  and I  found myself
sitting on the living room rug.

I was  not hurt, and  there was no damage  in the kitchen except  for a few
broken dishes.  Opening the  windows had released  the explosion, cushioned
the effect. Natural gas is not an explosive unless it is confined. What had
happened was clear enough  when I looked over the scene. The pilot light on
the heater had gone  out; when the water in the tank cooled, the thermostat
turned on the main gas jet, which continued inde- finitely to pour gas into
the room.  When an  explosive mixture was  reached, the pilot  light of the
stove was waiting, ready to set it off.

Apparently I wandered in at the zero hour.

I fussed  at my landlord about it, and finally we  made a dicker whereby he
installed one of the  electrical water heaters which I supplied at cost and
for which I donated the labour.

No magic about the whole incident, eh? That is what I thought. Now I am not
so sure.

The next  thing that threw a scare into me occurred  the same week, with no
apparent connexion.  I keep a dry  mix - sand, rock,  gravel - in the usual
big bins  set up high on concrete stanchions, so  that the trucks can drive
under the hoppers for loading. One evening after closing time I was walking
past the  bins when I noticed  that someone had left  a scoop shovel in the
driveway pit under the hoppers.

I have had trouble with my men leaving tools out at night; I decided to put
this one in my car and confront someone with it in the morning. I was about
to jump down into the pit when I heard my name called.

Archibald!' it said -  and it sounded remarkably like Mrs Jennings's voice.
Naturally I looked around. There was no one there. I turned back to the pit
in time to hear  a cracking sound and to see that scoop covered with twenty
tons of medium gravel.

A man  can live  through being buried  alive, but not  when he  has to wait
overnight  for someone  to miss  him and  dig him out.  Acrystallized steel
forging was the prima-facie cause of the mishap. I suppose that will do.

There was never anything  to point to but natural causes, yet for about two
weeks I stepped on banana peels both figuratively and literally. I saved my
skin with  a spot of fast footwork at least a  dozen times. I finally broke
down and told

Mrs Jennings about it.

Don't worry  too much  about it, Archie,'  she reassured me. It  is not too
easy to kill a  man with magic unless he himself is involved with magic and
sensitive to it.'

Might as well kill a man as scare him to death!' I protested.

She smiled  that incredible smile of hers and said,  I don't think you have
been really frightened, lad. At least you have not shown it.'

I caught  an implication in that remark and taxed  her with it. You've been
watching me and pulling me out of jams, haven't you?'

She smiled more broadly  and replied, That's my business, Archie. It is not
well for the young to depend on the old for help. Now get along with you. I
want to give this matter more thought.'

A  couple of  days' later  a note  came in  the mail  addressed to me  in a
spidery, Spencerian script. The penmanship had the dignified flavour of the
last century, and was  the least bit shaky, as if the writer were unwell or
very  elderly. I had  never seen the  hand before,  but guessed who  it was
before I opened it. It read:

My  dear Archibald:   This is  to introduce  my  esteemed friend,  Dr Royce
Worthington.  You  will  find  him staying  at  the  Belmont  Hotel; he  is
expecting to hear from  you. Dr Worthington is exceptionally well qualified
to deal with the matters that have been troubling you these few weeks past.
You may repose every  confidence in his judgement, especially where unusual
measures are required.

Please  to include  your friend,  Mr Jedson,  in this introduction,  if you
wish.

I am, sir,

                    Very sincerely yours,

                    Amanda Todd Jennings

I rang up Joe  Jedson and read the letter to him. He  said that he would be
over at once, and for me to telephone Worthington.

Is Dr  Worthington there?'  I asked as  soon as the  room clerk  had put me
through.

Speaking,' answered a cultured British voice with a hint of Oxford in it.

This  is  Archibald  Fraser,  Doctor.  Mrs  Jennings  has  written  to  me,
suggesting that I look you up.'

Oh, yes!' he replied, his voice warming considerably. I shall be delighted.
When will be a convenient time?'

If you are free, I could come right over.'

Let  me see-'  He  paused about  long enough  to  consult a  watch.  I have
occasion to  go to your  side of the city.  Might I stop by  your office in
thirty minutes, or a little later?'

That will be fine, Doctor, if it does not discommode you-'

Not at all. I will be there.'

Jedson arrived a little  later and asked me at once about Dr Worthington. I
haven't seen him yet,' I said, but he sounds like something pretty swank in
the way of an English-university don. He'll be here shortly.'

My office girl brought in his card a half hour later. I got up to greet him
and  saw a tall,  heavy-set man with  a face  of great dignity  and evident
intelligence. He  was dressed in rather  conservative, expensively tailored
clothes and carried gloves,  stick, and a large briefcase. But he was black
as draftsman's ink!

I tried not to  show surprise. I hope I did not, for I have an utter horror
of showing  that kind of rudeness.  There was no reason  why the man should
not be a Negro. I simply had not been expecting it.

Jedson helped me out. I don't believe he would show surprise if a fried egg
winked at him. He took over the conversadon for the first couple of minutes
after I introduced him;  we all found chairs, settled down, and spent a few
minutes in the polite, meaningless exchanges that people make when they are
sizing up strangers.

Worthington  opened  the  matter.  Mrs Jennings  gave  me  to believe,'  he
observed,  that there  was some  fashion in  which I  might possibly  be of
assistance to one, or both, of you-'

I told  him that there certainly  was, and sketched out  the background for
him from the time  the racketeer contact man first showed up at my shop. He
asked a  few questions, and Jedson  helped me out with  some details. I got
the impression that Mrs  Jennings had already told him most of it, and that
he was simply checking.

Very well,' he said at last, his voice a deep, mellow rumble that seemed to
echo in his big  chest before it reached the air, I am reasonably sure that
we will find a  way to cope with your problems, but first I must make a few
examinations  before we  can complete  the diagnosis.'  He leaned  over and
commenced to unstrap his briefcase.

Uh .  . . Doctor,' I suggested, hadn't  we better complete our arrangements
before you start to work?'

Arrangements?' He looked momentarily  puzzled, then smiled broadly. Oh, you
mean  payment. My  dear  sir, it  is a  privilege  to do  a favour  for Mrs
Jennings.'

But .  . . but .  . . see here, Doctor, I'd feel  better about it. I assure
you I am quite in the habit of paying for magic-'

He held up a hand. It is not possible, my young friend, for two reasons: In
the first place, I am not licensed to practise in your state. In the second
place, I am not a magician.'

I suppose I looked  as inane as I sounded. Huh? What's that? Oh! Excuse me,
Doctor. I  guess I just naturally assumed that  since Mrs Jennings had sent
you, and your title, and all-'

He  continued to  smile, but it  was a  smile of understanding  rather than
amusement at  my discomfiture.  That is not  surprising; even some  of your
fellow citizens of my blood make that mistake. No, my degree is an honorary
doctor of laws of  Cambridge University. My proper pursuit is anthropology,
which I sometimes teach at the University of South Africa. But anthropology
has some odd bypaths; I am here to exercise one of them.'

Well, then, may I ask-'

Certainly,   sir.  My   avocation,   freely  translated   from  its   quite
unpronounceable proper name, is "witch smeller .'

I was still puzzled. But doesn't that involve magic?'

Yes and no. In Africa the hierarchy and the categories in these matters are
not the  same as in this continent. I am not  considered a wizard, or witch
doctor, but rather an antidote for such.'

Something  had been  worrying Jedson.  Doctor,' he  inquired, you  were not
originally from South Africa?'

Worthington  gestured towards  his  own face.  I suppose  that  Jedson read
something there that was  beyond my knowledge. As you have discerned. No, I
was born in a bush tribe south of the Lower Congo.'

From there, eh? That's interesting. By any chance, are you nganga?'

Of  the  Ndembo,  but  not  by  chance.'  He  turned to  me  and  explained
courteously. Your friend asked me if I was a member of an occult fraternity
which extends  throughout Africa, but which has the  bulk of its members in
my native territory. Initiates are called nganga.'

Jedson  persisted in  his  interest. It  seems likely  to me,  Doctor, that
Worthington is a name of convenience - that you have another name.'

You are again right - naturally. My tribal name - do you wish to know it?'

If you will.'

It is' - I cannot reproduce the odd clicking, lip-smacking noise he uttered
- or  it is just as  proper to state it in English,  as the meaning is what
counts  -  Man-Who-Asks-Inconvenient-  Questions.  Prosecuting attorney  is
another  reasonably  idiomatic,  though  not  quite  literal,  translation,
because of  the tribal functions implied. But it seems  to me,' he went on,
with a smile of unmalicious humour, that the name fits you even better than
it does me. May I give it to you?'

Here occurred something that I did not understand, except that it must have
its  basis in  some  African custom  completely  foreign to  our habits  of
thought. I  was prepared to laugh at the doctor's  witticism, and I am sure
he meant it to be funny, but Jedson answered him quite seriously:

I am deeply honoured to accept.'

It is you who honour me, brother.'

From  then  on,  throughout   our  association  with  him,  Dr  Worthington
invariably addressed Jedson by  the African name he had formerly claimed as
his own,  and Jedson  called him brother'  or Royce'. Their  whole attitude
towards each other underwent  a change, as if the offer and acceptance of a
name  had  in fact  made  them brothers,  with  all of  the privileges  and
obligations of the relationship.

I have  not left you without  a name,' Jedson added.  You had a third name,
your real name?'

Yes,  of  course,'  Worthington  acknowledged, a  name  which  we need  not
mention.'

Naturally,' Jedson agreed, a name which must not be mentioned. Shall we get
to work, then?'

Yes, let us do  so.' He turned to me. Have you some  place here where I may
make my preparations? It need not be large-'

Will this  do?' I offered, getting up and opening the  door of a cloak- and
washroom which adjoins my office.

Nicely, thank  you,' he  said, and took  himself and his  briefcase inside,
closing the door after him. He was gone ten minutes at least.

Jedson did  not seem disposed to talk, except to  suggest that I caution my
girl not  to disturb us or  let anyone enter from  the outer office. We sat
and waited.

Then he came out  of the cloakroom, and I got my second big surprise of the
day.  The urbane  Dr  Worthington was  gone. In  his  place was  an African
personage who  stood over six feet  tall in his bare  black feet, and whose
enormous, arched  chest was overlaid with  thick, sleek muscles of polished
obsidian. He  was dressed  in a loin  skin of leopard,  and carried certain
accoutrements, notably a pouch, which hung at his waist.

But  it was  not his  equipment that  held me,  nor yet the  John Henrylike
proportions of that warrior  frame, but the face. The eyebrows were painted
white and  the hairline had been outlined in the  same colour, but I hardly
noticed  these  things. It  was  the expression  - humourless,  implacable,
filled with  a dignity and strength  which must be felt  to be appreciated.
The eyes gave a conviction of wisdom beyond my comprehension, and there was
no pity in them - only a stem justice that I myself would not care to face.

We white men in  this country are inclined to underestimate the black man -
I know I do  - because we see him out of his cultural matrix. Those we know
have had  their own culture wrenched from them  some generations back and a
servile pseudo  culture imposed on them by force.  We forget that the black
man has  a culture of his  own, older than ours  and more solidly grounded,
based  on  character and  the  power of  the  mind rather  than the  cheap,
ephemeral tricks  of mechanical gadgets. But it  is a stern, fierce culture
with no sentimental concern  for the weak and the unfit, and it never quite
dies out.

I stood up in involuntary respect when Dr Worthington entered the room.

Let us  begin,' he said in  a perfectly ordinary voice,  and squatted down,
his great toes spread and grasping the floor. He took several things out of
the pouch - a dog's tail, a wrinkled black object the size of a man's fist,
and other  things hard  to identify. He  fastened the tail to  his waist so
that it hung  down behind. Then he picked up one of  the things that he had
taken from  the pouch -  a small item, wrapped  and tied in red  silk - and
said to me, Will you open your safe?'

I did  so, and  stepped back out  of his way.  He thrust  the little bundle
inside, clanged  the door shut, and spun the  knob. I looked inquiringly at
Jedson.

He has  his . . .  well .. . soul  in that package, and  has sealed it away
behind cold  iron. He does not know what  dangers he may encounter,' Jedson
whispered. See?'  I looked and saw him pass  his thumb carefully all around
the crack that joined the safe to its door.

He returned  to the  middle of the  floor and picked up  the wrinkled black
object  and  rubbed it  affectionately.  This  is my  mother's father,'  he
announced.  I looked at  it more closely  and saw  that it was  a mummified
human  head with  a few  wisps of hair  still clinging  to the edge  of the
scalp!  He is  very wise,' he  continued in  a matter-of-fact voice,  and I
shall need  his advice. Grandfather, this is your  new son and his friend.'
Jedson bowed, and I found myself doing so. They want our help.'

He started to converse with the head in his own tongue, listening from time
to time, and then  answering. Once they seemed to get into an argument, but
the  matter must  have been  settled satisfactorily,  for the  palaver soon
quieted down. After a  few minutes he ceased talking and glanced around the
room. His  eye lit on a  bracket shelf intended for  an electric fan, which
was quite high off the floor.

There!' he  said. That will do nicely. Grandfather  needs a high place from
which to watch.' He  bent over and placed the little head on the bracket so
that it faced out into the room.

When he returned  to his place in the middle of the  room he dropped to all
fours and commenced to  cast around with his nose like a hunting dog trying
to pick  up a scent. He ran back and  forth, snuffling and whining, exactly
like a pack leader  worried by mixed trails. The tail fastened to his waist
stood up tensely and  quivered, as if still part of a live animal. His gait
and his mannerisms mimicked those of a hound so convincingly that I blinked
my eyes when he sat down suddenly and announced:

I've never  seen a place more  loaded with traces of  magic. I can pick out
Mrs  Jennings's very  strongly  and your  own business  magic. But  after I
eliminate them the air is still crowded. You must have had everything but a
rain dance and a sabbat going on around you!'

He dropped  back into his character of a dog without  giving us a chance to
reply, and  started making his casts a  little wider. Presently he appeared
to come  to some  sort of an  impasse, for he  settled back,  looked at the
head, and whined vigorously. Then he waited.

The reply  must have satisfied him;  he gave a sharp  bark and dragged open
the  bottom drawer  of a file  cabinet, working  clumsily, as if  with paws
instead of hands. He dug into the back of the drawer eagerly and hauled out
something which he popped into his pouch.

After that  he trotted very cheerfully  around the place for  a short time,
until he had poked  his nose into every odd corner. When he had finished he
returned to  the middle of the  floor, squatted down again,  and said, That
takes care of everything  here for the present. This place is the centre of
their attack, so grandfather  has agreed to stay and watch here until I can
bind a cord around your place to keep witches out.'

I was a little perturbed at that. I was sure the head would scare my office
girl half  out of her  wits if she saw  it. I said so  as diplomatically as
possible.

How about  that?' he asked the head, then turned back  to me after a moment
of listening. Grandfather says  it's all right; he won't let anyone see him
he  has  not been  introduced  to.' It  turned  out that  he was  perfectly
correct; nobody noticed it, not even the scrubwoman.

Now then,' he went  on, I want to check over my brother's place of business
at the earliest opportunity, and I want to smell out both of your homes and
insulate them  against mischief. In  the meantime, here is  some advice for
each of  you to follow carefully: Don't let  anything of yourself fall into
the hands  of strangers - nail  parings, spittle, hair cuttings  - guard it
all. Destroy  them by fire, or  engulf them in running  water. It will make
our task  much simpler. I am finished.' He got up  and strode back into the
cloakroom.

Ten minutes later the  dignified and scholarly Dr Worthington was smoking a
cigarette with  us. I had to look up at  his grandfather's head to convince
myself that a jungle lord had actually been there.

Business was  picking up at that  time, and I had  no more screwy accidents
after Dr  Worthington cleaned out the  place. I could see  a net profit for
the quarter  and was beginning to feel cheerful  again. I received a letter
from Ditworth, dunning me about Biddle's phony claim, but I filed it in the
wastebasket without giving it a thought.

One day  shortly before noon Feldstein,  the magicians' agent, dropped into
my place. Hi, Zack!' I said cheerfully when he walked in. How's business?'

Mr Fraser,  of all  questions, that you  should ask me that  one,' he said,
shaking his head mournfully from side to side. Business - it is terrible.'

Why do you say that?' I asked. I see lots of signs of activity around-'

Appearances are deceiving,' he insisted, especially in my business. Tell me
- have you heard of a concern calling themselves "Magic, Incorporated ?'

That's funny,'  I told him. I just did, for the  first time. This just came
in the mail' - and I held up an unopened letter. It had a return address on
it of Magic, Incorporated, Suite 700, Commonwealth Building'.

Feldstein  took it  gingerly, as  if he  thought it  might poison  him, and
inspected it. That's the parties I mean,' he confirmed. The gonophs!'

Why, what's the trouble, Zack?'

They don't want that a man should make an honest living

-  Mr Fraser,' he  interrupted himself  anxiously, you wouldn't  quit doing
business with an old friend who had always done right by you?'

Of course not, Zack, but what's it all about?'

Read it. Go ahead.' He shoved the letter back at me.

I opened  it. The paper was a fine quality,  watermarked, rag bond, and the
letterhead  was  chaste and  dignified.  I glanced  over the  stuffed-shirt
committee and was quite  agreeably impressed by the calibre of men they had
as officers  and directors - big  men, all of them,  except for a couple of
names among the executives that I did not recognize.

The letter itself amounted to an advertising prospectus. It was a new idea;
I suppose  you could call it a holding  company for magicians. They offered
to  provide  any and  all  kinds  of magical  service.  The customer  could
dispense with  shopping around;  he could call  this one number,  state his
needs, and  the company  would supply the  service and bill  him. It seemed
fair enough - no more than an incorporated agency.

I glanced  on down. -fully guaranteed service,  backed by the entire assets
of a responsible company--'  -surprisingly low standard fees, made possible
by   elimination  of   fee  splitting   with  agents  and   by  centralized
administration-'  The gratifying  response  from the  members of  the great
profession  enables us  to predict  that Magic,  Incorporated, will  be the
natural source to turn  to for competent thaumaturgy in any line - probably
the only source of truly first-rate magic-'

I put  it down. Why worry about it, Zack? It's  just another agency. As for
their claims -  I've heard you say that you have all  the best ones in your
stable. You didn't expect to be believed, did you?'

No,'  he conceded,  not quite,  maybe -  among us  two. But this  is really
serious,  Mr  Fraser. They've  hired  away  most of  my really  first-class
operators with salaries and bonuses I can't match. And now they offer magic
to the  public at a price  that undersells those I've  got left. It's ruin,
I'm telling you.'

It was hard lines.  Feldstein was a nice little guy who grabbed the nickels
the  way he  did  for a  wife and  five beady-  eyed kids,  to whom  he was
devoted. But  I felt  he was exaggerating;  he has a  tendency to dramatize
himself. Don't  worry,' I said, I'll stick by you,  and so, I imagine, will
most of  your customers. This outfit can't  get all the magicians together;
they're too  independent. Look at Ditworth.  He tried with his association.
What did it get him?'

Ditworth - aagh!' He  started to spit, then remembered he was in my office.
This is Ditworth - this company!'

How do you figure that? He's not on the letterhead.'

I found out. You think he wasn't successful because you held out. They held
a meeting of the directors of the association - that's Ditworth and his two
secretaries -  and voted  the contracts over  to the new  corporation. Then
Ditworth  resigns  and his  stooge  steps  in as  front  for the  nonprofit
association, and  Ditworth runs both  companies. You will see!  If we could
open the books of Magic, Incorporated, you will find he has voting control.
I know it!'

It seems unlikely,' I said slowly.

You'll see! Ditworth with  all his fancy talk about a nonprofit service for
the  improvement  of  standards   shouldn't  be  any  place  around  Magic,
Incorporated, should he, now? You call up and ask for him-'

I did  not answer, but dialled the number on  the letterhead. When a girl's
voice said, Good morning - Magic, Incorporated,' I said:

Mr Ditworth, please.'

She hesitated quite a long time, then said, Who is calling, please?'

That made  it my turn  to hesitate. I did  not want to talk  to Ditworth; I
wanted  to establish  a fact.  I finally  said, Tell  him it's  Dr Biddle's
office.'

Whereupon she  answered readily enough,  but with a trace  of puzzlement in
her voice, But Mr  Ditworth is not in the suite just now;  he was due in Dr
Biddle's office half an hour ago. Didn't he arrive?'

Oh,' I  said, perhaps  he's with the  chief and I  didn't see  him come in.
Sorry.' And I rang off.

I guess you are right,' I admitted, turning back to Feldstein.

He  was too  worried to  be pleased about  it. Look,'  he said, I  want you
should have lunch with me and talk about it some more.'

I was  just on my way  to the Chamber of  Commerce luncheon. Come along and
we'll talk on the way. You're a member.'

All right,' he agreed dolefully. Maybe I can't afford it much longer.'

We were  a little late and had to take  separate seats. The treasurer stuck
the kitty  under my nose and  twisted her tail'. He  wanted a ten-cent fine
from  me  for being  late.  The  kitty is  an  ordinary frying  pan with  a
mechanical  bicycle bell  mounted on the  handle. We  pay all fines  on the
spot, which  is good for the  treasury and a source  of innocent amusement.
The treasurer shoves the pan at you and rings the bell until you pay up.

I  hastily produced  a dime  and dropped  it in.  Steve Harris, who  has an
automobile agency,  yelled, That's  right! Make the Scotchman  pay up!' and
threw a roll at me.

Ten  cents for  disorder,' announced  our chairman, Norman  Somers, without
looking up. The treasurer put the bee on Steve. I heard the coin clink into
the pan, then the bell was rung again.

What's the trouble?' asked Somers.

More of  Steve's tricks,'  the treasurer reported  in a tired  voice. Fairy
gold, this time.' Steve  had chucked in a synthetic coin that some friendly
magician had made up for him. Naturally, when it struck cold iron it melted
away.

Two bits  more for  counterfeiting,' decided Somers, then  handcuff him and
ring up the United States attorney.' Steve is quite a card, but he does not
put much over on Norman.

Can't I  finish my lunch first?' asked Steve,  in tones that simply dripped
with fake self-pity. Norman ignored him and he paid up.

Steve, better  have fun  while you can,'  commented Al Donahue,  who runs a
string of drive-in restaurants.  When you sign up with Magic, Incorporated,
you will have to cut out playing tricks with magic.' I sat up and listened.

Who said I was going to sign up with them?'

Huh? Of course you are. It's the logical thing to do. Don't be a dope.'

Why should I?'

Why should  you? Why, it's the direction of progress,  man. Take my case: I
put  out the  fanciest line of  vanishing desserts  of any eating  place in
town. You can eat three of them if you like, and not feel full and not gain
an ounce. Now I've been losing money on them, but kept them for advertising
because  of   the  way  they  bring  in   the  women's  trade.  Now  Magic,
Incorporated, comes  along and  offers me the  same thing at a  price I can
make money with them too. Naturally, I signed up.

You would.  Suppose they raise the prices on you  after they have hired, or
driven out of business, every competent wizard in town?'

Donahue laughed in a superior, irritating way. I've got a contract.'

So? How long does it run? And did you read the cancellation clause?'

I  knew what  he  was talking  about, even  if Donahue  didn't; I  had been
through it. About five  years ago a Portland cement firm came into town and
began buying  up the  little dealers and  cutting prices against  the rest.
They ran sixty-cent cement down to thirty-five cents a sack and broke their
competitors. Then  they jacked it back up by  easy stages until cement sold
for a  dollar twenty-five. The boys  took a whipping before  they knew what
had happened to them.

We all had to  shut up about then, for the guest speaker, old B. J. Timken,
the  big subdivider,  started  in. He  spoke on  Cooperation  and Service'.
Although  he is  not  exactly a  scintillating  speaker, he  had some  very
inspiring things to say about how businessmen could serve the community and
help each other; I enjoyed it.

After the clapping died  down, Norman Somers thanked B. J. and said, That's
all for today, gentlemen, unless there is some new business to bring before
the house-'

Jedson got up. I  was sitting with my back to him, and had not known he was
present. I think there is, Mr Chairman - a very important matter. I ask the
indulgence of the Chair for a few minutes of informal discussion.

Somers answered, Certainly, Joe, if you've got something important.'

Thanks.  I think  it  is. This  is really  an  extension of  the discussion
between Al  Donahue and Steve Harris earlier in  the meeting. I think there
has been a major  change in business conditions going on in this city right
under  our  noses and  we  haven't  noticed it,  except  where it  directly
affected our own businesses.  I refer to the trade in commercial magic. How
many of  you use magic in your business? Put your  hands up.' All the hands
went up, except for  a couple of lawyers'. Personally, I had always figured
they were magicians themselves.

OK,' Jedson went on,  put them down. We knew that; we all  use it. I use it
for  textiles.  Hank  Manning  here  uses  nothing else  for  cleaning  and
pressing, and probably uses it for some of his dye jobs too. Wally Haight's
Maple Shop  uses it to  assemble and finish fine  furniture. Stan Robertson
will  tell  you that  Le  Bon  MarchΘ's slick  window  displays are  thrown
together  with spells,  as well  as two  thirds of  the merchandise  in his
store,  especially in  the  kids' toy  department. Now  I  want to  ask you
another question: In how  many cases is the percentage of your cost charged
to magic  greater than your margin of profits? Think  about it for a moment
before answering.' He paused, then said: All right - put up your hands.'

Nearly as many hands went up as before.

That's the  point of the whole  matter. We've got to  have magic to stay in
business. If anyone gets a strangle hold on magic in this community, we are
all  at his  mercy. We  would have to  pay any  prices that are  handed us,
charge the prices we are told to, and take what profits we are allowed to -
or go out of business!'

The chairman  interrupted him. Just  a minute, Joe. Granting  that what you
say is true - it is, of course - do you have any reason to feel that we are
confronted with any particular emergency in the matter?'

Yes, I do have.' Joe's voice was low and very serious. Little reasons, most
of  them, but  they add  up to  convince me  that someone  is engaged  in a
conspiracy in  restraint of trade.' Jedson ran  rapidly over the history of
Ditworth's  attempt  to  organize  magicians  and  their  clients  into  an
association, presumably  to raise the standards  of the profession, and how
alongside  the  nonprofit  association  had  suddenly  appeared  a  capital
corporation which was already in a fair way to becoming a monopoly.

Wait  a  second, Joe,'  put  in  Ed Parmelee,  who  has  a produce  jobbing
business. I think that association is a fine idea. I was threatened by some
rat who  tried to intimidate me into letting him  pick my magicians. I took
it up  with the  association, and they took  care of it; I  didn't have any
more trouble. I think an organization which can clamp down on racketeers is
a pretty fine thing.'

You had to sign with the association to get their help, didn't you?'

Why, yes, but that's entirely reasonable-'

Isn't it  possible that  your gangster got  what he wanted  when you signed
up?'

Why, that seems pretty farfetched.'

I don't say,' persisted  Joe, that is the explanation, but it is a distinct
possibility.  It would  not be  the first  time that monopolists  used goon
squads  with their  left hands to  get by  coercion what their  right hands
could not  touch. I wonder whether any of the rest  of you have had similar
experiences?'

It developed that several of them had. I could see them beginning to think.

One of the lawyers  present formally asked a question through the chairman.
Mr  Chairman,  passing  for  the  moment  from the  association  to  Magic,
Incorporated, is this corporation  anything more than a union of magicians?
If so, have they a legal right to organize?'

Norman turned to Jedson. Will you answer that, Joe?'

Certainly. It  is not a  union at all. It  is a parallel to  a situation in
which all the carpenters  in town are employees of one contractor; you deal
with that contractor or you don't build.'

Then it's a simple case of monopoly - if it is a monopoly. This state has a
Little Sherman Act; you can prosecute.~

I think you  will find that it is a monopoly. Have  any of you noticed that
there are  no magicians present at  today's meet? We all  looked around. It
was perfectly  true. I think you  can expect,' he added,  to find magicians
represented  hereafter  in  this   chamber  by  some  executive  of  Magic,
Incorporated. With respect to the possibility of prosecution' - he hauled a
folded newspaper out of his hip pocket - have any of you paid any attention
to the governor's call for a special session of the legislature?'

Al Donahue remarked superciliously  that he was too busy making a living to
waste any  time on the political game. It was a  deliberate dig at Joe, for
everybody knew  that he was a committee-man, and spent  quite a lot of time
on civic  affairs. The dig must  have gotten under Joe's  skin, for he said
pityingly, Al,  it's a damn good thing for you that  some of us are willing
to spend a little  time on government, or you would wake up some morning to
find they had stolen the sidewalks in front of your house.'

The chairman  rapped for order; Joe  apologized. Donahue muttered something
under his  breath about the whole political  business being dirty, and that
anyone associated  with it was bound to turn crooked.  I reached out for an
ashtray and  knocked over  a glass of  water, which spilled  into Donahue's
lap. It diverted his mind. Joe went on talking.

Of course  we knew  a special session  was likely for  several reasons, but
when they published the  agenda of the call last night, I found tucked away
towards the bottom an  item "Regulation of Thaumaturgy . I couldn't believe
that there  was any reason to deal with such a  matter in a special session
unless something was up.  I got on the phone last night and called a friend
of  mine  at the  capitol,  a fellow  committee  member. She  did not  know
anything about it, but she called me back later. Here's what she found out:
The item was stuck into the agenda at the request of some of the governor's
campaign backers; he has no special interest in it himself. Nobody seems to
know what  it is  all about, but one  bill on the subject  has already been
dropped in the hopper-'  There was an interruption; somebody wanted to know
what the bill said.

I'm  trying to  tell you,' Joe  said patiently.  The bill was  submitted by
title alone;  we won't be likely to know its contents  until it is taken up
in  committee. But  here is  the title:  "A Bill to  Establish Professional
Standards  for Thaumaturgists,  Regulate the  Practice of  the Thaumaturgic
Profession,  Provide  for  the  Appointment  of a  Commission  to  Examine,
License, and Administer- and  so on. As you can see, it isn't even a proper
title;  it's  just  an omnibus  on  to  which they  can  hang  any sort  of
legislation  regarding magic,  including an  abridgement of  anti- monopoly
regulation if they choose.'

There was a short silence after this. I think all of us were trying to make
up  our minds  on  a subject  that we  were  not really  conversant  with -
politics. Presently  someone spoke up and said, What  do you think we ought
to do about it?'

Well,' he answered, we at least ought to have our own representative at the
capitol to  protect us in the clinches. Besides that,  we at least ought to
be prepared to  submit our own bill, if this one has  any tricks in it, and
bargain  for the  best compromise  we can  get. We  should at least  get an
implementing amendment  out of it that  would put some real  teeth into the
state  anti-trust  act, at  least  in so  far  as magic  is concerned.'  He
grinned. That's four "at leasts , I think.'

Why can't  the state Chamber of Commerce handle it  for us? They maintain a
legislative bureau.'

Sure, they have a lobby, but you know perfectly well that the state chamber
doesn't see eye to eye with us little businessmen. We can't depend on them;
we may actually be fighting them.'

There was  quite a powwow after  Joe sat down. Everybody  had his own ideas
about what  to do and tried to express them all  at once. It became evident
that there was no general agreement, whereupon Somers adjourned the meeting
with the announcement that  those interested in sending a representative to
the capitol  should stay. A few of the diehards  like Donahue left, and the
rest of us reconvened with Somers again in the chair. It was suggested that
Jedson should be the one to go, and he agreed to do it.

Feldstein got up and  made a speech with tears in his eyes. He wandered and
did not seem to be getting anyplace, but finally he managed to get out that
Jedson would need  a good big war chest to do any  good at the capitol, and
also should  be compensated for his  expenses and loss of  time. At that he
astounded  us by  pulling out a  roll of  bills, counting out  one thousand
dollars, and shoving it over in front of Joe.

That display of sincerity caused him to be made finance chairman by general
consent, and the subscriptions  came in very nicely. I held down my natural
impulses and  matched Feldstein's  donation, though I  did wish he  had not
been quite  so impetuous. I think Feldstein had a  slight change of heart a
little later, for he  cautioned Joe to be economical and not to waste a lot
of money buying liquor for those schlemiels at the capitol'.

Jedson shook  his head at this, and said that while  he intended to pay his
own expenses,  he would  have to have  a free hand  in the  spending of the
fund, particularly with respect  to entertainment. He said the time was too
short to depend on  sweet reasonableness and disinterested patriotism alone
- that some of those lunkheads had no more opinions than a weather vane and
would vote to favour the last man they had had a drink with.

Somebody  made a  shocked  remark about  bribery. I  don't intend  to bribe
anyone,' Jedson  answered with a brittle note in his  voice. If it comes to
swapping bribes,  we're licked to start with. I  am just praying that there
are  still enough  unpledged  votes up  there to  make a  little persuasive
talking and judicious browbeating worth while.'

He got his own way, but I could not help agreeing privately with Feldstein.
And  I  made a  resolution  to  pay a  little  more  attention to  politics
thereafter; I  did not even know  the name of my  own legislator. How did I
know whether or not he was a high-calibre man or just a cheap opportunist?

And that is how Jedson, Bodie, and myself happened to find ourselves on the
train, headed for the capitol.

Bodie went  along because Jedson wanted a  first-rate magician to play bird
dog  for him.  He said he  did not know  what might  turn up. I  went along
because I wanted to. I had never been to the capitol before, except to pass
through, and was interested to see how this law-making business is done.

Jedson went  straight to the Secretary  of State's office to  register as a
lobbyist, while  Jack and I took our baggage  to the Hotel Constitution and
booked some  rooms. Mrs Logan, Joe's  friend the committee-woman, showed up
before he got back.

Jedson had told us a great deal about Sally Logan during the train trip. He
seemed to  feel that  she combined the  shrewdness of Machiavelli  with the
greathearted  integrity of Oliver  Wendell Holmes.  I was surprised  at his
enthusiasm, for I have often heard him grouse about women in politics.

But  you don't  understand,  Archie,' he  elaborated. Sally  isn't  a woman
politician, she  is simply a politician,  and asks no special consideration
because of  her sex. She can  stand up and trade  punches with the toughest
manipulators on the Hill.  What I said about women politicians is perfectly
true,  as a  statistical generalization,  but it  proves nothing  about any
particular woman.

It's  like this:  Most  women in  the United  States have  a short-sighted,
peasant individualism  resulting from the male-  created romantic tradition
of the  last century. They were  told that they were  superior creatures, a
little nearer  to the angels than their  menfolks. They were not encouraged
to think,  nor to assume social  responsibility. It takes a  strong mind to
break out of that  sort of conditioning, and most minds simply aren't up to
it, male or female.

Consequently, women as electors  are usually suckers for romantic nonsense.
They can be flattered into misusing their ballot even more easily than men.
In  politics their  self-righteous feeling  of virtue, combined  with their
essentially  peasant  training, resulted  in  their introducing  a type  of
cut-rate, petty chiselling that should make Boss Tweed spin in his coffin.

But Sally's  not like that. She's  got a tough mind  which could reject the
hokum.'

You're not in love with her, are you?'

Who, me? Sally's happily married and has two of the best kids I know.'

What does her husband do?'

Lawyer.  One of the  governor's supporters.  Sally got started  in politics
through pinch-hitting for her husband one campaign.'

What is her official position up here?'

None. Right  hand for  the governor. That's  her strength. Sally  has never
held a patronage job, nor been paid for her services.'

After this  build-up I was anxious  to meet the paragon.  When she called I
spoke to  her over the house  phone and was about to  say that I would come
down to the lobby when she announced that she was coming up, and hung up. I
was  a  little  startled   at  the  informality,  not  yet  realizing  that
politicians  did  not  regard  hotel rooms  as  bedrooms,  but as  business
offices.

When I  let her  in she said,  You're Archie Fraser, aren't  you? I'm Sally
Logan. Where's Joe?'

He'll be back soon. Won't you sit down and wait?'

Thanks.' She  plopped herself into a chair, took off  her hat and shook out
her hair. I looked her over.

I had  unconsciously expected something  pretty formidable in the  way of a
mannish  matron. What I  saw was  a young, plump,  cheerful-looking blonde,
with an  untidy mass of yellow  hair and frank blue  eyes. She was entirely
feminine, not over thirty at the outside, and there was something about her
that was tremendously reassuring.

She made me think of county fairs and well water and sugar cookies.

I'm afraid  this is going to be a tough proposition,'  she began at once. I
didn't think there was much interest in the matter, and I still don't think
so, but  just the same someone has a solid bloc  lined up for Assembly Bill
22 - that's the bill I wired Joe about. What do you boys plan to do, make a
straight fight to kill it or submit a substitute bill?'

Jedson drew up a  fair-practices act with the aid of some of our Half World
friends and a couple of lawyers. Would you like to see it?'

Please. I stopped by  the State Printing Office and got a few copies of the
bill you are against - AB 22. We'll swap.'

I was trying to  translate the foreign language lawyers use when they write
statutes when Jedson came in. He patted Sally's cheek without speaking, and
she  reached up  and squeezed  his hand  and went  on with her  reading. He
commenced reading over my  shoulder. I gave up and let him have it. It made
a set of building specifications look simple.

Sally asked, What do you think of it, Joe?'

Worse than I expected,' he replied. Take Paragraph 7-'

I haven't read it yet.'

So? Well, in the  first place it recognizes the association as a semipublic
body like  the Bar  Association or the  Community Chest, and  permits it to
initiate actions before the  commission. That means that every magician had
better by a damn  sight belong to Ditworth's association and be careful not
to offend it.,

But how  can that be legal?' I asked. It sounds  unconstitutional to me - a
private association like that-'

Plenty  of  precedent,  son. Corporations  to  promote  world's fairs,  for
example.   They're  recognized,   and   even  voted   tax  money.   As  for
unconstitutionality,  you'd have  to prove  that the  law was not  equal in
application - which it isn't! - but awfully hard to prove.'

But, anyhow, a witch gets a hearing before the commission?'

Sure, but  there is the rub.  The commission has very  broad powers, almost
unlimited powers  over everything connected with  magic. The bill is filled
with phrases like "reasonable and proper , which means the sky's the limit,
with  nothing  but the  good  sense  and decency  of  the commissioners  to
restrain them.  That's my objection to commissions  in government - the law
can  never  be  equal  in  application  under  them.  They  have  delegated
legislative powers,  and the law is what they say it  is. You might as well
face a drumhead court- martial.

There are  nine commissioners provided for in this  case, six of which must
be  licensed magicians,  first-class. I  don't suppose  it is  necessary to
point out  that a  few ill-advised appointments to  the original commission
will turn it into  a tight little self-perpetuating oligarchy - through its
power to license.'

Sally and  Joe were going over to see a  legislator whom they thought might
sponsor our bill, so they dropped me off at the capitol. I wanted to listen
to some of the debate.

It  gave  me  a  warm feeling  to  climb  up the  big,  wide  steps of  the
statehouse.  The old, ugly  mass of  masonry seemed to  represent something
tough in  the character of  the American people, the  determination of free
men to  manage their own affairs.  Our own current problem  seemed a little
smaller, not  quite so  overpoweringly important - still  worth working on,
but  simply  one example  in  a  long history  of  the  general problem  of
self-government.

I noticed  something else as I was approaching  the great bronze doors; the
contractor for  the outer construction  of the building must  have made his
pile; the mix for the mortar was not richer than one to six!

I decided  on the Assembly rather  than the Senate because  Sally said they
generally  put  on a  livelier  show. When  I  entered the  hall they  were
discussing  a  resolution to  investigate  the tarring  and feathering  the
previous month of three  agricultural-worker organizers up near the town of
Six Points. Sally had remarked that it was on the calendar for the day, but
that it  would not take long  because the proponents of  the resolution did
not  really want  it.  However, the  Central  Labour Council  had passed  a
resolution demanding it, and  the labour- supported members were stuck with
it.

The  reason why they  could only go  through the  motions of asking  for an
investigation was that the  organizers were not really human beings at all,
but mandrakes,  a fact  that the state  council had not been  aware of when
they  asked for  an  investigation. Since  the making  of mandrakes  is the
blackest kind  of black magic, and highly illegal,  they needed some way to
drop it quietly. The  use of mandrakes has always been opposed by organized
labour, because  it displaces real men - men  with families to support. For
the same reasons they  oppose synthetic facsimiles and homunculi. But it is
well known  that the unions are not  above using mandrakes, or mandragoras,
as well  as facsimiles, when it  suits their purpose, such  as for pickets,
pressure groups,  and the like.  I suppose they feel  justified in fighting
fire with  fire. Homunculi they can't  use on account of  their size, since
they are too small to be passed off as men.

If Sally  had not primed me,  I would not have  understood what took place.
Each  of the  labour  members got  up and  demanded  in forthright  terms a
resolution  to investigate.  When they  were all through,  someone proposed
that the matter be tabled until the grand jury of the county concerned held
its next  meeting. This  motion was voted  on without debate  and without a
roll call;  although practically  no members were present  except those who
had spoken in favour of the original resolution, the motion passed easily.

There was  the usual crop of oil-industry bills on  the agenda, such as you
read about in the  newspapers every time the legislature is in session. One
of them  was the  next item on the  day's calendar - a  bill which proposed
that  the governor  negotiate  a treaty  with the  gnomes, under  which the
gnomes would  aid the petroleum engineers  in prospecting and, in addition,
would advise  humans in drilling methods so as  to maintain the natural gas
pressure underground  needed to raise the oil to  the surface. I think that
is the idea, but I am no petroleum engineer.

The proponent  spoke first. Mr Speaker,' he said, I ask  for a "Yes vote on
this bill, A B  79. Its purpose is quite simple and the advantages obvious.
A very  large part  of the overhead  cost of recovering crude  oil from the
ground lies in the  uncertainties of prospecting and drilling. With the aid
of the Little People this item can be reduced to an estimated 7 per cent of
its  present dollar  cost, and  the price  of gasoline and  other petroleum
products to the people can be greatly lessened.

The  matter of  underground gas  pressure is  a little more  technical, but
suffice it to say that it takes, in round numbers, a thousand cubic feet of
natural  gas to  raise one  barrel of  oil to  the surface.  If we  can get
intelligent supervision  of drilling  operations far underground,  where no
human being  can go, we can  make the most economical  use of this precious
gas pressure.

The only rational objection to this bill lies in whether or not we can deal
with  the  gnomes on  favourable  terms. I  believe  that we  can, for  the
Administration has some excellent  connexions in the Hall World. The gnomes
are willing to negotiate in order to put a stop to the present condition of
chaos  in which  human  engineers drill  blindly, sometimes  wrecking their
homes  and  not  infrequently  violating  their  sacred  places.  They  not
unreasonably claim  everything under the surface  as their kingdom, but are
willing  to make  any reasonable  concession to  abate what  is to  them an
intolerable nuisance.

If this  treaty works out well, as it will, we  can expect to arrange other
treaties  which will  enable us  to exploit  all of  the metal  and mineral
resources of this state  under conditions highly advantageous to us and not
hurtful  to the  gnomes. Imagine, if  you please,  having a gnome  with his
X-ray  eyes peer into  a mountainside and  locate a  rich vein of  gold for
you!'

It seemed  very reasonable, except that,  having once seen the  king of the
gnomes,  I  would not  trust  him very  far,  unless Mrs  Jennings did  the
negotiating.

As soon  as the  proponent sat down,  another member jumped up  and just as
vigorously  denounced it.  He was  older than  most of  the members,  and I
judged him  to be a country  lawyer. His accent placed  him in the northern
part  of  the state,  well  away  from the  oil  country.  Mr Speaker,'  he
bellowed,  I ask  for a  vote of "No!  . Who  would dream that  an American
legislature would  stoop to such  degrading nonsense? Have any  of you ever
seen a  gnome? Have  you any reason  to believe that gnomes  exist? This is
just  a cheap  piece of  political chicanery  to do  the public out  of its
proper share of the natural resources of our great state-'

He was  interrupted by a question. Does  the honourable member from Lincoln
County mean  to imply that he  has no belief in  magic? Perhaps he does not
believe in the radio or the telephone either.'

Not at  all. If the Chair will permit, I will  state my position so clearly
that  even my  respected  colleague on  the other  side  of the  house will
understand it. There are certain remarkable developments in human knowledge
in general use which  are commonly referred to by the laity as magic. These
principles are  well understood and are  taught, I am happy  to say, in our
great publicly owned institutions for higher learning. I have every respect
for the legitimate practitioners thereof. But, as I understand it, although
I am not myself a practitioner of the great science, there is nothing in it
that requires a belief in the Little People.

But let  us stipulate, for the sake of argument,  that the Little People do
exist. Is  that any  reason to pay  them blackmail? Should  the citizens of
this commonwealth pay cumshaw to the denizens of the underworld-' He waited
for his  pun to be appreciated.  It wasn't. -for that  which is legally and
rightfully  ours? If  this ridiculous  principle is  pushed to  its logical
conclusion,  the  farmers  and  dairymen I  am  proud  to  number among  my
constituents will be required to pay toll to the elves before they can milk
their cows!'

Someone slid  into the  seat beside me.  I glanced around, saw  that it was
Jedson, and questioned him  with my eyes. Nothing doing now,' he whispered.
We've got some time  to kill and might as well do it  here' - and he turned
to the debate.

Somebody had  gotten up  to reply to  the old duck with  the Daniel Webster
complex.  Mr Speaker,  if  the honoured  member is  quite through  with his
speech -  I did not  quite catch what office  he is running for!  - I would
like to  invite the attention of  this body to the  precedented standing in
jurisprudence of  elements of every  nature, not only in  Mosaic law, Roman
law,  the  English common  law,  but also  in  the appellate  court of  our
neighbouring state to the south. I am confident that anyone possessing even
an elementary  knowledge of the law will recognize the  case I have in mind
without citation, but for the benefit of-'

Mr Speaker! I move to amend by striking out the last word.'

A stratagem to gain the floor,' Joe whispered.

Is it the purpose of the honourable member who preceded me to imply-'

It went  on and on. I  turned to Jedson and asked,  I can't figure out this
chap who  is speaking; a while  ago he was hollering  about cows. What's he
afraid of, religious prejudices?'

Partly that; he's from a very conservative district. But he's lined up with
the independent  oilmen. They don't want the  state setting the terms; they
think they can do better dealing with the gnomes directly.'

But what interest has he got in oil? There's no oil in his district.'

No,  but  there  is  outdoor advertising.  The  same  holding company  that
controls  the so-called  independent  oilmen holds  a voting  trust  in the
Countryside Advertising  Corporation. And that can  be awfully important to
him around election time.

The Speaker looked our  way, and an assistant sergeant at arms threaded his
way towards us. We shut up. Someone moved the order of the day, and the oil
bill was put aside  for one of the magic bills that had already come out of
committee.  This was  a  bill to  outlaw every  sort of  magic, witchcraft,
thaumaturgy.

No one  spoke for it but  the proponent, who launched  into a diatribe that
was more  scholarly than  logical. He quoted extensively  from Blackstone's
Commentaries  and the records of the  Massachusetts trials, and finished up
with  his  head  thrown  back,  one  finger  waving wildly  to  heaven  and
shouting,' "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live! '

No one  bothered to speak against  it; it was voted  on immediately without
roll call, and, to my complete bewilderment, passed without a single nay! I
turned to Jedson and found him smiling at the expression on my face.

It doesn't mean a thing, Archie,' he said quietly.

Huh?'

He's a party wheel horse who had to introduce that bill to please a certain
bloc of his constituents.'

You mean he doesn't believe in the bill himself?'

Oh no,  he believes in it  all right, but he also  knows it is hopeless. It
has evidently been agreed to let him pass it over here in the Assembly this
session so that he  would have something to take home to his people. Now it
will go to the  senate committee and die there; nobody will ever hear of it
again.'

I guess my voice  carries too well, for my reply got us a really dirty look
from the Speaker. We got up hastily and left.

Once outside  I asked  Joe what had happened  that he was back  so soon. He
would not touch it,' he told me. Said that he couldn't afford to antagonize
the association.'

Does that finish us?'

Not at all. Sally  and I are going to see another member right after lunch.
He's tied up in a committee meeting at the moment.'

We stopped  in a restaurant where Jedson had  arranged to meet Sally Logan.
Jedson  ordered lunch,  and I  had a  couple of  cans of  devitalized beer,
insisting on  their bringing it to the booth  in the unopened containers. I
don't like  to get  even a little bit  tipsy, although I like  to drink. On
another occasion  I had  paid for wizard-processed liquor  and had received
intoxicating liquor instead. Hence the unopened containers.

I sat there, staring into my glass and thinking about what I had heard that
morning, especially about the  bill to outlaw all magic. The more I thought
about it  the better  the notion seemed.  The country had  gotten along all
right  in the  old days  before magic  had become popular  and commercially
widespread. It was unquestionably a headache in many ways, even leaving out
our present  troubles with racketeers and  monopolists. Finally I expressed
my opinion to Jedson.

But  he disagreed.  According  to him  prohibition never  does work  in any
field. He  said that anything which  can be supplied and  which people want
will he supplied - law or no law. To prohibit magic would simply be to turn
over the field to the crooks and the black magicians.

I see the drawbacks of magic as well as you do,' he went on, but it is like
firearms.  Certainly guns  made  it possible  for almost  anyone  to commit
murder and  get away  with it. But  once they were invented  the damage was
done. All  you can do is  to try to cope with  it. Things like the Sullivan
Act -  they didn't keep the crooks from carrying  guns and using them; they
simply took guns out of the hands of honest people.

It's the  same with magic. If you prohibit it,  you take from decent people
the enormous boons to be derived from a knowledge of the great arcane laws,
while the  nasty, harmful  secrets hidden away in  black grimoires  and red
grimoires will still be bootlegged to anyone who will pay the price and has
no respect for law.

Personally,  I  don't believe  there  was  any less  black magic  practised
between, say,  1750 and 1950 than there is now, or  was before then. Take a
look at  Pennsylvania and the hex  country. Take a look  at the Deep South.
But since  that time  we have begun  to have the advantages  of white magic
too.'

Sally came  in, spotted us, and  slid into one side  of the booth. My,' she
said with a sigh of relaxation, I've just fought my way across the lobby of
the Constitution.  The "third  house" is certainly  out in full  force this
trip. I've never seen em so thick, especially the women.'

She means  lobbyists, Archie,'  Jedson explained. Yes, I  noticed them. I'd
like to make a small bet that two thirds of them are synthetic.'

I thought  I didn't recognize many of them,' Sally commented. Are you sure,
Joe?'

Not entirely.  But Bodie agrees with me. He says  that the women are almost
all  mandrakes, or  androids of some  sort. Real  women are never  quite so
perfectly beautiful - nor so tractable. I've got him checking on them now.'

In what way?'

He  says he  can spot  the work of  most of  the magicians capable  of that
high-powered stuff.  If possible we  want to prove that  all these androids
were made by Magic, Incorporated - though I'm not sure just what use we can
make of the fact.

Bodie has even located some zombies,' he added.

Not really!'  exclaimed Sally. She wrinkled  her nose and looked disgusted.
Some people have odd tastes.'

They  started discussing  aspects of  politics that  I know  nothing about,
while Sally put away  a very sizeable lunch topped off by a fudge ice-cream
cake slice.  But I noticed that she ordered from  the left-hand side of the
menu - all vanishing items, like the alcohol in my beer.

I  found out  more  about the  situation as  they  talked. When  a  bill is
submitted  to the  legislature,  it is  first referred  to a  committee for
hearings. Ditworth's  bill, A B 22,  had been referred to  the Committee on
Professional Standards. Over in  the Senate an identical bill had turned up
and  had been  referred  by the  lieutenant governor,  who presides  in the
Senate, to the Committee on Industrial Practices.

Our immediate  object was to find a sponsor for  our bill; if possible, one
for  each  house,  and  preferably  sponsors  who were  members,  in  their
respective houses,  of the committees  concerned. All of this  needed to be
done before Ditworth's bills came up for hearing.

I went  with them to see  their second-choice sponsor for  the Assembly. He
was not on the Professional Standards Committee, but he was on the Ways and
Means  Committee,  which meant  that  he carried  a  lot of  weight in  any
committee.

He was  a pleasant chap named  Spence - Luther B. Spence  - and I could see
that he  was quite anxious to  please Sally - for  past favours, I suppose.
But they  had no  more luck with  him than with their  first-choice man. He
said that  he did not have  time to fight for our  bill, as the chairman of
the Ways and Means Committee was sick and he was chairman pro tem.

Sally put it to  him flatly. Look here, Luther, when you have needed a hand
in the past, you've  got it from me. I hate to remind a man of obligations,
but you  will recall that matter  of the vacancy last  year on the Fish and
Game Commission. Now I want action on this matter, and not excuses!'

Spence was  plainly embarrassed.  Now, Sally, please don't  feel like that.
You're  getting your  feathers  up over  nothing. You  know I'll  always do
anything  I can  for  you, but  you don't  really need  this, and  it would
necessitate my neglecting things that I can't afford to neglect.'

What do you mean, I don't need it?'

I mean you should not worry about A B 22. It's a cinch bill.'

Jedson explained  that term to me later. A cinch bill,  he said, was a bill
introduced for tactical reasons.  The sponsors never intended to try to get
it enacted into law, but simply used it as a bargaining point. It's like an
asking price' in a business deal.

Are you sure of that?'

Why, yes, I think so. The word has been passed around that there is another
bill coming up that won't have the bugs in it that this bill has.'

After we left Spence's  office, Jedson said, Sally, I hope Spence is right,
but I don't trust  Ditworth's intentions. He's out to get a stranglehold on
the industry. I know it!'

Luther usually has the correct information, Joe.'

Yes, that is  no doubt true, but this is a little  out of his line. Anyhow,
thanks, kid. You did your best.'

Call on  me if there is  anything else, Joe. And  come Out to dinner before
you go; you haven't seen Bill or the kids yet.'

I won't forget.'

Jedson  finally gave  up  as impractical  trying  to submit  our bill,  and
concentrated  on the committees  handling Ditworth's  bills. I did  not see
much of him.  He would go out at four in the  afternoon to a cocktail party
and  get back  to  the hotel  at three  in  the morning,  bleary-eyed, with
progress to report.

He woke  me up the fourth night and announced  jubilantly, It's in the bag,
Archie!'

You killed those bills?'

Not  quite.  I couldn't  manage  that. But  they  will be  reported out  of
committee so  amended that we won't care if  they do pass. Furthermore, the
amendments are different in each committee.

Well, what of that?'

That means that even if they do pass their respective houses they will have
to go  to conference committee  to have their differences  ironed out, then
back for  final passage in each  house. The chances of  that this late in a
short session are negligible. Those bills are dead.'

Jedson's predictions were justified. The bills came out of committee with a
do pass'  recommendation late  Saturday evening. That was  the actual time;
the statehouse  clock had  been stopped forty-eight hours  before to permit
first and second readings of an administration must' bill. Therefore it was
officially Thursday. I know  that sounds cockeyed, and it is, but I am told
that every legislature in  the country does it towards the end of a crowded
session.

The  important  point is  that,  Thursday  or Saturday,  the session  would
adjourn  sometime that  night.  I watched  Ditworth's bill  come up  in the
Assembly. It was passed, without debate, in the amended form. I sighed with
relief. About  midnight Jedson joined  me and reported that  the same thing
had happened in the  Senate. Sally was on watch in the conference committee
room, just to make sure that the bills stayed dead.

Joe and I remained on watch in our respective houses. There was probably no
need for it, but  it made us feel easier. Shortly before two in the morning
Bodie  came in  and  said we  were to  meet  Jedson and  Sally  outside the
conference committee room.

What's that?' I said, immediately all nerves. Has something slipped?'

No, it's all right and it's all over. Come on.'

Joe answered  my question,  as I hurried  up with Bodie  trailing, before I
could  ask  it. It's  OK,  Archie.  Sally was  present  when the  committee
adjourned  sine die,  without acting  on those bills. It's  all over; we've
won!'

We went over to the bar across the street to have a drink in celebration.

In spite of the  late hour the bar was moderately crowded. Lobbyists, local
politicians,  legislative attaches,  all  the swarm  of camp  followers who
throng  the capitol  whenever the  legislature is  sitting - all  such were
still up  and around, and many of them had picked  this bar as a convenient
place to wait for news of adjournment.

We were  lucky to find a  stool at the bar  for Sally. We three  men made a
tight  little cluster  around her  and tried  to get  the attention  of the
overworked bartender. We had  just managed to place our orders when a young
man tapped  on the  shoulder of the customer  on the stool to  the right of
Sally. He immediately got down and left. I nudged Bodie to tell him to take
the seat.

Sally turned to Joe.  Well, it won't be long now. There go the sergeants at
arms.'  She nodded  towards the  young man,  who was repeating  the process
farther down the line.

What does that mean?' I asked Joe.

It means  they are  getting along towards  the final vote on  the bill they
were waiting  on. They've gone to  "call of the house  now, and the Speaker
has ordered the sergeant  at arms to send his deputies out to arrest absent
members.'

Arrest them?' I was a little bit shocked.

Only technically.  You see, the Assembly has had  to stall until the Senate
was through with this bill, and most of the members have wandered out for a
bite to  eat, or a  drink. Now they are  ready to vote, so  they round them
up.'

A fat  man took a  stool near us which  had just been vacated  by a member.
Sally said, Hello, Don.'

He took  a cigar from his  mouth and said, How  are yuh, Sally? What's new?
Say, I thought you were interested in that bill on magic?'

We were all four alert at once. I am,' Sally admitted. What about it?'

Well, then, you had better get over there. They're voting on it right away.
Didn't you notice the "call of the house ?'

I think  we set a new record getting across  the street, with Sally leading
the field  in spite of her  plumpness. I was asking  Jedson how it could be
possible, and he shut me up with, I don't know, man! We'll have to see.'

We managed to find seats on the main floor back of the rail. Sally beckoned
to one of the pages she knew and sent him up to the clerk's desk for a copy
of  the bill  that  was pending.  In front  of  the rail  the  Assembly men
gathered in groups. There was a crowd around the desk of the administration
floor  leader  and  a  smaller  cluster  around  the floor  leader  of  the
opposition. The  whips had  individual members buttonholed  here and there,
arguing with them in tense whispers.

The page came back  with the copy of the bill. It was an appropriation bill
for the  Middle Counties Improvement Project - the  last of the must' bills
for which the session  had been called - but pasted to it,  as a rider, was
Ditworth's bill in its original, most damnable form!

It had  been added as an amendment in the  Senate, probably as a concession
to  Ditworth's  stooges in  order  to obtain  their  votes to  make up  the
two-thirds majority  necessary to  pass the appropriation bill  to which it
had been grafted.

The vote came almost  at once. It was evident, early in the roll call, that
the floor  leader had  his majority in  hand and that the  bill would pass.
When the  clerk announced  its passage, a  motion to adjourn  sine  die was
offered by the opposition  floor leader and it was carried unanimously. The
Speaker called  the two  floor leaders to  his desk and  instructed them to
wait on the governor and the presiding officer of the Senate with notice of
adjournment.

The crack  of his  gavel released us  from stunned immobility.  We shambled
out.

We  got in  to see  the governor  late the  next morning.  The appointment,
squeezed into an overcrowded calendar, was simply a concession to Sally and
another  evidence of  the  high regard  in which  she  was held  around the
capitol. For it was evident that he did not want to see us and did not have
time to see us. But he greeted Sally affectionately and listened, patiently
while  Jedson  explained  in  a  few  words  why we  thought  the  combined
Ditworth-Middle Counties bill should be vetoed.

The  circumstances  were  not  favourable to  reasoned  expostulation.  The
governor was  interrupted by  two calls that  he had to take,  one from his
director of finance and one from Washington. His personal secretary came in
once and  shoved a memorandum under  his eyes, at which  the old man looked
worried, then  scrawled something  on it and  handed it back.  I could tell
that his attention was elsewhere for some minutes after that.

When Jedson stopped talking, the governor sat for a moment, looking down at
his blotter pad, an  expression of deep- rooted weariness on his face. Then
he answered in slow  words, No, Mr Jedson, I can't see it. I regret as much
as you  do that this business  of the regulation of  magic has been tied in
with an  entirely different  matter. But I  cannot veto part of  a bill and
sign  the  rest  -  even though  the  bill  includes  two widely  separated
subjects.

I appreciate  the work you did  to help elect my  administration' - I could
see Sally's hand in that remark - and wish that we could agree on this. But
the Middle  Counties Project is something that  I have worked towards since
my inauguration.  I hope and believe that it will  be the means whereby the
most depressed area in our state can work out its economic problems without
further grants of public  money. If I thought that the amendment concerning
magic would actually do a grave harm to the state-'

He paused for a  moment. But I don't. When Mrs Logan called me this morning
I had  my legislative  counsel analyse the  bill. I agree that  the bill is
unnecessary,  but  it seems  to  do nothing  more  than add  a little  more
bureaucratic red tape. That's  not good, but we manage to do business under
a lot of it; a little more can't wreck things.'

I  butted in  - rudely,  I suppose  - but  I was  all worked up.  But, Your
Excellency, if you would just take time to examine this matter yourself, in
detail, you would see how much damage it will do!'

I would  not have been surprised  if he had flared  back at me. Instead, he
indicated a file basket that was stacked high and spilling over. Mr Fraser,
there you see fifty-seven  bills passed by this session of the legislature.
Every one of them has some defect. Every one of them is of vital importance
to some,  or all of the  people of this state. Some of  them are as long to
read as  an ordinary novel. In  the next nine days  I must decide what ones
shall become law and'  what ones must wait for revision at the next regular
session. During  that nine days at least a thousand  people will want me to
see them about some one of those bills-'

His aide  stuck his head in  the door. Twelve-twenty, chief!  You're on the
air in forty minutes.'

The governor nodded absently and stood up. You will excuse me? I'm expected
at a  luncheon.' He  turned to his  aide, who was  getting out  his hat and
gloves from a closet. You have the speech, Jim?'

Of course, sir.

Just a minute!' Sally had cut in. Have you taken your tonic?'

Not yet.'

You're not going off to one of those luncheons without it!' She ducked into
his private  washroom and came out with a medicine  bottle. Joe and I bowed
out as quickly as possible.

Outside  I started fuming  to Jedson about  the way  we had been  given the
run-around,  as   I  saw  it.  I   made  some  remark  about  dunderheaded,
compromising politicians when Joe cut me short.

Shut up,  Archie! Try running a state sometime  instead of a small business
and see how easy you find it!'

I shut up.

Bodie was waiting  for us in the lobby of the capitol.  I could see that he
was excited  about something,  for he flipped  away a cigarette  and rushed
towards us. Look!' he commanded. Down there!'

We followed the direction  of his finger and saw two figures just going out
of the  big doors.  One was Ditworth,  the other was  a well-known lobbyist
with whom he had worked. What about it?' Joe demanded.

I was  standing here behind this phone booth,  leaning against the wall and
catching a  cigarette. As you can  see, from here that  big mirror reflects
the bottom  of the rotunda stairs.  I kept an eye on  it for you fellows. I
noticed  this lobbyist,  Sims,  coming downstairs  by himself,  but  he was
gesturing as  if he  were talking to  somebody. That made me  curious, so I
looked  around the corner  of the booth  and saw  him directly. He  was not
alone; he was with Ditworth. I looked back at the mirror and he appeared to
be alone. Ditworth cast no reflection in the mirror!'

Jedson snapped  his fingers.  A demon!' he  said in an amazed  voice. And I
never suspected it!'

I  am surprised that  more suicides don't  occur on  trains. When a  man is
down,  I know  of nothing  more depressing  than staring at  the monotonous
scenery and listening to  the maddening lickety-tock of the rails. In a way
I was  glad to  have this new  development of Ditworth's  inhuman status to
think  about; it  kept  my mind  off poor  old  Feldstein and  his thousand
dollars.

Startling as it was  to discover that Ditworth was a demon, it made no real
change in  the situation  except to explain  the efficiency and  speed with
which we  had been outmanoeuvred and  to confirm as a  certainty our belief
that the  racketeers and  Magic, Incorporated, were  two heads of  the same
beast. But we had no way of proving that Ditworth was a Half World monster.
If we  tried to  haul him into  court for a  test, he was  quite capable of
lying low  and sending out a  facsimile, or a mandrake,  built to look like
him and immune to the mirror test.

We dreaded going back and reporting our failure to the committee - at least
I did. But at least we were spared that. The Middle Counties Act carried an
emergency clause which put it into effect the day it was signed. Ditworth's
bill, as an amendment, went into action with the same speed. The newspapers
on sale at  the station when we got off the train  carried the names of the
new commissioners for thaumaturgy.

Nor  did the  commission  waste any  time in  making  its power  felt. They
announced their  intention of raising the  standards of magical practice in
all fields,  and stated  that new and  more thorough examinations  would be
prepared  at once.  The association  formerly headed  by Ditworth  opened a
coaching school in which practising magicians could take a refresher course
in  thaumaturgic principles  and arcane  law. In  accordance with  the high
principles set  forth in  their charter, the  school was not  restricted to
members of the association.

That  sounds bighearted  of  the association.  It wasn't.  They  managed to
convey  a  strong  impression  in  their  classes that  membership  in  the
association would  be a big  help in passing the  new examinations. Nothing
you  could put  your  finger on  to take  into  court -  just  a continuous
impression. The association grew.

A couple of weeks  later all licences were cancelled and magicians were put
on a day-to-day basis in their practice, subject to call for re-examination
at a  day's notice.  A few of  the outstanding holdouts  against signing up
with Magic,  Incorporated, were  called up, examined,  and licences refused
them. The squeeze was  on. Mrs Jennings quietly withdrew from any practice.
Bodie  came  around to  see  me; I  had  an uncompleted  contract with  him
involving some apartment houses.

Here's your contract, Archie,' he said bitterly. I'll need some time to pay
the penalties  for noncompletion;  my bond was revoked  when they cancelled
the licences.'

I took the contract  and tore it in two. Forget that talk about penalties,'
I told him. You take your examinations and we'll write a new contract.~

He laughed unhappily. Don't be a Pollyanna.'

I  changed  my  tack.  What are  you  going  to  do?  Sign  up with  Magic,
Incorporated?'

He  straightened himself  up. I've  never temporized  with demons;  I won't
start now.'

Good boy,' I said. Well, if the eating gets uncertain, I reckon we can find
a job of some sort here for you.'

It was a good thing that Bodie had some money saved, for I was a little too
optimistic in my offer.  Magic, Incorporated, moved quickly into the second
phase of  their squeeze, and it  began to be a  matter of speculation as to
whether I  myself would eat regularly.  There were still quite  a number of
licensed magicians  in town who were not  employed by Magic, Incorporated -
it would have been an evident, actionable frame-up to freeze out everyone -
but  those  available were  all  incompetent  bunglers, not  fit  to mix  a
philter. There was no  competent, legal magical assistance to be got at any
price - except through Magic, Incorporated.

I was forced to  fall back on old-fashioned methods in every respect. Since
I don't use much  magic in any case, it was possible for me to do that, but
it was the difference between making money and losing money.

I had put Feldstein  on as a salesman after his agency folded up under him.
He turned out to  be a crackajack and helped to reduce the losses. He could
smell  a profit  even farther than  I could  - farther than  Dr Worthington
could smell a witch.

But  most  of  the  other  businessmen  around  me were  simply  forced  to
capitulate.  Most  of them  used  magic  in at  least  one  phase of  their
business;  they  had  their  choice  of  signing  a  contract  with  Magic,
Incorporated,  or closing  their  doors. They  had  wives and  kids -  they
signed.

The fees  for thaumaturgy  were jacked up  until they were  all the traffic
would  bear, to the  point where it  was just  cheaper to do  business with
magic than  without it. The magicians  got none of the  new profits; it all
stayed with the corporation. As a matter of fact, the magicians got less of
the proceeds than when  they had operated independently, but they took what
they could get and were glad of the chance to feed their families.

Jedson was hard hit  - disastrously hit. He held out, naturally, preferring
honourable bankruptcy to dealing  with demons, but he used magic throughout
his business. He was  through. They started by disqualifying August Welker,
his foreman, then cut  off the rest of his resources. It was intimated that
Magic, Incorporated, did not care to deal with him, even had he wished it.

We were  all over  at Mrs Jennings's  late one afternoon for  tea - myself,
Jedson, Bodie,  and Dr  Royce Worthington, the  witch smeller. We  tried to
keep the conversation away  from our troubles, but we just could not do it.
Anything  that was  said  led back  somehow  to Ditworth  and his  damnable
monopoly.

After  Jack   Bodie  had   spent  ten  minutes   explaining  carefully  and
mendaciously that  he really did not mind being  out of witchcraft, that he
did not have any real talent for it, and had only taken it up to please his
old man, I tried  to change the subject. Mrs Jennings had been listening to
Jack  with such  pity  and compassion  in her  eyes that  I wanted  to bawl
myself.

I turned to Jedson and said inanely, How is Miss Megeath?'

She was the white witch from Jersey City, the one who did creative magic in
textiles. I had no special interest in her welfare.

He looked up with  a start. Ellen? She's ... she's all right. They took her
licence away a month ago,' he finished lamely.

That was not the  direction I wanted the talk to go. I turned it again. Did
she ever manage to do that whole-garment stunt?'

He brightened  a little. Why, yes, she did - once.  Didn't I tell you about
it?'  Mrs Jennings showed  polite curiosity,  for which I  silently thanked
her.  Jedson  explained  to  the  others  what  they  had  been  trying  to
accomplish.  She really  succeeded too  well,' he  continued. Once  she had
started, she  kept right on, and we could not bring  her out of her trance.
She turned out over  thirty thousand little striped sports dresses, all the
same size and pattern.  My lofts were loaded with them. Nine tenths of them
will melt away before I dispose of them.

But she won't try it again,' he added. Too hard on her health.'

How?' I inquired.

Well, she lost ten  pounds doing that one stunt. She's not hardy enough for
magic. What she really  needs is to go out to Arizona and lie around in the
sun for a year. I wish to the Lord I had the money. I'd send her.'

I  cocked  an  eyebrow  at him.  Getting  interested,  Joe?'  Jedson is  an
inveterate bachelor,  but it pleases me  to pretend otherwise. He generally
plays  up, but  this time he  was downright  surly. It showed  the abnormal
state of nerves he was in.

Oh, for  cripes' sake, Archie! Excuse me, Mrs Jennings!  But can't I take a
normal humane interest in a person without you seeing an ulterior motive in
it?'

Sorry.'

That's all right.' He  grinned. I shouldn't be so touchy. Anyhow, Ellen and
I have  cooked up an invention between us that might  be a solution for all
of us. I'd been intending to show it to all of you just as soon as we had a
working model. Look, folks!' He drew what appeared to be a fountain pen Out
of a vest pocket and handed it to me.

What is it? A pen?'

No.'

A fever thermometer?'

No. Open it up.'

I unscrewed  the cap  and found that  it contained a  miniature parasol. It
opened and  closed like a real umbrella, and  was about three inches across
when opened. It reminded  me of one of those clever little Japanese favours
one sometimes  gets at parties, except  that it seemed to  be made of oiled
silk and metal instead of tissue paper and bamboo.

Pretty,' I said, and very clever. What's it good for?'

Dip it in water.'

I looked around for some. Mrs Jennings poured some into an empty cup, and I
dipped it in.

It seemed to crawl in my hands.

In less than thirty seconds I was holding a full-sized umbrella in my hands
and looking as silly as I felt. Bodie smacked a palm with a fist.

It's a lulu, Joe! I wonder why somebody didn't think of it before.'

Jedson accepted congratulations with a fatuous grin, then added, That's not
all - look.' He pulled a small envelope out of a pocket and produced a tiny
transparent raincoat,  suitable for a six-inch doll.  This is the same gag.
And this.' He hauled out a pair of rubber overshoes less than an inch long.
A man  could wear these as  a watch fob, or  a woman could carry  them on a
charm bracelet.  Then, with either  the umbrella or the  raincoat, one need
never be caught in  the rain. The minute the rain hits them, presto! - full
size. When they dry out they shrink up.'

We  passed them around  from hand to  hand and  admired them. Joe  went on.
Here's what  I have in mind.  This business needs a  magician - that's you,
Jack  -  and  a  merchandiser  -  that's  you,  Archie. It  has  two  major
stockholders: that's Ellen and me. She can go take the rest cure she needs,
and I'll retire and resume my studies, same as I always wanted to.'

My mind immediately started turning over the commercial possibilities, then
I suddenly  saw the hitch. Wait a minute, Joe. We  can't set up business in
this state.'

No.'

It will  take some  capital to move  out of the  state. How  are you fixed?
Frankly, I don't believe I could raise a thousand dollars if I liquidated.'

He made a wry face. Compared with me you are rich.'

I got up and  began wandering nervously around the room. We would just have
to raise the money somehow. It was too good a thing to be missed, and would
rehabilitate  all  of  us.  It was  clearly  patentable,  and  I could  see
commercial possibilities that would  never occur to Joe. Tents for camping,
canoes, swimming suits, travelling gear of every sort. We had a gold mine.

Mrs Jennings  interrupted in her sweet  and gentle voice. I  am not sure it
will be too easy to find a state in which to operate.'

Excuse me, what did you say?'

Dr Royce  and I have been making some inquiries. I  am afraid you will find
the rest of the country about as well sewed up as this state.'

What! Forty-eight states?'

Demons don't have the same limitations in time that we have.'

That brought me up short. Ditworth again.

Gloom settled  down on  us like fog.  We discussed it from  every angle and
came right back  to where we had started. It was no  help to have a clever,
new  business; Ditworth  had us shut  out of  every business. There  was an
awkward silence.

I finally  broke it with an  outburst that surprised myself.  Look here!' I
exclaimed. This situation is  intolerable. Let's quit kidding ourselves and
admit it. As long  as Ditworth is in control we're whipped. Why don't we do
something?'

Jedson gave  me a pained smile.  God knows I'd like  to, Archie, if I could
think of anything useful to do.'

But we know  who our enemy is - Ditworth! Let's tackle  him - legal or not,
fair means or dirty!'

But that is just the point. Do we know our enemy? To be sure, we know he is
a demon, but what demon, and where? Nobody has seen him in weeks.'

Huh? But I thought just the other day-'

Just a dummy, a hollow shell. The real Ditworth is somewhere out of sight.'

But, look, if he is a demon, can't he be invoked, and compelled-'

Mrs  Jennings  answered this  time.  Perhaps  - though  it's uncertain  and
dangerous. But we lack one essential - his name. To invoke a demon you must
know his real name,  otherwise he will not obey you, no matter how powerful
the incantation. I have been searching the Half World for weeks, but I have
not learned that necessary name.'

Dr Worthington cleared his  throat with a rumble as deep as a cement mixer,
and volunteered, My abilities  are at your disposal, if I can help to abate
this nuisance-'

Mrs Jennings thanked him.  I don't see how we can use you as yet, Doctor. I
knew we could depend on you.'

Jedson said suddenly, White prevails over black.'

She answered, Certainly.'

Everywhere?'

Everywhere, since darkness is the absence of light.'

He went on, It is not good for the white to wait on the black.'

It is not good.'

With my brother Royce to help, we might carry light into darkness.'

She considered this. It is possible, yes. But very dangerous.'

You have been there?'

On occasion. But you are not I, nor are these others.'

Everyone seemed  to be following the  thread of the conversation  but me. I
interrupted with,  Just a minute, please.  Would it be too  much to explain
what you are talking about?'

There was  no rudeness intended,  Archibald,' said Mrs Jennings  in a voice
that made it all  right. Joseph has suggested that, since we are stalemated
here,  we make  a sortie  into the  Half World,  smell out this  demon, and
attack him on his home ground.'

It took  me a  moment to grasp  the simple audacity  of the  scheme. Then I
said, Fine! Let's get on with it. When do we start?'

They  lapsed back  into  a professional  discussion  that I  was unable  to
follow.  Mrs  Jennings dragged  out  several  musty volumes  and looked  up
references on  points that were  sheer Sanskrit to me.  Jedson borrowed her
almanac, and  he and the doctor  stepped out into the  back yard to observe
the moon.

Finally  it settled  down into  an argument  - or rather  discussion; there
could  be no  argument, as  they all  deferred to Mrs  Jennings's judgement
concerning  liaison. There  seemed to  be no  satisfactory way  to maintain
contact with the real  world, and Mrs Jennings was unwilling to start until
it was worked out.  The difficulty was this: not being black magicians, not
having signed  a compact with Old Nick, they were  not citizens of the Dark
Kingdom and could not travel through it with certain impunity.

Bodie turned to Jedson. How about Ellen Megeath?' he inquired doubtfully.

Ellen?  Why, yes,  of  course. She  would do  it.  I'll telephone  her. Mrs
Jennings, do any of your neighbours have a phone?'

Never mind,' Bodie told him, just think about her for a few minutes so that
I  can  get  a  line-' He  stared  at  Jedson's  face  for  a moment,  then
disappeared suddenly.

Perhaps three  minutes later Ellen Megeath  dropped lightly out of nothing.
Mr Bodie  will be along  in a few minutes,'  she said. He stopped  to buy a
packet  of cigarettes.'  Jedson  took her  over  and presented  her to  Mrs
Jennings.  She did look  sickly, and  I could understand  Jedson's concern.
Every few  minutes she would swallow and choke a  little, as if bothered by
an enlarged thyroid.

As soon  as Jack was back they got right down  to details. He had explained
to  Ellen  what they  planned  to do,  and  she was  entirely willing.  She
insisted that one more  session of magic would do her no harm. There was no
advantage in waiting; they prepared to depart at once. Mrs Jennings related
the marching  orders. Ellen, you will need to  follow me in trance, keeping
in close  rapport. I  think you will  find that couch near  the fireplace a
good  place to rest  your body. Jack,  you will  remain here and  guard the
portal.' The chimney of Mrs Jennings's living room fireplace was to be used
as most convenient. You will keep in touch with us through Ellen.'

But, Granny, I'll be needed in the Half-'

No, Jack.' She was  gently firm. You are needed here much more. Someone has
to guard the way and help us back, you know. Each to his task.'

He muttered a bit, but gave in. She went on, I think that is all. Ellen and
Jack  here; Joseph,  Royce,  and myself  to make  the  trip. You  will have
nothing to do but wait, Archibald, but we won't be longer than ten minutes,
world time, if we  are to come back.' She bustled away towards the kitchen,
saying something  about the  unguent and calling  back to Jack  to have the
candles ready. I hurried after her.

'What do you mean,  I demanded, about me having nothing to do but wait? I'm
going along!'

She  turned and  looked  at me  before  replying, troubled  concern in  her
magnificent eyes. I don't see how that can be, Archibald.'

Jedson had followed us  and now took me by the arm. See here, Archie, do be
sensible. It's utterly out of the question. You're not a magician.'

I pulled away from him. Neither are you.'

Not in a technical sense, perhaps, but I know enough to be useful. Don't be
a stubborn fool, man; if you come, you'll simply handicap us.'

That kind  of an argument is hard to answer  and manifestly unfair. How?' I
persisted.

Hell's bells, Archie, you're  young and strong and willing, and there is no
one I would rather  have at my back in a roughhouse, but  this is not a job
for courage, or even intelligence alone. It calls for special knowledge and
experience.'

Well,' I answered, Mrs Jennings has enough of that for a regiment. But - if
you'll  pardon me,  Mrs  Jennings! -  she is  old and  feeble. I'll  be her
muscles if her strength fails.'

Joe looked  faintly amused,  and I could  have kicked him. But  that is not
what is required in-'

Dr Worthington's  double-bass rumble interrupted him  from somewhere behind
us. It  occurs to  me, brother, that  there may possibly  be a  use for our
young  friend's impetuous  ignorance. There  are times  when wisdom  is too
cautious.'

Mrs  Jennings put  a stop  to it. Wait  - all  of you,' she  commanded, and
trotted over to a  kitchen cupboard. This she opened, moved aside a package
of  rolled oats, and  took down a  small leather  sack. It was  filled with
slender sticks.

She  cast them  on  the floor,  and the  three of  them huddled  around the
litter, studying the patterns. Cast them again,' Joe insisted. She did so.

I  saw Mrs  Jennings and  the doctor  nod solemn  agreement to  each other.
Jedson shrugged and turned  away. Mrs Jennings addressed me, concern in her
eyes. You will go,' she said softly. It is not safe, but you will go.'

We wasted no more time. The unguent was heated and we took turns rubbing it
on each  other's backbone.  Bodie, as gatekeeper,  sat in the  midst of his
pentacles, mekagrans,  and runes,  and intoned monotonously  from the great
book.  Worthington  elected  to  go  in  his  proper  person,  ebony  in  a
breechcloth, parasymbols scribed on him from head to toe, his grandfather's
head cradled in an elbow.

There was some discussion before they could decide on a final form for Joe,
and the metamorphosis was checked and changed several times. He finished up
with paper-thin  grey flesh stretched over  an obscenely distorted skull, a
sloping back, the thin  flanks of an animal, and a long, boy tail, which he
twitched incessantly. But the whole composition was near enough to human to
create  a  revulsion  much  greater than  would  be  the  case  for a  more
outlandish shape. I gagged at the sight of him, but he was pleased. There!'
he exclaimed  in a voice like  scratched tin. You've done  a beautiful job,
Mrs Jennings. Asmodeus would not know me from his own nephew.'

I trust not,' she said. Shall we go?'

How about Archie?'

It suits me to leave him as he is.'

Then how about your own transformation?'

I'll take care of that,' she answered, somewhat tartly. Take your places.'

Mrs Jennings and I  rode double on the same broom, with me in front, facing
the candle  stuck in the straws. I've  noticed All Hallow's Eve decorations
which show  the broom with the handle forward  and the brush trailing. That
is a  mistake. Custom is important in these matters.  Royce and Joe were to
follow close  behind us. Seraphin leaped  quickly to his mistress' shoulder
and settled himself, his whiskers quivering with eagerness.

Bodie pronounced  the word, our candle  flared up high, and we  were off. I
was frightened nearly to  panic, but tried not to show it as I clung to the
broom. The  fireplace gaped at us, and swelled to  a monster arch. The fire
within roared  up like a burning  forest and swept us  along with it. As we
swirled up I caught a glimpse of a salamander dancing among the flames, and
felt  sure that  it was  my own  - the  one that  had honoured me  with its
approval and sometimes graced my new fireplace. It seemed a good omen.

We had  left the portal far  behind - if the word behind'  can be used in a
place where directions are  symbolic - the shrieking din of the fire was no
longer with us, and I was beginning to regain some part of my nerve. I felt
a reassuring hand at my waist, and turned my head to speak to Mrs Jennings.

I nearly fell off the broom.

When we  left the  house there had mounted  behind me an old,  old woman, a
shrunken, wizened body kept  alive by an indomitable spirit. She whom I now
saw was  a young woman, strong, perfect,  and vibrantly beautiful. There is
no way to describe her; she was without defect of any sort, and imagination
could suggest no improvement.

Have you  ever seen the bronze  Diana of the Woods?  She was something like
that, except that metal cannot catch the live dynamic beauty that I saw.

But it was the same woman!

Mrs Jennings  - Amanda Todd, that  was - at perhaps  her twenty-fifth year,
when  she had  reached  the full  maturity of  her gorgeous  womanhood, and
before time had softened the focus of perfection.

I  forgot to  be  afraid. I  forgot everything  except  that I  was  in the
presence of the most compelling and dynamic female had ever known. I forgot
that she  was at least sixty years older than  myself, and that her present
form was  simply a triumph of sorcery. I suppose if  anyone had asked me at
that time  if I were in  love with Amanda Jennings,  I would have answered,
Yes!' But  at the time my  thoughts were much too  confused to be explicit.
She was there, and that was sufficient.

She smiled,  and her eyes were warm with  understanding. She spoke, and her
voice was  the voice I knew, even though it was  rich contralto in place of
the accustomed clear, thin soprano. Is everything all right, Archie?'

Yes,' I answered in a shaky voice. Yes, Amanda, everything is all right!'

As  for the  Half World-  How can  I describe  a place  that has  no single
matching criterion  with what I have  known? How can I  speak of things for
which no words have  been invented? One tells of things unknown in terms of
things which are known. Here there is no relationship by which to link; all
is irrelevant.  All I can hope to do is tell  how matters affected my human
senses, how events influenced my human emotions, knowing that there are two
falsehoods involved - the  falsehood I saw and felt, and the falsehood that
I tell.

I have  discussed this matter with  Jedson, and he agrees  with me that the
difficulty  is insuperable,  yet  some things  may be  said with  a partial
element of  truth -  truth of a  sort, with respect  to how  the Half World
impinged on me.

There is one striking difference between the real world and the Half World.
In the  real world there are natural laws  which persist through changes of
custom  and  culture; in  the  Half World  only  custom has  any degree  of
persistence, and  of natural law there  is none. Imagine, if  you please, a
condition in which the  head of a state might repeal the law of gravitation
and  have his  decree really effective  - a  place where King  Canute could
order back the sea and have the waves obey him. A place where up' and down'
were matters  of opinion, and directions  might read as readily  in days or
colours as  in miles.  And yet it  was not a meaningless  anarchy, for they
were constrained to obey their customs as unavoidably as we comply with the
rules of natural phenomena.

We made  a sharp turn to the left in  the formless greyness that surrounded
us  in order  to survey  the years  for a  sabbat meeting. It  was Amanda's
intention  to face  the Old  One with  the matter  directly rather  than to
search aimlessly through ever  changing mazes of the Half World for a being
hard to identify at best.

Royce picked  Out the sabbat, though  I could see nothing  until we let the
ground come  up to meet us and proceeded on foot.  Then there was light and
form.  Ahead of  us,  perhaps a  quarter of  a mile  away, was  an eminence
surmounted  by a  great throne which  glowed red  through the murky  air. I
could  not make  out  clearly the  thing seated  there, but  I knew  it was
himself' - our ancient enemy.

We were  no longer alone. Life - sentient,  evil undeadness - boiled around
us  and fogged  the  air and  crept out  of the  ground. The  ground itself
twitched and  pulsated as  we walked over  it. Faceless things  sniffed and
nibbled at  our heels.  We were aware  of unseen presences about  us in the
fog-shot gloom:  beings that squeaked, grunted,  and sniggered; voices that
were slobbering whimpers, that sucked and retched and bleated.

They seemed  vaguely disturbed  by our presence  - Heaven knows  that I was
terrified by  them! - for I  could hear them flopping  and shuffling out of
our path,  then closing cautiously  in behind, as they  bleated warnings to
one another.

A shape floundered into  our path and stopped, a shape with a great bloated
head and  moist, limber  arms. Back!' it  wheezed. Go back!  Candidates for
witchhood  apply on  the lower level.'  It did  not speak English,  but the
words were clear.

Royce  smashed it  in the  face and  we stamped  over it, its  chalky bones
crunching  underfoot.   It  pulled  itself  together   again,  whining  its
submission, then scurried out  in front of us and thereafter gave us escort
right up to the great throne.

That's the  only way to treat these beings,' Joe  whispered in my ear. Kick
em  in the  teeth first,  and they'll  respect you.'  There was  a clearing
before the  throne which  was crowded with black  witches, black magicians,
demons in every foul guise, and lesser unclean things. On the left side the
cauldron boiled.  On the  right some of  the company were  partaking of the
witches'  feast. I  turned  my head  away  from that.  Directly before  the
throne, as custom calls for, the witches' dance was being performed for the
amusement of the Goat.  Some dozens of men and women, young and old, comely
and hideous, cavorted and leaped in impossible acrobatic adagio.

The dance  ceased and they gave way uncertainly before  us as we pressed up
to  the throne.  What's  this? What's  this?' came  a  husky, phlegm-filled
voice. It's my little sweetheart! Come up and sit beside me, my sweet! Have
you come at last to sign my compact?'

Jedson grasped my arm; I checked my tongue.

I'll stay  where I am,' answered Amanda in a  voice crisp with contempt. As
for your compact, you know better.'

Then why are you  here? And why such odd companions.'  He looked down at us
from  the   vantage  of  his  throne,   slapped  hairy  thigh  and  laughed
immoderately. Royce stirred and  muttered; his grandfather's head chattered
in wrath. Seraphhi spat.

Jedson and Amanda put their heads together for a moment, then she answered,
By the treaty with Adam, I claim the right to examine.

He chuckled, and the little devils around him covered their ears. You claim
privileges here? With no compact?'

Your customs,' she answered sharply.

Ah yes,  the customs! Since you  invoke them, so let  it be. And whom would
you examine?'

I do  not know his  name. He is one  of your demons who  has taken improper
liberties outside your sphere.'

One of  my demons, and you know not his name?  I have seven million demons,
my pretty. Will you  examine them one by one, or all together?' His sarcasm
was almost the match of her contempt.

All together.'

Never  let it  be said  that I  would not  oblige a  guest. If you  will go
forward - let me see - exactly five months and three days, you will find my
gentlemen drawn up for inspection.'

I do not recollect how we got there. There was a great, brown plain, and no
sky. Drawn up in  military order for review by their evil lord were all the
fiends of  the Half World, legion  on legion, wave after  wave. The Old One
was attended by his  cabinet; Jedson pointed them out to me - LucifugΘ, the
prime minister;  Sataniacha, field  marshal; Beelzebub and  Leviathan, wing
commanders; Ashtoreth, Abaddon, Mammon, Theutus, Asmodeus, and Incubus, the
Fallen  Thrones. The seventy  princes each  commanded a division,  and each
remained with his command, leaving only the dukes and the thrones to attend
their lord, Satan Mekratrig.

He himself still appeared  as the Goat, but his staff took every detestable
shape  they  fancied. Asmodeus  sported  three  heads, each  evil and  each
different,  rising out  of the  hind quarters  of a swollen  dragon. Mammon
resembled, very  roughly, a  particularly repulsive tarantula.  Ashtoreth I
cannot  describe at  all. Only  the Incubus  affected a semblance  of human
form, as the only vessel adequate to display his lecherousness.

The Goat glanced our  way. Be quick about it,' he demanded. We are not here
for your amusement.'

Amanda ignored him, but led us towards the leading squadron. Come back!' he
bellowed.  And indeed  we were  back; our  steps had  led us no  place. You
ignore the custom. Hostages first!'

Amanda  bit her lip.  Admitted,' she  retorted, and consulted  briefly with
Royce and Jedson. I caught Royce's answer to some argument.

Since I  am to  go,' he said,  it is best  that I choose  my companion, for
reasons that  are sufficient to me.  My grandfather advises me  to take the
youngest. That one, of course, is Fraser.'

What's  this?'  I said  when  my  name was  mentioned.  I  had been  rather
pointedly left out of all the discussions, but this was surely my business.

Royce wants you to go with him to smell out Ditworth,' explained Jedson.

And leave Amanda here with these fiends? I don't like it.'

I can  look out  for myself, Archie,'  she said quietly.  If Dr Worthington
wants you, you can help me most by going with him.'

What is this hostage stuff?'

Having demanded  the right  of examination,' she explained,  you must bring
back Ditworth - or the hostages are forfeit.'

Jedson  spoke up  before I  could protest.  Don't be  a hero, son.  This is
serious. You  can serve us all  best by going. If  you two don't come back,
you  can bet that  they'll have a  fight on  their hands before  they claim
their forfeit!'

I went.  Worthington and I had  hardly left them before  I realized acutely
that what little peace of mind I had came from the nearness of Amanda. Once
out of her immediate  influence the whole mind-twisting horror of the place
and its grisly denizens  hit me. I felt something rub against my ankles and
nearly jumped out of  my shoes. But when I looked down I saw that Seraphin,
Amanda's cat,  had chosen to follow me. After  that things were better with
me.

Royce assumed  his dog  pose when we came  to the first rank  of demons. He
first  handed me  his  grandfather's head.  Once  I would  have found  that
mummified head repulsive to  touch; it seemed a friendly, homey thing here.
Then  he was  down on  all fours,  scalloping in  and out  of the  ranks of
infernal warriors. Seraphin scampered  after him, paired up and hunted with
him. The hound seemed  quite content to let the cat do half the work, and I
have no  doubt he was justified.  I walked as rapidly  as possible down the
aisles between  adjacent squadrons while the animals  cast out from side to
side.

It seems  to me  that this went on  for many hours, certainly  so long that
fatigue  changed to  a wooden  automatism and  horror died  down to  a dull
unease. I learned not  to look at the eyes of the demons, and was no longer
surprised at any outre shape.

Squadron by squadron, division  by division, we combed them, until at last,
coming up  the left wing, we reached the end.  The animals had been growing
increasingly nervous. When they had completed the front rank of the leading
squadron, the  hound trotted up to  me and whined. I  suppose he sought his
grandfather, but I reached down and patted his head.

Don't  despair, old  friend,'  I said,  we  have still  these.' I  motioned
towards the generals, princes  all, who were posted before their divisions.
Coming up  from the rear as  we had, we had yet  to examine the generals of
the leading  divisions on  the left wing.  But despair already  claimed me;
what were half a dozen possibilities against an eliminated seven million?

The  dog trotted away  to the post  of the  nearest general, the  cat close
beside him,  while I followed as rapidly as  possible. He commenced to yelp
before he  was fairly up  to the demon, and  I broke into a  run. The demon
stirred and commenced to metamorphose. But even in this strange shape there
was something familiar about it. Ditworth!' I yelled, and dived for him.

I felt  myself buffeted by leather wings, raked by  claws. Royce came to my
aid, a dog no longer, but two hundred pounds of fighting Negro. The cat was
a ball  of fury, teeth, and  claws. Nevertheless, we would  have been lost,
done in completely, had  not an amazing thing happened. A demon broke ranks
and shot towards us.  I sensed him rather than saw him, and thought that he
had  come to  succour  his master,  though I  had  been assured  that their
customs did not permit it. But he helped us - us, his natural enemies - and
attacked with  such vindictive  violence that the  gauge was turned  to our
favour.

Suddenly it was all  over. I found myself on the ground, clutching at not a
demon  prince  but Ditworth  in  his pseudo-  human  form -  a little  mild
businessman,  dressed  with  restrained  elegance, complete  to  briefcase,
spectacles, and thinning hair.

Take that thing off  me,' he said testily. That thing' was grandfather, who
was clinging doggedly with toothless gums to his neck.

Royce  spared  a  hand  from  the  task  of holding  Ditworth  and  resumed
possession of his grandfather. Seraphin stayed where he was, claws dug into
our prisoner's leg.

The demon  who had  rescued us was  still with us.  He had  Ditworth by the
shoulders, talons  dug into  their bases. I  cleared my throat  and said, I
believe we  owe this to you-' I had not the  slightest notion of the proper
thing to say. I think the situation was utterly without precedent.

The demon  made a grimace that  may have been intended  to be friendly, but
which I  found frightening. Let  me introduce myself,' he  said in English.
I'm Federal Agent William Kane, Bureau of Investigation.'

I think that was what made me faint.

I came to,  lying on my back. Someone had smeared a  salve on my wounds and
they were  hardly stiff, and not  painful in the least,  but I was mortally
tired. There  was talking going on somewhere near me.  I turned my head and
saw  all the  members of  my party  gathered together. Worthington  and the
friendly demon who claimed to be a G-man held Ditworth between them, facing
Satan. Of all the mighty infernal army I saw no trace.

So  it  was my  nephew  Nebiros,'  mused the  Goat,  shaking  his head  and
clucking. Nebiros,  you are a bad lad and I'm proud  of you. But I'm afraid
you will  have to  try your strength  against their champion  now that they
have caught you.' He addressed Amanda. Who is your champion, my dear?'

The friendly demon spoke up. That sounds like my job.'

I  think not,'  countered Amanda. She  drew him  to one side  and whispered
intently. Finally he shrugged his wings and gave in.

Amanda rejoined  the group. I struggled  to my feet and  came up to them. A
trial to  the death, I think,'  she was saying. Are  you ready, Nebiros?' I
was stretched between heart-stopping fear for Amanda and a calm belief that
she could do anything she attempted. Jedson saw my face and shook his head.
I was not to interrupt.

But Nebiros  had no stomach for it. Still in  his Ditworth form and looking
ridiculously  human, he  turned  to the  Old One.  I  dare not,  Uncle. The
outcome is certain. Intercede for me.'

Certainly, Nephew. I had rather hoped she would destroy you. You'll trouble
me someday.'  Then to Amanda, Shall we say...  ah.. . ten thousand thousand
years?'

Amanda  gathered  our  votes  with her  eyes,  including  me,  to my  proud
pleasure,  and answered, So  be it.' It  was not  a stiff sentence  as such
things go, I'm told - about equal to six months in jail in the real world -
but he had not offended their customs; he had simply been defeated by white
magic.

Old Nick brought down  one arm in an emphatic gesture. There was a crashing
roar and  a burst of light and  DitworthNebiros was spread-eagled before us
on a mighty boulder, his limbs bound with massive iron chains. He was again
in demon  form. Amanda  and Worthington examined  the bonds. She  pressed a
seal ring  against each  hasp and nodded  to the Goat. At  once the boulder
receded with great speed into the distance until it was gone from sight.

That seems to be about all, and I suppose you will be going now,' announced
the Goat. All except  this one-' He smiled at the demon G-man. I have plans
for him.'

No.' Amanda's tone was flat.

What's that, my little one? He has not the protection of your party, and he
has offended our customs.'

No!'

Really, I must insist.'

Satan Mekratrig,'  she said slowly, do  you wish to try  your strength with
me?'

With you, madame?' He looked at her carefully, as if inspecting her for the
first time. Well, it's been a trying day, hasn't it? Suppose we say no more
about it. Till another time, then-'

He was gone.

The demon  faced her. Thanks,' he  said simply. I wish I  had a hat to take
off.' He added anxiously, Do you know your way out of here?'

Don't you?'

No, that's  the trouble. Perhaps  I should explain myself.  I'm assigned to
the antimonopoly division; we got a line on this chap Ditworth, or Nebiros.
I followed  him in here, thinking  he was simply a  black wizard and that I
could use  his portal  to get back.  By the time  I knew better  it was too
late, and  I was trapped. I  had about resigned myself  to an eternity as a
fake demon.'

I was very much  interested in his story. I knew, of course, that all G-men
are either lawyers, magicians,  or accountants, but all that I had ever met
were accountants.  This calm assumption of  incredible dangers impressed me
and increased my already high opinion of Federal agents.

You may  use our portal to return,' Anianda said.  Stick close to us.' Then
to the rest of us, Shall we go now?'

Jack Bodie was still intoning the lines from the book when we landed. Eight
and a  half minutes,' he announced, looking at  his wrist watch. Nice work.
Did you turn the trick?'

Yes, we  did,' acknowledged Jedson, his voice muffled  by the throes of his
remetamorphosis. Everything that-'

But Bodie interrupted. Bill  Kane - you old scoundrel!' he shouted. How did
you get in on  this party?' Our demon had shucked his transformation on the
way and  landed in  his natural form  - lean, young, and  hard-bitten, in a
quiet grey suit and snap-brim hat.

Hi,  Jack,' he  acknowledged. I'll look  you up  tomorrow and tell  you all
about it. Got to report in now.' With which he vanished.

Ellen was  out of her trance, and Joe was  bending solicitously over her to
see how she had stood up under it. I looked around for Amanda.

Then I  heard her out in  the kitchen and hurried  out there. She looked up
and  smiled at  me,  her lovely  young  face serene  and coolly  beautiful.
Amanda,' I said, Amanda-'

I suppose  I had the subconscious intention of  kissing her, making love to
her. But  it is  very difficult to  start anything of that  sort unless the
woman in  the case in some fashion indicates  her willingness. She did not.
She was  warmly friendly,  but there was  a barrier of reserve  I could not
cross.   Instead,   I   followed    her   around   the   kitchen,   talking
inconsequentially, while she made hot cocoa and toast for all of us.

When we rejoined the others I sat and let my cocoa get cold, staring at her
with vague  frustration in my heart while Jedson  told Ellen and Jack about
our experiences.  He took Ellen home  shortly thereafter, and Jack followed
them out.

When Amanda came back from telling them goodnight at the door, Dr Royce was
stretched out on his  back on the hearthrug, with Seraphin curled up on his
broad chest. They were  both snoring softly. I realized suddenly that I was
wretchedly tired. Amanda saw it, too, and said, Lie down on the couch for a
little and nap if you can.'

I needed no urging.  She came over and spread a shawl over me and kissed me
tenderly. I heard her going upstairs as I fell asleep.

I was  awakened by sunlight striking  my face. Seraphin was  sitting in the
window, cleaning himself. Dr Worthington was gone, but must have just left,
for the nap on  the hearthrug had not yet straightened up. The house seemed
deserted. Then I heard her light footsteps in the kitchen. I was up at once
and quickly out there.

She  had her  back  towards me  and was  reaching  up to  the old-fashioned
pendulum clock  that hung  on her kitchen wall.  She turned as I  came in -
tiny, incredibly aged, her thin white hair brushed neatly into a bun.

It was  suddenly clear to me  why a motherly goodnight  kiss was all that I
had received the night  before; she had had enough sense for two of us, and
had refused to permit me to make a fool of myself.

She looked up at  me and said in a calm, matter-of-fact voice, See, Archie,
my old clock stopped yesterday' - she reached up and touched the pendulum -
but it is running again this morning.'

There is not anything  more to tell. With Ditworth gone, and Kane's report,
Magic,  Incorporated, folded  up almost  overnight. The new  licensing laws
were an unenforced dead letter even before they were repealed.

We all  hang around Mrs Jennings's  place just as much  as she will let us.
I'm really  grateful that she did not let me  get involved with her younger
self, for our present relationship is something solid, something to tie to.
Just the  same, if  I had been  born sixty years sooner,  Mr Jennings would
have had some rivalry to contend with.

I helped  Ellen and Joe organize  their new business, then  put Bodie in as
manager, for  I decided that  I did not want  to give up my  old line. I've
built  the new  wing  and bought  those two  trucks,  just as  Mrs Jennings
predicted. Business is good.