CHAPTER 11

Zady

"And she couldn't have known where they went if they were invisible," he finished the story for Helbah some time later. "Magical crystal or not, she couldn't have followed them."

"Oh, I quite agree," Helbah said thoughtfully. "That definitely isn't Jon. It couldn't be her, even with a spell on."

"What is it, then? A look-alike from another frame?"

"Hardly, though barely possibly. I'd say more like an impostor achieved through an identity exchange. Of course these things are never perfect, but—"

"Can you save her, Helbah?" Charlain demanded.

"Oh yes, yes, of course if she's not—" Helbah hesitated, then finished it. "Destroyed."

There was a pause of silence in their hotel room which Kelvin found painful. After he had found Helbah and Heln and his father, they had come straight here at Helbah's suggestion. She suspected something, he thought, but he wasn't certain what.

"Helbah, could this be an enemy of yours?" Charlain asked her. She was holding on to her husband's hand, her expression and voice earnest; it was, after all, her child and grandchildren.

"Undoubtedly," Helbah said. "If not an enemy of mine, an enemy of goodness."

"Can't you do anything?" John asked. "I mean now. So that we don't have to wait for the next attack."

"Of course. Just give Helbah time. We have the best practitioners of magic here at the convention.

Certainly there are enough of us to deal with one of the evil kind. We are no longer ignorant of what is happening."

"One?" Kelvin asked.

"Possibly. Almost certainly. But one of the evil kind can be quite a challenge."

"Aren't there authorities?" John asked. Then, explaining what he meant for Helbah's benefit: "Police.

Those trained to deal with bad witches and the like?"

Helbah didn't answer. She positioned one of the three crystals on a stand, passed her hand over and around it, and started it swirling inside. A man wearing a light blue uniform sat at a desk.

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"Sergeant," Helbah said to the image. "This is Helbah at the convention. What news of Mrs. Crumb?"

"Safe. In custody as you urged."

In custody? Kelvin jumped. They must have acted immediately, for it wasn't that long since he had been talking with her. No, wait—that had been the fake Jon.

"May we see her?"

"You may."

Helbah directed the crystal vision with motions of her fingers. Seemingly they drifted down a corridor to a large room filled with bird cages. Many of the birds were very ugly, but there was one that wasn't: a white dovgen.

"Jon!" Kelvin breathed, for even in bird form he recognized her. She was sulking in her cage, her back turned on the tipsy spargen in the next cage. Just looking at them, he could tell that the two birds had little in common.

"May I speak to her?" Kelvin asked.

"You may." Helbah made some motions and nodded her head.

"Jon, this is Kelvin," Kelvin said.

The white dovgen straightened up, hearing and recognizing his voice. Several of the other prisoners fluttered; evidently the sound carried to them too.

"We know you're there, Jon, and we'll come to rescue you," Kelvin continued. "But first we have to find whoever has been impersonating you. It shouldn't take much doing. There're witches and warlocks and sorcerers all through the hotel. No one wants an evil person here. No good person does, I mean."

The bird opened and closed its beak as if it wanted to speak. But Jon had not yet learned how to speak while in this form. The bird looked frustrated.

"Please be patient, Jon," Heln said at his side. "We know you've been through much and it's not your fault or ours. Whoever the malignant agent is, she's used a variety of spells."

The bird agitated its wings and made a head motion of violent pecking.

"Yes, I know you'd like to get out and deal with her yourself," Kelvin said, understanding his sister's mannerisms despite the form change. "But that's no good, Jon. First, she's a really powerful evil witch; she would use magic on you and destroy you before you managed to pull out the first hank of hair.

Second, we would not be able to tell the two of you apart, and our good witches would be as likely to bash you as her. So you're safer right where you are, Sister Wart, until they are through bashing your likeness."

The bird relaxed. It was evidently beginning to make sense to her, despite her extreme annoyance.

"We'll singe her feathers proper," Mother Charlain promised. "We'll get you back again, and the grandchildren."

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The bird froze in place. Kelvin could almost hear his sister's thought: The children are missing?

"Not to mention the two kings," John Knight added. "Your impostor did something with all four children."

The white dovgen squawked.

"Oh, no, we don't think she's hurt them," Charlain said quickly. "But they're missing. Tell her, Helbah."

Helbah explained in soothing tones exactly what had happened and how they had gradually learned how things were amiss. She omitted certain embarrassing details, understandably. "It's certainly a Malignant doing this, Jon, and one who has strength. We want to do more than just expel her from the convention.

We want to punish her."

The dovgen clicked its beak as if it were a preybird.

"Yes, yes, I know you'd like to tear into her," Helbah said. "Possibly we'll need your help before we're done, but for now you can help most by staying where you are. You'll be safe here in custody, and as Kelvin said, it would otherwise be too easy to confuse you with your impostor. She won't keep us confused with her spells forever. You'll be released soon, I promise you."

The bird did not look fully satisfied. That was Jon, certainly! Helbah waved a hand, and the crystal went blank and was again simply a many-faceted piece of quartz.

"What do you think she's up to, Helbah?" Kelvin wanted to know. He was tiring rapidly of sitting in the hotel room watching undercover police wizards move about the convention. There was no pattern to anything that he could define. The authorities were simply searching, now and then questioning someone and showing them, with a careful wave of a baton, Jon's image. They were, as near as he could see, getting nowhere.

"I think she's here, hiding, laughing at us," Helbah said. "She doesn't have to remain in Jon's form, or in any form at all; she could be invisible."

"How very astute of you, Helbah," a whispery voice said in the room. Katbah, perched on Helbah's chair arm, instantly raised his back fur and spat.

"Yes, Katbah, yes, it's the wicked witch Zady," Helbah said. "You tried to warn us when she impersonated Jon." She spoke with seeming satisfaction, as if she had long sensed the enemy's presence.

"And you know me too, don't you, Helbah?" the voice answered. "How very, very perceptive of you, dear."

Even Kelvin bridled at the enemy witch's irony. But he was sensible enough to keep his mouth shut, as were the others. Nobody with any sense messed in with a witch's quarrel.

"I knew you'd be after revenge sooner or later," Helbah said evenly. "I expected you to wait six years for the convention so as to make a bigger splash. You have not disappointed me."

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"Then you prepared for me?" Zady asked, her tone suggesting her derision.

"Of course." With one quick motion Helbah threw the handful of powder she had kept concealed. It flew to the spot at which Katbah was staring.

An ugly old hag materialized, chilling the blood and terrifying the soul with her warty countenance and malignant expression. They all stared.

"Hello, Zady," Helbah said calmly.

"You—you cheated!" the apparition screeched. "You had that powder ready! You threw it where the familiar was looking!"

"Where else? I told you I was prepared."

"That was supposed to be a bluff!" the hag screeched, outraged. Then she straightened. "Well, counter this!" One hand moved.

Kelvin knew that witches had fast reflexes, no matter how haggard they might look. But a cat's were faster, especially when it was a witch's familiar. Katbah leaped with outstretched claws, and sank them into Zady's bony hand before she could complete her gesture.

The old witch shrieked more with indignation than pain, and clubbed at Katbah with her free hand.

Now Helbah glanced at the men. "Muscle," she murmured.

Propelled by her word, Kelvin and his father each grabbed one of Zady's arms. She was astonishingly strong, and for a moment Kelvin thought he'd need his gauntlets. Then Helbah tripped Zady with a stabbing kick to an ankle. The evil witch went over and down on the floor, with Kelvin and his father on top of her.

Whew, but did she stink! Kelvin fought as hard to hold his breath as to hold her pinned. Katbah was on her face, menacing her eyes. Even so, it was no sure thing.

"I'll get you for this, Helbah, you sneak!"

"Sticks and stones—"

Kelvin heard them enter the room. He couldn't look, being preoccupied with the witch. He heard the door open and the thump of their feet. He hoped they were on the right side and not the wrong side.

"Get the net over her!" ordered one of the undercover sorcerer police. "Careful now, she's got a million tricks and we don't want her to get away."

The police deployed the net. "You'll have to tell us about the children," Helbah said as Katbah got out of the way.

"I do, do I?" The hag cackled despite her exertions. "They're with Devale. He's going to do things to them that will make them Malignants."

Kelvin experienced a shock of horror. His wonderful twin children—evil creatures?

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But Helbah wasn't fooled. "I know better than that. You always lie, Zady."

"Sticks and stones will break your bones—"

The woman became a great serpent as Kelvin and his father helped the police to cover her with a net.

He strained to keep her pinned. To keep it pinned. The net slid over, worked by other hands, but it seemed that the serpent would simply writhe out from under it.

"The snake's an illusion, son," one of the cops said.

Kelvin was relieved. He had had quite enough of big serpents in past adventures, though witches were bad enough.

Now the snake was gone and in its place was a big, ugly bird with saw teeth. He new a buzvald when he saw one, but he knew this one for illusion. So when it made a peck for his arm, he ignored it, confident that it couldn't actually hurt him. Why block a phantom beak?

Instant agony ballooned and exploded with the snap of the beak. The terrible bird, all too real, had taken a good-sized bite from his heroic young arm. The witch wasn't limited to illusion!

Katbah grabbed the bird by its warty neck and held on. His orange eyes lifted in his dark feline face, looking to Helbah. "Not yet, Katbah," Helbah said. "First we must make her talk."

The bird emitted a hilarious cackling. How could they make her talk?

Then she changed again. Now she was a voluptuous red-haired young woman. Kelvin was holding on to one sleek slender arm, his nose nudging one extraordinary breast. She was naked, and her beauty was spoiled only by the ugly cat whose teeth were digging cruelly into the white column of her neck. On the other side John Knight was grabbing her other arm, as if such a delicate limb could ever cause harm to even one man.

The eyes came to rest on Kelvin. "What is it that you do to me?" the red lips inquired softly, chiding him.

Suddenly Kelvin felt guilty. It was virtual rape—that was what they were doing to this lovely creature!

"Let me go, O handsome man, and I will be most grateful," the beautiful woman said. She moved her legs, which remained free. They were bare and perfect, from their dainty tinted toenails to the dark shadow of their juncture. Abruptly he wanted to tear off his own clothes and—

"Suffer yourself not to be deceived," Helbah said. "Whatever form she may assume, either physically or in illusion, her nature is unchanged. She is old and evil inside, and without scruples. Whether she caresses you or bites you is a matter of indifference to her, just so long as it is effective in accomplishing her purpose."

Kelvin thought of embracing that inviting body, and trusting part of his body to that tempting crevice—and getting it bitten in the manner his arm had been. His foolish interest dissipated.

With that change of his interest, the woman's attitude changed too. "Fool!" her beautiful face said—and became the ugly beak of the bird. The torso and legs returned to the buzvald form. "You could have had it all, and your children safe too," the beak squawked.

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It was hard not to believe that, despite his knowledge of her real body and personality. He was a married man, and he loved his wife, but had he been faced with this temptation when alone—he just wasn't sure what he would have done.

Somehow the five of them—Kelvin, his father, and three undercover officers—got the net over, under, and around the ugly bird. The other officers materialized with a large cage. They maneuvered the witch/buzvald into the cage and locked it. The lock made a satisfyingly loud snap.

The luscious young woman reappeared, staring straight at Kelvin. "If you should change your mind, handsome man, you will know where to find me," she said.

No one else paid attention. Apparently this was an illusion for him alone. He knew it wasn't real, in substance or essence. Yet the sight of those perfect legs, and those perfect breasts, and that perfect face, and the luxuriant red hair flowing out and down and around like a voluminous cloak—made his knees feel weak and his heart flutter. She had had centuries of experience; she knew better than any other how to please a man. And she would; he believed it now. She did not depend entirely on magic; she captivated men by giving them what they most desired, in full measure. He knew.

He tried to close his eyes, but her gaze held him locked. His very soul seemed in thrall.

Then someone threw an opaque cover over the cage, and it stopped. The witch could no longer ensorcel him with her eyes. The spell was broken. He was free—yet somehow he was grieving.

Kelvin struggled to his feet. He felt dizzy and his arm hurt. He had felt no pain while the witch's gaze held him, but it returned with a vengeance now. Blood dripped from his wound to the carpeting.

The police were already levitating the covered cage with the witch prisoner in it out of the room. One of them turned and spoke to Kelvin. "We'll send her right back to you."

"We don't want her!" he protested. Yet on another level he did, guilty as he felt for realizing it.

"He means your sister," Helbah explained.

Oh. Of course. "Thanks."

"I'll have to fix that arm," Helbah continued. "She may have poisoned you. Witch's saliva can send an ordinary person into hallucinations or worse. Katbah too; he's sick from biting her. Officers, be quick and careful!"

Hallucinations...

"We will, Helbah," an officer was saying.

"And be certain the bird you release is really Kelvin's sister!" Then, to Kelvin: "Don't worry about it.

They really know their business. Now, about that wound—"

Kelvin was all too ready for a magical healing. He probably needed more than physical repair. Soon the policemen were gone, and Katbah was licking a great saucer of charmed cream with a bit of magical dognip seasoning. Kelvin wondered whether the houcat had suffered any similar visions, perhaps of the softest and prettiest female cat, who purred to him invitingly and suggested tempting things.

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Katbah raised his eyes and met Kelvin's gaze for just a moment. Then Kelvin knew that they were indeed brothers in hallucination. But the cat had known better than to yield to it.

"We have to find out, Helbah," Kelvin pleaded. He stared at his family's witch benefactress with all the earnestness of his being. He tried to suppress the notion that he was being even more concerned than usual because of guilt about almost being seduced by Zady's vision. Now that his sister was really back—and now that he knew it had been Zady instead of her, he understood much better about the way she had been exposing her flesh—he was wondering despite himself if any of them should trust Helbah.

True, the grand old witch loved them and they loved her, but she had brought them here knowing there was danger.

"Of course we do, Kelvin," Helbah smiled, confident again now that her arch enemy was in custody.

"But remember it's not so easy. Zady is a trickster and at least as powerful as a Malignant as I am as a Benign. She put up counter- and recounter-spells to make it impossible to follow their tracks."

Kelvin now knew from personal experience just how tricky Zady could be! Of course she had fixed things so that even her own captivity would not undo all her mischief.

"Try again, Helbah," Heln urged. "They're our children!"

"Please," Charlain echoed.

"Oh, very well, since you're all insisting. I'll try just a little more nullity powder this time."

Helbah shook some purple powder over the square crystal. She made some passes and said some words. The crystal flashed, flushed, and held a scene.

"Merlain, Charles, Kildom, and Kildee," she announced. It was the children's suite. Zady in Jon's image was giving them the cloaks of invisibility.

Kelvin glanced sidelong at his sister. He would not have been surprised to see Jon appalled or furious.

Instead she seemed mostly curious and intrigued. Apparently the outfit Zady had put on her was giving the real Jon some ideas. Perhaps she was seeing herself as she could be, if she chose to be, and was not entirely turned off.

Now they followed the invisible adventures of the children. They saw them take food from people's plates. Saw them take drinks that were intended for adult witches and warlocks. Saw the Jon likeness whispering, making passes, spilling more of a powder. Now they were tripping people, pinching, kicking, and slapping exposed adult rears. The two kinglets seemed to take great pleasure in seeing which of them could evoke the shrillest screech from a firmly goosed woman.

"Inhibition release," Helbah murmured, watching. "A component of the powder. Certain mischief for children."

Now the children, still invisible, were entering rooms, tittering and giggling. They were alarming people, scaring them, starting fights. At room after room the Jon fakery remained just outside the door. Zady was making sure that the children misbehaved!

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Kelvin trembled. All that he had discovered was that his children—his and Heln's—were monsters. So maybe Zady had put something in the powder to help them along; it still wouldn't have worked if that mischief hadn't been inside them, waiting to be released. He couldn't even blame the kings, for he had seen Merlain and Charles' hands emerge from invisibility as often as theirs. He had watched helplessly while he knew they were watching people bathe and eliminate and perform very private actions. He had heard Merlain titter while adults in the crystal were engaged in lovemaking. How could he and Heln have produced them? How could he even think of wanting them back?

Yet what were they doing, other than satisfying their curiosity about the very kind of thing Zady had just used her young illusion to tempt him with? Heln had been right with him, yet that fascination had taken him. If his children were to blame, what about himself, for passing on his fickle nature to them? So he was answering his own question: he knew how he had produced such children.

"We're getting to the place," his sister whispered. She seemed quite subdued for Jon, possibly because she had been an old hag and then a bird and finally a prisoner. She had had a rough night and day! At any rate, she was right: it was the spot.

The young kings' hands reached out of nothingness in the hawker's room and took books: first a big leather-bound volume and then another. Charles' hand took a sword from a storeroom of some guest exhibit. Merlain's hand emerged again to take a bottle from some lady witch's dresser.

Kelvin shook ail over. He couldn't stand dishonesty. It made him sick to see his children practicing thievery.

"How can they do such things?" Heln demanded.

"All of us have mischievous desires," Helbah replied. "The process of growing up is to learn to curb those desires, and to behave in civilized fashion. The twin kings are more of a handful than most, and at times I despair of ever straightening them out. In this case, Zady saw to it that they would have very little restraint, because of her magic. So they are being normal, given the situation. It doesn't mean that they're bad children, just that they have temporarily lost their guidelines. They will straighten out again when returned to a proper environment."

Heln looked relieved. Kelvin knew he was.

Now they were back at the children's suite and Zady in her guise of Jon was explaining something to them, meanwhile making passes and sprinkling powders behind their backs and over their heads. Now it was obvious how much control Zady had had. It was here that the spying had ended, before; the scene had simply stuck.

Zady as Jon was looking fiendishly right at them from the crystal. It was as if she had anticipated their replaying of this scene, and catching her here. Her hand sprinkled a sparkling powder over the children's heads, and as the powder settled, all movement ceased.

Jon/Zady grinned at the crystal, resuming her natural appearance. She must have wanted them to get this far so she could laugh at them!

Helbah dropped some powders on the crystal. She mumbled words and made passes. The scene remained the same. Zady's gap-toothed grin was neatly framed: a portrait.

"What will we do!" Heln cried. "Helbah, you have to—"

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"It won't work," Helbah said. "Even a linkup of power won't help. It isn't a matter of energy—it's magic of a different kind. She prepared for this investigation of ours, just as I prepared for my meeting with her."

"And you're helpless before it, Helbah?" Heln was incredulous. "You can't do anything to counter it?"

"Not this particular spell," Helbah said. "Had I known it was coming, I might have interfered with it as it was invoked. I'm afraid, friends, that there's nothing at all I can do to make the crystal follow the children beyond this point."

"Then you can't do anything?" Kelvin demanded, still feeling guilty, as if it were his fault for being bemused by the vision of the luscious redhead. "Nothing at all to locate the children?"

"Nothing that I know of," Helbah confessed.