The Stranger's Magic: The Labyrinths of Echo: Book Three (11 page)

“No, he doesn’t know. They’ve never met in reality. Or did you think Gugimagon was the sort to drop by for a cup of kamra?”

“I know nothing about the customs of you evil sorcerers,” I said.

“Okay, let’s go then, Mr. ‘Good Guy’ Magic,” said Juffin, laughing. “I know you’re back in business, so quit your feigning. Great deeds await us. A
heart-to-heart talk with Sir Slobat Katshak, for instance.”

The boss moved from words to action and gave me a light push in the butt with his knee. He really got carried away.

We went out to the porch and sat down on the stairs next to the wiseman, who had begun to get bored.

“Have you found what you were looking for?” he said.

“Some of it,” said Juffin. “Now it’s your turn to help us.”

“With great pleasure,” said Katshak, smiling as though Juffin were about to treat him to some candy.

“We must locate one of your patients here as soon as possible,” said Juffin, and fell silent, looking for the right words. “You shouldn’t feel any pangs of conscience
about it: the man we’re looking for isn’t really mad. He’s just a very talented malingerer. The best malingerer I know. Okay, that takes care of that. Moving right along . . .
First, he’s been here for quite a while, at least eighty years, but he arrived before the Code Epoch. Last time I saw him was shortly before the Code of Krember was established. Three days
before that, to be precise. Second, he’s a fairly old man. He’s always looked older than me, for as long as I’ve known him. Very tall, big but not obese. He could have easily
changed his appearance but not his stature. Also, he’s blind in his left eye.”

“Oh, but this is old Kotto Halis you’re talking about!” said the wiseman. “We only have one patient who’s blind in his left eye. But he couldn’t have done
anything. If only I could tell you how strong the smell of his madness is! Besides, the old man has never regained consciousness, no matter how many Crystals of Memory we give him.”

“Yes, just as I suspected. In a ‘conscious state,’ he’d have nothing whatsoever to do here. Take us to him. The sooner the better.”

“Let’s go then.” Katshak stood up. He looked stunned. “His room is in the building next to this, among the same poor hopeless cases you’ve just seen.”

Moments later, we were going up the stairs of another one-story building. Sir Juffin Hully had gained such speed that the wiseman and I were clear outsiders in the race. I took it the boss was
rushing to give his old friend a bear hug.

This time, Sir Slobat Katshak entered the building with us and walked us to the farthest room in the right wing of the hallway. Juffin stormed into the dark chamber and froze so abruptly that I
crashed into his back at a fast clip. The boss withstood the shock and didn’t move an inch.

“Blast it,” he said. “I knew it.”

“Knew what?” I said. And then I saw it. The bed was empty. On its soft surface, dead center, was a single dent. The shape of the dent suggested that the occupant had lain there
completely still and then disappeared. Vanished. If he had gotten up from it in the usual manner, there would have been other dents. The material used for floor coverings in bedrooms here in Echo
readily takes the shape of the body but is reluctant to return to its original shape. That takes some time—at least a few hours.

“So he did it!” said Juffin, his voice betraying sincere admiration. “He slipped into Xumgat completely—lock, stock, and barrel—and it’s not easy for people
like him. Slobat, my dear boy, I have bad news for you. You should immediately check how many new dead bodies you have in your Refuge. If I had to guess, I’d say it would be at least a dozen.
For his last journey, Gugimagon would have to grab all their strength, without leaving anything to them. Still, I’m surprised he’s managed to pull this off!”

“If you say so, I must immediately begin the inspection,” said the wiseman. “Will you manage without me, gentlemen?”

“Yes. Moreover, we’re leaving. Thank you for your help, Slobat.
If someone dares berate you for all the trouble that happened during your shift, please do not hesitate to send me a call. I will be more than willing to give your superiors a lengthy lecture
that will undoubtedly restore your reputation. After all, it wasn’t you whom sly Gugimagon tricked into thinking he was a madman. But I hope you won’t be needing my
protection.”

“To Magicians with my reputation,” said Sir Slobat, sighing. “But I’d give a lot to have stayed home tonight. I hate it when terminal patients die under my care. I feel
so sorry for them. I can’t help them anyway, so I’d rather I didn’t have to see them go. It’s nights like this when I consider trying to find another occupation.”

“Indeed. This night has left a lot to be desired,” said Juffin.

We went out into the garden and headed toward the gate.

“Do you think your friend killed everyone he traveled through the
Corridor between Worlds with?” I said. “What about our Sir Shurf? A hole in the heavens above him, we can’t even send him a call while he’s in that detention cell of
yours!”

“Shurf is doing just fine, trust me. He’s not going to sleep, and Gugimagon is never going to be able to grab the strength of a person who’s awake. I don’t think anyone
can do that. Besides, I left Sir Shurf a good weapon.”

“What is it?” I said. “Or is that a secret?”

“Not much of a secret, really. But it’s best not to speak of it before it has done what it’s supposed to do. You see, words can sometimes kill one’s powers. Just try to
be patient a little while longer. I’ll tell you everything after I’ve made sure that Shurf doesn’t need my protection anymore.”

“And that’s why you sent me to fetch the books, so I wouldn’t bother you with my questions, right?”

“No, I was afraid you’d sell all of my secrets to the Royal Voice sooner or later,” said Juffin. “Especially now, when you and Rogro sing in unison on account of your
quarrels with that old grumbler Moxi.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Speaking of which, I haven’t been to the Juffin’s Dozen in a long while. I keep getting distracted with this or that. What a life I lead!”

“Don’t fret,” said the boss, sitting next to me in the amobiler. “You’ll have time to catch up on everything soon.”

I took hold of the lever and finally decided to ask what was really on my mind. “What are we going to do now? We can’t just leave it as is, or can we?”

“Of course not. Now, Sir Max, you and I will have to go to Xumgat and look for the shelter of my old friend there.”

“He’s probably gone to the World that Shurf and I keep dreaming about. The one with the barren sandy beaches,” I said.

“What makes you think so?” said Juffin.

“I have no idea. Except that I don’t ‘think’ so; I know so.”

“Excellent,” said Juffin, nodding. “We’ll look for him there then.
First thing tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I said. “Why not now?”

“What’s with the hurry?” said Juffin, shaking his head in disapproval. “What we really should do now is call Sir Kofa, sit him down in your armchair, and then go hit the
sack. Besides, you have a crown fitting tomorrow, remember? It would be a shame if you got lost in Xumgat and missed your own coronation.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” I said.

“Sure it would. His Majesty King Gurig has put so much effort into preparing everything for the event. He even has summoned big shot VIPs from all corners of the Unified Kingdom. If you
and I just disappeared, the king wouldn’t understand, his respect for our mysterious work notwithstanding. After the ceremony, though, we can disappear for a dozen years at a time—he
won’t even notice.”

“Won’t even notice? Right.”

“Okay, I’m exaggerating. But even if we wander through a few of those sinning Worlds for a few years, no more than a dozen hours will have passed here. I’ll make sure of
it.”

“Will you?” I said. “Will you teach me how to do that? It seems like such a useful thing to be able to do. Anyway, now I really don’t understand why we can’t start
chasing your ingenious friend right away.”

“Because it’s a rather risky undertaking, Max. I personally cannot guarantee that nothing bad is going to happen to us. And before you set out for a dangerous journey, you must
finish all your business at home, if fate is kind enough to grant you time to do so. If you go out wearing several looxis and their folds are dangling all around you, passersby will step on them,
and sooner or later you’ll fall on the sidewalk. The first thing to do is to get rid of all the unnecessary stuff, or at least to pull up the dangling folds. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“So nice of you to pretend you understand what I’m saying,” said the boss. “I’m not quite in the lecturing mood right now.”

Despite my boundless trust in Sir Juffin Hully, who assured me that Lonli-Lokli was going to be fine, I remained uneasy until I could see it for myself.

Juffin humored me by opening the Secret Door to the cell. Shurf was sitting on the floor, his legs crossed, his spine perfectly straight, his gaze fixed on the pages of
The Pendulum of
Immortality
. He wasn’t too enthusiastic about seeing us. He recovered quickly, though, and even expressed a readiness to have a cup of kamra in our company.