“I suspect he did,” said Pug. “I’m not so certain about poor Timothy. He was running when last I saw him.”

Magnus said, “He’s fast.”

“Let’s hope he’s fast enough.”

They reached the ground and Pug said, “Now, where was that building?”

“Somewhere over here,” said Magnus, as he closed his eyes and started probing magically for the entrance.

Amirantha was the first to regain consciousness. It was pitch-dark in the room. The massive explosion above had momentarily sucked all the air out of this chamber, rendering all within unconscious and extinguishing the lights.

His lungs burned and he felt his head pounding, as he reached around in the dark and felt the base of the altar. He used it to steady himself and got to his feet. Obviously the air had quickly returned to the room, but the decompression really had caused some damage.

He reached into his belt pouch and took out a crystal, incanting a single word. The crystal began to glow, casting enough light in the room so he could see the others. Sandreena was stirring, with a groan, and he knelt next to her. Shaking her shoulder gently, he said, “You’re alive.”

She shook her head and focused her eyes on him and said, “What?”

“In case you were wondering; you’re alive.”

She grunted, then said, “I was wondering.”

He helped her to her feet as Jim and the two elves began to review. Looking at the prone figure of Belasco, Amirantha said, “Did he survive?”

As if prodded by the question, Belasco groaned and moved slightly.

A thump from above and a burst of dust coming down the corridor was followed by Magnus’s voice in their minds. Is everyone all right?

Amirantha shouted, “We’re alive, if barely.”

A moment later the two magicians entered the chamber and Pug said, “It’s over.”

“The demon’s gone?” asked Jim, blinking as if trying to clear his vision.

“Everything’s gone,” said Magnus. “The pit is filled, the ground is flattened, and the stones are scattered across miles of desolation. It’s as if this place never existed.”

“Good,” said Jim. “That means no explanations to the Keshian government.”

Belasco stirred and groaned as he sat up. In a gravelly voice he asked, “It’s over?”

“Yes,” said Amirantha. “And your day’s grace to find a safe haven begins this moment.”

Moving to gingerly get down from the altar stone, the magician stood on uncertain legs for a moment, then he said, “I’ll go.”

He began walking in a halting fashion, stopped, took a deep breath, then repeated, “I’ll go.”

He was almost to the door when Amirantha said, “Wait.”

Turning, Belasco said, “What?”

“One more time, your word.”

“You have it,” he said with a contemptuous snarl.

“Again, say it again.”

“What?”

“The oath.”

Belasco was silent for a long minute, then said, “Very well. By the old woman’s blood—”