Rooms? Tron yelped, and I winced. Putrid ash mother corn shucker, you want rooms? As in plural?

Somehow his reaction emboldened me, and I gathered my courage, even as Al blinked at me in astonishment. “You don’t think I’m going to just give you the sun, do you? Out of the goodness of my little demon heart? You want a full-blown tulpa with accurate artifacts and the sun? I’m going to have to get to reality and sneak into the White House estate in the daytime. Evade FIB and I.S. agents both.”

Robbery! Highway robbery! Tron was wailing into my thoughts.

“Supply and demand, buddy,” I said, preparing to break the connection. “Come on back when you’re serious.”

No, wait! I heard him think. How about the car? The one in the desert. I can give you a gently used familiar, well broken in and skilled, if you can duplicate that car for me.

You want my mom’s car? I thought, then pulled my thoughts back to myself. “I live with Al,” I said, glancing at him. “If I want a familiar, I go to the professional and get one, I don’t take someone’s castoff. You want an ’89 Buick with leather seats and a tape player. I want a place to sleep. Call me back when you can give me a room. Unfurnished, if you don’t mind. I don’t like other people’s junk.”

Wait! he called again, and I grinned at Al, stifling my excitement lest Tron pick up on it. If you can make it red and promise me an exclusive, I can cut out a closet for you.

“A closet?” I exclaimed, and I felt Tron wince. “You think my mother’s car is worth a lousy closet?”

A large walk-in, Tron added. Thirty by fifteen by fifteen up. I can get the toys out of it, but the mess on the walls you’re going to have to deal with. I want an exclusive, though. You don’t make a car for anyone else.

“No exclusive,” I said aloud, watching Al for his opinion and seeing him shake his head and hold his hands out in a “bigger” gesture. He didn’t even know how large the offer was, and he thought I could get one bigger.

“Dude, if you want an exclusive, I want something twice as big as a lousy thirty by fifteen by fifteen. And the exclusive is only on that model.” Tron groaned, and I added, “And I want it attached to Al’s rooms.”

Okay, okay! the demon said, and I got the feeling that he was agreeing before I added anything else. It’s a deal.

“Done,” I said, and Al sprang to his feet and almost ran down the narrow stone steps to the cellar below. “I can work you in before the end of the week,” I said loudly so Al could still hear me. “I’m a little tired right now. Call back in about an hour.” Al came back upstairs with a bottle and twin goblets in his hands. “Ah, make that two hours,” I amended. “You can imagine that Al has me scheduled tightly with his tutorial,” I said, and Al guffawed. “Actually, why don’t you arrange the time with him for us to come over and put your car exactly where you want it. Soon as the room shows up and Al tells me it’s safe for storing my shoes in.”