Ptolemy's Gate

ululation that set the glass rattling in the cabinets along the corridor. It decided to attack, but seemed in doubt exactly how to issue a magical bombardment. First it raised a leg, pointed a foot, and blew its own shoe off. Next it tried a n elbow, with comparable success. Lastly, with painful hesitation, a hand was raised, a trembling finger extended, and a bolt of lilac light was delivered forth, to strike the Amulet of Samarkand and be at once absorbed.
    The demon inspected its finger in annoyance. Kitty took the jolt-stick from her belt, stepped quietly forward, and sent a burst of shimmering blue current rattling through its body. Swathed in black smoke, the demon jittered, jigged, flung itself backward, crashed through the balustrade, and fell four meters to the steps below.
    Kitty went her way.
    Minutes later she came to the door she had remembered. Listening closely, Kitty detected muffled groans. She tried the door, found it locked and blew it open with the first of her elemental spheres. Once the final winds had died away, she stepped inside.
    The room was not large, and what space it had was blotted out by recumbent bodies. At first sight Kitty feared the worst; then she saw that all were neatly tied and gagged, just as they had been left by Makepeace's imps so many hours before. Most were secured by the minimum of ropes and cords, but one or two were swathed in sheets or thick wads of black netting. There were perhaps twenty individuals in the room, sardine-packed, head to toe. To Kitty's great relief, she saw that many of them were moving with sad little wriggles, like maggots in a jar.
    One or two pairs of staring eyes caught sight of her; their owners writhed and uttered pleading moans. She took a moment to gather herself; her legs shook with the effort of her stroll thus far. Then she spoke as clearly as she could.
    "I'm here to help you," she said. "Wait as patiently as you can. I'll try to cut you free."
    This pronouncement induced a remarkable flurry of squirms and wails. Legs thrashed, heads bucked and twisted.
    Kitty was nearly knocked over by the flailing of the bodies next to her. "If you don't lie quiet," she said severely, "I'll leave you." Instant quietness among the pro ne magicians. "That's better. Now then . . ."
    With clumsy fingers, she took the silver disc from her pocket and, holding it carefully so as not to slice her fingers, set to upon the nearest bonds. The cords parted like butter to a hot knife. Cramped hands and feet moved tentatively, their owner emitting cries of pain. Without ceremony, Kitty removed the gag. "When you can stand," she said, "find something sharp and help me untie the others." She moved on to the next magician.
    Within ten minutes the room was filled with limping, stretching men and women; some sitting, others standing first on one foot, then on the other, trying to wring the pins and needles from their numb and swollen limbs. There was no conversation; the bodies had been freed, but the minds remained wrapped in shock and disbelief. Kitty worked silently on the penultimate captive, a large gentleman swathed in netting. He seemed inert; blood had seeped through the cloth around his head. Beside her, the first person she had freed, a young woman with mousy hair, struggled with the cords of the last magician. This one, covered in a coarse gray blanket, was very much alive; her legs kicked back and forth with furious impatience.
    Kitty passed the silver disc across. "Here."
    "Thanks."
    In moments the swathes of net and blanket had been removed and the two captives lay revealed. One, a woman with long dark hair hanging over a red and puffy face, sprang instantly to her feet and shrieked with agony as her cramp kicked in. The other, an immense old man with a badly beaten face, lay still. His eyes were closed; his breathing came in ragged gasps.
    The dark-haired woman leaned back against a wall and massaged a leg. She gave a snarl of pain and fury. "Who? Who is responsible for this? I'll kill them. I'll kill them, I swear it."
    Kitty was busy talking to the woman with mousy hair. "He's in a bad way. Someone needs to get him to a hospital."
    "I'll fix it," the woman said. She looked around the room , picked out a spotty youth. "George. Can you oblige?"
    "All right, Miss Piper."
    "Wait." This was Kitty. Wearily she tried to rise, extended a shaking hand. "Can you help me up, please? Thanks." She turned to face the room. "You all need to know what's happened. The