Finally Gregory opened his eyes. "Vidor saith that he is too little to attempt any such battle—and that his Papa cannot aid, because he can only reach our world through our Papa's mind."
"And he is not here." Magnus scowled in fury. "Confound! How may they aid?"
"Vidor," Gregory said, "hath an older brother."
They were all silent, staring.
"How much older?" Magnus asked finally.
"Seven years. He's of an age with thee, Magnus."
Big brother knelt there, staring at him.
""'Tis our one chance, my sib," Geoffrey said, his voice low. "Thou must needs open thy mind to this…" He turned to Gregory. "What is his name?"
"Albertus," Gregory answered.
"…this Albertus." Geoffrey turned back to Magnus. "Hast thou the courage?"
Magnus swung about at him, glaring. "Mind thy manners, bairn! Still thyself, and behold!" He dropped down beside Gregory, cross-legged, back straight, imitating his little brother. "Is it thus?"
"Aye," Gregory agreed eagerly. "Now close thine eyes…" He closed his own. "Wait… I've told Vidor, he doth summon Albertus… Attend…"
They waited—and waited. Cordelia bit back the urge to scream with impatience.
"Albertus comes," Gregory said finally. "Vidor doth summon his father, also… Ah, we've good fortune! His father's not far distant! Lord Kern comes… Albertus is nearly here! Now, Magnus, close thine eyes!" i
"I have already," Big Brother said impatiently. "What now, lad?"
"Open thy mind… widely… Let all thy body and mind go loose… Nay, Magnus, I know 'tis most difficult, but thou must needs forget what doth hap, and let thy mind drift… Now… follow me. Let thy mind blow where mine doth…"
They were silent, eyes closed. Cordelia and Geoffrey held their breaths.
They heard footsteps on the stairs.
Cordelia opened her mouth to scream, but Geoffrey clapped a hand over it. She clenched her fists, fighting hard to keep silent, to keep from breaking her brothers' concentration.
"Now, 'tis time!" Lontar called from the other side of the door.
"I like this not," said Phebe's voice.
"Thou wilt be party to it, or thou shalt join with them! Groghat, seize her!… Aieee! Mine head! The pain… Nay! Mind me not—but seize her! Yüü!"
There were sounds of a struggle; Phebe screamed.
"Ah, now," Lontar panted, "thou'rt decided. 'Tis well. One way or another, lass, thou shalt join us for dinner…"
The key groaned in the lock.
Geoffrey whirled, catching up the broomstick and leaping to his feet, stick raised to guard, jumping in front of his sister.
"I have him, Father," Magnus said suddenly. His voice sounded different, somehow—a little deeper, a little more resonant. "His mind doth meld with mine."
The door groaned open. Lontar stepped into the room, giggling; spittle drooled from his lip, and his eyes were wild.
Gregory opened his eyes, turned to look, and grasped Magnus's hand. "Lend him thine eyes, brother!"
"What! Wilt thou fight me, then?" Lontar pointed at Geoffrey, cackling. "Good, good! Exercise doth make a good appetite! Yet I think thou art too tough and stringy—I'll start with another!" He stepped forward, cackling and reaching out toward Cordelia. "Aieee!" His head whipsnapped at the sudden pain, but he squinted against it and came on toward her in spite of it.
Magnus turned slowly, opening his eyes and frowning. He saw Lontar and stretched out his arm, forefinger pointing.
"Ah! The biggest doth see me, then!" Lontar crowed. "Art ready to bathe, lad? The water is hot, and oiled with onions and carrots! Yet thou, too, art like to be tough; we'll start with the smallest! Yi-eeee!" He winced at the pain, but turned toward Gregory anyway.
A bolt of pure energy spat from Magnus's finger with a sound like a gunshot. It struck Lontar square in the chest. The old sorcerer screamed once, falling backward. His whole body heaved; then he lay still.
Phebe and Groghat stared, horrified.
Geoffrey disappeared with a thunder-crack.
Groghat came to his senses, knocked Phebe aside, and charged into the room, roaring.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. A horde of old nails and scrap iron shot in through the window and crashed into Groghat's face. He howled, batting the stuff aside—but thunder cracked, and Geoffrey appeared on his shoulders. He jammed the broomstick across Groghat's throat and hauled back.
The giant made a gargling sound, eyes bulging, and grasped at the stick—but as he did, his feet shot out from under him, and he slammed down onto the floor with a crash that shook the whole chamber. A lump of old iron slammed into his temple, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Geoffrey turned on Phebe, his eyes narrowed.
She shrank back against the wall, horrified—then remembered herself. She managed a tremulous smile, and stepped away from the wall, eyelids drooping. "Nay, then! Hast thou come for me, young man?"
A wave of attraction seemed to roll out from her, fascinating, binding.
Geoffrey hesitated.
"Have at thee, hag!" Cordelia screamed, and a length of old chain lashed Phebe, wrapping itself around her throat. She gave a horrified scream that choked off into a gurgle—and the broomstick wrenched itself out of Geoffrey's hands to crash into her skull. Her eyes rolled up, and she folded.
Geoffrey drew a long, shuddering breath. "Sister—I thank thee! Remember it well, for I'll say it but rarely."
"'Tis wondrous as 'tis," she returned, and stepped over to Groghat. "Doth he truly sleep?"
Geoffrey stepped over with her, peering down. "Aye, well and soundly. Aid me, sister—roll him over."
Together, frowning, they stared at the giant. His body shook, heaved—and pitched over. "One apiece," Cordelia said tightly, and the giant's hands yanked up behind his back. A length of old chain shot out and whipped about his wrists; then Cordelia glared at two links. They glowed cherry-red, then yellow—then darkened again.
"Well welded," Geoffrey approved. " 'Twas on the outside links, and 'twas so quickly done that he's not even burned."
"More's the pity," Magnus grunted.
They spun about, surprised. "Eh!" Geoffrey said. "Thou art come back to us, art thou?"
"Aye," his brother said, "and I gave Lord Kern great thanks for the power he lent us, and Albertus thanks for conducting it to me."
"And great thanks to Vidor," Gregory piped, "for bethinking him that his elder brother might be able to blend his mind with thine, and for summoning him."
"Aye. I thanked him, too." Magnus looked down at Gregory. "If ever they need our aid, lad, we must turn to them instantly."
"Aye, without fail," Gregory agreed. "Yet, Magnus, their Papa did say he was glad of the chance to repay our Papa for his good aid."
"'Tis not a balance of good deeds, but a chain," Magnus averred. He turned to his brother and sister, saw the unconscious bodies, and grunted, "Thou hast worked well, here."
"We had need to find summat with which to pass the time, while certain parties were abstracted," Geoffrey said, trying for nonchalance.
"Whiles we, of course, did play," Magnus responded. He rose, with difficulty. "Eh! But my joints ache!" He stepped over to Lontar and knelt beside him, placing a hand on the vein in his neck.
"Thou'lt not start his heart again!" Geoffrey protested.
"Nay." Magnus drew back his hand in disgust. "There's no need."
"He yet lives?" Geoffrey cried in dismay.
"And he called thee tough and stringy," Cordelia snorted.
Geoffrey looked about at the three, at a loss for once. "What… what are we to do with them?"
The brothers and sister exchanged a blank look.
"We cannot leave them to take up their evil again," Cordelia said.