that's left."
"Sounds reasonable," Dorion agreed. "All right—let's try
ft."
They found a position where Dorion was still reasonably out
of view from the entry station but could observe fairly clearly
not only the station but perhaps a quarter of a mile into
whatever colony was coming up as well. It wasn't until they
were set and Halagar and Charley were on their way and
pretty much beyond recall that Dorion was suddenly struck by
the idea that they might not be admitted into the same colony!
Well, he knew Masalur very well, and the barrier was a good
distance inside the null. If need be, he'd just see which one
Halagar went into, go where he was directed, then slip down
and back out inside the barrier and call that one back.
It was likely, though, to be the same one. This bunch liked
crowds.
174 Jack L. Chalker
Halagar approached (he entry station slowly but confi-
dently. He held Charley tightly and whispered, "I know
Dorion or that cat creature or both have probably put checks
on my authority, but listen to my orders. You will say not a
word, and do nothing, no matter what happens, and if that
won't remain a valid command then I will take my knife and
slit your tongue and break your legs. And if that cat creature
so much as moves from his comfortable pouch I will destroy
him. Now, out your hands behind your back."
She obeyed, wondering what the hell he was talking about,
and was surprised to feel leather straps tying them securely
behind her. Jeez! She was blind, stark naked, and a slave.
What the hell did he think she could do?
Shadowcat remained still, not because he feared the big
man, but because of the big man's will and position and what
he might do to Charley if anything was pulled. Besides, it
was better to find out what me hell the bastard was planning
first.
The soldiers guarding the gate were Hedum; he'd seen
them before in his travels, and they no less impressed him
now than they had when he'd first seen them as a young
soldier of fortune. Over seven feet tall, with long, spindly-
looking arms and legs, a glistening coal-black skin. totally
hairless, and all the more intimidating for it. Still, they
looked basically human, until you got to the head, which
looked like a coal-black sunflower, only the petals were not
petals but thick, tubular tentaclelike shapes that were in con-
stant motion. Some terminated in eyes, some in hearing or
other sensory organs, and two were mouths. Of all tile races
of Masalur they were the strangest and also the meanest and
most incomprehensible to Akhbreed. Just the sight of them
with automatic rifles and a criss-crossed set of ammunition
belts across their chest was intimidating.
The Hedum also quite literally talked through their nostrils;
the effect was eerie, unsettling, and about the most inhuman
around. Two flanked the theoretical opening in the shield,
and the one on his left stepped forward.
"Who are you and why do you come here?" it asked, in
that mixture of honking and wheezing that was the way they
could manage the Akhbreed speech.
"I am Halagar, a mercenary. 1 answered a call for men
WAR OF THE MAELSTROM 175
with past military experience and was told that if I got to the
Masalur hub border in the next week or so I would find a
great deal of work."
"An Akhbreed slave girl. Not mine, although responding
to my commands at the moment."
Eyestalks leveled themselves on her. "She does not look as
though she is responding well to your commands," it noted.
' * Still, wait here. I will summon the magician of the gateway.''
The Hedum turned, faced the barrier, and placed both
enormous hands on it, one on either side of the theoretical
opening. There was a chilling, ringing sound and an almost
immediate response from inside a tent in back of the gate.
Presently a middle-aged man in black robes appeared—an
adept! High power indeed. Klittichom couldn't have too many
adepts on his side or he'd not have waited this long nor been
this cautious. Adepts were essentially Second Rank them-
selves, although not as powerful as full sorcerers—yet. Basi-
cally they had the power, but not yet all the skills and
experience. Still, they were formidable.
The adept stood there, looked at both of them, frowned,
then said, "Dismount and walk through. We'll bring your
horse through after you."
Halagar slid down, then picked Charley off and virtually
carried her through. He was not blind to the fact that several
more Hedum within the barrier shield were pointing guns
right at him.
The adept went up to Charley, seemed to examine her top
to bottom, then put his finger on the tiny slave ring in her
nose and stepped back. "She's bound to Boolean," he noted.
"Not by Boolean, but definitely to him."
Halagar nodded. "I know. I know of no one capable of
removing the spell."
"I could, but it would be a lot of trouble and time.
However, the fact that she is not bound by him makes for an
easier remedy. Has she ever been in his presence?"
"As far as I know, no."
"Then it's easy. Now tell me why I should bother."
Halagar hesitated only a moment. "My name is Halagar, a
mercenary most late of Covantian service. I was hired by a
two-bit magician named Dorion who's working for Boolean
176 Jack L. Chalker
to bring her and another woman to him. The other woman is
Boday, wife of Susama. Interested?"
"Very. But if you betray them, why should I believe you
won't betray us?"
"No percentage." Halagar told him. "I know what you're
going to do and that will make the whole mission moot
anyway, since there's no way I can practically do it from this
geographic point and I know it, and since in less than a full
week the spell would dissolve of its own accord, wouldn't it?
I keep my commissions, but not when they are obviously
beyond my ability to perform."
The adept smiled. "Now I am very interested. Where is
this Boday?"
"Not so fast. First, I want that slavery spell transferred to
me. Second, I want an officer's rank in your forces, and
protection and safe reward at the end, if I serve loyally and
honorably and survive."
The adept shrugged. "Sounds fair enough. Very well, as a
demonstration." He walked over to Charley, who was now
livid and suddenly felt no loyalty or attachment to Halagar at
all and a very strong urge to warn Dorion. The adept knelt
down and made a few passes with his hand, however, and she
suddenly stiffened and went into a deep trance.
"Fascinating," he said aloud to himself. "She's got a
regular bundle of stuff in there. Even demon spells. She's got
a familiar, too! Where is it?"
"In the saddle roll," Halagar replied, but even as he turned
to look at the horse he saw the shape of the cat leap from the
bedroll and run like hell through the startled soldiers and out
of sight. Attempts by the Hedum to catch him proved more
comical than effective, and he was soon well away into the
countryside.
"Forget it, then," the adept told him. "Just make sure it
gets no more of her blood. That's the way to kill them. If it
shows up, don't kill it—that'll only cause problems. Trap it
and let it starve. They're devoted but generally not very
bright. All right." He fumed back to Charley. "Girl, what is
your native language?"
"English," she responded dully.
"All right," he responded in clear but heavily accented
English, "now listen to me. I am telling you a secret and you
177
WAR OF THE MAELSTROM
will believe it. Now I tell you that Halagar is Boolean.
Boolean and Halagar arc the same. He chooses to use the
name Halagar for now and so should you, but only you and
he and I know that he is really Boolean, your lord and master.
You know it, you believe it to be true, and nothing, no one,
no evidence, no thing, shall convince you otherwise. He is
your lord, your master, and your god and you belong to him
and must always obey him. You are his to do with as he
wills. When I snap my fingers you will not remember that
this has happened but you will suddenly know and realize this
as if it were divine revelation and you will believe and act
accordingly. Also, your cat familiar is an evil creature, a
demon who wants to harm your master. If he tries to contact
you, you will shut him out and never seek him out, and you
will never let him feed upon you. if it tries to contact you,
you will not understand what it is saying nor obey, but you
will tell your master. Now . . . three, two, one. . . ." He
snapped his fingers, then got up and turned to Halagar.
"It won't hold if she actually meets the real Boolean," he
told the mercenary, "but in a few more days that won't be a
problem. In fact, upon Boolean's demise the spell will be
permanently affixed, replacing the original, until your own
demise. Now, what about this Boday?"
"If we're seen to be safely leaving, in no more than a few
hours she will try and walk right in here with Dorion," he
told the adept. "And she has the same slave spell Shari has.
so she'll be easy to lead away and very cooperative."
"I see. Now about how powerful is this Dorion?"
Halagar smiled. "I seriously doubt if Master Dorion can
successfully palm a card or make a coin vanish. He used to
work for Boolean but the old boy exiled him to Yobi in the
Kudaan, apparently for incompetence. This was supposed to
be how he'd get back in."
The adept suddenly reached up and Halagar felt a tug on
his hair. "Hey! What—?"
The adept took out a pouch and put a lock of the merce-
nary's hair inside, then put away his small clippers. "Just a
bit of insurance that you will have no second thoughts and
wilt stay on our side," he said lightly. "With this, I can curse
you anywhere in Akahlar.''
For Charley, sitting there, things became momentarily con-
178 Jack L. Chalker
fused and then suddenly there was no confusion at all. When
things had been going wrong the Master had suddenly re-
vealed himself and his power to her and all was suddenly
clear. Now she understood that Halagar was Boolean in dis-
guise and thus her true master. It came as a complete shock,
like a bolt from the blue, that revealed his power, but now
everything was in place. She did not understand what he was
doing or why, but it was not her place to do so. Such
powerful beings were more than human; she could no more
comprehend them or truly question them than a pet could
comprehend or question the actions of their owner. In fact,
that's just how she felt—like a pet dog, there to serve and
obey, unquestioning, dependent, too low to comprehend.
Halagar was none too pleased about an adept having a part
of him but it was a small price to pay to resolve his future. He
came over to her, untied her hands, and saw in her face and
demeanor the great change wrought within her. "This will be
our secret," he told her, "to be revealed to no one. From
now on you are Shan, slave girl of Halagar. That's your only
identity and your only loyalty. Now, come—give me your
hand. We must ride. We must not be late for their big show."
"Yes, Master," she responded, and that was all there was
to it.
Dorion had been watching from the null, and while he had
some bad feelings when they were held up by the adept, seeing
them mount up and ride off made him feel relieved. Maybe
they were going to make it after all!
Boday had used her kit to paint elaborate and colorful
designs on her face and upper torso. She certainly looked—
different—like some primitive savage, and maybe it would
do. Dorion played with a simple by-the-book illusory spell
that would make his robe appear to be some uniform, but
when he saw the adept he knew that his simple and stock
tricks would be of no avail. The hell with it; he would wing it
as he was.
They mounted up and headed for the gate. The Hedum
challenged them as it had challenged the first two, but the
adept came out from his tent quickly and bade them come
inside. The magician was just beginning to feel confidence
returning when the adept said, "Well, brother-in-magic, I
thank you for bringing us that which we have long sought."
WAR OF TOE MAELSTROM 179
Dorion frowned. "I do not understand, brother."
"Sure you do. You are Dorion and this is Boday, mate of
the one we have sought for so long. Don't look so shocked or
come up with any denials—your comrade betrayed you. And
don't try anything unless you wish to test your own powers
against mine."
Dorion hesitated, but he had too much respect for what it
took to get that black robe, and too much understanding of
how little power he himself possessed to do it. "No, brother,
it's your game."
The adept smiled. "Let me make a bit of adjustment in our
rather colorful slave here so that she believes me to be her
true master, and then we can depart."
"Depart—for where?"
The adept smiled. "Why, we are going where you wanted
to go. To Masalur hub! There we'll watch me final demon-
stration of My Lord Klittichom's power and then meet up
with some more of my brethren, and then together we will
reunite this woman with her lover—an all too brief and sad
reunion, I fear. And with those two steps we will erase
forever the last hope of the old order in this world."
Out in the woods, Shadowcat had no luck in contacting
Charley; she had shut him out entirely, even to the visual
link, and now, with just she and Halagar on a single horse, it
was clear that he could not hope to keep up with them. It was
time to think it out.
The imp was a minor demon charged and bound to Yobi,
who had no true existence in this dimensional level without
inhabiting a body. Yobi had placed him inside the cat when
Charley had selected it, and since then the imp had main-
tained himself through her blood energy while maintaining
me cat body in the usual way.
Trapped in the body, which he needed to have corporeal
existence on this plane, he needed her blood to survive, to
replace the type of energy that was part and parcel of the very
atmosphere and makeup of the netherhell to which the imp
was native. By preying upon locals he might sustain himself
for some weeks, but the link was to Chariey and the energy