Myth 13 - Myth Alliances by Asprin, Robert (ebook reader online free .txt) 📕

circus car. Chanting a phrase that was indistinct at that distance, they pointed wands at the gathering Scammies, shoving them all back until they were behind an orange line painted on the sidewalk.

“Now, there'll be no more of this,” the officer in charge bellowed, taking the megaphone away from the lead pro?tester. “We're conducting the investigation. You all go home, now. Anyone who's still here by the time I count three is going to spend a week in jail. One ... two ...”

Most of the Scammies started running away, but a cou?ple of bold young males came forward with a basket and a torch. The first tipped out the contents on the ground: sev?eral dozen pairs of Storyteller Goggles. The other one thrust the burning brand into the center of them.

“No!” Monishone yelled furiously. “You imbeciles! All my hard work!”

“Shh!” Vergetta hissed. Too late.

Police officers were leaping forward to stop the two

males and to put out the fire, but the chief officer's head flew up.

“Who said that?” he demanded.

“It came from over here!” a female voice shrieked.

Vergetta turned around, and realized that more Scammies had filled in the rest of the steps overlooking Bofus's.

“There's someone invisible. Up here!”

“They smell!” added a hoarse male voice. “Outlanders! Demons!” Though the Scammies couldn't see them, they crowded in on the clot of concealed Pervects, hands out, feeling the air. One errant male's hand patted Oshleen on the rear. Her eyes flew wide in outrage.

“How dare you!” she shrieked, slapping his face. The blow knocked the male off his feet and sent him flying over the heads of his compatriots.

“Invisible invaders!” the crowd cried.

“That's enough,” Vergetta declared. “Everyone, into formation! Start chanting.”

“Chanting what?”

The elderly Pervect looked around. The speaker stood behind her: a Scammie about her age, dressed in a uniform with plenty of ornate braid around the collar and wrists. He was looking her straight in the eye. In fact, everybody was looking at them.

“What happened to the cloaks?” she demanded. Then, seeing the stunned look on her allies' faces, she realized it wasn't their idea that their spell had slipped. “Let's go!”

“Oh, no, you don't, madam, or whatever you are,” the uniformed Scammie said.

“That's them, officer!” Bofus explained, appearing be?side him. “They're the ones who sold me those glasses! I swear I had no idea that they meant for me to betray my own people.”

The cop turned to her. “Is this true?”

“Of course not!” Paldine protested. “It's all a misunder?standing!”

The officer's face was imperturbable. “We'd like you to come down to our headquarters for questioning.” Glancing over his shoulder, Vergetta realized that he was accompa?nied by about a hundred other officers, probably the force sent to deal with the riot.

“So sorry, bubchen,” she apologized, patting him on the cheek. “Can't do it. Join hands!” The Pervect Ten minus Two tried to unite.

“They're trying to get away!” the crowd howled, and mobbed them, knocking their hands away from one an?other's. There were other ways to dimension-​hop. As dozens of pairs of hands reached for her, Vergetta started chanting one of the old, more power-​intensive charms.

“All right, all right, all right,” the officer shouted, push?ing into the midst of the crowd. 'They're not going any?where!"

And they weren't. Vergetta chanted again. And again. No matter how she phrased the syllables, or delved for power from the lines running all over the town, her spell didn't work. Her surprise was echoed seven times on her companions' faces. Scammies must be operating dispellers strong enough to dampen even a Pervect's talent. Who in the nine levels of Marshall Field's State Street had sold them those?

Their momentary shock was long enough for two offi?cers apiece to take them by the arms. The touch brought the senior Pervect to her senses. She threw the first police officer high over her head into the crowd. The second two retired from the fray clutching sensitive parts of their anatomy that had been viciously kicked. But gradually, enough police joined their brethren in bearing the eight Pervects to the ground.

“This is no way to treat ladies,” Vergetta grunted, as thick irons were fastened around her wrists.

“You are under arrest for corruption of public morals, operating unsafe devices within the city limits and,” the of-

ficer added, wincing, “assaulting officers of the law.” He gestured to his army. “Take them away!”

“But, bubby,” Vergetta explained, holding out her mana?cled hands to the black-​robed judge, “this is all a big mis?understanding. Look at me. I'm just an old lady. I wouldn't hurt a fly.”

A sharp inhalation of breath came from behind her, probably from one of the officers she had kicked on the way in. He was lucky she only wanted to disarm him and get away. It did cramp a lady's style when she intended to be merciful. The other Pervects sat behind her on a hard wooden bench. Not so comfortable on one's old nether parts. She was more comfortable standing.

“We have had two riots in two days,” the magistrate in?toned, leaning over his tented hands toward her and the others. “In both cases demons were involved. We have had numerous situations in the past where outworlders have caused a lot of trouble. Now, I am trying-​to be le?nient, but the evidence against you and your ... compan?ions is overwhelming.”

“What evidence?” Vergetta said, bluntly. “We sell toys. That's all we're here to do: make people happy. Have you tried our product? It's fabulous. You would enjoy it so much. It would take your mind off your