Part 15 (1/2)

”Precisely. Now, do you also want a set of magic horses?”

”Magic horses? What on Earth would I want magic horses for? Are they necessary?”

”Not really, but if you're planning this for an audience the magic horses provide a spirited spectacle. They also add another layer of complication.”

”Not too serious a complication, I hope?” Azzie asked. ”I don't know how smart my contestants are going to be. But a.s.suming they're like most humans...”

”Point taken,” said the clerk. ”The magic horses complication should be easy enough to manage. And it does add a lot of cla.s.s.”

”Put me down for seven magic horses,” Azzie said.

”Right,” said the clerk, scribbling on an order form. ”Now, do you want the horses to have any real magical qualities?”

”Such as?”

”Well, extra puissance, n.o.bility, comeliness, ability to fly, ability to talk, ability to metamorphose into another animal- ”

”Those sound like expensive additions.”

”You can have anything you want,” the clerk said, ”but you do have to pay for it.”

”Make them magic horses then, but without any extra qualities,” Azzie said. ”That ought to be good enough.”

”Fine. Are there any other complications you want to introduce between the receipt of the half spells and the arriving at the candlesticks?”

”No, if they just get that bit done, that'll be fine,” Azzie said.

”Okay, what caliber spell?” the clerk said.

”Caliber? Since when did they come in calibers?”

”New ruling. All spells must be ordered by caliber.”

”I don't know what caliber I need,” Azzie said.

”Find out,” the clerk said.

Azzie gave the clerk a bribe and said, ”Each spell should be able to transport a human being from a location in one realm of discourse to a location in another. Then it needs to take him on to another destination.”

”Then you need double-barreled spells rather than half spells,” the clerk said. ”Can't ask all that of an ordinary spell. There's a lot of energy required, changing realms of discourse. Let's see, how much do these humans weigh?”

”I don't know,” Azzie said. ”I haven't met them yet. Let's say a maximum of three hundred pounds each.”

”The caliber is double if the spell has to move more than two hundred and fifty pounds.”

”Make it two fifty, then. I'll make sure none of them weighs in above that.”

”Okay,” the clerk said. He found a sc.r.a.p of paper and did some figuring. ”Let's see if I've got this straight. You want seven double-barreled spells that'll each transport a two-hundred-fifty-pound human - and that includes anything he's carrying-to two different spots in two different realms of discourse. I'd say it'll take forty-five-caliber spells. Which brand do you want?”