Part 21 (1/2)

”By 'looking around' I suppose you mean spying,” said Ylith. ”And to whom does 'us' refer?”

”Me and G.o.d,” Michael said. ”I'm asking you in His name, of course.”

”Yes, you usually do,” Ylith said. Her face took on a petulant expression. ”Why doesn't He ever speak to me Himself?”

”Many of us have wondered why we do not hear direct from the Deity,” Michael said. ”He doesn't speak directly to me, either. It is a mystery and we are not supposed to question it.”

”Why not?” Ylith asked.

”Some matters you must take on faith. What we must do is discover what Azzie is up to. Go and look over his pilgrimage, making up any excuse you wish to explain why you are there, and see what he is really about. Unless I miss my guess, our proud young demon won't be able to conceal his purposes from you because his project, whatever it is, should be in full swing.”

”Very well, then, sir, I'll go at once.”

”Do so. And use your own judgment. If you should find that Azzie Elbub has a scheme underfoot for the subversion of mankind and the glorification of Evil, it will do no harm at all to put a spike in his wheels, so to speak, if you should find a chance.”

”That's exactly what I was thinking,” Ylith said.

Chapter 2.

In their room near the kitchen, Puss and Quentin lay in their truckle beds watching the shadows cross and re- cross on the ceiling.

”Do you think Antonio is really a demon?” asked Quentin, who was quite young and not completely sure yet what was real and what was not.

”I think he is,” Puss said.

Puss had been thinking long and hard about what she wanted more than anything else in the world. The first thing that had occurred to her was blond hair, like her brother's. Silky and curly and long, and with a flaxen tint to it, not the bra.s.sy yellow that some girls affected. But was that really a thing to wish for above all else? Puss felt a little ashamed for having so meager a wish, and so, uncustomarily, she listened attentively as Quentin told her what he'd ask for if he went to ask a favor of the demon.

”My own horse, that's first,” Quentin said decisively. ”And my own sword. It's ridiculous of Father to say it's too expensive having a sword made for me because I'll outgrow it in a year or two. I mean, what's the sense of being rich if you can't buy things you will outgrow?”

”Very sensible,” said Puss. ”A sword, then. What else do you want?”

”I don't think I want a kingdom,” Quentin said thoughtfully. ”I'd have to stay around and take care of it. I

don't think King Arthur was too happy despite being in charge of Camelot, do you?”

”I doubt it,” Puss said.

”I'd like to go out on a lot of quests,” Quentin said.

”Like Lancelot? He wasn't very happy, either.”

”No, but that's because he was silly, falling in love with the queen when there were so many other ladies to choose from. Why choose any at all? I'd rather be like Gawaine, traveling around and having different girlfriends and getting into trouble, and winning treasures and then losing them again. That way he had the pleasure of getting stuff without having to take care of it later.”

”Like getting all the toys he wanted without ever having to put them away?” Puss asked.

”Exactly,” said Quentin.

”Very sound,” Puss said. ”What else would you want? ”