Chapter 62

[seymoure]

Chapter 62
“Dragons & Wizards & Ghosts, Oh My!”

Tezla and Claus worked side by side with the books the Wizard had collected during what appeared to be a long career.

“We are one of three ‘Gateway” worlds,” Tezla told the large man, “When he has taken possession of our worlds, through yours, he will move on to a dozen worlds that will be easy prey.”

“Can he get to you, even if we do not call him here?” Claus wanted to know.

“Eventually,” Tezla said, peering over his glasses, “When he grows tired of torturing your populace he will work his way here. He knows where we are, he will find a chink with us as he did with your plane.”

“Would you take me back and join us in our attack?”

“My presence would not be enough,” Tezla admitted, “I am powerful here, but I do not know how much magic I would bring with me.”

He turned to his guest.

“I might become his key to my world,” The old man said, “And do just what I would hope to prevent.”

“Could you send me back, but send me with a weapon of some kind that could get rid of the hideous thing?” Claus urged.

“That, also, would carry the signature of our world.”

The ancient wizard stood and looked dour, “You, having been here, might carry enough of my world to be equally dangerous to us.”

Sebastian didn’t like the sound of that.

“Would you kill me?” He whispered.

“And where would your spirit go to return home?” Tezla said, as though amazed that Claus would propose such a thing.

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“No,” the wizard thought aloud, “He has given us a puzzler.”

He walked over to Claus, put his hand on the large man’s shoulder and said, “But I, my friend, live to solve puzzles.”

It was that moment that a majestic dragon appeared above the heads of the men in the castle laboratory.

Claus recognized it as being from the movie “Sleeping Beauty,” but Tezla had no reference.

Mister Ed’s voice said, “I’m here for you, Wilbur!”

Then his clawed paw picked up the human and he and Claus both disappeared.

It was a lucky dragon, since the vanishing made him miss being on the receiving end of a magical thunderbolt that shook the rafters of buildings a mile away.

Tezla looked peeved, and then looked down at the desk where his visitor had been working.

There he saw something that would change the face of several worlds.

It seems that Sebastian Claus was still losing his hair.

Tezla picked up a few strands and began to laugh.

© 2005 by C. Wayne Owens