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Elyssa took a bit herself and nodded "Nutty"

"Well, it is Mr Nutter’s Angel Biscuit" I nodded at the posters on the MagicSoft and Orange s "Who are the guys in the posters?"

"That’s Thaddeus CruicSoft, and he," she said, nodding at the Orange poster, "is Enias Glover, founder of Orange They used to be partners at one point before splitting up to do their own thing"

I gestured at the MagicSoft poster "I’ll bet he got a feedgies in school"

"Even if he did, I’m sure he’s more than made up for it," Elyssa said "He’s one of the richest people in the Overworld and that’s saying so how many centuries some of the older members have had to collect their fortunes"

"He still looks like a nerd Especially with those square glasses"

"I think the glasses are rather stylish," said sohty British accent from behind us

I twisted so quickly in the bench I fell off it and ontoaway fro pose

"Did I startle you?" asked the very shortseveral feet back from the bench His voice was much deeper than I would have expected from someone so short--he barely reached up to Elyssa’s waist But he wore a dark green suit with a silky sheen and a funny little red bowtie He wore his auburn hair co sideburns stopped well short of the ave his sravitas than his tiny stature should have carried

Just as I was about to ask who someone was for the millionth time that day, the small man smiled and said, "I am Phissilinth If you would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll show you the way"

What the hell kind of naer than he was But my stomach clenched and folded itself into a tiny ball of anxiety when I realized this guy was going to leadand relaxed a bit though she still stared at the tiny man with caution

"Don’t you need to blindfold us or soood sir You’d never be able to find the place I’leam entered his otherwise jovial eyes "And even if you did, you’d never survive to tell of it"

Chapter 27

My legs tried to turn and carry me as far away fro froet assassin, caused o with the littleme if I ever did find their hideout, Phissilinth sounded like a very pleasant British chap Short as he was, he didn’t ith the sa the liile child

"Don’t let his size fool you," Elyssa whispered as alked behind our guide "I get the feeling anyone who thinks he’s easy prey ends up dead"

"The saht occurred to me," I muttered "He’s probably like the British version of Yoda without the bad gra us to a nondescript brown door set in one of the ripped the brass handle on the door--it was several inches above his head--and twisted it open

After a moment of hesitation, I stepped into a small marble foyer where antique chandeliers hovered overhead and dark green-and-purple striped wallpaper covered the walls A burgundy-carpeted stairwell led up to a small di every square inch of the place

"How are we not supposed to find this place?" I asked her under oodness sake"

Phissilinth shut the door behind us and, re an old-style skeleton key froo suddenly joined hands with ed rocks intoof dooht us here to kill us?

Elyssa looked up the stairs then back to Phissilinth who stood next to the door, counting quietly to hi to stand here all day or--"

Phissilinth held up a hand to quiet her, then slipped the skeleton key back into the lock, twisted it again The door unlocked with a click He opened it andthe alley we’d coreeted us with a belch of dank hts attached to the wooden support beams in the corridor bumped up the creepy factor by a bazillion

"How? Where? What?" I couldn’t forentle across our huh "If you’d continue to follow me, please"

I looked sideways at Elyssa She wore a dull expression as if she’d seen this sort of thing tooa Te what she’d tolda Templar sounded more adventurous than the Peace Corps

I took her hand and stepped through the door Phissilinth shut it behind us and locked it again As if to show us that, yes, his precious little key was ic, he unlocked the door and opened it to reveal a blank stone rooo nowhere

"Will that key take you anywhere?" I asked

"This is just a copy of the Master Key," he said "It can take you quite a few places, but the Master Key can take you just about any place there’s a door"