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'This place doesn't look big enough'

'Do you know anything about raphy?'

'Um No'

Then I shouldn't aspire to hold any opinions, if I was you,' said Albert

He paused in front of a shelf of glasses, glanced at the paper again, ran his hand along the row and suddenly snatched up a glass The top bulb was alht, then the other should be solasses around in his hands One had all the s of an important life, while the other one was squat and quite unremarkable

Mort read the naatean Era in Turnwise Klatch

'Over to you,' Albert sneered The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be finished I'll bring Binky round to the front door'

'Do ht to you?' said Mort, anxiously

'Nothing wrong with thees, bit bluer than usual, nothing special'

Mort followed hihtful Ysabell watched hie by swishing it through the air, just as Death did, and grinning mirthlessly at the satisfactory sound of the thunderclap

She recognised the walk He was stalking

'Mort?' she whispered

YES?

'So to you'

I KNOW, said Mort 'But I think I can control it'

They heard the sound of hooves outside, and Albert pushed the door open and caht, lad, no tith It scythed through the air with a noise like ripping silk and buried itself in the doorpost by Albert's ear

ON YOUR KNEES, ALBERTO MALICH

Albert'sblade a few inches froht little lines

'You surely wouldn't dare, boy,' he said

MORT The syllable snapped out as fast as a whiplash and twice as vicious

There was a pact,' said Albert, but there was the barest gnat-song of doubt in his voice There was an agreereereement?'

'I don't knohere I would be,' said Mort softly

BUT I KNOW WHERE YOU WOULD GO That's not fair!' Noas a whine THERE'S NO JUSTICE THERE'S JUST ME

'Stop it,' said Ysabell 'Mort, you're being silly You can't kill anyone here Anyway, you don't really want to kill Albert'

'Not here But I could send him back to the world'

Albert went pale

'You wouldn't!'

'No? I can take you back and leave you there I shouldn't think you've got much time left, have you?' HAVE YOU?

'Don't talk like that,' said Albert, quite failing to aze 'You sound like the master when you talk like that'

'I could be a lot worse than the et Albert's book, will you?'

'Mort, I really think you're --'

SHALL I ASK YOU AGAIN?

She fled from the roo the length of the sword, and smiled a lop-sided, humourless smile

'You won't be able to control it forever,' he said

'I don't want to I just want to control it for long enough'

'You're receptive now, see? The longer the master is away, the more you'll become just like him Only it'll be worse, because you'll re human and --'

'What about you, then?' snapped Mort 'What can you re huot left?'

'Ninety-one days, three hours and five minutes,' said Albert promptly 'I kneas on my trail, see? But I'm safe here and he's not such a bad master Sometimes I don't knohat he'd do without dom And you're pleased with that?' said Mort

'I'er than anyone in the world'

Mort shook his head

'You haven't, you know,' he said 'You've just stretched things out more No-one really lives here The ties I'd rather die and see what happens next than spend eternity here'

Albert pinched his nose reflectively 'Yes, well, you ht,' he conceded, 'but I was a wizard, you knoas pretty good at it They put up a statue tolife as a wizard withouta few enemies, see, ones who'llwait on the Other Side'

He sniffed They ain't all got two legs, either Sohten me It's what coood will that do ht need soht for a few seconds and added, 'If I were you, it wouldn't do any harivefor you ht not like the taste of that'

Albert shuddered and shut his eyes

'You don't know about that what you talk about,' he added, with rammar, 'else you wouldn't say that What do you want from me?'

Mort told him

Albert cackled