Page 54 of Potions & Pints
He looked at the Librarian who shook his head. Tan wasn’t sure if there wasn’t such a spell or if the Librarian just wouldn’t do it. The chieftain waved his hand impatiently.
“Would it even matter?” he asked. Tan assumed the question was rhetorical and kept his mouth shut. “I’m not sure that it would penetrate your arrogance.”
“I pity you,” Tan said. “I really do. When Pili finds out—”
“Pili will never find out. Pili will never leave The Abyss. I will remind him he has you to thank for that.”
“That’s—”
“Enough,” the chieftain roared. “I have tried to make you understand and failed. You leave me no choice.”
Tan looked at the Librarian. The man was watching closely. He gave what Tan thought was a nod, but he barely moved his head. Tan couldn’t be sure. But the chieftain’s back was to the Librarian so it seemed to be a signal to Tan.
“Just get it over with,” Tan said.
“Gladly,” the chieftain said.
He raised both his hands. Whatever spell he planned to cast on Tan he was going to give it all he had. Behind the chieftain the Librarian rose silently to his feet and raised both his hands as well.
Tan realized that this was the moment the Librarian had been waiting for. When the chieftain was focused on Tan, cursing Tan — Tan could only assume it was to be a curse — the chieftain would be unable to defend himself.
Tan just wasn’t sure if the Librarian was worried at all about whatever magic Tan was about to be hit with.
“I’m ready,” Tan said grimly and braced himself.
The two men moved in unison, pulling their elbows back and then throwing their arms forward. Tan wanted to be brave, wanted to stare into the chieftain’s eyes as the spell hit him, but his eyelids closed automatically.
I’m a coward, he thought and waited for death or pain to wash over him.
Nothing. Tan opened one eye, then the other. The chieftain and the Librarian were staring at their hands.
“What happened?” the chieftain said to the Librarian.
“I don’t know.”
“Wait, did you…”
Tan dove behind a chair as the two men flung spells at each other, or attempted to.
“What are you doing?” the chieftain screamed. He turned back to Tan. “Get up,” he said.
“Uh, make me?” Tan replied.
He poked his head out from behind the chair and waited. The chieftain tossed spell after spell at him. Nothing happened. Tan stood up and, just so the chieftain would know the magic was definitely not working, plopped down into the chair. He shrugged and folded his arms.
“What is going…”
The chieftain stopped mid-sentence. When he turned around he had caught the Librarian trying to bind him. That’s what Tan assumed, anyway. The Librarian had just been biding his time. His patience was quite impressive, but even more annoying.
“Are you trying to curse me?” the chieftain said.
“Merely a binding spell,” the Librarian said meekly.
“How dare you—”
“There’s no magic,” the Librarian said. “So no harm, no—”
“One way trip to The Abyss?” Tan said, feigning a helpful attitude.
