"What place is this?" Gord inquired, almost voicing his concern that they might border on the realms of Tharizdun.

"It is one which is drawn from a distant parallel of chance, not time. Be assured it Is of the safest sort also. Do you like the style?"

"I must tell you. Lady Tolerance, that never have I seen such in all of my many travels. . . ."

"Thank you. Please be my guests for the time. Proctor Chronos and I must confer as to the nature of our involvement in the matter. You three need to restore yourselves, I know."

Time is ample here, for I confer it In abundance," Chronos told them as he arose to accompany the Mistress of Probability elsewhere. "It will seem but moments before we are back, but time and probability will serve to mend all of your hurts, revitalize you. Make use of it wisely!"

They left and Leda looked at Gord and Gellor, asking, "What have we gotten into?"

The only opportunity for survival, girl," the bard ventured, and the young champion next to him agreed.

Chapter 19

IT WAS REFRESHING after a million groveling devils and daemons to see only a handful of half-defiant demons enter to stand before him. Tharizdun gave no greeting, no welcome to these creatures who defied the rest of the Abyss in coming here to pledge fealty. There was a prince of their kind amongst the assemblage.

"You, the one called bulumuz, come first and prostrate yourself," Tharizdun commanded harshly.

The demon prince stepped forward boldly and, rather than doing as ordered, simply bent knee and head. "I am your servant. Greatest of Malevolence!"

Tharizdun arose, grew, and became nearly amorphous as he did so. Suddenly a tentacle-like pseudopod shot from his mass and yanked the now-snarling and bellowing demon lord into the huge body mass. Tharizdun's substance became transparent, so that all the others there could see the horrible digestion of Bulumuz. It took a long time, and the muffled shrieks of the one inside were audible to the viewers as well.

Then Tharizdun resumed his manlike form and sat back in his plain chair. "That one was rebellious. He fakes to justify he existence. I consumes him fully, and the force that was he now resides in me. Go back to demonium, you few. Inform all there that I shall do the same to them, all the lords of the Abyss, unless they immediately accept my absolute sovereignty!" The remaining demons started to shuffle off.

"But before you leave," the darkest of Evil drawled, halting them in mid-stride "there is one other thing you must note. You!" he said, pointing to one of the consumed prince's fellows. "Step forward and prostrate yourself."

Trembling visibly in obedience, the demon did just that, falling upon his face at Tharizdun's feet. The ultimate one of darkness kicked the demon lightly. "You are not Bulumuz," he announced, "and in you a greater dweomer than the former prince of that name possessed. There is no lord amongst you that can not be replaced thus. Tell that to all, Graz'zt and Orcus, and all of the kinglets!"

The group of them left hurriedly as soon as given leave, glad to have survived and hoping that their early homage would make them greater in vassalage than they now were within independent demonium. "Stupid and wild brawlers," Tharizdun said cynically. "but bullies and louts serve a purpose, too."

"That was a very sly trick Tharizdun. Only I amongst all noticed you used your will to make the demon lord unable to obey. A self-created object lesson. It will go far in hastening the submission of most of those demons whom you would use."

The greatest of Evil scowled at the formless darkness nearby. "I gave you no leave to speak, Entropy."

"I need no such leave, but I shall elect to remain silent most of the time in any event, so have no fear. I won't disturb your machinations. In fact, and quite to the contrary," the entity droned on, "I intend to help you and make vital suggestions as needed. You are free, thanks to me, and your total domination of the cosmos will be hastened through my efforts."

"Is that so?" Tharizdun sneered. "And what if I refuse to heed your maunderings?"

"I will exert myself against you," came the simple answer. "Do you care to oppose yourself against such weight?"

Tharizdun stood up and paced angrily. "I made no compact," he finally said after much time. "I will use my own eldritch force to drive you hence."

"But you did compact with me, as well you know. Like it or not, you made your own cause a collateral of my own. You must accept me and hear my voice. Some things cannot be avoided, Tharizdun."

"If we are thus the same, go and seek out the enemy champion. come back with the soul of that man, and I will elevate you to absolute coequal."

"Elevate? No matter. You would never willingly do that, as we both know, and I have no desire to be despotic ruler of such a cosmos as you plan. It will suffice for me to be a silent advisor now and then. As to the one named Gord, I am unable to harm him directly, just as he is powerless to affect me. Haven't you drawn sufficient powers from the subject netherspheres to make you confident of victory?"

"There is never sufficent of anything until one has all!" Tharizdun barked in retort "Who knows what trick and stratagem the rightminded little fool will attempt? Had I only not . . ."

"Not what Tharizdun?"

"Not . . . not . . . Shit! Something causes me to be unable to recall the detail. the champion of the enemy has managed to withhold some advantage he gained. I am stronger now than ever befor, and soon I'll have the demonic energy too. yet I am not whole!"

It was mildly disturbing to the lord of Entropy that Tharizdun spoke thus, and a little annoying to the entity that he had no clue as to what the being of malice really lacked. "The circumstances should make you doubly glad that we are allies then, Tharizdun."

"I am never pleased with allies, slow-speaking dolt! I am happy to have subjects, servants, thralls! Yet in this one case I do accept alliance. Yes, Lord of Entropy, you speak most persuasively. I shall remain your ally, you mine, so that we may cooperatively annihilate the foe."

"A certainty when I participate, but you must swiftly conclude your gathering of energy, Tharizdun. Until all of the netherspheres are subject to your will, you cannot close upon the forces of malign order nor evil chaos; both are needed to tap the stream of destructive antimatter which will be the culmination of your greatness."

The Uttermost of the Netherworlds drew back at Entropy's suggestion. "Do you think I am totally mad? Have no thought save lust pgr domination? Draw from the great void of dark energy I will, but never will I draw such a river as you urge, entity!"

"That is something which remains for later observation," Entropy drawled. "When do you go forth to ferret out the little man who thinks to oppose your rulership?"

Although he noted the sudden switch in tone, Tharizdun was actually pleased to hear the Lord of Entropy refer to matters in such a manner. "It has been but a short time since I broke free of the restraints. In that time all of the ordered portions of the lower spheres have submitted, and so only the spheres of demonkind remain to be subjugated. In a few days, I think, as men reckon time, I will have a stream of demon lords here to give homage. let us say another week. Then I will gather my hounds and hunt the champion and his rabbits!"

Thoroughness was what Entropy admired, was what he used when reducing action to inaction, the quick to eternal stillness, hot activity to sterile chill. "What hounds, Tharizdun? I am not so knowledgeable in affairs of this sort as you might suppose."