Titans of Chaos

Victor said, "So what's the plan?"

I said, "Let's go shopping! You know, I have not spent a single dime of my money yet, and I think Ineed a new dress."

"Upscale" he called it. The place was huge. Glittering aisles of goods were piled deep as therooms of gold the Aztecs gathered to ransom Montezuma. Fabrics, jewelry, more shoes than anelfish cobbler's shop. Sporting goods for sale in the back of the store. (I made a mental note to buymyself a shooting iron. I was in America, after all.) Electronics. Televisions. Musical instruments.

Everything.

The store was strangely deserted-or, not so strange, considering the late hour-but the managercame hurrying down the empty aisles when the five of us entered the front door.

He smiled and inclined his head when we showed him the card Deimos had given us. "Gentlemen'sapparel is on the second floor..." He gestured toward the grand-ballroom-style staircase leadingup to a sort of elevated courtyard surrounded by several departments or shops on the right.

"Women's evening wear, yes? On the left..." A twin of the first staircase led up to an area the sizeof a small town, but one where an impatient sorcerer turned every inhabitant into a dressmaker.

There was no balcony or bridge between the two departments: To cross from one to the otherrequired descending one grand staircase, crossing the wealth-crowded aisles of the main salon,and ascending another.

Victor said, "Leader, I am not sure we should split up."

Colin said, "He's right, I mean, you girls might need help tucking your mammary glands intobrassieres or something."

Vanity took me by the elbow. "We don't want to miss Archer; besides, this is still within screamingdistance. And how fast can Victor fly? Mach twenty-two or something?"

I said, "Just stay alert. Go get your tuxes." But for some reason, Vanity and I started giggling aswe tripped up the stairway to the palace of luxury atop. Here were mannequins in poses of grace,and acres of soft fabric hanging from padded hangers.

Vanity whispered: "The money! It is still folded up in your fourth dimension."

But there was a clerk watching. The young lady walked across the shimmering marble floortoward us, the only other person in sight, and it was not the time to pull my energy-shining wingsdown into this plenum.