"Are you sure this is the right place?"
      "It's the address in the letter."
      "But this place is abandoned. Closed down. I don't like the looks of this place. Looks like a place a gang would use as their headquarters." Carol took a step backwards and shivered. "Maybe we should just forget this. I have a bad feeling."
      "We spent a lot of money getting here. Awfully foolish to just turn around on the doorstep."
      "You don't feel something bad about the place?"
      "I'm not responding to the same stimulus that you are. After all, I'm not a Sensitive like you. You can go back to the hotel if you like." Garth tried the door and it opened, dust falling from the sill. "Does look abandoned for some time."
      "Then there is no one here. Why bother?"
      "Not necessarily the only entrance. The place takes up half the block. Are you staying or going?"
      "You're going in? Then I may as well stay. But I'm telling you, I don't like the feel of this place. This whole affair has been strange."
      "Like me?"
      "Garth. Please. Don't start on that now. Let's go in. You have your mysterious work to do."
      Garth surveyed Marigny St. for signs of their being watched. None of the people in view seemed to note their presence. It was unusual in New Orleans not to be watched while looking into an abandoned building. People's eyes passed their way, but none stopped to focus on them. "I think that this could be the place. Perhaps you should go back to the hotel."
      "No. Not alone. If you go in, I go in. I'm just trying to talk you out of it."
      "No. Not if it is the place. I can't shirk this."
      "Then let's go in." Carol capitulated. "After you."
      Garth stepped cautiously through the peeling red painted door frame, Carol following. The room smelled musty, and dust covered everything. Carol left the door open for a quick dash outside. She avoided touching anything with her hands or motions. As she made her way around a desk that had been ruined from years of neglect, she was startled by the sound of the doors slamming shut. Her heart raced jarringly, and she breathed deeply to slow it. "Garth. That's not natural."
      "Yes." He was surveying three doors, one yellow, one green, and one blue, side by side on the far wall. All showed the same neglect as the furnishings. The green one opened, and there emerged a dark haired woman, seemingly in her forties. She appeared to be in poor health, though her low cut and sleeveless black dress revealed no physical signs of illness. It was more in her movements and in her eyes, hidden behind an excess of make-up.
      "Not many people come in this way. Most use the other door."
      "Hasn't been anyone through here in years." Garth replied.
      "I guess you're right. It must have been years. You came in response to the letter?"
      "Yes. But the letter was signed Marilyn Marcell."
      "Naturally."
      "We've come to see Tijon."
      "Understood."
      Her vacant voice unsettled Carol, but the ensuing silence bothered her even more. "Would you show us the way?" she stammered.
      "Follow me." The woman turned about and went through the green door into the dimness beyond.
      "God. I swear she looks like a zombie."
      "She's alive, Carol." Garth went through the green door. Carol was careful in following. Once through the door, the rooms were immaculately clean and well cared. The tables were polished, fresh linen was set about, fresh flowers sat in vases, the art work was dusted, and the floors were well waxed. "Meticulous." thought Garth.
      The woman waited at a staircase. "This way, please."
      Garth took Carol's hand to speed her reluctant step. She was forced to concentrate on her rapid step up the stairs, thus she had little attention to articulation or staring about. He knew she'd speak her mind of it at the next available chance. Carol was often without tact. The mood usually struck her whenever she was awake. She never thought about her words. Her mind was directly linked to her voice. There was no reflection before speaking within her.
      Garth was the opposite. Unnecessary words annoyed Garth, and jammed his thought processes to the point that he couldn't think, being too busy listening. But at
      least Carol was reliable. He would know the moment anything happened. Carol was an unusually sensitive Sensitive. Garth knew fully well the validity of her mistrust in this house. He had hoped that the search would end here, and that both of them would walk away from this place.
      They entered a hall as they turned to their right, leaving the stairs behind. Garth switched arms with Carol and brushed the dust from her dress. She looked perplexed. "Don't sit down anywhere. It's not as clean as it looks." She noticed the dust on her dress for the first time. She brushed it off with disgust. It was not clean dirt. It soiled on contact, rich in hydrocarbons of all types, spore-laden, and almost breeding.
      "Stay calm, Carol. We'll just have to burn these clothes after we bathe. Just don't touch anything you don't have to."
      The woman led them into a room. She stayed by the door and departed without word, giving them a disinterested expression that was not good for Carol's eyes. "Are we supposed to wait?" she asked him in the dimness.
      "Yes. Quietly."
      "Absolute?"
      Garth nodded, his intent plainly serious. The wait didn't take long. A deep gravelly voice seeped from the darkened corner.
      "So, you found me. My, my, chil'ren. Time is come again. Time is come again. Took you naught but little time, this time. Now I see you found a little honey. Hello, Honey."
      From the deep shadows, across the wide table, walked an imp. "And I'd do lay odds that you are figuring to take on a boarder, Garthy boy. Come now. You needn't be shy. Cat got your tongue, Garth? Hee-hee-hee."
      The demon held his belly and leered at Carol. She backed away in terror, a scream forming in her throat. He was two foot tall and squat, his mouth extended on a equine snout, showing a rough smile. His skull was wide and flat above eyes that burned with evil mirth.
      Garth snapped his fingers, and Carol fell asleep on her feet.
      "Oh, man, did you have to do that? I was just getting warmed up. Man, you ain't got no class. That's your problem, you know that? You are such a stick in the mud, boy. Are you ever going to loosen up? You have got to be the most frigid thing alive. I've seen parts of the bayou that are livelier than you are. Heck of a lot livelier. Even in the heat of the day. Why do you always show just when things are getting good?"
      "Cause that's when you tip your hand. Tijon, you think too big."
      "Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" He thrust his hand in Carol's direction. She began to glow. Garth intercepted the stream of power and drew it to himself.
      "How can anybody have any fun around here with you always butting in? You put a damper on everything." Tijon fussed in his adopted cajun accent.
      "You always have to fight for it. Come on. Start throwing. I already got you. May as well give over the rest."
      "And not put some kind of fight for it? I don't think you're gonna git me this time. I knew you were coming. This time, I'm ready for ya."
      "Don't you worry about me. Why do you think I come after you time after time? I'm not always a stick in the mud, Tijon. Not when I'm containing you. You are a bundle, and all that energy has to bled off somehow. But then you never get to see that side of me. I already have you, Tijon. Must we make it a fight?"
      "You fight to keep me."
      "Only because you resist."
      "How would you like someone swallowing you? Come on, boy, show a little class for a change."
      "Tijon, pack it in. I'll pluck you, if I have to."
      "Why are you in such a hurry?"
      "Frankly, Tijon, you're a slob of a housekeeper, illusion or not."
      The illusion vanished as a leash between them, showing the filthy conditions as they were. With it, he pulled harder, his leash doubled.
      "Take it easy there. You don't want to strain nothing. Give me a moment to......"
      "Give it up, Tijon. You're just stalling the inevitable and making it harder on yourself."
      "Ya say that every time. I surely am mighty tired a-hearing that."
      "Then don't make me say it."
      "No, man. It just don' seem right. Besides, I got a surprise for ya."
      Garth cursed under his breath about the same old thing, then made a tap to the imp. Tijon resisted with a squeal. The house started shaking. Garth drove the force home, pressing his way through Tijon's evasive defensive barriers. The roof caved in, forcing Garth to divert energy to holding off the collapse. But he still progressed, though more slowly. He managed to juggle the debris aside, so that he could return full attention to Tijon. The floor collapsed.
      Garth drove home at full force and hit the core of Tijon's powers. He switched to placing their feet of the floor, taking the time Tijon was absorbed in the penetration. Garth returned his awareness to Tijon with a yank. The demon imploded, and the force all sailed into Garth with an impact that knocked him off his feet.
      "Aaahhhh. Not good enough, Tijon. You have to do better than that to stop me. Now, for how long this time?" He stood in disgust of the surroundings. He immediately began to rearrange the interior of the building. It returned to the condition of the illusion before it was stripped away. But this time, it was no illusion. Only the room they had first entered changed, and that was to the standards of the rest of the building. Its new condition spelled certain wealth and a team of dedicated housekeepers throughout the massive structure. In the process, he floated up with Carol to the place they occupied when he snapped her into the trance. He cleaned most of the filth from his clothes and person, but not all. He smiled with a gleam in his eye as he snapped his fingers again.
      Carol noticed the brighter lights and lack of a demon and quickly surveyed the room. "What happened?"
      "The job is done."
      "Over? What happened? I missed it? You mean to say that I missed it? How did that happen? What happened? Garth, tell me. Are we all right? Did you capture him? Where is he?"
      "One question at a time, and not while we're filthy. Come, there is a bath in here. And don't touch anything."
      "It's still dirty?"
      "No, but you are. And I am."
      "Oh. Where are you going?"
      "To take a bath and get out of these clothes."
      "Well, wait. Don't just walk off and not tell me."
      "Then come along with me. You need a bath as well."
      "You want me to take a bath with you?"
      "Doesn't matter. Up to you, Carol." he called as he disappeared into the room beyond. "Don't touch anything until you bathe."
      She followed until she heard running water in the room beyond.
      "So, are you going to tell me?"
      "Huh?"
      "I said, 'Are you going to tell me?"
      "Can't understand you. Got water in my ears."
      "Are you undressed?"
      "Huh?"
      Carol growled, and then looked at the dirt on herself. She shivered in revolt. She shed the dress by tearing it off, rather than lifting it over her head. She dispensed with everything, since everything was dirtied when she tore the dress. She stepped away from the clothes in disgust. "I'm coming in." she called. She inched her way forward, her eye peeled to the corner. She finally spotted him sitting in a whirlpool, rinsing his hair. "Hey." She poked her head around the corner when she found that the bubbles covered him below the waist.
      "Take a shower. Wash as much off before you climb in."
      "Now?"
      "Whenever you chose, Carol."
      "Close your eyes."
      "I'm busy getting clean."
      "Then look away. No, there are mirrors everywhere in here. That won't do any good."
      "Are you hideously scarred?"
      "No."
      "Then what is the worry? Shy?"
      "Well, manners."
      "Oh. Suit yourself. Don't mind me." He dunked his head under the water again.
      "Are you trying to get me in there with you?" she asked when he surfaced.
      "Look, Carol. I'm trying to get clean. This is nasty stuff we're dealing with. You saw what it did to the poor woman who greeted us."
      "Ick!" bellowed Carol, and she ran for the shower. She was under and scrubbing immediately, oblivious to whether or not Garth was looking, which he did for several moments before returning his attention to himself. He luxuriated in the cleanliness of the magical water, which removed all impurities from the body without sullying itself in the process. Eventually the sound of the shower ceased. Garth didn't watch her approach with his eyes. She slipped into the pool while Garth lay there in the water, eyes shut. She slumped into the seat until she showed only shoulders above the water.
      "What happened?"
      "All solved."
      "You banished the demon?"
      "Yes."
      "How?"
      "Contained him."
      "How?"
      "In a vessel."
      "How?"
      "With a trap."
      "What trap? I don't remember you carrying anything."
      "Traps come in all sizes."
      "Can I see it?"
      "Oh yes, it's quite visible."
      "No, I mean, where is it?"
      "In the house."
      "How did the house get clean?"
      "The trap took his powers from the house, and it was restored."
      "Oh. How did you spring the trap? What happened? Start from the point where I was screaming."
      "Hmmm. Okay. The demon threw his energies at you. I caught the stream in the trap, and it sucked it in. Then you came to."
      "That's all?"
      "Everything important. He said a few words before he went in. I said a few back. Nothing of note. More an exertion of opinion than anything else."
      "Whose house is this?"
      "Mine, now. "
      "Yours?"
      "Yes. My name is on the deed. The imp couldn't use his own, and he thought it humorous to use mine. So it belongs to me, lock stock, and barrel."
      "What happened to that woman?"
      "She is sleeping on a bed downstairs."
      "Who is she?"
      "A local single woman that nobody missed. She will have to be nursed back to health."
      "Oh."
      "She only did the imp's will. Now that he is in the trap, she can return to her life, once she is cured of her exposure to this place as it was."
      "Who will pay the doctor's bills?"
      "Oh, I doubt they will be a problem. "
      "I thought that you were almost broke."
      "I can afford it."
      "How?" she put forth forcefully.
      "Again, the greedy imp used my name and signature on his accounts."
      "How are you learning all of this?"
      "From the imp's records. I glanced at them while I was waiting for you to waken."
      "You weren't worried about me?"
      "No. I knew you'd waken. Hold your breath."
      "What?" He put his hand atop her head and dunked her slowly, letting her realize that she was indeed going under and get time to inhale a lung full. He made sure that her hair was completely immersed in the pool. He let her up.
      "What was that for?"
      "You hair still smelled. This is not ordinary water. Doesn't your hair feel cleaner?"
      "I guess it does. But doesn't that dirty the water?"
      "Filtration from the circulation."
      "Oh."
      "Anyway, you smell cleaner. Aren't you going to wash?"
      "I was getting answers from you."
      "Feel the house. Do you feel mistrust in the house?"
      "I don't know. I don't think so."
      "I know you don't."
      "Why is that?"
      "Cause you would have never have jumped in here with me without a stitch between us if you felt the least bit of mistrust in the house."
      "I wanted to get clean."
      "And you trusted the house to cleanse you rather than make you dirtier. You'd have never done that if you had mistrust within you."
      "I must say that I have my doubts."
      "About me?"
      "Garth, I've never been able to read you like I read others. I can't penetrate your thoughts."
      "Nervous?"
      "A bit."
      "I haven't told you everything, and for a reason. Nothing horrible or gruesome. Unusual, perhaps, but demons are usually unusual. This one in particular. I think that you'd be better spared the details. It's a long story."
      "I'm in no rush."
      "Ah, but there are still matters to attend. Such as the woman in bed. Can't sit and chat. Besides, you still haven't seen all the house."
      "What aren't you telling me?"
      "Thousands of years of history. Tijon has been on Earth for five thousand years. He's trapped and eventually finds his way free again, only to be trapped again, in an endless cycle."'
      "How come you never smiled like that before?"
      "I guess I was never at the end of the job before, with you, at least. I can relax now. To the victor, the spoils."
      "Are you thinking of me as one of your spoils?"
      Garth chuckled. "Carol. I have known many women in my lifetime. I feel no dire need for you. If I need a woman, this city is full of women all too happy to please me for a small price. I am pleased that you see my intrusion upon your modesty as a lesser evil to the filth of the imp. But all I see is the two of us getting clean. Now, should you care to make more of it than that, I am open to suggestion. But I won't make a pass at you. But you knew that. You wouldn't have gotten in the tub, unless on the other hand that you do have intentions, or were at least willing to entertain the possibility."
      "I....."
      Garth smiled at her. "But the imagination doesn't count unless you act upon it. We faced an evil power together, and you were very brave to face down your fears with action that put you closer to your fears, acting as a target to bait the demon. We trapped him together, and that gives us an adventure in common. To me, that is what is important. We are comrades in victory. However you wish to celebrate that is fine with me. Whatever the bodies do, the spirits share, even if the bodies do nothing." Garth stood and turned and climbed out of the whirlpool faster than Carol's eyes could follow.
      "Where are you going?"
      "To find some clothes that fit." He used a towel to pick up and bag his discarded clothes. He disappeared around the corner.
      "Hey. Wait for me."
      "I thought you wanted to bathe."
      "Not all by myself."
      She was out of the tub when his head popped around the corner. "You are one contrary girl, Carol. And quite an attractive one at that." His head vanished before she could hide herself. She followed behind him, finding her soiled clothes gone from where she dropped them. She cautiously proceeded down the hall.
      "Garth!" She received no answer, but heard humming coming from a door that stood open. She slowly approached the door and peeked in. Garth was stuffing a shirttail into a pair of slacks that he had already donned. "Where did you find those clothes?"
      "In here."
      "I mean, how did you find them so quickly?"
      "Try the door across the hall."
      "How do you know this? Deed, accounts, the woman, where everything is located. How did you learn all of this?"
      "Come on in, and I'll tell you."
      "But I'm not dressed."
      "Then go get dressed." said Garth as he put on socks and shoes.
      "Tell me now."
      "No peeking in the door. Not conducive to what I have to say."
      "But. . . .
      "Besides, you'd want to sit during the story."
      "Why are you doing this to me?"
      "I'm doing nothing but getting dressed." He slipped a belt around his waist. "Go get dressed or come in and listen. It's a simple choice. Your curiosity or your modesty. Seems an easy enough choice."
      "I'm going to get dressed."
      "I'll be downstairs, seeing to the woman.
      "No, wait."
      "She needs attention."
      "But. . . .
      He transferred his personal belongings to the pants and headed for the door. She backed away as he approached. He turned without looking her way and headed for the stairs.
      "Garth. Wait. Tell me."
      "Has your curiosity won out?"
      "Why won't you just wait?"
      "Things to do." He said, turning around. "I'll tell you as you dress. No. Actually it's probably better that you not be doing something. Go ahead and get dressed. I'll tell you when I finish looking at her."
      She walked up to him. "Okay, look all you like, but just tell me."
      "Find a place to sit."
      She went into his room, and he followed. He tossed her a robe from his closet, which she immediately slipped into. She then sat, noticeably more comfortable.
      "I'm not usually so brusque with undressed women. Perhaps I wanted to see the extent to which you'd trust me. I know that you are a shy woman and not used to traipsing about men in the nude. To me, it is nude. To you, it is naked. I have no stigma with clothes. With as many people as I've seen nude, clothes make little difference. To me, I see them as barriers. Protection from opinion. A lack of insight as to what the human really is, like blinders on a horse. Makes little difference to me. But it's a big thing to you. You equate nudity with intimacy. I do not see it in such a limited scope. But I have been around longer than you have, and I've seen more variations
      in society and its mores.
      "You see, Carol. I am the trap. Tijon is inside me, trapped within my body and being. I am his personal jailer. Have been ever since he arrived on Earth. I'm over five thousand years old. No, it's true. I was made immortal by the gods that used to live upon Earth before man started overcrowding it. Oh, I was human, born on Earth. But I was stupid and brave, and I went up to the gods to seek their powers. I happen to do this at the right or wrong moment, however you choose to view it.
      "Tijon arrived as I was making my pilgrimage. The gods knew that he couldn't be left to his own mischief, and I was at hand. So they made me immortal to act as Tijon's jailer. I hold him inside me. After a time, I get careless, and Tijon escapes, and I have to go tracking him down to catch him again. The gods granted me limited powers, so that I would be able to find him, without going to so much trouble that I'd give up. So I have certain powers, like the inability for others to read me. Yes, I have talents, too, though they are different from yours.
      "My talents have to do with certain insensitivities, so that the imp can't get the upper hand on me. I'm the one thing that Tijon has no power over. And the closer I get to him, the more power I gain. That is how I knew that this was the place. I was getting stronger as I was approaching it. Sort of a homing devise. When I contain him, my powers are at their strongest. I failed to mention the struggle he usually puts up when I absorb him. He, uh, brought the house down around us in the fight, and I replaced it with the reality of the illusion he set within the house. Figured it would be less of a shock to you that way. It was taken from my mind, anyway.
      "Tijon doesn't have much of an imagination, and he absorbs some of mine. I lived in a house like this three hundred years ago. I did arranged the bath to modern standards. Can't be too timely in my taste. What would visitors think?"
      "You made all of this?"
      "Yes."
      "And you cleaned away all of the filth?"
      "Yes."
      "Yet you left me in need of a bath?"
      "Yes. I guess it's the imp in me. He rubs off on me a bit. I'm a bit wilder when I hold him inside me. But I don't have the same attitude as he does. You came in of your own free will."
      "I was dirty. You could have avoided that."
      "Yes, but then that would have negated one of the main purposes in your being here. I brought you here, not so much as to trap Tijon, but to tell me something that I haven't truly been sure of in fifty centuries. You see, when I absorb Tijon, my personality changes, and the changes are from within my own view point as well in my behavior. You have just shown me that I can be trusted."
      "How is that?"
      "You are a sensitive. I've done nothing to influence your mental state, outside of a touch of arranging events and neutralizing the natural insensitivity I usually possess. Yet you trusted me enough to join me naked in the bath. You had doubts, which you expressed, yet you joined me. That tells me that I can be trusted. Were that not the case, you'd never have overcome your social stigma about clothes."
      "What kind of powers do you have?"
      "Well, I furnished the building with its current interior. I can create and destroy matter pretty much as I please. I can control minds, which I seldom do, except to people who are inherently cruel to others. I find that too much like playing with toys, and five thousand is a bit old for toys. Tijon loves toys. I feel some of his desire, but I am stronger than his influence. Housing Tijon, I am pretty much a god. I can read minds, travel instantaneously, most things tales of yore attribute to gods. But I don't mess with people. Not my job. My job is keeping Tijon under wraps.
      "I have interceded in cases of personal violence. But usually, I let people be people. My job is to see that Tijon does not intercede. It's a mockery to do the same thing I work to prevent. Not that I don't use the powers to make my immortal stay more comfortable. There are usually a few people that I let in on my secret. Your knowing is obvious. You are too curious for me not to expect you to badger me until you knew. Besides, I like you, when your mouth stays closed, like now. Actually, it's open, but at least it's silent. And we shared the adventure of tracking Tijon. You helped of your own free will. That makes me think of you as a friend."
      "You could spread me out on your bed and use me?"
      "It's within my power to do so, and make you love every second of it. But that is something Tijon would do, not me. I would allow you free choice, as I've done all along, even though my lack of decisiveness seems to annoy you. You'd rather I tell you what I want, so that you can accept or refuse. You prefer that to being saddled with the initiative. That is why I confused and irritated you so. You'd surrender to me, done the proper way. I could have done that without controlling your mind, rather controlling circumstances. Yet I chose to give you the initiative. Partially it's because you defer the right whenever you can. You react to others better than you know yourself. You've made it a habit because of your powers. Flow with the current unless it threatens."
      "Huh. So you are leaving it up to me?"
      "Yeah."
      "How many women have you slept with?"
      "Thousands."
      "How many kids do you have?"
      "I've sired five in my five thousand years, all while Tijon was free. I didn't have the power to prevent it at the time, nor the inclination to resist the invitations."
      "What can you do in bed?"
      "Why don't you get dressed while I see to the woman downstairs. She is starting to waken from coming out of Tijon's influence. She will need some help. You know the basics, and the rest will wait until later. Everything in the room across the hall will fit you. One of the reasons I wanted to see you nude, so I'd know exactly how to design your clothes."
      "You had to see me nude to know that?"
      "No, but it helped refine some guesses that the clothes you were wearing restricted. I could have guessed sizes correctly, but they wouldn't move with you the way the ones I made will move with you. These clothes were made to accent your form, not hide it. Carol, get your mind out of the gutter. I was thinking of the comfort of the clothes, not their appearance on you. They won't look that much different on you except in the way that you feel wearing them. They were designed to inspire self-confidence in you, not make you look like a tramp." Garth rose and headed out the door without further words.
      She reached the door in time to see him disappear down the stairway. She walked across the hall to the room Garth had indicated as hers.
      Garth entered the room where the lady that met them was beginning to stir. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "You take the hoodoo?"
      "Yes. He is contained. You are free of him."
      "You take his magic?"
      "I have his powers, but I do not use them in the same spirit. I do not abuse others."
      "You make me well?"
      "If that is your wish. I could make improvements, as well, if that is your wish."
      "You could make me young and pretty and healthy?"
      "Yes. Are you tired of living alone?"
      "Yes. I have been alone too long. My heart cries for a good man."
      "You will know one when you find one?"
      "I will know."
      "Show me in your mind how you wish to appear. Madam Trilone, such a naughty girl."
      "Too much?"
      "Maybe for the men of this world."
      She smiled at him.
      "But I think for what you have endured, it is not too much in the way of compensation. Perhaps enough money to buy a house and car and the finer things in life would also be in order."
      "You are too kind."
      "Don't tell me that. You'll get me to thinking that I'm giving you too much, when I already know better. Now close your eyes and let me do my work."
      "Will this pain me?"
      "Not at all. You'll be asleep and open your eyes in a ravishing body and a personality to match. You can't speak like that as a red hot flirtatious woman and not furl brows."
      The woman shut her eyes, and Garth transformed her to that she wished to be, filling in the details where she was vague, while still complying with the ambiance she wished in herself. He dressed her in a slinky dress, created several bank accounts, a sports car registered to her, and gave her a new legal identity to match.
      "Have mercy on Naw Leans." he spoke.
      She responded by opening her eyes. Seeing the changes in her being, she rose quickly. "Now that is what I call nice." she said, looking into the mirror.
      "You could walk across Pontchartrain without getting your feet wet. But don't try it. You'll cause enough of a stir trying not to be noticed. If it ever gets to be too much, pay a visit to the house here. I can tone it down, if it gets too much to live with."
      "Not for a while, at least." She sat a touch breathless at all the changes.
      "Your car is in the garage." He helped her to her feet.
      Carol entered the room. "A while in healing?"
      "Thank you, Miss Carol, for your help in ridding the hoodoo. He was a prime stinker, he was. I will always be grateful."
      Garth led her to the hall, then let her find her own way out to the garage.
      "How do I look?"
      "Do I detect jealousy? I only granted that which she wished. With all that she suffered at Tijon's powers, I felt that it was the least that I could do to make up for it. I am responsible for letting him get away to do that to her. You want me to make you look like her?"
      "Like that?"
      "Well, not exactly like that. I gave her the image that she wanted of herself. She wants to go man hunting. I could make you irresistible, if you want to go out and find a man."
      "Actually, I'm more interested in a god."
      "Do tell."
      "How do I look?"
      "Like Carol. Maybe a bit more relaxed, confident. You look like you want to know more."
      "Me and my mouth."
      "For a girl so spontaneous, you sure are having trouble saying what is on your mind. Feel like going out and painting the town in celebration? Hit the bars, listen to some jazz, explore the town. The sun is close to setting. Things will be starting to swing before long."
      "Hang out with the gods, huh?"
      "Only one, I'm afraid. All the others decided to head for quieter climes. And I'm only a part time god, at that."
      "How could I refuse an offer like that? Maybe I can soften you up a bit more.
      "No need for that. All you need do is ask.
      "Would it work if I asked you to ask?"
      "Same as asking."
      "Like a genie with wishes, huh? Ask and you shall obey?"
      "Within reason, as long as it's done from friendship. You deserve reward for your part in capturing Tijon. Just make sure that you want what you ask."
      "It just might come true?"
      "Scratch the might. There's always backing out if you don't like it. No need to feel stuck, as long as we are friends."
      "How do I know that you aren't leading me along in what I feel?"
      "You don't, when you get down to it. You trust me that I left your sense of trust intact, or you don't. I only have the world to chose from. Why this much trouble to lead you on?"
      "Am I being trouble?"
      "Not excessive. But the reason that I chose you to ask for help was because you were trouble. I'd worry if you ceased being trouble."
      "Now there's a thought."
      "Ah-ha. Trouble!"
      Carol laughed. "Okay. You are trouble, too. As long as you insist on badgering me, I guess I can trust the fact that you haven't taken me over."
      "And Tijon's influence will see that you get plenty of it."
      Carol sighed. "I can't wait. Oh, by the way. The clothes are nice. Very comfortable. Now, what can you do in bed?"
      "I think I left the car parked on that side of the building."
      "Dodging the topic?"
      "Postponing until you are ready for a demonstration. We are going out the door, not in. Unless you are of a mind not to go out to celebrate. Seems a shame to waste such a fine night being indoors all night."
      "So I'm a waste of time, huh?"
      "A woman refusing a night out on the town, in New Orleans?"
      "Well, I guess I can wait to find out."
      "Another priority defined."
      "Oh, hush, before I change my mind."
      They made their way through the house and exited through the same doors as they entered. The door that shut had a fresh coat of red paint.

      The two went dancing and dining. They roamed the French Quarter, laughed often, and ran about on the street, interacting with the people there. Garth refrained from his magic in public, except for simple tricks that a street magician might perform. He also kept their conversation away from his abilities, letting Carol see the changes in him.
      He was no longer the quiet modest man she had known. There was a twinkle in his eye and an energy in his being that enticed her. She began to feel at ease with him in a way that had not occurred before in the weeks during the search. His seriousness was no longer at the surface of his behavior. He was outgoing and thrilled at treating strangers to the warmth and laughter that filled him. The feelings were contagious.
      They returned to the building late in the evening, well into the morning hours. They plopped down onto the couch. "Hard to imagine that this place was so foul earlier today. I had almost forgotten about the scope of your power. A bit sobering. You like having the powers, don't you? You seem happy with the powers."
      "It changes me. Some of his energy spills over into me. But I still have the restraint of my usual self. But yes, I enjoy it. I feel incomplete without it. That is the main reason I go to all the trouble of chasing Tijon down when he escapes."
      "How long before he gets away the next time?"
      "Oh. Thirty years is about the minimum. Maximum was about a hundred and twenty years. Longest he eluded me was three years. In a way, it's good that he does get out. Refreshes my memory of what it is like to be mere mortal. Keeps me in touch with the way people feel. Keeps them valuable to me."
      "How do you feel about me? Am I a little thing to you?"
      "You are a friend, at least from my side of the picture. And I need my friends. The years get lonely doing it alone. I outlive everybody."
      "Why not make someone else immortal?"
      "That's beyond me. The gods didn't trust me. They said that I had too much sympathy and that the world would be overcrowded in no time, if I were to have that ability. It's crowded enough as it is. Seemed unfair at the time, but it makes sense to me now. Immortality means never ending. I've grown tired of living many times. That is why my friends are important to me."
      "So you need help staying positive?"
      "Yeah."
      "What was it like back then?"
      "Much harder and less certain than today. People clung harder to their beliefs, health was not as good, food was not so abundant and varied, men of political power had far more influence on people's lives. All in all, life is far better today. The only thing more difficult is getting one's mind attuned. There is so much more to know today, that it is hard not to feel ignorant."
      Carol yawned. "So now is a good time to be alive."
      "Oh, yes. There is more chance for people to be truly intelligent. So much more is known now. Life is easier, less demanding."
      "Do you have to be on guard with yourself, with the imp inside you, or is that your manner natural?"
      "A little part of me has to check on him from time to time. I'm rather set in my ways. Five thousand years will do that to you."
      "Can you be hurt?"
      "No. Not physically. There is an armor quality to my skin. The gods didn't want Tijon to outlive me. Were it not for that, I'd have been dead long ago. But I have had to fake my death on a number of occasions. I can change my appearance and identity, though it's gotten harder in this day of computer documentation. More work than it used to be. But it has gotten routine, and it's still possible for a person to show up from nowhere. Lots of people have no credit ratings or police records. Driver's license and birth certificate are the main thing."
      Carol had fallen asleep beside him. He sighed in relief. "Outlasted you." He floated her off of the couch and up the stairs. He transformed her clothes into a night gown and settled her into her bed. He spent a moment watching her sleep. He retired to his room across the hall. He stretched and yawned. He removed his clothes and slipped into bed. He was soon asleep.

      He woke to hands on his chest. "Hey. You cheated me last night."
      "Cheated?" he asked groggily.
      "You were going to show me a good time. I woke up alone."
      "Oh. That."
      "Yes. You kept me distracted until I fell asleep."
      "Mmph. Just giving you a chance to know me better first." He yawned.
      "How about now?"
      "How about giving me time to wake up?"
      "Okay, but you stay in bed. No running off.
      "Are you in that much of a hurry?"
      "I want to see what you can do to me."
      "Is that the only reason?"
      "No. I like you. I had a lot of fun last night. It was nice. I was hoping the evening would have gotten even nicer. But you kept me going until I konked out. Was that on purpose?"
      "Naturally."
      "Why? You get me going and then play hard to get. Why?"
      "I'm not playing hard to get. I just want you to know me well enough so that there are no doubts in your mind. There is much that can be done that normal people can't do, and I want you comfortable before we start doing things that aren't natural to normal people."
      "Like what?"
      "Lots of things. Adjusting our bodies to what we like best. The imagination is the limit. Living your wildest fantasies. You have to trust me enough to let me do things to you that you would doubt possible."
      "Anything?"
      "Just about."
      "You can change my body like you did for that woman?"
      "Sure. That's the least of matters. I want you unafraid to ask. I want you to be without embarrassment. I want you to tell me what you'd like to experience without feeling foolish. I can make your dreams come true. I'd like to, if you are willing."
      "Okay. What do you want to start with?"
      "Wrong question. What do you want to start with? You are the one new to this."
      "Can you make me beautiful?"
      "You are already beautiful."
      "No. I mean really beautiful. Sleek and lean. Stunningly fabulous. Irresistible."
      "Irresistible to whom?"
      "To you."
      "Not possible. I can resist any woman."
      "You know what I mean. I want a body you'd really enjoy."
      "You already have that."
      "Garth!"
      "That's better. How tall?"
      "Tall. Six foot. Long shapely legs, flat tummy and thin waist, top heavy, classic features like high cheek bones and luscious lips. Long straight blond hair."
      "Go stand in front of the mirror and remove your clothes."
      "You can't do it here?"
      "Sure, but it will be more fun watching you looking at yourself. I'll start with the general picture I see in your mind, and then we can start refining things to exactly what you want in the way of a body."
      She got out of bed and disrobed and stood before the mirror.
      "Shut your eyes."
      She did so, and Garth remade her into the image in her mind. She was instantly pleased when she opened her eyes. She laughed and turned, then tested her new husky voice. She broke out in goose bumps from the excitement. Garth made her stop and study the body in detail, insisting that she be very picky about what she had. They spent half an hour exploring options, as if she were trying on new clothes. They eventually got to the point where she was happy with what she had, testing with poses and expressions. She then turned her attention on him, moving toward him as seductively as possible.
      "Whoa! Not yet."
      "Why not?"
      "I haven't changed. How do you want me?"
      "Oh. You can change?"
      "I thought I had made that clear. Picture in your mind how you want me. Come on. The longer you take, the longer we wait."
      It only took a few minutes for the changes in him to satisfy her. He was more practiced at designing his own body. She was on him in a flash. They didn't get out of bed for two furious non-stop days.

      Garth left the house with Carol deeply asleep from total exhaustion. He got in his car and drove to the other side of town, across the Interstate. He pulled up in front of a house on a quiet street and went up to the door. He knocked and waited.
      A woman about forty answered the door. "May I help you?"
      "It's me, Garth."
      "Whoa. Must have yourself a new girl."
      "Yes. I had help this time in caging Tijon. I finally wore her out in showing my gratitude."
      "She must be something."
      "Oh, actually a bit shy, in a way. Not publicly. She talks like a rabid radio unless you distract her. She's a Sensitive. I guess she was having a hard time trusting relationships. Making up for lost time." Garth rolled his eyes and sighed. "I came by to thank you for helping me. He was right where you indicated in the letter."
      "Glad to have been of service, Garth. Anything to put that bugger under wraps. I'm glad that you kept the mailing address you sent me."
      "You still haven't forgotten the last time we were together."
      "Childhood impressions of that magnitude tend to stay with a person."
      "What can I do for you, Marilyn?"
      "Oh, nothing is required. You obviously have your hands full at the moment. Don't want to pull you away from your new lady. You must be pulling her string pretty hard."
      "No. Only guiding her there. I'm not making up her mind for her. Still, I have a debt to discharge to you. You need but to ask."
      "I am comfortable here. You have already seen to that when you created the trust fund for me."
      "Are you doing well? Plenty of friends?"
      "Plenty. Good ones, too."
      "Money?"
      "Still have all I need and then some."
      "Health?"
      "Feeling good."
      "Have a man?"
      "Not really wanting one. You spoiled me at a very early age. A girl shouldn't meet you at the tender age of nine."
      "You needed my help, if I remember correctly. Tijon had a hold of you in the worst way."
      "Still, you have spoiled me for other men. Henri sees me when I need him. You have already taken care of my needs, Garth. I really need nothing. It was I returning the favor for what you had done for me. The slate is clean."
      "You are sure?"
      "Yes. I am sure. Come in and talk for a while. Let me see the twinkle in your eye. You always look so good when you are fresh like this. It's such a pleasure to be with you. Just don't go tempting me."
      "Why not?" he smiled.
      "Because I wouldn't have the guts to say no, as manly as you are right now. As it is, it's hard enough for me not to be asking. You've always peaked my curiosity."
      "I could change, if it bothers you."
      "No. I like the look. Fits you very well. Shows your power. Shows the imp in you. I like that."
      "Then I won't promise not to flirt."
      "Come in, Garth. Let's see how much resolve I've managed to hold toward you in these parting years. Are you hungry? If you've been at it as hard as you boast, then you should be starving."
      "I keep myself fed well, Marilyn."
      She took his arm and led him into the house. He stayed for over an hour in warming conversation. She lit up for him, treating him with the heart-felt fondness that the years had grown between them. His flirting failed to win her, which he executed just below her will to resist him. It gave her the boost of sentiments she wanted, while giving her the self-esteem of having stood up against his charm, as she always had managed to do. He left the house having given her the most he could manage without imposing his will.
      Garth went to a club on the way back to the building that he had claimed as a home. He took a table by himself and ordered a drink. A woman broke away from the bar and walked up to him.
      "You here all alone, handsome?"
      "For the present. I'm expecting no one."
      "Mind if I sit down?"
      "Be my guest."
      Her tongue ran across her lips suggestively as she sat beside him. "You married?"
      "No. Never married."
      "A good looking man like you never married?"
      "Hasn't been easy, I tell you."
      "You just haven't found the right girl?"
      "Too many I've found. That is my problem."
      "Such a problem, good looking."
      "Yes. And being rich doesn't help much, either."
      Her eyelids raised. Her hand slid to his arm and wrapped it like a boa. "You live in town?"
      "Just arrived, or should I say returned. This city and I go a long ways back. I have a place over on Marigny. Just moved in this week."
      "Sounds like you need to throw a house warming."
      "Yes. A marvelous idea. I do enjoy throwing parties. And this is the city for parties." Garth's eyes sparkled at her.
      "What is your name?"
      "I haven't decided yet."
      "You hiding from someone?"
      "Just the right women."
      She laughed. "Well, Stranger, welcome to town. Maybe we'll see more of each other in the future."
      "If you like parties, I'm sure we'll cross paths.'
      "You in need of a little party now?"
      "Working?"
      "Got to make a living somehow."
      Garth pulled out five one hundred dollar bills from his wallet and dropped them in front of her. "Take the afternoon off. Paid vacation. I'm here to escape a small party that lasted a day too long. But sit there and make me look taken. Tell me, do you know Big Charlie?"
      "Who doesn't?"
      "Know where I might find him?"
      "Friendly?"
      "Oh, yeah. I'm no muscle. I'm too fun loving for that sort of thing. I hold grudge on no one. Except the right women. And I don't go after them. I run from them as quickly as I can."
      "Sure. I know where he is. He's managing a club on Dauphine, a couple of doors down from Audobon's. He should be there now. I can show you how to get there."
      "I think that I can find it." Garth signaled for his check and polished off his drink.
      "You leaving?"
      "Just out running errands." The waitress arrived, and he handed her a ten dollar bill, then rose, waving her off. He bowed to the woman. "I'm sure we'll cross paths. Kindly don't advertise the offering." He turned for the door.
      He drove to Dauphine street and managed himself a parking spot. He scanned the bars and found the man he wanted. He entered, walked up to the bar, and took a stool. "Big Charlie."
      "Yeah. That's me. What can I do for you?"
      "Garth."
      "Really?"
      "Really, Charlie. You know me. Never keep the same face long,"
      "You never went in for that hunky kind of thing before."
      "A bedtime accessory. I just haven't had time to change. I just put the clamps on Tijon again. I'm thinking about sticking around for a while."
      "He got away again?"
      "I let a girl steal and break my heart. Seems like I'd learn to avoid such distractions at my age. He slipped away during an argument. Quickest slip yet."
      "Thirty years, wasn't it?"
      "Thirty years, five months, six days. Caught him here in town. I guess he decided that Leans is the place. Or that I wouldn't bother looking in the same place twice so quickly. His mistake. Marilyn smelled him and wrote me a letter."
      "How is she doing?"
      "Could be better, but determined to make it on her own. Her spirit could use a bit more spark. Maybe not tonight. I just came from there. We talked awhile, and I left her smiling."
      "That's nice. So what are your plans?"
      "Don't have any, except raising my heels a spell."
      "You mean raising hell a spell."
      Garth answered with a raising of his eyebrows. "Got Tijon fresh inside me. I'll be in the mood for raising a spell. This seems the place to do it. Take a few years to let him settle down. Where I was living is far too conservative for me now. Since the little bugger bought the place where I found him under my name, I may as well stay."
      "Then I look forward to the years ahead."
      "Anybody in town doing any serious clamping?"
      "No real dominant at the moment. Transition time. Folks are breathing a bit easier these last several months. Still, Leans is never that clean."
      "Then we'll just have to keep it that way. Keep your ears open. Let me know if anybody is feeling the squeeze."
      "Delighted, Garth."
      Garth produced a card with his address and phone number. "There is an answering machine on the line. Strictly manual and secure. Feel free to sing without it being known."
      "You are going to cause another splash, I can see. The big boys won't like it."
      "Got to pester somebody if I'm going to stay nice and sweet to those that deserve it. Those boys will have to be reminded, live by the sword."
      "Die by the sword. May the gods be with you, Garth."
      "Oh, please, Charlie. Don't put a curse on me. I was so relieved when they left Earth. Talk about a pain. They never left me alone. 'Garth, do this. Garth, do that. Are you so ungrateful?' I hope they never come back. And speaking of going back, I've got a squeeze that's likely to wake up soon at the house. Any other ears that I could trust in this town?"
      "None that wouldn't expect a full explanation. Not like it was thirty years ago. Lots of new blood, and they aren't the same smooth class we used to have. They all want to know all."
      "Well, I'll get in touch, and we can get me caught up on new times. Good seeing you again, Big Charlie."
      "Nice to see you again. Be nice to see the streets cleaned up a bit again. I like it here when folks breathe easy."
      "To the Easy, Big Charlie." They shook hands, and Garth left for the building on Marigny. He arrived home before Carol stirred. He looked at her and sighed. She was beautiful lying nude asleep. He shrugged and changed her back to her original body. The transformation made her stir. He changed back to his appearance that she originally knew. She stretched, then noticed him.
      "Aw, you changed back. Me, too. Aw, Garth."
      "Next time we play. I need a favor from you, if it is not too much to ask."
      "What?"
      "Go back to Kansas and sell my house, get things moved into storage, close out my bank accounts. Basically get me out of town for good. I'd do it, but there are those I'd rather not have to face in my current state. People would notice the change and ask too many questions."
      "Are you trying to get rid of me?"
      "For a few days. I'm going to be conducting business for a while, and it could get rather nasty. I'd feel better if you were somewhere safer. I intend to clean out a few rat holes in this city. Make some bad boys mend their ways. Let folks party without so much care and worry about being muscled by rackets. And to be honest, Carol, I get a bit fussy when I first contain Tijon. He's fuming mad right now and that has to come out. I'd like it if you'd let me get these two birds with one stone before we get too involved. I can get rather nasty early on, and I don't want to take the chance of doing that to you. All in all, I feel that it would be the best thing for us in the long run.
      "I'm not rejecting you. I'm trying to protect you from me until I get stabilized. I really like you, Carol, and I'd feel awful if I were to inadvertently hurt you. I know it's difficult for you to go at a time like this, and I'd like nothing better than for you to stay. But I am what I am, and I think it's for the best. You know my power, and you know how bad it could be if it should turn unfriendly, even for a moment. Tijon will boil over soon, and I'll get nasty. I want those who mean something to me to be avoiding me when that happens. Same as I always do.
      "I'll be here when you return. I'll greet with you with loving arms and warm smiles, and I'll make you very, very happy. And it will give you the chance to evaluate better what you want. The stars are bright in your eyes right now. Not a good time to consider what you want. I just want you to be happy for a long time, not just a short time. I won't deny you when you return."
      "I feel that I should trust you on this. I don't want to go, but I feel that you are being honest with me. You want to test my love for you?"
      "I want you to be sure that this is the life that you want before you go deeper. Before I go deeper. We are friends, Carol, and that will never die in my heart. I cherish my friends. My power is not the most balanced influence in the world. Before you get carried away with me, I want you to be sure that it is what you want. I did come on rather strong with you. I rather guided you into this, not with my powers directly, but I read your mind all too often to direct my actions in what we did. If you decide that I am what you truly want, then I shall be waiting for your return eagerly."
      "Why did you manipulate me?"
      "I want to see you happy. I want to see you able to trust someone. You were so enclosed and shy. I want to see you enjoying life. I wanted to show you how to want it. I want you to be sure on your own that you want it, without me here to influence your thoughts. Go and take care of this business for me, and if you decide to return, I'll never send you away again. I will make you happy without controlling you for as long as you care to stay with me."
      "What do you want me to do?"
      "Instructions, power of attorney, and everything you need are in this valise."
      "Do I need to go now?"
      "Something you need before you go?"
      "I want you to love me again. That was like nothing I've ever known. Do that and I shall do this for you."
      "My gosh, you asked. How could I refuse?"

      Carol left late the next day, reluctantly. She noticed a slight distraction in Garth for the last few hours that they were together, as if he were holding something back with his will power. She took that as a sign that it was time to go. She caught a cab to the airport. That night, the power structure in the French quarter began to change. Certain key figures left town, muttering nervously and afraid of their shadows. For many, their own shadows stood only two feet tall and looked a bit paunchy in comparison to their owners. Word spread of a takeover, but no one noticed anyone stepping in to fill the void. When asked as to what he had heard, Big Charlie laughed and told everyone that a hoodoo was loose in New Orleans and kicking rear.
      Garth threw his first big party at the building. The doors stayed open for six days running. The drinks never stopped flowing except for the early morning hours, and the coffee was spiked. The mood stayed active and wild, and Garth was there in the middle of all of it, except to sleep cat naps. No one linked him to the fleeing hordes of bookies, loan sharks, insurance extortionists, and pimps. He had way too many alibis and no known associates. The only thing odd that was noticed was that those that attended with the intent of relieving the house of unnecessary wealth came away from the party with empty hands. It puzzled many, but not that badly. Garth seemed such a likable guy.
      Thus when Carol returned to the house, she returned to the biggest rising star in New Orleans. He never disappointed her in the nine years that followed, while she decided to stay with him in the Big Easy.