Emmaline had scarcely dared to hope that rescue would come. She knew that the moment she was presented as a 'justicar' to be traded the temple would know she was a fraud. Even if she survived that revelation the Temple courts took a pretty dim view of impersonating a cleric. She wasn't sure what the punishment was but it probably started at 'public beating' and ended at 'burned at the stake until dead', both fates to be avoided. She couldn't believe her luck when she heard the gun fire and screams from above. She did her best to hunch in the corner and avoid attention, just in case someone took it into their mind to shoot or stab her. They did neither, instead her orginal captor, whose name she thought was Helmut from snatches of conversation she had over heard jerked her to her feet and pressed the barrel of his pistol to her head.

"Mmmmrrmmmph," Emmaline said through her gag. The fellow pressed her ahead of him like a human shield, keeping her body between him and Neil.

"Look, I'm just going to trade her for my brother, then she will be free no sweat," the fellow said, crouching to expose the smallest amount of his body possible.

"Mrrn nmmmpph arr mmrrrll jussstrc," Emmaline said through her gag.

"What?" Helmut demanded, his eyes wide and panicy now, Emmaline tried not to think of that shaking finger on the trigger.


"Mrrn nmmmpph arr mmrrrll jussstrc," she repeated patiently and calmly as she could. Helmut reached up and yanked her gag free. Emmaline said something low and under her voice. The light in the room seemed to dim for a moment and Neil caught the flash of gold in her eyes.

"I'm not a real justicar," she said, her voice now calm and almost happy. Helmut gripped her hard with his hand spinning her to face him.

"What do you mean!" he demanded incredously. Emmaline almost felt pitty as she watched his desperate plan fall appart around him. If he hadn't kidnapped her, and he had been able to pay she might have been willing to help him, but several hours being manhandeld in a basement that stank of old fish had not improved her mood.

"I am a real wizard though, well, apprentice wizard," she admitted. At the mention of sorcery Helmut's will finally snapped. He pulled the trigger and the flint of his pistol snapped forward into the pan. There was an odd fizzling sound and liquid spattered back out of the touch hole like dust blown through a straw.

"What!?" he demanded and tried to drop the gun, only to find that it was attached to his hand. Or rather that the stone spreading the granite that had set on his skin where the powder had back blasted. Helmut screamed and shook at his hand trying to free himself of the spell.

"The first thing you need to know about gold wizards is..." BOOM. Helmut's forehead burst like a ripe melon as he took a step back away from her. Neil lowered his smoking pistol.

"Wait was that going to be a big dramatic thing?" he asked.