wrinkled the way it did when she tried to simplify a complex answer. At last she just shrugged and nodded .
"So..." Garrett said, "if you can bind them with a word, couldn't you set them free with a word?"
A shuffling noise from the front of the shop made Marla jump. She shook her head and leaned close to Garrett. "I'm not supposed to talk about this," she whispered .
"I'm sorry," Garrett whispered back. He was having a little trouble concentrating on anything other than the flowery scent of her dark hair .
Marla stepped back and turned to arrange a few colored glass bottles on a workbench .
"Well," Garrett said, raising his voice, "I guess... I should go. Warren's waiting for me..."
"Warren the ghoul?" Marla asked, her face brightening .
"Yeah," Garrett said, "we're going down to explore the Old City today."
"You're going underneath the city?" she asked .
"Yeah," he said, and then, with a sudden flash of boldness, "you wanna come?"
Marla's eyes sparkled. "I'll have to ask..."
"Go ahead, Marla," her mother's voice called from the other room, "have a good time."
Chapter Eight
Marla drew the hood of her cloak down and stepped into the gray light of day. Garrett passed her a worried look .
"Are you all right?" he asked .
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"I just thought that the sunlight..."
"Oh," she said, "it's fairly diffuse here, and, in any case, I'm still young enough to resist most of the adverse effects of daylight. It's worse for mother, of course."
"Oh... good," he said as they stepped into the gloom of the alley between shops .
"What did you think would happen?" she asked .
"I dunno," he admitted. He tented his fingers together and then pulled them rapidly apart, making an explosive noise with his mouth .
Marla laughed. "And you still invited me out into the daylight?"
"Sorry," he said, "I guess I didn't think about that."
"I'm glad you asked me to come," she said, "Is this it?"
They stood before th e great iron-bound door that le d to the tunnels. Garrett reached up to pull hard at the rusty, twisted handle making the ancient hinges screech in protest .
"Let me help." Marla grasped the edge of the door with one hand and pulled. Garrett staggered back as the door swung open effortlessly .
"Thanks!"
The dank smell of the tunnels washed over them as they stepped through the portal. Garrett's witchfire torch flared to life, bathing them with its pale green glow. He descended the winding stone steps with Marla following close behind .
When he reached the foot of the stairs, Garrett saw Warren stretched motionless on the tunnel floor .
"Warren!" Garrett shouted .
"Leave me alone," the ghoul answered, without opening his eyes, "I'm dead! I died of boredom waiting for you to get back."
"Sorry," Garrett said, "Mrs. Veranu needed some help."
" Yeah, right," Warren groaned, "C ouldn't have anything to do with that... oh, hi," Warren had just looked over and noticed Marla standing beside his friend. He rolled quickly into a crouc h and flashed his wolfish grin.
"Hello," Marla said with a wary smile .
"I... uh, asked Marla if she wanted to come with us," Garrett said .
"I hope it's all right," Marla said, "I've never seen the Old City."
"...Yeah," Warren said, gi ving Garrett an angry squint, "T hat's fine."
"Good," Garrett said, "Let's get going then."
Marla did not move but made a little noise in her throat. She looked at Garrett expectantly .
"What?" he asked .
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Marla asked .
"Oh... Marla, this is Warren. He's a ghoul."
"I welcome your presence," Marla said, crossing her hands over her chest and bowing slightly.
"Warren," Garrett said, "this is Marla."
"Yeah, nice to meet you... Wait a minute," War ren said, turning on Garrett, "H ow come you introduce me as the ghoul , but you just call her by her name?"
"I dunno," Garrett said, "I just didn't want her to be scared of you."
Marla stifled a giggle .
"What?" Warren growled, "You think
"So..." Garrett said, "if you can bind them with a word, couldn't you set them free with a word?"
A shuffling noise from the front of the shop made Marla jump. She shook her head and leaned close to Garrett. "I'm not supposed to talk about this," she whispered .
"I'm sorry," Garrett whispered back. He was having a little trouble concentrating on anything other than the flowery scent of her dark hair .
Marla stepped back and turned to arrange a few colored glass bottles on a workbench .
"Well," Garrett said, raising his voice, "I guess... I should go. Warren's waiting for me..."
"Warren the ghoul?" Marla asked, her face brightening .
"Yeah," Garrett said, "we're going down to explore the Old City today."
"You're going underneath the city?" she asked .
"Yeah," he said, and then, with a sudden flash of boldness, "you wanna come?"
Marla's eyes sparkled. "I'll have to ask..."
"Go ahead, Marla," her mother's voice called from the other room, "have a good time."
Chapter Eight
Marla drew the hood of her cloak down and stepped into the gray light of day. Garrett passed her a worried look .
"Are you all right?" he asked .
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"I just thought that the sunlight..."
"Oh," she said, "it's fairly diffuse here, and, in any case, I'm still young enough to resist most of the adverse effects of daylight. It's worse for mother, of course."
"Oh... good," he said as they stepped into the gloom of the alley between shops .
"What did you think would happen?" she asked .
"I dunno," he admitted. He tented his fingers together and then pulled them rapidly apart, making an explosive noise with his mouth .
Marla laughed. "And you still invited me out into the daylight?"
"Sorry," he said, "I guess I didn't think about that."
"I'm glad you asked me to come," she said, "Is this it?"
They stood before th e great iron-bound door that le d to the tunnels. Garrett reached up to pull hard at the rusty, twisted handle making the ancient hinges screech in protest .
"Let me help." Marla grasped the edge of the door with one hand and pulled. Garrett staggered back as the door swung open effortlessly .
"Thanks!"
The dank smell of the tunnels washed over them as they stepped through the portal. Garrett's witchfire torch flared to life, bathing them with its pale green glow. He descended the winding stone steps with Marla following close behind .
When he reached the foot of the stairs, Garrett saw Warren stretched motionless on the tunnel floor .
"Warren!" Garrett shouted .
"Leave me alone," the ghoul answered, without opening his eyes, "I'm dead! I died of boredom waiting for you to get back."
"Sorry," Garrett said, "Mrs. Veranu needed some help."
" Yeah, right," Warren groaned, "C ouldn't have anything to do with that... oh, hi," Warren had just looked over and noticed Marla standing beside his friend. He rolled quickly into a crouc h and flashed his wolfish grin.
"Hello," Marla said with a wary smile .
"I... uh, asked Marla if she wanted to come with us," Garrett said .
"I hope it's all right," Marla said, "I've never seen the Old City."
"...Yeah," Warren said, gi ving Garrett an angry squint, "T hat's fine."
"Good," Garrett said, "Let's get going then."
Marla did not move but made a little noise in her throat. She looked at Garrett expectantly .
"What?" he asked .
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Marla asked .
"Oh... Marla, this is Warren. He's a ghoul."
"I welcome your presence," Marla said, crossing her hands over her chest and bowing slightly.
"Warren," Garrett said, "this is Marla."
"Yeah, nice to meet you... Wait a minute," War ren said, turning on Garrett, "H ow come you introduce me as the ghoul , but you just call her by her name?"
"I dunno," Garrett said, "I just didn't want her to be scared of you."
Marla stifled a giggle .
"What?" Warren growled, "You think
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