you or not is of little consequence. Even if we searched,

I'm sure you would be better at hiding things than we

would be at finding them. All that really matters is that

we've established that they did come in here, and that

makes them .your responsibility."

I wasn't sure exactly what was going on here, but I

was sure that I was liking it less and less with each pass-

ing moment.

"Wait a minute, Hay-ner," I began. "What do you

mean 'We're responsible'? Responsible for what?"

18 Robert Asprin ;

"Why, for the fugitives, of course. Don't you remem- |

ber? When we agreed to let you use this place rent-free,

part of the deal was that if anyone of this household

broke any of the Bazaar rules, and either disappeared

off to another dimension or. otherwise refused to face ;

the charges, that you would personally take responsibil-

ity for their actions. It's a standard clause in any Bazaar

lease."

"Aahz," I said testily, "you cut the deal. Was there a

clause like that in it?" |

"There was," he admitted. "But I was thinking of

Tananda and Chumley at the time... and we'll stand

behind them anytime. Massha, too. It never occurred to

me that they'd try to claim that anyone who walked

through our door was a member of our household. I

don't see how they can hope to prove...."

"We don't have to prove that they're in your house-

hold," Hay-ner smiled. "You have to prove they

aren't." I

"That's crazy," Aahz exploded. "How can we |

prove...." I

"Can it, Aahz. We can't prove it. That's the point. |