The warlock unlocked by Christopher Stasheff

myself. No, honey—whoever opened this particular door for us, has shut it.”
    “At least,” Gwen pointed out, “I will not have to wait dinner for thee.”
    “Yes.” Rod smiled bleakly. “At least we’re all here.”
    “No, Papa!” Cordelia cried. “ Notall here! How couldyou forget Gregory!”
    “Believe me, I haven’t,” Rod assured her, “but I think whoever trapped us here, did.”
    “ Trappedus?” Magnus’s eyes went round.
    “Don’t miss much at all, do you?” Rod gave him a bitter smile. “Yes, son, I think somebody deliberately set out to trap us here—and succeeded admirably.” His gaze travelled up to Gwen. “After all, it makes sense—and it’s about the only theory that does. There’s a storm brewing, between the Church and the Crown, back on Gramarye— ourGramarye, that is. And I’ve got some pretty strong hints that somebody from off-world’s been pushing the Church into it. So what happens? Church and Crown have a meeting this afternoon, a confrontation that should’ve blown the whole thing sky-high—and what do I do but foul up the plan by getting them both to see reason! No, of coursewhoever’s behind it would want me out of the way!”
    Magnus frowned. “But why us, Papa?”
    “Because you’re a very powerful young warlock, mine offspring, as anyone on Gramarye knows. And, if they’re going to all this trouble just to foist off a war between the Church and the State, you can darn well bet they don’t intend to have the State win! So the smart thing to do is to remove the State’s strongest weapons—me, and your mother, and you. Don’t forget, they lost one because of you, already, when you were only two. And Geoffrey’s three already, and Cordelia’s all of five! They’ve got no way of telling whatany of you might be able to do.” Nor do I, for that matter. “So, as long as you’re setting the trap, why not catch all five of the birds-of-trouble while you’re at it?”
    “But Gregory, Papa?”
    Rod shrugged. “I’m sure they’d’ve preferred it if your mother’d carried him in here, too—but since she didn’t I don’t expect they’re going to lose much sleep over it. He’s not even a year old, after all. Even if he had every power in the book, what could he dowith them? No, I don’t think they were about to keep the gate open just to try and get Gregory, too—especially if it meant that the five of usmight escape!
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    Speaking of Gregory, by the way—who’s with him?”
    “Puck, and an elf-wife,” Gwen answered. “And, aye, fear not—she knows the crafting of a nursing-glove.”
    Rod nodded. “And anything else she needs to know about him, I’m sure Brom will be glad to supply.”
    “He takes so great an interest in our children,” Gwen sighed.
    “Ah—yes.” Rod remembered his promise not to tell Gwen that Brom was her father. “Comes in handy, at a time like this. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he flits in from Beastland, just to take charge of Greg personally—and Baby couldn’t be safer inside a granite castle guarded by a phalanx of knights and three battlewagons. No, I think he’ll be safe till we get back.”
    “ ‘Until?’ ” Magnus perked up. “Then thou’tt certain we can return, Papa?”
    Well, Rod hadbeen, until Magnus mentioned it—but he wasn’t about to say so. There were times when it came in handy, being telepathically invisible, even to members of his own family. Damn few, though. And there were so manytimes when it was a curse, almost made him feel excluded…
    He shrugged it off. “Of course we can get back! It’s just a problem—and problems are made to be solved, right?”
    “Right,” all three children shouted, and Rod grinned in spite of himself. They were handy to have around, sometimes. Most times.
    “Tell us the manner of it!” Magnus demanded.
    “Oh… I dunno…” Rod let his gaze wander. “We