[ Half a minute later, an enraged bellow sounds out from behind them. Bariyan assumes the worst and tries not to slow down. ]

Could be any of those! [ Bariyan's voice is manically cheerful now; he's speaking on autopilot, while the rest of him focuses on getting them to safety. ] But I'd always hope for the best. [ Autopilot switches off for a moment, as a thought occurs to him: ] Your magic wouldn't -- by any chance -- be able to, er, slow a demon down, would it?