there were ways of getting around that protection , but those required a serious magic , and the funny man had not cast any spells that gregory had seen or sensed tupin was warier now ; outside the sandy arena , a crowd hooted and whistled ; distracted , gregory took a blow to the temple and almost blacked out ; somehow , he managed to back away without falling ever ; stumbled into someone behind him : zach no , gregorys involuntary decision to trust the funny man had been instinctive .