If a Jinn or other spirirt is immediately released after their master dies, why does a Jinn bother guarding his master form enemies or in battle? What I mean is even if a master gives a charge to a Jinn to guard them, when an enemy Jinn sneds a detonation towards the masters couldn't their Jinn just step aside and allow the other Jinns detonation to kill their master that way thay can go home and their master (obviously) cant punish them for disobeying an order becasue said master is dead.

That's a good question, Emerodius, and the answer is that nasty penalties are built in to the djinni's charge that will prevent him doing this (very natural) thing. The Shrivelling Fire awaits if a djinni deliberately disobeys an official charge, and this applies even in the situation you describe: the magician may be dead, but the penalties still apply, and in-built triggers in the existing charge would instantly mete out harsh punishment. There's a scene in Ring of Solomon when Bart is in single combat with an utukku, trying to kill that utukku's master, and the utukku is doing its best to stop him: if it were possible, the utukku would just let Bart past to kill the magician, but (much to the regret of both of them) he cannot do this, and they have to fight it out.

Jonathan

Thank you for answering Mr Stroud.