OK I need some help. I have played many of the Ultima games and decided to play from the first one. I can't seem to get to the Litch. I can see him behind his barrier but can't get to him. I hope I am at the right dungeon. I have been using the latter up and down to get to him. Anyone have any suggestions.

just go back up a floor and come back down to reset enemy spawns,
or keep killing enemies until you get one you can get to

alternitively you can try to find a route to the spot your lich was at which may involve finding secret doors
also barriers can be removed by casting prayer since it invokes a random spell when you use it

Thanks for the reply, I will try doing it again with your clues. Much appreciated!

So tried your suggestions but I still can't find the Litch. I have killed many of them on lvl 7 and 8 but none that say the quest is complete. I keep searching for secret doors and I am finding many I just guess I haven't found the one that will let me find the litch. Bummer I will keep trying. I am now lvl 7 and not sure if I should advance here more. Reload and start over . Well I haven't seen prayer yet in the game.

OK sometimes I think I just get in a rush and don't notice things such as Prayer is a default spell. So I guess I can get rid of the barrier and kill the litch.

well if you have killed a few of them then maybe the message was pushed off screen
especially if you were still being attacked by other mobs
best thing may be to go check the king that quested you and see if you get the reward

I got it finally thanks to your help. Much appreciated.

i am glad to have been of assistance