Nightmare

'Either that, or there’s a corpse we haven’t found yet,' Tan replied. 'Let me check with the ME.' Tan took a small phone out of her pocket, spoke rapidly into it, paused, then sighed and hung up. 'Examiner says the finger sewn to the victim Kendi saw does not belong to Iris Temm. So there’s definitely another corpse hiding out there somewhere.'

Ara didn’t know how to respond, so she said nothing.

'You should go home,' Tan continued. 'I’ve got to try and track down who and where the victim actually is. We’ll meet here in the morning to go over Kendi’s story one more time.'

Ara agreed. The next morning, she and Inspector Tan questioned Kendi again, but no new details came to light. Ara, unwilling to let Kendi stay by himself, installed him in her guest bedroom with orders to spend the remainder of the day being quiet. To Ara’s surprise, Kendi didn’t protest at the confinement. Ben, meanwhile, offered to stay home and keep him company.

'Teenagers,' Ara said to Tan on the front porch. 'For weeks they fight doing what you tell them, and then out of nowhere they up and volunteer to do the right thing.'

'Especially when it involves missing a day of school,' Tan observed.

Ara, enjoying a proud maternal moment, ignored this. 'Did you learn who the victim was?'

'Her name was Vera Cheel,' Tan rasped.

'How did you find her?'

'Checked to see if anyone on duty in the Dream didn’t turn in the transcriptions of their communications. Cheel’s name popped right up. Linus is already at her house. Let’s go.'

Vera Cheel’s house was larger than Iris Temm’s, and tidier as well. The body had been taken away by the time Ara and Tan got there, for which Ara was grateful.

'What …condition was she in?' Ara asked as they entered Cheel’s living room. It was bright and airy, with several potted plants scattered tastefully about. A vase filled with lush red roses sat on the coffee table. Half a dozen technicians were going over the different rooms with scanning equipment. Tan’s partner Linus Gray was in deep discussion with one of them, and he gave them a distracted wave as they entered.

'Same as Iris Temm,' Tan told her. 'Pretty much bludgeoned and crushed to death while she was in the Dream.'

'I suppose we should go into the Dream and get a look, then.' Ara fingered the dermospray in her pocket. 'It’s been less than a day since Vera was killed, so the images will be stronger, I think.'

'You sound hesitant,' Tan said. 'What’s wrong?'

Ara pursed her lips, not wanting to give voice to her thoughts. But a killer was on the loose, and they couldn’t afford to let a potential lead slip away. 'I was wondering if I should take Kendi in with me.'

'Why?'

'Kendi saw the incident,' Ara explained. 'His mind could strengthen the images and we might get more details, both sensory and impressionistic.'

'And if Kendi’s there, we might get more insights into the killer’s mind,' Tan said.

Ara nodded. 'But he’s just a student. He reached the Dream for the first time only last week. Not only did he witness the murder, he was attacked by the killer. Kendi’s strong, but he’s been through a lot in his life as it is, and I don’t want to add to his burdens by making him watch the whole thing again.'

'Irfan Qasad said that all sentient life is sacred,' Tan pointed out. 'Murder’s the most horrible crime there is. It’s our duty to use whatever methods we can to track this man down.'

'I know. But I also have a duty to my student’s safety and well-being.'

'Well,' Tan said slowly, 'let’s ask and let him decide. Now that I think about it, we need to get back to your house as soon as possible.'

'What? Why?'

'I’ll tell you when we get there,' Tan said, 'and we ask Kendi.'

'The problem,' Ara sighed, 'is that I know what he’ll say.'

'Yes,' Kendi said. 'I can do it right now.'

They were back in Ara’s living room. Tan, who had put the question to him, nodded. Ben sat quietly in the corner, his blue eyes quietly taking in the entire scene. Ara still felt misgivings. Kendi was only sixteen and not the most level-headed among the students at the monastery. On the other hand, he wouldn’t be in any actual danger at a re-creation, and Ara would be right there with him.

'We should do it at Vera’s house,' Ara said, 'so the minds around us will be as similar as possible to the ones she herself used to get into the Dream yesterday.'

'What about me?' Ben said as they headed for the door.

'You stay here,' Ara instructed. 'We’ll be back as soon as we can.'

'What do you mean about the minds being the same?' Kendi asked, excited. The cuts on his face and hands had faded to fine, pinkish lines.

While Ara explained, Tan drew Ben aside and spoke to him rapidly. His face, which had been filled with disappointment, changed to a more thoughtful expression. He stayed behind without protest as Ara, Kendi, and Tan left the house.

'What did you tell him?' Ara asked.

Tan shot a glance at Kendi. 'I told him it was his job to keep all this as quiet as possible and I asked him to scan the news for me. Too many people know about the attack on Kendi-the hospital personnel, for example-and I’m afraid that once the services get hold of it, Kendi’s going to be in some danger.'

'Danger?' Kendi asked. 'What do you mean?'

'The killer knows you saw him,' Tan explained. 'The killer knows what you look like, unless-I don’t suppose you’re one of those Silent who looks different in the Dream than in the solid world?'

'No.'

'Damn. Anyway, that means the killer may be looking for you. You’re a witness. I didn’t really think of it before, and that’s why I wanted to come back.'

Kendi shot a nervous glance around him, as if the killer might drop out of the branches. 'But I don’t know what he looks like. He didn’t have a face.'

'And that’s a point in your favor,' Tan agreed. 'So we definitely don’t want anyone knowing that you’re helping us in the Dream. That would only give the killer more reason to come after you.'

Ara stopped on the boardwalk. 'Wait a minute. You’re saying that if the killer finds out Kendi’s aiding the investigation, Kendi would be in danger?'

'Possibly,' Tan said.

'Then forget it. Kendi, you’re going back to the house. The Inspector and I will do this alone.'

'It’s only a danger if someone finds out,' Tan said reasonably. 'News services don’t even know who the victim was yet, so there won’t be any reporters hanging around the house. No one will even know.'

'Mother Ara,' Kendi said, 'let me do this. I want to help. Didn’t Irfan say that all sentient life is sacred?'

'Oh no,' Ara groaned. 'Not you, too.'

'The Real People believe the same thing,' he continued. 'I have to help if I can.'

'This isn’t an adventure, Kendi,' Ara said. 'It’s bloody and gory and it’s going to be unpleasant.'

'I already saw it once,' Kendi countered. 'I’m still here.'

In the end, Ara let herself be persuaded. They went back to Vera Cheel’s house and found it empty. The technicians had completed their scans and left. Outside, dirty clouds had gathered, obscuring the sun and cooling the breeze. The red roses on the coffee table made a sharp, colorful contrast with the dreary sky. Ara wondered where Vera’s body had been found, then decided she didn’t want to know. Linus Gray was nowhere to be seen, and Ara assumed he was out canvassing the neighborhood. There was a certain tension in the room. Ara herself still held reservations about involving Kendi. Kendi, she was sure, was nervous, and Tan was probably anxious to get on with it.

'Let’s hit the Dream,' Tan said, confirming Ara’s suspicions. 'I’ll take the easy chair, if you don’t mind.'

'The couch is fine with me,' Ara said tightly. 'Kendi usually stands.'

Kendi had brought his spear and dermospray. The dermospray was red instead of black, indicating it belonged to a student. 'Does this count as a practice session?' he asked with a grin. Tan snorted and some of the tension