The Devil's Eye

'We thought we'd begin by following in her footsteps.'

'I suppose that's as good a course as any.'

I noticed a cane propped against the side of Wexler's chair. A souvenir, perhaps, of Cleev's dungeons. 'Mikel,' said Alex, 'what's your connection with her?' 'I met her at Samuels. When she was leaving.'

'You knew her, then?'

'I knew her from her pictures. I've been one of her readers since she started her career. I don't usually admit that, but-Well, anyhow, I knew she was in the area and that she was about to leave.' He was seated in a dark blue fabric chair. Behind him, two windows opened out onto what was probably the university campus. 'I arranged to be on the station.' 'Did you get a chance to talk with her?'

'Yes. For a few minutes.'

'How did she seem?'

'How do you mean?'

'Did she seem upset? Depressed?'

'Not at all. She wasn't what I expected. I thought someone who wrote horror books would be- Well, you know. But she wasn't like that. Not at all.' He smiled. 'She was a witty woman. I pretended I just happened to be there, of course, and asked if she was really Vicki Greene. You know how that goes. So we got talking, and she let me buy her a drink.'

'May I ask what you talked about, Mikel?' The smile widened. 'How much she enjoys writing sequences that'll scare the daylights out of the reader. She actually giggled when she described how she sits there and reads the really inflammatory passages to herself. Out loud.' He shook his head. 'What a loss.' They were both silent for a minute. Then he continued: 'I'm glad you're looking into it. I think there are a lot of us who would like to know why she would do such a thing. But I must admit to being curious. You've come so far. Did the family engage you to pursue this?'

'No,' said Alex. 'She asked for help. I felt an obligation.'

'Of course. Well, I certainly hope you can come up with an answer.'

Alex leaned forward. 'Mikel, are you aware of anything unusual that might have happened to her while she was here?' 'No,' he said. 'Of course we didn't talk long.' He picked up his cane. Held it across his knees. 'Had anything happened while she was here, the media would certainly have picked it up.'

'We checked the archives. There was nothing.'

'Then I would say nothing happened. She's a major celebrity, Alex. Even out here. Her books sell on every continent. People love her. I'm reluctant to say this because you've come so far, but I'd be very surprised if, whatever drove her to do what she did, won't eventually be traced to some family or personal problem back home. A love affair gone wrong, possibly. Something along those lines.'

'You're probably right, Mikel.' Alex looked my way. 'Did you have anything, Chase?'

'Yes,' I said. 'Mikel, may I ask why you contacted us?'

'I heard from several sources that you were inquiring about Ms. Greene. I was interested in why she might have done what she did.' He smiled. 'Besides, it was an opportunity to meet you and Alex. I enjoy meeting celebrities.'

'Before we leave for the Haunted Forest'-Alex could not suppress a grin-'I've something to show you.' 'And what's that?' 'Take a look.' He darkened the room, and we were gliding toward a mountain range. It was the middle of the evening, the sun below the horizon, lights just coming on. 'Towns,' I said. 'Is there something special about them?' 'It's the Homeworld Security Project,' said Alex. 'Which is what?' 'I told you about the Mute incidents.' 'Yes.' 'They're taking it pretty seriously.' We pulled in closer to some of the lights. Near the base of a mountain, I saw digging equipment. And temporary dwellings. 'What are they doing?' I asked 'Digging shelters.' 'What? You're kidding.' 'Not at all. It's described as a purely precautionary measure.' 'Things haven't deteriorated that much, I hope.' 'I don't know. It's hard to be sure what's really going on.' It looked like a major project. Cutters and extractors were out in force. Lots of lights, robots everywhere, even a few humans. And, of course, they were working at night. 'This is only one site. Apparently, this is going on around the world.' 'I wasn't aware of it.' 'We haven't been paying attention. They're digging into mountains. Or, more precisely, getting ready to.' 'They really expect an attack from the Mutes?' 'Apparently. They're not making a lot of noise about it. The Administrator was on earlier this morning, talking about how they don't ever expect to have to use the shelters, but it's better to be prepared.' 'If the Mutes were to attack in force, I don't think a few holes in the ground would be much help.' 'I agree.' 'So what's really going on?' 'It might be politics.' 'How do you mean, Alex?' 'We're into an election cycle. Administrator Kilgore is running for reelection.' 'He might want to look as if he's protecting everybody.' 'That's a possibility.' He looked worried. 'There's something you're not telling me,' I said. 'The activity started within the last five months. The incursions. The Homeworld Security Project.' I knew where he was going. 'It all started right after Vicki left.'

ELEVEN

We're adrift in an ocean of the mind. Our lives consist primarily of navigating through shoals and storms, enjoying the experiences of a thousand ports, putting landing parties ashore on strange islands, taking

visitors aboard, and dropping anchor occasionally to bask in the sunlight. The destination is of no consequence.

- Love You to Death

A funny thing happened on the way to the Haunted Forest. Getting there involved a flight across the Crystal Sea. We leased a skimmer from Reliable Transport and headed out. It was one of those brilliant, pleasant summer days, with the sting of salt in the air and a sense of approaching fall. Armies of white clouds drifted through the morning sky. A few fishermen were out. I watched one who'd netted something and was about to shoot it with a long-barreled scrambler. We sat back, enjoying the ride. The AI kept us steady at about a thousand meters. Alex was in the midst of wishing he'd left me behind because somebody should be running the business. It was a mistake just to close up for three months and invite our clients to go elsewhere. I was half-listening, wondering what Ben was up to, thinking what an idiot's chase we were involved in, when the AI lit up. 'Chase,' she asked, 'do you have a minute?' It's never good news when an AI in a taxi or a leased vehicle starts a conversation with you in the middle of a flight. It's usually to inform you that the main axle has fallen off, that rough weather lies ahead, or that you're over the storied volcano, Mt. Boombashi, at a bad time. 'Yes, Lyra, what is it?'

'I seem to have lost control of the vehicle.'

'That can't be right,' I told Alex. We were still moving steadily ahead. I adjusted my seat, sliding it closer to the instrument panel, and released the yoke. 'Okay, Lyra,' I said, 'can you turn over control to me?'

'Negative, Chase. I am disconnected. I do not understand it.'

'What's going on?' asked Alex. 'Don't know. Something's flying-Whoop!' We started to accelerate, then to drop. And I don't mean descend . The antigravs shut off, and the only thing keeping us aloft was the stubby wings, which provided some lift but not nearly enough. We were sliding down that pleasant summer sky. I pulled the yoke back, but nothing happened. 'You still have control,' I told Lyra. 'Turn loose.'

'I do not have control.'

The ocean was coming up fast. If I'd had time, I'd have ripped the AI out by the roots and tossed her over the side, but it probably wouldn't have helped anyhow. There was nothing at that point except to hang on to the stick. Then, without warning, the engines went to neutral, the antigravs cut back in, and we leveled off. We rolled in over the surface. It was smooth as glass. We were maybe ten meters off the water. I could see waves, not much more