him immediately as a butler. He looked to be in his early fifties, with a supercilious expression, a bald head, and ridiculous tufts of white hair above his ears. He held himself very correctly, and his gaze said that he had seen it all before, and hadn't been impressed then, either. He bowed very politely to Hawk, and, after a moment's hesitation, to Fisher.
'Good morning, sir and madam. I am Villiers, Master Adamant's butler. If you'll follow me, Master Adamant is expecting you.'
He stepped back a careful two paces, and then stood at attention while Hawk and Fisher entered. He closed the door quietly, and Hawk and Fisher seized the opportunity for a quick look around the hall. It was comfortably spacious without seeming overbearing, and the wood-paneled walls glowed warmly in the lamplight. Hawk approved of the lamps. Too many halls were oversized and underlit, as though there was something fashionable about eyestrain. He realized Villiers was standing politely at his side, and turned unhurriedly to face him.
'Villiers, you're standing on my shadow. I don't normally like people that close to me.'
'I'm sorry, sir. I was just wondering if you and your; partner would care to remove your cloaks. It is customary.'
'I don't think so,' said Hawk. 'Maybe later.'
Villiers bowed slightly, his impassive face somehow managing to convey that of course they knew best, even when they were wrong. He led the way down the hall, without looking to see if they were following, and ushered them into a large, comfortably appointed library. All four walls were lined with bookshelves, and leather-bound book spines gleamed dully from every direction. There was one comfortable chair by the fireplace, which Fisher immediately appropriated, stretching her legs out before her. Villiers cleared his throat politely.
'If you would be so kind as to wait here, I will inform Master Adamant of your arrival.'
He bowed again, to just the right degree, and left the library, closing the door quietly but firmly behind him.
'I never did like butlers,' said Fisher. 'They're always such terrible snobs. Worse than their employers, usually.' She looked at the empty fireplace, and shivered. 'Is it just me, or is it freezing cold in here?'
'Probably just feels that way, coming in from the warmth outside. These big places hold the cold.'
Fisher nodded, looking absently around her. 'Do you suppose he's really read all these books?'
'Shouldn't think so,' said Hawk. 'Probably bought them by the yard. Having your own library is quite fashionable, at the moment.'
'Why?'
'Don't ask me. I've never understood fashion.'
Fisher looked at him sharply. There had been something in his voice; 'This isn't what you'd expected, is it?'
'No,' said Hawk. 'It isn't. James Adamant is supposed to be a man of the people, representing the poor and the downtrodden. This kind of lifestyle is the very thing he's always campaigned against A big house, a butler, books he's never read. Dammit, he can't even be bothered to look after the place properly.'
'Don't blame me,' said Adamant. 'I didn't choose this monstrosity.'
Hawk turned round quickly, and Fisher rose elegantly to her feet as James Adamant entered the library, followed by Dannielle and Medley.
'I'm sorry to have kept you waiting,' said Adamant. 'Captains Hawk and Fisher, may I present my wife, Dannielle, and my Advisor, Stefan Medley.'
There was a quick flurry of bows and handshakes. Dannielle extended a hand for Hawk to kiss. He shot a quick glance at Fisher, and shook the hand instead.
'I think we'd all be much more comfortable in my study,' said Adamant easily. 'This way.'
He led them back down the hall and ushered them into the study, chatting amiably all the way. 'My superiors insisted we take on this draught-ridden folly as Reform Headquarters, and in a moment of weakness, I agreed. It's quite unsuitable, of course, but the current thinking is that we have to put on as good a show as the Conservatives or the voters won't take us seriously. Personally, I think it's that kind of half-baked nonsense that's undermined Reform's credibility with the electorate these past few years. But since I'm only a very junior candidate, I don't get much say in these matters.'
Medley brought in some more chairs, and Dannielle bustled around making sure that everyone was comfortably seated and had a brimming glass of wine in their hand.
'How do you feel about this place?' Hawk asked her politely.
'Ghastly old heap. Smells of damp, and half the time the toilets don't work properly.'
'Your garden's not up to much, either,' said Fisher. Hawk winced.
Dannielle and Adamant shared a look, their faces suddenly grim.
'We have enemies, Captain Fisher,' said Adamant evenly. 'Enemies not averse to using sorcery, when they can get away with it. Three days ago we had a splendid garden. Fine lawns, well-tended flower beds, and a magnificent old apple tree. And now it's all gone. Nothing will grow there. It's not safe even to walk far from the path. There are things moving in the dead earth. I think they come out at night, sometimes. No one's ever seen them, but come the morning there are scratches on the door and shutters that weren't there the night before.'
There was a cold silence for a moment.
'It's illegal for political candidates to use sorcery in any form,' said Hawk finally. 'Directly or indirectly. If you can prove Hardcastle was responsible;'
'There's no proof,' said Dannielle. 'He's too clever for that.'
There was another silence.
'You made good time in getting here,' said Medley brightly. 'I only put in my request for you this morning.'
Hawk looked at him. 'You asked for us specifically?'
'Well, yes. James has many enemies. I wanted the best people I could get as his bodyguards. You and your partner have an excellent reputation. Captain Hawk.'
'That isn't always enough,' said Fisher. 'The last time we got involved with guarding a politician, the man died.'
'We know about Councilor Blackstone,' said Medley. 'It wasn't your fault he died; you'd done everything you reasonably could to protect him. And you found his murderer, long after any other Guards would have given up.'
Hawk looked at Adamant. 'Are you happy with this arrangement, sir Adamant? It's not too late for you to find somebody else.'
'I trust my Advisor,' said Adamant. 'When it comes to picking the right people for a job, his judgment is impeccable. Stefan knows about such things. Now then, if you and your partner are going to be spending some time with us, I'd better bring you up to date on what's happening in the election. What kind of things do you need to know, Captain Hawk?'
'Everything,' said Hawk flatly. 'Who your enemies are, what kind of opposition you'll be facing. Anything that might give us an edge.'
Dannielle got to her feet. 'If you're going to get all technical, I think I'll go and see how dinner's coming along.'
'Now, Danny, you promised you wouldn't bother the cook anymore,' said Adamant. 'You know she hates people looking over her shoulder.'
'For what we're paying her, she can put up with a little criticism,' said Dannielle calmly. She smiled graciously at Hawk and Fisher, and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
'Now then,' said Adamant, leaning comfortably back in his chair. 'When you get right down to it, there are only two main parties: Conservative and Reform. But there's also a handful of fringe parties, and a few well- supported independents, just to complicate things. There's Free Trade, the Brotherhood of Steel, No Tax on Liquor (also known as the Who's for a Party Party), and various pressure groups, such as the Trade Guilds and some of the better organized militant religions.'
'The Conservatives are the main threat,' said Medley. 'They've got the most money. Free Trade is mainly a merchants' party. They make a lot of speeches, but they're short on popular support. Mostly they end up throwing their weight behind the Conservatives. No Tax on Liquor is the Lord Sinclair's personal party. He funds it and runs it,
