An Affair Of Sorcerers

going to work on them.'

'Milking them dry, like they did to the kid.'

'Sure; they took Bobby's money, but there are other things the coven could want-and get. Power; political influence. God knows we've got enough closet screwballs at all levels of government. Can you imagine what this coven could do with a senator or two in its pocket?'

'Shit, yes,' Garth said softly, slowly nodding.

'And they may have them,' I said, thinking of the hand casts on Krowl's wall.

We sat quietly for some time. Out of the silence another idea began to emerge, and I voiced it. 'I think they may have found one joker in the deck,' I continued, poking my brother in the side. 'Frank Marlowe, with his research notes and tape recordings; he was the joker. Maybe he was trying to do a number on them. Check this out: Marlowe was initiated as Bart Stone-only one of a dozen different pseudonyms he used. The coven members thought they were initiating a rich and famous Western pulp writer. I don't think they knew that wasn't his real name. If they had known his real name, why not use it at the initiation ceremony?'

I thought about it some more, and was pretty sure I had the answer. 'April told me Marlowe hadn't written anything in almost a year. But he damn well was working. Somehow, he fell into the coven situation-and he knew what to do with it. He was researching this outfit, and he planned to write a book about them. This was going to be his big book-his 'book of shadows.' '

'And the coven found out about it,' Garth said, giving the window a single, hard rap that rattled the glass. 'They took all his notes, then killed him. It means everything he wrote, with the exception of what we've got in that shopping bag, was destroyed.'

'I'm not so sure.' Something about the whole thing still didn't sit right. I tried to pin it down in my mind, couldn't, and let it go.

'Somebody's going to have to tell Crandall's sister,' Garth said, looking over at me.

'I'll do it,' I said quietly. 'Drive me over to the hospital.'

Garth glanced sideways at me again as he leaned forward to start the car. 'She's under your skin, brother, isn't she?'

I grunted noncommittally. 'Good-looking woman.'

'Damned if I don't think you're falling in love.'

'Come on, Garth; I've known the woman less than a week.'

'You should see your face when you look at her; your eyes actually get glassy.' He paused and chuckled at the thought. 'Come to think of it, I don't believe you've ever been in love before, have you? I know you do all right with the ladies, although I'll never understand what they find lovable about a smart-ass dwarf. But this is different; this one scares you. Knowing you, it's only logical that your first real love would be a witch.'

'Shut up, Garth, and mind your own business.' I'd meant it to sound light and joking, but the words and tone came out serious. The fact of the matter was that the power April Marlowe exerted over my muscles, glands and mind did frighten me.

I hadn't forgotten John Krowl's reading.

'Hello, Kathy.'

'Mr. Mongo!' Kathy squealed excitedly. She was still pale, but healthy patches of color had appeared in her cheeks, and her blue eyes were clear. 'What have you got?'

The enormous stuffed panda I carried on my shoulders was as big as I was. I dropped it on the bed next to Kathy with an exaggerated sigh of relief. 'His name's Horace. He wants to be adopted by a little girl.'

'Hello, Robert,' April said quietly from where she was sitting on the edge of the bed. 'How are you feeling?'

'Okay,' I lied, already feeling self-conscious in her presence. I squeezed April's hand and kissed Kathy on the forehead. 'You look just great, sleepyhead,' I said to the girl. 'But it's about time you woke up; you've been asleep a long time.'

Kathy giggled, then suddenly frowned. 'Have you found my daddy's book of shadows yet, Mr. Mongo?'

I glanced quickly at April, who gave me an almost imperceptible shake of her head; it meant Kathy hadn't yet been told of her father's death. It was the right decision, I thought. 'Not yet, Kathy,' I said. 'But I'm still looking.'

'I know you'll find it, Mr. Mongo. You'll make everything all right.' She hugged the bear and me at the same time. 'Mommy says you brought me here when I got sick, Mr. Mongo. Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

She frowned again. 'Why didn't my daddy bring me?'

'I'll explain it to you when you're feeling better,' April said, gently smoothing her daughter's hair.

'Kathy,' I said, 'I have to talk to your mother. It's very important. May I borrow her for an hour or so? I'll bring her right back when I'm finished, and you can spend the time getting acquainted with Horace.'

Kathy solemnly considered the proposition, then finally nodded her assent. I took April's arm and guided her out of the room. 'How long will Kathy have to stay in the hospital?' I asked as we rode down in the elevator.

'Dr. Greene says he wants to keep her around for three or four more days. The poison hasn't been completely flushed from her system, and you can see she's still very weak.'

'I talked to Janet Monroe before I came over here. Now that Kathy's out of danger, she'd like you to stay with her until Kathy can go home. She lives only a few minutes away. You must be tired of that hospital room.'

'I'll think about it, Robert. What is it you want to talk to me about?'

'I'll get to it,' I said, avoiding her eyes. 'Let's walk over to Janet's.'

At Janet's apartment I told April of Daniel's death, omitting the gruesome details. April wept for a few minutes in my arms, but she wasn't hysterical; she almost seemed to have anticipated her brother's death, and was prepared for the news.

Janet came later, as I'd asked her to. April cried some more, then began to talk of her and Daniel's childhood in a witch family and community. Some of the stories were funny, others sad; all were fascinating.

April finished by saying in a firm, proud voice: 'My brother was a good and strong man who understood the ways of the human heart. Struggle was his life. He lost this battle, but he will always live in the hearts and memories of those who loved him. So mote it be.'

The ceremonial magician had received his memorial service.

An hour after returning to my apartment, I received a phone call. The voice on the line was clipped and heavily muffled. The message was brief and to the point.

'Be at The Cloisters at midnight. Esobus wishes to speak with you. Don't contact anyone. Come alone. The lives of the child and her mother will depend on your following these instructions to the letter.'

Every word had struck me with the force of a blow, dazing me and making me short of breath. I was more drained of feeling than afraid; I moved like an automaton, forcing myself to eat some steak and eggs for strength. The food stayed down, and I stretched out on my bed to rest. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep, but I set the alarm for ten just in case. Then I closed my eyes and breathed deeply and regularly, trying to empty my mind of everything; I knew I would need all my energy and concentration in the long night ahead.

At ten I rose and dressed. I took out my Beretta, checked the firing mechanism and magazine, stuck the weapon into my belt by my spine. I planned on being early, so I started to leave at ten thirty. I hesitated, walked over to the telephone and stared at it. I desperately wanted to call Garth, clearly aware that in most situations like this it was a sucker play not to bring in the police. But this case had some unusual, deadly wrinkles; their numbers and the place they'd chosen for the meeting gave the coven members all the advantages. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be walking into a trap; I was liable to end up staked to the ground and whittled on, like Daniel. Still, it seemed I had no choice but to play this round by their rules. There were thirteen members of the coven, and the entire area surrounding The Cloisters would be easy enough for them to cover. Even if the police did manage to catch whoever might be lying in wait for me, the others would certainly find out about it and act accordingly; they'd demonstrated that they didn't make idle threats. I had no qualms about blowing the brains out of my hosts, but I wanted to make certain that April and Kathy weren't casually killed by default; there was no guarantee that the