everything I could about his habits, and following him, tracking him, and timing him for days, sometimes for weeks, I’d decide where I wanted it to happen. That would usually determine the time and often the day as well. Then it was a matter of starting from there and working things so that all of the factors came together then and there. The execution itself was only interesting if I made a mistake somewhere along the line.
Kragar once asked me, when I was feeling particularly mellow, if I enjoyed killing people. I didn’t answer, because I didn’t know, but it set me to thinking. I’m still not really sure. I know that I enjoy the planning of a job, and setting it in motion so that everything works out. But the actual killing? I don’t think I either consciously enjoy it or fail to enjoy it; I just do it.
I leaned back and closed my eyes. The beginning of a job like this is like the beginning of a witchcraft spell. The most important single thing is my frame of mind when I begin. I want to make absolutely sure that I have no preconceived notions about how, or where, or anything. That comes later. I hadn’t even begun to study the fellow yet, so I didn’t have anything to really go on. The little I did know went rolling around my subconscious, free-associating, letting images and ideas pop up and be casually discarded. Sometimes, when I’m in the middle of planning, I’ll get a sudden inspiration, or what appears to be a sudden burst of brilliance. I fancy myself an artist at times like this.
* * *
I came out of my reverie slowly, with the feeling that there was something I should be thinking about. I wasn’t really fully awake yet, so it took me awhile to become aware of what it was. There was a stray, questing thought fluttering around in my forebrain.
After a while, I realized that it had an external source. I gave it some freedom to grow and take shape enough for me to recognize it, and discovered that someone was trying to get into psionic contact with me. I recognized the sender.
“
Ah, Daymar
,” I thought back. “
Thank you
.”
“
No problem
,” came the clear, gentle thought. “
You wanted something?
” Daymar had better mental control, and more power, than anyone I’d ever met. I got the feeling from him that he had to be careful, even in mental contact, lest he burn my mind out accidentally.
“
I’d like a favor, Daymar
.”
“
Yes?
” He had a way of making his “yes” last about four times as long as it should.
“
Nothing right now
,” I told him. “
But sometime within the next day or so, I expect to need some locating done
.”
“
Locating? What kind of locating?
”
“
I expect to have a psionic tag on a fellow I’m interested in finding, and I’ll want some way to figure out exactly where he is. Kragar thinks you can do it
.”
“
Is there some reason why I couldn’t just trace him now?
”
“
He has a block up against sorcery tracing spells
,” I told him. “
I don’t think even you can get past them
.”
I was damn sure Daymar couldn’t get past a block that was holding off the best sorcerers of the Left Hand, but a little judicious flattery never hurt anything.
“
Oh
,” he said. “
Then how do you expect to put a tag on him?
”
“
I’m hoping he didn’t protect himself against witchcraft. Since witchcraft uses psionic power, we should be able to leave a mark on him that you can find
.”
“
I see. You’re going to try to fix him with a witchcraft spell, and then I locate him psionically from the marks left by that. Interesting idea
.”
“
Thank you. Do you think it will work?
”
“
No
.”
I sighed. Daymar, I thought to myself, someday I’m going to . . . “
Why not?
” I asked, with some hesitation.
“
The marks
,” he explained, “
won’t stay around long enough for me to trace them. If they do, they’ll also be strong enough for him to notice, and he’ll just wipe them out
.”
I sighed again. Never argue with an
Terry Brennan
Courtney Collins
T. S. Joyce
Audrey Harrison
Liz Fielding
Robert Bryndza
Philippa Gregory
Greil Marcus
Helenkay Dimon
J.T. Cameron