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."In time past those with powers such as yoursand mine could become something more than mere hunters.""Oh? And what did you have in mind?"The Oriental laughed, a laugh like the bark of a fox."Say that there is a powerful man, apolitician, or a powerful criminal.Say that he has an enemy.What would it be worth to such to have ameans of eliminating such an enemy without suspicion?""Plenty," Doug supplied thoughtfully."And again, with your gift at enhancing violent emotion—say that the man does not wish hisenemy eliminated, only disgraced.So—he debates his opponent in public, and the opponent becomesincoherent with anger.Who would elect such a man? Say that the opponent is a churchman—who one dayis incited to rape.Who would put further trust in such a man? The possibilities are many.""Fascinating," Jason said dryly."Have you told the Master about these notions of yours?""I have indeed, and he is cautiously in favor.However, he felt that in this case, since the stakes areso much higher, you should hear and think of these things yourselves.He would have no one involvedwho is not willing."Jason laughed, throwing his head back, showing his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin."Oh, even Daveyboy would be in favor if we put it to him the right way.Wouldn't you, Davey? You used to be a real wheelin the peace movement—think about it.Wouldn't it have been a rip to take Tricky Dicky down? Howabout that jerk that's mayor of Philly? Just think of all the good you could do, Davey."Dave stared unhappily at the traffic and the street ahead, trying not to think about it.How manyinnocents would we take down in the meantime, just to— feed? How could anything justify that?Jason laughed again."Poor Davey.He's thinking about the sheep again.Think of us as wolvesplaying sheepdog, Davey.Isn't it worth a few sheep to keep the whole herd safe?"His head swam with confusion.I— God, I don't know.I just don't know."Never mind." Jason's voice sharpened."We'll worry about that later.I've got a target dead ahead.Pull over.Now, Davey."As he pulled in, he saw what must be the "target" Jason mentioned.Two women on the otherwisedeserted side street, one fair, one dark.Bundled up against the cold, but their voices sounded cheerful andlively.Dave could see what made them a choice quarry in Jason's mind.There was so much energy inthem that they glowed, and a powerful bond of affection flowed between them—Christ.Torture one and make the other hurt worse for not being able to help her.Two for theprice of one.Jason, you're a bastard—Last of all, from the scraps of thought Dave was picking up, they were tourists who probablywouldn't be missed for a while.Canadians, which would muddy the trail back to them even further.Oh God— not again.Dear God, not again!"Oh, yes," Jason said caressingly."I think they'll do very nicely.Hidoro?"I can't let them do this."Suitable," the Oriental agreed."I cannot feed, however.I can only kill while I am full-fed.""Could you —hurt them a little?" Doug asked.Maybe if I throw the door open— yell at them to run.Hidoro laughed, and it echoed ghoulishly in the empty van."My good colleague, I can hurt them agreat deal."The hunger that Dave had thought quiescent rose up and growled in anticipation, and he realizedin despair that it had him in thrall again.He couldn't move.All three of the others slid out of the van, Hidoro coming around the rear to cut them off as theother two closed in from behind.The one closest to the van, the fair one, threw herself at Hidoro in a doomed attempt to clear theway for her companion to escape, shouting something at her.Something about running for it.And a name,or a nickname."Fi—"But Hidoro changed into his cloud shape just as she reached him—and she vanished into the darksmoke.She shrieked, her cry coming muffled and dim from inside the cloud, as the other two caught andheld the other woman trapped between them, helpless even to move.Dave closed his eyes, and cried, as the pain rolled over him and his hunger fed.***The shop had been blessedly quiet; customers few, and not inclined to gossip.When Di got backfrom the shop, André was still asleep—or something.She stood beside the couch, looking down at him,little tag ends of thoughts going around in her head.He looked so young—not much more than twenty-five, if that.And so—vulnerable.It wasstrange, thinking of him as vulnerable.It wasn't a word she would have thought to apply to a man likehim, and yet she'd used it twice in thinking about him in the last two days.On the other hand, I've seen him at his most helpless, so maybe that isn't surprising.A knock at the door interrupted her reverie, and by the time she had answered it and broughtLenny and Keith into the living room, André was awake and in the armchair that stood opposite the oneshe usually took.Huh.Tactful of him.She got everyone settled and brought in tea; then got down to business."All right," she said, waiting for her tea to cool enough to sip."We've been dealing with two kindsof victims and multiple killers.We'd just about decided that for ourselves—and what André told us seemsto indicate not only that there are psivamps and something else, but that they've all linked up.Not thatimprobable a coincidence, actually.Predators can be pack animals as well as solitary, and pack animalshunt more efficiently.Provided there was no quarrel of leadership rights, it actually make a certain amountof sense for them to have met and for them to decide to band together."Keith nodded."I wondered about that.It just seemed like too big a coincidence."She took a sip of tea, carefully.It still was hot enough it nearly burned her, but she was chilled tothe bone.The long walk from the subway station seemed longer in the dark of winter."It may not be a coincidence, as such," André said quietly."If you think of the areas both musthunt—relatively deserted, yet with some people upon the street—it was inevitable that their paths mustcross, soon or late.There are not that many places which qualify as hunting grounds."He turned his attention to Di."I take it you did find something that fits the soul-eater, then?"She nodded
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