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On ThursdayHarry went back to the river, back to the place where his mother lay once more locked in mud and weed Except that there were two of theone to talk to her but to Viktor Shukshin He took a cushion fro it down in snow six inches deep before seating hi his knees Belohere he sat the ice had crusted over again and snow had settled on the place where he’d cut his escape hole, so that only an outline showed through

After sitting in silence for a while, he said: ’Stepfather, can you hear me?’

’Yes,’ came the answer in a little while ’Yes, I can hear you, Harry Keogh I hear you and I feel your presence! Why don’t you go away and leave me in peace?’

’Be careful, Stepfather Mine o away and leave you in peace", who’ll speak to you then?’

’So that’s your talent, is it, Harry? You speak to the dead You’re a corpse rabble-rouser! Well, I want you to know that it hurts ht, for the first ti bed and slept soundly, and there was no pain Who’ll speak to me? I don’t want anyone to speak to me! I want peace’

’What do you mean, it hurts you?’ Harry pressed ’How can ?’

Shukshin told him

’And that’s why you killed my mother?’

’Yes, and it’s why I tried to kill you But in your case,

it ht also have served to save my own life’ And now he told Harry about the osani and Batu

Harry wasn’t satisfied He wanted to know it all, froht to the present Tell me about it,’ he said, ’all of it, and I swear I won’t bother you again’

And so Shukshin told him

About Borowitz and the Chateau Bronnitsy About the Russian ESPers where they worked for world conquest through ESP in their secret den in the heart of the USSR He told of how Borowitz had sent hiland to find and kill British ESPers, and how he had broken away and becoain about the curse that dogged hiht on the ht almost have pitied Shukshin - were it not for his ht of Sir Keenan Gormley and the British E-Branch, and he reo and see Gorroup when all of this had been sorted out Well, noas sorted out And now Harry knew that he o and see Goruilty one There were others far worse than he could ever be The one who had sent him out on his murderous mission in the first place, for instance For if Shukshin had never come here, Harry’s mother would still be alive

And at last Harry was satisfied Until now his life had seereatly aimless, unfulfilled - his one ambition had been to kill Shukshin - but now he knew that it was bigger than that, and suddenly he felt small in view of the task which still awaited hiht, Stepfather,’ he finally said, I’ll leave you now and let you rest But it’s a peace you don’t deserve I can’t and won’t forgive you’

’I don’t want your forgiveness, Harry Keogh, just your promise that you’ll leave iven et yourself killed and let me be’

Harry climbed stiffly to his feet Every bone in his body ached - his head, too - and he felt coth It was partly physical, but mostly emotional It was the calh he couldn’t yet know it, it was also the lull before the greater stored hiotten in the snow, headed back towards his car Behind him and yet with him a voice said in his mind: ’Goodbye, Harry’ But it wasn’t Shukshin’s voice

’Goodbye, Ma,’ he answered ’And thanks I’ll always love you’

’And I’ll always love you, Harry’

’What?’ now cah, what’s this? I saw you raise her up, but - ?’

Harry didn’t answer He let Mary Keogh do it for hi Harry didn’t raise me up I raisedyou can’t understand But that’s over now and I’ll not do it again My Harry has others to look after him now; so I’ll just lie here, lonely in the mud Except maybe it won’t be so lonely now’

’Keogh!’ Shukshin frantically called out after Harry again ’Keogh, you promised me - you said you were the only one who could talk toto me - and she hurts

’No, Viktor,’ he heard his mother’s answer, as if she spoke to a set you nowhere Did you say you want peace and quiet? Oh, but you’ll soon get bored with peace and quiet, Viktor’

’Keogh!’ Shukshin’s voice was a dietme up - tell them where to find my body - only don’t leave me here with her!’

’Actually, Viktor,’ Mary Keogh remorselessly con­tinued, ’I think I’ll rather enjoy talking to you You’re so close to me here that it’s no effort at all!’

’Keogh, you bastard! Come back! Ohplease co

By 1:30 phtmarish, layered with compacted snow foron his nerves This only served to drain ot ho hiht weeks, was bright and chirpy about the flat, which had undergone some fantastic and inexplicable istry office wedding She was less than threeHarry, too, had been in fine fettle when last she had seen him; but now, in coed the effort of kissing her on the cheek, was asleep almost before his head hit the pillows

He had been away for three days, doing ’research’, she knew, for a new book he was planning - what and where exactly he’d never bothered to say Well, that was Harry and she should be used to it by now - but she was not used to hi like he’d spent three days in a concentration cah the afternoon and seemed to have developed a fever, she called a doctor who visited at about 8:00 pm Harry didn’t bother to wake up for his visit; the doctor thought it h the syht; he left pills, instructions and his telephone nuht, especially if his breathing beca, or if his temperature went up appreciably, Brenda was to call hiht, and in thewhich he engaged Brenda in a peculiar, guarded conversation which she was dis and loomy orto hi a will leaving everything to her, or to their child in the event she was unable to hed out loud

’Harry,’ she said, taking his hands where he sat on the edge of the bed with his shoulders slu of so low, and I know that when you’re a bit down in the mouth it really seems like the end of the world to you, but here we are ht weeks and you sound as if you expect to be dead by the spring! Yes, andso silly! Just a week ago you were swi, full of life - so what is it that’s suddenly bothering you?’

At that he decided he really couldn’t hedge any longer Anyway she was his wife now and it was only right that she should know And so he sat her down and told her everything, with the exception of his drea the death of Viktor Shukshin He passed off his aggressive ’exercising’ of the past fewhis fitness for work still to coerous; which in turn led hianisation, but not in any depth It was sufficient

she should know that he wasn’t the only strangely talented person - that in fact there were ainst the free world ere not above using such talents to its detrianisation would be to ensure that these alien powers failed in their objectives; his talent as a necroscope would be used as a weapon against them; the future therefore seemed at best uncertain His talk of wills and such had been siht it was best to be prepared for any eventuality

Even telling her all of this - and while not being too specific on any point - still he wondered if perhaps he wasa mistake, if it would have been better to keep her entirely in the dark And he wondered at his ownin her in order to prepare her forfor whatever? Or was it that she was right, that he was feeling at a low ebb and so needed souilt? He had a course to run now and must pursue it; the chase was not at an end; Shukshin had ht direction Did he feel that because he chose to go in that direction Brenda was at risk? The drea about Brenda dying as a result of anything Harry was yet to do He had inated her, yes, which would result in a birth; but how could any course he took now influence the physical event of the birth itself? And yet a nagging voice in the back of his mind told him that indeed it could

And so it see her was chiefly one of guilt, and also because he needed to tell someone - needed to tell a friend The trouble was that he seeravated and uilt aspect out of all proportion!

It was all very confusing and abstruse, and trying to h it made hi he was glad to sit back and let her think it over

Strangely, she accepted everything he said almost as a matter of course - indeed with visible relief - and at once set about to explain why:

’Harry, I know I’m not as clever as you, but I’ in the air ever since you told me that story of yours - about the necroscope I sort of sensed that you hadn’t finished it, that you wanted to say more but you were scared to Also, there’ve been times up in Harden when Mr Hannant has stopped ht there was soe about you, too’

’Hannant?’ he frowned suspiciously ’What did he - ?’

’Oh, nothing to be concerned about In fact I think he’s htened of you Harry, I’ve listened to you talking to your poor dead Ma in your sleep, and I knew you were holding real conversations! And there were so , for instance I mean, how come you were suddenly a brilliant author? I’ve read your stories, Harry, and they’re not you Oh, they’re wonderful stories, all right, but you just aren’t that wonderful! Not the real you The real you is ordinary, Harry Oh, I love you - of course I do - but I’, your Judo? Did you think I’d believe you were a super man? I promise you it’s easier to believe you’re a necroscope! It’s a relief to know the truth, Harry I’lad you’ve finally told me’

Harry shook his head in open astonishment Talk about level-headed!

Finally he said: ’But I haven’t told you everything, love’

’Oh, I know that,’ she answered ’Of course you haven’t! If you’re to be working for your country, why obviously there’ll be things you need to keep secret -even from me I understand that, Harry’

It was as if soht off his

chest He breathed deeply, lay back again, let his head

link into his pillows ’Brenda, I’m still very tired,’ he

yawned ’Just let me sleep now, there’s a love Too down to London’

’All right, my love,’ she leaned over him to kiss his forehead ’And don’t worry, I won’t ask you to tell ht through until evening, then got up and ate a meal They went out about 8:00 pht air, until Brenda started to feel the cold Then they hurried home, took hot showers, and h the night

It was the least Harry had done in any single day in his life

Later he would have reason to recall it as the most wasteful day in his life

Sir Keenan Gorhtful as he left ESP HQ, took the lift down to the tiny lobby and went out into the cold London night Several things had given hi Harry Keogh For Keogh had not yet contacted hihing on him like lumps of lead It was just after nine o’clock as Gor for Westminster tube station, and two hundred and twenty-fivelove to his wife before settling to a night’s sleep

As for Gormley’s other causes for concern: there were two of them One was the way his second in coht seem silly if his second in command weren’t Alec Kyle, and if Alec Kyle wasn’t a very talented seer, athe future! Kyle’s concern for his boss over the last week or ten days had been pretty obvious, no matter how carefully he’d tried to hide it If there was anything specific, Gormley knew that Kyle would tell him That hy he hadn’t pressed hi anyway

And finally there was the other thing, the big thing Over the period of the last six or seven weeks there had been at least a dozen different occasions when Gormley had known that there were ESPers about, when he’d ’spotted’ them in his mind He had never come face to face with one, had never been able to pin one down, but he’d known they were there anyway At least two of thenise thenised his own e And always they watched him from the safety of crowds, in the busy places, never where he could tie a face to a feeling He wondered how long they would go on watching, and if that was all they would do And as he reached the underground and went down to the trains he patted the bulge of his 9 h his overcoat and jacket At least that was a comfort There wasn’t an ESPer in the world who could think himself out of the way of a bullet - not that Gormley knew of, anyway

There were only a few people on the platform and fewer in the compartment where Gormley picked up a discarded copy of the Daily Mail to keep hi that the headlines seemed completely alien to him Was he really that much out of touch? Yes, he probably was! His work had been putting a lot of strain on hi up far

too ht in a row he’d worked late; he couldn’t reh or entertained friends Maybe Kyle was right to be concerned about him - and on a purely personal level at that - not from the point of view of an ESPer Maybe it was time he took a break and left his second in command to mind the shop God only kneould have to sooner or later And he made himself a promise that he would take a break just as soon as he’d initiated young Harry Keogh into the fold

Keogh

Gorh, had considered soht be put to use Fantastic ways All in theanyway He would have started to go over theain, but just as it crossed his mind to do so the train pulled into St James’s and Gormley found his in a tiny skirt that passed directly in front of his eyes and out of the twin doors It was a wonder the lovely creature didn’t freeze to death, he thought - and wouldn’t that be a loss!

Gorhts His wife, God bless her, was always coht be tricky but the rest of hi order An eye wouldn’t be all he had for that young lady, if he were thirty years younger!

He coughed loudly, returned to his newspaper and tried to get himself reacquainted with the world A brave effort but he lost interest half-way down the second column It was pretty mundane stuff, after all, compared with his world A world of fortune-tellers, telepaths, and now a necroscope

Harry Keogh again

There was a game Gormley played with Kyle It was a

word-association game Sometimes it startled Kyle’s future-orientedafor him Aon tomorrow Norht; he usually ’dreamed’ his predictions; if he consciously tried for results they wouldn’t come But if you could catch hiah on histhe ESPer sitting there he’d smiled and said: ’Gaht ahead’

’It’s a name,’ Gormley had warned, to which Kyle had nodded his head

’I’ dohatever he orking on

Gormley paced a while, then turned quickly and faced the other where he sat at his desk ’Harry Keogh!’ he had snapped then

’Mobius!’ answered Kyle at once

’Maths?’ Gormley frowned

’Space-ti, and Gorave it one last shot:

’Necroscope!’

’Necromancer!’ the other shot back at once

’What? Necro

’Va to his feet Then he aying, tre, ’That that’s enough, sir Whatever it was, itit’s gone now’

And that had been that

Gormley came back to the present

He looked up and found they’d passed through Victoria and that the train was almost empty Already they were

an to feel a strange depression settling over hi but he couldn’t just put his finger on it It ht simply be the train’s eh occurrence in itself) and that he s, but he didn’t think so Then, as the train pulled into the station he knehat it was: it was his talent working

The doors sighed open and aGorain two ot in - and their ESP-aura washed over him like a wave of icy water! Yes, and now he could put faces to feelings

Dragosani and Batu sat directly opposite their quarry, stared straight at hie pair, he thought, not designed with any degree of compatibility Not outwardly, anyway The taller one leaned forward, his sunken eyes reh Yes, they were like Keogh’s eyes in a way, probably in their colour and intelligence And that was especially strange, for set in this face one got the ihts they should be feral or even red, and that the intelligence behind them was barely human at all but that of a beast

’You knoe are, Sir Keenan,’ the stranger said in a voice deep as it was dark, whose Russian accent he uise, ’if not e are And we knoho and what you are Therefore it would be childish sinorant of each other Don’t you agree?’

’Your logic leaves little roo that his blood was already beginning to cool in his veins

"Then let us continue to be logical,’ said Dragosani ’If anted you dead, you would be dead We have not

lacked the opportunity, as I’m sure you know And so, e leave the train at South Kensington, you will not atte unnecessary attention to yourself or to us If you do, then ill be forced to kill you and that would be unfortunate, of benefit to no one Is this understood and agreed?’

Gormley forced himself to remain calm, raised an eyebrow and said: ’You’re very sure of yourself, Mr er - ?’

’Dragosani,’ said the other at once ’Boris Dragosani Yes, I am very sure of myself As is my friend here, Max Batu’

’ - For a stranger in this country, I was about to say,’ Gormley continued ’It seems to me that I’m about to be kidnapped But are you sure you know all you need to know aboutyou’ve overlooked? Soic hasn’t taken into account?’ He quickly, nervously took out a cigarette lighter froht-hand overcoat pocket and placed it in his lap, patted his pockets as if he searched for a packet of cigarettes, finally started to reach inside his overcoat

’No!’ said Dragosani warningly As if from nowhere he produced his oeapon and held it before hi it directly into Gorht down the rifled barrel of the stubby black silencer ’No, nothing has been overlooked Max, could you see to that, please?’

Batu got up, eased himself on to the seat next to Gormley, drew the other’s hand slowly back into the open and took the Browning froers The safety catch was still on Batu released the ave the auto at all,’ Dragosani continued ’Unfortunately, however, that was the last wrong move you’ll be allowed

to ers into his lap His posture was unnatural, Gormley decided: very sinuous, almost feline, very nearly feosani at all

’Any osani continued, ’will result in your death - i

Carefully, he pushed the useless automatic back into its holster, said: ’What is it you ith me?’

’We want to talk to you,’ said Dragosani ’I wish toto put some questions to you’

’I’ve had questions put to ht s questions, eh?’

’Ah!’ said Dragosani Now he shastly Goraped like a panting dog’s, where elongated teeth gleahts in your eyes, Sir Keenan, if that’s what you s No pincers No hose to fill your belly ater Oh, no, nothing like that But you will tellI want to know, of that I can assure you’

The train was slowing as it pulled into South Kensington Gorave a little lurch in his chest So close to hoht overcoat folded over his arm He showed Gormley the silencer of his weapon, let it peep out of the folds of the overcoat for a moment, and reminded him: ’No heroics’

There was a handful of people on the platfor people mainly, and a pair of down-and-outs with a bottle in a paper bag between them Even if Gormley looked for help, he couldn’t find much here ’Just leave the station by the saosani at Gormley’s shoulder

Gor now He knew full

well that if he ith these aosani had told him his and his squat little co: ’But it won’t do you any good, for you won’t be around to tell anyone!’ And so he must escape froround onto Pelham Street, walked down the Brohts,’ Gor the central reservation Dragosani’s grip tightened on his ar Gor the line of parked vehicles towards an anonyht the car second-hand (tenth-hand, he suspected) and cash down, no questions asked It would last only as long as his and Max Batu’s visit Then it would be found burned-out in some suburban lane But it was then, as they approached the car, that Gormley saw his chance

Not twenty-five yards away a police patrol car pulled into an ean checking the doors of the parked cars A routine check, Goruessed Or more properly, where he was concerned, a osani felt the sudden tension in Gorin to make it Batu had just opened the nearside front and rear doors of the Ford, was turning back towards Dragosani and Gormley, when his partner hissed: ’Now, Max!’

Unprepared, still Batu instantly adopted his killing crouch, his osani rip on Gormley, looked away at the last moment Gormley had opened his mouth to yell for help, but all that caainst the night,

and one eye which was a yellow slit while the other was round and green and throbbing as if filled with sentient pus! So passed from that face to Gore located his spirit, his very soul, and opened them up! Except for what little traffic passed in the street, all was quiet, and yet Gorreat cracked bell from deep inside himself, and kneas his heart

With that it should have been finished, but not quite Thrown backward by the shock of Batu’s awful power, Gor of a car parked behind the Ford Along the street the constable’s face turned enquiringly in their direction as a second police­ot out of the patrol car Worse, another vehicle, a blue Porsche, pulled in with a screech of brakes, its headlights dazzling where they picked the three figures out and pinned theainst the darkness In anotherrabbed hold of Gormley to steady hi into the other’s bulging eyes, his blue face ’My God! It must be his heart!’ The two police

Dragosani found hi was going wrong He ain control, whispered to Max Batu: ’Get into the car!’ Then he turned to the stranger By now the police assistance

’What happened here?’ one of theht fast ’We saw hiht maybe he was drunk Anyway, I went to help, asked if there was anything I could do He said so about his heart? I was about to take hientleman arrived and - ’

Tm Arthur Banks,’ said the man in question ’This is Sir Keenan Gormley, my uncle I was on my way to meet him at the station when I saw him with these two But look, this isn’t the tiet hiht now!’

The policeosani: ’Perhaps you’ll give us a ring later, sir? Just so we can get a few et his uncle into the Porsche while his driver ran back to the patrol car and got the blue light going Then, as Banks pulled away fro half circle, the constable yelled: ’Just follow us, sir We’ll have him under care in two shakes!’

A ue in the patrol vehicle, by which ti to traffic In a sort of nuosani watched as the two cars ht, then slowly, unsteadily got into the Ford and sat there beside Batu trerabbed its handle and sla fros

’Damn!’ he snarled ’Damn the British, Sir Keenan Gormley, his nephew, their bloody oh-so-civilised police - everything!’

’Things are not going well,’ Max Batu agreed

’And daosani ’You and your bloody evil eye! You didn’t kill him!’