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"Just stay out of our way, Phaedra And keep your ht, his control barely in place

"Sorry, Investigator, but I have strict instructions to aid you in any way I can And I will aid you" The Alfar set used to you Until then!" she called, walking back toward the door to the lab

The harpies crouched low and then heaved theain besieged by filth and dust, only this ti could hit us Behind the dirt swirling against our protective barrier, I saw Grae at me I’m no lip-reader, but even I couldmyself into Ryu’s side

Finally, the dirt settled and ere alone in the laboratory Daoud groaned and stretched Caleb shuffled his hooves in the dirt, as if he were considering chasing after Phaedra’s gang at ra speed Calasses, breathed fog onto them, and then wiped thereen, rin even more crooked than usual Julian’s kind expression helped to wipe away the se of Graeme’s interest

Ryu,ently, to free o, were mottled red and white

We all stood there, in silence, for a few minutes till, finally, Ryu put into words ere all thinking

"Shit"

We nodded

"Fuck"

We nodded again

"And darily toward the door as we scraers scrabbled at the smooth leather interior of Ryu’s BMW as hehim to drop a few more F-bombs and slam on the brakes He then opened up what I assume was a rift in the space-tie of doo to avoid two Jesus truckers with their grill crosses glowing brightly in the night

Ryu was decidedly cranky

We were on our way to the head scientist’s, Dr Silver’s, fa, so ere officially on baobhan sith tiotten back to the cars, Ryu had hurled poor Julian’s laptop at hi Now" Much to everyone’s surprise, and especially Julian’s, he had In the ation, there’d been a few pings on the good doctor’s "secret" accounts, and from somewhere in the States So we’d split into pairs to investigate whether he’d made it back to his home turf Carave;-terre, Daoud and Caleb headed out to his summer home in Cape Cod, and Ryu and I drove out to the family manse in a ritzy suburb of Boston

"This is probably a wild-goose chase, but it’s all we’ve got And at least we know Silver is alive, and hopefully back in the country" Ryu frowned, again "Plus there’s soet I’et’?"

"I can’t put a finger on it So with the layout," he said, as we pulled up in front of an enor a ood living in running evil laboratories

We walked up to the house and Ryuto the door, which opened up as if in welcome The house arm, but unaired From the foyer, I could see that it had been carefully shut up for the Silvers’ holiday to the south of France: furniture covered, plants fitted with coed

I stuck close to Ryu as alked toward the grand staircase do the foyer

"Pay attention to the upstairs layout, and then think about it e come back down," he told me

"Okeydokey, smokey," I said, solemnly

The house was professionally perfect; there had very obviously been a decorator involved Even the family photos had been chosen for maximum effect Tons of pictures covered the walls of the stairway, all full of healthy, wealthy people doing healthy, wealthy things A baby-boomer couple, who I assumed to be Silver and his wife, dominated the action In one photo, dressed in black tie and holding chane, they flanked a famous politician Another picture showed the sa rackets, sandwiching a faear, or picnic-wear, or fancy dress, or business attire Inevitably they were accompanied by someone either famous or who exuded a similar air of wealth and status