“At least, none that we know of, ” Wyrdrune said. “That’s what

really worries me. We simply don’t have enough information. There

are all sorts of half-forgotten corners of the world where the Dark

Ones could have holed up and started to build up their powers.

Even with your network of informants, there’s still a lot of places

they can’t cover. How would we ever know?”

“That’s been something I’ve been giving a great deal of thought to

recently, ” said Modred. “I sorely miss Apollonius.”

“Who’s Apollonius?” asked Billy.

“Not who, what, ” said Modred. “Although, in a sense, Apollonius

was alive. It was a sentient, hyperdimensional matrix computer

containing a fortune in thaumaturgically etched and animated

chips.”

“Wait a minute, I heard something about that, ” said Kira.

It was in all the papers a few years back. This was some super

computer that was supposed to be delivered to the C. I. A. in

Langley, only it was hijacked en route. They were calling it the

heist of the century. “

“Hyperbole, ” said Modred. “However, it was a rather neat ob, if I

say so myself.”

“You never told us anything about that!”

“It wasn’t intentional, I assure you, ” he replied. “Force of habit, I

suppose. After so many years spent as a lawbreaker, I’ve developed

a tendency to keep things to myself. Apollonius was my great

secret. It enabled me to run rings around the I T. C. They never

could figure out how I was always able to stay several steps ahead

of them. It was because Apollonius had raided their data banks. It

was the most sophisticated computer ever built, easily capable of

breaking into any data bank anywhere in the world, no matter how

secure. It enhanced my fortune considerably. I was never terribly

computer literate, but Apollonius took to computer crime like a

duck takes to water. To Apollonius, it was merely one big game.”

“What happened to it?” Wyrdrune asked.

“Al’Hassan, ” said Modred with a grimace. “I had the misfortune

to illegally access the data banks at the College of Sorcerers in