looked up as Wyrdrune came rushing in.

“What is it?”

“You weren’t asleep?”

“No. I had a headache and I thought I’d clean my gun and take

my mind off things for a while.”

“Kira just had another nightmare! I almost couldn’t wake her

up.”

Modred glanced toward the door of Billy’s bedroom. He got up

quickly and they both went to the door. They could hear Billy in

there, groaning and crying out in his sleep.

They went inside. Billy was thrashing around in bed, all tangled

up in the covers. They were all bunched together and rolled up. He

had entwined himself in them and he was struggling to break

free… as if from the coils of a serpent.

“Billy!” Modred said.

Billy kept on struggling against the tangled sheets.

“Billy!”

Wyrdrune bent over him and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.

“Billy! Billy, wake up!”

No response.

Wyrdrune shook him harder. “Billy! Billy, wake up, God damn

it.!”

He couldn’t rouse him.

Wyrdrune felt Modred’s hand on his shoulder, pulling him away.

Then Modred bent over Billy and slapped him hard across the face.

Once. Twice. Three times.

“Aaaah!” Billy’s eyes snapped open, staring wildly.

“Is he all right?”

Kira was behind them in the doorway of the bedroom. She had

thrown on a cotton kimono.

“Gor‘, what a bleedin’ ‘orror, ” said Billy, breathing hard.

His hair was matted and his thin chest was covered with a sheen