Fugisawa shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. A

mission to hunt down immortal beings who want to enslave the

human race? I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my entire

life! What is this ‘mission’ nonsense? You’re working for Kobayashi

as a contract assassin. Why are you telling me this drivel? Perhaps

you think this is amusing, but—”

“Silence!” Billy suddenly said, but in a voice and accent totally

unlike the voice that Fugisawa heard him use before. It was not the

voice of a teenage boy. Startled, he stared at him and saw blue fire

dancing in his eyes. “Young man, you have not the faintest inkling

of what you have become involved in. If you wish to retain the

power of speech, I strongly suggest that you shut up and listen.”

Fugisawa gaped at him. “What sort of trick is this?” He glanced

at Modred incredulously. “He’s an adept, too? At his age?”

“His chronological age is fifteen, ” said Modred, “but he is also

fifty or sixty years older than myself. I’m not quite sure, exactly.

We did not really keep track too carefully, back then.”

“This is too much!” said Fugisawa, rising angrily. “I will not be

ridiculed like this! I—”

Twin bolts of blue thaumaturgic energy lanced out from Billy’s

eyes and struck Fugisawa in the chest, hurling him backward over

his chair to the floor. It felt like the blow of a sledgehammer.

Fugisawa landed on his back and his head struck painfully against

the floor. For a moment he was stunned, gasping for breath. A

small tendril of smoke rose up from his singed shirt.

“That was unnecessary, Ambrosius, ” Modred said. “Please try to

restrain yourself.”

Wyrdrune and Kira rushed over to Fugisawa and helped him up.

“Are you all right?” asked Wyrdrune with concern.

Fugisawa was too dazed to reply.

“I’d keep my mouth shut, if I were you, ” said Kira softly.

“Merlin’s got a nasty temper.”

“Merlin?” said Fugisawa weakly.

They helped him back to the table, picked up his overturned