"No," she said.

"No," she said.

"You actually encountered a murderer that way?" asked Kira.

"No," said Paul. "A young woman I was once very much attracted to." He made a small snorting sound.

"I wanted to get to know her better." He glanced at Merlin. "So I took one of those shortcuts you

warned me against. I wanted to know her heart's desire, so that I could give it to her if it was within my

power. And I found out, to my chagrin. I have not used my so-called 'gift' since that day. Until just

recently, when that girl was murdered. Fortunately, I have not encountered anything quite so disturbing as

the secret heart of that young woman, but I've discovered that some friends of mine have some rather

unattractive skeletons hidden in their closets."

"Then it's just as well that you didn't encounter the necromancer," Wyrdrune said. "Contact with the

mind of a Dark One would probably drive you mad. Assuming you survived it."

"Well, at least it's a relief to know that none of my colleagues are responsible for this savage crime," said

Paul.

"Unfortunately, wedon't know that," Wyrdrune said. "It's entirely possible that the necromancer isnot a

Dark One, but a human adept who has become seduced by necromancy. It's been known to happen. Or

it could be a Dark One who's masquerading as a human, in which case thereis a possibility that it is

someone you know."

Paul looked at him with alarm. "I hadn't thought of that. But then that would mean we can eliminate

anyone I've known for longer than, what? How long has it been since the Dark Ones have escaped the

pit?"

"A little over three years," Wyrdrune replied, "but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. The Dark

Ones are clever. Consider the possibility that one of them could have killed someone you've known for

years and assumed his identity."

Paul moistened his lips and took a deep breath, exhaling heavily. "I can see it was an understatement

when I told Joe Loomis that I wasn't qualified for something like this. I suppose I'm just not used to

thinking that way. I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help to you."