cancel the fiesta."

cancel the fiesta."

"Maybe if you could make a statement to the press," said Paul. "Call a press conference. Tell them

exactly what we're dealing with."

"And cause a panic?" Loomis said. "Have every adept in town suspected of being a killer?"

"It's already happening, Joe," said Paul. "There's nothing you can do about it. He's right. The smartest

thing to do would be to cancel the fiesta. I'll go along with you tomorrow. I'll help you convince them

how serious this is. In a situation such as this, they're not going to be unreasonable."

Loomis shook his head. "You're dreaming, Paul. You guys may know your magic, but I know people.

No, they're not going to be unreasonable, but where money is concerned, they're just not going to see it.

They'll convince themselves that we're exaggerating the threat. They're going to be afraid of lawsuits if the

fiesta's canceled and they're going to think about the loss of revenue. It's not that they'll be callous, but

they just won't want to understand."

Modred nodded. "You may be right," he said. "But I still think you should try. For the sake of your own

conscience, if for no other reason. Then at least you'll be able to tell yourself that you did everything you

could."

Loomis looked at him for a long moment. "What's going to happen, Cornwall? You know more about

this than you're telling me."

"I've told you all I know," lied Modred. "If these killings follow the same pattern as the others, and so far

they have, the situation will only continue to escalate. If you cannot succeed in canceling the fiesta, it will

turn into a nightmare, mark my words. Unless we can stop the necromancer before then. I'm going to get

some rest. If you have any sense, you'll do the same."

He turned and walked away from them.

"Cornwall!" said Loomis. "Wait, I'm not through with you!"

Modred walked several more steps, spoke a teleportation spell, and disappeared.

"Goddamn it," said Loomis angrily. He turned to Paul. "I don't know about your friend, Paul. He's not

telling us everything he knows, I'm certain of it."

Not knowing how to respond, Ramirez merely shrugged. "We're all tired, Joe," he said. "He's right, you

know. We need to get some rest."

"Rest?" said Loomis. "I've got two murdered citizens here. I've got two men dead and one more who's

badly injured. And we're no closer to getting this bastard than we were yesterday. You and I are going to

get back in that car and keep going down that list all night and I don't give a damn if we have to drag

every adept in town out of bed and grill them! And in the morning, you and I are going to get on the horn

to the Bureauand the goddamn I.T.C. and burn their ears until they send us some goddamn help!"