"Joe . . ." said Paul wearily, "we're both tired. There's no point in driving ourselves—"

"Joe . . ." said Paul wearily, "we're both tired. There's no point in driving ourselves—"

Paul sighed with resignation. "Very well," he said. "I'll do whatever you ask."

Kira and Billy were already back at Paul's house by the time Modred arrived. Their spirits were low.

They had been too late. Moments too late. Ramses, flying high above them, had spotted what was

happening in the alley off San Francisco Street and descended to warn them. The unicorns had

immediately broken into a racing gallop, but they were not able to arrive in time. They had caught only a

brief glimpse of the entity as they jumped over the police car and galloped down the alley, but then it

disappeared and Merlin made haste to teleport them back to Paul's house before the police could

recover from their shock and attempt to detain them.

Modred appeared in the living room, shapechanged, and an instant later Wyrdrune stood in his place.

He slumped down into a chair, opposite the couch Kira and Billy sat on. Broom brought him a cup of

coffee. Sensing their mood, the familiar remained uncharacteristically silent and then left the room so they

could talk.

"I take it you saw," said Kira.

Wyrdrune nodded.

"We were too late," she said. "We only caught a glimpse of it before the spell dissipated and it

disappeared."

"Where'd you get the unicorns?" asked Wyrdrune.

"Gomez," Billy replied. "'E brought them. I just about lost me lunch when they leapt over that car."

"Gomez is proving to be quite resourceful," said Kira.

"He's also proving to be a problem," Wyrdrune said. "Loomis is getting complaints about animal

vigilantes running all over town." He glanced at Ramses, sitting on the coffee table, and blinked when he

saw the sculpture move. "What the hell isthat? "

"Our aerial reconnaissance," said Kira. "Ramses, maybe you'd better be getting back to your mistress."

"Can't I stay?" the enchanted sculpture said in its weird, electronic-sounding voice. "I was helpful, wasn't

I? And if I go back now, Rhiannon will lock me up in my display case and I'll never get out again. Please

let me stay and help. I won't get in the way, I promise."

Kira glanced from Billy to Wyrdrune and said, "What do you think, guys? We could use an aerial

spotter. We never would have gotten there at all tonight if it weren't for Ramses."

Wyrdrune stared at the creature with fascination. "I've never seen anything like that," he said. "It's