The avatars would know about the fiesta, of course, and that was when they would expect him to make

his move against them. That was when they would be especially on their guard, for having failed to stop

him before the start of the fiesta, they would be together, alert for the first emanations of an immensely

powerful spell being cast. The trace emanations from such a spell would immediately give him away and if

he could not complete the spell in time, turning its full force against them, he would be destroyed, as the

others had been.

The avatars would know about the fiesta, of course, and that was when they would expect him to make

his move against them. That was when they would be especially on their guard, for having failed to stop

him before the start of the fiesta, they would be together, alert for the first emanations of an immensely

powerful spell being cast. The trace emanations from such a spell would immediately give him away and if

he could not complete the spell in time, turning its full force against them, he would be destroyed, as the

others had been.

Instead of going back at once to see Megan Leary, Loomis went up to the squad room for a couple of

jelly doughnuts and a cup of coffee, which he brought down to his small office. Then he called the desk

sergeant and asked him to send someone in to tell Agent Leary that he was waiting for her in his office.

As soon as he hung up the phone, he took out the only other chair in the office besides his own, so that

she would be forced to stand. When she came storming into his office several moments later, Loomis

was seated at his desk with his feet up, calmly having breakfast.

"Mister," she said, her face white with fury, "I am going to have your badge for what you just did in

there."

He picked up a napkin and wiped some powdered sugar from his fingers. Then he reached into his

pocket, took out the slim wallet containing his badge and ID, and casually tossed it on the desk.

"There it is," he said. "This job's got lousy hours, anyway. When the commissioner and the mayor and

the city council members call to find out how we're coming on the case, you can tell 'em that you took it

on yourself to relieve me of my job. Me, I'm not gonna argue, but I'm sure they'll want to know where

you got the authority."

"Very funny," she said. "I'll also be sure to tell them that you released a suspect who was caught

red-handed breaking into a Bureau field office, and who compromised the security of the entire Bureau

operation on this case."

"A case the Bureau took its sweet time getting around to," Loomis said, calmly chewing on his doughnut.