the Mailman, Erythrina… and just possibly Mr. Slippery.”
“Me?” Slip tensed and sent out probes along the communications links which he perceived had created the image before him. Even though on a leash, Mr. Slippery was far more powerful than any normal warlock, and it should have been easy to measure the power of this potential opponent. But the Limey was a diffuse, almost nebulous presence. Slip couldn’t tell if he were facing an opponent in the same class as himself; in fact, he had no clear idea of the other’s strength, which was even more ominous.
The Limey didn’t seem to notice. “That’s what I thought. Now I doubt it. I wager you were used like Wiley and possibly DON — by the other combatants. And I see that now you’re in
someone’s
thrall.” His finger stabbed at the yellow-eyed frog on Mr. Slippery’s shoulder, and a sparkle of whiskey flew into the creature’s face. Virginia — or whoever was controlling the beast — didn’t know what to do, and the frog froze momentarily, then recovered its wits and emitted a pale burst of flame.
The Limey laughed. “But it’s no one very competent. The Feds is my guess. What happened? Did they sight your True Name, or did you just sell out?”
“The creature’s my familiar, Slimey. We all have our apprentices. If you really believe we’re the Feds, why did you let us in?”
The other shrugged. “Because there are enemies and enemies, Slip. Beforetime, we called the government the Great Enemy. Now I’d say they are just one in a pantheon of nasties. Those of us who survived the crash are a lot tougher, a lot less frivolous. We don’t think of this as all a wry game anymore. And we’re teaching our apprentices a lot more systematically. It’s not near so much fun. Now when we talk of traitors in the Coven, we mean real, life-and-death treachery.
“But it’s necessary. When it comes to it, if we little people don’t protect ourselves, we’re going to be eaten up by the government or… certain other creatures I fear even more.”
The frog shifted restively on Mr. Slippery’s shoulder, and he could imagine Virginia getting ready to deliver some speech on the virtue of obeying the laws of society in order to reap its protection. He reached across to pat its cold and pimply back; now was not the time for such debate.
“You had one of the straightest heads around here, Slip. Even if you aren’t one of us anymore, I don’t reckon you’re an absolute enemy: You and your … friend may have certain interests in common with us. There are things you should know about — if you don’t already. An’ p’raps there’ll be times you’ll help us similarly.”
Slip felt the Federal tether loosen. Virginia must have convinced her superiors that there was actually help to be had here. “Okay. You’re right. There was a war. The Mailman was the enemy. He lost and now we’re trying to put things back together.”
“Ah, that’s just it, old man.
I don’t think the war is over
. True, all that remains of the Mailman’s constructs are ‘craterfields’ spread through the government’s program space. But something like him is still very much alive.” He saw the disbelief in Mr. Slippery’s face. “I know, you an’ your friends are more powerful than any of us. But there are many of us — not just in the Coven — and we have learned a lot these past ten weeks. There are signs, so light an’ fickle you might call ’em atmosphere, that tell us something like the Mailman is still alive. It doesn’t quite have the texture of the Mailman, but it’s there.”
Mr. Slippery nodded. He didn’t need any special explanations of the feeling.
Damn! If I weren’t on a leash, I would have seen all this weeks ago, instead of finding it out secondhand
. He thought back to those last minutes of their descent from godhood and felt a chill. He knew what he must ask now, and he had a bad feeling about what the answer might be. Somehow he
“Me?” Slip tensed and sent out probes along the communications links which he perceived had created the image before him. Even though on a leash, Mr. Slippery was far more powerful than any normal warlock, and it should have been easy to measure the power of this potential opponent. But the Limey was a diffuse, almost nebulous presence. Slip couldn’t tell if he were facing an opponent in the same class as himself; in fact, he had no clear idea of the other’s strength, which was even more ominous.
The Limey didn’t seem to notice. “That’s what I thought. Now I doubt it. I wager you were used like Wiley and possibly DON — by the other combatants. And I see that now you’re in
someone’s
thrall.” His finger stabbed at the yellow-eyed frog on Mr. Slippery’s shoulder, and a sparkle of whiskey flew into the creature’s face. Virginia — or whoever was controlling the beast — didn’t know what to do, and the frog froze momentarily, then recovered its wits and emitted a pale burst of flame.
The Limey laughed. “But it’s no one very competent. The Feds is my guess. What happened? Did they sight your True Name, or did you just sell out?”
“The creature’s my familiar, Slimey. We all have our apprentices. If you really believe we’re the Feds, why did you let us in?”
The other shrugged. “Because there are enemies and enemies, Slip. Beforetime, we called the government the Great Enemy. Now I’d say they are just one in a pantheon of nasties. Those of us who survived the crash are a lot tougher, a lot less frivolous. We don’t think of this as all a wry game anymore. And we’re teaching our apprentices a lot more systematically. It’s not near so much fun. Now when we talk of traitors in the Coven, we mean real, life-and-death treachery.
“But it’s necessary. When it comes to it, if we little people don’t protect ourselves, we’re going to be eaten up by the government or… certain other creatures I fear even more.”
The frog shifted restively on Mr. Slippery’s shoulder, and he could imagine Virginia getting ready to deliver some speech on the virtue of obeying the laws of society in order to reap its protection. He reached across to pat its cold and pimply back; now was not the time for such debate.
“You had one of the straightest heads around here, Slip. Even if you aren’t one of us anymore, I don’t reckon you’re an absolute enemy: You and your … friend may have certain interests in common with us. There are things you should know about — if you don’t already. An’ p’raps there’ll be times you’ll help us similarly.”
Slip felt the Federal tether loosen. Virginia must have convinced her superiors that there was actually help to be had here. “Okay. You’re right. There was a war. The Mailman was the enemy. He lost and now we’re trying to put things back together.”
“Ah, that’s just it, old man.
I don’t think the war is over
. True, all that remains of the Mailman’s constructs are ‘craterfields’ spread through the government’s program space. But something like him is still very much alive.” He saw the disbelief in Mr. Slippery’s face. “I know, you an’ your friends are more powerful than any of us. But there are many of us — not just in the Coven — and we have learned a lot these past ten weeks. There are signs, so light an’ fickle you might call ’em atmosphere, that tell us something like the Mailman is still alive. It doesn’t quite have the texture of the Mailman, but it’s there.”
Mr. Slippery nodded. He didn’t need any special explanations of the feeling.
Damn! If I weren’t on a leash, I would have seen all this weeks ago, instead of finding it out secondhand
. He thought back to those last minutes of their descent from godhood and felt a chill. He knew what he must ask now, and he had a bad feeling about what the answer might be. Somehow he
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