"The trail's got to be 'round here some-

where!"

—D. BOONE

IT was only a few hours short of sunset as we set out on

our quest, a nagging reminder of exactly how long our

efforts at physical disguise had taken. We had agreed to

avoid following Pepe as a group so as not to attract at-

tention. Instead, we moved singly or in groups of two,

using both sides of the street and deliberately walking at

different paces. The faster walkers averaged their prog-

ress with the slower by occasionally stopping to look

into shop windows, thereby keeping our group together

without actually appearing to. Tananda pointed out

that not only would this procedure lessen our chances of

being noticed, but also that it would maximize our

chances for at least some of the group's escape if one of

us should be discovered ... a truly comforting thought.

Even though Luanna had claimed to have been

watching for us at the Dispatcher's, it had been so long

ago I fully expected her scent would have long since

dissipated or at least been masked by the passage of

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MYTH-ING PERSONS 147

Robert Asprin

numerous others. As such, I was moderately surprised

when the werewolf signaled almost immediately that he

had found the trail and headed off with a determined

air. Either her scent was stronger than I had thought, or

I bad grossly underestimated Pepe's tracking ability.

The trail wound up and down the cobblestoned

streets, and we followed as quickly as we could without

abandoning our pretense of being casual strollers who

did not know each other. For a while, our group made

up the majority of the beings visible, causing me to

doubt the effectiveness of our ruse, but soon the vam-

pires began to emerge to indulge their taste for the

nightlife and we became much less obvious.

I was paired up with Chumley, but the troll was

strangely quiet as we made our way along. At first I

thought he was simply concentrating on keeping the

werewolf in sight, but as time wore on, I found the

silence somehow unnerving. I had always respected

Chumley as being one of the saner, leveler heads among

our motley assemblage, and I was starting to have an

uneasy impression that he was not wholeheartedly be-

hind this venture.

"Is there something bothering you, Chumley?" I

asked at last.

"Hmmm? Oh. Not really, Skeeve. I was just think-

ing."

"About that?"

The troll let out a small sigh.

"I was just contemplating our adversary, this Vic

fellow. You know, from what's been said, he's quite

resourceful in a devious sort of way."

That took me a little aback. So far I had considered

our vampire foe to be everything from an annoyance to

a nemesis. The idea of studying his methods had never

entered my mind.

"What leads you to that conclusion?"

The troll pursed his lips as he organized his thoughts.

"Consider what he's accomplished so far. The entire

time we've known of him, he's been on the run... first

from the Deveels, and then from Aahz, who's no slouch

'Sti^wnn.ing people once he sets his mind to it. Now,

assuming for the moment that Vic is actually the brains

of the group, he was quick enough to take advantage of

being left alone in your waiting room to escape out the

back door. He couldn't have planned that in advance,

even knowing about the door. He probably had some

other plan in mind, and formulated this new course of

action on the spot."

We paused for a moment to let a small group of vam-

pires cross the intersection in front of us.

"Now, that would have sufficed for an escape in most

instances, but they happened to pick an exit route that

left you and Aahz responsible, which set your partner

on their trail," Chumley continued. "With nothing to

go on but your reputations. Vic not only correctly

deduced that he would be followed, but he also man-

aged to spot Aahz's weakness and exploit it to frame

him and make it stick... again, not the easiest task,

particularly realizing it involved convincing and coach-

ing his two accomplices in their roles."

All of this was doing nothing for my peace of mind. I

was having enough difficulty forcing myself to believe

that we were really hunting a vampire, the sort of crea-

ture 1 normally avoid at all costs, without having to deal

with the possibility that he was shrewd and resourceful

as well. Still, I had learned that ignoring unpleasant

elements of a caper was perhaps the worst way to pre-

pare for them.

"Keep going," I urged.

"Well," the troll sighed, "when you stumbled on his

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Robert Asprin

hiding place at the Woof Writers, he didn't panic. He

waited to hear as much of your plans as possible, all the

while taking advantage of the opportunity to assess you

first-hand, then timed his escape so as to catch you all

flat-footed."

I digested this distasteful addition to the rapidly

growing data file. "Do you really think he was sizing me

up?"

"There's no doubt in my mind. Not only was he

gauging your skills and determination, he was successful

enough at second-guessing you, based on the results of

his studies, to be waiting to sound the alarm when you

busted Aahz out of jail. ... a particularly bold move

when one realizes that he was running the risk of being

recognized, which would have blown his frame-up of

your partner."

"Bold or desperate," I said thoughtfully. "That's

probably why he waited until we had actually sprung

Aahz and were on the way down before he blew the

whistle. If we had gotten away unscathed, then the

frame would be useless, so at that point he really wasn't

risking anything."

"Have it your way," the troll shrugged. "The final

analysis remains that we have one tough nut to crack.

One can only wonder what he will do when we catch up

with him this time."

"If he's performing up to par, it could be rough on

us."

Chumley shot me a sidelong glance.

"Actually, I was thinking it could be rough on your

lady fair ... if he has managed to observe the feelings

you have for her."

I started to protest, then the impact of his theory hit

me and my embarrassment gave way to concern.

"Is it really that apparent? Do you think he could

MYTH-ING PERSONS 149

spot it? If so, he might already have done something to

Luanna for having contacted us."

"It stands out all over you to anyone who knows

you," Chumley said, shaking his head. "As for some-

one watching you for the first time ... I just don't

know. He'd be more likely to deduce it from the in-

formation you had... such as his name. That kind of

data had to come from somewhere, though there's an

outside chance that with your current reputation he'll

assume that you gleaned it by some magical source."

I barely heard him. My mind was focused on the

possibility that Luanna might be hurt, and that I might

indirectly have been the cause. A black well of guilt was

rising up to swallow me, when I felt a hand on my

shoulder.

"Don't tune out now, Skeeve," Chumley was saying,

shaking me slightly. "First of all, we're going to need

you shortly. Secondly, even if Vic's figured out that

you're in love with her, I don't think he'll have hurt her.

If anything, he'll save her for a trump card to use

against us."

I drew a deep ragged breath.

"... and he'll be just the bastard to do it, too," I

said. "I don't know what I'll be able to do, for us or for

her, but I'll be ready to try. Thanks, Chumley."

The troll was studying me closely.

"Actually, I wasn't thinking that he was such a

blighter," he said. "More like a clever, resourceful per-

son who's gotten in over his head and is trying his best

to ad-lib his way out. Frankly, Skeeve old boy, in many

ways he reminds me of you. You might think about that

when attempting to appraise his likely courses of action

and how to counter them."

I tried again to weigh what he was saying, but all I

could think about was what the consequences of this

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Robert Asprin

hunt could mean to Luanna. It was difficult enough for

me to accept that we would have to force Luanna and

her cohorts to answer to the authorities for their in-

discretions, but the thought of placing her in physical

danger was unbearable.

I looked around for Aahz, fully intending to put an

end to this hunt once and for all. To my surprise, the

rest of the group was assembled on the corner ahead,

and my partner was beckoning us to join them.

"What's going on?" I asked, almost to myself.

"Just off-hand," Chumley replied, "I'd say we've

reached our destination."

A cold wave of fear washed over me, and I hurried to

the rendezvous with Chumley close behind.

"We're in luck," Aahz announced as I arrived.

"Guido here says he saw Vic entering the building just

as we got here. It's my guess they're all inside right

now."

"Aahz, I—I want us to quit right now," I blurted,

painfully aware of how weak it sounded.

"Oh?" my partner said, cocking an eyebrow at me.

. "Any particular reason?"

I licked my lips, feeling the eyes of the whole group

on me.

"Only one. I'm in love with one of the fugitives...

the girl."

"Yeah. Now tell me something I didn't know," Aahz

smirked, winking at me.

"You knew?"

"All of us knew. In fact, we were just discussing it.

Remember, we all know you... and me probably best