Knight of Shadows

«Who knows what your unusual background may fit you for as an independent agent - in light of what's going on? You may disturb the balance of the Powers. You may possess or have access to information which the principals do not wish to see bruited about the streets. You may be like the gipsy moth. Nobody could see what its effect on the environment would be when it escaped from the lab. You may-»

«Enough!» He raised a hand to silence me. «I don't care about any of those things. If they let me go and leave me alone, I'll stay out of their way.»

«I'm not the one you have to convince,» I told him.

He stared at me for a moment, then turned, describing a full circle. Darkness was all that I could see beyond the light of the roadway, but he called out in a large voice to anything, I suppose, «Do you hear me? I don't want to be involved in all this. I just want to go away. Live and let live, you know? Is that okay with you?»

I reached forward, caught hold of his wrist, and jerked him toward me. I did this because I had seen a small, ghostly replica of the Sign of the Logrus begin to take form in the air above his head. An instant later it fell, flashing like a lightning stroke, to the accompaniment of a sound like the cracking of a whip, passing through the space he had been occupying; opening a gap in the trail as it vanished.

«I guess it's not that easy to resign,» he said: He glanced overhead. «It could be readying another of those right now. It could strike again anytime, when I least expect it.»

«Just like real life,» I agreed. «But I think you may take it as a warning shot and let it go at that. They have a hard time reaching here. More important, since I was led to believe that this is my quest, do you know offhand whether you're supposed to be helping me or hindering me?»

«Now that you mention it,» he said, «I remember suddenly being where I was with a chance to race you and feeling that we'd fight or something afterward.»

«What're your feelings on that now?»

«We've never gotten along all that well. But I don't like the idea of being used like this either.»

«You willing to call a truce till I can see my way through this game and out of here?»

«What's in it for me?» he asked.

«I will find a way out of this damned place, Jurt. Come along and give me a hand - or at least don't get in the way - and I'll take you with me when I go.»

He laughed.

«I'm not sure there is a way out of here,» he said, «unless the Powers release us.»

«Then you've nothing to lose,» I told him, «and you'll probably even get to see me die trying.»

«Do you really know both kinds of magic - Pattern and Logrus?» he asked.

«Yeah. But I'm a lot better at Logrus.»

«Can you use either against its source?»

«That's a very intriguing metaphysical point, and I don't know the answer,» I said, «and I'm not sure I'll find out. It's dangerous to invoke the Powers here. So all I'm left with is a few hung spells. I don't think it's magic that'll get us out of here.»

«What, then?»

«I'm not certain. I am sure that I won't see the full picture till I get to the end of this trail, though.»

«Well, hell - I don't know. This doesn't seem the healthiest place for me to spend my time. On the other hand, what if it's the only place something like me can have an existence? What if you find me a door and I step through it and melt?»

«If the Pattern-ghosts can manifest in Shadow, I'd guess you can, too. Those of Dworkin and Oberon came to me on the outside before I came to this place.»

«That's encouraging. Would you try it if it were you?»

«You bet your life,» I said.

He snorted.

«I get the point. I'll go a ways with you and see what happens. I'm not promising to help, but I won't sabotage you.»

I held out my hand, and he shook his head.

«Let's not get carried away,» he told me. «If my word's no good without a handshake, it's no good with one, is it?»

«I guess not.»

«And I've never had a great desire to shake hands with you.»

«Sorry I asked,» I said. «Would you mind telling me why, though? I've always wondered.»

He shrugged.

«Why does there always have to be a reason?» he said.

«The alternative is irrationality,» I replied.

«Or privacy,» he responded, turning away.

I commenced walking the trail once more. Shortly Jurt fell into step beside me. We walked for a long while in silence. One day I may learn when to keep my mouth shut or to quit when I'm ahead. Same thing.