The Don held Brick's gun aloft. The gun shot to Gwendolyn's head had been avoided by the quick handed pity of the Tatterfox. The Inspector was not happy.

'Fox? What the hell.'

'It's not the way. Not our way.'

'Not our way. We just killed over a dozen kids just trying to get in here. Why? Just so you can save this bitch?'

The Baroness smiled. 'Even now, that little Jeppa boy is trying to save me. How quaint.'

The Don closed his eyes. 'It's called compassion my dear. Something you left on the shelf a long time ago.'

'That's what one does with outdated concepts. You should have left the Inspector to finish the job, Tatterfox.'

'Well, we academics are romantics at heart dear woman. We didn't want you to feel like we weren't doing our job properly.'

The Don let go of the Krazzi's arm and stepped back.

'And what is your job precisely, sweet Don?'

'I am to take you into custody, mam. Where you will be placed in Reverie by Heironymous Xindii. It's in this state where Xindii will intend to face and confront the creature that exists in you and stem its influence upon yourself and the world.'

'Seems such a gargantuan task for such a little man.'

'You should have more faith in him, Baroness. You were friends once, was that not for naught?'

Gwendolyn started to step back 'Friendship can be severely misplaced my sweet, Don.'

'But guilt isn't Gwendolyn.'

'Guilt?'

'He blames himself for your downfall. Blames himself for what befell you. You were just children, working for a madman. It wasn't your fault, and neither was your torment.'

She smiled. 'I see what you are trying to do. But it won't work. Tyke is long gone. Your soulful prodding will not unleash her. Her soul was fodder years ago. Meat for the flea.'

'I don't believe that.'

'Then you are a fool, sweet fox. You should have left the Inspector to pull the trigger.'

'Not too late,' the Krazzi interjected.

'Oh it is, Inspector. Far, far too late.'

The Don studied her. 'What have you done?'

She just smiled and stepped back a little.

Brick was the first to hear the footsteps. 'More guards?'

The Commodore and Grendal appeared from the first alcove while half a dozen more maids glided into the temple, guns raised, committed.

'Sir? You ok?' Brick asked.

No response.

'Commodore?'

Grendal stepped into the middle, facilitating, 'I'm afraid the good Commodore isn't really himself at the moment.'

'What have you done?'

The Don leaned in close to Brick. 'It's not him, Inspector. He's been taken over. A flea no doubt.'

'They put a bug in the old man's head? Why?'

Grendal rubbed his hands. 'Because we can you silly old thing. It's the perfect recruitment drive. The head of the Brentish Watch and his unruly detective and the prize jewel the Don of Varosium.'

'And Xindii?' Asked The Don.

'Oh, he will be long dead by now. He would only prove troublesome we think.'

'So this was your plan? A plan within our plan?'

'Precisely, a chance to put all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.'

'Uh-huh. Well the trouble with all your eggs in one basket is if you shake it they will crack.'

Grendal laughed. 'Now whats that supposed to mean?'

'This,' remarked the Krazzi as he quickly shot a round at Odatt's head. He missed, the bullet deflected by a rupture in the ether, Brick saw it, momentarily a shifting of the light as metal met metal and the bullet lodged itself in a column of marble, faint shards exploding outward. The Inspector met the Don's gaze, moss-brows and whiskers raised. The Tatterfox raised his hand, dubiously.

'That's one hell of a security system you got there,' remarked Brick.

The Don had noticed Gwendolyn retreating into the shadows until the point where it submerged her fully and only shadow spoke. 'Silly boys. Now he's angry . . . '

'Who?' demanded Brick.

'. . . My son.'

The Krazzi looked at the concern on The Don's face. 'Fox? What?'

'Twelve o'clock, Brick. There's a twin!'

The Krazzi spun on his heels and fired a flurry at the maids behind, they fell down in unison. Red-stained aprons gave way to blood-ridden steps. The ether ruptured again and it tossed Brick across the smooth floor.

The Commodore raised his gun at the Tatterfox and fired but the old law man was too late. The Don had dived into the dark which the Baroness had slinked into. The Commodore followed and the fat frame of Odatt watched from the columns, hiding; smiling, as the invisible twin pounded the Krazzi into the floor.

Brick fought back as best he could, but the blows were simultaneous, strong and precise. He kicked out with his legs and caught what could possibly be a chest. It gained him respite, if only for a few seconds and then the second barrage began. First to his face and then the stomach, a relentless tirade of brutality and then he heard the gunshot and saw the faint spray of blood which tailed through the air. The violence stopped and Brick saw the Tatterfox standing with a gun to the Baroness's head.

'Now, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news my man but as you can see I have a gun to your mother's head. Or lover's. This is a democracy afterall.'

'You won't do it, fox. You are a learned gentleman. An academic. You wanted my mother alive. I heard you say it.'

The Don smiled. 'So I did but that won't stop me shooting anyone else.'

'You are a good man dear fox. A scientist. A man of ethics and discretion. Murder is not your milk-'

The Don fired a bullet square into Odatt's stomach and he keeled over. The skin of his flesh not the only thing ruptured as the queen shrieked and irked in his bloodied gut. The Commodore staggered too, the infant flea inside his skull sensing the queen's distress. 'Sorry Commodore,' he said and then proceeded to fire another bullet into the Commodore's head. The old law man, or what remained of him fell to the floor in an instant. The air surrounding Brick was quiet.

'Enough of the semantics, Hadigan. If that is what you are calling yourself. Show yourself or your mother will be sporting a severe limp for the rest of her life.'

The voice came first, agitated by the display of sheer hatred and violence. The card it had played not withstanding but in awe of the hand that had been played against him.

'That was a mistake, Don. I hope you have a sincere apology.'

'I'll call Mrs Tibbet in the morning to send you a written one. Her vocabulary is beautifully verbose.'

The twin revealed himself, the ether seemed to shimmer as Hadigan pulled himself into view. A carbon copy of his brother, clad in black rags and leather. The crown of bone sprouting from the scalp.

'So who came first? Hadigan or Hadigan?' asked The Don jokingly.

'It's no concern of yours, fox.'

'I just want the data appropriate for the coroner, if that isn't too much to ask?'

The Don could see a faint smile pass over the Krazzi's face.

'I will kill you where you stand. Don of Varosium. You have no chance of escape. No hope of rescue. Even now my brother puts your Mapper to death.'

'That may be but I'm still putting your mother in Reverie, Hadigan.'

'Is that so? And how do you intend to do that from beyond the grave? Your number will be cold by the time the Auditors come to collect your soul.'

'I'm a great believer in my own gospel. Perhaps you would like to read it?'

'God? Papaal? The Probability Engine? They will not save you now my poor deluded friend.'

The Don smiled. 'Oh how I love the young. So beautifully naive.'

'Then come, dear Tatterfox. The most learned man in the world. Best me.'

The Don smiled.