. As he continued through the woods, his passive sense kept him informed on the positions of everyone. He could feel the gathering of humanity at the camp, and the cluster that was the beasts facing Simkit. They had remained stationary, but one of the aerial subunits had flown off in a straight line, suggesting a purpose other than patrol. …

Jack He stared at the centauress for several seconds before answering. He still couldn’t tell if this was some self-sacrificing maneuver on her part or a wise strategy. There was no way for him to force her to come with him, though, so his only choices were to refuse to leave her or go along with her plan. Simkit was …

. She had two priorities. Three, if she counted her personal survival, but she chose to place two priorities above that. Above all, she needed to insure the safety of the three aristocrats in the party and of her junior disciple Meadhbh. Next priority, she needed to insure the safety of the Earther whom Husband had entrusted to her. Husband …

. Before Jack had a chance to respond, a burst of flux energies blasted forth through the underbrush. Simkit jumped to one side, throwing out a water-like shield similar to the screen he had seen Rogan use to block his bullets, but it and Simkit were blown hard sideways by the impact as it hit on an angle. Jack found …

. He could see it clearly in his memory, the vision of his dream ‘mother’, upon encountering dangerous creatures or sometimes dangerous people, creating balls of flame just like what he was imaging now, then throwing them or firing them forth as if delivering a punch. He had once thought, in his waking hours, that his subconscious had a really …

. Jack worked on the exercise while reflecting on how strange for him to be doing something like this. Never mind his life-long grudging reliance on the sixth sense that had now turned out to be real. He had never really accepted the idea of magic, or whatever these people insisted on calling it. These ‘flux arts’ would have been …

. Joanna chose her opening words carefully. “We couldn’t defeat them in an even fight, but I thought we might still get the rock back with a surprise attack.” After waiting for a moment, with Benjamin still making no comment, she went on. “But somehow, the cop had already merged with the rock, and he had already learned how to …

Joanna The stone wall felt cold on the moist skin of her back as she sat on the mattress, but she didn’t have the energy to put her clothes back on yet. Thank god he let me have sheets and a blanket, she thought with a hidden scowl. What would it cost him to bring me a box spring and …

. The guardsman clumsily dismounted– he was improving, but still terrible at it– and she turned herself to face him. She slung her rifle and stated, “Extend your right hand.” He did so, watching her as if expecting an explanation. She was not yet ready to give it. She took his hand, which he had held out as if for …

. The alien on her back unnerved her. She was fighting disruptive inner demons in order to maintain her arts in good order. This place, this alien world, this forest populated by nightmare beasts, was not a good place for holding such an inner conflict. It wasn’t the fact that he was riding her. Other Thamad would be appalled at …