"Is there a cigarette machine around here?" Lucky asked.
     "End of the hall," Winters told her. "Who are these guys?"
     "Aside from being damn tough? We're not quite sure," I told her.
     "Chinese criminal separatists," Scott piped up.
     "We should return to headquarters, look through the computer file," was Hans' suggestion.
     "Do you think the clay thing will try to attack Mr. Farrrkhan again?" Scott inquired.
     "And by the way, where is Mr. Farrakhan?" I added. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the rest of the day protecting him, but if it needed to be done....
     "He's been hustled out of the city."
     "Good. I'm sure this has done even more to improve his attitude toward the world."
     "Can I use your phone?" Lucky asked. She called Chandler, had what sounded like an inconclusive conversation.

[Perspective switch: Lucky]

     I was hoping to find out if the golem's activities showed any pattern that might determine its usual range and possible home territory; this would be easiest with the computers out at base. And we were all exhausted. Some time at home would do us good. Winters gave orders to have the wizard moved out to a more secure location.
     "He's got illusion powers and light control," I chimed in. "Keep an eye on him."
     "It would probably be best to bind his hands, eyes, and mouth," Hans suggested gravely.
     "That's a little harsh," Scott opined. Hans muttered something about it being war.
     "Back to base, then. Lucky, you coming?"
     "After I go buy a bike." She'd left hers in Chinatown, where it had been claimed by a new owner some time last night.
     I blinked at her. That was just that little bit too much. "Well, I'm glad to see you've got your priorities in order. See you later." I turned and left.
     "Excuse me...."
     I was already out the door. After a few moments the others emerged as well, and the three of us headed back to base. Nobody talked much.
     We found the door shattered, the entryway a shambles.
     "Albert?" I called, forcing myself back to full alert.
     "Dr. Scott?" Scott inquired, moving out in front of me.
     Albert lay in the front hall, unconscious, his cane nearby. He didn't seem badly wounded; I started trying to bring him around. Scott made a beeline for the lab and his father. Jeffrey was curled into a corner, a device clutched in one hand; he let out a brief cry, startled by Scott's sudden appearance. The android reached out liquid arms to help him back to his chair as Hans and I entered the room.
     "I was right, somebody technically modified the missing—you. It was just here on base." He looked pretty shaken, but didn't seem hurt.
     "Where?"
     "It's gone now, it came and attacked, it was looking for Lucky, apparently."
     Lucky? "Did it say why?" I asked.
     "I heard a crash downstairs, I looked over the railing, this thing had just knocked Albert unconscious. I rolled back here and grabbed something I've been cobbling together to try and shut it down. It held it off. Langstrom built a weapons system into it."
     "Well of course he did," I smiled madly. "What else would he do?"
     "At least it can't shift as much," Scott noted.
     "I don't think it can go gaseous," Dr. Scott agreed. "But it's got their antigravity devices built into it."
     "It's looking for Lucky, and she's not here... and she doesn't have her phone," I realized out loud. Shit.
     "By the way," Scott spoke up. "You don't suppose that this Chandler person could be useful in dealing with the Chinese wizard person, do you?"
     "He might be a good person to ask for advice in this situation, he does have a certain level of mystical knowledge. We might want to give him a call."
     Albert regained consciousness and started talking in French, then switched to English at our urging.
     "It was..."
     "Big, silver and ugly?" I supplied.
     "No, it was a person, except that my powers wouldn't work against it. Those—those inane youths—"
     We exchanged puzzled glances.
     "The ones, in the winter, I read the files—"
     "The Blood Boards?" my voice scaled up incredulously.
     "Yes."
     "O-kaay."
     "Except it was just an illusion, around the body."
     "OK, it was an illusion of one of the Blood Boards. What knocked you out?"
     "I tried to control this thing and I couldn't, any more than I could do something to monsieur l'automaton. And all of the sudden it wasn't a person any more, it stretched over and struck me. The indignity of it!"
     "You don't want to know about indignity today," I muttered. "Shit."
     "When did they leave?" Hans asked.

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