Page 39 of Explosive Chemistry

“Yes, but without his sword, the assassins will kill him instead, and Doctor Nudd, too, since he will try to help Pete protect Lou Willoughby, assuming he survives that long.”

“Okay, that all sounds plausible, although I’m not sure why assassins would be after Lou, or why Pete would need his sword when he has his gun and his knives.”

“His gun and knives will not work. He must have the sword, or he will die.”

“So why won’t he have it?”

“Someone will steal it very soon.”

“Who?”

Liliana considered. She knew who would steal the sword, the water wizard, William Eliot, but it was a secret, and telling would put Alexander Bennet in a bad light with Pete. “It doesn’t matter who will steal it.” Ben did not believe that she could see the future and was just humoring her, so if she told him, he probably would not believe her anyway. “What is important is that you must give me the sword to keep it safe, so that I can make sure Pete has it when he needs it. And also, you must not tell Pete, or anyone else.”

“What am I supposed to say if Pete asks me where his sword went? His mother gave him that sword.”

“I will take the sword. If anyone asks, tell them the sword was stolen. I will steal it.”

“But you’ll give it back?” Ben asked.

Liliana nodded. “I’ll give it to Pete when he needs it most.”

The teacher shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This all assumes that you can actually see the future. You really believe that you can, don’t you?”

“I am not a charlatan. I see what other people cannot. I saw that you would refuse Pete’s proposal.”

“Okay. You’re sincere, obviously very intuitive, and Pete doesn’t think you’re crazy, but I’m still not comfortable handing over a family heirloom without telling Pete, based on some dream or feeling you had.”

Liliana tried to consider what she had said from a normal human’s point of view and could not see any way to convince Ben Harper.

Pete would die if she could not. She knew that Ben Harper would be as heartbroken as Liliana would be when that happened, if not more so.

Oh. That is the important thing.

“Pete will die if I do not do this.”

Ben’s smile was again the condescending smile of an older person amused by the naivete of someone younger. “But I don’t believe that’s true, Lilly. I understand that you believe it, but…” he shrugged.

“You are a man of science. There are two possible outcomes here. Either I am wrong and Pete will be fine, or I am right and Pete will die if I don’t take the sword. If you do not give me the sword, you are betting Pete’s life that I could not possibly be right.”

Ben’s condescending smile gained an edge of fear.

“As an experiment, permit me to steal the sword. If nothing happens, then I will return it in one year and admit that I was wrong, and that I cannot see the future. Pete will have his sword back, and your hypothesis will be proven. No harm will come to anyone.”

“And if you’re right?”

“Then I will give Pete the sword when he needs it, and he will not die.”

Ben drained his cup, set it down on the coffee table, and stood. “He keeps the sword under the bed when it’s not in his van. I’ll pull it out this evening, and ‘accidentally’ leave it in the gazebo under the picnic table.” He winked at her. “It would be a shame if it got stolen.”

Liliana smiled and finished her tea.

Chapter 11

The Cyber-Fae And The Room-Bot

Liliana practiced with Pete, Siobhan, and Doctor Nudd every day that they could spare the time. Pete’s schedule was as busy as Doctor Nudd’s, between his work in the biochem lab on base and spending valuable time with his beloved teacher, not to mention trying to track down a new murderer. They had all stopped Spearfinger just in time for a new killer to start leaving pieces of his victims torn limb from limb hanging from tree branches. Detective Jackson had not wasted any time bringing in Pete and Sergeant Giovanni since it was clear no Normal had done that. But they had not yet discovered who the culprit was.

And there had been no new leads as to who might have killed the two women found buried in the forest.

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