Death of an Adept

A shining portal manifested itself before him, its panels iridescent as pearl. Above and beyond it, Adam could sense the towering presence of a great temple not made by human hands. Gathering his intent about him like a garment, he set his outward aspect on this plane in the guise of a supplicant priest, approaching bareheaded and barefooted to the foot of the great portal, where he pronounced the Word that would gain him entrance.

His utterance reverberated throughout the sanctum. As the echoes subsided, the portal swung open. Beyond the threshold lay an aery vault so vast that its proportions could only be guessed. Near at hand, however, beneath a soaring canopy of arches whose depths receded into infinity, a scintillating pillar of rainbow radiance took visible form: the astral emanation of the powerful intellectual Presence that Adam had come to recognize as the Master.

He bowed low in token of profound respect. As he did so, he was greeted by a voice in which many musical textures were combined in a single melodic strand.

The enemy hides in Shadow, Master of the Hunt. Therefore, be as wise as a serpent, having seen the face of the Adversary.

Adam lifted his head, surprised by the directness of the warning - and chilled by the confirmation that it was, indeed, Raeburn who had been responsible for the kidnap attempt just foiled.

"It is of another that I came seeking counsel, Master," he said. "The Hunt has taken up the scent, but into our protection has come a Hunt Follower who could be more."

The Hunter must know himself as he seeks to know his quarry, swift to discern where weakness lies. Being wise, he will not set forth on the scent without first making provision against the storm.

Any companion who follows him must go armed against the perils that lurk in the shadows. But if the Follower's heart is set upon the Chase, then the Hunt itself will prove him.

The rainbow pillar swirled to engulf Adam in a timeless instant of benison, then dissolved away. Bowing, Adam gave wordless thanks for the guidance offered, then withdrew to settle back into his body with a sigh. As he stirred, Peregrine sat forward eagerly, hurrying to lay a fresh log on the fire when Adam shivered and hugged his arms close to his chest, rubbing his upper arms.

"How did you make out?" Peregrine asked. "Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

Adam gave a blink and ran a hand over the back of his neck. "As much a warning as any guidance, I think. It does appear we're dead-on regarding Raeburn. As you're probably coming to realize, however, such guidance as we receive from the Inner Planes can be frustratingly oblique. If we hope to profit by it, we have to be prepared to work for the meaning. Give me a minute while I see how much I can sort into concrete terms at short notice."

Peregrine subsided. Sitting forward to stretch out his hands to the warmth of the fire, Adam bent his gaze upon the leaping flames while he reviewed the Master's instruction from beginning to end. The warning about Raeburn seemed clear. The Biblical reference to serpents and the next two lines likewise had the vaguely ominous ring of a personal caution as well as sage advice for any would-be newcomer. But the rest seemed to offer guarded assent for Harry Nimmo to try his hand at the Hunt.

"I'm going to have to give this further thought," Adam said, looking up at Peregrine and sitting back in his chair. "Perhaps it's simply too soon to receive an active mandate for Harry to join us. But I've no impression that we should discourage him, either. The gist of what seems applicable to him simply warns that any prospective candidate must be made aware of the risks involved, and must be equipped to look after his own safety."

Peregrine glanced over at the sleeping Harry.

"He does still require some looking-after, doesn't he?" he murmured. "He's certainly game, though - and he's already helped us out more than once, in an auxiliary capacity. I don't know him nearly as well as Noel does, of course, but he certainly doesn't strike me as a man inclined to run away from danger. If you were to offer him the opportunity to serve on the front line, I don't think he'd turn you down."