Titans of Chaos

I could dimly hear, in the background, Quentin's voice saying, "It's ap Cymru. Amelia's in debt tohim now. That's why they gave her such an absurd amount of money. The obligation was notactual before, because she herself never spent it. Tell her to throw away whatever it is she justbought..."

Vanity: "Did you hear Quentin?"

"Yes." I tossed the sleek black guitar into a Dumpster filled with packing material. Andimmediately: "Didn't work," I said. The obligation lines continued to lead to me, not to it. Oh well.

I picked up the guitar again. No reason to throw away a perfectly good guitar.

I said to Vanity: "Which floor are you on?"

Vanity said: "I am not in the store anymore. I led the boys into a secret elevator behind thejewelry department when I felt someone find you. I am hoping it will lead down to a seweror-Listen! Get to the docks, get to the shore. Or to the nearest body of water. I am ordering myship to go find you."

Vanity shouted over the tiny phone speaker: "Do not dare tell me you are going to lead themaway! What if we get attacked by Dr. Fell and you are not there? What if Mrs. Wren attacks you,and it is something Quentin could save you from by saying the name of a fish? We are all indanger if you are in danger! Don't you dare run off on us or be brave, or so help me God, I willnever forgive you, Amelia Armstrong Windrose!"

Quentin, in the background, softly: "Colin can find her. She still owes him a favor."

I should have run back into the store, but the fact that streamers of obligation-energy werereaching from Deimos to this area frightened me irrationally. This store was part of a trap. Vanitywas not in it, anyway.

I ran from the alley to the street. It was bright and crowded for a nighttime street, and the nightair was warm.

People were staring at me, so I slowed down to a brisk trot. Just a lady in a leather jacket andcap, out for a walk with her space-age guitar! Everything is normal!

As I continued to walk, I noticed that everything did look normal. Whatever alarm I had just setoff, it might be weeks or years before ap Cymru answered. Maybe I was safe for now.

I pulled the phone from my pocket and held it up to my ear. "Vanity! I'm in the main street in frontof the shop. There are people all around me, humans. If we're right about the gods, they will notshow themselves in front of a crowd. I am making my way West on..."

That was when I noticed the phone was dead. There was no click of disconnection, no hum of thepower shutting off, just... silence.