Titans of Chaos

But it is going to be hard to stay hidden if you are posing for Sudsy-Fun Soap and for Shine-RiteTooth Grease, appearing in rock videos and on billboards or something. And Quentin has a goodpoint. I mean, let's suppose you are there eating brunch at the Brown Derby with Elizabeth Taylorand Cindy Crawford and Cecil B. DeMille, and a blood-drinking vampiress with no eyes comes into kill you. See the problem?"

Vanity surprised me. She is smarter than she sometimes acts. Her response was, "This is not aproblem of how to get free or stay safe. This is a problem of how to find out how they are findingus. Mavors expects Lamia to find us. How? Mavors expects to find out she has found us, andfurther expects to find out who is sending her. How? You said Grendel's mother followed somesort of trail or signal left by the wedding dress. Did Lamia put anything on Quentin or in hisbloodstream that would enable her to track him down? Let's find out how they are finding us."

I smiled. "A capital suggestion! But you cannot sense Mavors being aware of us, can you?"

She said, "Boggin is aware of where you are. Right now. He knows."

It wasn't news to me; I had been expecting it. On the other hand, it did not make me happy, either.

Vanity said, "I felt the moment in time when Mavors became aware of you. It was when you werealone with Grendel's mother."

I said, "When I was threatened with death. The object his curse is meant to protect us against."

Quentin said softly, "Call it a decree. A declaration. The word 'curse' implies malice; theOlympians can decree any number of things."

Colin made a gargling sort of sigh, something like the sound of a man preparing to spit. "Comeon! The Olympians have to have a weak spot! There has got to be some limit to their power,something beyond their range."

I turned to him. "Like what?"

He said, "I don't know. But why didn't Mavors just 'decree' that the guy sending Lamia wouldwrite out a confession and then have a heart attack and die?"

Victor said, "The person who sent Lamia could also be an Olympian. They must be immune toeach other's powers or, at least, able to resist."