Where Angels Fear by Rebecca Levene

Author:Rebecca Levene [Levene, Rebecca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction, Media Tie-In, High Tech, Fantasy, Summerfield; Bernice Surprise (Fictitious Character), Travel
ISBN: 9780426205302
Google: yJcHAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0426205308
Publisher: Virgin Pub.
Published: 1998-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

There were twelve of them. Thirteen, if you counted Emile,

and Emile rather thought that whoever was counting did.

They barely fitted inside the room, let alone around the

perimeter of the chalk circle which Adnan had drawn on

Emile‟s floor soon after he arrived.

The room was lit by candlelight, naturally, and was filled

with a steady monotonous burn as the gathered students

muttered their incantations. Emile, as a novice, had been

spared the duty of joining in. Instead he‟d watched as Adnan

read aloud from the massive leather-bound book he‟d brought

with him. It looked like a prop from a comedy horror film, but

Adnan treated it with careful reverence. No one else was allowed

to touch it.

It should all have seemed very silly indeed. And it certainly

would have done, if only it hadn‟t been working.

Emile stared mesmerized at the image which had formed in

the centre of the chalk circle. The others seemed less

fascinated than him. They‟d probably seen it all before,

although Emile couldn‟t believe he was seeing it even once.

He wasn‟t quite sure what it was; it was still fuzzy, like a

badly tuned holo-screen. He‟d thought at first that this was

precisely what it was, but now he was positive that it wasn‟t.

There was a feeling, something in the air, like undischarged

static electricity, just waiting to give someone the greatest shock

of their life. Magic, Emile thought, rolling the absurd word round

on his tongue.

As he watched, fascinated, the image gradually cleared.

Emile blinked. Then he blinked again, but the newly sharp

image remained the same. It was a tiny imp.

There were shocked gasps from many of the gathered cultists,

and Emile guessed that this level of success was a bit of a

novelty for them. He wondered if they‟d ever actually got past

the badly tuned holo-screen stage before.

The imp smiled round at the surrounding students. Emile

realized that it was wearing a little green hat set at a jaunty.

angle.

Adnan grinned triumphantly at Emile. „Yes,‟ he hissed. „I

knew that the thirteenth person would be the key.‟

„I can‟t believe it,‟ said one of the other students, a sallow,

stooped Oolian. Most of the rest seemed too shellshocked to

speak.

„You‟d better believe it, buddy,‟ the imp said, in a high-pitched

but still rather menacing voice. Emile jerked in shock. Several

of the other cultists had actually backed against the door.

Only Adnan seemed unperturbed, still radiating pleasure at

the success of his experiment. „Greetings,‟ he intoned, in the

kind of voice Emile imagined he‟d heard used in holos of similar

events.

„Yeah, yeah,‟ the imp said. „What d‟ya want?‟

Adnan frowned. „Oh, I don‟t think I shall be asking you for

anything in particular,‟ he said in his normal voice. „We‟re

just trying things out.‟

The imp hopped from foot to foot. „I‟m a busy guy,‟ he said.

„Any chance of freeing me up to see people who did summon

me for a good reason?‟

Adnan flushed. There were some muffled giggles from the

other students, several of whom had overcome their fear

sufficiently to gather round the tiny, impossible apparition.

„Of course, you‟re free to -‟ he said.

„No, wait a moment,‟ Emile said. Every eye in the room

instantly swivelled to watch him. He shrank into himself but

persevered. „You can tell us things, right?‟ he asked the imp.

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