'I think it was when I was lying in bed one Hogswatchnight, sir.'

     My  gods, thought Downey, and to  think  that I just used to listen for sleigh bells.

     'My word,' he said aloud.

     'I may have to check some details,  sir.  I'd appreciate access to some of the books in the  Dark Library. But, yes,  I think I  can  see the  basic shape.'

     'And  yet  ...  this  person  ...  some  people might  say that  he  is technically immortal.'

     Everyone has their weak point, sir.'

     Even Death?'

     'Oh, yes. Absolutely. Very much so.'

     'Really?'

     Downey drummed his fingers on the desk again. The boy couldn't possibly have a real plan, he told himself. He certainly  had a skewed mind - skewed? It was a positive helix - but the Fat Man wasn't just another target in some mansion somewhere. It was reasonable to assume that people had tried to trap him before.

     He felt happy about this.  Teatime would fail, and possibly  even  fail fatally if his plan was  stupid enough.  And  maybe the Guild would lose the gold, but maybe not.

     'Very well,' he said. 'I don't need to know what your plan is.'

     'That's just as well, sir.'

     'What do you mean?'

     'Because  I  don't propose  to  tell  you,  sir.  You'd  be obliged  to disapprove of it.'

     'I am amazed that you are so confident that it can work, Teatime.'

     'I  just think logically about the  problem,  sir,' said  the  boy.  He sounded reproachful.

     'Logically?' said Downey.

     'I  suppose  I just  see  things differently from  other  people,' said Teatime.

     It  was  a quiet day for Susan, although  on the way to the park Gawain trod on a crack in the pavement. On purpose.

     One  of the many terrors conjured  up by the previous governess's happy way with children had been the bears that waited around in the street to eat you if you stood on the cracks.