Charon stared absentmindedly out of the window. Then she inhaled slowly as though savouring something really delicious, a thin smile passed her lips. Spade thought he saw a dark shadow pass across her face just for the smallest second, a memory of something past but he couldn't be sure. Charon bit the inside of her lip and then turned to him once more. She looked older than he ever remembered, yet still young, it was the eyes, they seemed to see something he couldn't comprehend.


"Spade, I know you and I have had our differences but I never relied on the protection of the Death family. Did you ever notice? I know Mortis has sent those dumbass dark warrior whatsits, for pities sake, I even left the front gates open for them to make it easier."


Charon took a large swig of tea from her mug.


"All this was in ruin, I made sure it was fit to live in before I came back, not through sentimentality but because it has protection other than Deaths Wind. Protection I installed years back, protection I put in when I first came to live here. Doc knew nothing about it but now I have Augustus working on it, beefing up the system with new and interesting things."


Darkspade frowned, puzzled.


"Who's Augustus?"


There was a pause as though she was deciding whether she should tell him, there was no need to lie, not exactly anyway.


"You wanted to know where I've been, well I spent 6 years in an asylum for the insane, I met Augustus there. He is very good with computers and systems, how they work and how to hack into them and with a little bit of help from me, how to use magik to create a hybrid surveillence system. Mortis' little friends will not be able to get in the house without my prior knowledge. So you see, I can't say I'm particularly bothered about them. Anyway...."


Her sentence trailed off again, then she turned quickly.


"You might want to duck slightly to your left and crouch for a couple of seconds, then stand up quickly with your right arm outstretched. Just a suggestion."


Darkspade did exactly what she asked, he ducked just as something zinged past his ear, then stretched out his right arm, catching a shadowy cloaked figure full in the chest, it evaporated as it hit the floor. Charon drummed her fingers on the mantelpiece, a slightly quizzical look on her face. She addressed someone who wasn't in the room.


"Augustus, what was that for exactly? I thought I asked you not to let any of those things in until the system was totally operational?"


Darkspade straightened himself up and dusted off his jacket, shooting a glare at Charon, she shrugged.


"Sorry. Augustus has a bit of a mischievious streak, he thought I might like to be kept on my toes, or yours to be more precise. What do you think?"

Darkspade was beginning to think she was either mad or a genius, more the first option he felt. What bothered him was how she knew exactly what the Caput Mortem would do or try to do to him, was her new hybrid system part of the prediction or did she see the things herself? Even more so why did it even bother him?