"If you're so powerful," I said, "why can't you find the Unholy Grail for yourselves? I thought nothing was hidden from you, or your bosses?"

"We cannot see it," said the first voice. "Its nature hides it."

"We cannot see it," said the second voice. "Its power hides it."

"But you can See what is hidden."

"So See for us."

"I don't work for free," I said flatly. "And if either of you could compel me, you'd have done it by now. So stop trying to bully me, and make me a proper offer."

There was a long pause, and the voices said together, "What would you want?"

"Information," I said. 'Tell me about my mother. My missing, mysterious mother. Tell me who and what and where she is."

"We cannot tell you that," said the first voice. "We only know what it is given to us to know, and some things are forbidden, even to us."

"We cannot tell you that," said the second voice. "We know only what is said in darkness, and some things are too awful, even for us."

"So essentially," I said, "you're really nothing more than glorified messenger boys, working on a need-to-know basis. Send me back. I've got work to do."

"You do not speak to us that way," said the first voice, its harmonies rising and falling. "Defy us, and there will be punishment."

I looked across at the other presences. "Are you going to let them get away with that? If I'm hurt or damaged, you risk losing the one person who can definitely find the Unholy Grail for you."

"Do not touch the mortal," the second voice said immediately.

"You do not speak to us that way!" "We speak how we will! We always have!" There was a stirring and a disturbance in the darkness, as of two great armies readying themselves for war. There were angry voices, with vicious threats and vows, and ominous intent. And it was the easiest thing in the world for me to quietly slip away from them, and drop back into my body, which waited in the doorway in the alley outside Strangefellows. It had grown cold and stiff in my brief absence, and I groaned aloud as I made myself stretch reluctant muscles and pounded my hands together to get the circulation moving again. I closed my mind down tightly, pulling all my strongest mental shields into place. You don't last long in the Nightside if you don't learn a few useful tricks to guard your mind and soul from outside attack or influence. Walk around here with an open mind, and your head will end up more crowded than the underground during rush hour.

But it did mean I wouldn't be able to use my gift again. Anytime I let down my defences long enough to See, you could bet agents from Above and Below would be waiting for a chance to grab me again. And make me an offer I wouldn't be allowed to refuse. So it looked like I was going to have to solve this case the hard way: lots of legwork, asking impertinent questions, and the occasional twisting of arms.