An hour before dawn a terrified scream awakened him. It came from the building next door, the director’s quarters. Shan pulled on his trousers and ran outside. Three men jumped from the cleanup crew truck as it skidded to a halt, their clubs ready for action. Tan’s sergeant darted out from their quarters, a pistol in his hand.

The director was on his front step, wearing pajamas that clung to his body at several damp patches. “He was here!” Ren cried out. He was near hysteria. “He brought down the skies! He found me in my own bed!”

Shan reached the director at the same moment as the sergeant, who quickly ordered his men to search the building.

“Who found you?” Shan asked. “Who brought down the skies?”

“Who do you think!” Ren’s hand trembled as he opened it to reveal several balls of blue ice. “That damned god! The demon! He made it hail on me!”

The sergeant lowered his gun. “Sir,” the soldier said, “that isn’t possible.”

“Don’t tell me it isn’t possible, you fool! I was there. The hail came pounding down on me! It hit my head!” Ren remembered and began patting his skull as if seeking an indentation. “I could have a concussion!” He seemed near paralysis. Shan twisted his wrist and Ren dumped the ice balls into his own hand. “We’ll take care of this, Director,” Shan said, then pulled Ren away from the others. He handed the director the little blue tsa tsa god that the Tibetan had given him the night before.

“I … I don’t know about these Tibetan things.” Ren stared at the blue god. He was clearly very shaken. “Some of the men speak about a hail sorcerer who kills people with ice balls.”

Shan nodded at the blue figure. “Keep this with you to let the god know you respect him,” he suggested. “And I’ll light some incense in your room to call in the protective spirits.”

The director gave an anxious nod. As he clamped the tsa tsa tightly in his fist, Ren saw that Colonel Tan was staring at him from the step of the guest quarters and nervously retreated inside, Shan a step behind.

Ren led Shan to his bedroom but stayed in the hallway as Shan stepped through the entrance. The bedding lay in a tangled heap. As Shan lifted it, over a dozen ice balls rolled onto the floor. The window at the head of the bed was slightly ajar. Shan leaned toward it to confirm that the sash could easily be lifted from the outside. On the metal sill a ball was melting.

He lit a cone of incense, assuring the director that he would be safe for now. As he left, he heard Ren ordering the sergeant to bring out his clothes. He was too scared to go into his bedroom.