Wolf took a deep breath. Okay, he could do this. The landscape might look bare on the screen, but in front of him it wasn’t so bad. His trained warrior’s eyes scanned for water, for animal tracks leading to water (animal tracks always led to a source of fresh water if you followed them for long enough), for landmarks he could use to navigate, for enemies and for sources of food or material he could use to construct a shelter. Flowers often pointed south, he’d once read. But of course Wolf didn’t yet know where he was and therefore in which direction he was supposed to go. And there were no flowers.

He looked again at the yellow object in his hand. If he pressed a button on the side, he got a set of coordinates. Wolf got out his map. Using the numbers on the screen, he found he could plot his position on the map.

The good news was that he knew where he was, and he’d be able to find his location for as long as the batteries lasted in his device. The bad news? He was still in the absolute middle of nowhere. Somewhere in the distance a bird called, and then nothing.

Wolf looked at the other spot he’d marked on the map. The place he’d been told to get to before midday. It was now ten thirty a.m. Wolf knew he’d have to hurry. I’d get here as quick as you can. We operate on a first-come, first-served basis. And there’s intense competition for the places on our program. I’d waste no time if I were you. Maybe he was already too late.

It had been sleeting when Wolf had gone to bed the night before. This morning there’d been a lot of snow. He’d thought of lighting a fire, and then hadn’t been able to because he was waiting for the phone to ring. But now, out in this wilderness, the sun had come out, and Wolf felt warm enough to take off his hoody and stow it in his knapsack. He kept his bomber jacket on. He tightened his boots, and put on the pair of sunglasses he had in his pack. He was ready. He set off.

9

NURSE ODILE UNDERWOOD WAS going to be late for her shift at the small secretive hospital in the northeast corner of the Old Town. She didn’t like working weekends, because there were more magical accidents then, but the nurses took it in turns, and this weekend it was her turn.

“Maximilian!” she called again.

She’d promised to drop him off at the university on the way.