“No,” said Derek, but he was focused on the radio voice. “You’re not as clever as you think you are. Roland knows the name Alcazar. Roland went back to my apartment in Madrid after he’d taken me prisoner, and sacked it for information. Roland reported me dead.”

He sat down on a leather ottoman with the black socks and brown shoes he’d chosen from the bed.

“Of course, you are right. All you know is inside me, but I’m not perfect at summoning the information. Give me a name.”

“Derektwo sounds absurd and will look absurd,” said Derek.

Black skin, said Benji Mahmoud, black curly hair, highly visible gold streaks in their hair. Strength of ten human beings. A desire for the vampiric blood, the vampiric brain.

“That has to be a lie!” said Derek. “We have no craving for vampiric blood or brains. That is a filthy lie.”

“My name, Father. You are to give me my name.”

“What is this, a baptism?” demanded Derek. “Shorten your name to D-e-r-t-u,” Derek said. “That’s plenty good enough. And it sounds fairly normal. And if there is to be a Derek three and a Derek four, we’ll figure some way to sound it out properly. Dertu will do. You don’t need a last name now.”

“Very well,” said the boy, “Dertu it is. I never thought of that. The last name can wait. We can’t risk anything with new names from this computer, anyway. We’ll worry about last names when we reach Scotland or Ireland.”

Derek pulled on the black socks, loving the silky feel of them. The brown shoes were fine, smooth, without buckles or zippers, but it was a chore to pull them on.

“…extremely dangerous,” said the low barely audible computer voice. “All elders are asked to come to Court. The Prince has asked this. All elders should come to Court if they possibly can, to confer on the matter of these menacing non-humans.”

“This is all wrong, what he’s saying. They must have done something to Garekyn.”

Dertu knelt before him, helping him with the shoes.

“Now put on a sweater, maybe two sweaters,” said the boy. “The gloves and scarves are on the bed.”

Dertu turned up the volume on the computer.

“Anyone sighting any of these strange non-humans must call us at this number,” said Benji Mahmoud. “Remember, a machine will answer you and take the information night or day. To go directly on the air in my absence, press the numeral two on your keypad. Provide your information at the usual level. Be clear and succinct as to where you’ve seen the non-humans and at what time. It is very important that you include the time. When I come back on the air, I will return your call as soon as I can.”

Dertu at once picked up a ballpoint pen from the desk and wrote something on his wrist.