“In May and at the beginning of June, three large-scale crimes were committed in the vicinity.” The sorcerer didn’t wait for further questions. “In the vicinity, meaning here, on the Hill, between twelve and twenty miles from Rissberg. Each time, forest settlements, the homesteads of foresters and other forest workers, were targeted. All the residents were murdered in the settlements, no one was left alive. Post-mortem examinations confirmed that the crimes must have been committed by a demon. Or more precisely, an energumen, someone possessed by a demon. A demon that was invoked here, at the castle.”

“We have a problem, Geralt of Rivia. We have to solve it. And we hope you’ll help us with it.”

Sending matter is an elaborate, sophisticated and subtle thing, hence before setting about teleporting, one must without fail defecate and empty the bladder.

Geoffrey Monck,

The Theory and Practice of Using Teleportals

CHAPTER TEN

As usual, Roach snorted and protested on seeing the blanket, and fear and protest could be heard in her snorting. She didn’t like it when the Witcher covered her head. She liked even less what occurred right after it was covered. Geralt wasn’t in the least surprised at the mare. Because he didn’t like it either. Naturally, it didn’t behove him to snort or splutter, but it didn’t stop him expressing his disapproval in another form.

“Your aversion to teleportation is truly surprising,” said Harlan Tzara, showing his astonishment for the umpteenth time.

The Witcher didn’t join in the discussion. Tzara hadn’t expected him to.

“We’ve been transporting you for over a week,” he continued, “and each time you put on the look of a condemned man being led to the scaffold. Ordinary people, I can understand. For them matter transfer remains a dreadful, unimaginable thing. But I thought that you, a witcher, had more experience in matters of magic. These aren’t the times of Geoffrey Monck’s first portals! Today teleportation is a common and absolutely safe thing. Teleportals are safe. And teleportals opened by me are absolutely safe.”

The Witcher sighed. He’d happened to observe the effects of the safe functioning teleportals more than once and he’d also helped sorting the remains of people who’d used teleportals. Which was why he knew that declarations about their safety could be classified along with such statements as: “my little dog doesn’t bite,” “my son’s a good boy,” “this stew’s fresh,” “I’ll give you the money back the day after tomorrow at the latest,” “he was only getting something out of my eye,” “the good of the fatherland comes before everything,” and “just answer a few questions and you’re free to go.”