Soulcatcher shifted in the shadowed corner where he remained planted like a lean black bush, a crowd softly debating with itself. Go on.

Its an old public square. A dozen alleys and streets going in and out. Poorly lighted at night. No reason for any traffic after dark.

Sounds perfect, One-Eye said.

It is. I rented a room overlooking it.

Lets take a look, Elmo said. We all suffered from cabin fever. An exodus started. Only Soulcatcher stayed put. Perhaps he understood our need to get away.

Goblin was right about the square, apparently. So what? I asked. One-Eye grinned. I snapped, Clam-lips! Play games.

Tonight? Goblin asked.

One-Eye nodded. If the old spook says go.

Im getting frustrated, I announced. Whats going on? AH you clowns do is play cards and watch Raven sharpen his knives. That went on for hours at a time, the movement of whetstone across steel sending chills down my spine. It was an omen. Raven does not do that unless he expects the situation to get nasty.

One-Eye made a sound like a cawing crow.

We rolled the wagon at midnight. The stablekeeper called us madmen. One-Eye gave him one of his famous grins. He drove. The rest of us walked, surrounding the wagon.

There had been changes. Something had been added. Someone had incised the stone with a message. One Eye, probably, during one of his unexplained forays out of headquarters.

Bulky leather sacks and a stout plank table had joined the stone. The table looked capable of bearing the block. Its legs were of a dark, polished wood. Inlaid in them were symbols in silver and ivory, very complex, hieroglyphical, mystical.

Where did you get the table? I asked. Goblin squeaked, laughed. I growled, Why the hell cant you tell me now?

Okay, One-Eye said, chuckling nastily. We made it.

What for?

To sit our rock on.

Youre not telling me anything.

Patience, Croaker. AH in due time. Bastard.

There was a strangeness about our square. It was foggy. There had been no fog anywhere else.

One-Eye stopped the wagon in the squares center. Out with that table, boys.

Out with you, Goblin squawked. Think you can malinger your way through this? He wheeled on Elmo. Damned old cripples always got an excuse.

Hes got a point, One-Eye. One-Eye protested. Elmo snapped, Get your butt down off there.

One-Eye glared at Goblin. Going to get you someday, Chubbo. Curse of impotence. How does that sound?

Goblin was not impressed. Id put a curse of stupidity on you if I could improve on Nature.

Get the damned table down, Elmo snapped.

You nervous? I asked. He never gets riled at their fussing. Treats it as part of the entertainment.

Yeah. You and Raven get up there and push.

That table was heavier than it looked. It took all of us to get it off the wagon. One-Eyes faked grunts and curses did not help. I asked him how he got it on.