1
She looked at Word. “You asked about X-it. He’s sleeping. There are no intruders in his consciousness. I’ve done a sweep. Several installations, their A-I and Super-Recognizers have all been rendered inoperable, but others will quickly pick up the slack. Some will malfunction. All are on high alert. They know contact has been made, that you are still alive, and a global search has begun. No A-I or human Super-Recognizer can penetrate the room that you were in and in which X-it is now sleeping. But he cannot come out of the room until we are ready to return to the second in time when Death saved you.Denny Taylor
2
You survived, ” Death said, appearing again as Cat. “They were vicious. If they’d —”“— Don’t go there.”“ You’ve always known really bad people are following you, ” Death said, softening what she was going to say. “But did you know I’ve been following you too?”“ Why?” Word asked, not getting it.“ Simple, ” Cat said. “If I keep you alive many others won’t die.Denny Taylor
3
After centuries of silence, someone or something was lying outside on the stone step . “Are you deaf?” Death asked arriving abruptly with screams and cries and a fetid smell of rotting matter filling the room.“ Why are you here?” the Old Crone asked, knowing the answer before she asked the question. “Go away.”“ When someone knocks you’re supposed to open the door! ” Death said, coughing as though she had swallowed a lot of water.“ What are you doing here?” the Old Crone asked again “and why are you amorphous? Show yourself! I don’t like it when you look like nothing at all.”“ Open the door! ” Death rasped, appearing as a drowned cat coughing up minnows and river detritus. “Our future depends upon it! .Denny Taylor