My intent was to spot not only Massim Shar’s cut-out but the other member of his criminal coterie who would… — Matt Hughes

When all the good ideas have been expended, I quoted to myself, one might as well try a bad one.

“Magic,” said my integrator, “has rules. At the heart of the willful, associative universe, we find a modicum of rationalism, just as we find uncertainty at the core of the rational cosmos.”

“Exactly,” I said. “And there seems no other explanation for it than sheer perversity on the part of whatever entity is responsible for the whole untidy business.”

I thought about it a moment more then said, “Perversity, or just a very idiosyncratic sense of humor.”

When we have done more traveling together, you will come to see that occasionally we must be other than forthright with local authorities. Many of them lack imagination and react poorly to creativity and unexpected innovation.