�Good evening, young masters. If you�re looking for habitation, we have some nice rooms available upstairs which we cleared out when we thought the levy was going to fail. How about it, Mr. . .�
�Bando,� Chris supplied. �My name�s Bando. And we would like a drink and some pi first.�
�Excellent,� said the innkeeper, whose name was Clarycur. �Right this way.� He led them upstairs to a softly lit room with many patrons seated around, grumbling about circumference, proof, and constructions. It was not a happy-looking crowd, and the air was almost palpable with hostility. Chris and friends sat at an unoccupied table and were soon lost in their drinks.
�Hey,� Dan whispered, subtly pointing at a man in the corner. �That man�s done nothing but stare at you since we arrived. We should probably find out who he is.�
�Good idea,� Chris whispered back. He waved over Clarycur. �Excuse me, but who is that man in the corner?�
�What his right name is I�ve never heard, but around here we mostly call him Master Z. He�s one of those SITES people. Dangerous folk they are; very mysterious; very unpredictable. I can set up an introduction if you�d like.�
�No, thank you,� Chris answered hastily.
The next hour passed fairly uneventfully, and Chris was beginning to become bored. He opened his laptop and inserted the disk, opening a game of Minesweeper. There was a burst of light as the cash register exploded in flames and bluish smoke. There was a general hue and confusion, in which Master Z leaped to his feet and dragged Chris away. Dan looked up just in time to see Chris being dragged around a corner and down a flight of steps. He alerted Brad and Becky, who followed as he dashed after the stranger.
They quickly caught up with Chris and Master Z, who had the former up against a wall.
�What did you think you were doing??� Master Z was in the process of hissing. �You have alerted Conner to the location of the disk. Do not think she will be slow to notice, or that she will not be able to track you down. We will sleep in the instrument storage room tonight. That includes you three as well,� he said, encompassing Dan, Brad, and Becky with a wave of his hand.
It was an uncomfortable night. The storage room was small, and there were five people. Only three of them could stretch out comfortably on the floor. Master Z got one of the spots by virtue of his superior size. Chris got one due to his status as the carrier of the disk. After a short tussle, Brad ended up with the third spot. Becky and Dan were left to attempt sleep standing. Dan attempted to sleep on the storage racks, but that idea literally collapsed quickly.
As such, Becky and Dan were the first to hear the unearthly screams and the sounds of a violent struggle upstairs. They quickly roused the other three, and the four students huddled together as Master Z put his hand on his sword and moved to guard the entrance. Suddenly, they felt a chill as four cloaked and hooded figures swept by the storage room, UZIs at the ready. The students breathed a sigh of relief as the black-clad forms moved past and out of the building without noticing them, although Chris harbored some sad thoughts about Clarycur and his unfortunate staff upstairs.
�Who were they?� Chris asked breathlessly.
�Yeah. And why are they the latest in a long line of people who keep trying to kill us?� Brad asked.
�The second question is easier, and I will answer it first. These people are all servants of Conner. They have been sent to find the disk, and Chris carries it. You obviously cannot be allowed to possess it, nor can you be allowed to live once they have retrieved it. That is why they continue to try and kill you.
�As for your first question, they are science teachers. They were once math teachers, but they were corrupted by the power of the disks which Conner the Deceiver gave to them. They strayed down forbidden roads into science, particularly physics, which is a perversion of the purity of mathematics. This group was headed by Gor-Broughton, the Lieutenant of the 600 hallway. Where their leader, the Witch-King Arnold, is, I do not know for sure; I suspect he is not far behind his deputy. They are drawn by the power of the Disk which destroyed them. They will never stop hunting you. Now that Chris has alerted them� -there were several angry mutters- �they know where you are. We no longer have the leisure to wait for Papa Resek. Our only hope for safety lies in getting this ring to the library, where the power of Savel may yet hide it and protect us at the same time.�