oked perfectly normal, w

res whispered over wet pavement, and somewhere on the floor above, the pipes gave a brief low hum. Ordinary life was reassembling itse

e he had settled during the night, curled into a compact black ball. No silver glow, no su

d morning. I have one simple question for

rned in my

ere considerably more communica-

one burdened with a psychologically unstab

ntive, and entirely free of the silver light that

uickly that it a

remain a cat, and I stop asking you questions that

his paws. I decided that would be my fi

lasted unti

s a collection of sensations. The cold of the lake around my legs, silver mist

e man

y, had no intentio

and that was precise-ly the problem. He had stopped close enough for me to feel the warmth of his body, raised

body remembered the ab-sence of it a

water and reach

man from your dreams to think abou

tly nee

mbling their usual order. I liked routine not because I was especially pedantic, but because it saved en

kitchen, the cat was alrea

ge to get everyw

empty dish a

ask the questions and somehow e

finished my coffee,

t. The first turn of the key produced an

have more than enough mysti-cism in

try, the engin

much b

work, buses pulled in at stops, and cyclists somehow managed to v

ght turned green jus

nd did t

I started pa

foot off the gas, but as soon as I came closer, the signal

ped sm

ted green corridors, re-acted to congestion. Right now, hundreds of people were probably driv-ing through the city wit

planation consi

io and stopped coun

hich was why the office had always had an almost calming effect on me. There were no prophetic dreams in my department, no dragons, no men appearing in t

ings I knew h

h not to need constant reassurance that I was compe-tent. A promotion had been the

ew directo

cisions that had already been agreed upon suddenly required further discussion, doc-uments came back with additional comm

ue the conversation in the evening, some

ned bot

that my promotion requir

t, but ha

and my uncle, who had raised me, had taught me something simple fairly early: if y

d le

an they frightened me. I did not understand the rules, which meant I could nei

li

ssion of someone who had already collected every piece of morning n

e the second

face says your own coffee fail

tell me absolutely anything

ends. You have a heal

or almost three years and possessed the rare gift of deliver

ng suddenly loses power today, I

he building

have flickered three times already, and one of the meeting rooms went completely dark b

of the

et nervous if a sta-pler is lying at the wron

e evacuate accounting first. We can't

gement could

a took a sip of coffee and

ving like you spent half the night arguing either with a man or with y

it have to

ut I'm hoping

ust had a very

d immediately. "S

sn't a q

any

possible t

redict

become any more dangerous. We stepped into the hall

ediately ca

t. And maintenance insists there's not

"No power s

no idea what they're doing, or the building has developed a

itself in my mind. Yesterday, a streetlight had gone out. This morning, traffic lights

easy enough to e

were becoming l

said. "You're sta

ty-four hours have just

ith the face of a woman who

be dr

e who aren't here, tell me immediately. I

ter, the joke st

or, reflecting desks, pale wall panels, people at the

other

tanding

line of his shoulders, but I

ecognized

ent the water was around my legs again, silver mist stretched across the lake, and I could feel

ned s

no one b

y walked stra

jokes now. Wh

glass. It reflected

e was a man sta

er

the ref

or a moment. "The o

"Why did you de

one who had just seen a stranger.

with observant people wa

ay

stopped

u should go home. If it gets

ng orders to

ily weakened condition, Mad-am Manager

y bo

r illustrious director. If he asks you to finish another month-long

d that in

serious company. W

more, still concerned, but decided not t

beside the

ing at the printer. Only a few yards away, people were going about their work without the slightest idea that

me gave the fa

rectly into

hoever you are, stop appearing behind me.

ction was th

moment, t

cially negotiating w

urn away when the lig

s the ent

hing had changed. The darkness existed only around me, several yards of space suddenly separated from the rest of the office by an invisible boundary. The surrounding

aw. Space had changed like this when the man approached through the mis

n slowly on the sma

that

om the hallway, and yet I

an hea

nt s

e. First a shadow, then the line of his shoulders, and finally his face, as though t

allucinations are audit

saw the hint

llucinations

n see m

c

n the glass: dark hair, a calm gaze, the same features I had seen through

ing to, I st

eally

eyes. "After the last few days,

d, and his face began to

hat's yo

d direct

ice

my name.

nd me standing there with what was undoubtedly a ridiculous expression on my face. Beyond the invisible boundary that had

toward the place where his fac

inally lost whatever

r why the light turned silver when-ever that distance seemed to thin. I did not know what connected the l

longer required

exi

e had disappeared, I caught myself thinking something that un

to see