Grunting, I put the handbook back on the shelf. Anybody who uses it a lot develops shoulders like an Olympiadic weighdshifters - if you hung two copies on opposite ends of a barbell, you could sure train with 'em.

I'd just started my third stab at revising that blinking report when the phone went off again. I thought hard about ordering the imp to answer that I wasn't there, but integrity won. A moment later, I wished it hadn't "Inspector Fisher?

Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. I am Colleen Pfeiffer, of the legal staff of the Demondyne Consortium."

"Yes?" I said, not wanting to give her any more rope than she had already.

"Inspector Fisher, I have been informed that you are investigating the sorcerous byproducts Demondyne deposits in the Devonshire containment area."

"Among others, that's correct, Counselor. May I ask who told you?" I'd expected calls from some of the consortia that dumped at Devonshire (I'd also expected nobody's lawyer would say anything so bald as that), but I hadn't expected to get the first one by half past nine of the morning after I searched.

Like any lawyer worth a prayer, Mistress Pfeiffer was better at asking questions than answering them. She went on as if I hadn't spoken: "I want you to note two areas of concern of Demondyne's, Inspector Fisher. First, as you must be aware, byproduct information can be valuable to competitors. Second, much of our work is defense-related. Some of the information you have in your possession might prove of great interest to foreign governments. An appropriate security regime is indicated by both these considerations." "Thank you for expressing your concern, Counselor," I said. "I have never had any reason to believe the EPAs security precautions don't do the job. The parchments to which you refer have not left my office."