“Come, my young friend,” said the Lord of the Lions, a ruthless edge to his voice. “We have much to discuss.”
Unblinking eyes, bright yellow like a cat’s, glowed with inner fire. “I want to hear all about this modern world. You have much to tell me—concerning war, plague, pestilence, death, and destruction. And… especially… about the gods you worship.”
1
Standing alone in the elevator, Jack Collins pulled the classified ads from his back pocket. For the tenth time that day, he studied the black-bordered notice he had circled the night before. As the lift silently headed upward to the thirty-fourth floor, Jack carefully searched for the hidden catch in the wording, trying to find a loophole he knew had to exist. There had been too many other ads, too many other disappointments for him not to be suspicious.
Logical young man with an open mind and active imagination wanted for highly unusual but financially rewarding career opportunity. Some risk involved. Background in mathematics and fantastic literature advised.
Nowhere in the ad was there any mention of the advertiser’s name or the exact nature of the job. Still, the clipping did provide the address of a major office building in the Chicago financial district and a suite number. And the high-rent location indicated that the position wasn’t in sales or telephone solicitation.
At twenty-seven. Jack was willing to gamble. After nine years of college, he wanted out. Four years spent earning his bachelor’s degree, two for his master’s, and three more towards his Ph.D. had finally caught up with him. He wanted nothing more than to earn a living in the real world. It was time to break away from university life. Unfortunately, getting a job was proving more difficult than he had imagined.