Their faces stared blankly and mutinously out from every blank wall in Vienda. Scarred, frightening faces, bloodied and angry.

"UNKNOWN BLACKGUARDS" read the poster. "WANTED FOR MURDERS MOST FOUL."

Ginny looked dumbly at the paper. Suss and Marks were both stony-faced in their camera spectragrams. Devilbrand looked alive with rage. A crude image of Stu accompanied them. She knew it was him because it was not Poxy or Casey. The drawing did not do his face justice; he was barely recognizable.

She tore it down when no one was looking.

In the alley beside the Book and Bell, she hugged the poster to her chest and sobbed. Where was he? What had happened? Why was he not home, safe in the Book and Bell, rubbing down the counter top or fussing at her for not doing her chores or fiddling with one of his infernal machines?

There were more posters up, and she ripped at them with her fingernails, clawing at the paste until they came off like layers of skin in her hands.