Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files #8) - Jim Butcher Page 0,56

This thing has got to be some kind of phobophage.

A what?

Its a spiritual entity that feeds on fear. It attacks in order to scare people, and feeds on the emotion.

It didnt give Pell those broken bones by shouting boo! Murphy said.

Yeah. Its got to manifest a physical body in order to come to the real world. Pretty standard for all those demon types.

How do we beat it?

I shook my head. I dont know yet. First I have to find out what kind of phobophage it is. But Ive got a place to pick up a trail now. There are only going to be so many beings who could have crossed over to Chicago from the Nevernever to do what this thing did.

We emerged into the sunshine and I stopped for a minute, lifting my face up to the light.

The horror and misery Id seen on the victims remained in place, a clear and terrible image, but the sunlight and the equally sharp memory of old Pells defiance took the edge off.

You going to be all right? Murphy asked.

I think so, I said quietly.

Can you tell me what you saw?

I did, in as few words as I could.

She listened, and then nodded slowly. It hardly seems like what happened to them happened to Rosie.

Maybe Rawlins and I got there in time, I said. Maybe it hadnt had time to do more than a little foreplay

Or maybe theres another reason, Murphy said.

Remind me to lecture you about the interest rate on borrowed trouble, I said. Simplest explanation is the one to go with until we find out something to the contrary.

Murphy nodded. If this creature hit the convention twice, it will probably do it again. Seems to me that maybe we should advise them to close it down. No convention, no attacks, right?

Too late for that, I said.

She tilted her head. What do you mean?

The creature feeds on fear. Its attracted to it, I said. If they shut down the convention, it will scare a lot of people.

News reports will do that, too.

Not the same way, I said. A news report might unsettle some folks. But the people at the convention here, the ones who knew the victims, who were in the same buildingsit will hit them harder. It will make what happened here something dangerous. Something real.

If the attacker is that dangerous, they should be afraid, Murphy said.

Except that intense fear will attract the attacker again, I said. In fact, enough of it would attract more predators of the same nature.

More? Murphy said, her voice sharp.

Like blood in the water draws in sharks, I said. Only instead of being at the convention, the targets will be scattered all over Chicago. Right now, the only advantage we have is that we know generally where the thing is going to strike again. If the convention closes, we lose that advantage.

And the next chance we get to pick up its trail will be when the next corpse turns up. Murphy shook her head. What do you need from me?

For now, a ride home, I said. Ill have some consulting to do, andhellip; I suddenly ground my teeth. Dammit, I almost forgot.

What?

Ive got a lunch meeting I cant miss.

More important than this? she asked.

I cant let it slide, I said. Council stuff. Maybe important.

She shook her head. You take too much responsibility on yourself, Harry. Youre just one man. A good man, but youre still only human.

This is what happens when I dont wear the coat, I opined. People start thinking Im not a superhero.

She snorted and we started back toward her car. Im serious, she said. You cant be everywhere at once. You cant stop all the bad things that are going to happen.

Doesnt mean someone shouldnt try, I said.

Maybe. But you take it personal. You tear yourself up over it. Like with that girl just now. She shook her head. I hate to see you like that. Youve got worries enough without beating yourself up for things you didnt do.

I shrugged and fell quiet until we got back to the car. Then I said, I just cant stand it. I cant stand seeing people get hurt like that. I hate it.

She regarded me steadily and nodded. Me too.

Mouse thumped his head against my leg and leaned on me so that I could feel his warmth.

That settled, we all got into Murphys car, so that I could track down I knew not what, just as soon as I got done opening an entirely new