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enough already, he left his usual mark.”
    Gage regarded the mutilated corpse in silence for a moment. Finally he took a breath. “Are all the pieces accounted for? Do we know yet?” he asked.
    Auden scrubbed a hand across his face. “We’ll know for sure when the coroner gets here,” he said. “But you want my guess? No. There’s... parts unaccounted for.”
    There was an awkward silence.
    “ Kind of blows our theory to hell, doesn’t it?” Gage said at last. “Czernoff was well known as an atheist.”
    “ Theory?” I asked.
    “ We hadn’t got to that yet,” Gage said apologetically. “The only connection we’ve made so far among the victims has been that each was involved in some sort of religious activity. We were considering that if the Beast’s killings aren’t just random, there might be some religious motivation behind them.”
    “ There still might,” said Auden, staring at the body. “There are religionists who can’t stand the idea of an atheist.” He looked at me.
    “ I suppose,” Gage allowed. “So why’s Tyburn still here?”
    “ Some sort of ritual thing, helping his friend’s spirit move on. Thought it was polite to let him stay, seeing he’s a city official and Czernoff was a close friend. He promised to stay out of our way, and he did.”
    “ I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” I said. “We could have contacted the dead man’s spirit and had the best witness of all. If this guy has seen the victim’s soul off to the other side, he’s just made collecting evidence from the spirit impossible. Excuse me a minute.”
    I walked over to where the mournful-looking Allworlder sat. “Brother Tyburn,” I said, using the Allworlders’ title for their priests, and held out my hand. “Wolf am I, Walker of the Rails Between the Worlds. Twenty-three blessings of Soul-Are upon you and yours.”
    He responded with the customary Allworlder greeting as he shook my hand. “Never thirst, Railwalker. I am Thudisar Tyburn. What can I offer?”
    “ Byer leave,” I said as I sat down next to him, “Share words with me. I understand Treasurer Czernoff was a friend of yours. My condolences.”
    “ Thank you. Yes, Phillip was a close friend.” He glanced toward the body, and then quickly away, as if not wanting the sight of his friend’s remains to replace the mental image of the person he’d known. “A true man of the spirit, for all he professed disbelief in souls or godhead. In the sense of being a generous, caring person, he was more spiritual than many who wear the cloth of their own denomination. I’m sure you know what I mean; you have undoubtedly met such in your own travels.”
    “ That I have. Forgive my intrusion on your grief. Investigator Auden tells us you were here seeing to your friend’s soul?”
    “ That is true.” He gave a brief, rueful smile. “I imagine he was rather surprised to discover he had been wrong in his opinions about the existence of the soul.”
    “ You imagine? You didn’t speak with him, then?”
    “ Allworld priesthood does not train us in spirit travel, or speaking with the dead the way you Railwalkers do, but we have rites and rituals to help the soul pass on. I believe he has truly passed on now. I even took steps to be sure his shade dispersed.”
    That didn’t bode well. I suppressed the urge to strangle the bastard and kept my face carefully neutral. “If you did not speak with the soul of your friend, I suppose you didn’t learn anything about his killer?”
    “ Oh...” He blanched. “Oh shit... I didn’t even think of that...” He looked at me, clearly flustered. “It was the Beast, surely...?” Recognition dawned in his eyes. “You... you have been asked to aid the guard in apprehending this killer? And you would have questioned Phillip’s spirit about it? Oh, my. I have obstructed your investigation, haven’t I? I am so very sorry, Railwalker Wolf. It never occurred to me. I was so concerned about Phillip’s