ry； and at once the crumbling dead turned in their tracks and began to file out of the garret flat； shuffling in pursuit。
Down the stairs they went； some with their flesh sloughing from their bones； and others who couldn't help but leave bits behind； which followed of their own accord。 Harry went with them； with all of the dead he'd befriended； oh…how long ago？…when he'd lived here； and new friends he hadn't even spoken to yet。
There were two young policemen among them； who'd never return home to their wives； and another two from Special Branch； with bullet holes like scarlet flowers blooming in their clothing； and there was a fat man called Guy Roberts； whose head wasn't much of anything any more but whose heart was in the right place。 Roberts had e to Hartlepool with a job to do； which he expected to finish right now。
Down the stairs； out of the door and across the road they all went； and into the graveyard。 There were plenty of stragglers there who hadn't made it over the road to the flat； who simply weren't in any condition to do so。 But when Yulian had fallen they'd ringed him about； advancing on him with their staves and threatening in their mute； mouldering way。
Through the heart； Harry told them when he arrived。
Damn it； Harry； but he won't keep still！ one of them protested。 His hide's like rubber； too； and these staves are blunt。
Maybe this is the answer。 Another corpse； recently dead； came forward。 This was Constable Dave Collins； who walked all aslant because Yulian had broken his back in an alley not a hundred yards down the road。 In his hands he carried the cemetery caretaker's sickle； a little rusty from lying in the long grass under the graveyard wall。
That's the way； Harry agreed； ignoring Yulian's hoarse screaming。 The stake； the sword； and the fire。
I've got the last。 Someone whose head had collapsed utterly； Guy Roberts； stumbled forward dragging heavy tanks and a hose…an army flame…thrower！ And if Yulian had screamed before； now he did so in earnest。 The dead payed him no heed。 They piled onto him and held him down； and in his extreme of terror…even Yulian Bodescu； terrified…he reshaped his vampire body to that of a man。 It was a mistake； for now they could find his heart more easily。 One of them brought a piece of a broken headstone for a hammer； and at last a stave was driven home。 Pinned down like some ugly butterfly； Yulian writhed and shrieked； but it was nearly over now。
Dave Collins； looking on； sighed and said； An hour ago I was a policeman； and now it seems I'm to be an executioner。
It's a unanimous verdict； Dave； Harry reminded him。
And like the Grim Reaper himself； so Dave Collins advanced and took Yulian's hideous head as cleanly as possible； even though he had to strike more than once or twice。 After that it was Guy Roberts's turn； he worked on the now silent vampire with roaring； gouting； blistering； cleansing fire until there was really nothing much left of him at all。 And he didn't stop until his tanks were empty。 By then the dead were dispersing； back to their riven graves。
It was time for Harry to move on。 The wind had blown Yulian's fog away； the stench of putrefaction； too； and stars were shining in the night sky。 Harry's work was finished here； but elsewhere there was still a great deal to be done。
He thanked the dead； one and all； and found a M？bius door。
Harry was almost used to the M？bius continuum now； but he suspected that most human minds would find it unendurable。 For it was always nowhere and nowhen on the space…time M？bius strip； but a man with the right equations； the right sort of mind； could use it to ride anywhere and everywhen。 Before that； of course； he would need to conquer his fear of the dark。
For in the physical universe there are degrees of darkness； and Nature seems to abhor all of them much as she abhors a vacuum。 The metaphysical M？bius continuum； however； is made of darkness。 That is all it consists of。 Beyond the M？bius doors lies the very Primal Darkness itself； which existed before the material universe began。
Harry might be at the core of a black hole； except a black hole has enormous gravity and this place had none。 It had no gravity because it contained no mass； it was immaterial as thought itself； yet like thought it was a force。 It had powers which reacted to Harry's presence and worked to expel him； like a mote caught in its eye。 He was a foreign body； which the M？bius continuum must reject。
At least； that was how it had used to be。 But this time Harry sensed that things were different。
Previously there had always been this sensation of matterless forces pushing at him； attempting to dislodge him from the unreal back into the real。 And he had never dared to let that happen except where or when he desired it to happen； else he might well emerge in a place or time totally untenable。 But now： now it seemed to him that those same forces were bending a little； perhaps even jostling each other to acmodate him。 And in Harry's unfettered； incorporeal mind； he believed he knew why。 Intuition told him that this was his…yes； his metamorphosis！
From real to unreal； from a flesh and blood being to an immaterial awareness； from a living person to…a ghost？ Harry had always refused to accept that premise； that he was in fact dead； but now he began to fear that it might indeed be so。 And mightn't that explain why the dead loved him so？ The fact that he was one of theirs？
He rejected the idea angrily。 Angry with himself。 No； for the dead had loved him before this； when he was still a man full…fleshed。 And that was a thought which also angered him。 I still am a man！ he told himself； but with far less authority。 For now that he'd conjured it； the idea of a subtle metamorphosis was growing in him。
Something less than a year ago he had argued with August Ferdinand M？bius about a possible relationship between the physical and metaphysical universes。 M？bius； in his grave in a Leipzig cemetery； had insisted that the two were entirely separate； unable to impose themselves in any way one upon the other。 They might occasionally rub up against each other； the action producing reaction on both sides…such as 〃ghosts〃 or 〃psychic experiences〃 on the physical plane…but they could never overlap and never run concurrent。
And as for jumping from one to the other and back again。
But Harry had been the anomaly； the fly in M？bius's ointment； the spanner in the works。 Or perhaps the exception that proves the rule？
All of that； however； had been when he had form； when he was corporeal。 And now？ Perhaps now the rule was at last asserting itself； ironing out the discrepancy。 Harry belonged here； he was no longer physical but metaphysical； and so should remain here。 Here forever； riding the unimaginable and scientifically impossible flux of forces in the abstract M？bius continuum。 Perhaps he was being one with the place。
Word association： force…flux…force fields…lines of force…lines of life。 The bright blue lines of life extending forward beyond the doors to future time！ And suddenly Harry remembered something and wondered how it could possibly have slipped so far to the back of his mind。 The M？bius strip couldn't claim him； not yet； anyway； because 〃he had a future。 Hadn't he seen it for himself？
He could even witness it again if he wished； by simply finding a future…time door。 Or perhaps this time it wouldn't be so simple。 What if the M？bius continuum should claim him while he traversed time？ That was an unbearable thought： to hurtle into the future forever！ But no need to take the risk； for Harry could remember it well enough：
The scarlet life…line drifting closer； angling in towards his own and Harry junior's blue threads。 Yulian Bodescu； surely？
And then the infant's life…thread abruptly veering away from his father's； racing off at a tangent。 That must have been his escape from the vampire； the moment when he'd first used the M？bius continuum in his own right。 After that…then there'd been that impossible collision：
That strange blue life…thread； dimming； crumbling； disintegrating； converging with Harry's own thread out of nowhere。 The two had seemed to bend towards each other as by some mutual attracti