This Immortal was on to him. Richie was certain of it by the way he kept just at the edge of his senses. He was either very good, or very scared.
Richie was betting on the latter. Or why leave the old farmer his head for so long? That was sloppy at the very least.
No, this—librarian—was no threat to him. He probably didn't own a sword either. These yokels were pathetic. Almost a shame to take their Quickenings.
But Richie Ryan knew no shame. Not since his so-called teacher scared the piss out of him. He vowed that night that no Immortal would ever get him on his knees again. He'd die on his feet, but preferably, not at all.
So far, he'd kept that vow. And he'd had Quickenings too numerous to remember. Except at night, when nothing escaped memory. They paraded before him, each wearing the face of Duncan MacLeod. It was getting to be quite a crowd.
But no matter how may of them he killed in his waking hours, they always got the better of him in his dreams. In his fertile mind, Mac would always be the victor. So he sliced them down by day and paid for his hubris by night. He didn't see a way out.
This librarian was either clever or lucky, but Richie was tiring of the cat and mouse game. And he was getting hungry. He decided to break off the hunt for a quick bite at a local diner. The quarry wouldn't wander far. Richie could always pick up the trail at the library again. He was bound to return to his musty old lair.
Richie could continue the hunt tonight. There would be a gibbous moon.
"Xander! Where have you been?" Willow latched onto him as he entered the library.
"Quick, there's no time," was all he said. "Giles is in danger. There's this maniac with a sword stalking him all over town."
"I knew it," they said in unison. Xander blinked. "You knew?"
"You're right," Buffy said. "We haven't much time. But I have to know: was Giles carrying a sword too?"
"What? Are you crazy? Why would he have a sword?"
"Because he's one of them, silly," Willow said, shoving the printout and chronicle his way. "An Immortal."
"We don't have time for any of that," Buffy said, dashing for the stacks. "I think I know where it is."
"Where what is?" Xander was confused. "And what's an Immortal?"
Willow filled him in on their finds until Buffy returned ripping the wrapping off a long, thin parcel. "Here it is," she said, proudly, holding out a sword. This one was much different from the other fellow's. For one thing, it had a cross-guard, and there were strange squiggles running down the blade.
"Runes," Xander said, recognizing them from a roll playing game he used to play. Back when he played games.
"Okay, let's go." Buffy took the point, in both uses of the word.
Willow paused in the doorway. "C'mon, Xander. Giles is in trouble."
"Isn't that where I came in?" He hurried after. "Wait. You don't know where to go." He had to run to catch up with the Slayer and her companion, just disappearing around the corner of the school. H didn't want to lose them in the twilight.
