"I can think of a few reasons" Maalech remarked dryly. "But I assume the important one is that I am mobile in the daytime. Do you think the killer is aware of your existence and what you are?" Because in that case, the doctor might be at risk during sleep as well.

"And might I point out that if I am to be of use here, It would be helpful to know more about what weaknesses your kind has, as it invariably varies between the species. On the other hand, that would mean that a measure of trust is needed between us."

Something which was often in short supply.

"If the killer knew about me, he would not have come here," Silvio pointed out. "Then again, if he did know, I have to assume he came here intending to be rid of me. I would rather assume it knows." He gave Maalech a heavy look, consider the options. "Trust. It took a certain level to bring you here rather than finishing you in the streets, but that sounds like a petty power play on my part. There are certain things I can offer you, if that does not sound too much like buying your silence."

"I have no interest in seeing you dead." Maalech spoke quite plainly. "You are a fascinating conflict of interests, and I have no moral qualms with what you are, or what you do. Even if I ought to balk at people dying, people die here every day. And I think a doctor might save more lives in the long run." He paused, pondering out loud "Or perhaps that is my own attempt at justification. Perhaps I just do not care." He was not certain.

But at least now he was examining his decisions. "The long and the short of it is that you are an interesting man. And I am not above being bought these days." No, he had to admit that. Pride was... something he had to leave behind on many occasions.

Silvio seemed to be weighing the merits of the case. "Sunlight, obviously, is going to be one of the weaknesses. A younger one can still tolerate it, to a degree, but that passes before the end of its first year. Even I can still tolerate some light, if it is not too strong. A younger is also likely to be uncoordinated and clumsy as it comes into awareness of its own resources. Seeing the patterns of the killings here, my guess is that the murderer has been changed from two to five years--long enough to be in control of its reflexes but to have lost its immunity to direct light, since all the murders took place at night. Just a moment, I have a map."

The map was folded neatly into a leather binder. It looked to be an old nautical chart, onto which the major streets and landmarks of the island had been draw in pencil by another, more recent hand.

Maalech listened quietly, without interrupting. For all his lecturing, he had no issues listening to others. Not as long as something worthwhile was said. "Unfortunately for both our sake, I feel I should point out that I am no way an adept fighter. I have not lifted a hand in my defense since my youth, and that was longer ago than I would like to consider." It would have been simpler if he had asked Morgan for help, but no, that was not something he would stoop to.

As the map was brought forth he leaned in, pondering the layout of the streets, and trying to match them with the images in his head. "I believe this is where the last murder took place." He indicated a spot he was fairly certain was right. "I do believe one of the others were murdered around here" he indicated a more general area of streets "I met a woman who lived close by. The others... I have less than certain information about, though I know of the general locations." He took a deep breath, chasing away the dizziness that had gripped him as he leaned forward.

"Keep your head up straight," Silvio advised. "I had been trying to find a central point for all of the murders, one within walking distance of the scenes. But walking distance for a normal man would not apply."

"I have been attempting the same" Maalech remarked, thinking back to the collection of sticks and lines he had used to represent the streets last time Morgan visited. "But there could be other variables to this pattern. At least there are no sewers here, islands are simpler like that." If they had to work in yet another dimension, it would have complicated matters further.

But now, with a better map, and a better overview of things, Maalech pondered the deaths. What lay in the center? If one assumed that each death was as far from the lair as possible, which would be wise, where would that be? Reaching into the small satchel that held everything he owned in this persona, he pulled out a collection of flexible, straight bristles. Perhaps they had been stolen from a broom. He carefully placed them on the map, so that each bristle covered two of the murders, as far from one another as possible. That made points into lines, and easier to make into a pattern.

Where would the bristles cross? What would be at the center?

He tried to remember what lay there in real life.

Silvio frowned at the apparent crux of the straws. "If I am not mistaken, that is on the edge of the Qa'ad quarters. Or very close to it." He traced the route with a finger. "Right on the northeast corner. I am not certain what is actually there, if anything, but there must be something, given an allowance either way."

"Close to the Qa'ad." Maalech frowned deeply. "I am not certain what is there either, but can easily find out. What concerns me though is the reason. Could it be a Qa'ad? I find it improbable that one of them can have stalked the streets unseen, most residents seem to be in awe of them and rather suspicious. They keep to themselves. Unless of course that is the very reason for the choice in locations. If someone connected the deaths as we did... they would easily jump to the conclusion that it might be the Qa'ad. People always fear what they do not understand."

He seemed rather perturbed by the inclinations.

"I doubt the Qa'ad would tolerate it," he replied. "They have laws against consuming blood. It would be a matter to investigate."