Oz patiently tried to explain. "The E flat's doable, but it's that diminished ninth . . . that's aman's chord."

He tried to look serious. "You could lose a finger."

He smiled at her. Willow smiled back, not quite sure what to make of him.

At the other end of the area, Buffy had stopped at the Law Enforcement booth. The same stern policewoman was still there, and she gave Buffy a curt nod, handing her a sign-in sheet. Obligingly, Buffy added her name. The policewoman took the paper.

"Listen up," the officer ordered, "and answer when I call your name!"

Buffy and several other seminar attendees gathered around.

"Buffy Summers!" Police Lady bellowed.

"Here."

In one swift movement, the officer drew a gun and aimed it at Buffy's head.

Buffy dove for cover as shots rang out through the room "Get down!" Buffy shouted.

Utter panic broke loose. As the policewoman fired again, people screamed and scattered. Bullets flew everywhere, ricocheting off walls, whining through the air.

"Look out!" Oz yelled.

Flinging himself over Willow, he knocked her to the floor. Almost at once he felt a hot, searing pain as a bullet grazed his arm. The two of them landed hard. Oz lay on top of Willow, bleeding.

Buffy tried to maneuver through the chaos. Keeping close to the floor, she crawled up behind Police Lady, grabbed her legs out from under her, and knocked her down. The two of them wrestled viciously.

At last Buffy managed to twist the gun from her hand and toss it away.

The policewoman drew another gun. She pointed it right at Buffy's forehead.

Before either of them could react, a foot came down on Police Lady's hand, kicking the gun out of reach. Buffy looked up to see Kendra towering over them, her face cold with determination. Taking advantage of the distraction, Buffy immediately began pounding the officer's face.

The policewoman twisted free. Throwing Buffy off, she grabbed a student before anyone could stop her.

She pointed the gun at his chest and slowly began to back up.

"Don't!" Buffy cried.

With her hostage in tow, Police Lady continued on through the lounge. Reaching the door at last, she tossed the student to the floor and beat a hasty retreat.

Kendra took out after her while Buffy ran over to Willow and Oz. Willow looked pale and shaken, and Oz was sitting next to her, one hand pressed to his wound.

"He's . . . he's shot," Willow stammered. She looked over at him, her voice trembling. "Are you okay?"

"I'm shot," Oz said. Buffy could hear a tremor in his voice just beneath the calm. He paused a moment, then looked mildly incredulous. "I'm shot. Wow. It's very . . . odd. And painful."

Kendra ran back into the room. Spying Buffy, she quickly came over.

"She's gone," Kendra announced.

Slowly people began emerging from their hiding places. Everyone looked dazed. The unfortunate hostage walked over to Buffy in total bewilderment.

"Was-was that a demonstration?" he asked.

CHAPTER 18.

"She was definitely one of the Taraka gang, Giles. And way gun happy."

Buffy sounded solemn as she recounted this latest calamity. In fact, the four of them had gathered in the library afterward for a detailed post-siege analysis.

"And this Oz," Giles said worriedly to Willow, "he's all right?"

Willow managed a shaky smile. "The paramedic said it was only a scrape, thank goodness-"

She broke off as Xander and a very wet Cordelia trudged in. Both of them seemed agitated and upset; Cordelia was close to hysteria.

Buffy glanced at Kendra. "Down, girl," she warned before Kendra could attack.

But Kendra was totally rooted in place. And gazing at Xander like a deer caught in headlights.

"Who sponsored Career Day today?" Xander dead-panned. "The British Soccer Fan Association?"

Giles sounded weary. "We had a rather violent visit from one of the Order of Taraka."

"You want to talk Order of Taraka?" Xander shot back at him. "We met theking freak of the Order of-"

He stopped talking. He stared at Kendra.

"Forgive me." Giles remembered his manners. "Xander, Cordelia, this is Kendra. It's very complicated, but she is also a Slayer."

Cordelia wasn't the least bit fazed by this news. She barely even glanced at Kendra as she passed her and sat down. "Hi," Cordelia flashed a thin smile. "Nice to meet you."

"A Slayer?" Xander turned to Buffy with a knowing wink. "I knew this 'I'm the only one, I'm the only one' thing was just an attention getter."

"Just say hello, Xander," Buffy sighed.

But Xander was staring at Kendra now. Totally captivated, he moved next to her, but Kendra immediately lowered her eyes to the floor. She looked strangely ill at ease and completely mortified by his attention.

"Welcome," Xander greeted her. "So you're a Slayer, huh? Ilike that in a woman."

Kendra's eyes were fixed on her shoes. Buffy could see that she was totally flustered.

"I-I hope . . ." Kendra stammered. She took a breath and tried again. "I thank you. I mean, sir . . . I will be of service."

Xander paused. He looked questioningly at Buffy, who only shrugged.

"Good," Xander said, backing away again. "Great. It's good to be a giver."

Giles was deep in thought. He steered the conversation back to the important matter at hand.

"This assassin you encountered, Xander. What did he look like?"

Before Xander could answer, Cordelia let out a shriek. She jumped up, beating at her hair, then shrieked again as a dead worm fell out and landed on an open book.

"Like that," Xander said.

Cordelia's voice was shrill and shaky. "That's it! I'm showering." She turned abruptly and marched from the room, while Buffy eyed Xander with interest.

"You and bug people, Xander." Buffy looked almost amused. "What's up with that?"

"But this dude was different than the preying mantis lady," Xander insisted, thinking of their "substitute"

science teacher from last semester. "He was a manof bugs. Not a man whowas a bug." He slammed the book shut as if that explained everything.

"Okay." Willow nodded uncertainly. "Huh?"

"The important thing is," Giles went on, "everybody's okay. Still, it is quite apparent that we are under serious attack-"

"Yeah," Buffy interrupted. "These Taraka guys areUberbad. If Kendra hadn't been there today I would have been toast."

Silently Kendra looked at her, the thanks duly noted.

Giles's face was troubled. "I fear the worst is yet to come. I've discovered the remaining keys to Drusilla's curse. The ritual requires her sire and must take place in a church on the night of the new moon-"

"The new moon?" Kendra repeated. "But that is tonight."

"Exactly. I'm sure the assassins are here to kill Buffy before she can put a stop to things-"

"They need Drusilla's sire?" Now it was Buffy who interrupted, jumping to her feet, her voice urgent.

"You mean the vamp that made her?"

Willow saw the fear on Buffy's face. "What is it, Buffy?"

Buffy turned away from them. She took a moment to compose herself, and then she faced them once again.

"It'sAngel," she said softly. "He's Drusilla's sire."

"Man!" Xander burst out. "That guy got some major neck in his day-"

Willow punched him. Xander shut up. Kendra looked annoyed but managed to hold her tongue.

"This thingy," Buffy peered earnestly at Giles. "This ritual. Will it kill him?"

Giles hesitated. He met her eyes reluctantly, his tone gentle. "I'm afraid so."

"We have todo something," Buffy choked. "We have to find the church where this ritual will take place-"

"Agreed. And we must work quickly. There are only five hours to sundown."

"Don't worry, Buffy," Willow tried to console her. "We'll save Angel."

But Kendra couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Angel?" she exclaimed. "Our priority must be to stop Drusilla."

Angrily Xander turned on her. "Angel's our friend," he snapped. Then he paused . . . thought about this.

"Except I don't like him," he added lamely.

"Look." Buffy faced Kendra now, her voice defiant. "You've got your priorities, and I've got mine.

Right now, they mesh. You gonna work with me, or are you gonna get out of my way?"

Their eyes locked and held.

The tense silence stretched out.

"I am with you," Kendra said at last.

"Good," Buffy replied furiously. "'Cause I've had it. Spike is going down. You can attack me, you can send assassins after me . . . that's just fine."

She drew herself to her full height.

Her eyes smouldered.

"Butnobody messes with my boyfriend."

CHAPTER 19.

Drusilla was actually feeling better now.

She smiled as she took a small bottle of holy water from an old, velvet-lined box.

She spoke dreamily as she moved about her room.