10 AUG 1995

"What would happened if we cut the symbol? Would that loosen its grasp of whatever your talking about?

At Kylie's explanation, and King's response, Karl's already looking out over the apartment again, rubbing at his temples briefly as though trying to massage fresh insight into his tired head.

As Kirby adds his thoughts, Karl looks up to see what Kylie has to say about this idea. There's a skeptical cast to his expression, but he doesn't voice any disagreement.

She looks aghast. "Destroying evidence? I thought you sort were law enforcement?"

"More like Security. But you're saying that you feel something, Maybe this is it. So if its destroyed you shouldn't it feel less?

"This? This is linen cloth, it isn't the Shroud of Turin." She pulls it off the pin, and hands it to him. "Take a picture before you burn it, if you feel you need to get rid of it."

The moment that Kylie pulls the scrap of linen off the pin, the apartment is pierced by a blasting cacophony of sound from the street outside the apartment window, as if someone was leaning into their car horn as they passed by. It's sudden and shocking enough to make all the Agents start.

It's telling how jumpy Karl is that within a moment of hearing the car horn noise, he's got his gun drawn. It's also telling that it takes him a befuddled moment before he moves carefully to one side of the window, against the wall, and is looking outside for any clue as to what might have made the sound.

Kirby draws his weapon and drops to a knee as he access the area around for any "weakness" in the structure of the room.

Kylie winces and hastily repins the linen. Then looks around expectantly.

King ducked, rolled, and pulled out his weapon as well. They were all jumpy, even at the slightest trigger of a car horn. "Not a coincidence eh?" he tried to recover his composure, seeing no strange movement nor action in the room.

"You pinned it back? Thought it should go in a lead case or something."

Kylie glares at King.

"This... Great King of Hell..." says Karl from where he looks out the window. "He... ah... wouldn’t by chance tend to wear a great big snake around his neck, would he?"

He turns to look at the others. "Cause there’s a crazy-looking guy out here with a great big snake around his neck."

"What?!" King drew next to the window to have a look as well.

"Wow, what are the chances? Purson is depicted as a man with the face of a lion, carrying a ferocious viper, and riding a bear. Before him there can be heard trumpets sounding." Kylie laughs nervously.