“How do you know?” Projector drew exaggerated lines on his forehead to illustrate his disbelief.

Mountain Man took a deep breath, cavernous nostrils flaring to let in more air.

“I’m bound to the land, little man. The hills are my shoulders. The trees are my lungs. Water that rushes and tumbles down the rivers is the blood that flows through my veins. When the wind bends the tall grass in the fields, I feel it like the hairs on my arms. When something’s not right in the earth, it’s right there in my gut.”

He scratched at his beard, dirty fingernail tracing the promontory of his jaw.

“How do I know? When there’s someone tunnelling, way down deep, in a big machine that snorts and spews and chews up rocks and leaves rubble for droppings? I can feel it. I can feel it in my bones.”

“Just shoot him!”

I spared a sideways glance at Projector. He looked frantic. Wild-eyed. With his powers, his expression was practically cartoonish. I’d never seen anyone look so much like he thought the world would end if something wasn’t done about it right that moment.

It was just a glance, but it was enough. I got the picture. Except the target I had pinned in my reticule didn’t seem to warrant the reaction.

“It’s just a bunny.”

As if to reinforce my assessment, the white- and brown-spotted rabbit stopped staring wide-eyed at the two of us, and closed his eyes as he scratched at a floppy ear with a long back paw.

“That weighs 50 pounds! How many 50-pound bunnies have you seen?”

I shrugged. “Just the one, so far.”

The bunny had bent down and nipped off the top of a tuft of grass, and now sat calmly, slowly munching away.

“You have to trust me on this.” I thought for a minute Projector was going to reach out and grab me by the lapels. He was that worked up.

“I’m the guy who does illusions. I know illusions! And I know when something is not what it seems.”

“Yeah, and you’re telling me there’s more than meets the eye with this furball?”

Spittle had started to form at the corner of Projector’s mouth. It was almost glowing, reflecting some unknown light source.

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you! Now shoot it, before it comes any closer!”