Just in case- S P O I L E R S P A C E While trying to sleep, (with a recent re-reading of Issola in mind), the connection popped into my mind- When Vlad "remakes" Godslayer, he uses a dead but "preserved" soul, a Morganti weapon (That may or may not have been the "original sword/dagger"), and the chain Vlad named Spellbreaker. In Taltos, Vlad had encountered Loraan with a possibly dead, "preserved" soul (Aliera in staff mode), and the chain soon-to-be-named-Spellbreaker. Coincidence? Steve being evil? (*grin*) Plotting? I await your comments. (After all, this may have been perfectly obvious to you all out there and deemed not worthy of discussion.) James Griffin, Still Another Vlad faN