Chapter Fifty-Two

I couldn't work out what Bran was really after as he listened first to Adam and Jesse, the roses looking beautiful and slowly shifting colours in little vases I'd dug out on the table in front of them, then David and Warren, but I'd bet he already knew all Charles did and was checking for any discrepancy. There weren't any, but although I'd sensed nothing taking the cloak off and draping it over a chair, with Manannán's Bane, I'd been right that wearing it I'd had some shielding from Underhill's direct presence, while everyone else had found the air very much thicker and felt a palpable weight. Wolves' hearing had also been affected, and they didn't know what I'd been saying to Underhill until we'd come over to them, so I ran through that and Bran smiled at the news about the selkies.

"That was well done, Mercy, and those construction sites are going to be very interesting. But while Underhill's goodwill towards you is plainly genuine, I think you should not accept its invitation to talk for some while. It may be temporary but your magical power has grown again, and the cloak's has also been boosted. You did not quite mean what you said to that Agent to be an order, but it worked as one."

"I get that, Bran." And I wasn't happy about it, but there had been reasons. "His reaction triggered my understanding, and it was urgent. Same with Bradley. But stopping the chant was more a convenience and being tired, and I only nudged. It occurs to me also that Gwyn ap Lugh knew you'd be here when we returned, and intended you to offer the man that reassurance."

"I would think so, yes, which is useful of him. But I am not sure you are quite aware of how compelling you were, Mercy. Charles?"

"Da's right, Mercy. I'd have had a hard time resisting that order, and no human could have done so. At the very least the cloak's a magical amplifier, and it has a good deal more to amplify than you had on Tuesday — which was itself a good deal more than you had before Guayota. It is good, not bad, but you need to be very careful until you can recalibrate for yourself."

I stuck my tongue out at him, but then nodded. "Yeah, I know, though when exactly I'm supposed to have the time is beyond me." A thought struck. "And on Wednesday I was gone for longer than I thought, but today far less, so whatever I was given I've had less time to absorb. Maybe that's why it spilled."

"Perhaps so." Bran thought about it. "Yet the spilling may. have been as much a part of ap Lugh's intent as my reassurance of the President."

"Oh yeah. He's a clever Gray Lord alright. And I agree with you about keeping out of Underhill for a long while, if I can. Can't see why I shouldn't, but there's always something."

"And such convenience is a temptation, yes. Resist it, though, please. I will fly back to Aspen Creek — we need to get the Lear Jet back there anyway. And Adam, you may have to make allowance for … unintended commands. Not that you don't anyway."

I gave Bran a dirty look as Adam laughed and took my hand.

"Not a problem, Bran. Mercy's growing dominance has actually made the whole week easier for me. Medicine Wolf's insulation, too. And I've healed faster than I expected on Tuesday. Mercy's got some of that as well, I think. You have your stamina back, love, which you didn't on Monday."

That was certainly true, and I nodded. "I figured that out on … Friday, and some of it's the cloak, but I think Manannán's Bane had a hand in it too, using some of my manitou magic against Guayota's damage. Bran, you thought something like that was going on with the healing of the burns, and it would make sense to me if the stick was into that, in its benevolence, and after Wednesday could do it more strongly."

"That sounds … oddly likely. And I am relieved for you. But even so, Mercy, I think that having brought all kinds together, opening the way for negotiations, you should now stand back as much as possible. I believe everything will work out, but if it isn't doing so orders are unlikely to help. And however Adam is wolf and you are Coyote's daughter, a neutral host will be of more use to all than another delegate."

"Make that uncomfortably nearly daughter, but yeah, I hear you, Bran. And I'll be baking a lot anyway, and probably barbecuing between Benny's deliveries, so standing back shouldn't be a problem so long as no-one dumps one in my lap."

Some peace and quiet would be just fine by me, and if things happened smoothly I might even be able to deal with my poor customers' cars soon enough to save myself another week of rentals, though I doubted it.

"There is that, yes, but still. And I must talk to the President. Adam, Charles, Anna, with me, please."

"My study?"

"Yes."

They went, and Jesse shifted chairs to sit beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. I draped an arm round her.

"Alright, ex-kiddo?"

"I'm good, Mom. And I'm glad to have been Underhill, but also happy to be home again. And relieved — I didn't feel threatened, exactly, but all those stories are clear it isn't a place for human beings, and they're right."

"You bet. But you did well when Underhill spoke to you, and if anything ever drags you there, you shout for her loud and clear."

"Oh yeah. But I'd rather go to Kansas."

Warren and David laughed, and Warren reached to ruffle Jesse's hair.

"I doubt it, Jesse, unless it's improved a lot since I last passed through. But I know exactly what you mean." He looked at me. "And count me impressed, again, Mercy. In Underhill is one place I'm very willing to keep it buttoned, never mind to Underhill in very strange person. Yo-Yo Edythe's bad enough."

"Quite the pair, aren't they?"

"Tell me."

We all looked round as Darryl came in with the Agent I'd told to call the Director, who had his phone out.

"The Director asks to talk to you, Mercy."

"Surprise." I held out my hand, and was given the phone. "Mr Director?"

/Ms Hauptman./ He sounded tired. /Three things. First, thank you for bringing the President and Secretary Sawyer back safely. Second, this pot of roses — you swear it's harmless?/

"Certainly not. No fae artefact is harmless, but some are benign, including this one. And as no future president who looks at it on the desk in the Oval Office should need any convincing that Underhill is entirely real, however weird and elsewhere, it'll save us both from ever having to repeat this exercise. Its power is to remind, no more."

/Alright. And the whammy, whatever it was, you put on my agent?/

"Was to stop your SOP for human gifts doing real damage. Fae artefacts do not respond well to people who try to grab them or take them apart, Mr Director. I told the KPD on Monday night that they've had more than three years and not done Werewolf 101, and you've had far longer but still not done Fae 101. If anything comes of the impending negotiations you'll be dealing with it, and them, more often, but try to frisk a Gray Lord and you'll be lucky if you only lose your hands."

/Noted, Ms Hauptman. Are there any consequences for the agent?/

"No." I understood looking out for your own. "It was only a stronger version of what I did to Detectives Willis and Riebold on Monday at Sacajawea State Park, to stop them drawing on Medicine Wolf, and to Mrs Bradley on Friday in the school, to stop her spewing threats of hellfire at Jesse."

/OK. That at least makes sense. And the other … parties are still due at the times you gave?/

"No-one's told me otherwise."

/Then thank you for your time, Ms Hauptman./

He rang off, and I gave the phone back to the agent.

"I suppose a thank you is in order, Ms Hauptman, though I can't say I quite feel grateful. Do you know what would have happened if I had grabbed that pot?"

"No, but I do know that anyone who tried to take my cloak would be unlikely to survive the attempt, and the President's rose-bush is the same stock. And further to what I just told the Director, Agent, think about the fact that you knew the President had just returned from Underhill, which is an entirely magical place, and also knew that pretty much everyone present who is not an agent knows a great deal more about magic than you seem to, but you still tried to apply SOP yourself without checking on anything. And as there are soon going to be Elder Spirits, a fifteen-foot dire wolf, and any number of fae sitting out with the President, you need to think about it fast because all of them have a lot more magic than I do, and far thinner skins. You might talk to AED Westfield and SA Fisher, who have adapted very well to the needs this week has thrown up."

His expression had become more thoughtful, and he gave me a curious look.

"I'll do that, Ms Hauptman. It's what you said about Cantrip's omissions as well as commissions, isn't it?"

"Probably, if they left you thinking only about how to kill any preternatural threat, not how to deal with it. Think bombs rather than guns — taking out the fuse with steady hands works a lot better than shooting them."

"Huh. Good analogy. But we really like to have any bombs defused well before POTUS gets there."

I laughed. "Me too, but that's harder when it's the bomb he needs to talk to. It'll be alright on the night, Agent."

He gave me a pained look, and when Darryl had escorted him out so did David, though Warren and Jesse were grinning.

"Not their favourite motto, Mercy."

"Their problem, David. I almost suggested you might consult for them until the new Bureau is up and running."

"It's an idea. God knows what crap Cantrip has been feeding them. But I should check on my men."

Warren went back on guard outside as well, and I grabbed an apron and did my best to replenish the brownie tin in the time I had, getting Jesse to give the mix a stir and warning her she'd need to take them out of the oven with why I needed her to guard them fiercely.

"You can come out back to help me with them, ex-kiddo, unless Adam says different, but the front's off-limits while Caroline's filming. And I might need you to stop your adopted grandpa from getting bored if things drag on."

"Or adopted grandma."

"I doubt it, though some of them might oblige. And don't teach him about hair-dye, whatever you do."

She grinned. "Monopoly, maybe. Or Clue."

My brain must still have been a bit Underhill-drunk, because it occurred to me that a version of Clue including possible victims like Donald Rumsfeld, on national TV, with combusting trousers or Werewolf Harris, in the woods, with an elk would be considerably more fun than the standard one, but I managed not to say as much to Jesse. I wondered briefly if I now had enough money to get us a seriously customised set for Christmas, and made a mental note to investigate. Jesse surfed for a bit, then flipped the TV on, and I listened to Caroline talk about the ever-growing media pack outside the gate, the temporary but unexplained closure of airspace that had been announced, with flights diverted to Walla Walla and Pendleton, the weight of presidential security, and Zee's unexplained absence from Hanford, where Tad was still tipping sludge. A brief cut to the studio informed me that Fox had not been amused by my offer, a retired federal judge who was amused believed it perfectly lawful and thought they'd be well-advised to accept it, and Coyote had somehow given KEPR a soundbite stealing my line about Fox being tricksters anyway, adding that he would make a much better logo. It made Jesse laugh but still won the last batch of brownies a more vigorous stir and rapid trip to the oven, with the timer plonked in front of Jesse before I took off the apron.

"Mom?"

"Just taking out the small change, Jesse. Coming out's mostly been a relief, but having him out there saying whatever occurs to him to all and sundry still weirds me some. And changing magic probably has me jumpy too. Sorry."

"No problem. Having a gramps is weird for me too, though I still want to meet my graunts. Maybe they'll give me a name to match yours."

I gave her a look. "You want to be called Her Hair Causes Trouble?"

She laughed, lightening my heart.

"I could do worse. Add step-not-exactly-grand-daughter of Coyote and it has a ring."

My own laugh was welcome too. "You could say. Or try The Fae Call Her Brave. How's the head, ex-kiddo?"

She went thoughtful. "Manitou glass is working, I guess. No flashbacks or nightmares. But I've done some thinking about it, and I get what you and Medicine Wolf mean about coming to terms without being, what? Shielded. Insulated." She hesitated. "Were the scars I could see on the selkies from what Cantrip did to them?"

I took a breath. "I think so, Jesse. Gwyn ap Lugh said Cantrip wanted to know how long blistering from iron lasts. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking that whatever I have to deal with, it could be a lot worse."

"Yeah, it could. But someone else having it worse doesn't mean you didn't have it bad."

"No, I get that. But still. It sounds lame, but life goes on, so I'm better off getting on with it."

"It sounds true, and yes, you are." I sat opposite her. "But there's a lasting cost. Adam and I both have nightmares, but we usually have each other when they happen. You don't have anyone beside you yet. When you do, honesty about it will matter, and until then remember that being an ex-kiddo doesn't mean you can't wake us if you need, or just fix yourself chocolate and a sandwich. Asil's right that good smells help, but so does snack food. Just don't go walkies, ever, without a guard."

"Right. Being a kiddo was more fun, in some ways, but I'm not repining. And I wanted … you know you're the best thing that ever happened to Dad, and to me?"

I blinked away sudden tears, and nodded. "Back atcha, Jesse. I'm sorry I bring so much rough with the smooth."

"Nah. Bad stuff's always happened. Dad can just go wolf and eat it, but you've taught me how to deal."

"You knew already, Jesse." Or she'd have brained Christie long ago. I checked my watch. "Nearly time to head out again. Call Andrea while you're waiting on the brownies and tell her about the rose?"

"Sure. You don't want to do it yourself? It'll be fun."

"I know, and I'd like to see her get it, but I don't need more things to do today."

Bran and the man were still closeted, but I was feeling antsy, wanting it all to be over. I had no hesitation putting the cloak back on — I trusted it, and if anything bad did happen we'd all need every boost we could get — and after wrapping three brownies in foil I took Manannán's Bane, checked the state of things out back, which was good, and went in search of Westfield and Fisher. Caroline and the camera were about thirty yards down the drive, with a Feeb keeping a wary eye on them, Westfield and Fisher were talking outside their MCU, and I saw Al swing the camera as I went towards them.

"Can't speak for Adam, AED, but once everyone's here and the pow-wow starts out back, I'm a neutral host, not a delegate, so when the miracle pies are in I could give you that statement you want. Any of the pack who came to Wyoming can be pulled off guard duty to give theirs, as long as you do it one at a time. I haven't had a chance to speak to the avatars yet, or the Alpha of the Seattle wolves, but it's on my list somewhere. Anything new at your end?"

"That all sounds good, Ms Hauptman, thanks, and yes, one or two things. Forensics are done, the cages are nearly dismantled, and the hoist should be operational by tomorrow morning. Can you tell Nemane?"

"Sure, but she ought to be here at 5 so you can tell her yourself."

"Right." It was a day for people I liked to give me sideways looks. "You continue to impress and bemuse, Ms Hauptman. That was some show in the hall, and I've just had the agent you stopped in his tracks asking for my version of what he said you called Fae 101."

"What did you tell him?"

"We'll talk properly as soon as we can. But for now I told him what I told Sawyer the other day — that you don't lie, ever as far as I can tell, but you say only what you really mean, and what you don't say leaves spaces big enough to hide an army. And you are very right that Cantrip has done us no favours with the Secret Service, which we are going to have to think about hard, though you already have them genuinely asking themselves some questions, for which my congratulations."

"Un huh. I tell jokes as well, AED."

"She sings along with the Boss too, sir."

Fisher was deadpan, and Westfield grinned.

"Doesn't everyone? But the other thing is that we've identified some vacant units in Richland. Best bet so far is off Duportail Street, an adjacent L unit, with four bedrooms, and T unit, with two in each half. I'll understand if the freed can't stand more cramping, but if we get some bunks into every bedroom and one of the living spaces they could just about hold twenty-six until something better opens up."

I thought about it. From what I remembered the Ls were meant for larger families and ran to over 1500 square feet with a fair living room., and the Ts to 500 or so, for one-child families.

"Sounds workable, AED, and the submissives want physical contact so they won't mind sleeping together, but kingsize futons would be better than bunks. Put a bunch of them in the Ts, give Ramona the L, and open up the living spaces as much as possible. You've seen our rooms. Even on two legs wolves tend to sprawl some. And thanks for the fast work. Now they've become a proper pack we need to get them out of where they are a lot sooner than later, and I imagine you know we've also had the Wyoming authorities making concerned noises."

"Thank Leslie. She did the work. And Mr Hauptman told me about Wyoming — we've let them onsite and shared data, but they need to tick their own boxes."

"Oh yeah. And thanks, SA. It's a big help. Freed Pack are doing well, by the way. Wolf — the Elder Spirit — gave them the sort of knowledge free wolves should have and took them on their first hunt. Still looking gaunt, mind, but a lot better than they were. Detective Willis is trying to find a trauma counsellor who'll take them all on, and Jenny's agreed to represent them legally, so naturalisation and compensation stuff should be copied to her." Westfield nodded. "Oh, and while we were Underhill I met the freed selkies, who were also in far better shape, though on two legs their scars were very clear. It's probable they'll be up for helping with underwater work in clearing the dams, and if so the federal fish budget should be very generous."

There was a silence before Fisher shook her head.

"Always wanted to do something about that fish budget, sir. Underwater work, Ms Hauptman?"

"Yeah. Scoping out the river bottom or herding salmon or something. What do I know about selkies? They felt the need to repay kindness with kindness and I had to think of something useful I wanted three seals to do in a hurry. Go figure."

"Huh. Can you herd salmon?"

Westfield laughed. "Good question, Leslie, but if she can't, selkies and Salmon himself probably can. You really are an education, Ms Hauptman."

"So the man said too, though to me most of it's just pointing out the obvious. Are you keeping Ms Taylor and her crew at that distance?"

"Yes. Secret Service told us to. Camera can zoom in but it keeps the mike out of range."

"Maybe, AED. Who knows how much space the Elder Spirits or Fae will take up? I'll just go and have a word before the fun really starts."

News of the housing cheered me up, though with the Freed Pack in Richland there'd be another media circus to deal with. Caroline would be able to help, but that wasn't a discussion for live TV. Al was tracking me, so I gave a bright smile as I approached, and held out the brownies.

"Hey, Ms Taylor, Mr Hersch, Mr Dilman. I didn't think anyone would have fed you, and it's going to be another long shift for you guys, so I brought you some brownies. And there's a big order from Benny's due early evening, so you could add three to that on your account."

"Thank you, Ms Hauptman. You don't miss a trick." Caroline gave me another stare for my collection. "And you are looking spectacular."

"Cloak'll do that, Ms Taylor, even for me, but I'm wearing it and the feather more for symbolic reasons than vanity." And practical ones, however I didn't expect to need magic again today. "You could call it hostess gear."

"Could I? Anything more you can tell the world, Ms Hauptman? I believe my audience is currently several billion."

"I bet. It's been a pretty interesting day so far. And yeah, there is. Let's see. The President's talking to the Marrok, with the Secretary, and we're expecting Medicine Wolf, Elder Spirits, and Gray Lords starting soon. Airspace closure is so that no-one collides with Baba Yaga's flying mortar or whatever. Secret Service keeps having conniptions, because magic busts their SOP and freaks them out, and because Cantrip had told them a bunch of lies too, but there haven't been any real problems so far. Mr Adelbertsmiter is dealing with some personal business, but he'll be back at Hanford as soon as he can. And in other news, the freed that I've seen, wolf and fae, are doing better than expected, while investigations in Wyoming are moving right along. AED Westfield and SA Fisher have been pretty spectacular themselves with that. Oh, and assuming we do get some kind of treaty or treaties out of all this, there are some cool ideas popping up about the forms interspecies co-operation might take when it comes to re-engineering the Columbia. Strikes me it would make a really good running segment or vlog for KEPR, and making very green engineering a hot ticket seems like a smart idea to me. Lots of Medicine Wolf time, too. Interested?"

Caroline had blinked several times during all that, but nodded fast enough.

"Just slightly, Ms Hauptman. And that's more information than anyone else has given us all day."

"Yeah, I gathered. Security issues, mostly, with some alphabet-soup stonewalling-on-principle. But I want as many of your several billion viewers as possible seriously on board and on side, especially those living in the US, so any political weaselling earns the weasels great big postbags and inboxes a thousand screens deep telling them straight up they just lost their next election. A Yakama Nation medicine man I rate as very wise told me the other day that when you push the world, mostly it pushes back hard enough to squash you, but thanks to Medicine Wolf, and lassoing you on Tuesday, we've pushed the world hard enough this week to move it some, and now we need to keep pushing. Successful negotiations will mean making concessions as well as getting things we want — Fae independence, for sure, and I'd guess that constitutional amendment to protect the rights of preternatural citizens, as well as really cleaning up the Basin. But remember what everyone will be getting, too, from preventing a war with the Fae that humans could not win to timing the Cascadia quake, Hanford, wolf forensics and S&R, and who knows what else? When you start doing the kind of thinking Cantrip was supposed to do, but didn't even attempt, there are all sorts of ways that human technology and preternatural magic can do good things together. We and the FBI started on it in Wyoming, and with some mutual effort and tolerance it works really well. So, US citizens who are watching, keep calling or emailing your federal and state representatives, please, and keep them honest. This one is not for messing with by tying stupid things to its budget or staging hissy-fits to protect personal pork-barrels. Children can write too, and tell anyone being a problem that when they turn 18 that person is going to be out of a job. What's about to happen here is an enormous opportunity, and we need to grab it with both hands."

Just as I ended I felt the first throb of earth magic, and so did Caroline.

"What was that?"

"That was magic, Ms Taylor. I expect Coyote was listening in and knew a good cue when he heard one. Here we go."