SIX

"Bureaucracy demon?" Piper questioned annoyance in her voice. "Bureaucracy demons have the Book of Shadows?"

"That's what I was able to learn," said Peter. "Bureaucracy demons are different from other kinds of demons. First of all . . . ."

"Yeah, we're familiar with them," said Phoebe. "We've had dealings with them in the past. I'm kind of surprised you know about them, though. Considering that you seem to go out of your way to avoid demons."

"I'm a lawyer," said Peter. "When I represented demons in the human court system it was necessary for me to be licensed in the Other World court system as well. In case anything I was handling for a demon also came up in the Other World court. It happens sometimes and it allows a lawyer to represent his client in both the human court and in the Other World court."

"I thought you didn't have dealings with the Underworld?" Paige asked.

"I don't," said Peter. "And I've never represented a demon in the Other World court. I've always insisted they find another attorney for that. But the rules say that in order to represent demons in the human courts I also have to be licensed in the Other World court. I've always considered it a necessary evil."

"But you don't represent demons any more," said Phoebe. "Why would you keep your Other World law license."

"Like most licenses," said Peter, "they're issued for specific periods of time. I hadn't intended to renew mine when it expired but it's still in force for a while. But when I was issued the license I had to deal with bureaucracy demons. And every time I had to renew the license. Believe me, I only dealt with them when I had to. Most mainstream demons avoid them whenever possible."

"I can understand that," said Paige. "They can be infuriating."

"What are these bureaucracy demons?" Victor asked. "You've never mentioned them before."

"They're insidious little creatures that only care about their regulations and their paperwork," said Piper. "Do you remember when you decided to get a place in San Francisco? All the annoying little details you had to go through that the real estate agent insisted you attend to that seemed to drive you crazy?"

"Oh, boy do I," said Victor. "She was absolutely unyielding."

"Well, she was probably a bureaucracy demon," said Phoebe.

"You mean I had to deal with a demon to get my place?" Victor asked.

"Not just that," said Paige. "Your drivers license, the phone company, the I.R.S., even immigration. The way Leo and Cole explained it most bureaucracies are comprised of bureaucracy demons."

"I never imagined," said Victor.

"Which explains how a demon could take the book out of the manor," said Phoebe. "Cole once told us that bureaucracy demons were really demons in the traditional sense. They aren't either good or evil. They're morally neutral. Since they aren't really evil the Book of Shadows wouldn't consider them a threat. They could simply walk in and pick the book up whenever they wanted."

"Wait a minute," said Piper. "Remember when Elbert came here the first time? When we went to see Tazak, I think his name was? He was going to institute a bureaucracy demon policy that no bureaucracy demon could get the book. It was supposed to be off limits to them."

"Who's Elbert?" Victor asked.

"He's harmless," said Paige. "One of his superiors sent him to get the Book of Shadows a while back."

"Yeah," said Phoebe. "He shimmered in while I was taking a bath. But Paige is right. He's mostly harmless. He's kind of inept for a demon but he means well. And Piper is right. Tazak said he was going to put the book off limits to all bureaucracy demons."

"And if I remember correctly," said Paige, "Elbert said that Tazak had all ready instituted that policy."

"It appears that some bureaucracy demon has disregarded that policy," said Phoebe.

"I doubt that," said Leo. "It's not in the nature of bureaucracy demons to ignore regulations. In fact, it's one of the things that define what they are. A bureaucracy demon would no sooner violate one of their rules than one of you would kill an innocent for no reason. It's just not in their nature."

"Maybe this Tazak changed the policy," suggested Victor. "Some bureaucracies just seem to love to change policies usually without any forewarning or reason."

"I suppose that's possible," said Leo. "Word about our 'deaths' has certainly circulated by now. It's possible that when news of our 'deaths' reached Tazak he decided it was his chance to get the book. He did tell us he was very interested in getting the book for the Underworld."

"Who is this Tazak?" Peter asked.

"He's some kind of senior bureaucracy demon," said Piper. "Elbert worked for him for a while. He was the one who sent Elbert to get the book initially."

"Well, if Tazak did change his policy he's going to be very sorry," said Piper. "We told him if he ever sent anyone after the book again we'd bind Elbert to him forever. And that we'd send Work Gnomes to bureaucracy headquarters. He's going to regret ever sending one of his minions here to steal the Book of Shadows."

"And reveal to the entire Underworld that you're still alive," said Peter. "I don't think you really want to do that."

"Oh, yeah," said Piper. "There is that, isn't there? Well, any suggestions what we do about the situation?"

"I don't think this Tazak changed any policy," said Peter. "From what I've learned there was some talk about the demon who took the book. That he had violated some bureaucratic rule and that not even the bureaucratic hierarchy was doing anything about it."

"I thought you said that bureaucracy demons didn't violate their rules and regulations?" Piper questioned of Leo.

"That's always been my understanding," said Leo. "I've never heard of one ever doing it."

"Well, that's the really strange part," said Peter. "Apparently the rumors floating around make some claim that this bureaucracy demon doesn't necessarily have to follow policies. Something about being senior in rank to even the bureaucratic council. Apparently he's only bound by bureaucratic law. Since as you've explained this is a policy, if he was senior to the bureaucracy demon who instituted it, he wouldn't be bound by it. A subordinate can't tell his superior what to do."

"Okay, so who's higher in rank than a senior bureaucracy demon?" Paige asked. "This bureaucracy council you mentioned?"

"It depends on how high up this Tazak is," said Peter. "I do know that the bureaucratic council the senior level for bureaucracy demons. Above them there's only the Source of All Evil. It's actually kind of humorous, really. Some of the rumors floating around claim that the bureaucracy demon who took the book was actually the new Source and as such is not bound even by bureaucratic law."

"Elbert," said Piper, Phoebe and Paige in unison.