by Anne Bishop
They watched Steve consider the implications, and saw the moment when he understood, as they did, that the shape of Thaisia was about to change.
“What about radio?” Steve asked. “What about television? Those are forms of communication.”
“If used with care, those forms of communication probably will remain intact,” Vlad said.
“All right.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll head to the River Road Community now and make sure all the people working on the houses get everything closed down and secure. We’re using the old industrial building to store supplies except for food. Oh, and a couple of the new residents arrived yesterday. A Roy Panthergard? I gather he’s an enforcer for the community?”
“He’ll deal with problems if any come up,” Simon said vaguely. Steve could figure out for himself the end result of a problem meeting Roy’s claws. “Who else arrived?”
“Two pairs. They both said they were Lynxgard, but then one pair said they were Bobcats and the other said they were Lynxes.”
“A gard name can be specific to one form, but sometimes it serves as an umbrella for terra indigene who took their forms from related animals,” Vlad explained. “Beargard includes all kinds of bear forms. Panthergard includes what humans would call panthers, cougars, mountain lions, jaguars, leopards, and probably a few more names.”
“Good to know.” Steve stepped away from the counter. “I’ll be in touch.”
They waited until they heard the back door close.
“First come the storms,” Simon said. “Then come the Elders.”
“Then comes death,” Vlad finished. “There won’t be much mercy, if any.”
“How much mercy did the humans show when they killed so many of the Wolfgard in the Midwest and Northwest? How much mercy did they show when they attacked us here? Or when they dropped bombs on the terra indigene who watched the borders of Cel-Romano?”
“And that’s how we should behave?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to be that human. We can’t protect everyone in Lakeside from the storms or the Elders, but we can try to protect the human pack. If we bring them into the Courtyard, the Elders might leave them alone.”
“Some members of that pack have connections with humans who want nothing to do with us. Do we let in a potential enemy in order to protect a friend?”
“No. If anyone in the human pack can’t accept that, then that’s their choice.” The phone rang. Simon growled at it.
“The call might be about an order. We still get orders from the terra indigene.”
Good point. He picked up the phone. “Howling Good Reads. Yes, I am. Yes, I remember who you are.” He must have started growling, because Vlad poked him. “Stay there. We’ll come and get you.” He hung up and turned on his friend. “Don’t poke me.”
“Just trying to help.” Vlad tapped the phone. “Who wants a ride?”
“Agent Greg O’Sullivan. And Lieutenant Montgomery’s pack. I’ll go with Blair and pick them up at the train station.”
“I’ll call the lieutenant—and ask Captain Burke to drop by for a quiet word.” Vlad started toward the stock room and the stairs, then stopped. “Do you know where Michael Debany is now?”
“He was working at the Green Complex’s garden. Might still be there or heading this way to get ready for work.” Simon tried to stifle excitement as he added, “He is riding a bicycle to and from the garden.”
He had no interest in learning to ride a bicycle, but he really wanted to chase one. On foot, humans weren’t fast enough to be fun play-prey. Except Meg, but that was a different kind of chase game. But the bicycle . . .
That game would have to wait.
“Why do you want him?”
“I have something to discuss with him on Tolya’s behalf,” Vlad replied.
They walked out the back door together, stopping long enough to tell Merri Lee that she was minding the store for a while. Then Vlad shifted to smoke and headed for the Green Complex while Simon waited for Blair to bring a van around.
When a pack got too big, it was hard to bring down enough game to feed everyone. Problem was, their numbers were swelling with two-legged predators who wouldn’t be much good at bringing down meat.
They would have to earn their keep, just like everyone else in the Courtyard. This not working in the summer was a strange idea. You had to eat in the summer, same as in every other season. That required work.
Couldn’t tell yet if the storm that would hit Lakeside would come across the Great Lakes or swing in from the storm coming up the East Coast—or both. No way to tell how much time they had left to bring in supplies.
While he waited for Blair, he dashed into the Liaison’s Office to tell Meg that she and the female pack needed to order the schoolbooks today. With a bit of luck, they would receive some of them before the storms—and the Elders—arrived.
• • •
Vlad shifted to human form and waited for Michael Debany to notice him before approaching the garden.
There was that delicious moment when both hearts beat faster, and prey and predator recognized each other for what they were. But with the human pack, it really was just a moment before recent experience quieted generations of instinct.
“Hi,” Debany said. “It’s looking good, don’t you think?”
Vlad didn’t see anything different from yesterday in terms of edible food, but he nodded. “It is, yes. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” Debany pulled a towel and water bottle out of a small pack. He drank deep, then poured some water over his face and wiped it off. “What’s up?”
Casual. Trusting. At least trying to be those things.
“You have a sister.”
“Yes, I do.” The voice was still casual, but the eyes were wary.
“She likes animals.”
“She does. She has enough schooling to qualify as a veterinarian’s assistant. The family couldn’t afford to pay for more schooling, so she came home to find some work and save up to continue later. She was looking to work with animals as a job. Practical experience and a paycheck, you know?”
The same could be said for younger members of a Courtyard. “Has she ever considered living out west?”
“Don’t think she’s ever said, but with all that’s happened, I wouldn’t want her to go out there.”
“Even if her safety was assured as best it could be?”
“Meaning?”
“We can’t be responsible if she sticks her hand in a hole and is bitten by a rattlesnake. But the not-edible rule would apply.” Vlad studied Debany’s face. Police stance. Listening but no longer reacting. “Tolya Sanguinati is now in charge of a town called Bennett.”
“I’ve heard of it.” Flat voice.
“Then you also know there are no longer any human residents.”
A nod.
“There are, however, surviving house animals that need care, as well as the other animals that were left behind. Sanguinati and Wolfgard are on their way to Bennett, as well as some other forms of terra indigene. Some Intuits are also on their way to help run the businesses that are needed to support that train station. There wouldn’t be many humans like herself there, at least not in the beginning, but it would be an opportunity to do the kind of work you say she wants to do.”
“Who’s looking after the animals now?”
“I don’t know. Whoever is in town that day, I think.”
Debany rubbed the towel over his face. “I’ll tell her about it. Has to be her choice.”
A reminder to me or you? Vlad thought. “Well, we don’t need an answer until we get through these storms.” And find out what’s left of Thaisia when they’re done.
• • •
“Thanks for coming to
get us,” Greg O’Sullivan said when Simon walked over to the chairs at the train station where the ITF agent guarded four females.
Simon almost told him that Blair needed to come to the station anyway to pick up some things they had ordered for the Courtyard, but that might make it sound like the humans were extra luggage, so he said, “It’s fine.”
The oldest female stood. She was short and thin, with brown skin and brown eyes, and her short curly hair was more tarnished silver than black. The other adult female was younger, and had black hair and brown skin, but her eyes were a clear, startling green.
O’Sullivan made the introductions. “This is Twyla Montgomery, her daughter, Sierra, and the girls are Carrie and Bonnie. Ladies, this is Simon Wolfgard, leader of the Lakeside Courtyard.”
“Can we call you Wolfie?” the girl with the missing front tooth asked.
“You can call him Mr. Wolfgard or Mr. Simon, same as you would any other grown-up,” Twyla said.
She didn’t raise her voice or threaten, but she subdued the pup and left no doubt that question wouldn’t be asked again.
Simon was impressed—and hopeful there was now someone who could keep the human puppies in line without biting them. “What should we call you?”
“Twyla will do.”
Maybe. He’d see what Lieutenant Montgomery said about that.
Humans were starting to notice them, and it wasn’t smart to linger. Simon grabbed a couple of the carryalls piled around the females and tried to remember the things humans asked about travel. “Did you have a good trip?”
“It was just fine once we got seats,” Twyla replied. “We’d probably still be sitting in the station at Hubbney if Agent O’Sullivan hadn’t stepped in.”
“Oh?” Simon looked at O’Sullivan, who was also carrying a couple of bags that weren’t his own. Simon knew this because one carryall was black; the other two were bright pink and smelled like the little females.
“There has been some trouble with trains running out of Toland, so everyone is being funneled through Hubb NE,” O’Sullivan replied in a quiet voice. “Now that trains aren’t running after dark, to avoid incidents, there is a backlog of passengers, and those who could afford to ‘upgrade’ their ticket were being given the seats. Ms. Montgomery and her family had already been sitting at the Hubbney station for a full day when I arrived to catch the train to Lakeside. When I heard her son was a police officer, I stepped in and gave the railway a choice of putting us in the executive car or having me shut down the station while the ITF investigated the preferential treatment of some passengers over others.”
Simon smiled. “You have teeth, O’Sullivan, even if you are human.”
“Thanks.”
They packed the van with cargo and carryalls and humans. As he settled into the front passenger seat, Simon heard the distant sound of thunder.
• • •
Meg opened the gate and slipped inside Henry’s yard. Nathan was still in the Liaison’s Office, and Jake was perched on the wall between the delivery area and the yard, so she’d have plenty of warning if a truck pulled in.
She hurried up to the studio door and tapped on the frame. “Henry? Can I come in?”
The Grizzly stepped away from one of his sculptures and gave her a quizzical look. “When have you needed to ask?”
She went in and sat on the bench where she could watch him work without getting in the way.
“I’m glad you came. I wanted to show you this.” Henry picked up a piece of wood and came over to sit beside her. “What do you think?”
Not finished yet, but she could make out a tree in the center. In each corner of the box, touching some of the branches, was something that represented each of the seasons. “It’s wonderful. This is the lid for the box to hold the prophecy cards?”
He nodded. “When it’s time, you can help me stain the pieces. That way the wood will get to know you.”
She ran her fingers gently over the wood. “I’d like that.”
He took the lid and set it aside. “What’s on your mind, Meg?” He waved aside her excuse before she made one. “You wouldn’t come to visit during your work time if you didn’t want to talk while everyone else was occupied—and with the new visitors, everyone is occupied.”
“Henry? How much human is too human?”
In human form, Henry was a big man with shaggy brown hair and brown eyes, but he didn’t feel human. At least, not when she’d first met him. Now? Was it just that she’d gotten used to him, or had he lost some of the wildness in these past few months?
“That depends on who you ask,” he replied.
“The terra indigene who no one talks about. The really dangerous ones. Well, you’re dangerous too, but . . .” She stopped, afraid she’d insulted him. Then she pressed on, because she had to know. “Simon has brought more humans to the Courtyard. It’s Lieutenant Montgomery’s family, so it’s a kind thing to do, but will they think he’s becoming too human because he’s spending so much time with humans? Are you at risk? Did I cause this?”
Henry leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. His expression went from puzzlement to amusement as he slowly shook his head. “Have you been saving up these questions, Meg?”
“You think it’s funny?”
“Funny? No. Amusing?” He tipped a hand back and forth. “There is always a danger of taking too much from a form, but I imagine that’s been true since the first terra indigene took the form of another predator in order to study its way of hunting and become an even better hunter than the original animal. But humans are an odd kind of predator, and most of what they fight over among themselves . . .” He shrugged. “Yes, we’ve become more entangled with humans, and not just in Lakeside. Yes, there’s a risk that we’ll become too involved in their concerns and forget who we are and what our own kind need. But I don’t think Simon will become too human, not in any bad way. You know why?”
Meg shook her head.
Henry smiled. “Because you won’t let him.”
She sat back and sighed. “Tess is kind of cranky.”
“Tess is Tess.”
“Do you think the Courtyard will still be able to buy those apartment buildings across the street?”
“We have bought them. The humans have to do their paperwork, but that’s a formality and should be completed anytime now.”
“Until then, where do we put everyone?” In the compound where she had been raised, every girl had her own cell. She didn’t have a training image that would help her visualize many people crammed into a room to sleep, even temporarily.
“Meg? You take your quiet time whenever you need it. You’re not responsible for Lieutenant Montgomery’s pack; he is.”
“Well, I’m not going to make the mistake of showing them the ponies!”
Henry’s booming laugh rang out. “As if Jester would let you near the Pony Barn with small humans after the last time.”
She’d made mistakes when she’d taken Lizzy to see the ponies. She had no reason to believe the other little girls would react the same way and want to ride the Elementals’ steeds, but she wasn’t going to take that chance.
They heard Jake cawing.
“Sounds like I have a delivery.” Meg stood. “Thanks, Henry. I like the box.”
She hurried out of the studio, ran the length of the yard, dashed out the gate, and rushed into the back room of the Liaison’s Office. She reached the front counter in time to see the deliveryman getting back into his truck. The packages and her clipboard, with the information filled in, were on the counter.
She took the packages into the sorting room, then turned on the radio. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been listening to the weather report when she realized that Tess had come in.
Meg tipped her head to indicate Tess’s coiling green and red hair. “You’re feeling tense.”
“So are you.” Tess looked pointedly at Meg’s arm, where her fingers were digging into skin. “Are you feeling prickles?”<
br />
More than that. Worse than that. “I haven’t made a cut in a few days.”
“It won’t tell us anything.”
“It could tell us if we’ll survive.”
Tess gave her a long look. “No, I don’t think it will this time.”
• • •
Simon led Captain Burke and Agent O’Sullivan upstairs to HGR’s second floor. “Vlad is checking e-mails, so we’ll talk in the office where he can hear us. Unless we should wait for Lieutenant Montgomery?” He felt restless and didn’t want to wait. You could dig a den in the earth to escape a bad storm or hide from fire if you couldn’t outrun it. But you could drown in that same den if the storm brought a flood or if the packed earth collapsed and trapped you inside. Shifters like him weren’t the target of the storms, but they were going to get hit just the same.
“No, the lieutenant needs some time with his family,” Burke replied. “I’ll relay the information to him once he gets everyone settled in the duplex.”
How could he tell these humans that he would try to save some but he couldn’t risk trying to save others who belonged to the same pack?
Simon studied Burke. “The Courtyard will be a safe place during the storms. If Lieutenant Montgomery’s pack is denning too far away, he might not be able to bring them here in time.”
“My duplex isn’t that far away. Besides, you’ve already taken in more people than you can comfortably fit,” Burke said.
“There aren’t enough individual dens for the newcomers to have their own place here,” Simon agreed. “But there are beds above the social center that could be used for sleeping and temporary shelter. And humans sleep on the floor sometimes. Kowalski has a puffy blanket for sleeping on the ground.”
“You’re pussyfooting around.”
Simon stepped back, insulted. “I’m a Wolf. I do not have pussy feet!”
O’Sullivan laughed.
Burke smiled, but the smile quickly faded. “You’re offering shelter to humans? Why?”