by C. L. Stone
Mr. Blackbourne led the way up the wide front porch steps. The dim porch light barely shed enough of a glow to reveal a tiny doorbell to the right. Mr. Blackbourne pushed at it a few dozen times at random intervals. Random was Academy code. That’s how they worked best.
They waited in the dark. North’s fingers massaged the side of his phone, twitching to check on her.
The sound of footsteps drew his attention to the door. The handle rattled and the door creaked as it swung open. In the doorway was a man about North’s height, with broader shoulders and a two day unshaven mess on his square jaw. Some of the hairs on his chin were turning gray, matching the combed back hair at his temples. The rest of his hair was a dark mass, slick as if he’d just stepped from a shower.
The man squinted out at them. “When you called, I suspected an older group. Not a couple of kids.”
North parted his lips to retort but Mr. Blackbourne spoke up before he could utter a curse. “Mr. Henry Anderson? I’m Owen Blackbourne. This is Mr. North Taylor. We’ve come to ask you ...”
“About a bird,” Henry interrupted. He nodded his head, the shadows from his unshaven face deepening with each nod. “I told you, you probably weren’t going to like this.”
“We need to know.”
He sighed, opening the door further and stepping aside.
North followed Mr. Blackbourne inside the shadowy foyer. The floor was cluttered along the walls with a collection of antique furniture. Useless pieces. There were petite chairs and uncomfortable looking benches, along with tiny tables barely wide enough to hold a vase of flowers. The stairway was more impressive. The railing was old fashioned, like the house, sturdy and not like the spindly ones built into newer homes.
He wondered if Silas and he had time to build a better handrail for the stairs at Sang’s house.
North filed the thought to the back of his mind as he followed Henry through a set of side doors into a library, with a wide marble fireplace, currently lit up with a gentle fire. The room was still oddly cool, and North suspected drafts bringing in the night air.
“Have a seat,” Henry said, motioning to one of the sofas in front of the fireplace.
North waited for Mr. Blackbourne to sit first. He then planted himself next to him, sitting back, his fingers itching over his phone in his pocket.
“Not now,” Mr. Blackbourne muttered his order under his breath.
North resisted the urge to check on Sang. It was a stupid order. What did Henry care what he did with his phone? He would have assumed North was looking at Academy business. Still, North obeyed. He trusted Mr. Blackbourne enough to listen to him without asking why, though he allowed himself to grumble about it.
“I’d offer you boys a drink,” Henry said, sitting down on the sofa opposite them. “But I think all we’ve got in the house is bourbon.”
“That’s not necessary,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “We’d like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind.”
Henry waved his hand in the air. “Ask. I still don’t think you’ll like the answer. No one ever does.”
North flinched. This wasn’t boding well. “Others have come to you about this?” he asked, not meaning to intervene. He was here to listen and take mental notes, because two people recalling details later fared better than one. This was important enough that they should have probably brought Kota as well.
“Do you think you’re the first pair of dogs I’ve had coming to ask me about a bird?” Henry grinned, showing brilliant white teeth. “Of course you think you’ve found a bird you want to adopt.”
“We mean to try for a closed adoption,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
Henry nodded. “Yup. You’ve told her this much and it didn’t scare her off. Now you want to keep her. Maybe set her up for training, possibly let her join sometime in the future. A bird in an all dog squad. How in the world is it done?”
“You’ve done it,” North said, not liking Henry’s tone, as if he knew their group already. He didn’t often meet other Academy members this way. Usually they were introduced formally by groups they were already in partnership with. Not all personalities get along, so it isn’t a good idea to have clashing groups working together.
“Yes, we’ve done it.” Henry frowned. “We’ve done it, and I don’t regret it, but I know for sure every other group who has come to me and asked for this secret has always failed.”
“Why does it fail?” Mr. Blackbourne asked before North could protest.
“Because it isn’t natural. Normal. Well no, I shouldn’t say that. We’re not normal, after all.” He flashed another smile. “Most of the time they’re young, like you. They don’t know shit about birds. Most of the time the bird flies the coop. The rest ... well ... it’s a dog that runs off with the bird. They opt to join a couple team. And you know how much the Academy loves couple teams.”
Couple teams were rare, too. It was also one of the only other boy/girl team options available. If everyone in a dog group had a bird pair, it was often the birds that didn’t get along. Trust still became an issue.
“Why don’t you just tell us what we’re looking at?” North asked, tired of the games. He’d promised Sang he’d be back soon, and this was taking way longer than he’d expected. He wanted to keep his promise to sleep.
“What you’re looking at,” Henry said, tensing his back in a stretch, “is something you won’t like, and I’m worried you won’t believe me. Or possibly hit me for suggesting it. It’s hard to tell. Especially with the religious groups. They hated it.”
“Mr. Anderson,” Mr. Blackbourne said, using a hint of command to refocus the conversation. “How did your group succeed in convincing the Academy to grant your bird into an all dog team on a closed adoption, and further, as an official member?”
Henry grinned again, baring his teeth. “Which one of you loves her?”
North tucked his head back at hearing this. “What the hell does it matter?”
“I want to know which one is going to try to hit me. It’s you, isn’t it?”
“Mr. Anderson,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Please?”
Henry frowned. He nodded toward the mantle. “See that?”
North snapped his head toward the fireplace. The white marble mantle held a collection of photographs on top of it. North stood, crossing the room, looking at smiling faces. Four men with one woman. It was the same woman in every photograph, with blue eyes and blond hair, and a body only Sang rivaled. She had a harsh look to her face, her mouth was smiling but she’d been through a lot and it haunted every picture. The haunted smile was something she also shared with Sang. “There’s just pictures. Of you and her and, I guess, the rest of your team.”
Henry nodded. “Yes. Us. Our team. And no one else.”
North spun around, confused.
Mr. Blackbourne was still sitting on the couch, wearing a curious look but not amused. North knew this look. When it came to family business, their team operated in frankness, not games. “Maybe you should tell us what we’re missing. This is why we’re here, after all. We want our bird to join our team.”
“Are you ready to make that commitment?” Henry asked. “You’re both really young. There’s lots of girls out there.”
“Not like her,” North muttered.
Henry snapped his fingers, pointing at North. “I knew it. You do love her.” He motioned to the couch again. “Stand behind that thing so I know you’re not going to hit me.”
North frowned and was tempted to hit him anyway, but Mr. Blackbourne shot him a wordless command. Obey so maybe he’d shut up and get on with it.
North circled the sofa, crossing his arms over his chest. This had better be good.
Henry beamed. “But notice how it’s always her. No other girls.”
“So you’re saying if we’re a bunch of dogs and we adopt a bird, we can’t bring another bird in?” Mr. Blackbourne asked.
“That’s half right. Yes. One bird.” Henry leaned in, sitting on the edge of the couch
. He pointed a finger at his knee in a repeated motion to make his point. “One girl. Not more. Everyone in your group has to agree. No more birds.”
“You mean brought into the group?” Mr. Blackbourne asked. “Officially?”
Henry grinned, glancing back at North. “I mean in any capacity. In or out of the group.”
North shoved a couple of fingers over his eyebrow, rubbing. “What are we supposed to do? Become monks?"
Henry shook his head, smirking. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
“Maybe you can clear that up for us,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “What are we missing here?”
Henry twisted his lips, he pointed to a spot beyond North’s shoulder. “Look over there.”
North spun, ready to bellow at the guy for playing another game. Was Henry worried he was going to stare at him too hard?
The bookshelf behind him also contained pictures. These were different; in silver frames instead of lacquered wood. It was the same woman, the same blue eyes, the same haunted smile. They were wedding photos.
And in each was one of the different dogs in a tuxedo. He checked and rechecked the different photos, the dots not connecting for several minutes.
They weren’t the same wedding. They were separate weddings.
Their bird had married all the dogs.
“What is this shit?” North barked before he could stop himself. He turned on Henry, gesturing toward the photos. “What are you saying? We all have to marry her?”
“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. Our bird wanted to.”
North’s mouth popped open. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Henry leaned forward again, the grin gone. “The only way to keep a bird in an all dog group is if all the dogs are happy with her. When they all love her, that’s when she can be official without a problem.”
North blanked out, staring off at the fireplace. Henry was full of shit. That doesn’t happen. That can’t be the way it works.
“You mean it’s the way your team decided to handle it. It’s the way it worked for you,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
“I’m telling you, it’s the only way it works.”
“You couldn't have all married her,” North said, calling on his bullshit. “It’s not legal.”
“She didn’t care about that,” Henry said, shaking his head. “She just wanted the show. We did it for our families. We never officially did anything. The state still knows her by her maiden name.”
North pushed his fingers together at the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache building. “So your answer is everyone in your group agrees to ...” He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t say the words.
“Love her or lose her,” Henry said. “It’s all or nothing. Everyone falls in love with her and she falls in love with everyone.” Henry leaned in again. “How strong is your bond with your team? Are you really willing to share everything you have? Even if it includes her?”
North felt the start of a growl in his throat. It wasn’t what he was saying, it was the way he was saying it. Challenge dripped from his words, not only about how he felt about Sang, but how he felt about his family. “We share her now.”
“But not like this, I bet. And you still have to make sure she loves all of you. A couple of dog groups got close, but when she figured out what was going on and what they were trying to do to her, she flipped out on them. Said it wasn’t normal. Said she was in love with one and not the others.” He laughed, shaking his head. “No, it’s a once in a million years thing. The Academy fought us every step. They tested us for ages. They were sure we were simply young and stupid and we’d eventually get jealous of each other.”
“How did it happen? Were you told to do this? Did you know what you were doing?”
Henry shook his head. “Of course not. We were an all dog team trying to bring in a girl from a broken home. We requested adoption and put in a request for extra time with her. She was hurt bad by her family. We didn’t want to scar her. It was unusual circumstances.”
“But how did you realize that was the right way?”
Henry’s slight grin reappeared. “It was all of our mistakes. What we thought of later; how we had been mistaken. We told ourselves we wouldn’t touch her. No one goes near her. Not in that way. That was the rule.”
North swallowed. That sounded familiar.
“Murphy’s Law I guess. Tell someone not to fall in love with someone else, and they do it anyway. Only, by the time we figured out the others were in love with her, we were neck deep in an assignment we couldn’t get out of. And she was at the heart of it.”
“What did you do?” Mr. Blackbourne asked.
He couldn’t be serious. North was sure he was asking to humor the man. He couldn’t really be considering this.
“We had to come to an agreement. At first we’d all vie for her attention. Whichever one she said she loved, that one would run off with her. What we didn’t know, was she already loved us. All of us.” He frowned. “And it tore her apart to tell us. She kept it to herself. She thought we wouldn’t believe her. She was sure we’d kick her out for daring to suggest it. She tried to encourage us to date other girls. Of course we weren’t listening, but sometimes we said we did just to make her happy. Only she wasn’t happy.”
“And now?” Mr. Blackbourne asked. “You’re all still together.”
Henry nodded. “Yes. We’re still together. We still work for the Academy. She’s still here. She’ll never leave us and we’ll never leave her. And that’s the only way it works. Share her or lose her.” He gazed over the back of the couch at North. “How much do you love your bird, Mr. Taylor? What happens when Mr. Blackbourne here tells you one day he loves her, too? Do you care enough about him and her to not let it bother you? Knowing she loves you both?”
“Did anything else help?” Mr. Blackbourne asked, cutting North off before he could open his mouth with a response. “
Henry grinned. “You’re talking like you’re already okay with this and you can’t wait to get started.” He sighed, his shoulders shifting up. “I can tell you how to avoid problems. Rule one, split your time equally. I don’t mean when you’re together and with the others. I mean if you’re dating her, Monday, let someone else date her Tuesday. It creates bad vibes when you take her over for a week. I mean sometimes that’s okay, but don’t think you can keep her to yourself for too long. And in a way, it’s a good thing with us. When she comes back to me, she’s missed me and it helps our relationship to grow.”
“So schedules are important.”
“Right. And don’t let her neglect the others, either. It’s easy for her to get cozy with one or two and forget to pay attention to the others. Whoever she’s with, she’ll try to make that one happy.”
“What else?”
Henry sat back again, rubbing at his chin. “Let’s see. I think it would be easier if everyone agreed from it right from the start. Right when you find out someone else loves her. Bring that one in on your plan. That way, there’s no hurt feelings ahead of time when someone discovers her kissing one of the others somewhere.” He smiled. “We were real idiots back then. Oh, the fights we had about that.”
“Should we tell her?”
“Mr. Blackbourne,” North uttered. He’d heard enough. He was crazy! It could never work. Could he ever share her with all of them? Did he love her so much that he could look the other way if he ever saw her kissing Kota? Or Silas? He didn’t mind her sitting in their laps. He had thought once maybe he should have, but he didn’t know how he felt about her and she was so scared all the time, that he didn’t care who she sat with. If he couldn’t be there for her, he was glad Luke or Nathan or the others held on to her.
But kissing her? Or saying they loved her? Going that far?
Henry had been right. It was impossible.
He didn’t even know if she loved him back yet.
Henry laughed. “I think you should wait to find out if your team can handle this or not. Until t
hen, you really shouldn’t lead her on. I mean, don’t be unfriendly to her. Try to win her over and do nice things with her. Just don’t take it too far. I think the best way is to get her to admit she loves you first. Then you know.”
That sounded familiar, too.
Mr. Blackbourne tilted his head back. “So we tell each team member that the only way to keep our bird with us would be if everyone loves her. But we only tell them this when we’re sure that person has fallen for her.”
“Right. It has to be all or nothing. Not unless you want to tear your group apart. I would make it a vote. When you figure out you love her and are willing to sacrifice exclusivity, you should put that vote in. When all votes are accounted for, when you all agree you can share her, then swoop in on her and show her you love her. Well maybe not all at once. Do it gently.”
“And we have to approach the Academy managers with this information?”
“You tell them you all love her, and can prove it, and that she loves you. Then ask to bring her into your group. If you try to do it before, and sometimes even after, other groups are going to get curious and come check her out. And believe me when I say, that when other dog groups hear about this, they’re going to want to talk to her, to sniff her out and try to bribe her away.”
“She wouldn’t leave us,” North said.
“You better make sure before you set your heart on it.” Henry extended an arm across the back of the couch. “How many are in your group anyway?”
“Nine,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
Henry’s eyes widened and he nearly choked. “You’re shitting me. Nine? And one bird? I thought you had three, maybe four or five. Nine?” He shook his head. “No. You guys are crazy. This will never work for you.”
“What we needed to know was how,” Mr. Blackbourne said, standing. “You’ve been very helpful. Could we call you with follow-up questions?”
“Hell, yeah. If you actually try, I want to hear about it. Don’t come back crying when it doesn’t work out, though. I’ve warned you.”