by T S Paul
"That's crazy. The copyright laws don't work that way." Bill pointed out.
"The city council would have agreed with you. That was just his first day here. Everything changed after that." Connie Warren reached out and held her husband's hand.
"I can understand if a new owner wants to change things, but what do you mean?" This whole thing puzzled me.
"It's hard to explain properly. Magnus and his new hired hands ran roughshod over everyone around here. He accused us of encroachment on his property, of trespassing on our own property. He went so far as to have the State Police out here to throw us off land that has been in my family for a hundred years. Suddenly, the prices at the feed store increased so high that no one could afford anything. Turns out that Magnus's brother runs a company called Ultra that bought out every feed store for a hundred miles and then shut them all down. I have to drive across the border to get supplies once a month! Then came the problems with the soil." Wally Warren shook his head.
"When did that start? We drove up through the area. It looks like a severe drought hit the place." I waved at the walls.
"Ha! Drought she says. Nobody can explain it. Trust me when I say we tried. It began about two years after Magnus came here. At first, it was just the trees. They all suddenly started to die. I used to have a productive apple orchard out behind the house. Gone now. I had an arborist from the college out here and even a scientist from the Department of Agriculture, but no one could figure this out. There used to be a dozen ranchers and farmers out here. Now it's just the Running Eagles and us. All the rest moved away. Some didn't even try to sell their places. It's all dead. And Magnus? He laughed it away."
"Wasn't his ranch affected too?" Bill glanced at me.
"Nope. Agent Maxwell, that man laughed at all of us when we went to him. His entire property was green and lush, and ours was like a ten-year drought. That was twenty damn years ago. If. If I hadn't had underground wells dug almost ten years before they built that place I might not have anything now. According to Magnus, the Magick of the Unicorns is what keeps him green."
"When you reported this to the State, did you mention the Unicorn Magick thing?" This was getting deeper and deeper into a badger hole. What the hell was going on here?
"The State. Those idiots just laughed at me. It's not the Unicorns doing this to us. Hell, I've got three Unicorns out back. I tried that cure." Warren pointed over his shoulder.
"You have Unicorns? How did you get them?"
"Bought them. Magnus runs an auction once a year. Usually, they are old or not able to breed. He mostly sells them to people that want a parade mount or gift for their kids. That's what I told him they were for, but I just had to know. It's not the Unicorns that are saving his property, it's something else."
I glanced at Bill. "Can we see the Unicorns and your raised bed project?"
Connie looked at her husband, and he shrugged. "I'll have the kids show them to you." She then yelled at the top of her lungs, shocking both Bill and me.
"Sorry. Farmers wives can be loud." Connie smiled when two college age kids came into view. They didn't look to be that much younger than either Cat, or I did.
"Rebecca, this is Agents Maxwell and Blackmore from the FBI. Can you show them the Unicorns and truck garden?" The girl I assumed was Rebecca nodded. The boy next to her looked like a reject from what I thought the 1970s might have been like. Long hair, raggedy clothes, tie-dyed shirt with a headband on his head. This could only be Fred, no last name that Bill said lived here.
The 'kids' led us out the sliding glass door into the backyard. In a small way, it reminded me of part of Grandmother's property. There were outbuildings, barns, and chickens. Just past the main barn was a pen with three Unicorns. We stared at them and they at us.
Rebecca Warren spoke first. "My brother and I named them Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe. At the time, it was our favorite TV show. They don't do much. Just eat and poop. We used some of it for the gardens, but it wasn't any different from regular horse poop."
Rebecca tried calling them over, but the Unicorns just stood there looking at us.
I looked down at my pocket. "Fergus, would you like to try to talk to them? They aren't the whole herd. Maybe you know a couple of them?"
As I watched his tiny head poked out and looked at the pen. "Fine. Whatever. I will try."
I lifted him out and set him on the edge of the fence and stepped back.
Both kids stared at Fergus in amazement. "Is that a Unicorn? How did it get so small?"
Fred came over and peered at Fergus like he was a toy or something. Fergus turned his head and stared back at him. "What's your problem? Never seen a micro-Unicorn before?"
"Holy crap!" Fred fell backward like someone pushed him. "It talks!"
"'It' is standing right here. Go away, I'm working here." Fergus made a little hopping motion and wiggled his tail and head a bit.
All three female Unicorns stepped closer to the fence.
<<<>>>
"Who are you? How did you get so small?" Two of the females spoke in unison to Fergus. The third just followed along not taking her eyes from him.
"A Witch cursed me by accident. My name is Fergus."
"Is it really? We know of a sacrifice by that name. It is told he was punished for breaking the mating rule. The herd stallion himself is said to have given him to the humans." The female speaking was a red mane with wrinkles under her eyes.
"Peter? He actually said that about me?"
The female at the rear stopped when she heard the name 'Peter.' Giving the others a nudge she slipped between them and stared at Fergus. "Fergus? Is that really you?"
"Jewel! What are you doing here?" Fergus looked at his once-upon-a-time girlfriend in shock.
Chapter 9
I was actually surprised when Fergus did what I asked of him. He can be so temperamental about things. My only idea was that he could talk to the Unicorns and get the lay of the land so to speak. To me, it looked as though it was a serious discussion. All three female Unicorns were clustered around him right up next to the fence. Their eyes, ears, hooves, and tails were all in motion. Grandmother told me she suspected that Unicorns were partially telepathic and that they used visual cues to make conversational points. How she got even that much from watching Fergus, I will never know. In some ways, he looked like he was dancing.
Hoping to not disturb him I had to ask. "Fergus, are they talking to you?"
My Unicorn and friend turned his head and spoke to me. "I've got this. Do something constructive like question those two." He pointed toward the two kids that brought us out here with his fore hoof.
Bill who was poking about the edge of the pen suddenly changed direction and backed me up.
Both Warren kids were staring at Fergus as if he was an alien or something. Catching their attention was a bit difficult.
"Excuse me?" Total silence.
"Hello?" Finally, I had to wave my hand in front of their eyes.
"Anyone alive in there?" I peered at the boy known as Fred.
"Sorry dude. Did that Unicorn actually just talk? How come yours does, and ours just stand there pooping?" Fred looked into my eyes.
The girl grabbed Fred by his arm and jerked him closer to her. "Hey! You're supposed to be married to Me! Stop looking at her that way!"
Rebecca Warren stared at her husband with a look that would melt steel.
Bill glanced at me with a look of astonishment on it. I could only shake my head. "He's your husband? Aren't you a little young for that?"
Rebecca blushed, her face heating up. "It was sort of an accident. We were trying to make my boyfriend here at home jealous and sort of got married for real."
"How? Getting married is a bit drastic to make someone jealous, isn't it?" They didn't look much older than High school age to me.
Rebecca sighed and leaned up against the fence. She gave her husband a jerk, and he sat down at her feet. I could see who wore the pants in that relationship.
"I went off to college last year leaving the state for the first time. My boyfriend here in town told everyone we were getting married as soon as I got back. He claimed we had already agreed to it together."
I listened to her while watching Fergus. It was hard to read Unicorn, but he seemed to be jumping around a bit more.
"While at school I met someone. Fred here." Rebecca patted the boy next to her on the shoulder.
"He was the RA for the hall. We started out as just friends. One of my girlfriends here leaked the marriage thing to me just before Thanksgiving. I didn't know what to do. Fred suggested we get married to fake him out. We would play act and pretend. It was dumb. His cousin runs one of those fake chapels in Las Vegas. Since we were at the University of Reno, we stopped by there just before coming here."
I heard a bark of laughter and looked to see Bill covering his mouth. I shook my head at him and smiled. Dumb kids. "You know those chapels aren't fake, right?"
"We know that now. Dummy here forgot to tell his cousin it wasn't real." Rebecca gave her husband a shove.
"You could've gotten it annulled. If it really was an accident." Bill remarked while trying to not laugh.
"But that would have ruined the story we came up with to mess with Travis. It didn't matter anyway. Daddy found out, and it was a big mess. It was too big of a problem to separate. By then the whole family liked Fred much better than Travis, even Grandpa who hates everyone."
Fred, the groom in question, stayed quiet the entire time. I mentally bet myself that if we drug test him right now, he will fail. "Was Fred OK with all that?"
"Sure. He does love me. So how did your Unicorn get so tiny?"
"It was an accident. He was given to me when I was a child and not entirely in control of my Magick. I accidentally made him speak and shrink at almost the same time. This is the first time he's seen other living Unicorns in nearly ten years. He originally came from the Magnus Ranch." I waved in the direction of the Ranch.
"He did? You lucked out then. They kill Unicorns over there." Fred looked up at me as he spoke.
I looked down at him. "What do you mean?"
"We had a farm worker here, Lenny something or other. He told us he used to work for Magnus. They regularly harvest the ones that aren't suited for breeding or aren't the right color. Lenny claimed they sell all the parts to Asia." Fred stood up and put his arm around Rebecca.
"Does Lenny still work here?" I glanced around the farm.
"Nope. He moved on a couple of months ago. Not enough work for him around here. Did you want to see the garden too?" Rebecca looked at the both of us.
"Sure. It is what we came here for. Let me tell Fergus." Turning away I shuddered. Fergus might owe his life to Camilla.
Stepping closer to the fence, I approached Fergus. He was still dancing along the top of the fence. "Fergus?"
The dancing stopped. He turned and stared at me. "We need to go over there and look at the garden. Will you be OK?"
<<<>>>
Fergus looked up at Agatha and nodded. It was all he could do to not start crying right there. "I'll be OK. Thanks, Agatha."
Agatha smiled at him with a surprised look on her face and walked away.
"Since when did you speak Human?" Jewel stared at him.
"I told you about the Witch child. That was her. She gave me language and when trying to fix it, shrank me."
"Humans are harsh and cruel. The elders are wrong." The Unicorn the human's called Monica shook her head and stamped. Fergus learned her real name was Plum. Her mane was a rich purple color.
Fergus looked at her. "My mother always said that tradition weighs out over all including herd politics."
Rachel whose real name was Fern laughed. The other three Unicorns stared at her mouth checking for bugs. Natural Unicorn laughter was similar to a choking sound. "Your mother was wrong little one. I remember you. Always asking 'why' of everyone you met. Getting into fights with Peter and trying to bend the rules whenever possible. She was wrong to encourage you.
"The elders tell stories to keep us all alive. Humans are not to be trusted. Value your life, Fergus. Males are killed first. Your Witch may have wronged you, but she saved your life. Enjoy it." Fern shook her head and trotted over to the other side of the pen.
Fergus watched her go. "Is what she said true?"
Jewel looked at Plum and nodded. "It is. They use you and throw you away. Peter bred me, Fergus. I had a foal a year for ten years. All were taken from me. Like your mother, I was given extra food and a place in the barn by the humans. Peter beat his father in combat and watched as they dragged him off. Only Marion remains. All the other male yearlings of your group are gone now."
"But Peter was Herd Stallion. How is he not in control anymore? My father ruled for years." Fergus danced about on the railing.
"Not that long. I didn't know your Father, but I did know Paul. He didn't listen, and his son killed him for it. Peter met his end the same way. He made Marion and Albert his thirds in the Herd. They both challenged him at the same time. He lost. But so did Albert." Plum nodded at him.
"Marion is Herd Stallion?"
"He was when I was sold. All is not as it seems at home, Fergus. If your human can do anything to help them, let her. But don't trust them! They turn on you in second. Goodbye, Fergus." Jewel nudged Plum, and they both walked over to join Fern at the feed trough.
<<<>>>
The garden was a bust as far as I could tell. Yes, they had records of the crops they grew as well as samples, but it was just dirt. One thing they did get right though. None of the Unicorns gave off any Magickal trace that I could sense. Which was weird because Fergus did. Did my Magick give him powers or did they enhance what was already there? It might explain why blue Unicorns are so rare.
Fergus was still on the fence when we got back to the pen. The other Unicorns were at the farthest point from him and were ignoring him. "You OK, buddy?"
He stared up at me with a strange look on his small face. "Yes. Can we go now?"
"Did you want to say goodbye to them?" I nodded in the direction of the others.
"No. They are finished with me." He stepped onto my outstretched hand and into my pocket he went.
The Warrens were waiting for us by the door. "Are going to help us?"
I looked at the older man. "I seldom lie Mr. Warren. We will figure this out. It's what we do. I'll be in touch."
Bill shook Warren's hand. "Some friendly advice. Get rid of that extra garden out behind the barn. The flowers and smell are a dead giveaway."
Wally Warren stared at Bill in shock as he let go of his hand. Bill smiled. "We aren't the FBN. But if I see it again, I will be honor bound to call them or the sheriff in. Thanks."
I could hear some very harsh whispering followed by yelling as we walked back to the SUV and a very bored Cat. "FBN?"
"Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Didn't you smell it? They had about forty mature marijuana plants growing in a separate garden behind the barn. I will lay money it's the son-in-law's personal stash."
Shaking my head, I answered him. "I didn't have any dealing with them when I was with Jack. Have you worked with them before?"
"Yes. They are an all or nothing Agency. It would not have fared well for that kid or the owner of the property. It won't be there when we come back. If we come back." Bill smiled.
"You Bill Maxwell are a very bad man. Come on, we have one more stop to make." I gave Cat a little wave. She was leaning against the car.
Cat pushed off the side of the SUV and stared at Bill. "She's right. You are a bad man. I can hear a tractor starting up. Those people are all out in the garden yelling at each other. They will have that garden flattened and buried before we even get off their property."
We climbed into the car.
"The Running Eagle property is just the other side of Magnus Ranch. I gave them a call while I was waiting for you. They are expecting us." Cat slid in behind the wheel.
"Thanks, Cat. Di
d you tell them why we want to talk?"
"Only that it was an investigation into the Unicorn deaths and the Warrens mentioned the dying land. As the only other rancher around, we just wanted his comments." Cat glanced at me as she drove. "The husband was out in the fields, but his wife was OK with our visit."