“That’s right,” Natividad said, looking a little stunned.
“I will fight,” said Amira, fiercely. “I can fight.”
“So,” said Keziah, smiling proudly at her sister.
A sudden violent surge of jealousy surprised Alejandro. He had no little black dog brother or sister. He had fought against black dog callejeros beside Papá – it would be like that, fighting with a little brother, only different. He found himself struggling against a sudden desperate longing for his father, for the absolute certainty of his childhood, the certainty that nothing could defeat his father, that nothing could defeat the two of them together. That had been a false certainty. He longed for it now. He said harshly, not looking at Keziah or Amira, “We will need everyone. Ezekiel… you may not know, but he is acting. He’s tired and hurt. All this smooth-killer thing, right now at least part of it is una farsa, a part. A role. I don’t know how much.”
“Ezekiel Korte is injured?” Keziah inquired, straightening.
“I’m sure it’s nothing but a scratch,” Natividad said in an extremely bland tone. “Isn’t that right, ‘Jandro?”
Alejandro glared at her. He wanted Papá, and instead he had Ezekiel. He snarled, “Oh, you are worried for him?”
Natividad glared back at him. “It’s not like that!”
“Alright!” said Miguel, holding up his hands. “Whatever it’s like or not like, don’t we have other things to think about that are almost as important? Natividad, see Grayson, will you? That’s important. OK?”
“Sí, creo que si,” Natividad agreed, though not happily.
“And, uh, Keziah,” Miguel flushed when he said her name, “can go with you, maybe, in case Grayson will listen better to a black dog, alright?” He said earnestly to Keziah, “And Grayson will really like seeing you with Natividad, don’t you think?”
This was true, though Alejandro hadn’t thought of it until his brother said so. He didn’t like it, though. But Keziah didn’t meet his warning stare. She was looking at the way Natividad sat with her arm still around Amira’s shoulders. At the way Amira had tucked herself against Natividad’s side. She said, “He will like that. And he will listen to me.”
Alejandro thought of the way she had said I will like your sister because of mine. He said reluctantly, “Alright. Go, then.”
There was a short pause. Then Miguel said, “Well, um, good, then. OK.” He turned to Alejandro, “And while the girls are working on Grayson, you and me, we’ll slip downstairs and explain what’s going on to Thaddeus and make sure he gets which side his bread is buttered on, you know? Because Grayson’s going to come across como muy feroz, isn’t he, and Thaddeus is too strong to take that. Isn’t that true? Everyone’s been saying how strong he is. But it really would be best for him and his family to be Dimilioc, isn’t that right? I mean, por supuesto, as long as we win.”
“Sí,” Alejandro agreed, not very happily. “But you know, Ezekiel said very clearly I wasn’t to talk to Thaddeus. Don’t muddy the waters, he said. I guess it’s clear what he meant. If Grayson finds out–”
“We’ll be quick, we’ll be careful, if Grayson finds out, we’ll manage–”
“If Grayson finds out, if he’s angry, this was my idea–”
Miguel made an impatient gesture of agreement. “Alright! I don’t think it matters, but alright. But you know if Thaddeus doesn’t get anything but threats and black dog posturing from Grayson, then he’ll promise anything and mean nothing and turn on Dimilioc the first chance he gets – and if he’s smart, either he’ll find a chance or he’ll make one. So, we have to make him want to be Dimilioc. Grayson will understand that, too,” said Miguel. “Eventually.” He jumped to his feet and stood looking at Alejandro expectantly.
“How do you talk me into these things?” muttered Alejandro. But he also got to his feet.
They took sandwiches downstairs. The sandwiches were Miguel’s idea. It was a clever idea: obviously Thaddeus and DeAnn and the boy would have to eat something, and obviously this need wasn’t important enough to bother any of the senior black wolves about, and the sandwiches would provide an excuse for going downstairs in case Grayson did catch them disobeying his order not to talk to the prisoners. When Miguel picked up the platter, Alejandro thought, last chance to say no, this is estúpido, this is peligroso, we should talk to Grayson, not try to go behind his back.