Vision in Silver(205)

            The Elemental looked at her. “Many things. But not here.”

            The snow fell faster and the fog got thicker. No sign of Air and Tornado now, but Meg had the feeling they weren’t that far away. And it was obvious Air wasn’t going to call off the ponies.

            Meg raised her voice. “I guess nobody wants a sugar lump today.”

            Snow instantly stopped falling. Fog began to dissipate as the ponies, including Tornado, hustled to the delivery door and got in line, with Thunder in his usual lead position.

            “Whew,” Meg said. “I was worried that I was going to have to eat all that sugar by myself.” Smiling, she raised a hand in greeting to Lieutenant Montgomery. After a moment’s hesitation, he returned the greeting before he followed Captain Burke and the stranger into the consulate.

            Meg filled the baskets with mail, handed out sugar lumps as the special Moonsday treat, and refused to think about anything else until she was in the bathroom washing her hands.

            Many things were wrong. But not here.

            Maybe that was why, despite the ponies’ behavior, she hadn’t felt even the lightest prickling beneath her skin.


* * *

            The stranger’s voice and movements hid it well, but he smelled nervous. And wet.

            All the humans smelled wet.

            Peering through the blinds that covered the conference room’s windows, Simon looked at the mound of melting snow, then at the three men.

            <Jake?> he called to the Crow perched on the wall that separated Henry’s yard from the delivery area.

            <Avalanche snowed on the humans. Now the ponies are delivering mail for our Meg.>

            Feeling a warning swirl of air around his ankles, Simon decided not to ask why the Elementals’ ponies had focused on the humans. He moved back to the table as Captain Burke introduced Agent Greg O’Sullivan of the ITF. Simon, in turn, introduced the other terra indigene who were participating in the meeting: Vlad and Stavros, Blair and Elliot, Henry, and Tess.

            O’Sullivan had asked to meet with Stavros, but now that he was in the same room, the man seemed reluctant to get close to the Toland Courtyard’s problem solver. Of course, Stavros had come to the meeting wearing his black-on-black shirt and the suit that had a sheen when the light struck the material in the right way. Like the multicolored sheen of oil on water—or the sheen of a Crow’s wing.

            Taking his seat, Simon glanced at the humans. Burke set a folder on the table. O’Sullivan did the same. As Tess placed two folders in front of Simon, he saw the humans eyeing them, no doubt wondering what he had brought to this meeting.

            “I appreciate you talking to me, especially during this difficult time,” O’Sullivan said.

            “We all have information to share, messages to convey,” Simon replied.

            Burke stiffened slightly. Montgomery looked alarmed. Would the lieutenant be less worried once he understood that the Lizzy would be safe now? Maybe. Then again, the message was intended to alarm the humans.

            “Let’s begin.” Stavros smiled at O’Sullivan. “I recognize your voice. You were asking about jewelry. Since you couldn’t do it in Toland, have you come to Lakeside in order to accuse the Crowgard of stealing? Or are you now including the Sanguinati in those spurious accusations? After all, we, too, are capable of entering an apartment window set high above the ground, and unlike the Crows, all we need is a crack in order to enter.”

            <Were the humans in Toland that stupid? Did they really accuse the Sanguinati?> Simon asked Vlad.

            <They did. Stavros is furious enough to tear out throats.>