“A baseball neep?” I asked. “I’m learning all kinds of things about you today.”
He gave me a quick, closed-lip vampire smile. “Well, I better fix that. Back to our case. The Álfar are more beautiful than humans, and stardom is often based on beauty.”
“Where does it stop? The Álfar could argue that they’re being treated unfairly because until this year no Álfar has ever been nominated for an Academy Award, much less won one.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I looked it up after Campos testified about how the Álfar are such shitty actors. Now, either they’re being discriminated against by the Academy members, or they really are shitty actors.”
“They do tend to star in these action or fantasy pieces. I don’t see them doing the remake of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf,” David said.
“You’ve seen a lot of Palendar’s and Jondin’s films?”
“I like to go to the pictures.”
“Okay.” I threw myself down on the sofa and frowned at him. “Look, if it’s just beauty that’s at work, then the human actors don’t really have a case, and that’s how we should rule. But anecdotal evidence suggests that the Álfar can cast a…” I waved my hand in the air. “What should I call it? A … a glamour whammy?”
“No, don’t call it that, but I take your meaning, and those statistics today suggest it’s more than anecdotal,” David said.
“So, beauty is okay, but whammy’s not?”
“McPhee thinks both should be allowed,” David said.
“Because he’s trying to get the studios off the hook so they don’t have to potentially pay settlements to human actors. The human actors want the Álfar banned from using their special abilities. The Álfar are arguing they don’t have any special abilities.”
“And the agents and managers don’t care so long as their clients are landing roles and bringing in money,” David said.
“Which means there’s probably a rift inside their ranks too. The agents with Álfar clients think this is great, and those with human actors in the stable, not so much.” I sank down in a chair.
“We are trying to thread a really tiny needle here.” We both chewed on that for a moment, then I added, “It all comes back to Álfar magic. Is it real? If it is, how does it work. What are their abilities?”
“Let me know what you discover,” David said. He was looking down at the papers on his desk. I had clearly been dismissed.
I was surprised to find Jeff waiting in the lobby. He looked tired and very woebegone. “Hey, what’s up?” I asked.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that McPhee just won the case for the human actors. I mean, don’t you have to decide for Missy now?”
I led him back into the conference room where we could talk in private. “Jeff, there are four different parties with four different agendas in this arbitration. Gabaldon is trying to win for the Álfar and prove they have a right to the parts they’re getting. LeBlanc is trying to prove they don’t. McPhee and Brubaker just want to get their clients off the hook for damages, so they’ll make any argument that will accomplish that.”
“Are you like that?”
I thought about it. “Yeah, I am. I can argue both sides of an issue, and if I’m really good, I can find a side nobody ever thought of before and argue that one too.”
“But what’s the truth? Isn’t that why we’re here?”
I patted him on the shoulder. “Oh, Jeff, you have a very romantic view of the law. We’re not trying to find truth. We’re trying to find an acceptable solution within the framework of our laws.”
17
I went to the only Álfar source I had at hand. Qwendar studied me over the top of his wine glass as I said, “Look, you said you wanted to help me. That we could pool information. So now’s the time. I need you to tell me about Álfar magic.”
“That is very difficult. I can’t make that decision on my own. I must talk to the Council first.” We were seated in a small French bistro with well-padded white leather booths, lots of greenery, and arbors creating the illusion that we were outside, not seated in a bay window looking out at the traffic streaming past on Melrose Boulevard.
“But you’ll do that, right?”
He smiled at me. “I don’t see how I can be less tenacious than you. I will ask. I can’t promise they will agree. Such things are intensely private to us and tied up in our religion, of which humans have only the most imperfect understanding.”
My hand clenched on the stem of my wine glass. “I am going to find the answers.”
“But do you even know the questions, dear Linnet?”
I couldn’t help it. I smiled at the tendentious tone. “Oh, don’t go all Mr. Miyagi on me.”
“I have no idea what that means.”
“The Karate Kid.” He looked blank. Then I stopped myself. “Oh, God, now I’m doing it.”
“What?” Qwendar was smiling now, and the stiffness had retreated from his shoulders.
“Making movie references like everybody else in this crazy town.” I dropped my forehead onto the table. “I’m doomed.”
“Drink your wine, child, and tell me why you want this information.”
“I’m just trying to understand your abilities and powers. Both for the arbitration and for Kerrinan’s and Jondin’s sakes. Do you cast glamours that humans can’t resist? Is it even reasonable to think that something could affect one of you enough to make you commit murder? The truth is, all the Powers are way more powerful than us.” I gave him a small smile. “It’s why we call you the Powers.”
We sipped wine in silence for a moment, then he said gently, “I may have some good news regarding your friend John.”
“She’s going to let him go?”
“Not that good, but I believe I will be able to arrange for a meeting between the two of you. I’ll let you know once all is in place.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“Shall we dine?” he asked.
“Actually, I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’m just going to eat at the apartment. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”
He rose, as I stood to leave. “It was my pleasure. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an answer from the Council.”
The next day I went to see Kerrinan, who was pathetically pleased to see me. We sat side by side on the bunk while the squealing walls moved around us.
He sat staring down at his hands. “I’m actually thinking about pleading guilty.”
“What? Why?”
“Because as more evidence comes to light and the more Christine and I talk, the more I come to believe I did kill Michelle. Even though I have no memory of doing so.”
“Please, don’t do that.” I laid a hand on his arm. “That’s not a bell we can unring,” I said. “And there may be mitigating circumstances.”
“But it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anywhere.”
“Please, just give me a little more time. You can always have Christine go to the DA any time before trial and offer a guilty plea. Actually even during the trial. Please, just wait.”
He sighed. “All right.”
“And actually I had some questions that I was hoping you will answer.”
“You know I’ll do anything,” he said.
“Some of the testimony we’ve been hearing suggests that the effects you have on humans can only really happen when you’re in close proximity. Is that also true between Álfar?”