“I’ve been reviewing the reports submitted by the station chiefs, including the monthly bills for supplies and utilities,” Alvarez said. “The Chestnut Street station no longer pays the water tax that everyone else in Lakeside has to pay?”
“The water tax was lifted on that station and the Lakeside Hospital as thanks for our assistance when the Courtyard’s Human Liaison was injured,” Burke replied.
Alvarez and Chen looked at Burke, then at Monty, but neither man asked about Meg Corbyn. Did they know what she was?
“In that case, a courtesy for a courtesy,” Alvarez said. “We expect there will be some gasoline shortages since getting anything across regional borders is an exercise in diplomacy these days, but I’ve already received a directive from the governor that the gas pumps connected to the municipal garages will have first rights to any gasoline that reaches the city since that’s where the police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances fill up. Captain Burke, why don’t you and Lieutenant Montgomery approach the Courtyard leaders and offer to let them fill their vehicles from that source?”
“That’s generous,” Burke said.
Alvarez smiled. “It’s also practical. Our survival depends on the goodwill we can generate.” His smile faded. “I don’t think people have truly taken in how much was lost in recent weeks—or how much more we could lose if we’re not very careful now.” He focused on Burke. “As a young police officer, I, too, spent some time in a village located in the wild country. There was another village about an hour’s drive away. One night there was trouble between humans and Others, and we were called to assist. I still wake up some nights with my heart pounding and my hands shaking because of what I saw in that village after the more aggressive forms of terra indigene retaliated. Whatever help you need to prevent that from happening here . . .” He stopped. “Or happening again, since I understand that some officers learned the same lessons you and I did.”
O’Sullivan blew out a breath. “Governor Hannigan would like me to set up an official office for the Investigative Task Force here in the government building.”
“But . . . ,” Monty began, then stopped. O’Sullivan worked for the governor, and it wasn’t his place to comment on O’Sullivan’s decision—or the governor’s order.
O’Sullivan nodded as if he’d heard the rest of Monty’s protest. “Oh, I’m going to keep the desk in the consulate because it was offered and I don’t want to lose that connection with the Courtyard. But I suspect I’ll be dealing with some people who feel hostile toward the terra indigene, and it would be better to meet them on human ground.”
“I can arrange that,” Chen said. He studied O’Sullivan. “A foot in each camp. Not an easy place to be.”
“No, it’s not, but when the Wolfgard were attacked in the Midwest and Northwest, the governor responded to the information I provided fast enough to prevent similar attacks in the Northeast.
“That was a real danger?”
“We’ll never know,” Burke said. “But considering the way the Wolves in the Courtyard responded, I’d say the Wolfgard in the Northeast had been under a similar threat, but the attacks were successfully blocked before they could begin.”
Chen seemed lost in thought. “We are lucky,” he finally said. “So many places are isolated now. We don’t even know yet how many places, how many people were lost. As Captain Burke pointed out, we are within reach of three other communities and are not so isolated. And we have working telephone and telegraph lines connecting many towns in the Northeast Region, so we have access to information instead of wondering if we alone survived.” He looked at Burke and Monty. “Could you arrange a meeting with the leaders of the Courtyard? A goodwill visit?”
“I would like to be included in that, if possible,” Alvarez said.
When Burke looked at him, Monty said, “I’ll ask.”
That ended the meeting. Burke gave O’Sullivan a lift to the Chestnut Street station while Monty and Kowalski headed back to the Courtyard.
“Let’s patrol the neighborhood first,” Monty said when the Courtyard was in sight.
Kowalski turned left on Crowfield Avenue and passed the two-family house and apartment buildings that now belonged to the Courtyard.
“Anything I should know about?” Kowalski asked.
“Our new mayor wants to meet the leaders of the Courtyard.”
Kowalski drove for a minute, saying nothing. Then, “As long as he doesn’t ride a bicycle to the meeting, he should be fine with the Wolves.”
“I wasn’t worried about him meeting the Wolves. I was thinking about Tess.” And what Chen and Alvarez might say when they met Meg Corbyn and saw the proof of what she was.
Officer Michael Debany
Chestnut Street Station
Lakeside, NER
Dear Michael,
You know how Mom and Dad look when they’re having a very intense discussion, which really means they’re having an argument about something? And how they can turn it off and speak normally to us as if nothing is happening, then go right back to being intense as soon as we leave the room? Well, I think I saw that kind of discussion yesterday between Jesse Walker and Tolya Sanguinati. I was riding past the general store in Bennett and saw them through the window. They saw me too. Jesse waved and Tolya smiled, and that’s what made me think of Mom and Dad.
I’m not gossiping. I’m really not. It’s just that Jesse is the leader of the Intuits who live in Prairie Gold and Tolya is in charge of Bennett, and having them mad at each other isn’t good, especially since the rest of us don’t know why they’re at odds all of a sudden when they’d been working together so well.
Could you ask the Sanguinati in Lakeside if they’ve heard anything about this? I’m not trying to butt in. Okay, I am, but I like it here, and one of the houses was cleared out this week and available for new residents, and I was given first choice, so Buddy and I are moving in to our new place next week. It feels weird to choose furniture that belonged to people who were killed by the Elders, but people buy furniture and other things from estate sales all the time, and I guess this is sort of the same thing, except the whole town died and it wasn’t from old age or illness. So I’m trying to think of it like a town-wide estate sale, but I’m glad they cleared out the house before I saw it.
I usually don’t dwell on why there’s a whole town empty of people. But it’s like a friend telling you that their parents are getting a divorce and then coming home and catching your own parents in the middle of a heated argument. You tell yourself it won’t happen to your family, and then you see it could be possible if people aren’t careful about what they say and do.
I’m not sure I’ll send this letter, because you’ll be worried and want me to come home. But I’m fine here. I really am. And I wouldn’t have said anything at all if I hadn’t seen Jesse and Tolya at that moment.