Their footsteps filled the land around Bennett with a terrible silence.
For hours they circled the town, sniffed around the railway station, listened to the chatter of the little two-legged predators. They didn’t understand much of the chatter. Unlike the sounds made by the ones who helped the shifters, this chatter was of little interest to Namid’s teeth and claws. But they still listened. And they watched. And they learned.
To: Jesse Walker
A shipment of books will arrive at the Bennett station on Watersday, Juin 9. Please arrange for someone to pick up the shipment. Also, please arrange transportation and motel accommodations for two individuals who will be staying in Prairie Gold for a few days. Separate rooms are preferred.
—Vladimir Sanguinati
To: Simon Wolfgard
Five boxes of bison meat are on their way to you. I hope your Meg likes the meat since Air and Blizzard made a special effort to keep it cold. Also, a human female is making soap and candles out of bison fat. I will send you some.
—Joe
CHAPTER 12
Firesday, Juin 8
Simon held out a letter when Vlad walked into HGR’s office. “Read this.”
Vlad took the letter and looked at the signature. “This is from Jean.”
“Yes. She sent it to me. Read it.”
While Vlad read the letter, Simon read the e-mail from Joe. His mouth watered at the thought of tasting bison again, even if the meat wasn’t fresh off the hoof. He really hoped Meg liked it.
He stared at the computer screen. He wasn’t sure how much farming—or what kind of farming—was being considered at the River Road Community being developed by the Lakeside Courtyard and the Intuits at Ferryman’s Landing. Sure, the land around Lake Etu wasn’t like the grassland found in the Midwest, but there was grass. And he wasn’t thinking of a herd of bison. Just a few at River Road, a few in the Courtyard. Substantial meat. Even with the deer that were already in the Courtyard, there would be enough grass to feed a handful of bison. Wouldn’t there? Of course, it would be safer to ship little bison and let them grow up once they were here. So they would have to be fed for a few years before they were of sufficient size to be a meal for all the carnivores living here. But one bison would feed all of them for several days.
Something to think about.
Vlad sank into the chair on the other side of the desk. “When you were told to consider how much human the terra indigene would keep, we thought it meant the things humans make. But this prophecy sounds like something is going to happen that will cause a lot of the human cities in Thaisia to disappear.”
“I know.” Simon pushed aside the happy distraction of fresh bison. “But Lakeside and Great Island survive.”
“Prophecy is not a guarantee of the future.”
No, it wasn’t a guarantee. Choices could change the outcome of the future.
Vlad set the letter on the desk. “I’d like to show the letter to Grandfather Erebus—and to Stavros. Blair is picking him up at the station. Tolya came with him from Toland and will travel with Nyx to Prairie Gold. They’ll deliver the books to Jesse Walker and Shelley Bookman, and they’ll talk to Joe Wolfgard.”
“You didn’t have to thin our stock quite that much,” Simon grumbled.
“I’ve already sent in the reorder. We still have plenty of books available for the Addirondak Wolves to experience shopping in a bookstore. Besides, I sent Jesse Walker the rest of the kissy books we couldn’t send to anyone else.” Vlad gave him a long look. “The inventory didn’t match the books we had left. You wouldn’t know what happened to the rest, would you?”
“Oh. Well. I didn’t want to get rid of all of them in case Meg wanted to read that kind of story. Not now, but sometime.”
“I think it would be smart to ask a human male if that’s the way human females typically respond to mating before assuming a story provides useful information.”
Well, of course. Something scary had happened to Meg in the compound, so a naked human male was still a confusion for her. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t come into season someday and want a mate. No reason not to gain some understanding of what would make one male more attractive than another when a female wanted to do more than take a one-night walk on the wild side.
“Why is Stavros coming here?” Simon asked, changing the subject.
Another long look from Vlad. “He has things to discuss with Grandfather—and the Business Association.”
He’d been the leader of the Lakeside Courtyard for several years, but until tonight, Simon had never set a paw inside the Chambers, the part of the Courtyard where the Sanguinati resided. Plenty of game made use of the land and water—deer, ducks and geese, wild turkeys. The Hawks, Crows, and Owls might fly over that part of the Courtyard, but fly over was all they did.
Meg had been the first to receive permission to enter the Chambers, to walk up to the door of Erebus Sanguinati’s home to leave a package. Because of Meg, Simon’s nephew Sam had been inside the Chambers, protected by Erebus while Meg led the enemy away from the pup—an act of bravery that had almost killed her.
They drove up to one of the gates in the ornate black fences. Simon, Elliot, Tess, and Henry got out of the minivan and waited by the gate. The full moon was waning, but for a Wolf’s eyes, it was enough light to see the smoke flowing toward them. Four of the Sanguinati moved to either side of the gate. Only Vlad shifted to human form. He opened the gate, a silent invitation.
Tess’s green hair coiled tighter, a sign she felt uneasy.
I guess that means even a Harvester couldn’t survive a fight with this many Sanguinati, Simon thought as he followed Vlad down a curving path and across a footbridge to a weathered pavilion sheltered from sight by the surrounding trees.
Stavros Sanguinati, the Toland Courtyard’s problem solver, was already inside with Erebus Sanguinati.
“Welcome,” Erebus said. “Sit. Be comfortable. We have some refreshments. Vladimir?”
<Can we decline refreshments?> Elliot asked Simon.
<No.> Being there at all was unprecedented. They would consume whatever was offered.
“None of us enjoy the soda beverages humans are fond of, so I’ve brought along bottles of apple juice and made a pitcher of lemonade,” Vlad said.
“You know how to make lemonade?” Tess asked, eyeing the pitcher.
“After enduring a vigorous debate between Merri Lee and Ruthie about how many lemons and how much sugar make the best-tasting lemonade, I can’t say I know how to make it, only that I followed the instructions I eventually received.”
Tess laughed. “I’ll try some.”
“Sure,” Simon said.
Vlad poured glasses for all of them. Erebus and Stavros took a polite sip and set their glasses aside. So did Henry. But Tess seemed to enjoy the lemonade, and while it would never replace the good taste of water, Simon decided it was tolerable—and something he would drink if Meg decided to make it.
“Stavros has things to tell us,” Erebus said.
“About the Sanguinati?” Simon asked. He couldn’t think of any other reason they would be meeting within the Chambers—unless Stavros wanted to be certain that no one would overhear what he had to say.
“About many things, but, yes, about the Sanguinati and the Toland Courtyard,” Stavros replied.
“And the Toland police?” Scaffoldon, a police captain in Toland’s Crime Investigation Unit, went missing shortly after the murder of Lizzy’s mother, Elayne. Elayne’s mother also disappeared around the same time.