Nothing more to say. Except . . .
“There’s trouble here too, but we’re not leaving Lakeside.”
“No, we’re not,” Erebus agreed.
“Nothing else is at risk by leaving Toland,” Henry said. “But if we’re gone from Lakeside, Great Island will be vulnerable, especially since it hasn’t been decided yet if all the remaining humans in Talulah Falls will be sent away and replaced by Intuits and Others who can work the machines. As it is, Steve Ferryman doesn’t want his people going there because it’s too dangerous. That means almost everything that comes from other parts of Thaisia—or the rest of the world—comes to them through Lakeside.”
Erebus stood—and the meeting was over. Vlad led Simon, Elliot, Henry, and Tess back to where they’d parked the minivan. Four Sanguinati, still in smoke form, kept watch at the gate.
They drove back to the Green Complex in silence. Henry parked the minivan in one of the visitors’ parking spaces across from the complex, and they all went to their apartments.
Simon stripped and tossed his clothes on the sofa before shifting to Wolf and going out again. He sniffed around the complex, watered a couple of trees, then returned to the summer room below Meg’s apartment, shifting one paw just enough to open the door.
“Hi,” she said.
He stopped just inside the door. He’d thought she’d be asleep since there was no light on.
“It’s going to be a busy weekend, isn’t it? The Addirondak Wolves will arrive in a few days for a week of people watching.” Meg laughed softly. “I don’t think it sunk in until Merri Lee, Ruth, and I were talking this evening that that’s what this is about—people watching.”
Interacting, actually. The Others watched humans all the time. Not that watching had stopped things from going wrong.
Nothing he could do about Toland. Nothing he could do about dead bison in Joe’s territory. But he could help Joe by sending books for the Others and the Intuits. He could help Jackson deal with the Hope pup. And he and Meg and the human pack and the terra indigene here in Lakeside could show the Elders who were watching closely that terra indigene and humans could work together to keep Thaisia a good place for all of them.
He gave Meg’s hand a couple of licks, then settled down next to her lounge chair and fell asleep.
Jerked out of a light sleep, Monty grabbed the phone on the second ring, scrubbing a hand over his face as if that would make his brain function—or convince his heart that Lizzy was still safe. “Hello?”
“Crispin?”
Monty’s heart banged against his chest as he turned on a lamp and looked at his watch. “Mama? What’s wrong?” Had to be something wrong for her to call him at midnight.
Twyla Montgomery sighed, a sad, tired sound. “I got handed my walking papers today. Security guard watched me clean out my locker, even checked my bag afterward to make sure I wasn’t taking anything that wasn’t mine before walking me out the door.”
“Fired?” Monty couldn’t get his mind around that bit of information. “You were fired?”
“Wasn’t needed anymore. Have to provide jobs for those more deserving.”
“They said that?” Then it clicked. “They wanted you to join the HFL in order to keep your job.”
“As if I need to belong to some organization in order to clean the toilets those fools mess up every day.”
“Gods.” Monty rested his head against the back of the couch. “Mama, you did right not joining the HFL. They’re doing nothing but stirring up trouble.”
“You think I can’t see that?”
The dry tone made him smile. His mama didn’t tolerate fools—especially fools who wore suits that cost more than she made in a month. But his smile faded as he realized what losing the job meant for her. “When do you have to move out of your apartment?”
“Soon. I can stay with your sister for a few days, but she’s got her troubles too.”
How long since he’d talked to Sierra? His sister sent letters, breezy bits of news that, he realized now, didn’t actually tell him much.
Monty looked around his apartment. Lizzy was spending the night with Sarah Denby, Eve and Pete’s daughter. He’d intended to crash at the efficiency apartment in the Courtyard, but Captain Burke made a comment about possession being nine-tenths of the law—a pointed reminder that his landlady had a key and could decide he’d abandoned the place, which she could rent for twice as much as what he was currently paying. He wanted to keep this one-bedroom apartment until his lease ran out at the end of the year—or until the Courtyard took possession of the two buildings on Crowfield Avenue and he and Lizzy could move into one of the two-bedroom apartments.
“You often say that opportunities come out of bad moments as often as they come out of good.”
“Where’s the good in me being fired?” Twyla demanded.
“I need help taking care of Lizzy. Some friends are looking after her while I’m at work, but Eve has a job and her own two kids. I’ve been thinking about this ever since Lizzy arrived in Lakeside. She needs you, Mama. So do I.”
A thoughtful silence. “Any chance of me finding work where you are now?”
Monty hesitated. “Maybe.”
“I’m not living off my children, Crispin. Not you, not Sierra.”
He noticed she didn’t mention Jimmy, Monty’s younger brother. Then again, Jimmy still came around looking for a handout, despite being a married man with two children of his own. And he always left feeling resentful when he didn’t get that handout.
“There might be work available, but I’m not sure how you’d feel about the employers.”
“Are they more of those HFL fools?”
“No, Mama. They are definitely not members of the HFL.”
“Well, I’ll think on it.”
“You have enough money for a train ticket?”
“I’ve got enough put by. Might take the bus instead.”
He bit back a protest. Plenty of people traveled by bus. “You let me know when you’re coming and where to meet you. I’ll be there.”
A soft sigh. “Thank you, Crispin. Talking to you has eased my heart. I’ll say good night now.”
“Good night, Mama.”
She hung up first. She always did since he just couldn’t hang up on her.
Monty stood up and stretched. He was already entangled with the Others at the Lakeside Courtyard. He wasn’t sure he wanted to ask Simon to give his mother a job.
CHAPTER 13
Watersday, Juin 9
“We don’t usually come up to Bennett more than once a week to pick up supplies,” Tobias Walker said as he pulled into a parking space at the train station.
Joe Wolfgard tried to identify the tone in the man’s voice. “Are you complaining about this second trip because Bennett is a long way from Prairie Gold?”
“Nope. Just providing information that you might find useful.” Tobias crossed his wrists over the top of the steering wheel. “We try to conserve fuel in the general way of things. It’s especially important right now because the fuel truck that fills up the underground tanks at the gas station didn’t show up yesterday when it was supposed to. We’ve got one emergency vehicle that’s equipped to bring someone here to Bennett if the person is too sick or injured for the doctor to handle at our little clinic. That vehicle gets its tank filled before any others. The dairy farm’s refrigerated truck also gets priority. Folks tend to fill up near the time when the next delivery is due so that we receive our full allotment of gasoline.”
“Can we buy fuel for the pickup truck here?” Joe asked. Was finding out what happened to a fuel truck part of his responsibility now, or was it considered a problem between humans? Simon might know, although Blair might be the one he should ask because the Lakeside Courtyard’s dominant enforcer spent more time driving vehicles and probably had more experience buying gasoline.