46
He paused for a moment and then said, “You sure about that creature Fernie? If it is a RedCap, that means we can do something about it.” “I'm really not Sure Larry, that was the most dangerous thing that I could think of that could handle touching iron or steel, so I was working from a worst-case situation.” “Hmm, that does give us something to go on, and with a little reading and research, we should come up with a list and narrow it down from there. I can take care of that. Just give me half a day, it shouldn't be too difficult.” He leaned back slightly in the chair and looked at Fawn for a moment.
I remembered what else I came to do, and this was going to be hard. I looked at Fawn, and then at Larry. I knew Fawn would back me on this. “Larry, there's something else we need to discuss now” I said to him. “You need to distance yourself from all this. The research is fine, but you can't go with me, and I really want the others to stay out of it as well. This is dangerous and I think Cobb has been manipulating things so that I have to rely on your and your contacts to do the job. You're not going with me up there. You're staying here with Fawn.”
Larry looked at me without expression as I said my piece. The salt-shaker stopped moving and Fawn stiffened slightly. She knew he was upset, and I knew it because she was upset. Larry focused on me, and laid both of his hands flat on the table and stood up. “Fern, I'll agree not to go along with you, but in return, you have to take someone along to watch your back. If you don't want me, you don't want Fawn for the same reason. I'd say go find that Troykin and hire him again. But understand I am NOT happy. You're family, and if anything happens because you get stupid and heroic, I'm going to be really unhappy.”
I held up my hands placatingly. “I hear you, no stupidly heroic anything. Cast the spell, hide the spell, test it both ways, and get the hell out.” “Make sure you know where Cobb is all the time” Larry told me. “That fae is playing something really close to his chest, and not knowing what it is can get you all in between a rock and a hard place.” “I'll stick a ring in his nose if you want. I don't trust him at all at this point. I'll be very careful promise you that.”
It had been a lot easier than I expected. Although Larry is such a good reader of body language I doubted it came as a surprise to him. It made me wonder why he hadn't laid things out for me like he usually did. It wasn't something to worry about at the moment. What was to worry about was that creature. I was guessing it would show when I started the spell, so I needed to figure out what precautions and bits of trickery I could come up with for just such an emergency. I just couldn't figure what Cobb was after, or why he had made that apparent deal with that creature. I hoped Larry found something tomorrow that I could use.
I went back to my house, rather than my office. The thought of having to talk to the Darkness again just wearied and depressed me. The house is a little thing, barely one living room, one bedroom, and kitchen and a bathroom. No basement. I'd gotten it when I was still in the Halifax police, before I found out how much I could be making as a private investigator. I never had the heart to sell it, and I came by once in a while to make sure everything was kept clean and repaired. I didn't bother to go into the bedroom but just turned the heat up and flopped down on the couch and went to sleep, and for the first time in a while I wasn't disturbed by anyone coming by to ask questions or wake me at ungodly hours of the night.
I remembered what else I came to do, and this was going to be hard. I looked at Fawn, and then at Larry. I knew Fawn would back me on this. “Larry, there's something else we need to discuss now” I said to him. “You need to distance yourself from all this. The research is fine, but you can't go with me, and I really want the others to stay out of it as well. This is dangerous and I think Cobb has been manipulating things so that I have to rely on your and your contacts to do the job. You're not going with me up there. You're staying here with Fawn.”
Larry looked at me without expression as I said my piece. The salt-shaker stopped moving and Fawn stiffened slightly. She knew he was upset, and I knew it because she was upset. Larry focused on me, and laid both of his hands flat on the table and stood up. “Fern, I'll agree not to go along with you, but in return, you have to take someone along to watch your back. If you don't want me, you don't want Fawn for the same reason. I'd say go find that Troykin and hire him again. But understand I am NOT happy. You're family, and if anything happens because you get stupid and heroic, I'm going to be really unhappy.”
I held up my hands placatingly. “I hear you, no stupidly heroic anything. Cast the spell, hide the spell, test it both ways, and get the hell out.” “Make sure you know where Cobb is all the time” Larry told me. “That fae is playing something really close to his chest, and not knowing what it is can get you all in between a rock and a hard place.” “I'll stick a ring in his nose if you want. I don't trust him at all at this point. I'll be very careful promise you that.”
It had been a lot easier than I expected. Although Larry is such a good reader of body language I doubted it came as a surprise to him. It made me wonder why he hadn't laid things out for me like he usually did. It wasn't something to worry about at the moment. What was to worry about was that creature. I was guessing it would show when I started the spell, so I needed to figure out what precautions and bits of trickery I could come up with for just such an emergency. I just couldn't figure what Cobb was after, or why he had made that apparent deal with that creature. I hoped Larry found something tomorrow that I could use.
I went back to my house, rather than my office. The thought of having to talk to the Darkness again just wearied and depressed me. The house is a little thing, barely one living room, one bedroom, and kitchen and a bathroom. No basement. I'd gotten it when I was still in the Halifax police, before I found out how much I could be making as a private investigator. I never had the heart to sell it, and I came by once in a while to make sure everything was kept clean and repaired. I didn't bother to go into the bedroom but just turned the heat up and flopped down on the couch and went to sleep, and for the first time in a while I wasn't disturbed by anyone coming by to ask questions or wake me at ungodly hours of the night.
posted by JD at
11:26:00 PM
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