38

I got an address from Anne where Megan might be found. She told me Megan had changed locations often due to the entity, and this was the most recent address for her. But the implication was that she might no longer nbe there. Only way to find out was check it out.
I went down to an old section of Halifax near the dock area. The buildings here had been partly rebuilt, and then left to rot when whatever project that got started lost it's funding. There were squatters all over, most, but not all of them human. I'd come down here to find Megan, so that's what I was going to do. It didn't stop me from wishing I had Zik'k along, this would have been exactly the place that would be great for having a bodyguard to watch your back. Unfortunately I didn't.
I walked into the semi-converted building that I think may have been an attempt to create a loft apartment. The steps led me up to the sixth floor, and the second door in from the stairs. I looked out over the street, and felt the wind come through the steel mesh that enclose the long balcony-like walkway in front of the apartment doors. I screwed up my courage and raised my hand to knock, when I heard the lock turn on the door and I saw the door knob rotate. The door pulled open and disappeared into black, not just shadow, I mean black, the kind of absolute block you can only feel properly in a cavern.
I wanted to run back down the stairs and leave. The Darkness was absolute, no light in and none out, something no sane person would ever enter voluntarily. I called out, “Megan? I'm Fern Fatelli, do you remember me?” The voice I heard never was meant to come from a human throat. “Ms Fatelli, it is a surprise to see you here, and wanting to talk. Have you fared well since our last meeting?” “Well enough, but I didn't come to talk of past happenings, I came to talk about opportunities and situations.”
“Intriguing Ms Fatelli, but I sense there is much of each that needs a more direct explanation. So please elucidate your opportunities, and describe your situations.”

#

“What the opportunity is, is a new body to act as a conduit, and the chance to challenge an established power on earth. One that may even be a true challenge to your ability.” “An interesting and intriguing proposal, but vague,” the Darkness mused from inside the room. I heard Megan's breathing, loud, steady, and very slow. The power in each breath seemed like a drum, and my body felt pressure with every exhalation. “What would be the terms of this 'proposal' Ms. Fatelli? I wonder about the details.”
I took a deep breath. You know how I jumped right into this idea of letting it use me as a conduit? Think that was fast? Wrong-o. I'd been thinking about this since Megan got taken years ago, but I only had very recently decided to propose it. I'm likely to be taking on a big, evil dragon in a short while, and I'd need all the juice I could get on my side of the fight. You have to survive to deal with the consequences, and I wasn't sure that even with the entity on my side, I'd survive it.
I really really did not want to do this, but it was a chance at some redemption for some past screw-ups, and scared as I was with this, I needed that redemption more. “I'll take Megan's place as your conduit for three months, and in return, you help me open up the Anoylyn Way. “A very interesting proposal, Ms Fatelli, very much interesting indeed. I have not pitted my abilities against a dragon, especially while in a form that has such.....limitations upon it.” The Darkness paused and I felt Megan shift slightly through the dark that enveloped her room. when she shifted the dark shifted slightly with her. It was very creepy to watch.
I stepped back involuntarily, and gave the darkness a bit more room. Something about that patch of black made me want to avoid being touched. My skin shrank away almost physically from the darkness in that room. “I would know more about the limitations you propose Ms Fatelli. After all, a smart human wouldn't leave me free to wander in a conduit for so long would they now?” I felt it's gaze like a heavy weight on my shoulders. “Feeling guilty are we Ms Fatelli? That such a young child should be so..... ill-used by one such as myself? Is that what you're thinking Ms Fatelli?”
That had been exactly what I'd been thinking, and that the entity knew my thoughts made the whole bargaining a lot more hazardous in my mind. I needed it's power a lot more than it needed me as a conduit. Unless I could think of a compelling reason that would sway it, I was likely to condemn Megan to further manipulations by The Darkness. The one thing I did have was a little time, and if I played that advantage correctly, I might get it to relinquish Megan.
“Yeah, I was thinking that actually, and how easy it must have been to lead the girl the way you wanted. I hope she's still sane enough to make her own mind when you let her. 'cause if she's gone round the bend, she's of no use to me to negotiate for her release. And yes, I want redemption. I want to make things right here between me and Megan, and me and you. You have a stake in this too. If we can find a mutually agreeable setup, we can all benefit. That's what I'm after.”
I spoke the words strongly and with as much conviction as I could project. I had to make the Darkness believe that I was working for my own interest and it's interest as well. If I did that bit of acting good enough, it might deal with me a little more fairly. Or at least less hostilely.
“I am intrigued by your bluntness Ms Fatelli. So few of you humans are willing to be blunt, it is refreshing to encounter it on occasion. What are the specifics of the proposal, beyond the three months as yourself as a conduit? What would I get beyond just the chance to operate through you Ms Fatelli?” “A chance at a different perspective from me and a different identity. Plus I'm not as likely to go crazy with you riding me. I'd think Megan is pretty close to the end of her ability to handle things realistically, and like I said earlier, if she's gone mad while you've been inhabiting her, there's no deal. She'd be of no use to me damaged like that. So what's it going to be, yes or no?”

19

“You already know the story so I don't have to outline that for you, but yes, there are, or were, fae on the island when Anolyn erected the barrier. He did such a thorough job that Underhill was cut off as well. My family is on the other side of that barrier, and has been for the last fifty years. I want them free. You have the power to open the barrier. You and your sister.” “My sister?”
It clicked into place all at once. He was talking about the residual magick from our parents original spell. Both of us were used as magical storage batteries for our parents, and because the spell never finished, we both still had this huge reserve of magical energy in and around us. We couldn't touch it in our own magicks, what small things we did, like run a vacuum, or heat a cold cup of coffee. But to anyone who knew how to extract the magic, we'd be their very own nuclear power source, and one that wouldn't go away for a long time.
I started to get angry all over again. “Is all we are just a battery for you!” I said loudly. “You plan on using me for that barrier to knock it down?” “Yes” Cobb said. Then he stepped right up to me and stared down from his six foot plus height. “I am planning on using you. You owe a service, this is the service.” He finished speaking and his look dared me to contradict fact.
“Listen you pompous idiot, I owe a service. What if I refuse it. I don't see you have any way of stopping me from leaving.” He straightened and finally looked triumphant. He smelled gleeful, like he wanted me to refuse. “Kaddus! Judge Kaddus! I have need of you!” He roared the name, and a blue nimbus appeared by the fireplace, enlarging and solidifying in moments into the judge that oversaw the trial.
“What now?” he said very grumpily. “I have a dinner waiting for me. Why are you calling me here?” He saw me, and understanding wafted from him like wind across a desert. “She is refusing the service? Smarter than you then.” He turned and faced me full-on. “Ms Fatelli, I understand and sympathize completely with your situation and wanting to refuse the service Mr....... Cobb wants you to perform.”
He smelled of regret, and of resignation. And suddenly he smelled angry and he straightened and spoke sharply to Cobb. “I have had enough of these manipulations! She is going to hear the truth and YOU will not interfere!” Cobb triumphant smell smoldered quickly to a burnt wood angry smell. I still couldn't get used to smelling emotions.
Judge Kaddus faced me and said, “If you refuse the service, someone else will have to take your place. The laws of Underhill state that it would be immediate family that would have to fulfill the service. Cobb wants you to refuse so that he could entrap your brother and sister to perform this service.”
I was confused suddenly. Mad mind you, but confused why the judge would be so up front about Cobb's manipulations. “Why tell me all this?” I asked him. “For two reasons Ms. Fatelli. One, Larry Potter has been a voice of reason the last five years, and many of the fae respect what he has done. I believe, like Mr. Potter, that honest dealings with other races make for better neighbors and allies should necessity arise.”
He stopped and smiled ferally, and I caught a smell of malice from him. “The second reason is I do not like ..... Mr. Cobb. He wants fae to not be so accommodating to humans. We have crossed in the past, and now I find I have an opportunity to ruin a plan of his. Your knowing changes the situation beyond his ability to control, and,” He looked positively gleeful, and smelled it too, “he hates losing control of anything.” Cobb ground his teeth and I could smell hate rolling off of him like a suffocating fog.
I smiled too. Beyond screwing the manipulative Cobb over, family is very big with me considering the only family I have left is Fawn and Larry. I knew too, from talking with Fawn a week ago, that she was pregnant. Which meant if Fawn had to take the service, Larry would jump all over it to protect her and the baby.
What it meant was still a very difficult situation. I most certainly did NOT want to try and do the service. Dragon magic is powerful. Very powerful from all the stories that have been told. But if I didn't take the service, Cobb was free to force Fawn, which would then have Larry volunteering to do it. A classic rock and hard-place.
“I'll take the service, I'll perform it, but I want to know what options I have for this service. Can I hire help or do I have to go this alone?” “You have the service you have to perform it.” spoke Cobb pompously. Judge Kaddus spoke up and said “there are no stipulations in the laws on how the service is handled, only that you perform it. It doesn't say alone, or, how swiftly the service needs be done.”

1

I suppose I should tell you where I was when this all started. I was in my AUTHENTIC 1930's style office that has a lot of original 1930's stuff in it to create the proper atmosphere. I have a small, square desk in the middle of the floor. On my desk are a paperweight, a candlestick telephone, a desk pad to protect the wood. an “in” box with nothing in it, an “out” box on top of the “in” filled with files that really should put in the file cabinet, a laptop computer that is my only nod to modern help, two file cabinets, one that is badly dented and opens with difficulty, the other a old army 4-drawer with a locking bar on the front.

One wall has a Murphy bed in it that I have as I like the ambiance, and because there are times when I cannot and/or will not get home to sleep. I sleep here more than at my apartment. Next to the desk is a small refrigerator that comes flush to the desktop. On top of it are a one element burner and a 10-cup coffee maker for a little pick-me-up when I need to be alert.

The walls are a ivory with some small cracks tastefully built into the surface to give it that Philip Marlowe feel, and to attract attention away from the slight bow in the wall where some raging troll wadded up a dictionary and broke the wall that he threw it against. Finally there is a set of two seven foot tall book cases that hold old paperback novels and where my folded clothes are put. Through the inner door is a small alcove which holds a desk and another candlestick telephone. That is the secretary's office, which is currently gathering dust as I haven't really tried to get a new partner/secretary since Zhirk died.

Two wooden arm chairs stood in front of my desk. One of them heId my latest client, a Mr, Norman Cobb who was regaling me with his tale of woe. Seems that with all the strange activity going on as Halloween approached, someone had taken his black cat, Cocoa by name, and he was frantic to get poor Cocoa back before midnight. This was the third time he'd gone through the story, and I was getting the feeling I'd be hearing it again, as he didn't seem to understand subtle hints that I couldn't help him find a cat in that short a time. I had been trying to send him to my brother-in-law Larry Potter, for the last ten minutes. But Mr. Cobb wouldn't have any of it. Obtuse would be a good word if I thought he'd actually understand it.

“Mr. Cobb,” I said, “I'm not really able to handle this kind of job very easily. Now if you'd take this problem to Larry Potter, he may well be able to find your cat without the huge charge you'd get from me.” “You're the one I need, not some wanna-be jerkface pimple on a goat's ass. I gotta find my rabbit, and I gotta have you find her.” he said, with a petulant note to his voice. I am not the most patient person in the world, and he hit my limit. I grit my teeth and tried very hard to be polite. “Mr. Cobb, I don't find lost animals. I don't use magic. You need a magickian to find a lost rabbit, there's no way I'd even know where to look and to be honest, I'm not interested in looking. So tell you what, you get your lazy butt up out of my guest chair, go out the door, and go hire a magickian. He can whip up a spell to find your little hairball pretty quickly. Good day.”

Mr. Norman Cobb got up very slowly from the chair, and tried to go for intimidating. He stepped over to the edge of the desk, placed both hands on it and leaned forward, trying to get into my face and force me to back up. This really started to piss me off. “Ms. Fatelli, I said before, I don't want no fuckin' magickan, I want you to find my rabbit! Now either you start trying to locate my rabbit or...” I respond even less well to threats, and grabbed the paperweight.

He saw the motion and came around the side of the desk to stop me from throwing it, and probably to try and intimidate me further. I spun my chair to face him and as he cleared the edge of the table, I planted my stiletto heel in between his legs and into the groin area, making contact with those soft and extremely tender testicles. He gasped and screamed at the same time, and ended up sounding more like a duck than a man. He fell to his knees, then toppled onto his side moaning, and curling about the injured area like a fetus.

I stood up out of the chair, all five foot nothing of me. “Mr. Cobb,” I said to him, “I don't find lost animals, I don't like threats, and I don't like your attitude. When you can walk, get out. Oh, and if you want to file assault, I have a camera that records all my talks in here, just in case someone tries to pull stunts like yours.” I sat back down in my chair and waited until Mr. Cobb could get back up off the ground. He staggered towards the door, then stopped and I saw his shoulders tighten. I stood up quickly, when someone does that they're usually getting a good mad up just before they try to take your head off. Then his whole body started shuddering, and I heard him whine like a wounded animal. What the hell?

Glass Bottles 2 "Hassenpfeffer"

I am going to post up the NaNoWriMo novel here as parts over the next three months. I'm using this venue to afford myself the opportunity to re-write parts of the novel and (hopefully) garner criticism and commentary so that I can understand in my writing what worked, what didn't work, and why. The only way you learn is to let people see your stuff and get feedback. So here we go. Thanks in advance to any who comment. I appreciate any and all. :)