“That’s convenient.”
“Isn’t it just?”
When we get there I say, “If anyone says you ran, point them out and I’ll hit them.”
She grabs my arm.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”
“I’m not fighting for you. I just like punching people.”
She lets go and points at me.
“There’s another half that thinks you’re just crazy.”
“Finally. My people.”
She nods at the motor-home door.
“Get your ass inside. I’m bringing the others, but the Magistrate wants to see Daja and you first.”
“Sounds like a party. I hope there’s cake.”
Wanuri is already yards away and doesn’t hear me.
I start to open the door, but I flash back on the dream. I swear I can hear Wormwood scrabbling around like rats in the walls. If I’m right, someone just made—and someone just lost—a pile of money on the shoot-out. Of course, even if Wormwood is still hiding up in some deep dark hole in Hell, what are the odds of them knowing what’s going on in the Tenebrae?
“My boy,” says the Magistrate.
He comes to the door and helps me inside.
“How is your wound? We are low on some supplies, I am afraid. I did my best with what we had at hand.”
“The side’s good, thanks. Mimir just fixed me up with laudanum.”
“Excellent,” he says, and ushers me to the little table where Cherry did her swami act.
Daja is already there, bandages on both hands and her forehead.
“Did you bring any laudanum for the rest of us?” she says.
I shake my head. “I might go back for seconds. You should come along.”
“I just might do that.”
I look at her bandaged hands.
“You all right?”
“Just a couple of blisters. Some asshole convinced me to run through a furnace.”
“He sounds shady. As your lawyer, I advise you to avoid him in the future.”
“It’s my fondest dream.”
The Magistrate pulls a bottle of Hellion wine from a cabinet and sets out three glasses. I’ve never been that much of a wine guy, but I’m sure it will mix well with the laudanum. But he only pours glasses for Daja and himself. I look at my empty glass.
“If I’m in trouble, why don’t you start the yelling now while I’m still high and won’t care?”