“It’s good to meet you in person.” A woman, who robably ie fifties or so, a stern expression on her face, with dusky skin and dark eyes, coupled with her tight head of bck hair, offered me a handshake. I took it, and her grip was still firm. She struck me as a woman who was all business, her pale blue skirt suit clearly expensive, yet also tastefully uated. Yes, I shouldn’t uimate her.

  “I’m Gina Haskell, the current Director of the CIA. A pleasure.”

  As she stepped back, the uest in the room, another man, of a simir age to Gina, yet still rather handsome, his bck hair fading to silver a little at his temples, his greenish-blue eyes filled with intellige also wariness, took her pce, also going for a handshake. His bck suit was more ostentatious, and he wore a rge ‘stars and stripes’ pin badge on his pel. “I’m Christopher Wright. FBI Director. You already know Adam, it seems.” He cast his gaze over my panions as he released my hand, seeming a little fused by Adelheid, a faint frown on his lips, before his gaze hardened with hostility as he beheld Christina.

  Seeing that, she giggled. “You shouldn’t be staring at me like that Chris, what will your wife think?”

  “I’m not… I…” he began, before realising he was being mocked. “Watouth. I had hoped you’d killed yourself with your experiments.”

  “So harsh, so cold, Chris! I don’t care for it from you, though!” Christina eyed me, as if to see if I was jealous, which made me sigh internally. Seeing that, and perhaps mistaking it for some more positive emotions, Christina flushed, sitting down in a chair that would be o mine, dragging it closer, so that I’d be pressed close to her. “How’s the kids?”

  At that, Christrowled, taking a step forwards, fists ched. Gina called for him to stop, while Adam watched on, impassive, taking his ow.

  “You stay away from them! If you ever go hem, so help me God, I swear I’ll…” Christopher rumbled, insed.

  “Oh, rex, Chris. You don’t want your hair to start reg, instead of just going grey.” Christina tittered. “I’m a ged woman, you know!”

  “Yes, calm down, Christina agreed, gripping his arm. “You ’t let her rile you up. Your children are safe…”

  Seeing my fusion, Christina expined. “Chris here, his son and daughter are both Chosen. I had thought that the odds of that were astronomical, but from statistical analysis, and your own experiences, I see that Favour distribution is actually far from random. Family pairings are surprisingly on.”

  That surprised me. “In that case, why were you fumbling in the dark so much? If children of important goveral figures are Chosen, just ask them.”

  Before Christopher could answer, Christina helpfully exposited. “Chris is overprotective, aried to keep his kids out of all this, but Adam shem out. I ’t help but think it foolish, Bethany and Zachary should be honing their powers, learnirengths…”

  “You bitch, you just want to torture them, like…”

  At Adam’s loud, fake coughing, and Gina’s tight grasp, Christopher realised he had gooo far. Adelheid couldn’t uand, but wasn’t worried, knowing the people here couldn’t harm us, and Christina…

  “Oh, you misuand me. I’d be hurt… except, well, I’ve certainly made some mistakes. But I’ve turned over a new leaf!” she decred, leaning into me. “Now it’s all about sent, and self-experimentation! I’ll make amends that way, and also show off my good side to Akio!”

  “Yes, sit down, and we calm talk calmly.” Gina persuaded Christopher, and when everyone was seated, I introduced myself.

  “I agree. Anyway, I’m Akio Moonstone Oshiro, in the Western order. You call me Akio, I don’t stand on honorifics. It’s… good to meet you?”

  “Why is that a question?” Gina asked, intense. “Oh, I imagine you have little fondness for us, or especially for Adam, sidering your past, Akio. And since you’ve spent time with him, he’s likely annoyed you further. But we all o set aside our distent, as reasonable adults, and e to some sort of mutually beneficial accord. Although…” She Christopher, who took a deep breath, visibly calming himself, and he finished for her.

  “…this is just an informal discussion and sharing of ideas, trying to… brush over… some past problems. We don’t have the authority or ination to make decisions without ht from gress and… the President.”

  Adam s that, and while I wasn’t particurly ied in fn politics, everyone had heard stories of the current President, but I wouldn’t judge from hearsay, since apparently I was meeting him tomorrow, alongside other important people. “Oh, but I’m certain you make one cession.”

  “And what would that be?” Gina asked, leaning forwards ily. Beside her, Adam was grinning sourly, knowing what I wanted.

  “Christina Bakker is going to be seded to work under me in Japan. I owe her that much.”

  At my words, Christina flushed red, and it wasn’t just me who noticed a little drool leaking from the er of her mouth. What is she, a damn dog? Adelheid was equally disgusted, sliding her small frame across her chair to get as much distance from the woman she viewed as crazy as possible. I suppose she’ll… express her feelings in a more normal way in time? Maybe?

  “Oh?” Gina asked. “Much as her personality leaves a lot to be desired, and Christopher would be happy to be rid of her, Christina Bakker still is a ranking employee of DARPA, seded under Adam, and not someone who easily be released. After all… she knows rather a lot of cssified information.”

  Christina paled at that, and Adam sneered. I decided to make my point. “Yes, she does I’m sure. Though we all know that a lot of that information has beeracted through means that would turernational unity against you. But that’s irrelevant. I’m sure you’re aware how knowledgeable I am. I have access to sources of information you most certainly don’t, judging by your as. Anything Christina could tell me…” I fixed Adam with a steely grey gaze, a my point, arg an eyebrow sardonically. “…isn’t going to be something I couldn’t discover for myself. And besides, while matters are between Japan and America…” My tone showed what I thought of that. “…I still think America should show some siy. And what do you lose? From Director Christopher’s rea, it seems you uand that Christina is dangerous, hard to handle.”

  “Nonsense, in your hands I’ll be as easy to handle as a kitten!” she retorted, but at a firm gre from Gina she shut her mouth.

  “I certainly agree she’s reckless, but her work provides results.” Gina allowed. “Besides, why her? Though…” Gina narrowed her eyes. “…her attitude seems rather… unusual. You seem somewhat… animated.”

  “I am, I am.” Christina agreed. “And I believe my breakthroughs will be greater than ever. Logic alone is insuffit!”

  “But if you leave, then yreater breakthroughs, as you call them, will go to Japan.” Adam pointed out. “We’ve discussed this, Christina. You owe us. You owe me! How we stand by ahis happen? I agree, I am rather unwilling to front Akio over you, but unwilling doesn’t mean we won’t.”

  “That’s right.” Gina agreed. “No more than you’d simply allow us to poae of your allies.”

  “There’s a differehough.” I disagreed. “While Christina’s right, and logi’t everything, it’s clearly illogical to make an enemy of me, when you’ve barely mao smooth things over. Instead, you should be giving me a little face, as the ese might say.”

  “But we are the only losers here.” Gina pressed, and Christopher, who clearly hated Christina, looked troubled, though he kept his mouth shut.

  “From how you pyed our little game, I uand you better.” Adam spoke up. “You tried to minimise your own casualties until I ged the way the game yed, showing there was no limit to my reinforts. Then, you made sure to defeat the leader, even if it meant your own doom. It tallies with the message ents brought back after their failure. Yes, everything has a price.” Adam surprised me with his words, turning to Gina and Christopher. “It is a price we’ve been paying, harsh though it is. While I have little sympathy for the criminals and undesirables who awakehese wretched powers like cuckoos in our midst, the brave US patriots who died… even our fs… it was bloody but necessary work.”

  “It wasn’t. Not at all.” I disagreed.

  “Maybe not for you. But not everyone was bequeathed the power you were, the knowledge.” Adam replied, unmoved.

  What a fool. Yes, Ortlinde gave me the means to gather information instead of actual power, and the Seeds are long-term a huge boon, but to start with I had almost nothing. I made my gains the opposite way, by cooperation rather than exploitation. Knowing he wouldn’t uand, and also refleg on his personality from the wargame, which showed he was more than willing to toss away any number of lives to win, I kept my silence, seeing that Gina at least was curious as to my meaning.

  “In any case, we were unprepared. The world was unprepared. Know your enemy, and know yourself. These are what we are achieving.” Adam insisted. “And I know Christina.” He snorted. “Believe it or not, Gina, Chris, this madwoman who I thought only had ice water rather than blood in her veins, and a heart of stone, not flesh and blood, cims she’s fallen in love. Laughable. There’s no happy ending for you, Christina. You really think he’ll be happy with you? You’ve met his other womehem on TV. Rumours are that high-profile talks between the Queen of Britain, the Japanese gover and the Imperial Family are also taking pce behind the ses. You’re certainly pretty enough, woman, but… if all he wants is beauty, you’re at best on a par. And your personality, even now, is extremely off-putting.”

  “Love? Her?” Gina was shocked. “With… with him?” She poi me, and I shrugged wryly.

  “Sorry, the curse of being too Charming. Normally I’m delighted, as it’s led many women I care for into my embrace, but… well, you see her.”

  Christina’s breath was ing hot, her legs rubbing together, and I noticed the legs poking out of her skirt were actually rather slender and delicate. Curse it. Any guy would look. “I know. I know better than anyone. He dislikes me a lot. I get that. Though… I always liked a challenge.” She licked her lips. “I’m beautiful, I know that. Though my carelessness did ruin my flesh a number of times. But even before I fell for him, he always fixed my scars. I k then, he ecial. But… he’s a mirror to what I could have been.”

  “How so?” Christopher asked, ied despite his hatred of her.

  “You wouldn’t uand, but he made me able to experiehe world of the Boundary. And it’s not through a so-called Divine Favour. It’s his own power, and therefore not one Adam should fear. You’ve read the reports oraining school from Scryer, and it’s not like Japan is keeping it secret, in fact, they are using it as a method to show power, that they have the situation under trol. Ahere have been mishaps, but pared to a lot of tries we’re iigating, they do have a firm grip on things. Mostly thanks to Akio here.”

  I watched and listened, rather stunned. Christina pushed a finger against her gsses, not that she hem now, my Chirurgery having corrected her eyesight, but like Yukiko-san, it seemed she was too used to them to not put on a pair, even if they were for fashion. But her sloppy tone and lewd expressions were gone, and she was all business. She stood, arms csped behind her back, and with her suit, b coat and gsses, she seemed the image of a beautiful, professional stist. Nope, I won’t be fooled. I know the real her… although… everyone has more than just one side. Just like Eri is both shy and aggressive, kind and harsh, or Shiro is both aloof and tender…

  “He is inquisitive, and seeks answers, the same answers we have been searg for. But… his methods are rooted in an unwillio do harm. Why, I have heard tell of your experiments iher Healing, whivolved great pain. I am eager to try it myself, it seems a great avenue of research.” She wi me, one blue eye disappearing for a moment, her other one smiling. “I imagine your heart hurt watg your Fae princess suffer that, you’re such a tender boy.” She giggled for a moment, before her serious mask returned. “I will put my body on the lio optimise the method and improve it. If I suffer, or even die… I do hope you’d feel sorry for me, but at least I’ll be achieving something, driving away the darkness of ignorance, and it won’t bring me s. If I perform selfless deeds, then I am effectively… ah. No, I see it now. While it is true a fake indistinguishable from the inal is real, perhaps even more real, as it’s trying to be real, whereas the inal simply is, there’s one area where that isn’t true. The heart. Oh… I see. No wonder you se, even as you gave me a ce.”

  “What is she talking about?” Gina asked, and I shook my head.

  “It’s fifty pert nonsense, but… it’s also fifty pert ear. You’re right. And that’s why the methods you employ here in America are wrong. At best you’ll get a cursory uanding of the shallower yers, of ether aher. But beyond that?” Adherence is all about the i, the worship, the emotion… going back to the Tower of London and what lies below it, that wouldn’t have aggregated if it simply worked on ordinary principles. “Yoing to hit a dead end.”

  “A, you want to take away our researcher who you say has finally uood?” Gina glowered. “That’s simply unreasonable. Unless of course, are you pnning to correisuandings?”

  “Hardly.” I snorted bitterly. “I do want the world to e together, and that includes America, but… I’m not some Saint, I may be toiving, but… I ’t five everything you’ve done and will do.”

  “Yet you’ll five her?” Christopher was disgusted. “I… ’t say I was entirely behind everything that Project Star Mirror has done… I… I know better than any the horrors. My kids… they are cursed. I fear for them stantly! And Christina was the worst of them all. She was tasked with gettis, but… she chose the methods! There should be niveness.”

  “Perhaps not. We all have weights to carry. I’ve blood on my hands too. And I’ll stain them with more. But… I’ll always try to leave the world a better pce than I found it. I’m not a fool. Pacifism will only lead to e or death.” Shaeu carries the weight of her past, Shiro, that she repared to betray us all to Tan, though fortuan isn’t as tyrannical as I first feared. Asha and her sisters, Daiyu, failing her Sed family, leading to their death… Hyath and her many years of madness… and that’s just them. Some of our other allies… yeah. Fiveness isn’t the correct question, it’s… “It’ll be a hard, long road for Christina. And she might find that even at the end of it, she’s not done enough good to bance her wrongdoings. But… I find myself wanting to give her a ce walking it. Maybe I’m just a fool for a pretty face…” I ughed self-depregly. “…but while you know her best, and perhaps see her as scheming or lying… I really think I know she’s genuine. A fool, annoying, and far, far too lewd, but ho.”

  “I… no. I’m not saying anything!” Christina clearly wao say something like ‘I’m pretty, huh?’ or ‘I knew you liked me’ but she k wasn’t the right time. “Not about that. Look… Chris. I’ll apologise. I did want to get my hands ohany and Zachary. Holy, I still do…” As he stood up, faraged, she held up a hand to forestall him. “Rex, Chris, you’ll go bald. Not to experiment on them… but because they should be getting pruidance! I’ve not been in Japan long, not at all, and they’re not stupid. Everyone’s wary of me, doesn’t trust me. It’s started to hurt a little… I’ve started wanting to be trusted, to be liked. Uific, but… a little more human, maybe? Anyway… even so, I’m Christina Bakker, the best stist in Amerio, the world! It doesn’t take mue to gather and sort information. Your kids… if they aren’t ready, then the world won’t wait for them. Best think on that, Chris.”

  He sat down again, troubled, and she finished her long speech. “So yes, however I got these stirrings of emotion, I don’t care. I ’t abandon them, go back to how I was. If I’m never fiven… well, never does, does it? I’m a stist. Logically… if I’m not fiven tomorrow, then in a week. If not a week, work hard for a month. If that fails, I’ll experiment for a year. Then a decade of making amends. A tury of toil. A millennia of struggle…” She g me then, and her expression was… odd. It wasn’t her usual lewd one, but it was certainly more charming than ever, which was certainly rather discerting, wrong somehow. “…so long as I’ve a goal to chase, little Miss Christina here won’t be deterred. If I made the best unfeeling, logical mohen… with greater motivation, I’m sure I make myself the best test subject, and uncover all the secrets of this world!”

  Adelheid rolled her eyes, but while she barely uood, she got the passion, and cpped a little. Christopher looked troubled, Adam resigned, while Gina… she had a rueful expression, peering ily at Christina. “I’m… more shocked by this development than anything else. It’s entirely pusible your head could be turned by greater research opportunities…”

  “Oh it was, Gina. My head is spinning, it was turned so fast. But it’s more than that.”

  “…so it seems.” She was drumming her fingers on the armrest of her chair now, pehis puts us in a mess, Adam. But I do see one solution.”

  “Oh, how so?” Adam asked mildly.

  “Seems to me, we lose Christiher way. In that case… the pragmatic approach is to extract maximum value.”

  “Am I so valuable? Akio, best take note of that.” Christina smirked, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Holy, you’ve good insights. And… I’m gd to see you’ve recovered a bit.”

  “I have? I… don’t think so.” For a moment, so brief only I and possibly Adelheid noticed, her expression ged to one of bnk, shuddering horror. “But… if I treat it as a mental version of the Ether Healing experiment… I endure. And… I get the feeling I should. Though I ’t quite grasp why, it feels important.”

  All I could do was nod at that. “All right then. I assume you want something in exge? Bear in mind, while you’ve settled matters with Japan, I think you owe me already.”

  “e now. These are separate matters.” Gina’s smile was now predatory. “Adam, you’re prepared to part with Christina, yes? I know you uood she could possibly be detained when you seo Britain that first time.”

  “There’s losing her for our be, and being stolen from. I’m sure you’re aware of the difference. I had a list of questions.” Adam pointed out, and I held my ground, unwilling to be cheated.

  “And one of them, the crocodile, matches my is, so is a freebee. The others… I’ll have to run them past the Ministry bae before I even sider them. Maybe some of the answers are harmless, but if you want to put America’s is at the forefront, you ’t bme me for doing the same for Japan and our allies. And before you say America is Japan’s ally, I know… which makes your attempted abdu of me, and the other successful ones, all the more damaging and perplexing.”

  “It’s undeniable that many of the strange powers you people possess are incredibly dangerous and upset the natural order of things.” Gina insisted, and Adam backed her up.

  “Yes. After all, mind trol, for example. If such is allowed to exist, how we ever be sure our wills are our own, our reality is what we are experieng?”

  “You think we know that now?” Christina smirked. “If we were simply brains in a jar, and all we see is simply false stimuli caused by electrical inputs, how would we ever know, or distinguish it? Hey, that’s even relevant to what I’ve talked about before. But in all practicality, Adam… here’s a question for you. If there’s a small teapot orbiting the suweeh and Mars, and our telescopes are too small to detect it, and its gravitational influen the surrounding massive bodies is so small as to be utterly insignifit… its existence doesn’t matter either way, does it? I think we all have to assume that we are in trol of our own minds and wills. I certainly feel in trol. Oh, trol maybe isn’t the right word, sidering the struggle I’m having with emotions, but… my point is the same.”

  “What she’s trying to say… I think…” I interpreted. “…is that if there’s no way to be sure, then there’s no point fearing it. But I agree, to aent. There are certainly powers more ily dangerous than others. I’ve e across what you fear in South Korea. A bad business.” I shook my head, remembering the Chae twins and their terrible mind trolling abilities. “But there’s always ways to resist. And even a dangerous ability in the right hands is a blessing, and an ability sidered good, such as healing, easily be used to harm.” I’ve certainly sidered it. Ether Healing and Chirurgery could be deadly tools to wreck a body. While It’s likely easier to just run a sword through someone, Healing a body improperly is just as likely to be lethal…

  “I uand. Just as a gun is a tool, the user determihe i. Though… while Ameri many states uds the rights to openly carry guns… wouldn’t it arouse some suspis if people openly carried grenade unchers, anti-material rifles, or even small nuclear warheads. We had those, you know.” Gina ceded. “Ba the day. Though they were thankfully never used.”

  “The M-28 and M-29 Davy Crockett systems.” Christreed. “I don’t like the analogy, but… yes, much as Director White and I don’t see eye-to-eye…”

  “Still bitter I found out about your kids?” Adam muttered, and Christopher shuddered, taking a deep breath before nodding.

  “Yoddamn right I am, Adam! My kids aren’t dangerous. Even… even if they carried an M-29, we could trust them to be responsible! Bethany’s got a level head, and while Zachary be a little impulsive, he knht fr!”

  “But not everyone does. And horrible as it is to say, I do uand Adam’s reasoning to aent.” Gina broke in. “Everyone in America has the right to bear arms. stitutionally, these abilities you possess would e uhat. But… just as some are handguns or automatic ons, and cause great harm in the wrong hands, others are bombs or nuclear ons. We make a mistake here, and not just dozens, or even hundreds, like in your Kyoto, could die, but tens or hundreds of thousands. Hell, if someone was to have a powerful-enough ability to spread a pgue, for example, and it was released in a packed airport, we could be looking at tens, hundreds of millions! Yes, what Adam and the stist you are defending here has done was too far perhaps, too cruel… but a few hundred lives for the safety of millions. The mathematics of survival are cruel.”

  Gina’s expression was ear, if with a tinge of self-loathing, and I khey meant well, even if their methods appalled me, reeking of the sacrifices I hated.

  “Better a hundred is perish than a potential disaster goes free.” Adam intoned piously. “We take no pleasure in it…. Well, you don’t, do you, Christina?” he asked, and she shook her head.

  “Even… even before now, when there were ways to test the things we o know that didn’t involve harm, I took it. Unfortunately… so much required cruelty. Which is why from now on, Akio and me, we’ll test on each other! No limits, no sorrow. I don’t particurly enjoy pain, although…” She licked her lips, peering at me for a moment, before adjusting her gsses and coughing, cheeks pink. “…never mind. Different sort of pain. “…but, I’m willing, I have full sent and uanding of the meaning of such tests. As do you, don’t you? We’ll get all the answers we’ll hat way. It won’t wash the blood off my hands, but… if my work does prevent a disaster you fear, Adam… then ato… it’s a good first step, yes?”

  “You? You’d do this?” Christoper asked, astonished. “I find it hard to believe. All you ever uood is numbers, results, he human cost, or the emotional weight!”

  “Yes. You’re sadly right.” Christina pulled her b coat around her suit like armour. “I don’t deny it. Unravelling the mystery was everything to me. I had to know. I still do have a deep craving to know. But… that’s not all I want to know.” Her face paled, and her eyes reflected faint horror, and I assumed she was remembering the shared experiences Haru poured into her. “I need… I o work through everything. So I simute, assume, a how I feel. Emotions aren’t sce, but… I’m Christina Bakker, and I will not stop until I uand everything about how I feel now. And I’ll do some good!”

  “I’m… shocked.” Christopher said at st. “If I didn’t believe in Director White’s threats of dangerous mind-altering powers before, I would now… but… you’re still you, I tell. Only your depthless insanity would talk so… strangely about what it means to be human.” He took a deep breath. “I vote you take her away. I think she’s like those M-29’s. She’s powerful, but if we use her, we’ll be caught up in the fallout.”

  “But she knows far too much.” Adam pointed out, and Christopher shrugged.

  “Which is why we’re having this talk, yes? iations. Sure, without the President’s approval, and gress ratifying matters, there’s a huge amount we ’t agree on, but we y some groundwork, and… Christina’s not a prisoner, not yet. If she chooses to leave freely and we don’t detaihat’s not a matter we need ht on.”

  “True.” Adam fixed us with a stern gre, and seemed amused when Adelheid’s blue, frosty stare was the ohat unnerved him the most. “Christina. You’ve already greatly disappointed me. But I expected some problems. As your boss… I sign the release papers for an official transfer. Let me see… how about this?” Adam leaned forwards, rubbing his , thinking.

  “This Ministry in Japan, how about Christina is seded there as a fn liaison? In exge, we want regur reports. Now, I’m aware you don’t feel like sharing with us, and the Japanese gover has its reservations, but… the truth is, America is still Japan’s biggest supporter, and with a making waves, and an undercurrent ious u worldwide… these so-called Church of True Revetion fellows…” His lips curled into a grimace. “…friends o stick together. Past transgressions are no bar to future cooperation. History tells us that. After all, we were on opposite sides during the Sed World War.”

  Gina frowned. “It’s true, this is well within our remit. But nothing in life is free…”

  “True. And while I am here, not causing trouble, because Japan has deemed the abdu of our citizens didn’t happen, politically… I still remember. But…” I Christina, and they uood.

  “Fihen.” Gina sighed. “Our research is moving in different dires now, anyway, so I’m told. The early fog of ignorance has been driven baewhat.”

  Christina stifled a giggle, eyes sparkling, having escaped death. She then whispered something so faintly only my ears, and maybe Adelheid’s, could pick it up. “I’m still staying iel tonight! I won’t feel safe until I’m ba Japan!”

  Great, and here I was thinking I could have a peaceful night… oh well, onto more iations…

  ***

  “As I live and breathe, Akio! You’re looking mighty fine, and so are you, Aliyah. The puys here tonight will be having to swallow their tears, missing out on a beauty like you!” Buck Kelly hollered loudly, as he saw us arrive. The security had been a bit of an issue. Adelheid had ged into a more mature outfit, dark scks and a turtleneck jumper in a soothing charcoal grey and had ged her hairstyle and makeup to seem older, but she still didn’t seem (and indeed wasn’t) twenty-one. But as invited VIP’s we were ushered in after a brief discussion.

  Indeed, I was in one of my usual suits, but Aliyah was wearing a dress, simir to when I first met her. It was white with gold highlights, and offset her dark skin and hair brilliantly, as well as showed off her ample cleavage and toned, lohrough a deep slit in the side. Not to be outdone, her brother Treyvon was wearing a suit simir to mihough whereas I was lean, his muscur frame made him rather eye-catg.

  Christina, who after our preliminary iations had calmed down, was now also in a dress. We had sourced it from the hotel again, and she wasn’t wearing a b coat, as I had insisted. The blue dress wasn’t anywhere near as daring as Aliyah’s, leaning more on the elegant side, but coupled with Christina’s ash-blonde hair pulled up into a proper hairstyle, and some light makeup, she looked mature and attractive.

  “You’re always with the dies when I see you, Akio!” Buck tinued, eyeing Christina appreciatively. “And different ones each time too! My Mary will be shocked, and I hardly wait to see David spit out his drink. Anyway, e in, e in!” Buck himself was wearing a smart pair of jeans, with a white shirt with the top few buttons open, a casual yet stylish look.

  “Fuck me, don’t keep us waiting, Buck. I’ve worked up a hell of a thirst today!” Aliyah pined, and soon we were inside. As we passed the raucous interior of the bar, called Kelly’s Haven, I noticed something, and I wasn’t the only one who did, as Aliyah doubled hing, though that was a dangerous pose for her.

  “What the shitting hell is that? Oh my fug sides… if I rip this dress ughing it’ll be your fault, man!”

  “Oh, you like it?” Buck grinned. Indeed, while we were heading for a private booth at the end of the room, the decoration was… ostentatious. Ihe bar down one side of the room had a Fae-like feel, with a mural of a nightscape, huge moon overhead, and small lights like fireflies bobbing, whi closer iion were little Fae, possibly Sylphs or Pixies. That wasn’t what caught our attention of course. What did, was a rger-than-life metal cutout of Shaeu, holding a bottle of Fae spirits in one hand, her other being invitingly. The barmaids are in yukata as well, though… holy, some of them are struggling to move. Must have been a rush job…

  “Let nothing bar-bar your way to the wines and spirits from the immortal nds of the Fae.” Trey read, notig the banner above that bar. “Approved of and supplied by Shaeu Tu Shae Dannan, old friend of Buck Kelly, and fiao the Hero of Britain, Akio Moonstone Oshiro!”

  “Oh God, that’s embarrassing…” I grimaced, though I knew Shaeu would revel iention. Gng at the prices dispyed on annboard, I swallowed nervously. Yeah, that’s the sort of prices the drinks we had in Gangnam cost, sometimes more. Even so… I could see people were paying.

  “It’s nothing shameful.” Buck spped me gently on the back, grinning as we passed the crowds, and I could see two familiar faces sitting at our booth, the frosted gss which allowed viewing out but not in no bar to my eyesight. One was a gmourous blonde woman, around the same age as Buck, Mrs Mary Kelly, and she was wearing a modest yet expensive pale lemon dress. The sed was David Jacobson, tall and lean, slightly dark-skinned, and in a short-sleeved silk shirt in a bright blue, showing off his poker tattoo.

  “Long time no see. Who’d have thought it, huh? That guy I met at that backwater o in Vegas was such a bigshot. Anyway…” David grinned, lifting up his gss, which held a faintly glowing e liquid, which looked like Fae Wine. “…cheers, dowch!”

  As he took a heartly swig, Mrs Kelly greeted us, paying special attention to Aliyah, Christina and Adelheid, and soon we were seated, a starstruck, yukata-cd waitress bringing us over several bottles of both ordinary, yet expensive, Irish whiskey, and spirits made from the honey from the Mirror Bees. Seeing my look, Buck shrugged.

  “Yeah, I had to rush things when I knew you were going to be in town, but… the first orders have e through. Sure, the supply is nowhere enough to stock all my bars, but… here, we make the first impression. And it seems to be w. I told you, Akio, you’re my lucky charm!” He spped me on the back again, and as I took a sip of whiskey, which was warm, mellow and fiery, and then chased it with a swig of the smooth, creamy and punchy Fae alcohol, I nodded, while David was pining that his bars aaurants were missing out on such a glorious opportunity…

  As Adelheid took a sip of whiskey, her face frowning at the taste, I slid her a gss of the Fae spirits, and she seemed to like that better, though she was muttering to herself that beer was the only real drink. Aliyah and Trey were digging in with reckless abandon, and Christina…

  “I’m not normally much of a drinker. I find intoxication aorous, logical thought, but… it would be terribly b if I don’t indulge. This is a date, right? Right?”

  “No, it’s just an excuse to unwind.” I shook my head. The iations had dragged on for a while. I had inteo ask for access to two Territories, one on each coast of America, but of course there was huge pushba that, but at least the idea was broached. It won’t happen until we reach Rank four anyway. I io move the Ring Gate Hub to a newly secure, high-security site away from Asha’s Tree and the Anchor and route all travel through that. No more carelessness. But when that happens, I want a worldwide work. It’s going to be hard gathering enough Chosen Vassals and others like my sis ao expand it, but… that’s a worry for ter…

  “But…” My expression softened. She’s fually broken as a human being, but… I know she’s genuine when it es to her desire to take on all the risks in terms of experimentation I ’t or won’t. And not the sort of genuine which is merely a perfect fake. “…rex anyway. We could all use a break after the stress of the st few days.”

  Taking anulp of whiskey, I sighed, letting the background noise of the bar and the TV showing some sort of Ameri sport in our booth wash over me. Tomorrow, I have to meet the President. That’s… going to be a pain. Though… he’s supposedly impulsive, and doesn’t always listen to his advisors, so if I win him over, maybe I get some easy cessions? Of course, if I piss him off, that’d be terrible…

  Setting that aside, I resolved to lower my resistao alcohol for now, a happy drunkenness wash my worries away…