slice, putting it inside my buttered roll and took a bite, then added some salt. Another bite—better.
Stacia watched me before copying my actions and biting into her own sandwich. She looked thoughtful as she chewed and swallowed.
“You learned a lot at school, didn’t you?”
“Our resident pack got particularly tense during finals week. The Arcane chefs went through a whole bunch of roast beef and brisket. Some schools use therapy bunnies to relieve student stress. We thought that might not go so well with Delwood and his pals.”
She laughed, almost despite herself. “How about you? I know you’ve lost your temper before. Chris and Tanya made our security guys watch the video of both your fights with Delwood.”
“Wait, there’s video? And why would your security guys watch it?”
“Of course there is video. Arcane has cameras all over that place. Chris thought both fights were, as you might say… teachable moments. But don’t evade the question.”
“What question? Did you ever actually ask a question?” I asked.
“About your temper? How do you handle it? I checked the news sites from yesterday—there were no crazy traffic explosions or cars flying while you were driving in, but New York drivers would make anyone crazy.”
“Oh. Yeah. I’ve never been in a big city before. People here are nuts. Mostly I try to think about consequences,” I said, taking another bite of roast beef and roll.
“Consequences?” she asked.
“My aunt talked to me about the consequences of my actions when I was a kid… a lot. All the time, in fact. Maybe I spell a car to stall because the driver pissed me off and then the driver is late to work one too many times and gets fired. Then his family loses their home… kids grow up homeless. Or I give another bully a little mental shove, but it’s more than I thought and he falls in front of a car or something. Things like that. It was really hard yesterday, though,” I said.
“Because city drivers are a-holes?” she asked.
“That… and because there’s so much power here. It almost made me drunk. I wanted to try stuff out and Sorrow kept making suggestions.”
“Suggestions?”
“Blow up that truck—crush those cars—knock down those buildings—tear that bridge loose and drop it into the river. That kind of thing,” I said.
She looked at me, her eyes focused, maybe a little surprised. Before she could say anything, a group of additional interns came into the dining room. The kid from MIT came in last, talking to a thin black guy and a woman a few years older than Stacia.
“Ah, our Chief Technology Officer is here,” Stacia said, cocking her head but not looking around or even taking her eyes off the strip of roast beef she was dropping into her mouth. It was a good reminder that werewolf hearing is ridiculous.
She chewed a few times, swallowed, and then raised her arm, turning slightly.
“Hey Chet? Got a moment?” she called.
All three turned our way, and then the thin guy, Chet, started over while the woman kept going with the pack of interns. MIT stared appreciatively at Stacia till he noticed me, then he frowned and moved off with the others.
“Hey Bombshell. ‘Sup?” Chet asked Stacia as he got closer, looking me over curiously.
“I wanted to introduce you to Declan. He’s Chris’s intern, but you might want to borrow him from time to time,” she said.
His face lit with recognition at my name, a brief flare of wariness, which was rapidly replaced by curiosity.
“The literal computer wizard. I’ve been told a lot about you,” he said, shaking my hand. “Of course, I’ll reserve judgment till I see you in action.”
“Hear that? He’s calling you out, D. Show him something,” Stacia prodded, smiling.
I looked from her to him, then made up my mind.
Stacia watched me before copying my actions and biting into her own sandwich. She looked thoughtful as she chewed and swallowed.
“You learned a lot at school, didn’t you?”
“Our resident pack got particularly tense during finals week. The Arcane chefs went through a whole bunch of roast beef and brisket. Some schools use therapy bunnies to relieve student stress. We thought that might not go so well with Delwood and his pals.”
She laughed, almost despite herself. “How about you? I know you’ve lost your temper before. Chris and Tanya made our security guys watch the video of both your fights with Delwood.”
“Wait, there’s video? And why would your security guys watch it?”
“Of course there is video. Arcane has cameras all over that place. Chris thought both fights were, as you might say… teachable moments. But don’t evade the question.”
“What question? Did you ever actually ask a question?” I asked.
“About your temper? How do you handle it? I checked the news sites from yesterday—there were no crazy traffic explosions or cars flying while you were driving in, but New York drivers would make anyone crazy.”
“Oh. Yeah. I’ve never been in a big city before. People here are nuts. Mostly I try to think about consequences,” I said, taking another bite of roast beef and roll.
“Consequences?” she asked.
“My aunt talked to me about the consequences of my actions when I was a kid… a lot. All the time, in fact. Maybe I spell a car to stall because the driver pissed me off and then the driver is late to work one too many times and gets fired. Then his family loses their home… kids grow up homeless. Or I give another bully a little mental shove, but it’s more than I thought and he falls in front of a car or something. Things like that. It was really hard yesterday, though,” I said.
“Because city drivers are a-holes?” she asked.
“That… and because there’s so much power here. It almost made me drunk. I wanted to try stuff out and Sorrow kept making suggestions.”
“Suggestions?”
“Blow up that truck—crush those cars—knock down those buildings—tear that bridge loose and drop it into the river. That kind of thing,” I said.
She looked at me, her eyes focused, maybe a little surprised. Before she could say anything, a group of additional interns came into the dining room. The kid from MIT came in last, talking to a thin black guy and a woman a few years older than Stacia.
“Ah, our Chief Technology Officer is here,” Stacia said, cocking her head but not looking around or even taking her eyes off the strip of roast beef she was dropping into her mouth. It was a good reminder that werewolf hearing is ridiculous.
She chewed a few times, swallowed, and then raised her arm, turning slightly.
“Hey Chet? Got a moment?” she called.
All three turned our way, and then the thin guy, Chet, started over while the woman kept going with the pack of interns. MIT stared appreciatively at Stacia till he noticed me, then he frowned and moved off with the others.
“Hey Bombshell. ‘Sup?” Chet asked Stacia as he got closer, looking me over curiously.
“I wanted to introduce you to Declan. He’s Chris’s intern, but you might want to borrow him from time to time,” she said.
His face lit with recognition at my name, a brief flare of wariness, which was rapidly replaced by curiosity.
“The literal computer wizard. I’ve been told a lot about you,” he said, shaking my hand. “Of course, I’ll reserve judgment till I see you in action.”
“Hear that? He’s calling you out, D. Show him something,” Stacia prodded, smiling.
I looked from her to him, then made up my mind.
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