Pa’s right; you need to stay here and keep things coordinated. Provide a bolt-hole like you’ve been doin’. Explain what you can to…anybody who needs to know.”
“I’ll do ’er,” Dale affirmed.
“And I have to stay here, dammit!” Scott spat. “Covert operations against Mystic Mountain and all that. Damage in the guise of damage control.”
“As for me,” Myra sighed, “much as I hate to say it, I have got to get back to Athens for a couple of days.” She looked at Piper, who hadn’t said a word throughout the entire discussion. Poor guy, David thought. He hates this sort of thing even worse than Alec. Still, this was a crisis situation; they needed people they could count on, not someone who’d curl up and go catatonic when the shit hit the famous fan.
David eyed Alec thoughtfully. “Uh, roomie, while you’re in Athens, could you pick up a couple of things for me?”
“What?” Alec asked dumbly, even as Liz’s face woke with recognition. “All the magic whatsis we’ve got left, right?”
David nodded. “From here on out, we’d better bring in the whole arsenal—every single thing any of us have that’s come from some other place.” He glanced at Calvin. “That means all your gear from Galunlati, too. Uktena scales, war clubs, everything.”
“I’m way ahead of you,” Cal laughed. “That’s one of my reasons for headin’ to Carolina.”
David studied Myra thoughtfully. “Any chance you could get down there and back before we leave? Or—Crap!” He looked at Fionchadd. “What kind of time frame are we on, anyway?”
“We must conclude everything before the Feast of Lugh.”
“Which is when?” LaWanda wondered.
“July 31,” David supplied automatically. “Folks nowadays call it Lughnasadh, if they call it anything.”
“A month and change, then,” Sandy mused. “That should buy us a little time.”
“If we don’t lose a bunch swappin’ Worlds,” Calvin retorted. “Things seem to be really screwy here versus there.”
“That variance is passing,” Fionchadd assured him. “But do not forget the Sons may act against this place at any time. And never doubt that they will act.”
“Speaking of which,” Aikin broke in. “Exactly what kind of heat should we be packin’?”
“Shotguns,” Big Billy offered instantly. “Better range, and you do maximum damage with minimum effort. Maybe some handguns for close-in stuff, plus they ain’t as bulky. Got a bunch of both,” he added. “One of each kind for everybody in the family: eight right there.”
“I’ve got a couple, too,” Aikin confirmed. “Could probably scrounge up one-two more.”
“Me, too,” Dale chimed in. “Plus my old .45 and Hattie’s derringer.”
“So what about this?” David began. “Everybody carries something, whether they can shoot or not, and we try to bring the newbies up to speed in transit. Everybody who can shoot takes a shotgun and something smaller as a spare, and we take all the ammo we can physically carry.”
“Knives, too,” Fionchadd suggested. “Steel ones, just in case.”
“What about clothes?”
“Faery garb would attract the least attention,” the youth replied. “There should be enough on the ship. Or we could englamour you, but that would take Power we might need elsewhere, and would be detectable by the skilled among my folk. The best approach would be to try to pass as Sidhe with mortal prisoners until we reach our goal.”
“How many guards you lookin’ for?” Aikin wondered.
Aife shrugged. “Not many, if luck favors us, for the Sons of Ailill are not many, only very dedicated and organized. They will have more than one agenda afoot.”
“What about the mortals they took over?”
Another shrug. “They should pose little trouble. Most will have been returned to this World or else have been ensorcelled, for it takes much Power to control another mind, even a mortal one.”
“Thanks a lot!” Calvin muttered.
“Truth is truth,”
“I’ll do ’er,” Dale affirmed.
“And I have to stay here, dammit!” Scott spat. “Covert operations against Mystic Mountain and all that. Damage in the guise of damage control.”
“As for me,” Myra sighed, “much as I hate to say it, I have got to get back to Athens for a couple of days.” She looked at Piper, who hadn’t said a word throughout the entire discussion. Poor guy, David thought. He hates this sort of thing even worse than Alec. Still, this was a crisis situation; they needed people they could count on, not someone who’d curl up and go catatonic when the shit hit the famous fan.
David eyed Alec thoughtfully. “Uh, roomie, while you’re in Athens, could you pick up a couple of things for me?”
“What?” Alec asked dumbly, even as Liz’s face woke with recognition. “All the magic whatsis we’ve got left, right?”
David nodded. “From here on out, we’d better bring in the whole arsenal—every single thing any of us have that’s come from some other place.” He glanced at Calvin. “That means all your gear from Galunlati, too. Uktena scales, war clubs, everything.”
“I’m way ahead of you,” Cal laughed. “That’s one of my reasons for headin’ to Carolina.”
David studied Myra thoughtfully. “Any chance you could get down there and back before we leave? Or—Crap!” He looked at Fionchadd. “What kind of time frame are we on, anyway?”
“We must conclude everything before the Feast of Lugh.”
“Which is when?” LaWanda wondered.
“July 31,” David supplied automatically. “Folks nowadays call it Lughnasadh, if they call it anything.”
“A month and change, then,” Sandy mused. “That should buy us a little time.”
“If we don’t lose a bunch swappin’ Worlds,” Calvin retorted. “Things seem to be really screwy here versus there.”
“That variance is passing,” Fionchadd assured him. “But do not forget the Sons may act against this place at any time. And never doubt that they will act.”
“Speaking of which,” Aikin broke in. “Exactly what kind of heat should we be packin’?”
“Shotguns,” Big Billy offered instantly. “Better range, and you do maximum damage with minimum effort. Maybe some handguns for close-in stuff, plus they ain’t as bulky. Got a bunch of both,” he added. “One of each kind for everybody in the family: eight right there.”
“I’ve got a couple, too,” Aikin confirmed. “Could probably scrounge up one-two more.”
“Me, too,” Dale chimed in. “Plus my old .45 and Hattie’s derringer.”
“So what about this?” David began. “Everybody carries something, whether they can shoot or not, and we try to bring the newbies up to speed in transit. Everybody who can shoot takes a shotgun and something smaller as a spare, and we take all the ammo we can physically carry.”
“Knives, too,” Fionchadd suggested. “Steel ones, just in case.”
“What about clothes?”
“Faery garb would attract the least attention,” the youth replied. “There should be enough on the ship. Or we could englamour you, but that would take Power we might need elsewhere, and would be detectable by the skilled among my folk. The best approach would be to try to pass as Sidhe with mortal prisoners until we reach our goal.”
“How many guards you lookin’ for?” Aikin wondered.
Aife shrugged. “Not many, if luck favors us, for the Sons of Ailill are not many, only very dedicated and organized. They will have more than one agenda afoot.”
“What about the mortals they took over?”
Another shrug. “They should pose little trouble. Most will have been returned to this World or else have been ensorcelled, for it takes much Power to control another mind, even a mortal one.”
“Thanks a lot!” Calvin muttered.
“Truth is truth,”
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