Other Places 1: Shortcuts (14 page)

Nicole looked at him, her face still, but the man next to her wasn't anyone that Zack recognized at all, and
he
seemed scared. Openly so. Most of the Vampires did, and that was clearly oriented on Bey. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they considered him the biggest threat in the room.

Troy was behind the bar and waved to Barb, who came and picked up a single drink, which was placed in front of Zack rather efficiently. It was just a sprite, with a lot of ice, but nothing else in it.

Lenore stood, wearing a simple dress that made her daily work clothing look modern and hip. It was basically a sack with arm holes and a rope around the middle. No one else was dressed that way, and she didn't seem to be in trouble as far as he could tell. Some kind of ceremonial thing then, Zack figured. Bey looked at her with smiling eyes and face, looking at her as if she'd invented standing, which is what she was doing at the moment. She didn't clear her throat, but there was no reason too. Everyone was pretty darned focused on her.

"Thank you all for coming. We have with us this night a most important being, The Bey. I'll not mince words. The Bey does not come openly to anyplace unless Vampires are about to die. In this case, it is, we can only hope, not going to be us. Bey, have you word or thought on this that you might share?" It was followed with a low bow, a thing that she held, even after the little man stood, his head barely moving when he did. He was just that short.

"There is a small army of new children in this district, many no more than year out of the ground. I have not determined the purpose of this as of yet, but I have seen such things before, over and again. First the growth, out of control and without the proper training that our kind requires to learn civility, then the attacks on those that would seek to reign over them. Since for this area, that is largely represented by those of you in this room, I would ask for your help in quickly and peacefully dealing with this issue." He bowed, one by one to everyone in the room, working first around the table, moving from side to side, ending with Zack. Then, to the surprise of everyone else, he also faced Troy and Barb, both of whom had moved back behind the bar, and bowed that way as well, including them in his request.

"Now, if it is not moving too quickly, perhaps young Nicole, Proctor of this city, can inform us as to her findings? I am to understand that you are new to this occupation, having taken on the responsibility only four months prior to this time?"

He sat and smiled at her, an adoring look on his face, as well as riveted attention. Hoping it wasn't rude, Zack took a sip of the sweet bubbly liquid. It was nice and cool and, he realized, they wouldn't be serving dinner. Not in any way he could enjoy at least. Mirror Him was watching everyone closely he noticed, especially Lenore, who was glaring at Nicole a lot more fiercely than should have been happening over something that seemed pretty clear cut and simple to him. They had a problem with kids running around getting into trouble, and, from what he'd been told, they didn't even have parents to spank them or put them in a time out. The simple thing to do would have been to find them all and suggest they fix themselves. If they didn't these others could just kill them until the younger ones got the general idea that going along was probably for the best.

"Yes, Bey, that is true. I took this job over from Michlos, who was moved away to act as first area leader of the Montana section. I first became aware of this issue two months ago, and have only really begun to understand the true scope after that. Whoever is organizing this is either very subtle and clever, or much older than I thought at first. The rate of new creation is very high. I've encountered at least ten newborns in the last two weeks, often left to come into being in places that would almost require them to attack humans on awakening." There was a pause, a hard glance across the table at Lenore and then one over at Edom, who made a very tiny movement of his head.

He was dressed in his normal fashion, though Nicole was actually in a dress. Her hair was the same punk rock color of red and the stud in her nose flickered slightly in the lamp light, but she was wearing an evening dress. It actually looked kind of hot, or would have, if she wasn't very clearly acting like she was about to have to fight someone. She wasn't looking at Bey either. All of her attention was on the other Vampires that Zack knew from work.

"I've had some issues with a police detective here in town. The man knows something of us, but isn't capable of understanding, I don't think. He's... been a bother. The other day he tracked me as I was removing a new born from under the crawl space of a private home, to prevent a blood feast when the man came into consciousness for the first time. The officer followed me until I had to seek refuge at Westwood. The Mages aided us then, hiding the man safely so his body wouldn't be found."

Bey simply nodded, looking more serious, but not asking any questions. Lenore however let her fangs show and growled at Nikki, half standing and leaning across the table.

"You mean to say that you
told
him about us, without finding out if he could handle the information first, and then protected him several times when others sought to remove him as a problem? He isn't even a lover
or
blood slave of yours Nicole. Worse, you involved Mr. Hartley in your mess. The debt you incurred in this is...
transcendent
. If Zack were anyone else you'd be working as his personal slave for the next several hundred years to pay for your folly!"

It was a bit intimidating, since Lenore honestly seemed ready to throw herself across the table at the woman, which got everyone else to react in different ways, clearly expecting violence. Barb for instance ducked behind the bar and after a few seconds pulled Troy down along side of her protectively. Edom went very still and most of the others actually moved back. Nikki brought her hands up, ready to fight.

Bey... chuckled.

"Girls, girls... no need for that. Our friend Zackary has not asked for anything for his work. From
anyone
at all. We should seek to settle that issue with him, but it is not dire. I find him to be a most excellent being. From what I've heard, he has aided people unknown to him four times in the last days, seeking nothing for his actions, but to give aid. He takes value only from the work he has chosen, as is fitting a man of good will. Now, perhaps this would be a good time to find what he would like as repayment? We should not stress his good will overly, since we will no doubt wish to borrow his services again in the future." The whole thing sounded pleasant enough that Lenore stood much straighter and tilted her head to the man, then sat, very gracefully.

"Of course, Bey." Looking at Zack she gave him a small seated bow, one that didn't seem ironic at all. "What do you wish in payment Zack? Riches? Slaves? I wasn't joking when I mentioned that Nicole could be made to slave for you. That might be fitting in fact. She can spend her days toiling for you, servicing your every whim and desire, and her nights cleaning up the mess she allowed to form here."

Mirror Him spoke in his right ear, loudly.

"Oh yeah, you could have her suck your-"

Zack tuned him out, stuck as to what to say at all. Finally he shrugged and just opened his mouth, not really certain what would come out.

"There's a possible war forming in the East, over some kind of land dispute... with the shifters?" He waited, not certain anyone would know what he was talking about at all.

Bey smiled and nodded, "yes. Would you like us to simply give that territory to them? Say the word and it shall be done."

That got a reaction from the table, as everyone suddenly turned to stare at him, hard.

"No... I was thinking more of, if possible, someone just kind of calling and asking whoever was in charge of that on your side to just be, I don't know, extra calm and reasonable? I don't know the issue, and if it's not fair for them to lose the land, then it isn't fair. But if there's a war, well, the Mages are in an agreement that would put them in the middle of it, you know? It would be good if people could stay calm. It's land, so it isn't going anywhere if this takes a while. Then all we have to do is get the other side to think the same way and we'd avoid a giant mess." It wasn't his disaster in the making, but he knew people that would be getting in trouble if it all fell apart. That was enough. Besides, it was kind of a big thing to ask for, so no one could think he was cheap or someone to walk all over.

The little Vampire man nodded and clapped once, "agreed. May I have a speaking device? I will need to be in contact with Isolt. She is the one in charge of the proper section." He waited as Edom got up quickly, looked something up from a small pad in his pocket and handed a tiny black cell phone to the man after dialing for him.

There was a pause and no one in the room seemed to move, except Troy and Barb, who had both stood up, realizing that the fight they'd feared wasn't going to happen. Not yet.

"Ah! Isolt, my darling. This is Bey. Oh, no, no problem at all. I simply call with a request for you. It comes from a good friend of ours, the Line Walker, Hartley. We owe him a great debt, several in fact... No dear, he seeks no slaves or riches from us. He is a man of great wisdom." There was a big smile and intense listening then. "Only that we seek to be reasonable and fair in our dealings on your current issue. No, he was
most
clear and particular there. He is not asking for you to give over, only to seek true fairness in the issue with a calm soul." There was a laugh then, a deep and hearty thing.

A few seconds later he hung up.

"She agrees to do this. In fact she said that she was already seeking to do as much, but will work harder, even though the damned shifters are being most vexing."

He passed the phone back to the black Vampire, a thing that had an eerie sense of not being movement at all. Then, grinning hugely, he leaned forward again.

"So, that is one issue resolved. Now, I owe you a debt of my own, for aiding me this day. What would you have from me?" He steepled his fingers a little, his body leaning forward over the table, as if interested in what he was going to come up with next.

Zack had nothing... Except there was one thing that might be useful.

"I need a carpet for Candles and More. A throw rug, that kind of thing, about five by seven or so. It doesn't have to be very nice or expensive, just sharp looking. Maybe something in red, to match the holiday theme? I could get it from Wal-Mart, but I've been working most of the time and don't have a car. I have money to pay for it, but if someone could actually go and get it for me?" It seemed like a small thing, compared to stopping a war, but the little man bowed and then waved to Edom, who nodded once.

"It will be done. Short pile?" There was a grin then as if it were a joke, but Zack nodded.

"That would really be great. Then I can run power to the little train set I bought without anyone tripping on the cord. Thanks."

The Vampires, other than Lenore and Bey looked at him funny. It was a collective look of disbelief, as if he was expected to ask for something harder to do. He just didn't
have
anything to ask for overly. It was clear that Lenore was about to say something, her face slightly kinder now, and looking at Bey, not Nikki, when screaming started from outside. Everyone in the room vanished then, except for Troy and him. Well, Barb headed to the front door, but visibly, even though the rest of them were simply gone. Zack jogged over, not knowing what to expect, but figuring that super-powered near immortals would be the ones to send out first.

That turned out to be only partly true, since there was a fire, a puddle splashed across the ground where the line of hopeful people had been standing earlier, that had cleared, with most of the people pulling back, spreading a bit, but into clumps. He figured out what had caused it when another burning container flew toward the front of the club, having been arched over a set of buildings several blocks away. He pointed at it and spoke calmly.

"Incoming." The path was really clear and he could tell where it would hit, that being nearly on top of him. He stopped at the door and pulled back, slamming it, heading to the fire extinguisher on the wall. There were actually several, since the club had unshielded gas lamps, which meant large open flames that they used around drunk people on a regular basis.

There was a sound of flame expanding, a deep concussion that meant it had hit. Calmly he walked back to the door and kicked the bar to open it, figuring that it would be too hot to touch with his skin. Then, after pulling the emergency pin, Zack started spraying the canister immediately, even before he could see the fire. The fuel kept trying to reignite as he worked and his one device wouldn't have been enough, if Troy hadn't followed along holding another two extinguishers, having taken the time to think about what was happening.

The first pool of fire was out faster than the front of the building, but they got both pretty quickly. All of the Vampires were gone, except one, a blond man that hadn't spoken inside, who was treating the burned people. There were three of them, one of whom was really badly burned.

"I know it hurts, hang in there. I'm a doctor. We have help coming. The ambulance will be here in a bit. Hang on." There was a lot of moaning and scared people. The police got there first, the men looking panicked, as if it were Middle Eastern terrorists, instead of someone just trying to... Terrorize them.

He doubted they were really from the Middle East however.