Simon looked at Steve. “How soon can you get the humans gathered?”

“A couple of days after the job list is distributed. I’ll talk to Lois Greene as soon as I get back to Ferryman’s Landing. And we’ll arrange for buses to transport the people from Great Island.”

“Then interviews will begin next Moonsday,” Simon said. “We’ll start with the humans who want to work on the farms and ranches.”

Steve pushed back from the conference table. Then he hesitated and looked at Simon. “I’d like to say hello to Meg, let her know how the young cassandra sangue are doing and our progress on building the campus for them. We broke ground on the residential building.”

Simon struggled to keep his teeth human-shaped and reminded himself that Steve wasn’t a rival.

Besides, Nathan would be in the Liaison’s Office keeping watch over Meg.

“Meg would like that,” he said. Then it was his turn to hesitate. “And Jean?” Jean and Meg had been friends in the compound where they’d been held and trained and used. Jean was physically and mentally damaged and only marginally sane. But she saw things the other blood prophets didn’t see.

“She’s Jean.” Steve thought for a moment. “She has some trouble with the farm animals—even within the routines of caring for them, there can be too much that’s different—but she is managing to help Lorna Gardner work in the family’s kitchen garden. Things may bloom and vegetables may grow larger overnight, but they don’t move around, so Jean can handle the change. Lorna says sometimes Jean will sit and watch a zucchini plant for hours. Lorna doesn’t know why she does that or what she sees that the rest of us don’t, but it gives Jean some peace.”

<I need to speak with all of you except Ferryman,> Elliot said, using the terra indigene form of communication.

“I’ll walk you out,” Vlad said, leaving the conference room with Steve. He returned a minute later and resumed his seat.

Elliot told them about his conversation with Twyla Montgomery. “She wouldn’t have spoken against her own pup without good reason.”

“Lieutenant Montgomery is careful when he deals with us,” Henry said. “He would not have brought someone into the Courtyard who might cause trouble for Lizzy or the police pack.”

“Kid sister,” Simon said, thinking of Officer Debany’s reaction to Barbara Ellen’s news that she was moving in with the Buddy. “Montgomery wouldn’t have kept the Sierra from shelter in the face of the storm that hit Lakeside. And the Sierra and Miss Twyla had been living in Toland, which took a harder hit.”

“But he didn’t try to save his brother,” Elliot said.

“Maybe he couldn’t. Or maybe he realized the brother was a danger to the whole pack.”

“And if the brother shows up here and looks to be a danger to us?” Tess asked. Red streaks appeared in her hair as it began to coil.

“We’ll deal with him,” Vlad replied.

“And if he looks to be a danger to Meg?”

Simon snarled, revealing Wolf-size fangs. Fur sprang up on his chest and shoulders.

Tess studied Simon, then Vlad. “All right, then.”

“Miss Twyla said the humans who had worked for us at the consulate had not done their jobs well—an opinion I agree with,” Elliot said. “But we need some support staff, especially since Agent O’Sullivan is also working out of the consulate, so I would like to approach Katherine Debany, Officer Debany’s mother. Miss Twyla thinks she would be a good worker and has the necessary skills.”

“I’ll speak with Grandfather Erebus and see if any of the Sanguinati would like to learn office work,” Vlad offered.

“And I’ll talk to Nadine and see if we can provide baked goods and sandwiches during the job fair without shorting our own humans,” Tess said.

That much decided, they separated to go to their own work. But Tess, Henry, Vlad, and Simon all walked down the access way, and every one of them glanced at the newly constructed screen that allowed Meg to keep one of the side doors open without fighting off bugs all day. They didn’t stop, didn’t stare, but they all listened to the tone of Steve’s voice as he talked to Meg.

Satisfied that there was no need to interfere, Simon continued on to the back door of Howling Good Reads.

“Are you going to talk to John?” Vlad asked.

“Yes. He would be a good fit for running the bookstore in Bennett. He’s worked with humans and gets along with them. He could teach youngsters, both human and terra indigene, about running a bookstore. And it would be good to have another Wolf there—one not as quick to bite as Virgil.”

“So, you know Bennett’s new sheriff?”

“I do.” And that was why personality would count as much as skill when choosing a potential deputy for the Wolf.

• • •

Considering the number of Hawks who had perched on the apartment’s porch railing and the Crows who had settled for spots on the roof or in nearby trees, Monty wasn’t sure how private his talk with his mother had been, but he didn’t care. Most likely, Jimmy was on his way to Lakeside right now, thinking the Courtyard would provide free room and board. But short of wasting police resources to locate a man who, in the eyes of the law, hadn’t committed a crime—at least recently—there was no way to find Jimmy before he reached the city.

Gods. He didn’t know if Simon or Vlad had any experience dealing with that kind of manipulative personality—someone who didn’t do a damn thing for anyone unless it was the only way to get something for himself. He didn’t know if they had any experience with a human who had a cunning street intelligence and an absolute conviction that no action of his should have any consequences for him. And if there were consequences, that human would dismiss them as insignificant the moment he had slipped away or the next scheme popped into his head.