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anyone.
Lan didn t answer immediately. That was his way. He thought about things, and he
thought about them as long as he needed to. Finally he rolled all the way over, fitting against
Mason s side.
 I don t think you re dumb, Mason. In fact, I think you see things more clearly than
me, most of the time. I get tied up in worrying and wondering and thinking. And not doing
anything. You know, the last meeting of the council, we spent it arguing about how to
decide whether we have a quorum and whether Charles can represent the coyotes when
they never elected him by a formal democratic process. I feel like we re standing in the
middle of a highway, inspecting the pebbles in the asphalt, and somewhere in the dark, a
great big eighteen-wheeler is heading our way.
Mason put his arm around Lan, feeling him shudder. Sometimes it seemed like Lan felt
things too much and, yes, maybe thought about things to much, and he got all frozen up
inside. But it still needed to be said.
 Samson approached me after I got off work last night, Mason said.  I don t know how
much the council are keeping track of this guy, but he is clearly planning something
catastrophic, very soon, against the wolves. I don t think he much cares who else gets in the
way. In his world, weres are something other than human, and I think he blames each one
equally for whatever happened to his daughter. He has to blame someone, after all.
And that was the resolute expression he had seen on Samson s face. He was on a
mission for revenge in the clothing of justice. And he wasn t going to great lengths to save
anyone on the way.
 You sound like you sympathize with him.
Eclipse of the Heart: Here Comes the Sun 59
Mason looked up at the ceiling.  He s crazy; it s in his eyes. But he lost his little girl,
taken by some monster he couldn t protect her from. Monsters create monsters to fight them.
They pull us down into that dark place. Samson s gone, Ross is on the way, more girls are
missing, and Charles is running from it. I guess I can understand that, too.
 You know I would never go with him, with Charles.
Mason looked down.  And you know that if you did, I d go with you.
Lan leaned up on one arm.  I do know that. And I know that s why I ll never get
trapped in the darkness, no matter where my wolf might take me.
 And I ll never leave you, Mason said. Never again.
60 Emily Veinglory
Chapter Twelve
It was Saturday morning, the first Saturday of the month, and so the Were Council was
meeting at Acton s place. But this time, Mason was going too. They needed to know what
Samson had said, and besides, it was time he got involved. He was with Lan, and Lan was
with them, so he was damn well going to be with them whether the weres wanted him there
or not.
As they drove out into the countryside, he and Lan talked, gradually recovering the
closeness they had once known.
 Last week, Acton got word that Ross had been more hostile recently, Lan said.  Since
being detached by the commissioner to look into the events that led him to uncover the were
criminals, he hasn t been able to bring many prosecutions, some penny-ante marijuana stuff.
The commissioner is only half convinced by what Ross is telling him about us. Meanwhile,
suspicion has grown about some of the wolves human associates dropping from sight, and
now these last two cases where he determined it was definitely wolf abductions. This time he
has proof, something that cries out for action. Ross is stuck between a police force that is
never going to believe what he knows and a problem that he can never tackle alone. It s hard
on him, I know. But it seems like his attitude is hardening against all weres, especially after
Eclipse of the Heart: Here Comes the Sun 61
his assistant dropped out of sight. I think he half suspects something happened to her, too. As
if Charles would ever hurt anyone, let alone one of his own.
Lan looked at Mason. Then he frowned. Reaching forward, he traced his finger down
the side of Mason s neck.  Where did you get this bruise?
 Charles, Mason replied tersely.
 Oh.
It was beginning to look a little like a matter of perspective. Ross had been
investigating the weres for some time; he had good reason for his attitude. But then, he had
been seeing only the worst of them. The council, Acton, Lan& they were just people. People
were just people. Anything else was prejudice.
Mason sighed. He was just going to say it.  He said you and he&  Well, maybe not
quite  just say it.
 Oh, Lan said again, with obvious embarrassment.  It was when& just after I showed
you what I was. I told him afterwards I was going back to you. Charles doesn t really believe
in coyotes being monogamous; it s not usually their way. But I thought he respected my
choice.
 Your choice, maybe. But I think he has a bit of a problem with me. He could feel Lan
still looking at him.  He took me down pretty hard, Mason admitted.
 Yeah, well, screw him.
A quick glance over showed Lan looking out the windscreen, jaw tight and eyes
blazing. He was pissed and hadn t even noticed his own unfortunate phrasing. Mason felt
himself relax.  Well, you can t choose your family, he said.
 Charles is just a relative, probably a distant one. You are family, and I damn well
chose you.
Mason laughed. God, but he loved Lan. It was hard to believe he d started to lose his
grip on that.  I will admit that, as annoying in-laws go, he takes the cake, Mason said, but it
62 Emily Veinglory
truly didn t bother him anymore.  But I wouldn t wish on anyone the kind of thing Samson
and his Krypt buddies seem to be working on.
Lan shook his head.  We ve been so preoccupied with trying to get in touch with the
different scattered were communities and getting representatives to buy into some effort at
governance. This business with Krypt& Their headquarters in Orclundt are being watched
by volunteers, but we found out about a research facility in this area, a few miles out of
town. And we couldn t agree what to do about it. We didn t end up doing anything.
 But you knew Krypt was trouble. They were up to something in Orclundt last year,
you said?
 Mason, we re outcasts, prey species. Just what is it you re expecting us to do? The
boldest weres involved with the council are coyotes, and they still aren t going to take
anyone on.
 Well, someone s got to, Mason said.
And there was silence in the car after that.
* * * * *
Mason parked the car on a gravel lot out front of Professor Acton s house. There were
about twenty other cars and trucks already parked. That was fewer than normal, so he knew [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]