already here and available? That vhich ve do not vant is easily rejected. Ve should take advahntage of reliable power that doesn’t exhaust the user to maintain.”
“We’re forgetting our past,” Keva argued. “The Old Ones would ne’er fall into such ease.”
“Och, that’s not so,” Tiron said with a dismissive wave, “and it would be as well to know that the Old Ones are interested in the new ways as well as the traditional ones. The Niall would like this Pee-Dee-Ay as much as Keith Doyle, so he would. Why, they had their computer months before we did.”
“Hmmph!” Keva snorted. “And now just because we all have the evil boxes doesn’t mean it was a good thing for us to do.”
Tiron looked as though he wanted to laugh, but kept it in, for which Keith was grateful.
“And do you not like hearing the voices of those you thought were lost to you forever? I know my kin do. They’d not have let me go unless they could be certain of my wellbeing. This is so much less expensive than long distance telephone calls.” He looked around at the crowd of Conservatives, matching them sneer for sneer. “Well?”
“It’s all Keith Doyle’s fault anyhow,” Curran began, trying to stir up his fellows again. He might have succeeded if Holl had not marched in at that moment and cut Keith out of the crowd.
“Shoo. He needs the telephone. You don’t want your voices heard, do you?”
Most of the Conservatives fled in alarm. Tiron sauntered out, slapping Holl and Keith on the backs as he went. Cock of the walk, Holl thought, but I’m grateful for his support.
The Elf Master was the last to leave, his blue eyes watchful behind his gold glasses, and his mouth pursed in amusement.
At last Keith was able to get to his feet.
“Boy, now I know how you feel in the middle of a crowd of Big Folks,” he said, brushing off the seat of his pants. “It’s a real disadvantage.”
“I apologize for that,” Holl said, making sure the last of them was gone. “They’re all looking for a scapegoat to shout at, and you fed one of their pet complaints to bursting.”
“Still bent about the server under the table?” Keith asked.
“Oh, yes,” Holl sighed. “Though they consider it a concession to avoiding further interference in our business. Any mention of it sets them off.”
“Sounds like the symptom of something else,” Keith said wisely. “Any problems I ought to know about?”
“Big Folk sniffing around,” Holl said shortly. “They almost spotted some of us early today, and not the young-looking ones who are easy to explain away. It was sheer carelessness. And we discovered that there were holes in the barrier spell that protects the edge of our property. If it is not there our presence all but cries out that we are here. We must guard ourselves a little more closely. It’s a burden, but one we’re used to carrying.”
“I wish I could swap problems with you,” Keith said, lifting the telephone receiver.
“Oh, no, you don’t, my friend,” Holl said under his breath. “No, you don’t.”
***
Chapter 8
“I’m sorry,” Keith said. He’d said it again and again over the last hour. He had a deep well of apologies to draw from. It looked as though he was going to need the whole aquifer. Diane had sat through about half the recitation of his revised plans, then burst into furious tears, scolding him for thoughtlessness, unreliability and not thinking of anyone but himself. Keith weathered the storm, trying to figure out how to make the situation better. He couldn’t. It was his choice and his fault. He pleaded for her to understand.
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said, trying to catch her eye as she stormed past him, pacing from wall to wall in the small apartment. “I could wait another year, maybe two, for a break like this, and then there might not be any room for me. I just jumped for it when it happened. I’m sorry. I should have called to run it by you.”
“I was
“We’re forgetting our past,” Keva argued. “The Old Ones would ne’er fall into such ease.”
“Och, that’s not so,” Tiron said with a dismissive wave, “and it would be as well to know that the Old Ones are interested in the new ways as well as the traditional ones. The Niall would like this Pee-Dee-Ay as much as Keith Doyle, so he would. Why, they had their computer months before we did.”
“Hmmph!” Keva snorted. “And now just because we all have the evil boxes doesn’t mean it was a good thing for us to do.”
Tiron looked as though he wanted to laugh, but kept it in, for which Keith was grateful.
“And do you not like hearing the voices of those you thought were lost to you forever? I know my kin do. They’d not have let me go unless they could be certain of my wellbeing. This is so much less expensive than long distance telephone calls.” He looked around at the crowd of Conservatives, matching them sneer for sneer. “Well?”
“It’s all Keith Doyle’s fault anyhow,” Curran began, trying to stir up his fellows again. He might have succeeded if Holl had not marched in at that moment and cut Keith out of the crowd.
“Shoo. He needs the telephone. You don’t want your voices heard, do you?”
Most of the Conservatives fled in alarm. Tiron sauntered out, slapping Holl and Keith on the backs as he went. Cock of the walk, Holl thought, but I’m grateful for his support.
The Elf Master was the last to leave, his blue eyes watchful behind his gold glasses, and his mouth pursed in amusement.
At last Keith was able to get to his feet.
“Boy, now I know how you feel in the middle of a crowd of Big Folks,” he said, brushing off the seat of his pants. “It’s a real disadvantage.”
“I apologize for that,” Holl said, making sure the last of them was gone. “They’re all looking for a scapegoat to shout at, and you fed one of their pet complaints to bursting.”
“Still bent about the server under the table?” Keith asked.
“Oh, yes,” Holl sighed. “Though they consider it a concession to avoiding further interference in our business. Any mention of it sets them off.”
“Sounds like the symptom of something else,” Keith said wisely. “Any problems I ought to know about?”
“Big Folk sniffing around,” Holl said shortly. “They almost spotted some of us early today, and not the young-looking ones who are easy to explain away. It was sheer carelessness. And we discovered that there were holes in the barrier spell that protects the edge of our property. If it is not there our presence all but cries out that we are here. We must guard ourselves a little more closely. It’s a burden, but one we’re used to carrying.”
“I wish I could swap problems with you,” Keith said, lifting the telephone receiver.
“Oh, no, you don’t, my friend,” Holl said under his breath. “No, you don’t.”
***
Chapter 8
“I’m sorry,” Keith said. He’d said it again and again over the last hour. He had a deep well of apologies to draw from. It looked as though he was going to need the whole aquifer. Diane had sat through about half the recitation of his revised plans, then burst into furious tears, scolding him for thoughtlessness, unreliability and not thinking of anyone but himself. Keith weathered the storm, trying to figure out how to make the situation better. He couldn’t. It was his choice and his fault. He pleaded for her to understand.
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said, trying to catch her eye as she stormed past him, pacing from wall to wall in the small apartment. “I could wait another year, maybe two, for a break like this, and then there might not be any room for me. I just jumped for it when it happened. I’m sorry. I should have called to run it by you.”
“I was
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