Francis grinned sheepishly. 'Yeah, that is pretty ridiculous. So, what are your plans now that everything is under control?'
'Me? I'm a bookkeeper who drinks too much, is always in a foul mood, and hates coming to work. But since you're paying me lots of money because of my refreshing honesty, I'm not going anywhere.' He stood and walked to the door, but paused on his way out. 'Though I have given some thought to trying my hand at writing…'
Francis chuckled. 'Good night, Ray.' The accountant gave a little salute with two fingers and closed the door behind him. It was a rare man you could trust with either a Thompson or a general ledger. Francis stayed on the couch, enjoying being alone and the quiet lights of the city. 'It's been a long day…' he muttered to himself.
'No kidding!' Faye said as she appeared directly in front of him.
'Gah!' he spilled the wine all over his pants. 'Don't do that!'
Faye clucked disapprovingly and put her hands on her hips. 'It ain't my fault you don't have a head map. Sheesh. Look at that, you're gonna be all stained.'
It was then that he realized Faye was wearing an honest-to-goodness evening dress. And her hair was done up. And she was wearing jewelry. And lipstick? How scandalous. 'I… I…' He was speechless. 'Well…'
'Yeah, I do clean up pretty good, huh?' Faye smiled. 'Jane helped me.' She twirled for him. 'Not bad for a hick, huh?'
'Not bad at all,' he answered truthfully.
She beamed at the compliment. 'Like I was saying though, super long day. Rumor is that there's Iron Guards up to something in Alabama, and Lance is gonna go check it out, but then some Active kids got rounded up by a mob for nothing but being Active since folks are still all riled up at us, and they're having a sham trial, so Heinrich's going down there to help 'em, and Jane and Dan's wedding is coming up next week, and they said you have to come, don't care how busy you are, and Mr. Browning says hello from France, and his telegram said that he'd be honored to be in charge of the American knights, but the stupid elders still won't give up Mr. Rawls, and still nobody knows where Mr. Sullivan went off to but he said it was real important so it must be, and that reminds me, Mr. Southunder called and said thanks for the new fancy blimp, and-'
Francis put his finger on her lips. Nothing stopped Faye when her head got to spinning. 'We're going to be late for the play.'
'I can fix that real quick!'
He was hesitant. After she'd Traveled an entire dirigible, Faye had slept for a week straight. Her Power had been severely overtaxed, nearly burned out, and she was still recovering. It turned out that even Faye had limits. 'Can't we take the elevator?'
Faye's grey eyes twinkled. The Traveler may only have worked her way back up to a small part of the magic she'd tapped during the battle, but nothing could keep Faye down for long. She took his hand. 'Elevators are for chumps!'
Glossary of Magical Terms From the notes of Jake Sullivan, 1932
A
Active-The catch-all term for people with magical abilities. Specifically those who have strong enough connections to the Power to utilize their ability at will and with a greater degree of control than a Passive. Actives vary in the amount of Power available to them, with some being more naturally gifted than others. The conventional wisdom has always been that Actives are only able to use one type of Power. Actively Magical-Old-fashioned term for Active. Angel of Death-(see Pale Horse)
B
Burner-(see Torch) Beastie-Similar to Dolittle, but stronger, with the added ability to control animals telepathically. Extreme cases can actually put part of their consciousness into the creature and fully control it, including broadcasting the Beastie's speech, etc. There have been some rumors of Beasties capable of controlling human beings, but that may be antimagic propaganda. Beastman-(see Beastie) Boomer-Unknown type of Active. The Special Prisoners' Wing guards at Rockville mentioned holding one of these in solitary confinement in a special lead-lined chamber. Brute-One of the most common of all Magicals. Brutes channel Power through their bodies, increasing their physical strength and toughness. They must work up to greater feats of strength. If too much Power is used too quickly, severe injuries or death can occur. They have been banned from professional sports in most countries, but there is always work available for a Brute.
C
Cog-The second most popular of all Actives. Cogs are able to tap their Power to fuel their intelligence, and to receive strokes of magical brilliance. They usually only have one area that they are gifted in, for example Ferdinand von Zeppelin was a Cog when it came to airships. If it weren't for his bursts of magical ideas, who knows what we would be riding. I do not know if all Cogs are already intelligent, but I've never heard of a dumb one. Crackle- Capable of channeling, harnessing, and controlling electrical current. They are a relatively common type, and most make their living as electricians or in industry. The more powerful Cracklers can draw energy from the air and generate their own lightning.
D
demon-(see Summoned)
E
Edison-(see Crackler) I have been told this is considered the polite term now. elder-Member of the Grimnoir Society leadership. Enemy-Unknown predatory creature that may be pursuing the Power, according to Chairman Okubo Tokugawa.
F
Fade-Capable of walking through solid objects. Perhaps they do this through modifying their density so that other matter fits between their molecules. They are the opposite of the Massive, yet both on them originate from the same Density related section of the Power. Fades are universally loathed for their reputation as thieves, cutthroats, and peeping toms. Finder-Related to the Summoner, but dealing more with disembodied spirits rather than physical beings. Finders are primarily used as scouts, and their sensitivity varies greatly. It is possible that Finders and Summoners are using the same region of the Power, with Summoners simply being more powerful. Fixer-(see Cog) Usually a term reserved for lower level Cogs, who are better at repairing than inventing. Fortune Teller-Charlatans who pretend to have magic and know the future to rip off suckers. There is no proof of any precognitive Active.
G
Gravity Spiker-(see Heavy) The much more dignified term for an Active Heavy. Grey Eye-(see Traveler) All known Travelers have strange grey eyes. Grim Reaper-(see Pale Horse) Grimnoir Society-A combination of the French words grimoire, for book of spells, and noir, for black, because at the time the origins of magic were shrouded in mystery. The Society was founded to protect Actives from the Normals and to protect the Normals from Actives. Their primary operatives are known as knights, and their leaders are referred to as elders. They work in secrecy.
H
Head Cas-(see Reader) Heale-The rarest and most popular of all Actives. They are capable of accelerating the natural healing process. Even the weakest Passive Healer is worth a fortune. Strong Healers can fix most wounds almost instantaneously. I have been led to understand that even without using their Power, they can always see a person's insides. I suppose it's a good thing they're paid so well, because that would make me ill. Heavy-A very common type of Active. Most Heavies are limited to changing the gravitational pull in a very limited area. Strong Heavies can change the pull and also the direction in a larger area. Heavies are one of the few types of Actives that all tend to fall into the same physical category, most of them being large of stature. There is an undeserved stereotype that Heavies are dumb. (see Gravity Spiker)
I
Icebox-Always handy to have around when you want some ice in your drink, the Icebox is able to lower
