Box Office Poison

asked.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that McPhee just won the case for the human actors. I mean, don’t you have to decide for Missy now?”

I led him back into the conference room where we could talk in private. “Jeff, there are four different parties with four different agendas in this arbitration. Gabaldon is trying to win for the Alfar and prove they have a right to the parts they’re getting. LeBlanc is trying to prove they don’t. McPhee and Brubaker just want to get their clients off the hook for damages, so they’ll make any argument that will accomplish that.”

“Are you like that?”

I thought about it. “Yeah, I am. I can argue both sides of an issue, and if I’m really good, I can find a side nobody ever thought of before and argue that one too.”

“But what’s the truth? Isn’t that why we’re here?”

I patted him on the shoulder. “Oh, Jeff, you have a very romantic view of the law. We’re not trying to find truth. We’re trying to find an acceptable solution within the framework of our laws.”

17

I went to the only Alfar source I had at hand. Qwendar studied me over the top of his wine glass as I said, “Look, you said you wanted to help me. That we could pool information. So now’s the time. I need you to tell me about Alfar magic.”

“That is very difficult. I can’t make that decision on my own. I must talk to the Council first.” We were seated in a small French bistro with well-padded white leather booths, lots of greenery, and arbors creating the illusion that we were outside, not seated in a bay window looking out at the traffic streaming past on Melrose Boulevard.

“But you’ll do that, right?”

He smiled at me. “I don’t see how I can be less tenacious than you. I will ask. I can’t promise they will agree. Such things are intensely private to us and tied up in our religion, of which humans have only the most imperfect understanding.”

My hand clenched on the stem of my wine glass. “I am going to find the answers.”

“But do you even know the questions, dear Linnet?”

I couldn’t help it. I smiled at the tendentious tone. “Oh, don’t go all Mr. Miyagi on me.”

“I have no idea what that means.”

“The Karate Kid.” He looked blank. Then I stopped myself. “Oh, God, now I’m doing it.”

“What?” Qwendar was smiling now, and the stiffness had retreated from his shoulders.

“Making movie references like everybody else in this crazy town.” I dropped my forehead onto the table. “I’m doomed.”

“Drink your wine, child, and tell me why you want this information.”

“I’m just trying to understand your abilities and powers. Both for the arbitration and for Kerrinan’s and Jondin’s sakes. Do you cast glamours that humans can’t resist? Is it even reasonable to think that something could affect one of you enough to make you commit murder? The truth is, all the Powers are way more powerful than us.” I gave him a small smile. “It’s why we call you the Powers.”

We sipped wine in silence for a moment, then he said gently, “I may have some good news regarding your friend John.”

“She’s going to let him go?”

“Not that good, but I believe I will be able to arrange for a meeting between the two of you. I’ll let you know once all is in place.”

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

“Shall we dine?” he asked.

“Actually, I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’m just going to eat at the apartment. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”

He rose, as I stood to leave. “It was my pleasure. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an answer from the Council.”

* * *

The next day I went to see Kerrinan, who was pathetically pleased to see me. We sat side by side on the bunk while the squealing walls moved around us.

He sat staring down at his hands. “I’m actually thinking about pleading guilty.”

“What? Why?”

“Because as more evidence comes to light and the more Christine and I talk, the more I come to believe I did kill Michelle. Even though I have no memory of doing so.”

“Please, don’t do that.” I laid a hand on his arm. “That’s not a bell we can unring,” I said. “And there may be mitigating circumstances.”

“But it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anywhere.”

“Please, just give me a little more time. You can always have Christine go to the DA any time before trial and offer a guilty plea. Actually even during the trial. Please, just wait.”

He sighed. “All right.”

“And actually I had some questions that I was hoping you will answer.”

“You know I’ll do anything,” he said.

“Some of the testimony we’ve been hearing suggests that the effects you have on humans can only really happen when you’re in close proximity. Is that also true between Alfar?”

“So this is about our magic?”

“Yeah, it is.”

He blew out a breath and shook his head. “So my defense may come down to this.”

“Are you hedging because you think I’m crazy or because it’s all a big secret and you can’t say anythi —”

“No, no. I’m not like the hoary old guard, always protecting our ancestral secrets. I don’t give a crap about all this secret woo woo shit, and I don’t know much about it. The really big stuff takes years of study, and frankly, why would you bother in the modern era? So you can light a candle with magic. Big fucking deal. Why not snap on a light switch? The easy stuff we can all do. The whole throwing a glamour is easy. We can do that practically without thinking.”

“Well, all rightee, then. Looks like that question is answered.” He gave me a blank look. I explained. “You’d make a hell of a witness for LeBlanc if you weren’t an accused murderer.”

“Oh, the lawsuit.” He shook his head. “Not really my biggest worry right now.”

I spent another moment thinking how Gabaldon would refute the charge. Swear that the Alfar didn’t do that? But the statistical evidence proved otherwise. I pulled myself back to Kerrinan and the current problem.

“So what … magic can you do?” I asked.

“We all learn how to move between Fey and Dirt. That’s harder than the glamour and the tricks, and I think even that’s breaking down. My feeling is, pick a spot to live. I made my choice twenty years ago. LA is my home. I haven’t been back to Fey in—”

“Not true. When you were on the run you went into Fey.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly and sadly. He gave me a sidewise glance. “Except I don’t remember doing that either.”

“Okay,” I said, drawing out the word. “What part of it?”

“Any of it. Making the decision. Driving. I was at my house and then I was in Fey.”

“Just like you don’t remember the events the night of the murder.”

Fear and despair left the muscles in his face sagging. “Am I crazy?” His voice was a thread of sound.

“I don’t know, Kerrinan.” A new question came floating up. “So why did you come back? You were completely out of reach of human justice.”