“I did,” Monty replied. “The Auer is not just anyone. The dragons may be formidable, but I doubt they would engage her in battle, much less attempt to attack the fortified location that is her compound.”
“All the dragons I’ve met have been beyond unhinged,” I said. “Is there any way to keep this meeting secret?”
“The park is large and no one knows we’re going to see her,” Monty said. “I’d say this is about as stealthy as we can be without taking extreme measures in our approach.”
“You do realize Flushing Meadows is enormous? I don’t seem to recall any fortresses in the park. Where exactly is she located?”
“She’s not exactly in the park. Beneath it would be more appropriate,” Monty answered. “She is in a compound beneath the Unisphere. Very few know of its existence.”
“She’s under the Unisphere?”
“In a specifically designed structure, yes,” Monty said. “Access to her location will be difficult. You can imagine her safety is a priority.”
“Who would want to threaten a super librarian?”
“Knowledge is power,” Monty said. “She is a mage and a repository of knowledge. What could you do with information about anything and everything whenever you need it?”
“I have that now,” I said, swerving around traffic. “It’s called the internet. Hello? Welcome to the twenty-first century?”
“The Auer is different. Not only does she possess information,” Monty said, “she can also see probabilities with that information. This makes her powerful and dangerous.”
“She can see the future?”
“No. She’s an Auer, not an oracle, although I’m pretty certain the oracles of history were most likely Auers,” Monty corrected. “With her information, which is vast, she can predict outcomes with fairly accurate certainty.”
“And she’s a mage? What kind of mage? A bibliomancer?”
“Bibliomancy is using books for divination,” Monty said. “What her discipline allows her to do is control, transfer, and remove information. The closest comparison would be an informaticist.”
“Sounds like hype,” I said. “What is she going to do if confronted with an enemy, throw books at them?”
“Her abilities are subtle and incredibly powerful,” Monty said, shaking his head. “Imagine confronting a mage that could instantly erase your memory, or your knowledge of language? Or worse, implant false memories and knowledge in your mind?”
“Holy hell, that is dangerous,” I said, pulling onto the 59th Street Bridge into Queens. “She could stop most mages in their tracks.”
“The greatest danger to the Auer comes from humans.”
“Humans? What threat could they be? She’s super powerful.”
“Her ability does not work against the non-magical,” Monty said. “Anyone with a weapon could end her life, as long as they were normal. She would be exposed and vulnerable.”
“And an easy target,” I said.
“Which is why Auers are sequestered, away from society,” Monty said, looking out over the East River as we crossed the bridge. “She makes everyone around her nervous and uncomfortable, and with good reason.”
“Are you sure we need to go see her?” I asked, suddenly not a fan of meeting this Auer person. “We can send her an email. Wouldn’t that be easier, and more importantly, less explosive?”
“No,” Monty replied. “This whole situation with Shadow Company seems deeper than it appears. We need to go into this meeting with as much information as possible, especially if they are targeting the Balfours. That means seeing the Auer.”
We had several hours before we were scheduled to meet Douglas and the rest of Shadow Company. I agreed it was important to go into the meeting armed with as much information as we could acquire—but meeting some mind-melting mage to get this information wasn’t exactly my idea of a great plan.
TWELVE
We arrived in Flushing Meadows Park forty-five minutes later.
Normally, vehicles weren’t allowed into the area of the park we needed to get to. Our NYTF credentials and the threatening menace flowing from the Dark Goat made it easier to approach the Unisphere.
I parked the Dark Goat near the Arthur Ashe Stadium entrance and looked down the long, picturesque, tree-lined road to where the Unisphere sat. The road was wide enough to double as a four-lane highway and ended at the large, stainless steel replica of the Earth which sat in the center of an enormous circular reflecting pool.
It was early evening; the sun hadn’t quite set, but was on its way. The sky was cast in a spectrum of oranges and pinks, and I could hear the laughter of children carry over to where we parked. The area was still occupied by families and park goers looking to enjoy a day away from the concrete and steel of the city by spending a few moments among the trees and grass of the park.
“We can’t drive over there,” I said, pointing down the road. “Even with our creds, they don’t like cars driving in such a highly populated area.”
We stepped out of the Dark Goat. I opened the suicide door for my hellhound, Sprawler McSprawl, as he bounded out of the car. I placed a hand on the roof and locked it as a wave of dark orange energy raced across its surface. The Dark Goat rocked for a few seconds before settling into stillness. I glanced at Peaches and shook my head.
“That, and we don’t work for the city’s Parks Department,” Monty added, following my gaze to Peaches and then at the long road ahead. “This will be a good opportunity to exercise your creature.”
“Sure, because nothing says calm, enjoyable evening at the park like a hellhound running around scaring the population half to death,” I said, shaking my head. “Besides, you know he’s just going to ask for meat after this short walk. I swear he’s bottomless.”
“True, his presence can be a little off-putting,” Monty admitted. “Perhaps keeping him closer to you would prevent a panic.”
“You think?” I said, looking down the road. “Where is this place?”
It wasn’t like Monty to suggest Peaches go on a romp through a populated park. I figured his lapse in judgment was a side-effect of the
