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Chapter 09 “So,” Paul said, returning from deeper in the house, “what happened to not getting involved?” The first thing he’d done after Shila explained her plan was to go search through a box of clothing for gloves. One was fluorescent green and the other black, but neither had holes. “I’m not saying we’re getting involved,” she replied sharply. “You said, and I quote: ‘when we get our hands on the staff, you’re taking it,’ you were pointed at me, ‘and fixing this whole fucking thing.’ Sounds like getting involved to me.” “We’re not. But since girly isn’t going to give me Merlin’s staff and go away to safety. You can be sure the Chamber’s not going to just leave us be.” The pangolin looked at the hare who, while tightening the cane to her chest, didn’t back away. “This is literally your last chance. Once we get out of this house, won’t matter what you yell at them. You took what they’re after, and they’re going to make you pay for it.” Nina stood straighter. “You can’t scare me by making this seem worse than it is.” She paused and lost some of her bravado again. “I mean, aren’t you going to protect me?” “Yes,” Paul stated before Shila could say what her expression implied. “And keep in mind she wants me to use a staff I’m not qualified for.” “Genetics are good against viruses.” Paul didn’t bother replying. He’d already pointed out he wasn’t a geneticist, but biochemist, and that while the fields touched, his specialization was nutrition as it pertained to muscle development. He’d grabbed the gloves in the hopes that they’d be enough to keep the staff from doing whatever staves did when she handed it to him, because he had no intention of joining the magical community directly. He could tell that the Chamber getting the jump on them; them winning that fight, and him using the staff to end all this was now her plan, and she wasn’t going to budge from it unless the world forced her to. And Paul suspected she’d fight that, too. They left the house, and after the third block in the direction of the first shelter, Nina asked. “Do we really want to go in that direction? It’s one of the denser center. It’s going to have more infected,” she added when Paul looked at her. “That’s really not what you need to worry about,” Shila said. “I’d rather not get infected after I’ve avoided it at the clinic.” “Maybe you should upload the anti-virus to her phone,” Paul offered. Shila glared at him, and he tilted an ear in response. “Give me your phone,” Shila said, turning to face the hare. “What?” Nina stepped back, hand going to her breast. “Hand me your phone,” she repeated, “and I’ll make sure you can’t get infected.” Nina’s expression hardened, but when she looked at Paul, he nodded, and she relented. “Please don’t look through my—” “Girly, I don’t give a fuck what kind of porn you have on here.” Shila’s fingers moved on the screen. “What are you doing?” Nina asked, peering at the phone. “Nothing you’ll understand, so don’t bother with questions. And I added the look away program,” she pointedly told Paul. “Before you suggest I should do that, too.” Paul let her direct her displeasure at him. He had more experience taking it at this point. “Keep that on you,” Shila told Nina, handing the phone back. The hare looked the phone over, swiping through a few screens. “And that’s going to keep the virus from infecting me?” her tone was heavy with disbelief. “Yes.” Shila started walking again. “How do you know?” Now, Nina’s tone was suspicious. “Girly,” Shila replied, sounding tired. “Now that I know a staff’s causing this, I promise you that my app’s going to keep it from reaching you. I don’t know one thing about that genetic stuff, but I know magic. That’s going to be undone before it gets anywhere close to us.” “Why aren’t you helping everyone, then?” Nina’s suspicious tone deepened. Paul stepped between the two as Shila opened her mouth, her expression saying it wasn’t going to be pleasant. “Nina, magic isn’t like in fairytales or the movies. It comes with rules that keep someone from simply waiting a wand and fixing everything. In this case, Shila has to be there to power the magic. Without her here, those apps are nothing more than useless spaghetti code. I’m certain that if she could, she’d spread the code throughout the city and stop this.” The hare startled. “Of course.” She looked aghast. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply… it’s just that you have power and…” “If I could,” Shila said, as if she was preempting another accusation, “I would.” “I know,” Paul replied. He waited until it was clear they had both settled down, then motioned for them to get moving again. * * * * * With the increase in density came the increase in misery. Houses were hurriedly boarded off, and sick-looking people seemed to be living on the sidewalks. Shila looked at the ground. The few times she’d glanced up and had seen them, her expression had turned to anguish, and she’d worked on her phone before putting it away in frustration. “Nina,” Paul asked her as he noticed a detail after yet another block of sick people. “What’s the death rate?” “What do you mean?” He motioned around them. “It’s been a dozen blocks of sick people at this point, but I haven’t seen one body or any sign bodies have been removed. I doubt there’s much of an infrastructure left, so where are they?” “I…” she looked around, thoughtful. “I don’t remember anyone actually dying of it. I mean, I haven’t checked the CDC’s site, and I don’t know if they’d publish that data there. The few deaths we had at the clinic were because of complications brought on because they were sick. One of the first thing the virus affects is the immune system, but considering how many patients passed through our doors, there were surprisingly few deaths. The news would have the actual numbers, though.” “I checked a few sites, and they didn’t,” Paul replied. “The Chamber’s keeping anything from getting out,” Shila said without looking up from her phone. “How do you know?” Nina asked. “Why would they do that?” Paul asked. “I saw one of them among the reporters,” the pangolin replied. “Which means there’s got to be a dozen. They’re like cockroaches that way.” “What—” “As for why,” she continued over Nina’s aborted question. “Do I fucking look like someone who knows how those people think?” “Clearly not,” Nina said, her tone sharp. Paul opened his mouth to comfort her, but the look she gave him said she wanted to bask in her anger at how Shila treated her. “Then how about we don’t ask me for their reasons?” “Do you think it’s to keep the other magical communities from realizing this isn’t a normal sickness?” Paul asked. “Sure. Whatever.” Shila pointed ahead. Instead of people camping on the sidewalk, tables were set up, with them in line for the food being handed out. The appearance of those waiting went from clearly homeless to residents, but they all shared a similar look of misery, even those doing the serving. “You’re the doctor,” Shila told Nina. “You ask them where Hines is.” “Why?” the hare asked, her tone still sharp. “Because we need to find him so we can—” “I mean,” Nina said, then took a breath. “Why are we, as medical people, looking for him? I don’t expect them to question who we are, but if we tell them we’re doctors, aren’t they going to ask us to help with the sick?” “Maybe we need his help to create a census of the homeless population?” Paul offered, while Shila looked put off. “You said he’s the go-to for the homeless, Nina, so it would be credible, right?” “That’s just what I heard,” Nina said, uncertain. “Maybe it’s best if we say we’re just helping other doctors? I’m just a nurse, after all.” “Whatever gets us pointed at Hines.” Shila swiped at her phone. “I’m going to drop the cloak. Be on your guard. I don’t trust even this large group to stop someone from trying to mug us.” Paul looked around. He’d forgotten the reason they were left alone during the walk was magic. They gathered some surprised looks, and Nina held the cane close, but no one moved from the sidewalks. The looks turned darker as they walked past the people in line. Paul tried to think of something to reassure them they weren’t cutting in or shutting them down. He realized he hadn’t seen one officer since leaving Donal’s house. Was it because this area was quiet, or because it had been left to fend for itself? “Excuse me?” Nina called to the somewhat emaciated black bear handing paper cups of steaming liquid to people. He took one look at them and called, without stopping his handing off of cups. “Gerald, tourists.” An exhausted-looking bat stepped out of the building. Unlike the bear, she was muscular. “What can I do for you?” she asked with a visible effort to be civil. “I’m Nina Haldi,” the hare answered, stepping forward, looking and sounding confident. “I’m Doctor Merlin’s nurse. They are helping me. He sent me to locate Mister Donal Hines because—” “Don?” “Yes. We need to speak with him because he—” “Lodo. That’s where you’ll find him. He headed there to check in on them after he stopped here. We told him how no one from that area’s been here for a few days. It’s probably just that they don’t need our help, but better safe than sorry.” “Where’s Lodo?” Shila demanded. The bat glared at the pangolin, and Paul stepped between them before Shila’s brusqueness set the bat off. “I apologize for her sharp tone,” the golden tiger said. “We’ve been looking for a while, and this is the first time someone has seen him. It’s important we talk with him.” The bat took a few breaths. Then nodded. “Take Champa to twenty-second and make a left. Once you hit the baseball field, you’ll be in Lodo. From there, he could be anywhere.” “Thank you,” Paul said with a smile.