a splash before recapping the bottle.
“Is there more?” I asked Lochlan.
“I believe so. Maisie buys these very large bottles.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean is there more Baileys. I meant did you have more to say on the subject of a shop, a house, a car, and a judgeship.”
“Court convenes eight times a year on solar and seasonal festival dates. It’s taken very seriously. When in session, everyone in the magical world will defer to you.”
“Honestly, Lochlan. Even if every word you’re saying about parallel universes or whatever was true, do I strike you as the sort of person who commands that kind of respect?”
Lochlan was shaking his head before I finished. “We’re not talking about parallel universes. The magical world is right here. Right now. All around you. It’s simply protected from human view.”
“Uh- huh,” I said drily.
“And yes, Rita. You do strike me as the sort of person who will make an excellent magistrate.”
“Why is that?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard my grandmother’s voice. Curiosity killed the cat.
“For one thing, you’re not gullible. Not blinded by charm. Because who’s more charming than myself?” he asked. I wasn’t sure if that was rhetorical, so I left it alone. “It’s an important quality because charm is cheap and plentiful in the magical world. For another thing, you ask pertinent questions that go directly to the heart of a matter.” He took a sip of the coffee Maggie had delivered, which reassured me greatly. “That’s no doubt due in part to your insurance work. Over time you’ve developed a kind of sixth sense for when folks are forthright and when they’re shaving the truth. Wouldn’t you say that’s true?”
True? That’s an understatement. It was spot on. After a while I did kind of ‘know’ whether to take a claim at face value or look a little deeper.
“Could be,” I hedged, “but if what you’re saying is true, I wouldn’t be evaluating, um…”
“Humans?”
Every part of the question sounded wrong, wrong, wrong. But the answer was, “Yes.”
Lochlan chuckled. “Indeed, it is true. We can be a wily bunch. But that will serve to keep life interesting for you. The Powers That Be are never wrong about the choice of magistrate.”
That sentence was dripping with lawyer double talk. It made me wonder what sorts of things the ‘Powers That Be’ are wrong about.
“Just for giggles,” I began. “Let’s say this is on the level and everything you say is true. Why would the, um, Powers That Be choose a human to sort out disputes between magical, um, people?”
Lochlan beamed at Maggie then at me. “An excellent illustration of pertinent questioning. The magistrate is always human because it’s the best way to ensure impartiality. And magical people would never agree on anything else. We’re a contentious bunch. You’ll see.”
“Now Lochlan,” Maggie said. “Do no’ scare the girl away.”
I turned my full attention to Maggie. “Do I have reason to worry?”
She hesitated. “Worry?”
Uh-oh. My inner lie detector caught the ‘tell’. When a person who’s not hard of hearing repeats a question, it means they’re stalling for time to craft an answer that’s more advantageous (to them) than the whole truth. And a crafted answer is always a partial truth.
“What aren’t you telling me, Maggie?”
Lochlan interceded. “Your personal economy is funded for life. You’ll never have to be concerned about finances. Your personal safety is guaranteed. You’ll have the whole of the magical community sworn to protect you.”
“But?”
With a sigh, he said, “It’s not a worry per se, but some may try to curry your favor in view of prejudicing a future ruling toward their side. As said before, magical people can be very charming. We can also be persuasive.” He smiled. “You may be forced to maintain a bit of cynicism.”
“That’s it? The downside is that I need to maintain a healthy cynicism?” They both nodded. After letting that sink in, I laughed silently. “If a skeptical outlook is part of the job description, it would make sense that an American would be the best candidate. We’re squarely in the middle of an age of cynicism. But you do realize that means that I’m not wholesale swallowing what you’re selling. Right?”
An enigmatic smile passed over Lochlan’s face. “I suspected you’d be wanting evidence.”
He pulled his phone out of the pocket of his open cardigan and appeared to send a text while Maggie and I looked on. He then gestured toward Maggie.
“Maggie’s brought shoes that will help you see