bribes. Shame on ye for tryin’ to take advantage.”
Bribes? Suddenly I recalled the warnings about Thomasin Cobb and Lochlan’s insistence that I must pay for a dog.
Maggie reached for the price tag then said, “She’ll take it. Put this on the Hallows bill.”
“Are you sure I have the, um, resources for something like this?” I asked Maggie.
“Darlin’ girl, you have the resources for whate’er ye want. There’s no’ a frock made you can no’ buy.”
In some ways the idea of unlimited funds was even more preposterous than elves, pixies, dwarves, goblins, brounies, nymphs, witches, vampires, whatever Esmerelda was, and, oh yes, the occasional errant wind devil.
“Is that true?” I almost whispered.
“Certainly ‘tis true. Lochlan told ye so.”
“I understood there would be a stipend, but there’s a big leap between that and a no-boundaries budget.”
“Well, then, I’m glad we had this chat.”
“It kind of is an offer I can’t refuse.”
“Well, nobody ever has before.”
I pulled the shawl closer in a symbolic gesture of ‘mine’.
To Esme I said, “It really is the prettiest thing I ever saw. How do I care for it?”
Esme’s smile turned to a look of confusion. “Care for it?”
“How do I wash it?”
“Oh. No. It will care for itself,” she replied.
These people had a way of rendering me speechless at least every quarter hour.
On the way back to the Hallows, I said, “There’s a rule against accepting gifts?”
“Aye. But does no’ mean you’ll no’ be tempted. Plenty of scoundrels in the magical world.”
“This is to insure that I’m not partial to a gift giver in the event they’d be a party in a dispute? Sometime in the future?”
“Just so.”
“I think I need to hear the entire list of rules. Since this wasn’t presented in my, um, orientation. I could’ve already broken a rule. Innocently.”
“Aye. I see what ye mean. It was an error of omission. There are no’ any other rules I can think of off the top of my head, except that you have to show up for Court Meet.”
“What if I’m sick?”
“Sick?” She laughed. “You’ll no’ be sick.”
“How are you going to guarantee that?”
As we reached the Hallows door, she pulled the key out of her pocket and put it in the lock. “We have charmed elixirs to be certain you’ll be at your best for the rest of your days.”
“You mean you have something I could take that would keep me from ever being sick again?”
“That. Aye. And feelin’ good, too.”
As I ran my hand over the shawl that begged to be stroked, I realized the list in the plus column was growing.
As we stepped into the shop, I said, “I need someone to spell out the downside and not leave anything out.” Maggie stopped, but said nothing. “Can I trust you to do that?”
“You can trust me. ‘Tis my memory that’s in question. It’s been so long since we’ve welcomed a new magistrate I found myself admonishin’ Lochlan for no’ makin’ a gift of a dog, havin’ forgot that you can no’ accept gifts.”
I nodded. “There must be a list somewhere.”
“I suppose. You could wander over to Lochlan’s office. Second story above the bank. He’d either be there, or walkin’ the dogs in the hills, probably imaginin’ we’re in the Highlands and he’s off to herd sheep or some such.”
“Well, I suppose getting to know more about shop operations could wait a bit.”
“Sure. Go on with ye. I’ll be here.”
Hearing light steps on the ancient wood floor, we both turned.
“Chime’s in,” said Dolan. I followed the flick of his gaze upward to see that a windchime either oxidized blue or painted that way hung near the door. “If you want to test it.”
“Let’s do that before you’re off,” Maggie said.
She walked out and closed the door behind her. When she turned and reopened the door, the chime tinkled a pleasant little musical sound that I imagined I’d never get tired of hearing.
“Good,” she said. “Now you.”
Since she was looking at me, I assumed she meant for me to follow suit. I went out, but when I came back in the chime was still as could be.
“There you have it. Dolan’s worth his weight in gold,” Maggie proclaimed.
I looked at Dolan in time to see a smile go as quickly as it came. I made a mental note that Dolan appreciates praise. Or recognition for good work. But don’t we all?
“Now,” I said, “I just have to remember which is which. The chime sounds when humans arrive and is quiet when magical people come in.”