out loud. “Sometimes it might seem so. It will be up to you to sort it out and keep us… civilized.”
“Civilized,” I repeated. I liked the sound of that. “I suppose what I want to know is, do I have all the information I need? If I accept, am I going to find out that there was something withheld that might have influenced my decision?”
“Ah. A catch.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“I trust that I’ve presented the whole picture, but if you’re still undecided, the aforementioned journals could be beneficial. So far as filling in details.”
“That sounds like a sound plan. Where are they?”
“In a safe in your residence. Olivia will show you where it is. She doesn’t know the combination, of course. That’s for you and me alone to know. Normally I wouldn’t be making it available until after the new magistrate is committed, but I’m making an exception in this case.”
“Because you think I’m going to accept.”
He laughed. “I do, in fact, believe you will accept.” He had me repeat the combination three times to be sure I’d remember.
“Who’s Olivia?”
“You’ve not met her?” I shook my head. “Another oversight. It seems we’re becoming lax in our duties.” He sighed. “Olivia is the residence caretaker. Your housekeeper, gardener, cook. Whatever you need. She’s Dolan’s sister.”
“I didn’t know that a caretaker comes with the deal.”
“Yes.”
“No wonder you’re so sure I’m going to accept. I’ve never had domestic help, or yard help, or any kind of help. But I guess you know that.” He confirmed my guess with his silence as we walked. I chuckled softly, trying to imagine having somebody do everyday chores. “That’s a nice perk to add to the package.” The list in my plus column was growing by the hour. “So, if she’s Dolan’s sister, she must be a, um…”
“Brounie.”
“And she has a key to the house?”
He stopped. “Yes. I hope that’s agreeable. She’s honest as the day is long.”
I laughed softly. “That’s exactly what Maggie said about Dolan.”
“And it’s true. Olivia is also bound by oath to protect your privacy. Of course, if you find that you don’t like her, we’ll locate a suitable replacement.”
“If she’s going to do stuff for me that I hate doing, I’m sure I’m going to love her. That brings me to another question. Is there a reliable source where I could learn about magical people? Those I might encounter if I take the job? You know, not fiction and fanciful. The real deal?”
He smiled and slanted his eyes toward me as we walked. “It’s a question most likely posed by every new magistrate dating back to the beginning. There’s usually some truth in the fictions, but a lot is misguided as well. You’ll find a book in the safe with the journals. And on that topic, journaling is optional, but it’s good to keep records of what’s gone before.”
“I get that.” We walked on for a few minutes without conversation before I said, “So how many magistrates have you broken in?”
“You’re the fifth.”
“Lochlan. Etiquette may be different in your culture, which is probably something else I should figure out, but would it be rude to ask how old you are?”
“Five hundred and thirty-two years old,” he said.
“Wow. No phone. No lights. No motorcar. Not a single luxury.”
“What’s that?”
“Nothing. Just a lyric associated with an old TV series.”
“I like TV.”
“Well, who doesn’t?”
“Oh!” He chuckled. “’Gilligan’s Island’. I take your point. Your wit and way of looking at things will be a welcome change around here. Yes. I’ve lived long enough to see some big changes.”
“And yet you’re still wearing short pants.”
He laughed. “Some habits are harder to set aside.”
“It seems that you can choose how you appear to humans? So why did you decide to initially present yourself as an old man?”
His answering smile was broad and I was treated to a mischievous twinkle in his too-blue eyes. “Because it was what you expected to see. Whether you knew it or not.”
“Huh.”
I walked along with Lochlan and his wolves for a bit longer before heading down the hill with study in mind. But by the time I returned it was lunch time, and I was thinking about the list of scrumptious things I had yet to try at the pub.
Instead of going straight back to the Hallows, I detoured for a thick soup.
“Rita!” Molly said. “You’re back.”
I grinned. “If I stay, you’ll get used to seeing me. I could pretty much be happy with choosing from your menu for.. well, forever, I guess.”