cut down on any uneasiness or suspicion they might feel."
"Suspicion?" Elaine exclaimed. "Harry, I am not a criminal."
"Youre just asking for trouble, Elaine."
"And how are they going to find out about me? Hmmm? Were you planning on running off to tattle?"
"Of course not," I said. But I was thinking how much trouble I was going to be in if one of the Wardens heard I was associating with someone who might be a violator of the First Law, and one of Justin DuMornes apprentices at that. With the cloud of disfavor I was already under, adding that kind of suspicion to it might be enough to sink me, regardless of how the investigation turned out. Do I have a great life or what?
"I wont say anything," I said finally. "It has to be your choice, Elaine. But please believe me. Trust me. I have friends in the Council, too. Theyll help."
Elaines expression softened and became less certain. "Youre sure?"
"Yeah," I said. "Cross my heart."
She leaned on her oddly carved staff and frowned. She was opening her mouth to speak when my reinforced door rattled under the rapping of a heavy fist.
"Dresden," Morgan growled from the other side of the door. "Open up, traitor. There are questions I need you to answer."
Chapter Nine
Elaine shot me a wide-eyed look and mouthed the word "Council?"
I nodded and pointed to my staff, in the corner along with my sword cane. Elaine picked it up without a word and tossed it to me. Then she moved silently through the door of my darkened bedroom and vanished inside.
The door rattled again. "Dresden," Morgan growled, "I know youre in there. Open the door."
I swung it open before he could go on. "Or youll huff and youll puff and so on?"
Morgan glowered at me, tall, sour, and dour as ever. Hed traded his robes and cloak for dark slacks, a grey silk shirt, and a sport coat. He carried a golf bag on one shoulder, and most people wouldnt have noticed the hilt of a sword nestled among the golf clubs. He leaned forward, cool eyes looking past me and into my apartment. "Dresden. Am I interrupting anything?"
"Well, I was going to settle down with a porn video and a bottle of baby oil, but I really dont have enough for two."
Morgans expression twisted in revulsion, and I felt an absurd little burst of vindictive satisfaction. "You disgust me, Dresden."
"Yeah, Im bad. Im a bad, bad, bad man. Im glad we got that settled. Good-bye, Morgan."
I started to shut my door in his face. He slammed his palm against it. Morgan was a lot stronger than me. The door stayed open.
"Im not finished, Dresden."
"I am. Its been one hell of a day. If youve got something to say, say it."
Morgans mouth set in a hard smile. "Normally I appreciate that kind of directness. Not with you."
"Gee, you dont appreciate me. Ill cry myself to sleep."
Morgan stroked his thumb over the strap to the golf bag. "I want to know how it is, Dresden, that Mab just happened to come to you about this problem. The one thing that can preserve your status with the Council, and it just happened to fall to you."
"Clean living," I said. "Plus my mondo wheels and killer bachelor pad."
Morgan looked at me with flat eyes. "You think youre funny."
"Oh, I know Im funny. Unappreciated, but funny."
Morgan shook his head. "Do you know what I think, Dresden?"
"You think?" Morgan didnt smile. Like I said, unappreciated.
"I think that youve planned all of this. I think you are in with the vampires and the Winter Court. I think this is part of a deeper scheme."
I just stared at him. I tried not to laugh. I really did.
Well. Maybe I didnt try all that hard.
The laughter must have gotten to Morgan. He balled up his fist and slammed a stiff jab into my belly that took the wind out of my sails and half dropped me to my knees.
"No," he said. "You arent going to laugh this off, traitor." He stepped into my apartment. The threshold didnt make him blink. The wards I had up caught him six inches later, but they werent designed to be too much of an impediment to human beings. Morgan grunted, spoke a harsh word in a guttural tongue, maybe Old German, and slashed his hand in front of him. The air hissed and popped with static electricity, sparks flashing from his fingertips. He shook his fingers briefly, then walked in.
He looked