Page 79 of Office of the Lost

“You’re a vegetarian, remember?”His giant friend eating a local was the last thing Crispin needed on his conscience.

“Maybe so.But it doesn’t hurt to look.”

“Anyhow….”Crispin did his best to sound authoritative.“We’re looking for a particular one.Juzir.I mentioned him before, I think.”

Residents of this building, too, were coming to their windows to see what was causing the disturbance outside.

Crispin spotted his once-friend at last.“Up there.”He pointed at a balcony on the tenth floor.“Juzir!It’s me!”He waved at his former friend, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to arrive for a casual lunch in the palm of a giant.

Juzir opened his glass door onto the narrow terrace, his archosaur brow furrowed in a clear sign of annoyance but tempered with fear.“What are you doing here in such… company?”

Crispin swallowed his anger at seeing the person who had betrayed him.“We need your help.”

Juzir waved his tiny arms in negation.“Sorry, I don’t have time.I’m busy overseeing my bathroom remodel, fixing the damage that yourcollectioncaused?—”

“His name is Leo.And if I’m not mistaken, you’re paying for it with money you got for kidnapping him.So you don’t have the moral high ground here.”

Juzir sighed.“Go home.You have no idea what you are up against.”He spun his hands over one another and cast a sparkling glow-ball at Crispin, who flinched and then watched it dissipate before reaching him.“What in the Dicharthian hells?”

“Giants are resistant to magic, remember?Now, Frommy.”

The giant reached forward and scooped up Juzir in the same palm that held Crispin, lifting them into the air.

Crispin took a couple of deep breaths to clear away the dizziness from the sudden ascent.

Juzir looked over the edge of Fromlith’s palm, panicking.“Put me down.You have no right?—”

“You lost your rights when you invaded my son’s house and stole his future husband.”Cerillia sounded as indignant as Crispin had ever heard her.

“His… future… what?”

Crispin grinned.“My future husband.”He liked the sound of that.“Order and Chaos.Opposites attract, you know.”

Juzir stared at him.“You’re… Order personified?”Then he nodded, grinding his impressive teeth.“That makes a strange sense.That’s why he’s here.”He pointed, unexpectedly, at Minkis.“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you before.”

“Um, yes.He’s my….”He was going to saypet, but that wasn’t quite right.“Friend.”

“Friend of Acorn Man.”Minkis nudged Crispin’s cheek with his own furry one.

“Sure.Friend.”He looked over at the Queen of Fae.“So he’s the one?”

She nodded.“I sent him away for his own good, and to learn about the joined worlds.One day, he will take my place.”

All the grayish-brown drained out of Juzir’s handsomely scaled face.“Your Majesty.”He bowed to Crispin as well as he was able on the uneven surface of Fromlith’s palm.“How may I be of service?”

“Oh, get up, Juzzy.I’m still just good old Crispin.”Was this what it was going to be like?People constantly bowing to him and deferring to his every whim?

He hoped his mother had a long way to go before she felt the need to turn the Estate over to him.

“I’m sorry, Crispin.I didn’t know….”

“Water under the bridge.”Although to be honest, his old friend was on shaky ground; it would take more than one act to redeem himself.“Can you get us into the Office?”

“Of course.”He stared at Minkis.“But there’s one thing you should know first….”

30

Leopold

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