Page 99 of Thief of Night
“They need him more than he needs them,” Posey snapped. Normally, she had few good things to say about the Cabals, so it was funny to see her defend them.
Still, Malhar should have spoken. He needed to seem intimidating, not intimidated. His continued silence was going to give him away.
“We’re honored to have you here,” Archie said, clearly relaxed and enjoying expounding on what Charlie didn’t doubt was a favorite subject. He turned toward Malhar and saluted him with his glass. “Truly we are. But it’s no secret that laws are being discussed in the hallowed halls of justice.”
“If the government goes after the Cabals,” Red said, “the Cabals could wind up more powerful, not less.”
Archie made an incredulous face. “So long as they’re run by people like our illustrious Mr. Punch, I am glad for them to have all the power they can amass.” He reached over to place a heavy hand on Malhar’s shoulder.
“Glad to hear it,” Malhar said with a tight smile.
“Very interested in your speech tomorrow,” Charlie said to him. “I understand that Rooster was going to speak about quickening shadows.”
Posey glared at her.
Charlie glared back. If Malhar couldn’t fake it through this dinner conversation, there was no way he was going to survive the weekend.
After a moment, he spoke. “It’s not as simple as turning a switch. People want it to be, of course—they expect dramatic and painful, but simple. That’s not true. But I do believe anyone can accomplish a quickening.”
Archie’s surprise was obvious. He must not have thought much about any technique other than the stitching of new shadows, despite the promised workshops featured in the description of his conference.
“Can you explain the process to me?” Charlie prompted Malhar.
He turned a vaguely pleading expression on her. “We’re at dinner. I would hate to bore you with a discussion of the bicameral mind.”
“Let the man eat,” Archie said, probably because he thought Mr. Punch was attempting to avoid discussing anything important in front of Red and Charlie.
“We’d all be riveted—I’m sure,” said Red. “But we will hear the whole thing soon enough. We’re just excited to have that opportunity.”
“Yes,” Archie boomed with real sincerity. “We’ve added security, of course.Three gloamists, very capable, all of them armed with onyx—and real weapons, although don’t tell that to Solaluna.”
“Yours, I presume,” she said to Malhar. Those would most likely be the ones bringing in the shadows and they would absolutely know that Malhar wasn’t Mr. Punch. Even if Professor Frank hid his identity from the world, he couldn’t hide it from the puppeteers under his command.
“How many of the attendees would you say are gloamists themselves?” Posey asked. It was obvious she didn’t understand the nature of Mr. Punch’s association with Archie. Charlie needed to get her out of there before she blew her own cover.
“Very few,” Archie told her, with a shrug. “Although Solaluna claims to have at least one on staff.”
As he went on, Charlie attempted to send a text under the table without being too obvious about it.When I head to the bathroom, you follow or I blow up your spot. Understood?
The message went through. Charlie saw her sister glance down. Then three dots indicating she was responding flickered on the screen, but no words came. She must have been composing and deleting messages over and over again.
OK,Posey sent finally.
“The thing is,” Malhar said to Archie, putting down his wineglass, “becoming a gloamist shouldn’t be dangerous and it shouldn’t be something that people have to spend their lives hoping for and never getting. Magic should be for everyone.” She could feel the sincerity of the words. This wasn’t part of Posey’s con.
“Everyone who can afford it,” Charlie said.
Archie barked out a laugh, glancing toward Red. “Where did you find this one?”
“She’s a delight,” Red said. “Except for the constant attempts to redistribute my wealth.”
Archie’s gaze on Charlie shifted to be more evaluating. “Interesting.”
This was a good time for her to get up. “Excuse me for a moment. I’ve got to go to the restroom.” By that point, she knew the way.
Behind her, she heard Posey making her excuses.
There were three one-person bathrooms, all with individual locks. Charlie shoved her sister into the first one.
