Page 35 of Explosive Chemistry

“I talked to my Lou about this magic sword business, and he offered to have Pete give it to him for safekeeping until it’s needed. Since the red wolf and the goblin doctor will need it to protect Lou, that seemed like it might be a good idea?” Janice Willoughby leaned forward, looking into the crystal ball, as if she could see the change in future paths herself.

“That is a very brave offer,” Liliana said. She opened her fourth eyes and looked into the crystal prop to see if this plan would save Pete and Doctor Nudd, assuming he lived that long. It looked like it would, yes. She flinched hard a moment later and shut her eyes. Seeing ugly deaths had become part of her daily routine since allying herself with Pete.

While such visions no longer sent her into shivering, rocking-in-the-corner fits, Liliana still did not enjoy seeing Janice’s husband ripped to shreds by werewolves. “Um. No. That is not a good plan. The Wolfhounds are only after your husband because they believe he knows something about the sword. If he actually has the sword, they will kill him and take it before Pete can get there to help.”

Janice Willoughby’s already fair complexion paled. She covered her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t realize. We’re trying to figure out how to save Ben’s man and your goblin friend. It didn’t occur to me that if we change the wrong thing, it could get my Lou killed.”

“It is always easier to make things worse than it is to make things better,” Liliana warned her client. “The more the future is altered, the more likely something will become worse, and I will not see it. That is why I always advise customers to make the smallest change that will help.”

The rabbit-kin reached across the table to pat the back of Liliana’s hand. “I’m glad you’re looking out for us, Madame Anna.”

Liliana looked down at the pale hand resting on top of her dark olive, smaller one, uncertain how she should react. She felt her cheeks warming. It was a lot like when Pete told her he trusted her. She felt kind of good, but also kind of afraid. Janice trusted Liliana to keep her husband, Lou, safe. What if the spider seer made a mistake?

“All the Others in Fayetteville know that we’re lucky to have you watching out for us.” Janice’s hand squeezed hers briefly, then withdrew back to the other side of the table.

The uncomfortable feeling turned briefly to a jolt of sheer terror.

Every Other in Fayetteville trusts me to keep them safe?

Liliana fiddled absently with the long ends of her sleeves, running them between her fingers, trying to calm down. If she made the wrong decision about the prince, if she made the wrong decision about Pete, about Doctor Nudd, every Other in Fayetteville would suffer, and it would be her fault.

Liliana swallowed. “You should stay for lunch. I made mushroom soup. You should stay for lunch.”

Janice Willoughby accepted her invitation and chatted all through lunch about her children, her husband, and the best ways to flavor mushroom soup without meat.

Glad that mundane discussions had side-tracked the rabbit-kin, Liliana let her chatter, listening with only part of her mind. No matter what Pete did with the sword, or who he gave it to, she saw the same outcome for him and Doctor Nudd. They would not have it when Princess Aurore’s pet assassins came looking for it again.

They needed that sword. Even if Doctor Nudd survived to that point to help Pete, they would both die without Fraegarthach.

Depending on what Pete did with the sword, there was every possibility that others would die as well. The soup and the company were both nice, but seeing her friends and many other people die horrible, but slightly different, deaths as she considered various options spoiled her appetite.

“ …and Ben took that bully aside. He told that boy he’d be happy to give him after-school tutorials in non-aggressive conflict resolution that happened to be at the same time as basketball practice if he couldn’t think of a politer way to ask for his turn on the swings. My Sam about laughed himself sick telling me about it.”

“Ben Harper? Pete’s beloved?” Liliana got an odd twinge from the part of her brain that dealt with her fourth eyes. Something about Ben Harper.

Janice nodded as she picked up the bowls and spoons and put them in the sink since Liliana’s room-bot was broken. “Ben’s so good with the kids. Sam just adores him. He’s had trouble in the past with teachers treating him like he’s a bad kid, just because he has so much trouble sitting still in class. I hope your red wolf friend knows what a prize that man is.”

“Pete loves Ben Harper very much. I would like to meet him.” The twinge got stronger. She opened her fourth eyes again and saw an image of the teacher hiding Fraegarthach under the picnic table in his backyard. She also saw a flash of Pete wielding the ancient sword against the assassins and winning.

Oh. That might be it.

Liliana needed time and quiet to search the paths of the future to see if this would work, though. She couldn’t afford to miss anything. She interrupted the rabbit-kin in mid-sentence. She wasn’t actually sure what Janice had been saying, but it didn’t matter. “You have to go home now, Mrs. Willoughby.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize it was so late. Is your next appointment coming soon?”

“No, not for one hour and thirty-six minutes.” Liliana opened the back door. “Go home now, please.”

“Did I do something to upset you, Madame Anna?” The rabbit-kin bit her lower lip.

“I am not upset. I am glad you stayed for lunch. I enjoy your company. Go home now, please.” She was tempted to push on the rabbit-kin to get her to go out the door faster. This was the most promising path she had seen. Quiet concentration was what she desperately needed, and Janice Willoughby was not good at quiet.

“Um, okay, then.” Janice grabbed her purse and stepped out the door. On the porch, she turned around. “See you next…”

Liliana closed the door.

“…week,” Janice’s voice said distantly through the door.

There were so many ways that this could go wrong. So many people who could die if Liliana changed the wrong thing. She looked again and again at every other person she could think of that had been harmed in the other paths she had considered. She explored some variations on the theme and realized that no one could know where the sword had gone, not even Pete. But if that condition was met, and she could save Doctor Nudd from his more immediate death, then everyone lived. Except the Wolfhound assassins.

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