Josie looked over the crowd she had gathered. They seemed to be cooperating well

enough. What did the quest really entail? Sometimes the Society really liked their

vagueness a little too much.

“So the general plan is to go to Solas, find this Orson, and see if we can squeeze him

for the rest of the Montrose’s plan?,” asked Josie.

“I don’t see any other way,” said Glunt. “If they had been successful destroying our

three outposts, there would have been a small skirmish that could have escalated into

a border war before things could have been stopped.”

“There is also the connections to the nobility on both sides,” said Jack. He leaned

back in his chair. He frowned in the same way he had frowned when he had been

working on Caroline.

“We don’t have nobility,” said Worldy. “We have a republic.”

“Is there a class of people who are wealthier than everyone else and have a greater say

in how things go?,” said Jack.

“Some of the citizens are richer than others but they have no more ability to influence

the government than any other citizens,” said Worldy.

“Sure,” said Jack. He leaned back in his chair. “How do we approach Orson if that is

our next step?”

“Someone has to go down, either seize him or scare him into running, and see what

he does,” said Josie. “I doubt he is going to stick around if news gets back of the

failure before we talk to him.”

“Maybe you can use your truth serum on him,” said Jack.

“All right,” said Josie. “What do we need to know to shut this quest down?”

“We need to know if he knows what the attack is, who is his boss, and maybe the

general overlay of why they are trying to create a border war,” said Glunt. “We might

need permission from Solas to bring him back across the border and see how much

we can get out of him.”

“I think I can do that,” said Josie. “Vin, if you and Captain Russ will go with me, I

might need help in case of trouble.”

“I’m ready, Madam Witch,” said Vin. “Sitting and drinking is what I do best.”

“We’re just questioning him?,” said Russ.

“Yes,” said Josie. “We just want to gather enough information that we can turn over

to Shemmaria and Grecious to stop all of these problems so we can move on to the

next quest.”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Jo?,” asked Jack. He sat looking at the table. “We

can just beam him up when we locate him and have Mister Warner show him some

moves.”

“Mister Warner hasn’t had moves since disco died,” said Josie.

“Hey,” said Mister Warner.

“I will have Russ and Vin with me,” said Josie. “If something happens, one of them

will be able to get free and you can get the details from them.”

“All right,” said Jack. “Enterprise, can you get Captain Russ a sword in a sheath, and

a green and black coat with a four on the front of it?”

“Affirmative,” said the machine.

A folded coat, and a sword in a sheath hanging from a belt, appeared in the recess

in the wall. Russ frowned at the clothing.

“He’s not going to want to talk to an officer in the Shemmarian army,” said Jack.

“I understand,” said Russ. She took off her blue uniform coat and handed it to

General Haslett. She walked over and took the sword and belted it on. She pulled on

the green coat over that and let it hang open. “He will expect adventurers, but if

someone official shows up, he will deny everything.”

“I will try to keep Russ safe,” said Josie. She gestured for her away team to follow

her. “As soon as we get something, we will call and let you know.”

“I would rather do a Frankenstein than go back and tell the Ducklings you got killed

doing something stupid,” said Jack.

“Vin and Russ will protect me,” said Josie. “All we have to do is talk to a man about

a job. How hard can that be?”

“Don’t worry, Jack,” said Vin. “I won’t do anything that allows Markus to get a

chance to gloat.”

“Figure out some other angle of attack,” said Josie. “You have a group of brains

here with a lot more experience in this sort of thing than we do. Once we know

what Orson knows, maybe we can apply it to some other way to close this down.”

“I just made up with my sister,” said Russ. “I won’t let her down again.”

“Go ahead,” said Jack. “We’ll keep an eye on the border until we know something.

You can relay through the Enterprise since we are close to the edge up here.”

“The edge?,” asked Glunt.

“The edge of the sky,” said Jack. He stood and waved for the Shemmarians to

cross to the other side of the room to the big windows behind him. He pointed

downwards. “You see that blot right there? That’s your keep from up here.”

“Do you see all that land, and the ocean, and the clouds, and everything below

them, gentlemen?,” asked Josie. She dialed up Zatanna. “That’s what we have

been drafted to protect from the goblins in the south to the people on the ice in

the north and everyone between.”

She sent out a bird to carry her and her partners to her destination.

“And we’re going to do that,” said Josie. “For my sisters, Jack’s beloved, for

everyone who deserves a chance to have a better life. We’re going to protect them and

help them no matter how many monsters we have to put down.”

Josie appeared on a dirt road outside of a small town which was mostly houses, stores

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

and two inns. Russ and Vin appeared on either side of her.

“No guild hall,” said Vin. “Any adventuring group would have to go to one, or both,

of the inns to see if there was a job. Maybe the town jail.”

“So let’s start with a locator,” said Josie. She flung one out. It flew immediately

to the closest inn on the south end of the town. “That’s where Orson is.”

“Let’s walk in and take a look around,” said Vin. He loosened his sword in its sheath.

“Maybe things will be easy.”

“We’re going to be fighting before this over,” said Russ. “There are too many

horses for a town this size. He’s still putting together forces to do things.”

“I have to agree with the soldier girl, Madam Witch,” said Vin. “There are a lot

of horses down there.”

“Why?,” asked Josie. She let her persona go and started walking. “He’s already

put together one false battalion.”

“Maybe to take advantage of the fighting,” said Russ. “If a war breaks out, no

one is going to notice independent raiders. The blame will fall on the enemy of

the people raided.”

“Which is something we are not going to allow,” said Josie.

“We’re not going to allow it, Madam Witch?,” asked Vin. He smiled as he walked

along.

“I have been asked to stop any problem,” said Josie. “Since you are my minion,

you have been ordered to stop any problem. That’s how it goes.”

“I don’t think that applies,” said Vin.

“It does if I say it does,” said Josie.

“Captain Russ?,” said Vin. He gestured at the logistics officer.

“I have borrowed her from her command which makes her my minion too until

this is over,” said Josie. “She can return to her duties for the Army when I

am done with her.”

“I am not sure that applies either,” said Vin.

“You know what does apply?,” said Josie, turning glittering eyes on him.

“I’m afraid to ask,” said Vin.

“All I am saying is I can drop you from the outside of the bridge of the Enterprise

a lot faster than the speed we’re walking,” said Josie.

“Are you and Markus going out again?,” said Vin. “After all, he is my partner and I

have to look out for him.”

“Excuse me,” said Josie.

“I think he is sweet on you, and I want to make sure you won’t break his heart

after one night of passion,” said Vin.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” said Josie. “Did Jack put you up to this?”

“No,” said Vin. “Your brother seems okay with your escorting Markus around.”

“I could kill both of you,” said Josie.

“Why don’t you tell Markus you want to break his bones in a good way,” said

Vin. “He will know you’re interested, and return the interest.”

“But I’m not interested,” said Josie. “I have too much work to do to get involved

with someone I am protecting.”

“Your brother?,” asked Vin, gesturing in a vague way at where the Enterprise

should be.

“Is not here, and is not the boss of me,” said Josie. “Why are you so interested

in what I do?”

“I just think Markus would be happier with someone instead of just sitting at

home and moping,” said Vin.

“Markus said that’s the way he likes it, and it is definitely the way I like it,” said

Josie. “Markus doesn’t want to date. He especially doesn’t want to date me. And

I don’t have the time for anything like that. I’m barely spending time with

my kids. Maybe when Matilda is grown up and out the house, I will think about

taking a guy around. Until then, I don’t have the care for that.”

“Matilda’s the dragon’s friend?,” said Russ. “How old is she?”

“Eight,” said Josie.

“She will be a long time growing into an adult,” said Russ.

“Tell me about it,” said Josie.

They reached the inn. Groups of people dressed as adventurers stood outside the

door talking. A fair amount had the Makeover. Some of them tried to keep the

writing hidden with gloves and helmets. Josie felt her hand twitch toward her

watch to give the Montrose members a dose of her mercy.

“Let’s get a drink,” said Vin. He gently steered Josie into the inn. “It’s a long

walk from camp. So we might as well sake the dry throat.”

“Another battalion,” said Josie. She pulled away from Vin’s hand and looked

around the common room. Her bird was sitting on a bald man with a small hunch in

his back. He had sheets of paper in front of him. He looked up as the trio approached

his table.

“What do you want?,” he asked.

Vin settled down in a free seat. He waved at the bartender to get him one of whatever

the other man was drinking with a smile.

“How’s it going?,” said Vin. “You’re Orson?”

“What if I am?,” asked the bold man.

“We heard that you are arranging an attack on the Shemmarian/Greciousian border,”

said Vin. “We were wondering if you were doing this on your own, or if you had

some backing.”

“I don’t see why I should tell you anything about it,” said Orson. “Get going.”

“Really?,” said Vin.

“Yes, really,” said Orson. “I don’t have anything to say about it.”

“Are your backers here in town?,” asked Josie. “I have a message for them.”

“What kind of message?,” said Orson.

“Tell them that their force at Fort Hern and their impersonator battalion have

been wiped out,” said Josie. “Tell them I am looking for them, and when I find

them, I will kill them too. There will be no war on the border, and soon

there will be no them either. Am I understood, Mister Orson? I am only letting

you live to deliver my message. Once you have done that, your use to me is over.”

“Who do you think you are?,” said Orson. He stood, reaching for his sword. Russ

pulled hers first while also standing in a fluid motion that caused him to freeze with

his hand on the hilt of his.

“The Montrose is the enemy of man, Mister Orson,” said Josie. She stood, looking

around at the members of the organization surrounding her little group. “I have taken

on the obligation of wiping it out. I am going to kill as many of you as I can reach.

There will be no wars fought, no more women and children taken, no more

taking and breaking of families for money, no more corruption. Tell your backers,

Mister Orson, that their judgement is looking for them, and I will find them.”

Josie became Zatanna, carving her booster into the wooden floor of the inn. A

cascade of birds erupted from her. All around them, tattooed men and women dropped

dead from their heads exploding. The birds reached beyond the building and searched

the whole town and the nearby roads. People froze in shock at the dead bodies hitting

the ground.

Another wave of fiery monsters went out to clean up the dead, erasing them from

existence.

Josie reverted back, losing the persona for the moment.

“If I were you, I would run,” said Vin.

“But remember, Mister Orson,” said Josie. “Deliver my message. Tell them to send

the message back up to the rest of their organization. I will find you all no matter how

long it takes, and I will kill you.”

Orson stared at her. He backed around the table to get to the door and ran out in the

street.

“Enterprise?,” Josie said into her com band.

“Communication acknowledged,” said the machine.

“I have a single target running from the town where I am located,” said Josie.

“Human male, bald, about two hundred pounds, forty to fifty years old, wearing a

brown jacket over brown shirt and pants. Can you track him and put him on the table

in the conference room?”

“Affirmative,” said the machine. “Hold for the captain.”

“What is the plan, Josie?,” asked Jack.

“I am hoping that I scared Orson into leaving town, and telling his backers to stop

doing things,” said Josie. “Did he go into any buildings here in town from the inn?

If they were here, I might have killed them by accident.”

“We have one man rushing for the corrals at the south end of town,” said Jack. “He

is mounting and he is fleeing south.”

“Bald?,” asked Josie. “Wearing brown on brown?”

“Yes, he is bald,” said Jack. “Can’t tell about the color.”

“Keep an eye on him,” said Josie. “It might be days before we can follow him up the

chain of command.”

“Faster travel and communications would help us right now,” said Jack.

“I know,” said Josie. “We will have to look at other ways to deal with this.”

“Right,” said Jack, before he cut the line.

“Sending their agent running doesn’t seem to have done anything,” said Josie. “I hope

we didn’t just hit a wall.”

“That was a bit scarifying,” said Vin, still sitting at the table. “Good job with the

sword, Captain. Smoothest draw I have seen in a long time.”

“Thank you,” said Russ. She put the blade away as she looked around. “We cleared

out another gathering of forces, but I don’t see what it gets us if we can’t put our

hands on the mastermind.”

“I know,” said Josie. “I have no idea where else to look.”

“Maybe the border is not the only place they had intended to cause trouble,” said Vin.

“There has to be other ways to cause fires between the countries.”

“All right,” said Josie. “Maybe you are right about that.”