Chinis came for him the next day, waking him. The banging on the door echoed the throbbing in his head. Wil fell out of bed and half crawled his way to the door, opening it a crack. The mage’s sleepy expression turned to amusement.

“Damn McKenzie, you got any blood left in your alcohol system? Heard that Marlowe created an endless bottle and you wanted to prove him wrong?”

“Ha, ha, ha, also ha,” Wil said, hanging onto the door for support. The inside of his mouth was a furry desert, and the lingering taste of burning and regret made him want to rinse his mouth out. “After damned near a week of being confined here, I finally had a little fun.”

“Picked a hell of a night to do it,” said Chinis, turning somber. “I’m here to escort you to the Ambrose Estate.”

If anything could cut through the hangover, it was that. “I need a shower first.”

“Yes,” said Chinis. “You do. And also a cup of coffee and something greasy. Best hurry though. You don’t want to be late for this.”

Although his tone was his usual drawl, Wil took his friend seriously. “Gimme fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready.”

With the water freezing cold to help sober him up, Wil furiously scrubbed everything twice, trying to keep his head on straight. Being summoned to the Ambrose Estate was either a good sign, or a terrible one. Visions danced in his head of being disappeared to the Bureau of Magical Investigation’s Junk Drawer site, as Hugo threatened. He shut off the water and dried off quickly.

He had enough sense to pick one of the nicer suits provided by the manor and checked himself in the mirror. He looked sickly and nervous, not at all a powerful young wizard worth this kind of trouble. A bang on the door shook him from his thoughts.

“Coming!”

The Ambrose Estate was another massive plot of land on the outskirts of Cloverton. Right when the city let out to the north, the home of Calipan’s presidents sprawled out over enough ground to be its own neighborhood. Wrought-iron fences kept the public off the largest, most well kept lawn Wil had ever seen. While there was snow on the house itself, the grounds themselves were a sea of green. All of the snow was carefully deposited in key areas, setting the stage for an entire village of ice sculptures.

“Have you ever been here before?” Wil asked with his face pressed against the window. In spite of his nervousness, the place was as beautiful as Marlowe Manor, in its own way.

“Oh sure,” said Chinis, not taking his eyes off the road. “I took the tour with my family after I graduated. But I haven’t seen the big man himself, if that’s what you’re asking.”

He drove up to a cul-de-sac where he pulled over. The two of them got up and looked up the steps. The front doors loomed ominously over them, flanked by two armed guards. A well dressed man with his hair slicked back met them.

“You are Master McKenzie, then?” He asked, looking Wil up and down. Without waiting for a response, he continued, “There are some ground rules you will need to follow before you’re allowed entrance. Refusal to abide by these rules will result in your immediate expulsion from the grounds. Are you with me so far?”

“Um,” said Wil.

“Excellent. You will not use magic of any kind around the president. If you do, his bodyguards will vaporize you.”

“Okay, no magic, got it,” said Wil, honestly glad for the anti-magic zone around parts of the capital. No wizard liked being shackled, but the difficulty made it easier to remember.

“Do not mistake anything the president says as an endorsement or friendship,” the man went on. “Do not think to lecture or threaten the president for any reason. His bodyguards -- “

“Will vaporize him?” Chinis supplied. Wil snickered, but the man’s sharp face twisted into a severe scowl.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said, shrugging. “Follow me.” The man walked up the steps, and Wil scrambled to catch up.

The guards opened the doors and they entered into a massive foyer with twin spiral staircases leading to a third and fourth story. Wil’s guide ignored them and took a right, leading Wil past a series of austere and important looking rooms. Another turn took them to an open park in the center of the house, where the president and his guests sat around, smoking cigars and drinking tumblers of amber liquid.

More importantly, Syl was among them. “Wil!” He called, setting down his drink and charging the wizard. Wil had just enough time to throw his arms open and accept being hugged and picked up by the much stronger goatman.

“Syl…you’re…okay!” Wil managed to squeak out between squeezes. He slapped Syl on the back, first to be friendly, then to signal his lack of air.

“Of course I’m okay,” said Syl as he set Wil down. “I’ve spent the last few days drinking and playing games with your president. Fun guy!”

Wil blinked. It was then he saw President Bullworth coming up from behind, a drink in his left hand. The president was a fairly short, stocky man with salt and pepper hair and a square jaw. He didn’t look small so much as what would happen if you took a burly man and made him compact. He came up and thrust his hand aggressively at a gaping Wil.

“Wilbur McKenzie, I presume!” Bullworth had a deep, boisterous voice with an accent placing him from the southeast. “Your friend Syl here’s been telling me all about you. Pleasure to meet you, young man. I understand that you’re to be commended. Or maybe executed.” He let out a carefree guffaw.

Not far behind him were a pair of bodyguards wearing enchanted, tinted goggles, wands, and even guns. If Wil had to guess, they were the ones who would vaporize him, should he cast a spell or act threatening. He took the president’s hand and let his arm be shaken ragged.

“It’s an honor, sir. And I’d prefer the commendation, if it’s all the same to you.” He flashed a weak smile, praying it came across as charming instead of scared.

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He needn’t have worried. Bullworth laughed with the same full bellied gusto, and released Wil’s hand only to slap him on the shoulder. “Such cheek! I can tell we’re going to be fast friends.”

Between his nervousness and the lingering ghost of the hangover, Wil didn’t enjoy the president’s enthusiasm nearly as much as he might have. “That’d be nice, sir. Being honest, I got in over my head and did my best.” That was the image he needed, right?

“Nonsense” Syl bleated. “Wil’s just being hard on himself, like usual. He handled diplomacy like a champ. I can say with full fae honesty that I don’t think any other human could’ve handled the situation as well as he did.” He slapped Wil’s other shoulder.

“You’ll have to tell me all about it!” Bullworth threw an arm around Wil’s increasingly sore back and led him to where the president relaxed, with an entourage of workers and security orbiting him as they went.

The park was something out of Wil’s dreams. It provided an easy way to move around to the opposite side of the estate, and lent a touch of nature where they lived, a place to relax and catch your breath. At least, Wil presumed, when the president wasn’t around.

In the span of one minute Wil found himself sitting down in an opulent rocking chair next to the leader of Calipan, expensive and classy drink in hand, while the president talked his ear off.

“It’s not any real secret our military’s stretched thin,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of promising classes of recruits, but most of our men are cycling in and out on three different fronts. The last thing we needed was a fourth potential party to be at war with. And without your haste and vigor, I never would’ve met this charming son of a goat!”

Syl bleated theatrically, and the two dissolved into laughter and pointing at each other. “Results are what matter, right Barry? Wil made things happen. It’s silly there’s even a question of his loyalty or intentions. He got the job done and everything’s fine, what else matters?”

President Bullworth’s laughter died down. “Well,” he said, rolling his eyes like a slighted teenager, “some people are worried. Now me, results are what I care about, but killing a fellow wizard and making those kinds of major decisions without checking in?” He clicked his tongue.

“It was the only thing I could think of to defuse the situation,” Wil said. Somehow, his nervousness disappeared. The experience of meeting the president and discovering he acted like an overly enthusiastic uncle was surreal enough to make him take a drink. “Mage Jefferson had it coming.”

“It’s true,” said Syl. “At the first sign of a prank gone wrong, he tried to start a war. If Jefferson was alive, I wouldn’t be.”

“That’s why I’ll probably give you a medal or something,” Bullworth said with a wave of his hand. “You did good, but you could be doing better. That’s why I asked you here today. Is it true you have new information about them…what do you call them again?”

“Leylines, sir,” One of his wizard guards supplied.

“Leylines, that’s it! You holding out on us, son?” Bullworth’s friendliness faded as he drew back.

“Not intentionally, Mr. President,” said Wil, taking another drink. It gave him an extra second to think. “I don’t have complete information. If I were to give bad information, it could set us back or cost lives. I’m willing to share what I learn when I learn more. I need to experiment first.”

It seemed insane, telling one of the most important men in the world no. Wil understood then, they were going to bring the pressure down on him until he cracked. How long could he say no before he gave in? What would it end up costing him?

“Huh.” Bullworth took a sip of his drink. His eyes remained on Wil’s face, searching him for any weakness. “See, that’s a reasonable answer. And I like to think I’m a reasonable man. What about you?”

“I try to be,” said Wil, stomach dropping.

“Then it stands to reason that my best men, with all of the resources of the country at its disposal…well, don’t you think they could accomplish more than one brave, sharp wizard?”

Syl tried to change the subject. “With the amount your people will learn from us in the coming years, you’ll have plenty to study. You’re going to have such an easier time with portals.”

“And that’s fine,” said Bullworth, voice now lower, colder. “But next year I’m up for re-election. I’ve taken some beatings over the past few years. All in service to our great country, but I’ve worked hard and suffered for the glory of Calipan. And in spite of that, I have many enemies nipping at my heels, looking for anything to take me out.

“I need wins now. And if I understand what those bookworms tell me, this could be the greatest win for our country since driving out Ilianto’s settlers and taking our rightful place as masters of the continent. More than that, I want you to think about something, Wilbur McKenzie. What do you owe your country? I’ve broken my back for my people and fight everyday to make a better world for us all. What else are you willing to do for your fellow citizens?”

So it came right back to this. From Mayor Sinclair’s petty threats and demands of bribes, all the way up to the president. Wil knew he shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet he was. The appeal to his desire to help others threw him for a loop. It made him pause and consider his reasons for holding back.

The main answer was the fae. If Cloverton knew how to change leylines, then there would be no way for the fae to fuel their pocket world in secret. Wil had already exposed them and made the boundaries weaken. Who knew what kind of destruction or chaos could be unleashed if Calipan stopped playing nice.

The other was Calipan itself. The greatest advancements in science had all come from combat disease, and death. Syl hadn’t been wrong when he accused Calipan of existing primarily for war. The idea of them using Wil’s discovery to hurt others…If anything could keep him from cracking, that would be it.

But that wouldn’t be an acceptable answer to the president, who even now stared him down expectantly. No one believed Wil when his reasons were good intentions and good faith. So he thought of his friend Chinis, and the argument they’d had in the Magical Madhouse. Wil put on a confident smile he didn’t feel.

“Well, everything you said is reasonable. I do live to help out my fellow citizens and our country. But as a reasonable man, I think you’re forgetting something.” Wil finished his drink, relishing the burn. It was smoother than what he had at home.

“And what’s that?” Bullworth chuckled, but it held no humor.

“If I were to turn it over to your people, then I wouldn’t get the credit,” said Wil. “or the money that my discovery would bring in. It’s in my best interest to discover things on my own and then sell it to Cloverton for a fair price. Isn’t that what our country is based on? A man’s labor and ideas are his own to profit off of.”

Bullworth looked like he swallowed something foul. “That is true, but I was told money wasn’t something you particularly cared about. Are my sources wrong?”

“Oh no, he doesn’t care about money, like, ever,” Syl said with a laugh.

“Thanks Syl,” Wil sighed. “I don’t, but a discovery like this is going to have far reaching consequences. It’s my duty to this country to make sure this knowledge is safe and can be used constructively. It’s not a no. It’s a not yet.”

“Hmph.” Bullworth poured himself another splash of whiskey. His eyes bored twin holes into Wil’s soul. He still smiled, but it seemed predatory now. Wil found himself wanting to take a peek inside, but he took the threat of vaporization seriously. “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to change your mind.”

“I will?” Wil didn’t like how that sounded.

“You will.” Bullworth chuckled again, swirling the ice in his drink. “The thing about investigations like this, they take a while. And with something this important and delicate, I wouldn’t expect to go home anytime soon. Take all the time you need, Wilbur. You’re not going anywhere. We’ll get that information out of you sooner or later.”