“Who?” she demanded. “Who gave these gnomeslife?”
“A jinni. A very powerful one. Many, many yearsago.”
“And does this jinni live inOrdinary?”
“Currently?No.”
“Does this jinni have aname?”
“Many.”
“No name,” she said, “no partyinvitation.”
“Are you blackmailing me, ReedDaughter?”
“Not yet. What was the jinni’sname?”
“Faris.”
“Okay,” Delaney said. “That’s something we can work with. Thank you.” She held her hand out. Death extended his arm and dropped Abner’s head into herpalm.
Abner went instantly still. He was a statue once again until sunset when he’d rise and try to accidentally eat some other friend’sfoot.
“Consider yourself invited to the Haunted Harbor and Harvest Festival. We’ll see you in a couple days?” Delaneyasked.
“Yes,” Death said. “Youwill.”
Just like that, he wasgone.
The air temperature rose several degrees all at once and I shivered. I hadn’t realized how cold it hadgotten.
“Not my fault,” Istarted.
“I know. We need to track down anything we can get on this Faris. I’ll have Myra look through thebooks.”
Delaney turned, handed me the head, which was cold, heavy, and rough as if it were nothing more than inertconcrete.
Poor Abner. He’d certainly had betterdays.
“And what do you want me to do,boss?”
“I need you to keep Abner out of trouble. Do another patrol on the gnomes. Make sure none of them have their toes bittenoff.”
“What aboutDeath?”
She stuck her hands in her coat pockets as she started back to the Jeep. “We’ll deal with him when he shows backup.”
“So you’re going to let him intotown?”
She shrugged. “The gods can come into town if they want. They just can’t put down their powers and stay unless I say so.” She opened the Jeep door. “Stop worrying, Jean. We’re good. We’ve gotthis.”
