Deflated, Otto nodded.“But I can’t get to her.I swear it.If that’s your dealbreaker, then we have no deal.”
He meant it.And no way Otto could find anyone else to get that shipment he so badly wanted in time.Cha assessed Dy, mutinously scowling.“Then give us Monat’s location,” she said, giving Dy a warning look when the sorceress rounded on her.“We’ll handle the rest.”
“You can’t be late.Getting there or getting back,” Otto warned, relaxing slightly.Pulling out a fancy quill, he scribbled something on a bit of parchment and held it out.Dy reached for it, but Cha was faster, springing up to grab the note and pocket it.
“We won’t be late,” Cha promised.“Trust me,” she told Dy, who nodded reluctantly.
They settled into business, reviewing the route from Granite, through Gypsum, to the Obsidian border.That bit was easy, taking Ley Line Thirteen for most of it—commercial traffic all the way, a route they knew well—then into Obsidian.The crossing should be straightforward.Dy’s papers from Otto included a fake manifest for the big rig to show to the border guards.She’d be ostensibly picking up a cargo of black dust.Cha wouldn’t need papers to cross into Obsidian as ley riders with racy carriages like hers went joyriding in the fun park that was the land of the Obsidian fae all the time.
From there it would get more difficult.Bypassing the Obsidian depot, the standard destination for the rigs legally transporting black dust, was always tricky.The law-hounds would be on the alert for those smugglers making contact on the fae side of the depot.That’s when their special talents would come into play.Dy would move, adapt, or create ley lines for them to travel while Cha employed her considerable skills as a ley rider to keep them on track—and run interference for the rig.
Fortunately, that section of the Obsidian realm was a narrow band, and they should be able to shake any hounds when they crossed into Moonstone.After that, they’d have to be on their toes, play it by ear.
Then they’d have to reverse the journey, returning to human lands as fast as possible.
Getting Big Betty to the point of contact, loaded, and back to Rockton on schedule was top priority.As long as they kept the big rig intact and on time, the rest could be altered on the fly.Simple, really.
Of course, nothing was simple when it came to the fae.
~10~
Practice Makes Fun
“Goldilocks, this isBandit.You read?”On the road at last, Cha let up on the glyph that activated the path-channel to send, ready to receive.
“You know it, Bandit,” Dy’s voice came back clear, Warg happily warbling in the background.The beast sounded like a hippopotamus with a severe stomach condition.“I’m on the Thirteen.Got a smooth black line and making time.Just passed the Lightning-Struck Oak Tree Milestone.Where you at?”
Cha took in the scenery.Thick-leaved trees lined the corridor cut by the major ley line.They were still in human lands, well outside of Rockton, but solidly still in Granite Principality, so the landscape hadn’t yet morphed into sporting some of the more extreme weirdnesses that came from proximity to the fae realms.That would crop up in Gypsum, closer to the border with and into Obsidian.Angels only knew what the landscape would be in Moonstone.
The other traffic on the line looked pretty typical, so Cha flowed along at a reasonable speed, not yet taking advantage of Dy’s ability to tweak the ley line and thrust the jag into hyper-speed.The time for that would come.Best to save her partner’s sorcerous juice for the crunches that would inevitably arrive, though it wouldn’t be a bad idea for them to practice a bit.
Comparing the landscape markers to the glowing map globe Phinny had scrounged up and couriered to them, Cha made her best guess as to her position relative to Big Betty.
“I’m about seven leagues ahead of you, Goldilocks.Moving free and clear.No sign of any hounds.How are you on the clock?”They’d used some of Cha’s funds to acquire magically synced timepieces.
“Running three hours and twenty-two minutes ahead of schedule.Looking good.”
“Yes, you are, Goldilocks.”It wasn’t a huge amount of buffer time on a super-tight schedule—one incident could wipe most of that out in a hurry—but better to be in the plus column than the negative.“Bandit out.”Cha clicked off, but the box immediately bounced live again.
“Hey Bandit!This is Grogmeister.Come on?”
“Well, well, well, Grogmeister,” Cha replied.“Long time no chat, huh?”
“That’s ’cause you went to the dark side and Goldilocks strapped on a ball and chain.You two really on the gig again?”
“Now don’t be spreading tales,” Cha cautioned.“Lots of ears on the trees, and I’m not talking the kind the witches put in their cauldrons.”
Grogmeister snorted, the sound coming rough through the box.“We know all about ears out here away from big stone city, Bandit.Speaking of, you might try switching to the marcasite channel.You can talk a bit louder there, know it?”
“Ah, good tip, Grogmeister.Will take that on advisement.”
“You need any little thing, you just shout, Bandit.You got time for a pit stop, you know where to find me.Got a deal on ambrosia, too.”
“The last ‘deal’ you made me cost nearly a week’s pay.”
“It’s a sad, sad day when the Bandit talks in terms of a paycheck.”
“Don’t I know it.”
