Will spoke briefly with a couple who appeared to be what passed for the brains of the operation.
“What do you think will happen this time?” Bear asked.
“I think they’ll say no to a sit-down,” I said. “Again.”
She snorted out a breath through her nose. “I think that, too.”
“Gotta try,” I said.
“Because it’s kind,” she said.
“Yeah.”
Bear shook her head. “I’m from an older world than you, Dresden. The definition ofkindhas changed a lot over time.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning it might have been kinder to run them off when there were only a few of them, when it could have been more easily controlled, and when fewer people might have been hurt. It might have been kinder to draw the boundary a hell of a lot sooner.”
“I’m hoping it won’t come to that,” I said.
“Times change,” Bear allowed. “People don’t. Anger doesn’t. Violence doesn’t. Instinct doesn’t. What you’re seeing here is pure territoriality.”
“They’re afraid,” I said. “They got hurt in the battle. See that couple Will’s talking to? I’ve dug into them a little. They had two little kids. Both were killed.”
The memory of a bloodied child’s stroller lying on its side, the night of the battle, flashed vividly into my head. My heart pounded harder and I suddenly felt again the terror and rage of that night. I had to take a slow breath and close my eyes for a second, fighting off the remembered emotion. My stomach twisted with nausea, my mouth suddenly watering like I might be about to throw up, and adrenaline zinged into my system.
I bowed my head, breathing slowly and deeply.
“They’re in pain,” I said quietly after a moment. “Hard to blame them for that. And they haven’t gotten violent.”
“No,” Bear agreed. “Not yet.”
The woman of the couple started screaming at Will, turning to the others gathered on the sidewalk, leading them in hard, furious chanting.No occult, no strife, we just want a normal life!
Their fury was palpable. The crowd began to roll forward, toward Will, maybe half a step with each repetition of the chant.
I saw Will sigh and spread his hands in a gesture designed to show he meant no harm.
One of the bruisers stepped up.
Will turned to him. I couldn’t see the expression on the werewolf’s face, but the bruiser could, and his mask of determination faltered a little. He’d lifted a hand, maybe to push Will, but he dropped it again.
Will nodded and said something and then backed calmly away from the crowd. At the midway point of the street, he turned and walked quickly back to the castle. A couple of people started walking after him, but the patrol car down the street abruptly swung into motion, driving through before the protesters gathered momentum, hitting the sirens for a second to send out a warningwhoop, whoop!
They backed off. Will made it back to the doors without further incident. A moment later, he emerged from the door to the roof and walked over to stand beside Bear and me.
“That went well,” I drawled.
Will sighed. “Tell me about it.”
“What did they say?”
“That they aren’t going to accept anything except everyone in the castle leaving. Everyone. Harry, we’re watching a violent mob being born.”
“Yes, we are,” Bear said matter-of-factly.
I sighed and rubbed at the not-quite-aching spot between my eyebrows.
