But I could never, not ever, tell him anything about thereal me.
Not only because he probably wouldn’t believe me, butbecause I’d curse me and Mom if I did it.
“Well, I suppose I’m now listening,” I grumbled.
“The business I had to attend to was that KingNoctornosummoned me.”
“Nosh…fooling?”
“Sh-fooling?”he asked.
“I was going to curse,” I admitted.
“You can be you with me,Satrine.”
Yeah.
Right.
I could do that…
Satrine.
“Can we talk about a summons froma kingand not myfoul mouth?”
He nodded.“This is why I couldn’t say what I was doing.When Tor calls, sometimes the matters he needs to discuss are confidential.”
“Right,” I whispered.
Badass, I thought.
“This time, it was about a couple of things, one of whichwas your father.”
I felt my eyes widen.“Dad?”
Another nod from Loren.“Due to the nature, audaciousnessand extent of his crimes, the magistrate sent a bird.”
Update: they didn’t have phones, or telegrams, they hadbirds.Like carrier pigeons, but instead they were ravens and they pretty muchnever failed in delivering their message, unless they were shot down duringwartime and such.
Another update: I’d learned that in a book.I’d also learnedit when the modiste, Madame Toussaint, asked Mom, “Would you like me to send abird toBenies?Youneedtheir silk.It’sfrom Firenze.It’ssublime.It’ll take perhaps six weeks to get here,that is, after the bird arrives with our order, so we’ll say ten weeks, but itwill beveryworth it.”
Further update: We sent a bird for the silk.
Last update (for now): The reason Ansley gave me that lookwhen I talked about the birds singing to me and mice being my friends wasbecause animals talked to you in this world.Birds.Cats.Mice.(I told you!This place was Disney in real life!) It happened to Mom and me with a stray catat first.We were walking down the street with Maxie.We flipped out.Thisflipped Maxine out.Carling was escorting us to a patisserie.He flipped outwhen we all flipped out.It was a huge thing.
In the end, we had to pretend we were playing a game, andthank gods they bought it.
Wait, one more update: Mom adopted that cat, mostly becausethe cat asked to go home with us.His name was Mr.Popplewell (according to Mr.Popplewell).He was ginger with some white.He’d gained at least five poundssince we’d had him (and he was not svelte to start with) due to Mom stuffinghim with chicken and fish.He slept with her.Doted on Maxine.And cuddled withme.Because, you guessed it, Maxine and I stuffed him with chicken and fishtoo.
“The magistrate sent a bird?”I prompted.
“Tor returned a bird and froze your father’s access to hisassets.You, your mother, any representatives you decide, can access what youwish.Your father can make no decisions about his estate until, perhaps, afterhis trial.”
“Holy cow,” I breathed.
Well, that explained why Dad-not-Dad hadn’t taken anyaction.
Loren smiled.“Yes.It’s unprecedented.But I can say, bythe time I arrived to meet him, Tor was still decidedly displeased.”
