Re-Organizing - 13. Chapter 13

We parked the Denali in the garage of the house I’d known as home for most of my life while the other two vehicles unloaded at James and Donna’s house. The events of the past few months had distracted me, and it wasn’t until we walked into the basement that I remembered; I had instructed David to have crews remodel for me. The room that used to house my weight set was now a family room, the storage room was now a bedroom, and the bathroom had been enlarged a bit with entrances from the bedroom and the family room.

Upstairs, they had made no changes to the floor plan, but there was new flooring and fresh paint. In the kitchen, new cabinets and countertops were in place, and the old appliances had been replaced by new stainless-steel models. I looked around one last time at my childhood home, now empty, sighed and said, “Let’s get over to your place and get everyone ready.”

We all crossed the street and went into the dining room of James and Donna’s house where Jenny and Donna had set up several trays of make-up. Jenny had the most experience, so she was in charge of getting us made up. When she suggested it, I thought she was insane, but Scott and the others had convinced me we could do it. Two hours later, they had applied make-up to those of us going trick-or-treating. After checking the others, and looking at myself in the mirror, I was starting to believe this would work.

As we walked the streets of the neighborhood where I grew up, my neighbors all commented on our costumes. They loved the fact that all six children, as well as the seven young adults escorting them, were dressed alike. My biggest fear never came to fruition, as no-one recognized me behind my costume, although several commented on how incredible our make-up was. As we approached James and Donna’s house, I realized that I had more fun as a parent watching my sons enjoy the evening than I had ever experienced as a child. As Jenny and Donna cleaned the children up, I shared my thoughts with my mates and brothers. Billy and Scott agreed, and both said we needed to make sure we did this next year because three of our sons would outgrow it the following year.

Once our children were in bed, we loaded into the vehicles and headed to Tyler’s. Johnny, Jonesy, and Tony were our drivers, with Tommy and Leonard joining them to present the security detail necessary to re-enforce the cover story of my moving because my life was in danger. When we arrived, the Marshals spread out around the outside of the house and attempted to be seen attempting not to be seen while Scott, Billy, Josh, Jake, Chris, Brian, and I headed for the front door.

I knocked several times, but the noise inside meant that our human friends had very little chance of hearing. After several minutes, Jake suggested that, since we were invited, we should just open the door and go in. After everyone nodded, I turned the knob and opened the door.

The first person to see us was Ted, from the wrestling team. He came running to greet us, dressed in green tights, a leather loin cloth, cloth hat, and a bow. He paused, posed, and waited.

“Tinkerbell?” I deadpanned.

He scowled and said, “Robin Hood, asshole.”

I shrugged. “Same thing.”

He laughed and said, “I love the costumes guys, everyone looks so real.” He turned to Brian and asked, “And what are you?”

Brian grinned and said, “Dinner.”

Ted cackled as he ran back into the crowded house, off to find who knows what. He quickly returned, dragging a boy I recognized as a freshman I’d seen in passing. With a huge smile Ted said, “Guys, this is Jason, my boyfriend.”

We all whooped and congratulated them as Ted answered our questions about how the school was treating them as an out couple, how they met, how drunk Jason was when he agreed to be Ted’s boyfriend, and, most importantly, how far they had gone. Poor Jason’s red face could be seen through the white greasepaint he was wearing for his clown costume as Ted threatened to put all of us in an early grave.

While our question was, of course, meant only as a joke, Jason quietly said, “Ted gives amazing head.”

On hearing this, Ted’s face quickly turned a shade of red much deeper than his boyfriend’s. After several minutes of Ted attempting to turn the tables on Scott and me, he gave up and told us where the refreshments were, where the toilets were, and told us to ‘get out of his sight and mingle’, and promptly disappeared into the crowd.

Jason had better manners and didn’t follow his boyfriend. Instead, taking the time to escort us through the crowd to the kitchen where there was a large assortment of chips, dips, cheeses, meats, and vegetables, along with several more fanciful Halloween themed finger foods. There was the standard assortment of cookies and cupcakes decorated as ghosts, goblins, vampires, and mummies, but Billy was intrigued by the ‘pigs-in-a-blanket’ designed to appear as human fingers. I was quite impressed by the strawberries dipped in white chocolate with ghost faces painted on them. In a large stainless-steel tub on the rear deck, we found an assortment of sodas and juices buried in ice.

We were just re-entering the kitchen when I saw Tyler. He was facing away and when he turned and saw us, his face lit up. Rushing over to us, he said, “I’m so glad you guys made it; is it true?”

“Is what true?” I asked.

“That you’ve left us! And not just you, Jake and Josh are leaving too?”

I nodded and said, “Sadly, it’s true dude. My security team found a verified threat to my life, so tonight’s party will be my last hurrah.”

Tyler looked crestfallen but he did his best to hide it as he said, “I wanted you guys here so I could tell you what happened with Alex.” He glanced around, then asked, “Could we go up to my room for a few minutes?”

“All of us?” I asked.

For the first time, Tyler looked at our group and realized he didn’t know Billy. He shrugged and said, “Yeah, if he’s a friend of yours, he’s a friend of mine.”

We followed Tyler through the crowd and up the stairs to the hallway. When he opened a door I assumed was his, we were shocked to find his bed occupied by a guy with his pants around his ankles, on his back, with a girl on her knees in front of him.

Tyler shouted, “Damnit Snyder, not on my bed! Janet, you better be swallowing.”

On hearing Tyler’s shout, Janet lifted her head in shock. Unfortunately, Snyder’s body was already too far gone. Just as her face cleared the tip, he erupted all over her face. Mixed in with Janet’s shouts of anger, we heard Tyler ask, “Damn, Janet, did you really have that whole thing down your throat?”

Scott snickered when Billy said, “Bet she couldn’t take mine.”

Every head in the room turned to look at Billy, then at Snyder’s now deflating manhood, then back to Billy. Snyder didn’t seem to mind the attention, but he did seem offended at the idea that someone could be larger than him. He sat up and said, “I don’t believe you; let me see.”

Billy didn’t hesitate. He reached down to undo his jeans. Before he could pull it out, Scott grabbed his hand and whispered, “You’re in costume.” Billy paused to consider, then realized that his dick, like the rest of his body, was currently a light shade of blue, and no one would believe that he had put make-up over his entire body. Thinking quickly, he slid his jeans down to expose just his boxer briefs and held them tight to show the outline of his dick.

While Snyder muttered, Tyler said, “Dude, get dressed; and you better not drip on my bed!”

Snyder laughed, reached over and grabbed a towel we hadn’t noticed, and wiped himself off. Satisfied he was clean; he tossed the towel to Janet who found a dry section and wiped her face as Snyder stood and pulled his pants up. When she was cleaned up, she turned to Billy and licked her lips.

I said, “Sorry, Janet. That one belongs to Scott and me. No touching.”

She looked at the rest of our group and waggled her eyebrows, asking, “Anyone?”

Tyler looked at us and, seeing no one stepping up, said, “I’m up for it, but not with an audience.” He looked at me and asked, “Um, dude, can you give me fifteen minutes?”

I shook my head and laughed. As I turned to go, I said, “Twenty bucks says you don’t last five. Come find me when you’re done.”

As we closed the door, Snyder, who had followed us out, said, “She’s not that good, Greg, you might lose that bet.”

We all laughed and, as we descended the stairs, we saw Alex and a young female vampire entering the house. When they saw us, the girl’s eyes shot wide open as Alex broke into a broad smile. Without hesitation, he pulled her in our direction. As she neared, she lowered her eyes and gave a slight curtsey. Like us, she was ‘dressed’ as a vampire; unlike us, she had chosen to embrace a human version. While we had applied make-up to make our pointed ears and skin tones look artificial, she had powdered her skin to make herself seem pale, and mixed glitter with it, so she looked like a vampire from a recent popular movie franchise.

I didn’t quite get Alex’s costume. He was in jeans, a blue flannel shirt, a red hoodie, and he held a clear balloon with some sort of glowing liquid inside. His first words stunned me. “Good evening, Baron Pittsburgh. I see we all came as ourselves this evening.” He glanced at my friends and when he noticed Brian’s hospital scrubs covered in fake blood and fake puncture wounds all over his neck and arms. He laughed and said, “Please tell me you’re not the only donor this bunch has.”

Brian looked at me, and I said, “Brian is not the only human in our circle, Alex. Dare I ask, are you feeding this beautiful young lady?”

She looked shocked, but Alex laughed. “We have a lot to talk about, Baron, and I don’t think this is the appropriate setting. Would you be free after the party?”

I glanced at my watch and said, “We need to chat with Tyler, then we planned on going home to check on our boys.” Alex didn’t react, so I assumed he already knew about Charlie and the others. “Do you know where Scott lives?”

Alex smirked and said, “I do. I also know where Baron Zell used to live. You’re staying there and not your old house?”

While I was shocked by the extent of his knowledge, I wasn’t going to let him see it. I replied, “My house has been renovated for sale and there’s no furniture, so yes, we’re in Opa’s old house.” I turned to the girl and asked, “And who is this?”

“Forgive my manners, Baron,” Alex said. “This is Lady Sarah McQuade, daughter of Baronet McQuade, of Morgantown. Sarah, may I present Baron Greg Fowler of Pittsburgh; his mates, Scott and Billy; most of his Council—Chris Barnes, Jake and Josh Jackson; and the human is Brian Simpson.”

Just then Tyler came running down the stairs and punched me on the arm. “Where’s my twenty?” He asked with a smirk.

I glanced at my watch and reached for my wallet as I said, “I’ll take your word, but if you won, it wasn’t by more than a few seconds.”

Behind him, Janet said, “He promised to split it with me, so I did my best; er, worst? I heard what Eddie said, and I’m not his problem. None of the girls can get him off with our mouth, but he’s an exhibitionist. You guys catching us is what took him over the edge, not me.”

Jake turned to me and said, “I’m tempted to go find him and see if I’m up to the challenge.”

Josh laughed, but Scott said, “You might want to line that up for another time, Jake. It might mess up your makeup.”

Jake nodded, confirming that he understood what Scott meant, and then ran over to have a quick exchange with Snyder. Janet laughed and, after Tyler handed over a ten, headed toward a cluster of boys from the baseball team. When she was gone, he turned to us and mouthed ‘slut’, which caused everyone to snicker.

I looked at Alex and said, “If you’ll excuse us, Tyler wanted a minute. When we’re done with him, we’ll be heading home. You’re welcome to ride with us.”

“I would, Ba—,” Alex glanced at Tyler, “er, Greg, but Sarah’s staying with me tonight.”

Before I could reply, Billy almost shouted, “She can come with you.”

Alex seemed surprised by Billy’s reaction, but Sarah said, “I’d love to, thank you, My Lord.”

Tyler gave Sarah an odd look, then glanced at Billy and shrugged. After Alex said he and Sarah would wait for us, Jake rejoined us and we followed Tyler back up to his room. We laughed when he slowly opened the door and peeked in before leading us all inside.

“I wanted to make sure we’re good, Greg,” Tyler said in a timid voice. “Ted has forgiven me and we’re good, but I never got a chance to talk with you after I blew up.”

I took a step toward him and held out my hand as I said, “Trust me, dude, we’re good.” As he shook my hand, I asked, “It’s none of my business but how are things with you and Alex?”

Ty smiled as he said, “We’re not quite as close as we used to be, but we’re good. I explained everything to him and the funny part is, he’s— Um, sorry, that’s not for me to say. Anyway, we’re close. He’s stayed over a few times and we’ve both shared a lot of secrets.”

Jake cleared his throat and asked, “Are you getting help with your issues, Ty?”

Tyler nodded. “I’ve seen a counselor a few times and I, um, well, I won’t say who, but, well, I don’t think I’m as straight as I thought.” When Jake raised his eyebrows in shock, Ty grinned and added, “I don’t know what I am, but I’ve done some exploring. And before you ask, it wasn’t with Alex.”

I grinned and said, “Well, from what I saw, I hope it’s not Snyder.”

Tyler burst out laughing and said, “It’s not, and all I’ve done is making out and trading hand jobs. And don’t bother asking, I won’t say who. He’s as confused as I am right now.”

I smiled. “We’re pretty good at keeping secrets, Ty. If you need anything, Chris can always get in touch with me.”

“Well, if I decide to do more, I’ll ask you and Scott for advice.” Ty froze, then stumbled over his words as he tried to retreat. “I mean, I just assumed that you and Scott have… If you haven’t, er, shit, I’m making it worse.” His words trailed off as we all laughed.

I grabbed Scott and Billy’s hands and said, “We have, Ty, and I’m not ashamed of it. Like I said, if you need anything, Chris can reach me. And don’t rush to label yourself, dude. Straight, bi, gay, purple, pink, you’re still Tyler.”

“Well,” Ty said, getting quiet again, “like I said, I’m glad you guys dropped by. I wish you weren’t moving away, but hey, I won’t keep you. I know Alex and his girl are waiting for you.”

“His girl?” Billy asked. “As in girlfriend?”

Tyler shrugged. “That he hasn’t shared with me. Tonight’s the first I’ve seen her, but I heard him say she’s staying with him, so I just assumed.”

“Cousins?” Brian suggested.

Ty shook his head. “He doesn’t have any. I remember when we were young, I mentioned my cousins and Alex said he wished he had some. His parents are the only children of only children, and he’s an only child. Kinda sad if you ask me.”

“Sounds like me,” I said. “And yeah, sometimes I wondered what it would be like having a brother or sister.”

“That’s why he has us,” Jake said with a grin.

Tyler walked with us to the door. I glanced around the house and saw most of the wrestling team. Some were standing mixed in with baseball or basketball players while others were standing with their girlfriends. I grinned when I noticed Janet heading upstairs with one of the baseball players she had been flirting with. As we said our goodbyes, I wondered if I’d ever see any of them again.

Once we were outside, I looked around and found Alex and Sarah standing as close to the vehicles as Tony would allow. As we approached, Tony said, “They claim they’re going with us, Greg, so I didn’t chase them away, but I wouldn’t let them wait in the Denali.

“I’m sorry, Tony; I should have sent word,” I said before turning to Alex and saying, “I hope you’re not cold from waiting outside.”

“I’m fine, Baron, and as you know, Sarah certainly doesn’t mind the cold,” he replied with a grin.

“That still doesn’t excuse my lack of manners,” I said, giving Sarah a slight nod. Turning back to Alex I asked, “What was it you wanted to discuss?”

Alex looked at my Marshals, my Council, and the humans coming and going from the party before he said, “I think it best if just Scott and you hear what I have to say, Baron.”

“I trust my Marshals with my life, Alex; the same applies to my Council. Anything you have to say, you can say around them,” I replied. When Alex shook his head, I offered, “You ride with Scott, Billy, and me; my Marshals are skilled in not hearing things said around them.”

Alex again shook his head, saying, “If I were your sworn vassal, and I said it must be just Scott and you, would you agree?”

I couldn’t read his emotions like I could most humans, but I could sense that he was being sincere. I nodded. “I would.”

“Must I kneel in sight of these humans, Baron?” Alex asked, “Or will you accept my unspoken oath of fealty for now and allow me to explain? If, after hearing what I say, you feel others need to know, I will tell anyone you command, My Lord.”

Stunned by his words, I glanced at Scott. Seeing his nod, I turned and said, “Tony, please drive Lady Sarah to the house. Billy and the rest of the Council will accompany you. Scott, Alex, and I will walk from here. Johnny and Jonesy can escort us if you’re worried about our safety.”

Tony wanted to argue, but the tone of my voice made my intentions clear. I quickly gave my Council a mind-to-mind message, letting them know that I would explain later. Jake and Josh tried to argue but I simply told them to trust me. Chris gave me a look of concern, but didn’t argue. Billy, uncharacteristically, didn’t argue; he simply nodded and continued his conversation with Sarah.

As everyone else climbed into vehicles, we turned and walked down the street. Johnny and Jonesy followed thirty feet or so behind us; close enough to react if there was a problem, but far enough away to give the appearance of privacy. If Alex knew as much as he seemed to, he knew they could hear every word he said, but he made no objection. The wind was blowing from behind us so he probably assumed it would carry our words out of their reach. At the time, I didn’t notice when the wind stopped blowing.

“You’ve been a vampire four months now, is that right, Greg?” Alex asked.

I stopped and turned to face him. “You seem to know a lot about vampires, and me in particular, Alex. I’m hoping that what you have to say will include an explanation of how that is?”

He pointed with his chin, indicating his desire to continue walking, as he said, “Humor me, Greg. By the time we get to the house, you’ll understand.”

I resumed walking and answered his question in a tone that I hoped demonstrated my growing frustration. “Yes. Four months is quite accurate.”

“And in that time, you’ve had to deal with the loss of your human father, the discovery of your brother who is now your son, the deaths and changing of three close friends, the discovery that you’re a Baron, and most recently, your execution of the Baron of Pittsburgh and your subsequent assumption of the position, is this correct?” Alex stated, more than asked.

Again, I stopped walking, planting my feet as my frustration came to a head. “Enough of the games, Alex. You know way too much for a human. I’m not moving until you explain.”

He turned to me and grinned, saying, “I gave you a big hint when we first spoke, Greg. Don’t you remember?” My face must have telegraphed my confusion because he added, “I said we all came as our true selves.”

I looked him over from head to toe. Jeans, blue plaid flannel shirt, red hoodie, and a balloon that looked like it was filled with glow-stick material. I didn’t understand. I heard Scott’s quiet gasp and assumed he had figured it out. Alex shook his head and grinned, then I saw a glint of mirth in his eyes as his appearance changed in an instant. Suddenly he was wearing a red robe that had about two feet of extra material dragging the ground. On his head sat a blue cloth pointed hat. He stared at me and when I didn’t react, a pair of large round discs appeared on either side of the top of his head, sticking out from under the hat.

I still didn’t understand, but Scott did. Alex shook his head and said, “You added some make-up, so your vampire ‘costume’ looked fake. I came as what I am. I’m a sorcerer’s apprentice, Greg, geesh. Don’t you watch any movies?”

I stared for, what felt like an hour, then said, “And if I ask about your wand, broom, or owl, you’ll ask about my glitter, am I right?”

Alex laughed. “Some wizards need a wand, but sorcerers need nothing more than what the gods gave us at birth.”

“Well,” I said slowly, “I suppose I could do what I did on the day I was changed, and ask hundreds of questions, but considering how that turned out, why don’t you simply explain?”

Scott laughed. “He asked about every human misconception, then focused on my age. I think someone should write a book for changelings; ‘So Now You’re a Vampire’.”

Even I laughed at that and, with the tension relieved, Alex changed back to his jeans and hoodie. “Unless you want to walk home via Los Angeles, I don’t have time to tell you everything, Greg. Eventually, you’ll know a lot, but for now, I’ll give you the basics.” He turned to Scott and said, “You don’t seem surprised to learn that we exist. Do you simply accept things as they come?”

“When I was two, Opa told me that almost every human myth has a basis in fact,” Scott replied. “I know for a fact that shifters exist; I’ve recently learned that witches do as well, why not sorcerers, or is a witch a female sorcerer?”

Alex scowled and said, “I’ll ignore that insult as it comes from ignorance. A female sorcerer is a sorceress, we are genetically as different from humans as you are. Witches and wizards are more human, but that’s something for another time” Alex paused, then said, “I had this all worked out in my head, and you’ve derailed me, I need to get back on track.”

We started walking again as Alex explained, “A true sorcerer, or sorceress, is extremely rare. Father said that when I was born, I made an even two dozen.”

“In the US?” I asked.

“In the world,” Alex stated. “I could spend an hour on the genetics, but the simple version is this. A sorcerer can only be born to two sorcerers, or a sorcerer and a carrier; my father is a sorcerer. I’ve been an apprentice since my fourth birthday and Master has told me he expects me to test as an adept on the winter solstice.”

“I would wish you luck, if I understood that, Alex,” I said with a grin. “You can explain sorcerer leveling and how you know so much about me later. Right now, I’d like to know why you essentially swore fealty to me just now?”

“Asking the key questions already, I see,” Alex said with a glint in his eyes. “I’ll ignore the leveling comment and address the other two issues, as they are actually the same issue. In every timeline I’ve ever seen, I serve you for the rest of our lives. In some—”

I interrupted, “What do you mean timelines—”

“If you would let me finish,” Alex cut me off. I nodded my apology, and he continued. “In every timeline I’ve seen, I serve you for my entire life, Greg. I needed to begin that service while still an apprentice for… I’ll call them legal reasons and leave it at that. Father agrees with me and has already sold our house; we’ll be moving to Pittsburgh next week.”

I waited for him to explain the timeline comment and after the silence became awkward, he said, “I can’t speak of some things, Greg, and it will take you several years to accept that, but I’ll always be honest with you. If I can’t tell you, I’ll tell you.”

Scott laughed. “That sounds like something Chipper would say.”

Alex shrugged. “Sorcerers’ abilities come from, well, until the last century, it was called the arcane, or simply magic. After two quantum physicists proposed their theory in 1964, we call it what it is: a quark. I’m not going to go into a physics lesson, or a lesson on how things work. It’s enough that you know that a sorcerer has the innate ability to manipulate quarks, and therefore, the physical universe.”

I raised an eyebrow and waited. While his short explanation made sense it still didn’t explain his timeline comment. My basic understanding of physics told me that quarks and space-time were two separate, though deeply interconnected, issues.

Alex sighed. “I’m trying, really, I am, but I’m dancing very close to things I can’t tell you, Greg.” He paused as if considering his words, then continued. “About 1500 years ago, Merlin and, um, someone else, created a ring that was recently given to me. Due to the, ah, items… no, due to the component parts, and the, ah, powers focused in making the ring, I can, with a lot of effort, see any spot on a linear timeline.”

“Well, that gave us a lot of detail,” I said sardonically.

“There are too many details that will affect the future if you learn them too soon,” Alex replied, his words almost running together. He shook his head and muttered, “I should’ve known you’d ask too many questions.”

“Well of course I’m going to ask questions, Alex. I need to understand it,” I said with a small laugh, trying to get him to relax. “I’ve read enough science-fiction to understand why messing with time is tricky, so I’ll hazard a guess and say that you’re trying to avoid creating a paradox?”

“Yes and no,” Alex replied. When I rolled my eyes, he explained, “You’re on the right track, but it’s not really a paradox I’m trying to avoid. It’s…” He paused to consider his words, then asked, “Have you ever heard of multiverse-theory?”

“Is that the one that says that every potential outcome actually happens, splitting time into different lines or alternate universes which are further split by subsequent potential outcomes?” I asked.

Alex nodded. “That’s it in a nutshell.”

Scott added, “I read a book by Dean Koontz that talked about it. One of the main characters could walk between the multiverses, visiting his father who had died in the ‘main’ timeline.”

“Master Merlin had me read that book when he gave me the ring,” Alex said, “and aside from being an amazing read, it helped simplify multiverse-theory.”

I put my hands on either side of my head and massaged my temples, starting to get information overload. “I won’t ask if you’re talking about the Merlin of Arthurian legend, but I will ask exactly how long sorcerers live?”

Alex shrugged and, with a grin, said, “As long as we want.” My glare and raised eyebrow erased his grin and he added, “We can heal the decay of aging, so barring an event that catches us off guard, we can live forever. And yes, Master Merlin is ‘that’ Merlin.”

“Damn! How old is he? Do sorcerers simply not age? Or do you do something similar to what vampires do?” Scott asked.

“Both, actually,” Alex replied. “Some choose to maintain a certain age while others age several decades then heal back to whatever age they want.”

“Any age?” I asked, imagining that Alex was hundreds of years old.

“No, we can only heal the decay of aging,” he explained. “That means the lower limit is twelve or so. Until puberty, the effects of aging are pure growth. At puberty, while there is a lot of growth, decay has started so if I wanted to, I could take off the last three years.”

“So… when Tyler knew you as a six-year-old, you were actually six,” I stated rather than asked.

“Yes, I am fifteen actual years old,” Alex confirmed. “I can’t say how old Merlin is, but I know he’s been around for at least two millennia.”

We had long since made it to the house, and for the last several minutes had been simply circling the block. Alex very patiently answered every question we had that had to do with sorcerers, but he refused to say anything about the future. I had come to appreciate a vampire’s reduced need for sleep, as it allowed me to continue my education while addressing the daily issues of the Barony. Still, I felt a twinge of jealousy upon learning that sorcerers never sleep. Like the decay of aging, they simply heal away mental and physical fatigue, bypassing the need to restore their bodies through sleep like most other beings.

As we approached the house for the fifth time, Alex said, “I will make you a vow, My Lord, and I need you to accept it as stated, with no conditions or exceptions.” I stopped walking and faced him, waiting. He looked me in the eyes and swore, “I will never lie to you, though I may misdirect or refuse to answer. I will give you my best counsel, and swear to use my abilities in your service, for as long as you desire.”

I considered his words for several moments before replying, “I suppose I have no choice but to accept, Alex. You’ve already refused to answer several direct questions. Am I to assume that you’ve done some misdirection as well?”

“I have, My Lord, and I will correct one of those now,” Alex said with a nod. “You are free to disclose our entire conversation with your Council; I had other reasons for pulling Scott and you away from the others. I will not elaborate, though my reasons will become obvious in the next hour or so.”