owned her. There was Battersea… But there was no way she could do that to the animal. She really was going to have to invest in a litter tray.
~~~
‘Faline?’ Nisa called out as she walked into her flat carrying a plastic bag in which there was a litter tray and a couple of tubs of Sheba. In her other hand was a bag of kitty litter, and she felt like her arm was about to drop off.
There was a prrt and the cat bounced onto the back of the sofa looking rather pleased. It was a sort of ‘Thank God, you’ve figured out who I am’ look, and that settled it if nothing else did.
‘Okay, so you’re Faline then.’ Another prrt. ‘Well, I guess you know that your old owner is dead…’ That got a rather mournful meow and Faline sagged down onto the back of the sofa looking distinctly sad. ‘I’m… uh, I’m sorry, but everyone dies eventually. I should really take you to a cat’s home, but… Well, you’ve been there for me and I guess… Look, I’m kind of assuming you want to stay here?’
Faline lifted her head enough that she could tilt it quizzically. Well, of course she wanted to stay here. Had she not gone to all that trouble to get here?
Nisa shook her head. The damn job was making her suspicious and she had not even started doing the real work!
‘Well then, to celebrate you moving in, I got you some nice food.’ Prrt! ‘I am not dancing through the lounge for this one though. I ache too much.’ Nisa started for the kitchen. ‘And you do know what a litter tray is for, right?’ Meow. ‘Good. I have no idea what you’ve been doing before now. The guy next door to Mrs Carew’s house said you could walk through walls…’ Meow-fft! ‘No, I didn’t like him either. And I didn’t believe a word he said, but I have this sneaking suspicion you left presents in his slippers or something.’
There was no sound in reply and Nisa looked down to find Faline sitting near her feet looking like butter would not have considered melting in her mouth.
‘I am going to give you this food, and I am going to completely ignore the fact that you seem to understand every word I’m saying.’
Prrt!
Westminster, June 30 th .
‘You know,’ Nisa said at lunch, ‘I was kind of expecting you to teach me some magic.’
Kellog chewed his sandwich for a few seconds, swallowed, and then said, ‘First, we need you up to speed on police procedures and the kind of thing you can expect to meet outside this place. Second, a lot of the time the threats are physical, so we need you to have basic unarmed combat sorted. I know you’ve done some boxing, but throws and falls are more essential.’
‘And third,’ Norbery added since he was sitting with them, ‘we have no idea how to teach you magic.’ Kellog scowled at him and he just shrugged.
‘A wizard and a witch, and neither of you can teach me any spells?’ Nisa asked incredulously.
‘He’s right,’ Kellog relented. ‘Magic is as much about… the way your mind works–’
‘Style or paradigm,’ Norbery put in.
‘That,’ Kellog went on, ‘as it is about knowledge. One of the reasons Hanson wanted you aboard is that you represent the new view of magic. This “Reality Hacking” you discovered is popping up in various places and it’s a different paradigm from the ones we employ. We can give advice, suggest things, and show you spells we can do so that you can attempt to do the same, but teach you? No, you’re on your own.’
‘You’re practising, I assume?’ Norbery asked.
‘Well, I’ve been summoning up lights.’
Norbery gave Kellog a grin. ‘Energy summoning? Your favourite thing.’
‘She knows how to do it and it’s useful for more forceful countermeasures,’ Kellog replied, refusing to rise to the bait.
‘Then perhaps you should show her one of your more violent countermeasures.’ The witch turned to Nisa, adding a conspiratorial tone to his voice. ‘He just loves fireballs, so long as there are no witnesses.’
‘I guess
~~~
‘Faline?’ Nisa called out as she walked into her flat carrying a plastic bag in which there was a litter tray and a couple of tubs of Sheba. In her other hand was a bag of kitty litter, and she felt like her arm was about to drop off.
There was a prrt and the cat bounced onto the back of the sofa looking rather pleased. It was a sort of ‘Thank God, you’ve figured out who I am’ look, and that settled it if nothing else did.
‘Okay, so you’re Faline then.’ Another prrt. ‘Well, I guess you know that your old owner is dead…’ That got a rather mournful meow and Faline sagged down onto the back of the sofa looking distinctly sad. ‘I’m… uh, I’m sorry, but everyone dies eventually. I should really take you to a cat’s home, but… Well, you’ve been there for me and I guess… Look, I’m kind of assuming you want to stay here?’
Faline lifted her head enough that she could tilt it quizzically. Well, of course she wanted to stay here. Had she not gone to all that trouble to get here?
Nisa shook her head. The damn job was making her suspicious and she had not even started doing the real work!
‘Well then, to celebrate you moving in, I got you some nice food.’ Prrt! ‘I am not dancing through the lounge for this one though. I ache too much.’ Nisa started for the kitchen. ‘And you do know what a litter tray is for, right?’ Meow. ‘Good. I have no idea what you’ve been doing before now. The guy next door to Mrs Carew’s house said you could walk through walls…’ Meow-fft! ‘No, I didn’t like him either. And I didn’t believe a word he said, but I have this sneaking suspicion you left presents in his slippers or something.’
There was no sound in reply and Nisa looked down to find Faline sitting near her feet looking like butter would not have considered melting in her mouth.
‘I am going to give you this food, and I am going to completely ignore the fact that you seem to understand every word I’m saying.’
Prrt!
Westminster, June 30 th .
‘You know,’ Nisa said at lunch, ‘I was kind of expecting you to teach me some magic.’
Kellog chewed his sandwich for a few seconds, swallowed, and then said, ‘First, we need you up to speed on police procedures and the kind of thing you can expect to meet outside this place. Second, a lot of the time the threats are physical, so we need you to have basic unarmed combat sorted. I know you’ve done some boxing, but throws and falls are more essential.’
‘And third,’ Norbery added since he was sitting with them, ‘we have no idea how to teach you magic.’ Kellog scowled at him and he just shrugged.
‘A wizard and a witch, and neither of you can teach me any spells?’ Nisa asked incredulously.
‘He’s right,’ Kellog relented. ‘Magic is as much about… the way your mind works–’
‘Style or paradigm,’ Norbery put in.
‘That,’ Kellog went on, ‘as it is about knowledge. One of the reasons Hanson wanted you aboard is that you represent the new view of magic. This “Reality Hacking” you discovered is popping up in various places and it’s a different paradigm from the ones we employ. We can give advice, suggest things, and show you spells we can do so that you can attempt to do the same, but teach you? No, you’re on your own.’
‘You’re practising, I assume?’ Norbery asked.
‘Well, I’ve been summoning up lights.’
Norbery gave Kellog a grin. ‘Energy summoning? Your favourite thing.’
‘She knows how to do it and it’s useful for more forceful countermeasures,’ Kellog replied, refusing to rise to the bait.
‘Then perhaps you should show her one of your more violent countermeasures.’ The witch turned to Nisa, adding a conspiratorial tone to his voice. ‘He just loves fireballs, so long as there are no witnesses.’
‘I guess
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