Read Online The Others 03 Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne Bishop
Ads: Link
for work here,” Burke pointed out. “You turned down both offers.”
“I’m not signing some damn ‘loyalty pledge,’” Pete snapped. “Especially when the senior partners in the law firm turned evasive when I asked to whom or what I was supposed to pledge my loyalty.”
Monty’s stomach did a queasy roll. “Humans First and Last?”
“I think so. Have you heard the motivational speaker Nicholas Scratch?”
Monty caught the glance Burke directed at him. Yes, he’d heard, and heard of, Nicholas Scratch. The man came from the Cel-Romano Alliance of Nations, but Scratch was currently living in Toland with Monty’s ex-lover and young daughter.
“I heard a couple of his recent speeches, and he’s a persuasive bastard,” Pete continued. “If I wasn’t almost one hundred percent certain that the HFL were behind the threats to my family, I’d be more than halfway to believing they had the answer to anything and everything. Want your children to have more milk? Kill a Wolf.”
“Pete,” Burke began, looking toward the doorway of his office.
“It’s not our fault that, as a species, you’re pretty stupid.”
Monty winced, then turned to face Simon Wolfgard as the Wolf stepped into Burke’s office.
“I think we’ve shown we can be dangerous,” Pete said.
“Being dangerous doesn’t make you less stupid,” Simon replied. “And being clever about inventing and making things isn’t the same as being smart about the world. Sometimes there isn’t enough food. Sometimes pups don’t survive the starving time. When that happens, we don’t like it either. We work hard to bring down meat for our packs and to feed our young, and we don’t like it when another predator tries to take our kills.”
“I don’t think we understand your point, Mr. Wolfgard,” Burke said.
Monty heard the emphasis on Simon’s name and saw Pete turn pale as he realized he’d been overheard by a Wolf.
Simon stared at Pete, anger creating flickers of red in the amber Wolf eyes. “We will fight for what is ours. In the end, your young will have enough to eat because there will be fewer humans wanting a share. And our young will grow strong on all the meat harvested from the fight.”
A tense silence filled the room. Then Pete said, “You’re big on destruction.”
“We adapt to the world, and we learn from other predators. That includes humans.”
Monty caught Burke’s eye and understood the message. “Mr. Wolfgard, perhaps you and I can continue this conversation elsewhere.”
Simon scrubbed his dark hair with both hands. If he’d been in Wolf form, he’d probably give his whole body a good shake. What Monty found intriguing was how that action seemed to shake off the anger as well. A moment ago, Simon couldn’t have passed for human. Now he looked like a handsome, active man in his mid-thirties who was dressed in the casual attire suitable for a bookstore owner. Now the amber eyes were the only clue that you were looking at a
terra indigene
Wolf.
“No. If he’s the male the
terra indigene
helped to reach Lakeside, then it’s him I came to see.” Simon tipped his head toward Pete. Then he looked at Burke and Monty.
“And I came to see you about something else.”
Pete stared at the Wolf. “You came to see me? Why?”
“To ask if you are willing to do a small job for the Courtyard.”
Monty held his breath. He’d spent the past four and a half months building some trust between himself and Simon Wolfgard. His team interacted with Courtyard residents almost daily in an unofficial capacity, learning more about the Others than most humans were ever allowed to see—and providing examples of humans who peacefully interact with what lived in the Courtyard. All that work might be damaged by a man who had some reason to be resentful since his life had spun out of control because of assisting the
terra indigene
, even if it was indirectly.
But Pete Denby surprised him by saying, “What kind of job? Do
“I’m not signing some damn ‘loyalty pledge,’” Pete snapped. “Especially when the senior partners in the law firm turned evasive when I asked to whom or what I was supposed to pledge my loyalty.”
Monty’s stomach did a queasy roll. “Humans First and Last?”
“I think so. Have you heard the motivational speaker Nicholas Scratch?”
Monty caught the glance Burke directed at him. Yes, he’d heard, and heard of, Nicholas Scratch. The man came from the Cel-Romano Alliance of Nations, but Scratch was currently living in Toland with Monty’s ex-lover and young daughter.
“I heard a couple of his recent speeches, and he’s a persuasive bastard,” Pete continued. “If I wasn’t almost one hundred percent certain that the HFL were behind the threats to my family, I’d be more than halfway to believing they had the answer to anything and everything. Want your children to have more milk? Kill a Wolf.”
“Pete,” Burke began, looking toward the doorway of his office.
“It’s not our fault that, as a species, you’re pretty stupid.”
Monty winced, then turned to face Simon Wolfgard as the Wolf stepped into Burke’s office.
“I think we’ve shown we can be dangerous,” Pete said.
“Being dangerous doesn’t make you less stupid,” Simon replied. “And being clever about inventing and making things isn’t the same as being smart about the world. Sometimes there isn’t enough food. Sometimes pups don’t survive the starving time. When that happens, we don’t like it either. We work hard to bring down meat for our packs and to feed our young, and we don’t like it when another predator tries to take our kills.”
“I don’t think we understand your point, Mr. Wolfgard,” Burke said.
Monty heard the emphasis on Simon’s name and saw Pete turn pale as he realized he’d been overheard by a Wolf.
Simon stared at Pete, anger creating flickers of red in the amber Wolf eyes. “We will fight for what is ours. In the end, your young will have enough to eat because there will be fewer humans wanting a share. And our young will grow strong on all the meat harvested from the fight.”
A tense silence filled the room. Then Pete said, “You’re big on destruction.”
“We adapt to the world, and we learn from other predators. That includes humans.”
Monty caught Burke’s eye and understood the message. “Mr. Wolfgard, perhaps you and I can continue this conversation elsewhere.”
Simon scrubbed his dark hair with both hands. If he’d been in Wolf form, he’d probably give his whole body a good shake. What Monty found intriguing was how that action seemed to shake off the anger as well. A moment ago, Simon couldn’t have passed for human. Now he looked like a handsome, active man in his mid-thirties who was dressed in the casual attire suitable for a bookstore owner. Now the amber eyes were the only clue that you were looking at a
terra indigene
Wolf.
“No. If he’s the male the
terra indigene
helped to reach Lakeside, then it’s him I came to see.” Simon tipped his head toward Pete. Then he looked at Burke and Monty.
“And I came to see you about something else.”
Pete stared at the Wolf. “You came to see me? Why?”
“To ask if you are willing to do a small job for the Courtyard.”
Monty held his breath. He’d spent the past four and a half months building some trust between himself and Simon Wolfgard. His team interacted with Courtyard residents almost daily in an unofficial capacity, learning more about the Others than most humans were ever allowed to see—and providing examples of humans who peacefully interact with what lived in the Courtyard. All that work might be damaged by a man who had some reason to be resentful since his life had spun out of control because of assisting the
terra indigene
, even if it was indirectly.
But Pete Denby surprised him by saying, “What kind of job? Do
Similar Books
