Free Imperative: A Quinn Larson Quest by P. A. Wilson Page A

you can’t breathe in that waistcoat.”
    “Even if I can fit in it, I don’t know that the Sidhe court is into the Steam Punk look.” I couldn’t help myself. I needed to try on the suit. I guess there’s a bit of vanity in my blood. If I could fit into the same clothes I wore almost two hundred years ago, I would feel good.
    The shirt fit, and the waistcoat and jacket. From the waist up I looked mighty fine. Unfortunately, from the waist down, my body now stuck out where once it narrowed, so I couldn’t close the buttons on the pants. “Oh, well, I guess I’ll start exercising after we fix this little Sidhe problem.” The sound that a chickadee made laughing was not pleasant; neither was the sight on one rolling on the floor with hilarity.
    I changed back into my regular clothes, and grabbed a roll of twenties from the stash of cash I keep on hand. I told Olan to wait for me at home because shopping with a talking chickadee was sure to raise eyebrows.
    I returned with a black suit and pale green shirt, black shiny loafers, and an emerald green tie. It’s fortunate that I look good in the colors of Ireland. I hope Fionuir sees it as honoring her homeland,
    “Okay, now I look the part, it’s time to arm myself.” We headed back to the basement. Princess looked cold so I threw a blanket over her.
    “What kind of armament do you need?” Olan waddled along beside me as I pulled out two chests from under the counter. “I don’t think they will attack you.”
    “Not with swords, but I’m not taking the chance one of them will try to stun me with a spell. After all, her best outcome right now is for me to be gone. So, I need a bit of magical protection.”
    I took three amulets from the black chest and two from the gray one. The five amulets were made of precious stones: Jade, Obsidian, Opal, Soapstone, Coral.
    “The Soapstone is from California. I’ve added a transmittal spell. If we can find a way to leave it there, we will be able to hear everything that goes on.”
    “Handy.” Olan pushed the stones aside with his beak. “It is small enough that I can hold it in my craw. I will find a place to leave it before we exit.”
    I nodded but didn’t pay attention to what he did with the soapstone. I was just glad he had something to occupy his attention while I dealt with the other stones. I took the opal and checked it carefully for flaws; no one wants a cracked opal. I renewed the oil that I had painted on it before storing. The stone was for attack. I wasn’t certain if the spell I had cast on it for attacking vermin would do enough damage to a Sidhe to distract them so I could run away.
    The coral would absorb a spell, kind of like a shield but it would hold the energy for me to use later.
    The obsidian was another matter. My mentor had forced me to learn a killing spell, one strong enough to kill a full grown human. He was always worried that we would have to battle humans. I hadn’t pulled this spell out since he confirmed it was right: three hundred years ago.
    The jade held a distraction spell.
    I placed the stones in handy pockets inside the jacket and pants. I would look like James Bond, but my toys could be hidden more easily than a gun disguised as a pen.
     
    The Sidhe court resided in a building that looked abandoned and ready for demolition. It was on the still to be Yuppified side of Yaletown. I know that humans used these kinds of buildings for raves. This one would not be on their radar. Any human walking by would see an office building, lights on shadows of people moving, lights out during the night. Inside, past a false wall, the Sidhe surrounded themselves with luxury. The public part of the court was on the first floor, the residences were on the floors above. All the Sidhe had homes above the court, but some lived off campus so to speak.
    I had been there once, a long time ago, for Fionuir’s birthday party. I asked Olan, “How often do the Sidhe breed?”
    Olan didn’t answer. I