Free The Good Doctor's Tales Folio Nine by Randall Farmer

test of my alliance.  It would be up to me to provide recompense to whatever Crows I involved.  “When, ma’am?”
    “After the Rickenbach wedding.”  After her comment, Keaton dismissed us.  She was gone from my house within an hour, thankfully.  I hoped she wouldn’t do this again – I didn’t like having to give ground to someone else in my own territory.  On the other hand, it didn’t bother the tag, so I guessed it was just another way for a boss Arm to put her subordinates in their proper places.  Crap.
     
    ---
     
    Both Hephaestus and Arpeggio relaxed after Keaton left, and to my surprise, they didn’t flee my presence.  “So, do you think this Hermes Crow will be willing to deal with Keaton?” I said, as I fixed them both a largish dinner.  I was beginning to get a sense for how Arpeggio’s mind worked.  Similar to Gilgamesh, he was intensely curious, and, alas, he had taken my measure and found me only dangerous, not terrifying.
    I didn’t blame him.  Keaton was terrifying.
    “I doubt it, at least to start with,” Arpeggio said.  “He’s a rather standard Crow.”
    “I haven’t met any Crows who’re standard Crows, have I?”
    Both Hephaestus and Arpeggio nodded, confirming what Gilgamesh and Sky had told me, before.  “Even the most standard of the Crows you’ve dealt with, Sinclair, is exceptional in his own way,” Hephaestus said.  “He’s one of the Crows who’s most integrated into the normal world, and he’s mastered the difficulties of being an itinerant Crow, as well.  Also, he’s gotten interested in Occum’s Nobles, and he’s going to be getting some training from Occum in how to be a Noble Master.  I wouldn’t be surprised to find him setting up a Noble household within a year.”
    “We need better Crows.”
    Guru Arpeggio snorted.  “What we need are less terrifying Major Transforms.  The task your boss assigned you, establishing contact with Council Focus Webb, is going to be more difficult than you realize.  Focus Webb is a strong-willed western Focus, of which there are many.  She isn’t dark, but she is far more standoffish than the Focuses I know you to deal with, and to us Crows, she’s as terrifying as your Arm boss.  Save for her own local clique of Focuses, she rarely dealt with any other Focuses until she got selected to be on the Focus Council.”
    That did say a lot.  I nodded in thanks, and went back to frying my chicken.
     

Tonya at the Reception [expanded]
    “Tell me what you see.”
    “Ma’am?” Delia said, confused by Tonya’s question.  The reception had settled into the Dearborn Hyatt’s main ballroom, probably one of the few places big enough to hold them all.  Tonya didn’t want to think about how much money this reception cost Gail’s father, but Gail said he could afford it.  He stood over by where the band set up after the break, looking like he was about to burst the buttons of his suit with pride.  Tonya had been teaching Delia about other Focuses and households all evening.
    “There,” Tonya said.  Delia followed Tonya’s eyes.
    “That’s interesting,” Delia said.  “Gail has female bodyguards.”  The best man had bodyguard written all over him and watched over everything with an attitude of cold suspicion.  It took a good eye to see that his wife, Gail’s maid of honor, had the bodyguard training as well.
    “I hear they got their initial training from Beth’s people, but that Wini made them take a month of training with her people, too, and Wendy leaned on them to follow Stacy’s suggestion and train up their able women as bodyguards,” Tonya said.
    Delia nodded thoughtfully.  “So what do you think of Gail’s household, ma’am?  I know you’ve been watching over her for the last nine months.”
    Tonya leaned back in her chair and sighed.  “They’re a lot better than they were when I first contacted Gail.  I would rate it about mid-level, promising for a Focus of Gail’s