«It is an unusual amount of time we're asking you before us, Garaham. And I kind of wished it wasn't always to discuss matters of dubious nature.» Della Rovere's voice had all the steely resolve of a truck, running right towards a deer. But Garaham didn't look in the least like one, helplessly looking at its own demise, on the contrary: his eyes were mirrors of perfect inner calm and his squared face a mask of tranquility.

«Well, I suspect the outcome won't be much different than last time, Councillors, and we will all go back to our jobs sooner rather than later.» he replied, standing in front of the Council table, in the Leshrac Fortress once more. It seemed that, since the werepeople attacks, they had found much more comfortable to stop running from one room to the other and favorited the high security of the Australian castle rather than risking somewhere else.

«We'll be the judges of that.» Jägermann rose to his feet, trying to exploit his full, short height. In a way, Garaham thought, he was slightly taller than Staccato, now that he could compare. «So, let's say about yesterday evening.»

«A massive disappointment, I know.» Garaham nodded.

«Not the point, Garaham, don't try to be a smartass with us.» the German glared at him. «Care to share opinions?»

«I most certainly have none.» he said. He could feel Della Rovere's attempts to read his mind. But he had lived ten years with his daughter, way more powerful than he was in the ways of mind-reading, and he had learned much time before to shield his thoughts, misleading eventual readers. Of course, had Della Rovere tried to pry open his mind, he would have succeeded without breaking a sweat, but that would have taken him more time and concentration than the Council room could allow and, more importantly, probable cause. Mages didn't see well-forced mind-reading, not even from Councillors.

«Well, Dispel was used.» Jägermann cut to the chase. «Which basically means Enforcers. We would chalk it up to a prank between mages, especially since the Expendables are all but liked around the Boston Headquarters, but Dispel, and that much Dispel clearly speaks of an Enforcer's hand in the game. An this is beyond serious.»

Garaham didn't flinch. He had been preparing for this moment since he had his idea. He was in no delusion to avoid interrogation.

«It is serious indeed.»

«Garaham, stop avoiding the questions!» this time, it was Della Rovere to raise his voice, clearly upset by his shielding. The Enforcer looked towards him.

«I'm not avoiding anything, there had been no question, and I can't possibly see what are you asking of me, or if you're asking something of me at all. Do you need me to investigate what happened?»

«You requested the Concert, Garaham. It does look quite convenient that a prank that unmasks one of the most well-masked Mages of the Order, right in front of everyone, happens right at that moment. We merely want to know: do you have anything to do with it, at all?» Della Rovere asked.

«Not at all, Councilman.» Garaham lied, blatantly, to everyone's face, without blinking an eye. It was controlled, calm, and looking straight into Della Rovere's eyes while he did it.

A short silence followed his sentence.

«Well, truth be told...» Viceroy shrugged. «... he's not exactly known to be a funny prankster.»

The whole Council took a moment to ponder, and then slightly nod in front of the evidence of that sentence. Garaham's hand tightened their grip behind his back. He could never have thought that a solidly built reputation of stark overachiever would save him the one time he thought about a practical joke.

«That's not false, but still, Dispel was used, and who else could have the means and reasons to do something like that? Plus, explosions. We all know that's the Pollos' way.» Jägermann pointed out, backing Della Rovere who was now clearly nodding in accord.

«Or the werepeople...» Manuela Luisita Pordelada Dos Santos's voice was so sudden that everyone turned towards her. She was incredibly serious, her head leaning against her joined hands, her elbows solidly on the table.

«The werepeople?» Zachariah asked, still slightly trembling at the word.

«We have it on good authority that they're in possession of Dispelling artifacts, probably stolen by Enforcers they've killed in the past.» the Councilwoman had her gaze lost, somewhere, far away from the room, clearly thinking. «I am quite sure that, if Katharina would take out the old reports, we could actually have a good assessment of how many.»

«That can be done...» the other Councilwoman nodded.

«So, what if we're dismissing as a senseless prank something much worse?»

«But if they were the werepeople, why didn't they attack us? Why just Dispel Staccato and leave? We were all there, it would have been a perfect chance to attack us all.»

«And die.» Manuela pointed out, calmly. «We weren't scared kids in an academy. We were all well-trained mages, at the peak of our power, with Councillors and high ranks of every Division present. As much Dispel they could have, if they could afford to attack such a congregation, they'd already taken us out. No, that could have been merely a message. A show of force. A terror attack.»

«If I may ask permission to speak.» Garaham said. Everyone looked at him, almost at unison, as if everyone had already forgotten his presence.

«Granted.» Manuela said, looking at him, now, with renewed interest.

«Thank you, esteemed Councilwoman.» Garaham nodded his head. «A Mage of my Coven have eavesdropped Staccato talking with someone, clearly stating that he had brought his revenge on us by "making some calls."» after that blatant lie, a dose of pure truth was just what was needed. And if he could nudge the Council on the traces of Staccato's shady alleged confederation with the werepeople, the less he and his Coven would have had to do. «Now, we all know that Banshee was attending Academy at the time of the attack, and that, clearly, knowing her in danger the whole Coven would, as it has, run to her side. Now, I know it's not much, but that being on the table, wouldn't it be far to think that the werepeople would try to exploit their link with Staccato to get to us.»

The Councillors shared worried looks. Some of them, clearly disbelieving, but some others really ready to believe. Like, kind of as predicted, Zachariah Leshrac.

«If this is true... if this man's the mole...» he hissed, towards Della Rovere.

«Calm down Zachariah, let's not jump to conclusions. Like Garaham says, it's not much more than a he-says-he-says situation. Before making any kind of move, it's better if we investigate this.»

«I'll be out of your hair, promptly.» Garaham said, ready to move.

Jägermann raised his hand.

«Stay. Manuela Luisita Pordelada Dos Santos, how much time do you need to get River in here?»

«Let me make some calls.» she said, taking out her phone and leaving the table to reach a quiet end of the big room.

Garaham tried not to frown to the unexpected turn of events.

«River?» he asked, tried to sound casual.

«He's Staccato's Enforcer. He's going to answer for his underling, as rules call for.» Della Rovere said, coldly. «Unless you think you have something else to say?»

«At all. But if he's in cahoots with his underling?»

«Garaham, we know that you and your brother don't always see eye to eye. But River is an Enforcer, probably the best Enforcer this Order has ever seen. If only he hadn't had that... attack of rebel attitude, he would probably be sitting at this table.» this time, Cavanaugh himself spoke, as serious as he could be. «Enforcers are the defensive line of the Order. Every family, especially yours, dedicates everything to the Order and its rules. There is no way that someone like River could ever participate in something even remotely connected to the werepeople.»

Garaham clenched his jaw, suffocating the words that had risen to his throat the instant Cavanaugh had started to talk. He had been one of River's teachers, and he had always praised and admired him, but part of Garaham had always thought that was because Cavanaugh was after their father's seat. Apparently, he was incredibly sincere.

Manuela Luisita Pordelada Dos Santos came back, putting away her phone.

«He's coming.» she said, sitting down. «He just asked for some minutes to, ahem, dress up.» she cleared her voice and settled down.