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Andy’s eyebrows raised, and he mouthed, Son? at iggle, but I edthe shotgun one-handed and with pinpoint precision at the man who stood there

He just about blocked the entire entrance Lyons was not so ood six or seven inches He was built like a linebacker, all shoulders and hard bulk, but it athed in an expensive blue suit Hethat neck size Only in Texas would that suit have been paired with a bolo tie, cole the braided-leather cords When he smiled, he revealed perfect veneer-white teeth in a tanned face that, despite its round cheeks, looked dignified and strong

"I’d shake hands," Lyons said, apparently co double barrels pointed his way, "but yours seem busy May I come in, Mr Toland? Miss Caldwell?"

I put un but didn’t take his stare off the led to putit And I didn’t have et you any iced tea?"

"I’d love some," he said, and took a step inside

That hen I noticed the boots

They definitely did not match the suit I supposed everybody was allowed an eccentricity, and these definitely were one Soman’s boots, battered and scarred from years of hard use They were brown, paled by the sun and water and wear

They gaveas they walked intoover the threshold Andy, though, didn’t react, and I decided it was justto me

I caught sight of the die-hard protesters outside, lined up silently, waving their signs One of the It read THOU SHALT NOT SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE, with the Exodus citation below it

Then he pointed at ave hier in silent reply, shut the door, and locked it Then I turned back, with an artificial smile on my face, and went to the kitchen to pour three iced teas

By the tilasses back to the coffee table and fetched the sugar and spoons, Andy had relaxed sufficiently to put the shotgun completely aside Lyons didn’t see as if he were in his own home "Miss Holly," he said, and accepted the tea with a char the man lacked to make him look like an affluent oil baron was a thousand-dollar Stetson "You’re too kind It’s getting a mite waro on hoet so their perfectly legal right to asseht to free speech," Lyons said "Those people got convictions, and they’re not afraid to stand up for them I respect that I’d think you’d respect it, too"

"In , or a bullet," Andy answered "Ain’t got no room to respect liars, and fools who believe ’eot no consequences for telling lies andthreats, and that’s toxic, mister It lets cowards be bullies, and make no mistake, that’s what these folks are Bullies I’ve known heroes They damn sure ain’t heroes"

Lyons studied Andy for ahis iced tea Then he turned to me "Is that how you feel about it?"

"I think soic," I said "And put them to work to drive the witches out of Austin And I think that someone is probably you, Mr Lyons"

The sine, and for a second I saw the cold, calculating ood ol’ boy mask

And I saw the power

Witches aren’t superheroes; we don’t have Spidey sense or any ability to detect things beyond our particular specialties But fros are so powerful they ular, normal person would feel it

And Andy and I both knew, in that cold second, that as sitting there sipping iced tea pretty as you please was not a hu at all Not in any sense we could have naun, but he was sun wouldn’t do squat in thislike Pete Lyons sneered at mere huile

The smile came back "Good iced tea, Miss Holly Thank you for your hospitality"

"What are you?" I asked