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She gave ood at your job"

"Thanks" I s "I appreciate it Half the tihed "I’m sure that’s not true"

The band wrapped up a Louis Ar theather, they were trying to convince the wo a number Sinclair rapped his knuckles on the table "Excuse ot to use the restroom Back in a minute"

As he left the table, the bartender acceded to demand and left her station to take the microphone Her face was lined and weathered before its ti in faded jeans, a shapeless T-shirt, and a service apron, but I’d heard her sing before Reaching for his mute, the tru bars of "Storood," I said to Emmeline "I know, you wouldn’t think it to look at her But if you like the blues at all--"

All the war my brother"

I blinked at her "Excuse me?"

"You heard me" Her eyes were as cold and hard as obsidian "Look at this place He doesn’t belong here"

My tail twitched Onstage, the bartender held thevoice that she didn’t knohy there was no sun up in the sky A lot of a famous, but not her She didn’t try to sound like Lena or Etta or Billie; she ain ure out what I’d said or done to offend Sinclair’s sister "I’m sorry, I don’t understand Is this aa cultural issue?"

"Are you asking me if this is about race?" Eht it is The human race"

She didn’t add, "of which you’re not a member" She didn’t need to It was ihout dinner had been an act Okay, nowto simmer I took a slow, deep breath, visualized a pot, and clamped a lid on it "You knew about that before you came here, didn’t you?"

"Of course I knew!" Eet back to our mother as soon as someone in the community found out?" I looked blankly at her "The Jamaican community"

Belatedly, I rerant--Roddy, the drue where Sinclair’s dad worked He ot on the horn to the Right Honorable Ma a hell-spahereupon Judge Palht," I said "Frankly, no, it didn’t occur to me Sinclair hardly ever talks about his , I didn’t know you existed"

As verbal slaps go, that was a pretty good one E

"Look, I’ off, I went for a conciliatory tone "Obviously, there are so about But Sinclair’s a grown man Heabout ood person, or at least I try to be That’s how my mother raised me" I lowered my voice "Does my aura say otherwise?"

Her face was i ht!" That would probably have soundedif the words hadn’t come out in sort of a hiss

Elanced around to check on Sinclair’s whereabouts He’d gotten sidetracked on his way back to the table, shaking hands with an older couple I didn’t recognize Surandkids on the tour at some point, probably packed up the rest of the fao suburb earlier today "Is that really what this is all about?"

"No" She leaned across the table, a cowry shell strung on a gold chain dangling fros, none of which I expect you to understand The path of obeah is a path of balance, a path between light and dark You are one step too far into the darkness"

I opened my mouth to deny it

"Wait!" Emmeline held up one hand "This is about Sinny This is abouthere" Her voice was low and fierce "Look at him Look!" She jerked her chin in his direction Sinclair was posing with the couple, his ar member of the waitstaff took a photo "I rode on that bus today," she said in a contemptuous tone "I watched him play the part of a fool for the benefit of dull-witted A like a mountebank"

"He likes his job!" I protested "Hell, he invented that job! And look, he’swith that?"

She shotlion of Judah, not a neutered As at hoain," I said, "rown-ass noredhilo-Caribbean accent "You wield influence here, no norantly or clumsily I want you to use it Bid the fairies and whatnot to cease their appearances Givepast time"

"Are you serious?" I stared at her in disbelief "Why in the freaking hell would I do that?"