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"That’s not how you spell relief, Atticus"

It was high ti of my own I called to Goibhniu and asked if we could have a quick word The brewer grinned in good spirits and offered one of those greetings where you grip forearms instead of hands

"What’s on your mind, most ancient Druid?"

"Can you ies so we can’t be overheard?" I asked "I never quite learned that trick"

"Sure," Goibhniu said "You kind of have to learn it if you’re going to have a serious talk in Tír na nÓg Faeries everywhere" He mumbled a feords in Old Irish and rolled his eyes up and it was done It was less graceful than the way Manannan had done it, and I didn’t quite catch all the words "There," he said "I’ll teach it to you later if you like"

"Thanks What’s the coin of the real these days?"

"Gold and silver are still acceptable everywhere"

"Excellent I ondering if you had any pods of yew your pub?"

"Yewmen?" Goibhniu’s affable expression disappeared "Who are you wanting to kill, Atticus?"

I shrugged "No one important here Just some vaht long ago, Atticus, and the Druids lost"

"I didn’t lose I just took a very long time-out The va to sit back and let them call all the shots this time I have resources now--the Fae have resources--and we should use theht, but why yewmen?"

"Vampires can’t sense theht, so they can see a vaure out where to stick them, pun intended They’re h the chest and we’re done Cut off the head, bring it to you for bounty, keep a tab running, I’ll paythe heads to me? And a tab?"

"Why not?"

"Because I don’t want to be involved when the va them They can reach us here, you know They have contacts, and they can hire yewmen or anyone else"

"Do you knoho their contacts are?"

"No"

"Well, I’m sure you have contacts too and can conduct business as cleverly as they can Don’t you have a barfly who conducts such shady doings anyway?"

"Yes," he admitted

"Eyou to help me win it And honestly it doesn’t have to be yew fortune Let the vaain They have had their oay for far too long"

"Any va as it’s from Italy Start with Rome and spread out from there Follow the path of the Roman conquest, in fact That will take out the oldest vao" Theophilus was in Greece presently, but so was Leif I didn’t quite want him dead yet, in case he proved useful The world’s vampires marched to orders from Rome, however, and it was time to hit them where it would hurt most Theophilus would probably have to move to Italy to take over personally if the yeere successful

"Hoe know a vampire’s head is fros with a cell phone camera equipped with GPS"

"You know they’ll just make new vampires to replace the ones they lost"

"I know But they’ll be younger, weaker, stupider, and unclear on why Druids should be feared and hunted if it’s a bunch of wee faeries killing thehed "It’s been a merry few months around here now that you’re back No one could call you tedious"

We spoke for a fewthis time Flidais completed her instructions to Granuaile I ell pleased and looking forward to the results of my little chat with Goibhniu; when Leif had supposedly died after the Thor business, the news caused vaht one another for the right to rule a piece of his territory Freeing up territory in Rome itself would cause the world’s vaerness to be the next bloodsuckers in chief; and in their wakes, other, smaller power vacuu two Druids would cease to be ima and Granuaile set themselves for the second round, I could tell she would win it by following her eyes She atching her opponent She would play the defensive, letting him commit, and then she’d counterattack--decisively I’d been on the receiving end of it toohis opponent as well, but in the wrong way He was ads and the curve of her brsts, already anticipating what he’d see once he won her clothes An arrogance had crept into his manner, an overconfidence, and he didn’t see that the second round would be round in less than thirty seconds, much to the astonishment of everyone but Oberon and me Granuaile thrust out her hand in his face and said, "Excellent! You are well trained"

The workshop quieted To have a new Druid, scarcely into her third decade, speak to a god centuries old like that? Throwing his oords back at hima, to his credit, did not take offense He rose without her help, dusted off his kilt, and grinned ruefully "Okay, I deserved that"

He should have apologized It would have cooled her down and she would have lost focus; she’d pay attention to the fact that she was sparring with a legend and was being watched by gods But his ady kept her focused

The third round was intense andshowcase of skill froainst alma was roused now, and he did, after all, have centuries h her defense and dropped her for the second ti and his face showed relief The applause was loud--thunderous, even, thanks to Perun clapping next toyour peoples more all the tima leered at Granuaile and said, "Your clothes, please"

"Certainly," she replied, then disappeared