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Chapter One

It rained toads the day the White Council came to town

I got out of the Blue Beetle, ainst the ht Lake Meadow Park lies a bit south of Chicago's Loop, a long sprint froan's shores Even in heat like we'd had lately, the park would normally be croith people Today it was deserted but for an old lady with a shopping cart and a long coat, tottering around the park It wasn't yet noon, and my sweats and T-shirt were too hot for the weather

I squinted around the park for a ot hit on the head by so damp and squishy

I flinched and slapped at round at o - it could easily have sat in the palround, then let out a bleary croak and started hopping drunkenly away

I looked around round A lot of therew louder as I walked further into the park Even as I watched, several hty had dropped them down a laundry chute Toads hopped around everywhere They didn't carpet the ground, but you couldn't possibly miss them EveryTheir croaking sounded vaguely like the speech-chatter of a crowded room

"Weird, huh?" said an eager voice I looked up to see a short youngtoward me Billy the Wereore sweatpants and a plain dark T-shirt A year or two ago the outfit would have concealed the forty or fifty extra pounds he'd been carrying Now they concealed all the"What did I tell you, Harry?"

"Billy," I responded He crunched down hard as I shook his hand Or er "How's the olf biz?"

"Getting interesting," he said "We've run into a lot of odd things lately e've been out patrolling Like this" He gestured at the park Another toad fell from the sky several feet away "That's e called the wizard"

Patrolling Holy vigilantes, Batman "Any of the normals been here?"

"No, except for souys fro tornadoes in Louisiana or so, that the storms must have thrown the toads here"

I snorted "You'd think 'it's ic' would be easier to s than that"

Billy grinned "Don't worry I' and declare it a hoax before long"

"Uh-huh" I turned back to the Beetle and popped the hood to rue coed a couple of small cloth sacks out of it I threw one to Billy "Grab a couple of toads and pitch them in there for me"

He caught the bag and frowned "Why?"

"So I can make sure they're real"

Billy lifted his eyebrows "You think they're not?"

I squinted at him "Look, Billy, just do it I haven't slept, I can't reot a lot to do before tonight"

"But ouldn't they be real? They look real"

I blew out a breath and tried to keep my temper It had been short lately "They could look real and feel real, but it's possible that they're just constructs Made out of the ic I hope they are"

"Why?"

"Because all that would ot bored and played a trick They do that sometimes"

"Okay But if they're real?"

"If they're real, then itis out of whack"