"Harry," sighed another voice from what must have been the same room. She sounded much like Molly but less cheerful. "No, no, honey, don't play with the phone. Give that to me, please." The phone rattled some more, the woman said, "Thank you, sweetie," and then she picked up the phone and said, "Hello? Anyone there?"

For a second I was tempted to remain silent, or possibly try to imitate a recording of the operator, but I steeled myself against that. I didn't want to let myself get rattled. I was pretty sure that Charity could smell fear, even over the phone. It could trigger an attack. "Hello, Charity. It's Harry Dresden. I was calling to speak to Michael."

There was a second of silence during which I couldn't help but imagine the way Michael's wife's eyes must have narrowed. "I suppose it was inevitable," she said. "Naturally if there is a situation so dangerous as to require all three of the Knights, you come crawling out of whatever hole you live in."

"Actually, this is sort of unrelated."

"I assumed it was. Your idiocy tends to strike at the worst possible place and time."

"Oh, come on, Charity, that's not fair."

Growing anger made her voice clearer and sharper, if no louder. "No? At the one time in the last year that Michael most needs to be focused on his duty, to be alert and careful, you arrive to distract him."

Anger warred with guilt for dominance of my reaction. "I'm trying to help."

"He has scars from the last time you helped, Mister Dresden."

I felt like slamming the receiver against the wall until it broke, but I restrained myself again. I couldn't stop the anger from making my words bite, though. "You're never going to give me an inch, are you?"

"You don't deserve an inch."

I said, "Is that why you named your son after me?"

"That was Michael," Charity said. "I was still on drugs, and the paperwork was done when I woke up."

I kept my voice calm. Mostly. "Look, Charity. I'm real sorry you feel the way you do, but I need to talk to Michael. Is he there or not?"

The line clicked as someone else picked up another extension and Molly said, "Sorry, Harry, but my dad isn't here. Sanya says he went out to pick up some doughnuts."

"Molly," Charity said, her voice hard. "It's a school day. Don't dawdle."

"Uh-oh," Molly said. "I swear, it's like she's telepathic or something."

I could almost hear Charity grinding her teeth. "That isn't funny, Molly. Get off the line."

Molly sighed and said, "Surrender, Dorothy," before she hung up. I choked on a sudden laugh, and tried to turn it into a series of coughs for Charity's benefit.

From the tone of her voice, she hadn't been fooled. "I'll give him a message."