Yes, something could be done. Checkpoints would remain, but an effort would be made immediately to bring in supplies—and find drivers who would be willing to bring a truck into the Falls.

Vlad gave the police captain his e-mail address. Steve Ferryman did the same. Between them, they would do what they could while the transition of leadership took place.

As a last gesture, they all followed Jerry Sledgeman’s livestock truck to the fenced acres that used to be the Falls Courtyard and released the four bison. Maybe the humans would value the meat; maybe not. But the gesture of help was building links among Talulah Falls, Ferryman’s Landing, and Lakeside.

How much human do the terra indigene want to keep? Vlad thought as Henry drove the minivan back to Lakeside. Are the Sanguinati, who can adapt to urban environments better than most forms, going to become separated from the rest of the Others? Or are we going to be the stronghold that maintains the bits of human the terra indigene want while the other forms take care of the land? There’s a storm coming. We all know it, even if humans don’t want to see it. No point worrying about what might be until we see what is left.

•••

Simon ran through the Courtyard. Ran and ran and ran. Talulah Falls wasn’t his responsibility. If the terra indigene there wanted to yield to the Sanguinati and go home, that was their business, not his. In Lakeside, the Sanguinati and Wolves were complementary predators, and they were strong predators. They made an effort not to quarrel with one another. Okay, they had snarled at each other a bit about Meg, but they were both being protective because she was not only a friend; she was Namid’s creation, both wondrous and terrible.

He stopped suddenly and spun around. In smoke form, the Sanguinati had no scent. They made no sound. But he’d sensed something in the dark.

<Are you running from something?> Vlad asked.

<Maybe I’m just running for the fun of it.>

<You move differently when you’re having fun.>

Did he? Why hadn’t he known that?

He settled into a trot until he came to one of the creeks. He swam to the other side, shook the water out of his fur, then shifted to human and sat on the bank. A moment later, Vlad flowed across the water, shifted, and joined him.

“Why didn’t you tell me the Sanguinati were going to take over Talulah Falls?” Simon said.