“But Grr Bear and I didn’t do anything bad.”

“You were accomplices.” He saw Burke’s lips twitch.

Lizzy conferred with Grr Bear. Boo Bear, Lizzy’s previous stuffed toy, had been her constant companion. Grr Bear, whose wooden head and paws had been carved by Henry Beargard, seemed more like a conscience that was less inclined to go along with “cute naughtiness,” let alone outright wrongdoing.

But Grr Bear couldn’t discourage all misbehavior, especially when it was started by someone else.

Monty suspected that, from now on, Nathan Wolfgard’s teeth would prove to be a more effective deterrent in that regard.

Lizzy tried again. “Grr Bear thinks maybe not a whole week if we behave?”

“Does Mother Court show leniency?” Burke asked so quietly the question wouldn’t carry to the backseat.

“Not in my experience,” Monty muttered. Until yesterday when he saw her in angry-mom mode, he’d thought of Eve Denby as a practical, energetic, amiable woman. Last night he considered what would happen to any appeal for mercy once Eve teamed up with his mother, Twyla.

Gods. If he were still a child, he’d give Pete Denby half his allowance each month to be the attorney on retainer.

Monty turned his face away to hide his smile.

“Daddy?”

“Don’t know, Lizzy. I’ve never stood before that particular judge before.”

“Oh.”

The discussion lightened the mood in the car until Monty dropped Lizzy at the Denbys’ apartment, and he and Burke drove to the Chestnut Street station.

“Didn’t think about it last night,” Burke said. “Was there anything in the kitchen for breakfast?”

“Not really, but Eve had said Lizzy could have breakfast with Sarah and Robert.” And he would welcome a large cup of coffee—even what was served in the station’s cafeteria. “Have you heard anything through your grapevine?”

Burke didn’t speak for a long minute. “Some trouble around Market Street—again. Trouble around what is left of Lakeside University as well as the technical college. Nothing that wasn’t expected here. Governor Hannigan locking down the region as fast as he did stalled any attempts to burn Intuit villages or any other settlements within the wild country. Or course, his actions might have saved the Northeast from at least some of what’s coming, but it pretty much destroyed his chance for being reelected if the residents of Toland have anything to say about it. And when it comes to elections, they usually have quite a bit to say.”

“What about other regions?”

“News bulletins on the radio this morning talked about human triumphs over the terra indigene.”

“What does that mean?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

•••

Vlad stared at the images on the TV screen.

There hadn’t been enough time to warn all the Wolfgard, and not all the Wolfgard keeping watch over human places had human allies.