“I don’t need you to step away,” I said. “These guys are starting up a team. Dad suggested they’d do best if they had someone legal to call up before any big moves. Make sure charges stick.”

My mom looked over at the three. Kenzie put her hand up in a small wave.

“Is that Sveta?”

“Hi, Mrs. Dallon.”

“I didn’t recognize you at first. I can’t believe it,” my mom said. She approached Sveta, taking Sveta’s hands and lifting them up. “What beautiful work.”

“I’m pleased with it,” Sveta said, ducking her head a bit.

“And the art—is this yours? It reminds me of what I saw you working on during one of my visits.”

“It’s mine.”

“It’s stellar,” my mom said.

“I don’t suppose you’d know someone you could put us in touch with?” I asked, more tense than I’d wanted to sound.

“I can ask around. Are you paying them?”

“I think we’d have to,” I said.

“We’re pretty overloaded right now. I can’t make promises.”

“I don’t think the team has any major moves planned for early in their career,” I said. “Having someone available a month from now or two months from now might be good.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re still moving at this clip two months from now.”

“What do you do?” Tristan asked.

“We’re lobbying on behalf of the Wardens. The government is figuring out the law as we speak, and we’re trying to figure out the most effective approach to handle law and parahumans and how they interact in the new world. A lot of precedent, citing past history, pulling from the law of Earth Bet.”

“It sounds heavy,” Tristan said.

“We’re deciding the legal fabric of the new world. It is,” my mom said.

“Can you sound some people out?” I asked. “Having someone we could trust to be discreet would be ideal. It wouldn’t be heavy.”

“I’ll ask around. I know we’ve got a few ex-law students who are in limbo,” my mom said. She gave me a look. “They could use the extra funds, and they should have enough knowledge of the system as it stands. They’re even on the ground floor for the legal system we may end up with, if we’re successful here.”

“Thank you,” I said. “We’ll discuss and I’ll look at the books, and we’ll see if we can pay them something fair.”

Keep it business.

“Would you come to dinner tonight?” she asked. “We can talk. If I have a better idea of what you’re doing, I can find you a better fit.”

“I’d really rather not,” I said.

“Communication is key. We should talk.”

“Another time,” I said. Weeks or months from now.