“How lovely! Offer him a cup of tea,” Mrs. Brodigan said, with clearly no understanding of how the astral plane worked, before ducking back into the office.
Rory balanced on his good ankle as he scooped the mail back up. “Why’re you flickering like a bad bulb?”
“Arthur’s on the phone with Jade. I’m at her place too.”
Rory’s eyebrows flew up. “You can be in two places at once?”
Zhang shrugged, like juggling conversations on the astral plane was child’s play. “Ace thinks his brother John is the victim of magic.”
Rory’s eyes widened and he made a half step forward. “Is Ace okay? How ’bout John—?”
“Arthur can’t give details over the phone; too many people. Even I’m staying out of City Hall until I can go in alone, in case it’s rigged with magic. We need him up at the Magnolia with Jade and me to speak freely.”
“So why isn’t he already on his way?” Rory demanded.
Zhang pointed at Rory.
“Aw geez.”
“He thinks he needs to come get you.”
Rory set his pile of letters on the counter. “Tell him not to worry about me. I’ll finish up and then catch a dimbox to Harlem.”
Zhang flickered out, then right back, making a face. “He’snot sure that’s a good idea on your ankle,” he said, in a wonderful imitation of Arthur’s accent.
Rory narrowed his eyes. “Tell him his brother’s gotta come first—”
“Or I could go back to Jade and stay out of your spat,” Zhang said dryly. “If anyone can convince him, it’s you.”
Rory automatically reached for the link in his magic, finding the sense of Arthur to the south. He huffed. “Yeah, sure. I’ll just call up City Hall and ask for the office of the alderman in charge. They’re gonna put me right through.”
Zhang hesitated.
“What?” said Rory.
“Not my business, except...” Zhang tilted his head. “Ace is trying to hide it, but he’s shaken. Maybe he’d like to hear your voice.”
Rory opened his mouth, then paused. “Oh.” He straightened up. “I—really? You think so?”
Zhang looked at him patiently. “You’re very new at relationships, aren’t you?” Rory made a sour face, and Zhang added nicely, “If you were worried, would you want to talk to Arthur?”
“Course I would.”
“Then why wouldn’t Ace feel better after a call from the twenty-year-old hellcat he dotes on?”
Rory narrowed his eyes. Zhang touched the brim of his hat as he disappeared completely.
Rory’s stomach flipped over as he went into the lobby, but he made himself pick up the party line telephone. He hunched over the phone, ignoring the glances of the three or four people hanging out in the lobby as the operator’s voice sounded in his ear. “How may I direct your call?”
Rory hesitated. “Um. City Hall?” he tried, feeling stupid, like he was trying to read out loud in front of a bunch of judgmental Fifth Avenue pricks. “The head alderman?”
Great, now all the eyes in the lobby were shamelessly glued on him.
“One moment, please.”
He fidgeted as the operator connected the line.
A woman finally came on. “New York City Aldermen, office of Aldermanic President John Kenzie.”
