Four days later, Vasil followed Conrad into his room.

“I’m sorry about this,” Darius said.

“It’s fine—” Conrad started to say.

“It isn’t. They know that you were indispensable. Hell, you’re the one that killed Aubert! I don’t know what they’re hoping to accomplish.”

“I knew what would happen when I chose to join you. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.”

The two of them crossed over to Conrad’s desk. The wolfman leaned down and jerked on the stubborn second drawer. He took out a folder and started flipping through the paperwork.

“Besides,” Conrad said, “I think their complaint is less about me being there and more about the amount of property damage I caused.”

“A magician wouldn’t have caused any less.”

“But that would have been authorized. I hear there’s less paperwork—not that I would know.”

Bauer flipped through five pages before Darius said softly, “Do you ever think about going home?”

The wolfman paused with his fingers still between the wafting papers. Seconds passed.

“Not yet,” he said.

He resumed his search.

“Conrad, what is this thing?”

Conrad glanced up. Darius was holding a stuffed animal. Its form was slightly clumsy, and it had been sewn from a heart-dotted knit fabric.

“It’s an otter,” Conrad said. “I’ve been told his name is PJ.”

“It looks like some kind of long bear.”

“No, it’s an otter. See the tail?”

“Ah. What’s it doing on your desk?”

“I don’t know. Sitting around doing nothing as far as I can tell.”

Darius’s eyes moved from PJ, to the wolfman, then back to PJ. “What a little freeloader. Should I get rid of him?” When Conrad didn’t answer, the count added, “I doubt Emerra would mind. She probably gave it to you as a joke.”

Conrad shrugged. “He seems happy here. Why ruin it?”

Darius looked at the sewn smile. “He does seem happy.”

“Found it.” Conrad pulled out a sheet of paper and laid it on his desk.

While he put the rest back in the drawer, Darius returned the otter to his home in the corner of the desk.

The two left PJ to grin idiotically over his uncontested domain.