Ten minutes later I was back at my post on the porch. The inn had sealed the entrance behind the last otrokar. The only way they could exit would be through the main dining room.
At seven thirty the area above the field shimmered, as if a ring of hot air suddenly rose above the grass. The shimmer solidified into a giant ship, with sleek curving lines that made you think of a manta ray gliding through the water. The elegant craft sank to the ground, landing like a feather, a hatch opened, and Nuan Cee stepped out. Four feet tall, he resembled a fox with the eyes of a cat and ears of a lynx. Soft luxurious fur, silver-blue and perfectly combed, sheathed him from head to toe, turning white on his stomach and darkening to an almost turquoise dappled with golden rosettes on his back He wore a beautiful silky apron and a necklace studded with blue jewels.
Nuan Cee saw me, waved, and called over his shoulder. “This is the right place. Bring all the things.”
He started toward me. Four foxes emerged, carrying a palanquin with rose curtains. Behind them five other foxes, their fur ranging from white to deepest blue, walked, hopping lightly over the grass, all five adorned with silks and jewelry. A low braying sound came out of the belly of the ship. A moment and a small fox emerged, tugging on the reins of what looked like a furry cross between a camel and a donkey. A precarious stack of bags, packs, and chests sat on top of the beast, piled almost twice as tall as the creature itself. The fox tugged on reins again and the donkey-camel stepped into the grass. Behind him another beast appeared, led by a different fox.
“So let me get this straight,” Jack murmured. “They fly around on spaceships, but they load donkeys in them?”
“They like donkeys,” George told him.
The fifth donkey made its way out of the ship, loaded like all the others. My parents had hosted Nuan Cee before. I mentally patted myself on the back for assigning them enough rooms to house a party three times their number.
“How long do they expect this to last?” Gaston whistled. “A year?”
“They love their luxuries,” I explained. “The worst thing you can do to one of them is to force them to go without. Once we get them all inside would you mind showing them to their rooms?” I would follow behind to make sure nobody wandered off the beaten path and then I’d settle all of the donkeys into the stables.
“No problem,” Gaston said.
Nuan Cee finally reached us, flanked by a grey skinned woman dressed in high tech armor. Her long hair fell to below her waist in long thin dreads. Her eyes were gold and her teeth were sharp. She served as Nuan Cee’s saar ah and fighting her was a very dangerous idea.
“Diiina!” Nuan Cee stretched the word.
“Shhh,” I whispered. “Honorable Nuan Cee, we have a policeman watching the house outside.”
“Oh.” Nuan Cee lowered his voice. “Right. I am so happy to visit your inn, so happy. Allow me to present to you my family.” He waves his hand-paw, and foxes lined up, with palanquin in the lead. “My grandmother, Nuan Re.” The palanquin passed by us. “My sister Nuan Kuo. My sisters’ cousin by marriage Nuan Oler. My second brother in law…”
Five minutes later the final fox finally stepped onto my porch. “Nuan Couki, my thrice removed cousin’s seventh son!” Nuan Cee triumphantly announced. “This is his first trip.”
The seventh son looked at us. He was barely three and a half feet tall, with pale sandy fur and huge blue eyes. He waved his paw at us, squeaked “Hi!” in a tiny voice, and dashed after the procession of Nuan Cee’s relatives into the inn.
“Phew.” Nuan Cee wiped imaginary sweat off his brow. “I work too hard. Let us see our rooms.”
He disappeared into the inn and I followed him.
“Cookie?” Jack said behind me.
“Just go with it,” George told him.
I made it back to the porch right at eight o’clock. Dealing with Nuan Cee’s clan took longer than expected. I barely had a minute to spare. At least they didn’t make that much noise. If all went well with the vampires, we’d dodge the bullet.
We waited in silence.
A minute passed.
“It’s very unusual for them to be late.” George frowned.
My magic chimed in my mind. Oh no.
“In front!” I dashed through the house. The men chased me. “They’re coming through the front!”
I burst out of the front door.
“Get down on the ground!” a male voice barked.
In the middle of the street twelve knights of the Holy Cosmic Anocracy in full blood armor brandished their weapons. Officer Marais stood by his vehicle, pointing a taser at the leading knight.
“I said get down on the ground!” Officer Marais roared.
The vampire nearest to him gripped his enormous axe. Streaks of bright red shot through the weapon. He’d just primed it.
“No!” I sprinted into the street.