“I’m aware,” Jason said.
“We need to get her essences now.”
“I don’t think the Network will be okay with that,” Jason said.
“Did you ask?”
“Did I ask if it was okay to give Tina Turner a set of essences? No, I did not.”
“Well, you have the speaky thing in your pocket, right?”
“You want me to call up a secret society of wizards whose core purpose includes hiding magic to ask if we can give magic to an internationally famous singer?”
“That would be great, thank you,” Farrah said.
“It wasn’t a suggestion,” he said, running an exasperated hand over his face.
“It can’t hurt to call, can it, Uncle Jason?”
“You too?” he asked Emi. “Don’t give me the puppy dog eyes, that isn’t going to … oh bloody hell.”
He jabbed a finger at his niece as he fished out his phone to make a call.
“I cannot believe I’m doing this. It’s only because I need to call Anna anyway, and you both owe me for— Anna, g’day.”
“What can I do for you, Mr Asano?”
“You can just call me Jason. Look, I’ve been asked to check if it’s at all possible to give essences to Tina Turner.”
“I’m afraid not,” Anna said with a laugh. “The International Committee had to put a stop to giving celebrities essences in the eighties.”
“It did happen, then?” Jason asked.
“Oh, yes,” Anna said. “Willie Nelson, Christie Brinkley. They should have been more careful with the essences they gave Ozzy Osbourne.”
“Is that why he’s not dead? What about Australians?”
“Well, the Perth branch is almost entirely made up of cricketers everyone thinks are dead. They keep proposing to magic up Steve Waugh and I know at least one instance they tried to give Boonie essences on the sly.”
“So, that’s a no on Tina Turner?”
“Maybe take it up with the Americans. Did you talk to our foreign guests yet?”
“I did, but found their proposals unappealing. I’ll come to you and finalise our agreement tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic,” Anna said, not hiding the relief in her voice. “They couldn’t tempt you away?”
“You helped me get Farrah back,” Jason said. “I know you and the International Committee had your own agenda, but you helped us and lost people in the process. I won’t forget that.”
64
MOVING FORWARD
On the top deck of the houseboat, Asya, Farrah and Jason were enjoying lunch as they looked over the final version of the agreement with the Network.
“While we have the agreement documented,” Asya said, tapping the papers on the table, “it’s a fiction, legally speaking. What court could we pursue violations in? In the end, it’s just a symbol of intent.”
“I like that, though,” Jason said. “For all intents and purposes, it’s a handshake deal. It’s held together by integrity, and I’m all about integrity.”
“You are?” Farrah asked.
“Yep. When I sell out my principles, they stay sold. Although, if I sold out that principle, then they wouldn’t stay sold because that principle is no longer in effect, which means my principles would get unsold, meaning that particular principle was in effect, which would mean…” His ramble trailed off as he scratched his head in confusion. “Ethics is hard.”
Farrah shook her head.
“You know,” Asya said to Jason, “I never gave you a proper thank you for saving my life.”
The mock confusion dropped off Jason’s face as he looked her square in the eyes.
“I know that you were the one that pushed to get my chance at freeing Farrah. You never have to thank me for anything again. Ask and I’ll be there.”
“An infinite supply of favours?” Asya asked.
“Friends don’t count favours,” Jason said. “They just show up.”
“Is that what we are?”
“Don’t look down on friendship,” Jason said. “It’s the foundation of every positive relationship. I love my dad, I love my sister and my niece. While I love my mum and my brother too, even after everything, it isn’t the same with them. They’ll always be family, but the friendship isn’t there. Some family you want to see every day, and some you only see at Christmas. That extends to every relationship, from lovers to co-workers to people you escaped a cannibal cult with.”
“That was a weird way to meet,” Farrah said. “One of these days, I’ll be the one saving you.”
“Friendship,” Jason continued, “is having people to share the best and the worst days of your life with. Friendship is knowing there will be someone you can rely on, no matter what. Friendship can let you travel back in time.”
“What?” Asya asked.
“Wait,” Jason said, frowning. “That last one might just be Final Fantasy VIII.”
“Don’t underestimate having Jason as a friend,” Farrah said. “Even when I was a stranger, he risked everything to save me, when he had every expectation of getting killed. Once I was a friend, he brought me back from the dead.”
“I don’t think that was technically me,” Jason said.
“Shut up, I’m telling a story.”
“As you were,” conceded an admonished Jason.
Farrah walked Asya off the boat.
“I’m not a threat to you,” Farrah said.
“I never thought you were,” Asya said, drawing a chuckle from Farrah.
“I can help you with aura control,” Farrah said. “It’ll make your emotions less of an open book.”
Asya’s eyes went wide. “Does Jason…?”
“Yes,” Farrah said. “His aura is strong, as I’m sure you’ve sensed, and emotions are easy for him to read. He restricts himself, of course, to respect the privacy of others, but when someone is weaker than him and has poor control, clear and strong emotions are like shouting. He can’t help but overhear.”
Asya buried her face in her hands.
“Don’t walk off the deck,” Farrah warned with a chuckle. “I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s not like you’ve made any secret of your intentions, even disregarding magic.”
“Should I just ask him out?”
“I don’t know,” Farrah said. “I think there’s a good chance he’d say no for the simple fact that he doesn’t need any more complications in his life. On the other hand, do you want someone else sweeping in and taking your opportunity?”
“No,” Asya said firmly.
“Then make a social overture. The worst thing that can happen is he says no.”
“What if it makes things weird?”
“Your biggest risk is him feeling smug that a woman like you would be interested in him. It would just get lost in his regular smugness, so it’ll be fine.”
“He has always been very confident.”
“Or seemed that way,” Farrah said. “He’s good at masking his fear and uncertainty, even in his aura. It’s like the first person he convinces is always himself.”
“Well?” Cleary asked.
Houseman was talking over a secure video link with the Assistant Director of Operations, Los Angeles Network branch.
“He’s too inculcated with anti-American sentiment. As if his government was any different. They’re just worse at it.”