"Anyway, we need to be ready to bug out if they do find us," Wiz said.
"We can put together some really righteous defenses," Danny said brightly. "I’ve been working on some ideas."
Moira shook her head. "Not as many as you might think. Defenses attract attention. Powerful ones are likely to shine like a beacon to anyone who can sense magic."
"We discussed this once before, Danny," Wiz said. "The logic still holds. Stealth is better than weapons."
"Shit," said Danny and scowled down at the table top.
"One thing we ought to do is to get as many people off the island as we can," Jerry said. "If we can’t defend this place we don’t need guardsmen and there is no reason to have as many support people as we have."
"We can all do our share of the cooking and laundry," Wiz agreed.
"Or do it by magic," Moira said to her husband. "Forgive me, Lord, but no one but a goat could stomach your cooking."
"Hey, I lived on it for years."
Moira leaned over and kissed him lightly. "I rest my case."
"In any event," Jerry said, "it’s getting too dangerous to keep anyone here who isn’t absolutely necessary."
He carefully avoided looking at Danny and so did everyone else in the room.
The brownies hadn’t attended the council, so as soon as the meeting broke up, Wiz went to tell them. He found Lannach in the computer room, crouched on his haunches at the rear of the console and apparently talking to someone inside the computer.
"Lannach, we’re going to have to pull your people out."
The little man stood up and dusted his knees. "Why, Lord? Are you dissatisfied with our work?"
"No, nothing like that. But Mikey and Craig are getting close to finding this place. We’re sending everyone we can spare back."
Lannach frowned. "Forgive me, Lord, but you cannot spare us if you want your computer to work."
"We can’t protect you if they find us and attack."
"Lord, we will not leave. Not just for our own safety."
"I don’t want that on my conscience."
"It is not upon your head, Lord. It is our decision."
"Thanks, Lannach." Wiz held out his hand. Gravely Lannach took his first two fingers in both his tiny hands and pumped them up and down.
"Look, you’ve got to go."
It was late and the hall lights had long since dimmed, but Danny and June were still at it.
Again June shook her head so hard her mouse-colored curls beat against her forehead. "You come," she said with undiminished firmness.
"I told you, I can’t. I’ve got to keep working."
June planted herself on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms. "You will not be rid of me," she said fiercely.
He pulled her up off the bed and held her in his arms. "Honey, I don’t want to get rid of you, I want to save your life."
Ian stirred restlessly in his crib and started to whimper again. He wasn’t used to hearing his parents argue and he had been crying off and on all evening.
June turned her back on her husband and scooped Ian out of the crib. For a moment all her attention was concentrated on soothing him while Danny tried to think of something more to say.
"Just this once," he promised. "Just this once you’ve got to leave me."
June shook her head wildly and clung to Ian.
"Dammit, you can’t stay here," Danny said desperately. "If not for you think about Ian."
June looked down at the child and her eyes filled with tears but she shook her head again.
Wiz was trying to find a way to squeeze more speed out of the algorithm when Danny came into the lab the next morning. His eyes were red, his skin was pale and blotchy, as if he’d been crying. Even his hair was a worse mess than usual. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all last night.
"I had it out with June," he said dully.
Wiz put down the sheaf of papers. "Is she going back?"
Danny snorted. "Fuck no. That silly little bitch is determined to stay here and get herself killed." He growled in frustration and slammed his fist down on the desk. "Goddamn her and her stubbornness."
"I’m really sorry, man. I could ask Moira to talk to her."
"What for? She won’t listen. She just rocks back and forth and shuts out the world."
Wiz couldn’t think of anything to say. When he had come to this World Danny had been a self-centered twerp who did what he wanted and didn’t care about anyone. Now he had others to worry about and he was having to make hard choices. Wiz could sympathize. He’d had a fair measure of twerphood in his makeup when he first met Moira. But there wasn’t anything he could do to make the choice easier.
"She’s sending Ian back with Shauna," Danny said finally. "That’s something anyway."
"But she won’t go?"
Danny bit his lip. "It’s real simple. Where I go she goes. And I’ve got to be here."
"Hey look, you could handle some of this stuff from the Capital."
"Bullshit," Danny said without heat. "The only place I can do any good is here."
"But the risk…"
"Moira’s staying here, isn’t she?" He looked up at Wiz with a ghost of a smile. "Besides, I want a World for my kid to grow up in." He looked down. "Shit. I left my notebook back in my room. I’ll be back in a minute."
Danny brushed past Jerry as he went out.
"What was that all about?" Jerry asked after Danny disappeared down the hall.
"I think," Wiz said wonderingly, "that was Danny growing up."
By the time Danny got back Wiz and Jerry were hip-deep in trying to find something to make the algorithm work faster. By noon they considered and rejected at least four approaches.
Outside the computer center the Mousehole was abuzz with activity as nearly everyone else got ready to leave. Guardsmen, servants and wizards went back and forth in the hall carrying boxes, bags and piles of clothing. They finally took a break when Moira came in to discuss details of the move.
"You know," Jerry said as he pushed back his chair, "I could think a lot better if I didn’t feel like I had a target painted on my back."
"Well, we’re stuck with it," Danny said angrily. "We gotta stay and if they find us we can’t fight. All we can do is hope we can get outta here in time."
"Wait a minute," Wiz said slowly. "Maybe there is something we can do."
"Like what?"