pointers on handling these pests?”
Moira considered. “I do not know. We have no Brownies here to ask.”
“No, but there are Brownies at Heart’s Ease. Lannach and his people, the
ones I rescued in the Wild Wood.”
The hedge witch nodded. “They are in your debt then. It is worth a try,
yes.”
The brownies arrived the next day, brought along the Wizard’s Way by
Malus.
“We are here, Lord,” Lannach said, hopping down from Malus’s pack onto the
table and bowing deeply.
Wiz bowed back to the little manlike creature. “Thanks, Lannach. If you
can help us we’d really appreciate it.”
Behind Lannach, Breachean, Loaghaire and Fleagh jumped down to the table.
Then Meoan climbed out of the pack and Brechean and Fleagh helped her
down.
Wiz’s eyebrows went up. “Meoan too?”
The little woman looked up. “Am I unwelcome then, Lord?”
“No, not at all. I just thought you’d stay at Heart’s Ease with your
baby.”
“Lord,” Meoan said gravely, “we owe you our lives. Small we may be, and
with scant powers. But we do not forget our debts.”
“Well, if you can keep these little bleeders under control you can
consider the debt paid in full.”
” ‘Twere best we were about it then,” Lannach said.
While Wiz and the others watched from across the computer room, Lannach
knelt by a ventilation grill in the base of the console. He called out in
a language that sounded like an excited mouse. Then he cocked his head and
listened intently.
Although Wiz heard nothing, Lannach apparently got a reply. While Wiz and
the other humans fidgeted Lannach conducted a long and seemingly involved
conversation in mouse-squeak. Finally he stood up and dusted his hands on
his moleskin breeches.
“Your device is inhabited, Lord,” he reported, hopping up on the table
next to Wiz.
“We know that.”
“They thank you most gratefully. They say they have never seen a more
fitting home for their kind.”
“So we’ve got seven of them living in there?”
The brownie’s tiny face creased in a frown. “Seven? Oh no, many more than
that, I think.”
“We only saw seven.”
“Ah, well they are shy creatures so doubtless you did not see them all.
Besides, they multiply quickly when they are in a place to their liking.”
“Look, we don’t mind them living here, but we can’t have them interfering
with our work. Is there any way to keep them in line?”
The little creature shook his head. “We can try, Lord. But they are
flighty and chancy beings. They will not keep their word even if they can
remember from one minute to the next what they have sworn to.”
“I don’t suppose a repulsion spell like ddt would do any good?” Wiz asked
hopefully.
“Little, I fear,” Lannach said. “As you may know, Lord, non-mortals differ
in their susceptibility to such things. These are especially resistant.
They are hard to dissuade and they would even be hard to kill by magic.”
“Great,” Wiz muttered.
“We can do this, Lord. If my kin and I work together we can probably
dissuade them from their worst mischief.”
“That would be something anyway,” Wiz sighed. “Okay, Lannach. Do your
best. Meanwhile Moira will show you your quarters and fix you up with
something to eat.”
“We have a place for you in the kitchen,” Moira said as she led the gaggle
of brownies out the door, “and bowls of milk for you all.”
“Wonderful,” Wiz said as the brownies left. “We got cockroaches.
Insecticide-resistant cockroaches.”
“Just think of it as working with beta version hardware,” Jerry said
helpfully.
Wiz glared at him. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“No, it just puts the problem in perspective.”
Wiz groaned.
Twenty-four: AIR INTERCEPT
Ozzie Sharp drained the last of his cold coffee and paced down the line of
radar and communications operators. He briefly considered going forward
and getting another cup, but his tongue felt like it had grown fur, his
stomach was starting to go sour and the combination of the coffee and the
cabin noise of the aircraft was making his bladder twinge already. Better
save it until he needed the caffeine.