Look Behind You (The Order of the Silver Star) Read Free Page B

truce.”
    O’Donoghue frowned. A dědek was the Czech version of a brownie—solitary and very much a homebody. Even those who were fond of their mortal families had to be expressly invited to move with them. “What on earth are they doing here?” he wondered aloud.
    “They bear green branches, Your Majesty. It’s a delegation we’re thinking they are.”
    “Curious. Fetch them in.”
    The sentry bowed low again and left. O’Donoghue dismissed the leprechauns with his thanks and their promised payment, and Niamh came and stood beside his throne.
    Moments later, the sentry returned with the delegation. “ Dědeki of Sudety, Your Majesty,” he announced.
    “You are welcome, friends,” O’Donoghue said. “But I confess myself puzzled. ’Tis far from home you are, and I know your kind not to be great travelers. What errand brings you here?”
    One of the hairy wee sprites stepped forward and bowed so low his head nearly touched the ground. “Your fame calls you great and good, O King of Youth,” he croaked. “We seek asylum.”
    “Asylum? For what cause?”
    “The Germans have taken our homeland. They bring death with them, and worse.”
    “But mortal wars do not concern our folk. Why do you flee?”
    “They dared to place a thrall on Emil Hácha, to force him to give up the country and make him their puppet.”
    O’Donoghue scowled. The type of dark magic needed to enthrall was the province of the Unseelie courts, but even they seldom gave mortals thrall spells that would coerce a man to that degree. “Who has done this thing?”
    “We don’t know. Himmler, we think, but it might have been one of his warlocks. They wore him down physically first so the spell would take better effect.”
    “How strong a thrall?”
    “Light enough that he has still some measure of free will. Our kin in Praha say he resists. But they fear that if he continues, Himmler will send someone to strengthen the spell.”
    This was v ery bad news, but O’Donoghue wasn’t sure yet what to do about it. “Have your people come only here?”
    The dědek nodded.
    “Well, here you are welcome to remain until all is set right, but first I ask that you go with one of my heralds to Scotland. Tell Oberon and Titania your tale as well. We will take counsel on this matter.”
    The dědek bowed low again and retired to stand among his fellows while O’Donoghue called for a herald and for servants to attend the refugees. Then the dědek who had spoken left with the herald while the others were led away to guest quarters.
    Niamh shook her head and looked at her father. “I don’t understand. Why would a mortal need to place a thrall like that? Sure and he could have used other means.”
    O’Donoghue sighed. “That he could, my dear. Something is wrong here, very wrong. No man should seek that kind of power over another. Why he wants it is a disturbing enough question; where he’s getting it from… to say nothing of what he plans to do with it hereafter….”
    “What should we do?”
    “I don’t know. Perhaps Oberon will.”
    But Oberon didn’t know, and neither did their peers on the Continent. They opened their doors to refugees from Bohemia, but for much of the year, the mood was one of watchful waiting. Even when more worrying reports arrived regarding the SS actively seeking converse with the Unseelies and possibly casting spells on visiting diplomats like that Sassenach dunce Neville Chamberlain, the fairies had too little information to justify going to war.
    Then a fresh wave of refugees arrived from Poland just before the fall equinox, bringing reports that Hitler’s command to attack that nation had not included only conventional weaponry. The Luftwaffe’s bombs, in particular, were laced with curses. The delivery method left quite a lot to be desired, if one had any investment in seeing the curses have full effect, but why would Hitler even attempt such a thing?
    Debates raged in the Faërie courts all through the