Rook

coming?” asked Myfanwy.
    “Forty-five minutes.”
    “Forty-five minutes! Forty-fucking-five minutes!” Myfanwy stood up behind the desk and started frantically tidying. The dish of biscuits went into the drawer, and papers were hastily stacked. Then the stacks were knocked over. “You know, I could order a pizza and have more time to get ready for it.” She looked at her clothes critically. It wasn’t quite a casual-Friday outfit, but she’d dressed for a day with no meetings. “Why do they want to talk to
me?
” she asked desperately.
    “You wrote the report, Rook Thomas.”
    “What report?”
    “The report on the Grafters, the one you wrote after the Rooks and the Chevs met.”
    “That was classified!” Myfanwy exclaimed. “That was for the eyes of the Checquy only!” She stacked the papers again.
    “The Grafters are on the List, those subjects that initiate automatic alerts,” explained Ingrid. “Certain matters are automatically communicated throughout the community.”
    “Well, okay, but if I had known that other people would be reading it, I would have…”
    “Yes?”
    “I don’t know! I’d have used the spell-checker more!” Was it Myfanwy’s imagination or was Ingrid amused by all this? “Okay, so they’ll be here in forty-five minutes. Is there some sort of reception ceremony or anything?”
    “The heads of the Checquy will be hosting a formal gathering to welcome our guests tomorrow evening. It’s supposed to give them time to get over their jet lag. But for today, according to long-standing tradition, I perform the sacred cancellation of your other appointments and make reservations at the hallowed temple of Italian food.” Myfanwy looked suspiciously at her secretary. Ingrid had been getting more and more smart-assed lately. Then she spoke in her mum voice. “Rook Thomas, you don’t need to panic. Go up to the residence, get yourself changed and ready, and I’ll let you know when they’re here.” Myfanwy nodded obediently, opened the door behind the portrait, and went up to the bachelor pad.
     
The Americans
    The moment the English arrived in the New World, the Checquy was there too. The second person off the boat at Jamestown was a Checquy operative who spent most of his time cringing at the appalling things the other colonists were doing and quietly applauding as they succumbed to the subtle magical warfare tactics of the natives. He returned to England with a newfound penchant for corn and a fervent desire not to go back to the colonies. He convinced the Court that a more effective (and better funded) effort was going to be necessary to evaluate the supernatural potential of the continent. They took notice and dispatched several agents to the New World.
    The most important of these was Richard Swansea, who faced the rather daunting task of being a secret paranormal agent for the government in the colony of Plymouth. His letters back to England make for fascinating reading, especially since the poor man did not subscribe to the religion of his neighbors.
    Surrounded by sour-faced fanatics, Swansea was obliged to put on a brilliant performance; if his neighbors had discovered any of the records concealed in his house, he would have undoubtedly been hanged. Because of his public good works and seemingly burning piety, however, he was a local hero, regarded with a greater reverence than even the community elders. No man dressed more soberly or was quicker to condemn laxness on the part of others. The poor man must have been in hell.
    Back in London, Richard Swansea had enjoyed a life of remarkable decadence. The child of a successful madam, Swansea grew up wandering freelybetween two worlds. Half his time was spent running wild on the streets and the other half becoming acquainted with the many upper-class customers of his mother’s… stable. One of these customers was a high-ranking member of the Checquy, so as soon as Swansea’s powers of chameleonic skin, body-part regeneration, and hypercontortionism manifested, at the age of twelve, he was snatched up.
    During his training, Swansea amazed his teachers and earned the adoration of his fellow pupils. Upon his graduation, he became the most prominent operative in the organization. Swansea’s extensive contacts in polite society and his in-depth knowledge of the underworld allowed him to pull off some of the most remarkable operations of the time. Accordingly, when the opportunity arose to create the first major