Touched by an Alien

of their divisions. Sort of overkill for a single superbeing, and before you try to say otherwise, there were other manifestations the same day, because agents were bringing in other boxes while we were at the storage facility. Agents who apparently could function without Christopher or Martini telling them what to do.”
    “So you lucked out,” Martini said.
    “No, you all just managed to avoid telling me something. It’s about the only way you all successfully lie. You don’t tell a falsehood, you just don’t share the full details, unless you’re asked a question point-blank. So, get ready. You all knew Ronald Yates was in Pueblo Caliente, didn’t you? And that’s why the heads of their divisions and, for want of an easier word, your Pope, were in attendance. Correct?”
    Oh, easily correct. Not a one of them could meet my eye. Reader was looking up at the ceiling. He was grinning.
    “I’ll take the silence as confirmation. Oh, and all those SUVs full of agents who went with us to the crash site? They weren’t along to protect me. They were along to protect you , Pope White.”
    “We use a different word,” he said quietly. “Pope is really not appropriate.”
    “True, you get to marry and have kids. I could call you Rabbi Richard, but you could make it easier and just tell me what the title is.” Silence. No problem—I knew how to get things out of these boys. “Bossa Nova? The Head Cheese? Mister Big? Papa Grande? The Head Honcho? Numero Uno? The Grand Poobah?”
    Martini started to laugh. It was a relief in more ways than one. “I really like Bossa Nova,” he said to White. “You should consider it.”
    “He’s the Sovereign Pontifex,” Christopher snapped. I’d figured he would end up the one to crack first. I was making fun of his father, after all. I decided not to point out the title would translate to Pope—they weren’t stupid, and it’s safer to try to blend in with the dominant religion of your new land.
    “And he’s the religious leader of your tribe. Which, I do realize, makes him your official leader. But like the Pope, he doesn’t run the operations so much as he’s the face of them. To the governments and to anyone who might want to talk to the head man. It’s really impressive to the new recruits, too. Until we figure out that the Sovereign Pontifex here never actually calls any shots.”
    “Oh, I call a few,” White said with what I realized was a smile. “I’m the one who passes judgment on whether or not an Earth recruit actually has what we require to join the team.”
    “Which is why you showed up at the courthouse with your adjunct,” I nodded at Gower. “Or is he just called personal assistant?”
    “He’s called the Head of Recruitment,” White said. “Officially, that is.”
    “When did I pass the test?”
    White managed a chuckle. “In the warehouse.”
    “Thought so. You stopped ordering people around after that and never seemed fazed when Martini and Christopher were giving directions.” I looked at Martini. “It was really obvious you were high up when we were in the dome at the crash site. Only the head honchos get to tell people whose entire job is guarding something to shove off, and get to do so with no arguments whatsoever.”
    He shrugged. “I told you, most people like me.”
    “So you claim. Now, I don’t think we have a lot of time. I need to get a lot of information, and we need to form a plan for what to do and how to survive it. I really only want to discuss this with the people who’ll be going on this little journey with me.”
    “Why don’t you want any of the rest of us?” Gower asked. “We haven’t been getting in your way all that much, and we might have some ideas that could help.”
    “I don’t want you around, Paul, because you and the Pontifex here have to convince the various government agencies to clear out of a very large, secluded, and unpopulated desert area and not get involved, no matter what.”
    “Kitty, we need artillery to kill these things,” Reader said, sounding worried.
    “Apparently that doesn’t work on Mephistopheles. So we’re going with my plan.”
    “What, we’ll all be armed with hairspray?” Martini asked, sounding as though he wasn’t going to be surprised if I said yes.
    “In a way, yes.”
    Dang. He looked surprised.

CHAPTER 30
    AFTER A LITTLE MORE WRANGLING , whining, and useless posturing, White and Gower left. Finally. Alone at last. Just me and the five other