The Autumn Prince

32. Meridian

"That just leaves the brunaidh," Finn said, then called out, "You may as well show yourselves. We're not going to get through all of you one at a time."

Slowly, timidly, dozens of tiny faces peeked around walls, through windows, from behind pillars and among potted plants. At first, I thought they were all like the little woman sitting on the Jeep, but it became clear that there were few similarities between them. Some were bigger, some smaller, some looked like twigs, others like gray-skinned garden gnomes. Some had long ears that stood up, some hung down. Some were shaggy, some hairless, and a few had the wings of butterflies, or dragonflies. At least one was feathered like a bird.

"Most of the work was done by this lot," Finn said casually. "They've a talent for building and repairs. Most of them, anyway." She shot a glance at the girl sitting on the Jeep.

"I can build just fine," she answered, "I'm just better at other things."

"Like breaking faith with your chief!" a thin, gravelly voice bellowed and one of the little men forced his way through the crowd and stepped toward us. Like the woman, he seemed stretched, but was rounder in the middle, sported a short, plaited beard, and had his hair twisted up in a man-bun. "You were told to remain behind!" A murmur passed through the diminutive horde.

"Not now, Grimble," Finn admonished, which seemed to enrage the little hipster.

"You aren't a hob," he growled at her. "You don't command my clan."

"Someone should," The one on the Jeep jeered. He puffed out his chest and rose up on his toes, obviously trying to look intimidating, but it had little effect. I glanced at Finn. She seemed torn between laughing and kicking them both across the room.

"Do you know what this," he gestured roughly toward me with both hands, searching for words, "is capable of? Who knows if you haven't already been contaminated? You're putting the entire family at risk!"

"The only risk to the family is your fat ass."

"Don't cross me, Amilindis," Grimble scolded in a voice too loud and low for his size.

"Or what? You'll ask me to mate with you again?"

Grimble recoiled slightly and cast his eyes around at the other brownies. A handful of chuckles echoed out of the crowd.

"You keep your lying mouth shut!" he turned back and took a threatening step toward her.

"Alright, you two, I've had more than enough," Finn broke in finally.

"Don't tell me—" he began, but Finn dropped to one knee and looked him menacingly in the eye.

"I don't rule your people, Grim, but you still work for me and I set those terms. Now are you going to listen, or do you want to see how long you can continue to bully your clan without a patron?"

He clenched his teeth, jaw working to bite back the response he wanted to give, but in the end he turned sharply on his heel and stalked out of sight to a few anonymous giggles and titters.

"Coward!" the one called Amilindis called after him.

"He's right about one thing, Amy," Finn stood and pointed a finger at her. "You have a big mouth. Shut it, or you'll be on the cleaning crew for the next month."

"You wouldn't dare! You need me!"

"I'll hire an IT firm if I get desperate. Test me if you think I'm bluffing." The two stared each other down and Amy held out a little longer than Grimble, but as before, the smaller one looked away first.

"Fine," she said in a petulant tone, then sat back down and wrapped her arms around herself.

Finn led me forward to introduce the seven clans that made up the bulk of her construction crew. They gathered in front of me in groups of ten to twenty, then departed as a unit until we were alone except for Amilindis.