Witchful Thinking Part 3

I quite like the way you smell.

I laughed and shook my head as I stood up and walked around the long table, taking the empty seat beside him. I noticed a few people staring at me, probably wondering why Iad suddenly burst out laughing when no one was talking to me, but I couldnat be bothered to care. If Rand wanted to smell me, who was I to stop him? Rand didnat take any notice of me when I settled in next to him, continuing his role of chairing the meeting.

aAnd what do you propose we do with Bella?a he asked.

Bella was currently being restrained in one of the guest rooms at Pelham Manor. Mathilda and Mercedes had cast a spell that kept her imprisoned, and Rand kept two guards stationed outside her door twenty-four/seven. Overkill anyone?

Before I knew it, the feel of Randas hand was warm on my thigh. At first he just laid it there, but after a few seconds he began stroking, stopping at my knee and then coming back up.

Ah, so you were really after a cheap thrill? I thought. Although my tone might have sounded level and in control, my heart was pounding through my ears.

His chuckle pealed through my mind. I hadnat intended to touch you but I canat stop myself.

Why do I have a feeling this was your plan all along?

Would you prefer I stop?

h.e.l.l, no, I didnat want him to stop.

No.

Then stop complaining.

Iam not complaining.

A wide smile overcame him even though he was looking at Trent, whose conversation had something to do with Bella. When Trent saw Randas bizarre expression, he stopped talking and turned to face Odran, confusion etched in his eyes.

Pay attention to the conversation. I grasped Randas hand, which was still ma.s.saging my thigh. Youare scaring everyone around the table.

Iam having difficulty focusing on anything but your body.

A shudder vibrated through me at his words, and the errant thought that Mercedes might be overhearing us crossed my mind. But I honestly didnat even care. Instead my entire body was tuned to Randas hand as it began to inch its way back up my thigh. He squeezed me gently and I nearly jumped out of my seat.

aAye, we shouldna allow aer ta live,a Odran said, nodding in agreement with Trentas last commenta"which, by the sound of it, had something to do with killing Bella. For all I cared, they could have been talking about aliens abducting Bella. No, my only interest was the current program t.i.tled aJolie Is Finally Getting Some Action.a aI donat think we should kill her,a Rand argued. I was surprised he was still paying attention.

aShe will never be our ally,a Varick announced.

aBut is that any reason to kill her?a Rand countered.

aI donat think we should kill her either,a I concurred in a voice that sounded breathy and hurried. No one glanced at me, though, so I figured the secret that Randas hand was now at the North Pole was still mine to keep.

aThis can be resolved at a later date,a Mercedes interrupted. aFor now, I believe we should concentrate on rebuilding our army.a Rand nodded and began drumming the fingers of his other hand against the wood table. I noticed that his hand had relaxed and was no longer ma.s.saging or squeezing my leg. He was fully focused on the conversation. b.u.mmer, but it had been fun while it lasted.

aOnce the ledger of names is confirmed, we can begin bringing our dead soldiers back,a Rand said, offering me a smile.

Mercedes nodded and turned to me. aI will a.s.sist you.a Ah, yes, I had momentarily forgotten about the little fact that Mercedes could reanimate the deada"a talent shead demonstrated when she so artfully brought me back to life. Between the two of us, I hoped the task would be expedited. Even though I hadnat seen the tally, I had a feeling there were many creatures in need of our a abilities. And it wasnat like bringing back the dead was easy. It took intense concentration and it sometimes didnat work on the first, second, or even third attempt. So depending on how many dead there were, Mercedes and I were about to be very busy.

aWe must rebuild the legion quickly,a Mercedes continued, as if shead been reading my mind. aJolieas role as Queen will soon require her complete attention.a I could see Randas lips tighten. aAs far as I understand it, Jolie hasnat decided if she wants to be Queen.a aIt is her fate,a Mercedes said simply, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were just as piercingly defiant.

aI believe the prophetess, Rand,a Mathilda said in her bell-like cadence. aThe child is gifted, you have known that from the beginning.a Rand nodded. aYes, Jolie is gifted, and yes, I trust her entirely, but thatas not to say I believe in fate. No, I believe in the freedom of choice. As Jolieas protector, I insist she be given the right to choose.a aIf it is ordained,a Odran started, ait cannoot be denied.a Rand stood up and slapped his palms loudly on the table before him, leaning forward. aThis is another subject that wonat be resolved today.a He paused for a moment or two and then added, aI think weave discussed enough.a At Randas less-than-subtle indication that the meeting was over, everyone stood and started for the door.

aJolie, can you stay for a minute?a Rand asked me. As I turned around to face him, he smiled encouragingly, as if to say it would be a pleasant conversation. Hmm, half of me had been hoping I was in troublea"I could use a good old-fashioned spanking over his knees.

I nodded, resuming my place at the table. aAm I in trouble?a I asked with a smile.

He returned it. aIt depends. Do you want to be in trouble?a So he was still flirting with me. That was a good sign. aWhatas my punishment?a He chuckled and shook his head, dropping the charade. Instead he approached me and set both his hands on my shoulders, ma.s.saging them with his strong fingers. aI wanted to talk to you about when you traveled back to 1878.a I nodded and felt my stomach rise up into my throat. I was suddenly suffused with panic. It was at that moment that I decided what Rand didnat know about us bonding wouldnat hurt him. We werenat bonded now and that was all that mattered. It was better not to rehash the past, better not to tell him I was the reason for his brush with death.

aWhere should I start?a I asked with trepidation in my voice.

He stopped ma.s.saging my shoulders and took the seat next to me, reaching for my left hand. He looked it over, no doubt taking in the fact that I was still wearing his motheras ring. aYou said I gave this ring to you?a I nodded while fingering the band, then slid it off my finger. I probably shouldnat be wearing ita"not when things were still at an impa.s.se between us, or at the very least undecided. aDo you want it back?a He wrapped his fingers around mine and pushed the ring back onto my finger. aNo,a he said, curling my fingers back into my palm. aIf anyone should wear it, itas you.a I didnat even have time to digest that statement before he was off on another. aAnd if I gave it to you, it belongs to you now.a aThanks,a I said, feeling heat in my cheeks.

aWhat was it like traveling to the past and meeting Pelham and me? And Christine?a Besides Mercedes, Christine had been my only friend.

aIt was surreal. At first the only people who were nice to me were Mercedes, Pelham, and Christine.a aAnd how about me?a I regarded him with a frown but couldnat keep my smile to myself. aYou were less than nice. Rude, argumentative, and surly might be a better description.a He chuckled deeply. aBut of course, in true Jolie Wilkins fashion, you must have won me over.a I nodded and sighed as I thought about it. I remembered winning him over, remembered how amazing it had felt when we finally admitted our feelings for each other. And how incredible he had felt inside me.

aYes, I did finally win you over, but it wasnat an easy feat,a I said with a laugh that sounded sad even to my ears. aIt took a spell from Mathilda for the old you to have the same feelings you have for me today.a He nodded and glanced down at the table before returning his chocolate-brown eyes to me. aAh, so I fell in love with you, did I?a Even though I was surprised by his admission, I just nodded because it was the truth. The old Rand had fallen in love with me and it wasnat a false love, spurred on by the convenience of Mathildaas spella"every thought, every feeling Rand bore toward me was genuine, real, based on his feelings for me in the here and now. It was the new Rand that I had to be sure about now. I reached for his face, trailing the soft skin of his temples down to the roughness of his cheek, where the beginnings of a shadow were starting. aAre you in love with me, Rand?a aYes, very much so,a he answered without hesitation. aBut my love for you isnat why I asked you to stay behind. I need to know what happened in 1878, Jolie. Why did I give you my motheras ring? What were the circ.u.mstances?a aRanda"a I swallowed down a huge lump of nervousness. Something that felt like angst began to well in my gut and before I could even fathom what I was doing, I was already doing it. I stared into Randas eyes and felt the words swirling through my head, felt the chant ricochet through me, recognizing the duplicity in my actions but seemingly unable to do anything about it.

I canat discuss the facts of 1878 with you, Rand. Focus on another topica"ask me about any other subject in the forefront of your mind.

It hadnat even occurred to me that maybe Rand, being the powerful warlock he was, would be immune to my magic, and luckily for me it didnat appear that he was. Instead his eyes took on the same dreamy expression Iad witnessed whenever I used witchcraft to influence someone.

aDo you intend to become Queen?a he interrupted. I felt my entire body deflate with relief, even as guilt started eating me from the feet up. The relief was a mere respite, though, because the subject of whether or not I intended to become Queen was about as welcome as the bonding conversation.

aI donat want to deter you, Jolie, but I want to ensure this is what you want and that you arenat just acting as Mercedesa puppet.a aI aa I didnat know what to say.

aMercedes is very demanding, and I want to make certain someone is looking out for your best interests,a Rand finished.

And that was Rand to a T. He was always looking out for my best interests, making sure I was taken care ofa"that I was safe.

aI donat know what Iall do,a I said finally, looking down at my hands where his motheras ring sparkled up at me. I almost felt like I should take it off againa"offer it back to him. Because the truth of the matter was that I had no right to wear it.

He nodded. aI want you to make the decision for yourselfa"not because Mercedes is breathing down your neck or because you feel like you owe it to the creatures of the Underworld. On the other hand, donat deny yourself the t.i.tle if itas what you truly want.a I glanced up at him, pushing all of the worried thoughts from my mind. aAnd if the throne was what I wanted, would you support me?a Rand dropped his gaze and chewed his lip. aYou know my thoughts on the subject, Jolie. I cannot abide by any form of monarchy.a aI know,a I was quick to respond.

Randas smile was unexpected and secretive. aHave I ever told you why?a Hmm, come to think of it, he hadnat. Iad always figured it was just one of those things that made Rand Rand. Sort of like his deep brown eyes and his dimpled smile.

aNo, you havenat.a He nodded and, standing, took a few steps away from me, crossing his arms against his chest before turning back to face me again. aIn 1870 I was appointed amba.s.sador to the United States by Queen Victoria.a I felt my eyes widen in surprise. aYou were?a Rand chuckled. aIad already lived a full and colorful life before you came into it, Jolie.a aGo on.a aIn my position as amba.s.sador, I spent quite a bit of time with your president at the time, Ulysses Grant.a aGrant as in the Civil War hero?a I asked, my mouth dropping open again.

Rand laughed. aIt appears your knowledge of history is quite good. Yes, your Civil War hero.a He took a deep breath. aIn the three years that I represented British interests where America was concerned, I developed a keen admiration and love for the American waya"for the emphasis placed on equality and justice for all men.a He sighed, and his gaze settled on the vista outside the window. aI thought perhaps England could adopt some of the American values I had come to believe in, but of course that was entirely impossible due to the fact that my country had always been a monarchy.a He turned to face me again, and there was fire in his eyes. aBut when I realized the Underworld didnat have to follow the path of monarchy, my hopes for a republic were born. And Iave never given up on my beliefs that the society of Underworld creatures should be governed by and unto themselves, not overlorded by a monarch.a I nodded and sighed. His feelings were obviously carved in stone. c.r.a.p and a half. aSo if I do become Queen, things will be over between us?a aI didnat say that.a But he didnat have to. Realistically, how could he love me and be with me if he didnat condone my day job? It would tear us apart; I could see it as clearly as if I were peering into a crystal ball.

aJolie?a Randas voice accompanied a strong rap on my door.

I stood up from my position of sloth on the couch and turned down the volume of the television. The clock above the TV announced it was eleven thirty at night. Wondering why he could possibly be visiting so late, I pulled open the door and found him before me, dressed in loose-fitting dark jeans and a white T-shirt that glowed in the rays of moonlight behind him.

aIs everything okay?a I asked.

aYes, yes,a he said dismissively and eyed the inside of my house with what appeared to be longing.

aDo you want to come in?a I held the door open wide and stepped aside.

aIf you arenat otherwise engaged, yes please.a aIam not.a He walked inside and eyed the surroundings of my house as if he hadnat seen it before, as if this was the first time head ever viewed what once was the butleras quarters of Pelham Manor. I closed the door behind us.

aI couldnat sleep and found nothing entertaining on the telly,a he started and ran an agitated hand through his hair that told me he was uncomfortable or, at the very least, nervous. What he had to be nervous about was anyoneas guess. But really, that was just Rand. He could never be described as predictable.

aOh,a I said, not really knowing what else to say.

aI, uh, thought perhaps you might like some company.a I shrugged, attempting to give the idea that I was cool, calm, and in control of my emotions when the truth of the matter was that I could think of nothing more appealing. aSure.a Secretly I wondered if he might resume the last conversation wead hada"about what would happen between us should I become Queen. Of course it wasnat a conversation I wanted anything to do with, so it wasnat like I was about to bring it up. And hopefully neither would he. I just wasnat in the mood for a long-winded and difficult discussion.

aI wondered if perhaps you might be interested in a magic lesson?a aNow?a I asked, my tone echoing my surprise.

Rand chuckled, a deep, harmonious sound. In fact, I never tired of Randas laugha"it was one of those sounds I couldnat help but love.

aTonight is a waning crescent moon,a he started.

aHuh?a He laughed again. aWhen the moon enters the waning crescent lunar phase, just prior to becoming a new moon, the impetus for magic is at its highest.a I glanced outside my window at the sliver of moon, which looked more like the white top of a French-manicured fingernail. aThat sounds like an important detail,a I said, glancing back at my warlock. aHow come Iam just learning it now?a Rand shrugged. aItas taken me over one hundred years to ama.s.s all the knowledge I have today, and yet Iam still a novice.a aGreat. I have a long-a.s.s time to look forward to then.a Rand c.o.c.ked a brow and just smiled.

aSo what lesson am I in for tonight?a aAstral projection.a aAstral what?a I asked and eyed him suspiciously. I couldnat exactly say I was in the mood for a magic lesson. Wasnat there something to be said for just chilling on the couch and watching Come Dine with Me? Throw a few makeout sessions in there and it would prove to be the best evening Iad had all week.

aYes, astral projection.a aIam hardly dressed for it,a I said, glancing down at my Victoriaas Secret cotton PJ pants and my oversized pink sweatshirt. I didnat even have on any shoes.

Rand nodded and any nervousness head had before was gone. In its place was a cool a.s.surance. He took a few steps toward me until my body was maybe a foot from his. Then he brought each of his hands to my shoulders and smiled down at me.

aAstral projection can only be successfully attempted during the waning and waxing crescent phases of the moon, so why not take advantage of the opportunity nature has presented us with?a I sighed. aWant to explain what it is first?a He nodded but didnat remove his hands from my shoulders. Instead he tightened his hold and wore a funny little smile, like he was getting some sort of kick out of this whole thing. aAstral projection has been a.s.sociated with out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, and the afterlife.a aGreat,a I said with a frown. aThat all sounds really rea.s.suring.a His smile deepened. aItas the separation of the soul from the physical, corporeal body.a I gulped. aThis is sounding worse by the minute.a He brought his finger to my face and traced from my temple down my cheek to my jawline. I felt my breathing increase as my heart began to pound.

aI would never endanger you, you realize that, Jolie?a His voice was low, gruff.

My own voice had packed up and moved out so I just nodded dumbly.

aYour skin is so soft,a he whispered, and before I could worry about separating my soul from my physical body or the wax-on, wax-off cycle of the moon, his lips were on mine. I closed my eyes and relished the feel and taste of him. His lips were so incredibly full and soft. He gripped my neck and pulled me into him as his tongue breached the closure of my lips.

He pulled away and gazed down at me with a serene expression. aI apologize.a aUm, what?a He chuckled. aFor derailing your lesson.a Lesson? What lesson? aOh, itas okay.a He pulled away from me with a smirk and shook his head; why, I wasnat sure. Then he glanced down at my feet.

aShould I put on some shoes?a aNo, we arenat leaving your house.a Out-of-body experience, separation of the soul from the corporeal body a yeah, I guess the fact that we wouldnat be leaving the house made sense. I mean, it was all about soul travel. Hmm, speaking of soul travel, I had to wonder if it was possible for one to astrally project oneself to the grocery store?

aSo start asplainina, Lucy,a I said with a smile.

Rand just responded with a c.o.c.keyed expression that told me he wasnat familiar with I Love Lucy. Still, he didnat seem to be very concerned; he just approached the window and gazed at the moon.

aYou start by focusing on the moon,a he said as I moved up next to him so as not to appear the inattentive student. aAllow the magic to penetrate you, soak in the lunar rays, and then allow yourself to project.a While his directions didnat exactly answer the myriad questions floating through my head, I kept my concerns to myself and simply watched as he closed his eyes. There wasnat any sort of expression on his incredibly handsome face. Instead he looked like he was meditatinga"the square lines of his jaw relaxed and tranquil.

There was no indication that anything of a magical nature was happening but, with regard to the Underworld, looks usually were deceiving. Continuing to study Rand, I almost missed the reflection of something shimmery and white from out of the corner of my eye. I glanced outside and could faintly detect the outline of a man as he walked among the trees. There was a whitish glow about him; inside the glowing outline, his body was transparent, like a ghost.

I glanced back at Rand and found he looked exactly the same as he hada"like he was still sound asleep. Before I had the chance to look out the window again at our ghostly visitor, Rand took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Then he released his breath and smiled.

aDid you see me?a I nodded. aYou looked like a ghost.a aAstral projection.a aAnd let me guess, now itas my turn?a He chuckled. aQuite astute of you, Jolie.a I sighed and turned squarely in front of the window in the hope that I could fully maximize my ability to soak in the lunar rays. I needed all the help I could get.

aClose your eyes,a Rand said in a soft voice. I did as I was told and felt his breath against my cheek; my skin responded with goose b.u.mps. aFeel the magic soak into you, Jolie, allow the power of the moon inside you.a He lifted the curtain of my hair from my neck. That, combined with his announcement that I should let the moon ainside me,a was enough for me to demand that we forget all this projection stuff in favor of some s.e.x stuff. But I managed to maintain my cool. Point for me.

I focused on the darkness of my eyelids and imagined the light and magic of the lunar rays soaking into me, filling me up with their powerful tide.

aOkay,a I whispered.

Randas breath was now on my neck. I could feel his body as he moved closer to me, pulling me backward and into his arms.

aAllow yourself to walk through the trees. Imagine smelling the crisp air outside, feeling the soil beneath your toes, the chill of the wind.a I concentrated, imagined the things head just envisioned for me, and it felt as if I were suddenly weightlessa"merely a thought, floating through s.p.a.ce and time. It was a lightness Iave never experienced beforea"I was no longer subject to gravity. Instead I was like the air itself. I opened my eyes and found myself outside. I could feel the branches and leaves on the forest floor. The rays of the moon seemed to embrace me in an otherworldly hug.

aCome back to me, Jolie.a Randas voice sounded far off, almost like he was whispering into the wind.

aPull yourself back in.a I nodded and glanced up at the moon again, telling the great white G.o.ddess that I needed to return to my body. My time here was up.

And as suddenly as if Iad been hit by a truck, that light-headed, weightless feeling was ripped away from me. In its place I felt heavy, dense. My knees buckled at the same time that Rand caught me with a chuckle. I opened my eyes and with my heart beating frantically in my chest, glanced around my living room.

aDid I do it?a aYes, you did,a Rand answered. He sounded proud.

I held on to him and allowed my head to rest against his chest as my heartbeat calmed. I still felt wobbly, though, like a newborn giraffe.

aYou never stop amazing me.a His voice was soft as he kissed the top of my head. aYour magic, Jolie, is incredibly strong. I sometimes forget how powerful you truly are.a But I didnat want to hear how powerful I was. All I wanted was to lose myself in the feel of Randas arms around me, in the way he smelled of spice and something deeply masculine. I didnat say anything but tightened my arms around him, wishing this moment would never end.

Even though I put up a good fight, in the end I didnat fly to Australia to retrieve Christa. Mercedes kept insisting that it was just too risky for the Queen of the Underworld to be flying around the globe in these auncertain times.a She may have perceived the times as uncertain, but I was more than certain this Queen business was seriously cramping my style.

I would have continued to argue my case for retrieving Christa if her boyfriend, John, hadnat happily offered to take the task upon himself. And after talking to him, I sensed that head also prefer to do it alone. And I didnat blame hima"if Iad been separated from Rand for more than two weeks, Iad also prefer some one-on-one time. Pun most definitely intended.

Either way, Christa was safe and sound and back at Pelham Manor. Although, she wasnat too thrilled with the fact that I had charmed her into traveling to Australia on her own.

aI had to do it, Chris,a I said with a hopeful smile.

It was early evening and we were sitting on my couch in the living room of my small housea"about two miles from Pelham Manor. It might seem strange that Christa lived in Randas home and I didnat (but really, what counts as strange when weare talking about witches, vampires, and werewolves?). Anyway, when Christa and I first moved to Alnwick, England, to live with Rand (due to the fact that Rand said I needed protection once Iad been introduced to the Underworld, and he could offer said protection), we both lived alongside of him in Pelham Manor. But as emotions between Rand and me got more confused and even more frustrating, I decided I needed my own s.p.a.ce, so I moved out. Christa had continued to occupy Pelham Manor, employed as Randas a.s.sistant. And as for jealousy? It actually wasnat an arrangement that bothered me at all, mainly because Christa had a boyfriend and Rand had put a spell on her that made her feel only brotherly feelings toward him.

So tonight was girlsa night. Iad given express instructions to everyone to leave us alone. Anyone or anything with testosterone was most definitely not invited. No, tonight was going to be about reconnecting with the one person who was closer to me than anyone on the planet, and we had lots to catch up on.

aIt wasnat fun sightseeing by myself,a Christa whined, her lower lip protruding in a pout as my cat, Plum, jumped off my lap and sashayed over to her, rubbing up against her and begging for a chin scratch. aYou know I hate being by myself.a If John hadnat told her I was supposed to be her tour guide in Australia but had chosen to battle Bellaas legion instead, she never would have found fault with the situation. Yes, I believed in honesty being the best policy and all of those other poignant idioms, but come on, John could have thrown me a bone on this one a aWell, to make up for it, I have a lot to tell you,a I offered and then paused, hoping Christa would go for the bait. If there was anything Christa loved, it was gossip.

She pulled the cork from our second bottle of winea"this one a Shiraza"and beamed a grin that told me all of my transgressions were forgiven. aOkay, that does make it better. Shoot.a So I did. I told her about how Iad fought in the battle, and most important, how Iad killed the vampire Ryder, which had been one of my prime motives for joining the fight in the first place. Ryder was someone who just had to be killed. Not only had he betrayed Rand by pretending to be on our side, but head also kidnapped me and taken me to Bella, aka the Wicked Witch of the West. And that wasnat his last or even his least offensea"after kidnapping me, head fed on me, nearly draining me, and had then come even closer to raping me.

Needless to say, when I delivered the fatal blow and Ryder morphed into ashes at my feet, relief became my constant companion. That is, until all of this business of being appointed Queen was thrust upon me.

aWow,a Christa said, shaking her head in wonderment before her smile vanished and was replaced by a curious expression. aBut I thought your magic was useless against vampires?a I nodded. aIt is, but aa I wasnat sure how to tell her the next part because it was top secret and, therefore, taboo. After another few seconds of wondering how to phrase it while watching Christa start to fidget, I finally blurted out: aI drank Sinjinas blood.a Drinking the blood of a master vampire, such as Sinjin Sinclairas, had enabled me to even the odds when I battled Ryder. Without Sinjinas blood, I would have been defenseless against Ryderas extreme strength and speed. I knew this from past experiencea"prior to killing Ryder, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d had been teaching me self-defense, and to say I was helpless to protect myself against his attacks would have been an understatement.

aSinjin let you drink his blood?a Christa asked in a tone of utter disbelief, her mouth open in a perfect O.

aYes,a I answered and suddenly worried Christa might blab this information. She did have a big mouth. But, apparently, so did I. aYou canat tell anyone. It has to remain confidential. You canat even tell John.a As a master vampire, Sinjin never should have allowed anyone to drink his blood. It still surprised me that head awarded me such a privilege. Truthfully, without Sinjinas blood, I never could have killed Ryder, because Christa was righta"my magic was effective on everyone in the paranormal community except for vamps.

aSinjin must be in love with you.a Christa shook her head, apparently still shocked by the news.

aNo, he isnat,a I replied quickly as I contemplated the idea of Sinjin being in love with anyone, me included. Love or any emotional attachment seemed inappropriate to the six-hundred-year-old vampire. I couldnat imagine him dropping his guard long enough to love someone. He was too concerned with his own well-being to ever allow himself the weak dependence of affection.

aSounds like love to me. What would you call it?a I shook my head. I didnat know what Iad call it, but definitely not love.

aMaybe just curiosity,a I said, thinking that was probably the best description. Even though Sinjin was a complete mystery and I constantly found myself second-guessing his motives, the one thing I did know about him was that he was motivated by his own sense of importance. He seemed to enjoy playing G.o.da"allowing circ.u.mstances to unfold while he stood back and watched like an unconcerned spectator. But if the situation ever became too heated or turned in a direction that didnat suit his plans, head bring his thumb down and squash whoever or whatever happened to offend him, and head do it with the same cool, calm countenance in which he did all things.