#bergen_county

"Did Dagmar tell you when she'd be able to be there, to do the Whisper?"

"Sounded like she was fairly at loose ends for the summer, other than patrolling on that horse of hers."

"Okay...just let me..." She takes out her phone and texts Dagmar:

TXT: ok omw

TXT: 👍

"Okay," she says to the others. "She's available, and on her way over there. I don't think we should put this off any more." She stands, ready to go.

"It's been like, two days since I found out." Piper rubs at her forehead. "It's not going anywhere anytime fast."

"No, but the not-knowing might go away faster if we get down to GF and talk to the 'Fire. Come on, Piper," she adds with a gentler tone. "One way or another, we're going to work this out, and you have a boatload of people supporting you."

"Let's go, love. Only way out is thru, eh?"

"I guess. Yes. I'm just - it's a whole lot all at once, you know?"

Standing and joining them, and making sure that the balcony sliding door is locked AND latched with a bungee cord and a dowel in the track before leaving. "Rikki." She says to Sylvi by way of explanation.

"Oh, yeah. Smart."

And off they go to Goldfinch.

"That pooka" Hurumph and they go

(To GF)