Johan Birch

My arms curled around her, and she wrapped herself into a little ball. Her body was jerking with sobs and I could feel her tears start to seep through my shirt. "It's okay, Kitten. It's okay."

Nora peeped up at me. "Then you don't hate me? Sabrina said you would hate me?"

"Who is Sabrina?"

"You knocked up one of Vera's virgin guardians a few years ago at one of Petra's parties. She's actually your daughter."

I looked at Samantha. "No wonder Vera's pissed at me."

There was a rustle sound, causing me to look at the door. "Sindee."

"I wondered what the ruckus was," Sindee said.

Nora flinched, then peeped over her shoulder. "You! You're here? You're a nymph? How did I not see that before?"

"Yes, yes, yes, and do you have to ask?" Sindee answered.

"Yes, I was invited onto warded territory." Nora wriggled in my arms, a sign that she wanted me to release her. She crawled out of my lap and went to stand in front of Sindee. "I was right."

"I didn't think you totally wrong, Kitten," Sindee replied.

"Sindee," I cautioned.

"She can call me Kitten," Nora turned to me and beamed.

"What were you almost right about?" I asked Nora.

Sindee turned to me and smiled. "Nora told me that you could love me more in one night than I have loved in my lifetime. There were many times last night that you were the top of my list, but cumulatively? No."

"Is the entire gaggle coming to LA?" Nora asked. "I need to find housing for you."

Samantha snorted. "I love how you switch into bossy mode, Nora."

She switched back into sheepish mode. "I forgot, you're the assistant now."

"You just took a day off, Nora," I decreed.

"I'm going to stick around," Samantha announced. "Somebody's got to keep my sisters in line."

"Are you sticking around Sindee?" I asked.

"Can we talk about it over dinner?" Sindee countered.

"Sure."

"Yay!" Nora squeaked. "Housing?"

"Decent place, seven bedrooms and pool," Sindee answered. "We won't all be in town at once, we have commitments to the township."

"Fair enough, that's fair enough," Nora nodded.

***

Dinner for me and Sindee was for two at a restaurant I had been to before. It wasn't unusual that Joseph was having dinner with his assistant-slash-guardian Stephanie. They came up to join me and Sindee, the two women peeling off so that Joseph and I could chat.

"What's on your mind, Joe?" I asked.

"Well, I lost you fourteen million dollars," Joseph sheepishly replied.

"How much did you lose?" I asked.

"Twenty-five. We were shooting this movie, and the lead actor took a break at a ski lodge and ended up in traction."

Ski lodges.Trouble for everyone.

"He'll be laid up for six months at least, so the movie dies. The lead actress was actually able to drop her part without comment, and she did."

"Can I see it?" I asked. "The sets?"

"I can set something up," Joe hedged. "We tell the crew tomorrow. It was blind luck that Stephanie saw you up here so you didn't have to hear about it second-hand."

"Then let's not delay."

"At twenty hours?" Joe asked in disbelief. "Twenty hours?"

"You're the boss, right?"

Joseph shrugged. "It is your dime."

Parker, Hugh, and Annalise Renraw, along with the director, Ang Lee, met us at the soundstage. "This better be good, Joe," Parker huffed.

"I think that Johan can help us out," Joseph countered. "How often have I been wrong?"

"Here," Annalise waved her arms around. "One hundred twenty-five million dollars!"

"Some of that mine," I pointed out. "Some of it Joe's. Thirty-nine of that one twenty-five."

"Of course," Annalise huffed.

Of course.

"So, this is the show," Ang spoke for the first time. "Let's walk around, I'll show you what we have on-site."

I was impressed. They had futuristic sets built around the premise of an interplanetary survey and mining craft. It was called Fortuneland, based on a short story by some author I had never heard of. Sindee would probably have me a copy ready by the time we got back to the condo Samantha had arranged for us.

The fancy part of the set belonged to the cockpit simulator. "If you guys don't want to continue, I want this."

"Get in line," Parker grumbled. "It's on loan, anyway."

"Have you tried recasting the parts?"

"We can't," Hugh protested. "It costs two hundred thousand dollars a day to keep this stage staffed!"

"How much time will another million get me?" I asked.

"Technically, we present costs based on contribution," Parker offered. "That one twenty-five is based on an estimate of costs all the way through post and print. A cool million taken directly from your account would buy you four days."

"Test Kyle and Melissa," I offered to Joe.

"You're kidding, right?" Annalise huffed.

"They are rating well as a couple," Hugh nodded.

"On TV!" Annalise exclaimed.

"It's Johan's money," Parker said. "It hurts us none."

"Yes," Hugh said. "I already know how the rest of the votes will go, Annalise will be the only 'no.'"

***

Parker gave me the weekend for free. Kyle and Melissa showed up the following Monday, bright-eyed. Samantha and I watched their test from the wings. Ang gave them the simulator first and I got jealous watching them 'fly' it around. It was supposed to be a simulated crash, and I thought they pulled it off pretty good.

The next scene was a drama-in-bed scene. Kyle and Melissa had real chemistry, real and not faked. The scene was perfect.

Parker and Ang found me after the cut. "You were right, mostly."

"How's that?" I asked.

"They're going to the 'Very Wicca' set now. They'll do a fight scene on this set tomorrow, so we can test their movements, and I'll see if we can't find some stunt doubles," Parker answered.

"They want to do their own fight, Parker," Ang interjected. "I let them check out the weapons."

"God help me," Parker sighed. "Sorry, Johan. Goddess help me." He set off, mumbling to himself.

"I hope they are as good as you think they are, Johan," Ang warned.

"How's that?" I asked.

"Hollywood isn't forgiving to bad actors, or actresses, and it is also equally unforgiving to bad companies. You've meddled here, and that may cause them to push you out of future productions no matter how much money you offer. You'll be bad luck."

"I understand, Ang."

"You do that."

Joseph came up to me and Samantha after Ang was out of sight. "Don't listen to Ang, he's a blowhard and a prima donna. I've made bad decisions and meddled, and I'm still here."

"But you're The Man, Joe," I teased. "Melissa confronted me one time and she calls you 'Mister Bruckberg' even when you're not around. That's respect there, methinks."

"That's interesting," Joe mused. "Come to the set with me?"

"Samantha? Sunny will be there."

"I've got to catch up with somebody about something," Samantha said.

"See you later, then."

"Can you tell me what that's all about?" Joseph asked when we got into his car.

"No, and please don't even think it again, okay? Not a thought."

Joe made a sign of zipping his lip and tossing the key. "Mmph."

Sunday caught up with me when Kyle and Melissa made themselves scarce after a shot. "You smell like Samantha."

"Samantha and I..."

"I know you're not involved with her," Sunday nodded. "You also rode in with Mister Bruckberg, and he smells of Samantha, too. This wouldn't have anything to do with where Kyle and Melissa were earlier?"

Mister Bruckberg, from Sunday Birch.Interesting.

"You don't know?"

"That entire studio lot is warded against wicca. Very powerful stuff, I'd actually like to meet the person or persons who wrote that spell."

"But Melissa is a wiccan," I protested.

"Melissa was given a written invitation to set foot upon that lot. My sister was on your arm and rode in on your invitation. If I were to ask her, she would probably admit to losing her power."

Oh, that.Neat.

"So?" Sunday asked. Just a hint of compulsion there.

"Ask Kyle and Melissa. Try that compulsion on them."

She turned several shades of red. "I'm sorry."

"Accepted." Sunday glanced over my shoulder. "Melissa?" I asked. Sunday nodded.

I turned to face Melissa. "You can't possibly be angry with me."

"Well, the jury is still out. So you were involved in casting... again."

"Of course I was."

"Why?"

"You've got to work on that compulsion," I warned. "You've got some of the oldest teachers on the planet to help you."

Sunday punched me in the shoulder. "Hey! No older than you!"

"You're an immortal?" Melissa whispered.

"Reincarnated. Doesn't count," I whispered back.

"Spill," Melissa demanded.

"I was about to lose a couple million dollars. I still may."

"More like eight," Joseph said as he joined our little group. "And, no you won't."

"Mister Bruckberg, what's going on?" Melissa asked. "I thought..."

"Sometimes things change, Melissa," Joseph replied. "No, you don't have to worry about your friend Miss Thatcher's job, she's still my right-hand woman."

"That's a relief," Melissa sighed.

"Melissa doesn't know my job," I chuckled. "She's been in my offices, but doesn't know my job."

"Didn't I tell you, Melissa?" Sunday asked. "Johan is smug, with a capital S-M-U-G."

"Shush," I warned.

***

A few days later I heard about Parker and his brother Hugh's attempt to put Melissa's show on hiatus. Nora giggled when she followed up with the news that Kyle and Melissa had went on strike until Parker and his other brother Jack had reinstated the show.

Joseph called me the following week asking me if there was such a thing as a magic detector. I told him that there was and asked him why. He explained that the stunt coordinator for Kyle and Melissa's fight scene was a Chinese national and had called bullshit on their Kung-Fu fighting abilities.

Officials from the consulate had brought in a supposed magic detector to see if there was any magic in use on the set. If there was, there was no way that the movie would ever get shown on the mainland, and future releases from Renraw Brothers would be placed under greater scrutiny.

Since there hadn't been any magic in use, all the studio had to do was cut certain scenes so that the movie wouldn't hurt any delicate sensibilities in China.

I told him that the Chinese did indeed have magic detectors, and that they did work. He wanted to press the subject, so I told him to grab a really good bottle of whiskey and some good cigars and I would spill.

Joseph was a little wobbly when I told him about what happened to magicians in that country and why. Magic gave the people even more power than the thought of democracy and free speech.

He was also surprised that given his association with 'Very Wicca' they would even think about 'Fortuneland.' I told him that I didn't know. The next morning I called Gemma and asked her if I could borrow one of her magic detectors.

Her reply was sarcastic, telling me that I could use my third eye to see areas where magic had been used. I told her that I needed to see the technological equivalent.

Just like I suspected, the 'Very Wicca' soundstage was alive with magic. Gemma took measurements for two hours, Melissa and Sunday watching with both amusement and concern.

Then Gemma and I went to the lot where the Fortuneland soundstage was set. Her detector went off all the way up to the warding, then stopped. We couldn't even see the warding from inside.

That's the shit.

"Pretty neat," Gemma admitted. "That's almost as strong as the warding on your house in North Angeles."

"Do you have all your data?" I asked.

"As much as I can get," Gemma admitted.

"Can you duplicate it?"

"No."

"Worth a thought," I sighed. "Want to see a movie set while we're here?"

"Sure."

Gemma was in awe even before we went inside. The building was bigger than any two of my warehouses at the Jacer Semiconductor complex. When we went inside, she wasn't looking at the sets, she was looking at the construction of the building.

"Usually people are distracted by the bright and shiny sets," Parker joked as he came up to us.

"Gemma Margus, Parker Renraw."

"Pleasure," Parker said. "Joseph isn't coming to the set today."

Was I doing something wrong? "Am I stepping on toes here, Parker?"

Parker was taken aback. "Oh, no. It's just that you usually don't take much interest in motion picture stuff."

"Actually, I'm not," I admitted. "Joe gave me the skinny on your visitors from the Chinese consulate."

Parker chuckled. "Yes, the magic detector. I didn't really put much stock in that."

Gemma held up her wand and her screen. "This is what a real one looks like."

"And?"

"They aren't just gadgets," Gemma scolded. "Do you see anything?"

"No," Parker shook his head.

An idea occurred to me. "Parker, why don't you take it?"

"That might work," Gemma offered the detector to Parker. He gave her the weirdest look and took it from her. "Push the button on the wand."

The screen came alive, there were little blips all over the floor, probably shoe prints from Samantha or Melissa. "What the fuck?" Parker asked.

"You own this place, Parker. That's how nobody else could sense the magic, only the owner can."

Parker was in a stupor, he walked forward, waving the wand around as he went. Certain objects glowed with handprints, some curtain or chair fabric completely glowed. "Magic fabric?" Parker asked.

"Like Johan's suit," Gemma answered.

Parker turned around and aimed the wand at me. "Magic clothing, hmm. Is it any good?"

"Best in the world," I admitted.

"Well, give me the label. I'll have to stay away from it because I don't know when someone is going to aim a magic detector at me."

We had a laugh and he turned to resume his inspection of the soundstage. Parker got intense when we walked onto a set that resembled a cargo bay. "They were using magic here," Parker grumbled. There were footprints everywhere, and multiple large spots on the floor, probably from people landing in those places.

"In their defense, they may not have known it, Parker," Gemma said. "From what I hear, they are friends with the Birches, and it could have rubbed off on them."

"Or a protection spell," I offered. "Joe told me they were fighting with real axes?"

"Ang told me they checked them out to practice," Parker went behind the set and we followed. "There they are."

There were a rather nasty-looking set of picks and a pike laying on a table. When Parker showed me the scanner, there were speckles of glowing light all over them.

"Pixie dust," Gemma giggled. "A protection spell was cast on them, probably by blowing dust in their faces. They never knew."

"Are you okay, Parker?" I asked.

"Here," he handed the scanner to Gemma. "Take this thing before I try to buy it off you or something."

"Good idea," Gemma said.

"So those scanners only work on this lot when I hold them?" He asked.

"We just proved that," Gemma nodded.

"What about Johan? He owns a lot of our publicly traded shares."

Gemma handed me the device, it didn't work for me. "I only have an interest in the company," I offered.

"Can we keep this under wraps?" Gemma and I nodded. "Thank you for opening my real eyes to yet another thing I thought was just fantasy."

"You're welcome," I nodded.

"I need a drink," Parker sighed.

"Parker needs some company," I smiled at Gemma. "Are you okay with my car dropping you off back at your building?"

Gemma beamed. "Sure, boss."

"Thank you for coming out today, Gemma, it's been enlightening."

"You'll have my report Tuesday," Gemma promised. She bounded back the direction we had come.

"Gemma could be an actress," Parker offered. "She has the disposition for it, she's both sunny and serious at the same time. That's a hard quality to find from people who don't go to school for it."

I noted that he didn't say 'body.' That would offend both me and Gemma in absentia. "You'd never get her in front of a camera. Gemma would work as a scientist for free rather than take millions as an actress."

"Hmm. We wouldn't have a motion picture industry without scientists."

I laughed. "Parker, we wouldn't have much of anything without scientists."

"What would we have with witchcraft?" Parker asked.

Interesting question.

"Parker, let's go get that drink. I've got some cigars that will knock your socks off."

"Now you're talking."

**"

After a few drinks and half that amount in cigars, Parker posed a good question. "Do you miss her? Jaci Stone?"

Did I miss her?Sometimes, in the mirror.I saw her every time in any son or daughter of hers that crossed my path.

"No, I don't, Parker. After almost eight years in this body, I'm more comfortable than I ever have been."

"I told you before, Johan, that story would make a great movie," Parker said. "It's everywhere, isn't it? Magic?"

"To tell you the truth, I can't see most magic now. That's one of the prices I had to pay for another life."

"You didn't tell me that before."

"I hadn't had this much to drink before," I admitted. "I am mostly without magic now. The cigars aren't helping me stay that way."

"Why's that?" Parker held his cigar up and gave it a closer look. "The Cubans have magic tobacco?"

"That's American magic tobacco," I teased. "I'm pretty sure the Cuban Government has banned witchcraft as well."

"Do you know that 'Very Wicca' gets pirated into China?" Parker asked. "More than any other of our shows!"

Good cigars.

"Three hot women like that? Certainly. If you put it at six, it would sell like hotcakes. The ritual eleven? Even more."

"I don't get it."

"You keep a show based on witchcraft and you don't know the basics?" I asked in disbelief.

"'Very Wicca' is Hugh's bailiwick. I really am only paying attention to the show now because you're paying attention to it." Parker took another puff of his cigar. "Anything motion picture-wise that you have paid attention to in either of your lives is noteworthy. The other Renraws don't believe me, they only care about the bottom line."

"What do you care about, Parker?" I asked.

"Standing. The stage of the world type of standing," Parker replied. "The jet that you gave us? That is standing on the world stage, because you can't buy one for love or money."

I laughed. "I'll let you in on something, you need to pay attention to Kyle Andrews."

"I already am," Parker admitted. "The way he stood up to us? Excellent!"

"I guess he didn't have enough time to be a groveling sycophant?" I volunteered.

"Exactly! And even better? Melissa stood up right beside him! Jack and Hugh were as surprised as I was, but in a good way."

"They challenged you, right? I have people like that, too. I'll ask for an explanation on something, and they're not afraid to revert to teacher mode around me."

"I'll try to make Kyle and Melissa friends," Parker promised. "Too many people want something from us as studio heads, and that gets tiring."

"Glad to help."

"Okay, so why is the ritual eleven, eleven?"

"How many intersections on a pentagram, Parker?"

"Five. No, ten," Parker replied.

"And count the center as the one more."

"Okay. And what rituals?"

"That's not a good idea," I heard Petra's voice come from the direction of my office doors. "There are a lot of magic elements in this room and in this building and an active mortal imagination might set them off. The cigars don't help."

Parker leaned his head back so he could see the door. "Not a cigar lady, Missus Birch?"

"Cigars are fine, Parker," Petra came further into my office. "Have you ever heard about 'dreams given form?'"

"Somewhat," Parker admitted.

"The smoke from those cigars is rather pleasant, but could create a conduit to the nether worlds and bring a demon in here."