The murmurings behind me at this news of three unknown Sages not on the Council of Sages were something. After all, the number of American Sages was only rumored, not actually known, for purposes of national security or somesuch drivel.

“You seem very assured of that number, Healer Fae,” the elderly but sharp-eyed Rep. DeWyrm spoke up hastily from the end of the table. “Where did you get your information?”

“A Sage in Thunderbird’s domain is as visible as a bonfire blazing in a field of candles to Him. Of course Thunderbird is aware of all the Sages in His domain, and He mentioned them to me in passing! I can see some of the honorable Congressionals know of them, and am now wondering why they are not in this chamber waiting for their chance to explain themselves, as well?”

The knowledge that they couldn’t hide their Sages from the notice of a True Emperor wasn’t going to go down well around the world, either. Poor them, another illusion of security and more ineffectual state secrets shattered!

“I am sure that we will locate these unknown Sages and they will be given their seats on the Council of Sages quite rapidly with your warnings!?” Rep. Gibbs tried to sound officious and grateful, except as he was speaking his voice was rising in octaves and he sounded like a baby squeaking near the end. He paused in uncertainty at what was going on, looking around to see if someone was pranking him.

“Lying to my face and in the presence of Emperors is generally not a wise idea, Representative Gibbs.” It was his turn to glance at the fluttering Tokens and go pale. “For your own protection, I recommend you hold your tongue forthwith.”

He carefully raised his hands and sat back in his chair, flushing, while the gallery behind me broke out in quiet laughter. This was turning out to be a better show than they hoped! Me being taken down a peg and forced to conform like all the other Sages would have been somewhat satisfying. Seeing Congressionals being put in their place and tiptoeing around me was considerably more entertaining.

The Congressionals were all swallowing when they realized that if they lied, they’d sound ridiculous and everyone would know they were lying. Truly, I was more dangerous than they’d been led to believe, despite my avoiding such political entanglements in the past!

“Lady Fae, certainly you can see our viewpoint,” Senator Rickdale began again in a soothing tone. “It is quite unfair that you are being treated so much differently by the government than the other Sages who dwell here in America. A number of them are chaffing at such obvious bias in their treatment!”

“I repeat to the honorable Senator that I am in the service of Thunderbird True Emperor. If the Sages would care to petition His Imperial Majesty, then if they are accepted, I am certain that such obvious bias will no longer be of relevance to them.” Because the American Government and Council of Sages would also not dare to restrict or intrude on Thunderbird’s own.

He tried not to redden at the rebuke. “Could you elect to apply to the Council of Sages, and conform to the bylaws of that body?” he decided to ask, making this a test of my willingness, rather than a requirement.

“No.” The absolute refusal made them all blink. “I repeat, I am in the service of Thunderbird True Emperor. My opinions on this matter are rather immaterial. If I choose to emigrate to another continent, I would be in the service of the True Emperor living there, and I am certain they would snatch me up. My agreement to join the Council and other Human formalities are of no consequence to them whatsoever. If there is any conflict in Thunderbird’s commands and the words of the Council, the Emperor’s commands are the only things that matter.

“Furthermore, as I noted earlier, the mere idea that a direct servant of Thunderbird would also be subject to an irrelevant Human tribal organization is a direct affront and challenge to Thunderbird’s authority and prestige. The normal way such things are dealt with among Beasts is to wipe the offending parties away.

“Thus, for the safety of America’s Sages, it is for the best if I do not make the slightest show of obeisance towards their Council or the Human tribal structures here. Thunderbird True Emperor has declared I am His servant, and Humans attempting to exert control over His servants are walking a path to ignorant suicide.”

They looked a bit lost now, as my words made it plain that I was doing this for their protection. I wasn’t even smiling about it. It was what it was. They were dealing with Emperors!

“If this matter were under your control, Healer Fae, would you join the Council?” Representative DeWyrm asked carefully.

“A rhetorical question, as the matter is not under my control, and so my feelings are of no relevance, Representative DeWyrm. I could answer anything, and it would not change the reality in the slightest. I am bound by Imperial Will far more tightly than any of you clutch to your own seats of power.”

They blinked as they finally realized it really wasn’t my choice to be like this anymore. I was bound by Thunderbird’s Will. That was it. My only choice was to change continents... and thence likely to be immediately bound by that True Emperor’s Will, changing nothing!

“This, this is a concern for national security, Healer Fae!” Senator Guillermo spoke up carefully.

I just glanced at her. “The collection of Humans on His territory has existed at Thunderbird’s tolerant whim for thousands of years. This most recent iteration of emigrant tribes has not changed the situation a whit. If He decides He doesn’t want Humans here, He will promptly get rid of us.

“Given that situation has not changed, and America has grown and thrived despite the threat of annihilation since long before its founding over two centuries ago, please tell me how this is any measure of a change in national security, Senator Guillermo?”

Her expression warped once again at the revision to her mental image. Thunderbird had always been there, had always had the power to wipe us away. What really did it matter that He had a pet Sage running around at His whim? The murmurings behind me wondered at that, as it was just something people didn’t really think about.

“There are some valid concerns about the activities you are undertaking, Healer Fae,” Representative DeWyrm broke in cautiously. “Some of which may have been ordered you by Thunderbird, and some at your instigation, or those you work with at Coralost. Are you... able to report on some of those activities?”

“My personal activities will remain personal. My public actions are very public, indeed. A few minutes of browsing the internet will inform you as to the vast amount of the deeds I have done during the greater half of the past decade, and I’m sure you have files on the things Coralost has done during the same time period in the form of new products and services.” I folded my hands thoughtfully, considering my next words. “As for Thunderbird Emperor, He likes to summon me to speak with Him about things that are happening in the Human world that are of relevance to Him, to convey His words to Humanity, to accomplish things among Humanity that would head off His own need to interfere, and more often of late, He loans me out to other Emperors for favors.”

“You are spying on Humanity for the Thunderbird?” Representative Sodelmeyer blurted out, earlier fear forgotten in the heat of the moment, his eyes intense at my words and perceived weakness.

There was a simple crackle, even as I put my hand to my face and sighed. The chubby Representative Sodelmeyer convulsed once, shocked breaths inhaled all around, and then he slumped to the table, dead, bleeding out all the orifices on his head and his hair smoking slightly.

The horrified expressions of everyone in the room were unfeigned. Thunderbird could reach out and kill one of their precious elected officials right here?!

“It behooves me to remind the Congressionals that they are speaking in front of Beast Emperors, and that your lives are no more relevant than the ants you tread upon every day to said Emperors,” I sighed calmly, while everyone stared at the dead and drooling former Representative. I waved my hand, lifted the corpse into the air with TK, deposited it on a Disk I snapped up, and sent it skimming back out of the room with an abrupt sweep of my arm. The officer at the door wisely opened it up, watched the Disk slide by on out of the chamber, and closed the door behind it, his face sternly expressionless.

I rubbed my temples as I continued, “And do not even think about cutting short this meeting. You have the curiosity of the Emperors for your cheekiness now. You will see this through to the end.”

Everyone was pale once again, staring at me and those Tokens.

“In response to ex-Representative Sodelmeyer’s claim of espionage, I would remind all here that they live on Thunderbird Emperor’s territory, and He is certainly entitled to indulge in all of our mass media and public information as He wishes. Since He can listen to anyone and many, many people at one time without effort inside His territory, He can be aware of anything anyone speaks here at any time.” I watched them all swallow as I reminded them of that fact. “However, Thunderbird is a True Emperor Stormcrown Eagle, not a Human, and older than our entire species. Much of what He hears He lacks context for, and above all considers the vast, vast majority of it utterly irrelevant and wasteful gibbering, for all that it might be entertaining of the moment.

“I provide a reasonable filter and context for said things, and He trusts me to not lie to Him or manipulate Him while providing a reasonable interpretation of Human doings and endeavors to Him. If the Congressionals believe this gives me an unseemly amount of influence over Him, He is listening and will no doubt respond to the idea appropriately.”

Nobody said anything, imagine that.

“If one wishes to consider where my loyalties lie, it is simple: I will obey Thunderbird Emperor’s commands. If He told me to kill everyone in this chamber right now, I would do so.” Everybody stopped breathing at that admission. “The reason for that is quite simple. If He wishes you all dead, you are going to die.

“If I kill you all, the deaths and destruction will be limited to this chamber and everyone in it. If He kills you all, it will likely be with a Thunderbolt a hundred meters wide, slamming down into this building, annihilating everyone and everything within it but me, and the resultant explosion of Thunder and ground shocks will probably kill every single Human within a mile, while overloading every electrical system in the city and probably frying everyone who is close to a wall socket or carrying something as innocuous as a cell phone or electric watch within ten miles of this location.”

There was appalled silence at my words. “Let’s go a step beyond my saving the citizens of Washington DC by killing off those irritating Thunderbird Emperor to His face first,” I went on calmly, as everyone stared at me, aghast. “Let us say Senator Rickdale runs away at the mouth and alludes to Thunderbird Emperor having no authority here, and the laws of America are pre-eminent in this situation.” The Senator’s mouth opened, closed, and went very thin.

“The Senator would have then challenged the position, authority, and power of Thunderbird Emperor, and done so in front of other Emperors.

“Now, Thunderbird Emperor is very patient, as witnessed by the fact that He doesn’t go around willy-nilly stepping on ants who badmouth Him, as He doesn’t care about ants. But doing so in front of other Emperors is basically daring Him to react, and as I’ve noted, we’re ants.

“Then the question becomes... Did this little ant calling itself Rickdale do this on its own, or did it do so on behalf of the population of the State of New Jersey it claims to represent?

“Thunderbird Emperor might even inquire as to where the Senator thinks it derives its authority from, leaving the Senator to possibly become involved in the grandest event of its entire life, leaving up to it the choice to die alone, or with every Human ant in New Jersey who thinks their collective authority surpasses that of Thunderbird Emperor.”

I made a kiss and blew it out at the Senator, who looked like a corpse. “Half of New Jersey, dead, just like that,” I said in a gentle voice, and the audience behind me shuddered in awful realization. “There is nothing that I, or anyone, could do to stop it. I wonder, Congressionals, if anyone you know of might have urged you to do something like that, knowing full well the consequences, yet telling you that Thunderbird Emperor would not dare to act like that in His own territory.”

Senators Rickdale and Guillermo very slowly turned around and stared at their aides, their faces bloodless.