The next morning, we all met back in the Green Study. Besides myself, “we” included Lady Liu, Boddy, Steward, Gary Westlake (on Lady Liu’s dime), a cobble I hadn’t met who answered to Mean Uncle, Aunt Betty, and Her the mystic. A few more cobbles, all various Cousins and Siblings, were rushing about serving finger foods and tea like it was the biggest dinner party of the year and their mother-in-law was going to make snide comments if they did something wrong.

Lady Liu, as our host, was the first to speak. “Thank you all for coming. I especially want to thank Miss Archivist of House Community and Mister Daniel Corners for their attendance, considering their recent physical conditions.”

The doctor had removed my bandage before I slept the previous night, and shockingly my scalp and my skull had healed fully over the course of the afternoon. The stitches on my cut were removed with no great ceremony, and by morning even the dimpled skin they had left behind was as smooth as before Cudgel got anywhere near me with his log.

“This is, for the moment, a meeting about a conflict. House Community, or a faction of members thereof, has conspired with an Alley House to convert the world’s mindset to an feudalistic and hedonistic nature, with the wealthy at the top and all shared human experiences beholden to the lavish spending of a few deranged elite. We know this from the testimony of three individuals: Mister Bodyguard, third by his name and title, from House Community,” Boddy nodded as she indicated him, “Miss Archivist, of House Community,” Archie had exchanged her blouse for a practical shirt and vest with even more pockets. She still wore her skirt but she had also added what I could only describe as a utility belt. She waved slightly to the assembly as Lady Liu pointed her out. “And Mister Daniel Corners, a human from realis hired by House Community to unknowingly further their aims.” I mirrored Boddy’s response by nodding.

“This plan would be egregious enough if it were merely House Community’s subservience being offered. But Mister Carver has used a variety of tricks, not least of which was the capture of one of his own to serve as a hostage, in order to obtain the authority to bargain on behalf of eight other Houses. My House, our House,” she said, looking at Steward, Mean Uncle, and Aunt Betty, “Was one of those. To that end, I think it is time we took direct action against him. Youngest Aunt, you have served as an interhouse ambassador to Community before. Do you think it likely that we could resolve the situation diplomatically?”

We all knew the answer already, of course. We had discussed this, or at least Boddy and Aunt Betty and I had discussed it, last night while Archie recovered. By now, Aunt Betty had reported to Lady Liu on her opinions, and the very fact that we were setting up a war room rather than opening talks with Carver was that he wouldn’t be willing to negotiate.

“Lady, I do not think it likely that Master Carver will consider any negotiations to desist. He is a man who does what he does with a vigor and belief. If he made this decision, it is regrettably probable that he thinks it was the correct decision. Nor do I think that any compromise would be acceptable. The effects on the realis should he succeed in even selling his own House over to the Opulent would be staggering. In short, no. This situation does not have a viable diplomatic solution that I can see.”

There was a general nodding around the table, except for Gary and Her the mystic, who remained stony-faced.

“That is regrettable, Youngest Aunt, but I thank you for your opinion. Mean Uncle, is it likely that we could leverage or force Mister Carver’s hand in this matter?”

This was Plan A. If Mean Uncle or one of the freelancers had some way to threaten or bully Carver, we could avoid a full-on inter-house conflict. Boddy had asked Archie about those; apparently it had been longer than Carver or Lady Liu’s tenure since one had happened between Lane Houses, though Alley Houses engaged in them somewhat constantly, as well as with their Lane mirrors.

“Lady, I have investigated the matter, as you asked. Unfortunately, none of the--ahem--traditional methods are available to us. Carver has no family left living, not even distant descendants of anyone we could trace. He rarely leaves the Lane; in fact, other than yourself, he is the oldest sitting head of House of which I am aware. Nor does he possess any interests of a financial or any other nature in the realis. Any action we would take against him would necessarily involve his House as well, as that is the only thing of any value to him that we could identify, personal or otherwise.”

Lady Liu was expressionless as Mean Uncle explained his position, though Aunt Betty looked sad, and Boddy was…angry? I’d have to ask him about that later.

“My Lady,” Steward interrupted, “May I interrupt?”

“You may,” Lady Liu answered.

“Thank you. What Mean Uncle says is nearly correct. However, I have done some research of my own, alongside my other duties. I believe I have identified something that Mister Carver values as much or more than his House.”

I’ll give Steward credit for several things, but right at that moment I was giving him credit for his sense of drama. He let the sentence hang over the table, as if begging us to ask ‘What is it?’.

Eventually, Mean Uncle took the bait, asking exactly that. It was probably only two or three seconds of tense pause, but it was effective. Steward answered, with an honest-to-irrealis flourish of his backwards hands, “His own life.”

There was a sudden uproar from every member of the table except myself and Gary Westlake. I met his eyes, wondering what it was that we were missing. He shrugged, equally clueless. After a few seconds and the ringing of an actual (antique, of course) cowbell, Lady Liu managed to restore calm.

“Mister Steward!” she started. “If you are suggesting what I think you’re suggesting--”

“I am, my Lady,” the rakshasa interrupted. “But let me finish, first. True, the assassination,” Wait. The what now? He spoke so matter-of-factly. Had everyone except me leapt to that conclusion? Realizing I was missing some of his words, I tuned back in to Steward’s speech. “--by any member or Head of an existing House, as such an action would reflect consequences back onto the realis of human thought, even as much as the completion of Master Carver’s goals would do so.

“Nor,” he continued, “Can we turn to Mister Westlake for this task, as his participation in this matter is by way of contract with our own House, and would impact the realis in the same fashion.” Shit. No, he wasn’t saying what I think he was saying. He couldn’t be. “However, Mister Corners is in a rather unique position.” Yup, he was about to suggest-- “Due to his status, he would technically be acting on nobody’s behalf. If he killed Mister Carver, or threatened to do so, there should be no negative reflection on the nature of thought.” --and there it was.

I had kept my peace while Steward finished. Outwardly, at least. Now, as all eyes turned to me, I realized I had to answer. “No,” I said, flatly. “I am an ordinary guy. I hardly ever even use the taser work lets me carry around. I can’t kill a guy. Even for this. I’ll help stop him, but no. I can’t.” I looked at each of them in turn, trying to guess their reactions. Boddy seemed curious. Maybe he hadn’t been sure how I’d react? I guess he had only known me for a few days. Archie seemed relieved. Steward was patient, a tiger’s eyes watching from a man’s face. Mean Uncle was disappointed, while Aunt Betty seemed conflicted. Gary and Her must have been phenomenal at cards, because I couldn’t read either of them. Lady Liu was the last one I met. She seemed…proud. Proud? That was an odd emotion. Maybe I just couldn’t read her all that well.

“Well, I thought it best to present all options, nonetheless,” Steward finished. “My Lady, thank you for allowing me to speak.”

Lady Liu nodded, still watching me. Yes, she definitely had a…well, a motherly emotion. Pride or something like it. After a brief pause for everyone to focus on her, she spoke again. “Of course, Steward. Your work for the House is always exemplary. Mean Uncle, did you have anything else to add?”

“Yes, Lady,” Mean Uncle started, hesitantly. “I did have a plan, but it isn’t so much a solution as a stalling action. Occupation.”

“Elaborate?”

“Well, Master Carver’s plan demands that a person from realis completes his delivery, correct?”

“In its current form, it seems to hinge on a specific object, yes.”

“Well, we have the realis person and the object right now. We just…refuse to let either or both go. Uh, no offense, Mister Corners.” I did my best to glare, but let him finish. “If he doesn’t have the person or the object, he can’t proceed. And he won’t be able to extract them by force for the same reasons that we can’t act directly against him.”

“Assuming, of course, that he doesn’t want to create the ripples in collective thought such actions would take.”

“Assuming that, yeah. So…Mister Corners just stays here for a while as our guest. We keep the item in lockup. We wait, we watch. He’ll need to have a new one made, and it will take some time since it has to be realis. He’ll also need to find a new person to make his delivery, either one he can convince of its importance or another nascent thought constructor like Mister Corner’s here. It will take him months of real time, if not years.

“By that time, we’ll have more information. Mister Westlake can work with the other seven affected Houses, hopefully removing Master Carver’s leverage against them. If he doesn’t have that bargaining authority, he may abandon this plan entirely.”

The table broke into haphazard discussion of this plan. Mean Uncle and Steward were strongly in favor. Aunt Betty shared my opinion, that it was an unlikely hope that Carver would simply walk away. Boddy and Archie pointed out that besides me, both of them would be denied their homes for the duration of the plan. Gary seemed to be willing to go along with it, but raised the possibility that he would be as unable to help other Houses out from under Carver’s thumb as he had been for House Inheritance.

We debated it for roughly an hour before Lady Liu rang another stop on her cowbell. “It is clear that this course of action is a risky one, but it is the only actionable one we’ve broached so far. I regret to say that unless someone can present a more viable solution, we may be forced to use Mean Uncle’s suggested plan.”

“I have one,” rasped Her, the mystic. She had not spoken since the meeting began. I was not even sure why she was present; she was from the House of Superstition, not a strong ally nor enemy to any of the Houses involved in Carver’s scheme, according to Little Cousin and Archie. Lady Liu had explained her inclusion as coming at Her’s request, rather than by invitation. She had even kept her thoughts to herself completely during the debate over Mean Uncle’s plan.

“All of your problems stem from Edgar Carver’s position as the Head of House Community,” she opened. “Killing him would have been one way to resolve that. “She tilted her head in Steward’s direction, the salute of one schemer to another. “But it is not the only way. Daniel Corners is a human being. A creature of realis. His connection to our realm travels through the thoughts of himself, just as it does through others. And, he is, as Mister Steward observed, uniquely unattached; he does not even have membership in the Freelancer’s Coalition yet, correct?” She turned to Gary, who shook his head. “That means that Daniel Corners is eligible.” She turned to each person in order, as if to let that sink in.

“I don’t understand,” I said, as she reached me. “What does that mean?”

“Means you could become a Head of House,” Archie answered, her crystal-glass voice so quiet as to be almost inaudible. “You could depose Master Carver.”

“Without violence? Without him giving up his seat?”

“Yes,” Her interrupted. “There is an old…rule isn’t the correct term. Nature, is more fitting. A clause of the magic that shapes this place older than the written word. My House knows more about the underpinnings of this place than any other, including Curiosity. Houses do not always take form on their own. They can be created.”

“How does this help us?” Lady Liu demanded, leaning forward in her seat to fix Her with her most iron-grandmotherly stare.

“Because Houses can also be joined, or split off, or conquered. If you wished, you could annex the House of Community by force, my Lady. So could the Head of my House, or any other who could bring the means to bear, or was able to gain sufficient support from the members of the House.”

“But that’s out of the question,” Lady Liu responded, raising her voice in increments. “Doing so would shift the nature of Community to become part of the House in question.”

“That’s true, of course.” Her smiled, revealing her gums. She only had one good tooth remaining. How did she speak so clearly with one tooth? “Except there is a resonance peak that I think has not been considered. One that is so small that by the very act of integrating House Community, it would be consumed by House Community. If the Head of House for such a peak were to annex Community, they would in effect have simply deposed Edgar Carver.”

“Any peak that weak,” Archie again, “Would be too indistinct for a House to be formed around it. We can’t install a Head of House to an indistinct resonance peak.”

“Ah, but that’s the thing, Archivist the Ninth. There are billions of such weak peaks that are perfectly distinct. We just never consider them, of course. Why would we? Most are built on the patterns of a few hundred or thousand people at most.”

“Wait,” I interrupted. I think I saw what she was getting at. “How many billions, exactly?”

Her smiled that gummy smile at me again. “Oh, somewhere just under eight billion, Daniel Corners.”

Individuals. Each individual was a concept in addition to being a physical person. The implications were staggering. If I was incautious with a person’s resonance peak, I could change their identity. The entire way everyone, including themself perceived them. Her watched the horror grow on my face, as I watched everyone else realize what we meant. Archie recognized it first, followed by Gary and Lady Liu. Their horror matched my own. After I recovered myself, I managed to ask, even though I knew the answer already. There was only one answer that made sense, of course.

“Who?”

“Yourself,” grated Her, dropping her voice into a deeper register. “I propose we raise Daniel Corners as the Head of House…Daniel Corners.”

I realized, in that moment, that a part of me is very, very stupid. Because what I answered was, “I’ll do it.”