My name is Daniel Corners. As of about two hours ago, I am a Head of House in the psychic realm known as the Lane, where all of collective human thought takes representative form. I am a thought constructor, which means that I am capable of interacting with my own mindscape and creating objects, animals, or even people to take shape on the Lane. The House I run and operate is the House of Daniel Corners, which means that I am effectively in charge of my own metaphoric representation.

The ceremony really wasn’t all that ceremonial. The House of Me didn’t have a location yet, since it was unformed. Her wrote down an oath for me, which basically boiled down to ‘I will oversee the needs of this House.’ We went out onto the Lane, of course. I couldn’t form my own House inside Lady Liu’s walls, that would be rude and would likely have side effects. Boddy and the mystic Her stood as witnesses of my claim. Aunt Betty also attended, as a diplomatic representative of Lady Liu. Little Cousin was by her side, having heard of what was going on through some sort of House rumor mill in the House of Inheritance.

When I spoke the oath, I felt the Lane shifting beneath me. A small little cobblestone fence appeared next to Lady Liu’s white picket, seeming to pop into place without displacing either adjoining yard. The gate was plain planks, painted blue, and it had a number and a letter on it in white, though they were inconsistent. It was like my House was just one out of several units on a larger property. I pushed open the gate. The House and its property were miniscule, by Lane standards. But by modern city living standards, it was actually pretty nice. The yard went all the way around the building, if only a couple yards on the sides and back. The building itself was two full stories, and I could tell even before I entered that it had a finished basement and a half-story attic.

It should have felt surreal, I suppose, but in the end, pretty much everyone is already in charge of themselves. All I had done was make it redundant and official. Of course, I wasn’t the only mind forming this particular resonance peak; everyone who knew me, knew of me, or just had interacted with me before had contributed in some way to the concept of Daniel Corners. But I didn’t derive any special insight into those people. I supposed that part of my duties as Head of House would be maintaining those perceptions, or to subvert them, as Mister Carver had attempted to do with Community. I would have to be careful not to abuse those abilities.

I started to go inside, to see what my new self-property looked like, what sorts of rooms I had in here, what sort of decor. I was stopped at the door by Boddy and Little Cousin. Archie had joined them as soon as I finished my oath. Her the mystic stood a little ways behind me, on the concrete path between my gate and my front door.

Boddy pulled out his cane sword, the one I had noticed the first time we met. I thought he had lost that on the lawn of House Opulence, but he must have recovered it after our fight with Rookie and Maps. Hesitantly, he held it out to me, gripped just below the break where the sword came out.

“Boddy? What is this?” I asked. The act had a certain amount of…officialness to it that I hadn’t expected. It was like he was retiring, and he was turning in his badge and his gun.

“My resume,” he answered. When my response was to flap my mouth open and closed without forming words, he elaborated. “I would like to apply for a position in this new House, Master Corners.” I had just gotten him to start calling me Daniel.

“Boddy, what about your existing position?”

“I can’t act against Master Carver while I am on his House staff. It would be…very uncomfortable for me. And it would set a bad precedent. As of now, I resign my position in the House of Community. And I would like to apply for a position in the House of Daniel Corners.”

“I don’t have any funds to pay you,” I started, but Boddy shook his head.

“I’m willing to accept deferred pay, until such a time as this crisis with the House of Community ends. All I need is to know if you accept my application,” Boddy said. “Take the sword, then make a decision.”

I stopped to consider, first. Belatedly, I realized that my warning construct had flagged this as a situation where thought construction could manipulate the outcome. Taking the sword wasn’t the same as hiring Boddy, I recognized, after further consideration. He had called it his resume. It was possible that was a literal statement, it might hold…residual memories of work he had done in the past. I tentatively reached out and grasped the sheath, just below Boddy’s grasp.

The sword didn’t reveal any residual memories of Boddy’s work. It was just a sword, though it had been formed of irrealis metals. I decided, after a few seconds, that Boddy had meant it as a gesture. ‘Here’s my weapon,’ he was saying. ‘You’ve seen me use it. I want to use it to help you.’

I turned the whole cane over in my hands once, then handed it back to Boddy. “You’ve got the job. Your title is Bodyguard. Can you start today?”

“I can start now.” Boddy answered, smiling with all his teeth. I smiled back, and we shook on it. Then it was Little Cousin’s turn. Her resume took the form of a simple spool of sewing thread.

“What about your family?” I asked. Boddy I understood. Archie too, if she was planning to go next. Joining my House would let them act against Mister Carver’s plot without guilt. It was unorthodox, but so was me forming a House around the concept of myself. Little Cousin could already act against Carver. In fact, since she had been one of the ones to help me recover, she already was.

“I spoke with them,” she answered, looking over my shoulder at Aunt Betty, who waited patiently on the Lane. “They agreed to this. There are plenty of cousins, Mister Daniel. Someone will manage my duties. But you seem like you need help. And from what I’ve seen, you deserve it. I’m not a fighter, but you’ve seen my handling of resources.”

“And the payment? I still don’t have any funds.”

“I will accept deferred payment until this crisis is over, just as you offered Lead Bodyguard. We will also need to discuss other terms of employment, but those can also wait.”

“What happens to your name?” I found myself asking. Bodyguard, now Lead Bodyguard, was accustomed to his name changing according to his duties. At the very least, he had seen it happen to his friends and family. Little Cousin, as far as I knew, would stay Little Cousin even if her duties changed, until eventually she became Older Cousin, or Gentle Aunt, or something of that nature.

“That will be up to you, Mister Daniel. And how you choose to run your House. My name will be my role, the same as it always has been.”

I sighed. I could fix this all later. As soon as I had declared myself Head of House, Carver would know that I had turned down his delivery. The window for action was today, if at all possible. For several seconds, Little Cousin waited for my answer, watching my face. “I wish I could turn you down, so you could stay with the House you know, but I really do need the help,” I finally said. “Miss Cousin, you are hired under emergency need. We can discuss the specific terms of your job after the crisis, as you suggested. Until then, you can consider your position ‘Resource Manager’, and your role Little Cousin. Is that agreeable?”

“Very,” she answered. We shook on it as well, then to my surprise, she leaned in and gave me an awkward half-hug. I guess, after a fashion, we were officially cousins now. Cousins by choice, rather than by grandparent. I returned the hug, and then she stepped back. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Aunt Betty beaming. Apparently, she saw Little Cousin’s appointment as a positive thing.

I turned to Archie next, but was surprised when the next voice came from behind me, a woman’s voice, burred and rasped beyond what even a chain smoker could hope to achieve.

“I would like to apply for the position of Interpreter,” Her said. I turned to face her. She held out a single page in one long-fingered hand. I took it. It was an actual resume, though few of the skills and goals would help her with a real-world position.

“I don’t have an Interpreter,” I answered, reading down the page. Her contact information was House of Superstition. Her job experience…besides Superstition she had worked for three other Houses. But the dates…Her was over three thousand years old. Older, probably, since that was merely how long her resume was. Her first position had been with the House of the Cult of Set? I didn’t even know what that meant.

“No, but you need one. The rules and interactions of Houses are complex and manyfold, Mister Daniel Corners. And the rules and interactions between the House and the realis are even more so. You need someone to read the lines. Someone who understands the very underpinnings of this place. I’m offering my services in that position.”

“You heard the conditions for emergency hire?”

“I did, and I accept them. Deferred payment, specifics to be determined after resolving this crisis.”

“Your former employer?” I hadn’t met the head of the House of Superstition. All I knew about them was that Lady Liu had contacted them for help healing me.

“I gave my notice before I took this job,” Her answered.

“Why? You couldn’t have known this would happen?”

She merely shrugged. “Couldn’t I? You know, the Superstitious pay more attention than people tend to assume. If not this, then something else novel and fascinating. I took my chances. Besides, few can claim my…work history. I would have found employment soon enough.”

I considered that, looking at her three-thousand-year long resume and her many qualifying skills in the use of various aspects of mysticism.

“Okay,” I answered. Her had healed me. Her had given me a way to stop Carver’s schemes. I didn’t exactly trust the crone woman, but she had earned a little benefit of the doubt for the moment. Besides, I was the Head of my House. “You’re hired, under those terms. As Interpreter,” I stressed the title. “Any decisions are still handled by me.”

Her grinned her gummy grin, single tooth gleaming like a pearl. A sinister pearl, if such a thing exists. “Oh, very wise, sir,” she answered. “I think I shall like it here.”

We shook on it, sans hug. I turned back to the House. Archie now stood in front of the other two. She held out a sheet of paper. I took it. It was not a resume. It was blank. Confused, I turned to Archie.

“Your life,” she said, “Is already known to you. You have no need for an Archivist. But I want to help you, all the same. You saved me from Master Carver’s box,” she squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear running down the fur of her face. Without opening her eyes, she continued. “His horrible box. I have skills beyond handling records. If you would hire me, I will accept any position.”

I considered it. I shouldn’t have, but I really did consider it. She was so earnest. Nearly desperate. But I couldn’t do it, not in good conscience. Not under the circumstances. After a long minute, during which several other tears escaped and ran down Archie’s face, I had an answer.

“No,” I started. I had to hold up a hand to Boddy and Little Cousin, both of whom seemed ready to jump down my throat about it. “You have given enough to this conflict, Miss Archivist. And you were punished for it, even if it wasn’t your choice. The House of Me will not offer you a position only to throw you back into it. I will not hire you right now. But,” I answered quickly, as Boddy balled his fists, “We will offer you shelter. What’s the term…asylum. We offer you asylum, from your former House. Interpreter, are there consequences for that?” I glanced over my shoulder, where the sinister pearl still gleamed.

“There are consequences for everything, Master Corners,” Her answered. “But actions taken according to your own beliefs and choices serve only to make the House more of what it is. Any consequences will be external.”

“That’s good enough for me,” I answered. “Do you accept asylum, Miss Archivist?” Archie managed a nod, eyelids squeezing even tighter and her mouth pressed to a line. “Good. You may stay on this property as my personal guest. Little Cousin, can you see that she has everything she needs to be comfortable while we resolve the rest of this?”

“Of course, sir,” Little Cousin rushed in through the door, becoming the first person to enter the House.

“Thank you,” Boddy said, finally. He had dropped all anger upon hearing my actual offer. He put his hand down on Archie’s shoulder, and she relaxed incrementally. “I think I made the right choice, giving you my resume.”

“I hope so,” I answered. “Because now comes the fun part. Everyone inside. I suspect we have a planning room. We’re going to need it.” Belatedly, I remembered the last person present. “Aunt Betty,” I said, turning back towards the lane. “I hope you’ll forgive me. I should have invited you in sooner. I’m new to the role and forgot my manners. Please, will you join us? Your House has a stake in what comes next.”

Aunt Betty stepped across the threshold. We all went inside to plan our next action against Edgar Carver, soon-to-be former Head of House Community.