Agent Mackie had been expecting more trouble this full Moon night, and arrived at the club only a minute after Duncan’s call.

“Why did you remove the controls on him without hearing him out?” he asked, studying the unconscious form of the latest mind-controlled envoy.

“Hate the stuff, and it’s so easy to do it’s nearly reflex.”

“How much silver was he wearing?”

“Just a couple of armbands.  Hardly any effort to slip something under those.”  Duncan studied the man.  “His mind seems to be healing.  The other one stopped screaming after a bit, didn’t he?”

Mackie nodded.  “After a few minutes, yeah.  Then he started babbling in confusion.”

Duncan nudged a little magic at the unconscious envoy, and he sat up abruptly.  “Who are you?  Where am I?”

“I am the one you were sent to meet.  You’re at the Blue Vixen club in Victoria.”

The man frowned.  “I was sent to meet you?  I don’t remember anything about being asked to meet a lamia.”

Duncan glanced down at her serpentine body.  “Ah.  That.  Most people don’t see me this way, just as another human.”

“Shapeshifting?  That would make you harder to find.”

Duncan raised an eyebrow.  “You’re taking this well.  What do you know?”

“Not much,” the man answered with a shrug.  “I was called into the boss’ office, told to sit down in a weird chair, then... nothing.  What day is it?”

“September 11th, 2011.”

He nodded slowly.  “So I’ve only lost a week.”  He looked over at Mackie.  “I take it you’re from the government?”

“Agent Mackie of CSIS.  And you are?”

“Thomas Hawke.  Lawyer for Disney.  Am I free to go?”

Mackie nodded.  “We’ve got no reason to hold you if you’re not going to make a scene.  Though if you have any answers, we’d be interested in hearing them.”

Thomas shrugged.  “Client confidentiality, I can’t say much.”

“So you have no idea why Disney would go to rather extreme lengths to contact a shapeshifter?”

“As long as she hasn’t violated any trademarks, I can’t think why we’d be involved.”

Duncan winced.  “That is something I’d like to ask about.  Your trademarks are enforced via magic.  How on earth did you do that?”

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” chuckled Thomas.  “Way above my paygrade, I’m afraid.”  He glanced down at the briefcase by his feet.  “Is this mine?”

“You arrived with it.  Presumably with another letter for me.”

Thomas opened the case, and nodded.  “I assume you’re Donna?”

“That is one of the names we use, yes.”

He passed over an envelope embossed with a wax seal.  Stamped into the seal was the three circles of Disney’s logo.  “For you.”

Duncan scanned it for anything inimical before opening it to the same scatter of glitter as last time.  “Roughly the same as before, except more peremptory.  Do you know who the Master of the Tower is?”

Thomas frowned.  “I don’t know of anyone who uses that title.  There are rumours there’s an office space at the top of the castle, though.  I suppose if anyone styled themselves that way, they’d use it.”

“If you’re heading back that way, tell them not to send any more mind-controlled minions.  And if they’re serious about meeting me, it’ll have to be somewhere away from their seat of power.  Among other reasons, the US doesn’t seem to want me in the country, and I’d rather not test magic’s effect on the uninvited.”

“Why on earth would the government ban you?  What have you been up to?”

Duncan shrugged.  “Toronto, among other things.”

Thomas’ eyes went wide.  “The tower?”

“It was used to attack me.  I put it back.”

“Ah.  Yes, I can see why you’re of interest.  To various factions, no doubt.  Good day.”

Duncan and Mackie watched him go.  “Factions?” asked Duncan.

“I’m sure there are more than a few at work in the States.”

“And no luck getting me off the no-fly list?  My family’s flight in November isn’t even landing anywhere in the US, and barely overflying it.”

Mackie shrugged.  “I can’t even find out who put you on the list.  Project M said they weren’t responsible, and they couldn’t find out either.”

“Bother.  It’s not like I can’t fly around on my own, I’d just like to be with them in case something goes wrong.”

“I’ll look into it again.  Can’t promise anything, of course.”

“Of course.  But enough business.  Cherry’s up soon, want to go watch?”

“As long as you’re not going to try to get me up on stage with her.  I’m no dancer.”

“You’d make a lovely pair of shoes, though.  Or perhaps a sparkly top?”

“No,” said Mackie, but there was half a smile on his face.  “One turn as a mannequin was enough, thank you.”

As they headed out on the floor, Duncan studied Mackie.  “You have to have some kind of fantasy.  We’ve had people up on stage as the dance poles...”

Mackie’s nose wrinkled.  “No.  Stiff is wrong.”

“How about a snake?  I’ve danced with Gwen like that before.  It’s fun, and the dancer can do most or all of the work, you just have to go with the flow.”

“I don’t know...”

“Yes you do,” said Duncan firmly.  “You felt it just now.  We can make just about anything happen.  If you’d prefer privacy instead of the stage...”  Duncan rolled her eyes.  Mackie had stopped listening and was staring up at the stage.

Duncan didn’t recognize the dancer until she used magic to study her.  Even then, she barely recognized her as one of the new girls from last month.  Mattie, Gwen had called her.  Evidently she was a Star Wars fan, because she had long tentacles draping from her head, and she was swishing them about expertly as she danced to what Duncan belatedly recognized as the Cantina theme.  She’d had enough time as a twi’lek to become practiced with it.

Apparently Mackie was a fan as well.  “See something you like?”

Mackie shook his head abruptly.  “Still not used to the show you guys put on.  To know that any fantastic image can become reality here...”

“Out with it.”

“It’s boring.”

Duncan laughed warmly.  “Not to you it isn’t.”

Mackie sighed softly.  “Cherry’s happy.  I’d like to spend time with her as an equal.  Not a dancer, just...”

“A woman.  How long?”

“Since I’m working the weekend, I’ve got Monday and Tuesday off...”

Duncan smiled.  “Done.  I’m sure Cherry will have a blast going shopping with you.”

Mackie studied his hands as they slimmed under the influence of Duncan’s magic.  “Oh.  Last time this felt so odd, and...”

“This time you know what to expect.  I could throw in a little adaptation if you like.  Might be best to leave that until tomorrow, just in case you see the Moon and decide you like being this way.”

Mackie squeaked.  “I don’t think that’s very likely.  I like being strong.”

Duncan’s grin broadened.  “I can make you just as strong as you were before.  Stronger, if you like.”

Mackie shook his head, then put a hand up to feel the hair cascading around his shoulders.  “I... no.  The whole point is to experience it properly.  So I think that’s a no on any mental changes, too.  I’ll talk to Cherry about it.”

“Oooh, here she is!”

The music ramped up into “Cherry Bomb” as Cherry took the stage.  Cheesy, but the audience lapped it up.  She’d kept the same profile as when Mackie had last seen her, but both legs and her left arm were visibly mechanical - they had clear ‘skin’ that showed the inner workings of pistons and metallic bones, and brilliant veins of neon running through them.

Mackie watched and wondered at the dancing skill on display.  “She really is something else.  I barely recognize...”

“Really?”

Mackie shook his head, hand going to his flowing hair once more.  “No.  Still my old partner up there, throwing himself... sorry, herself into things without looking back.”

“Do you miss him?” asked Duncan.

Mackie nodded.  “Not the same at work without ol’ Chuck around.”

“Then tell her that.”  Duncan waved to Cherry as she strutted on the stage, and got a big grin in return.

Soon after Cherry’s set ended, she bounced through the crowd to Duncan’s side.  “Hey, good to see...  Wait, is that Mackie?”

Mackie grinned and nodded.  “Had a couple days free, figured I might take you up on that offer to visit.”

Duncan watched the two of them carry on with a satisfied smile.  Then he heard a voice from behind.  “Donna!”

“Duncan, like this,” she said as she turned.  “Hey Kelly.  How was your month as a pendant?”

“Even better than the preview!” gushed the red-headed woman.  “I got stuck as the boys’ toys five times.  So much fun.”

Duncan laughed warmly.  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.  You look like you want a favour or two.”

Kelly nodded, and pulled a little remote out of her purse.  “Mom would like this recharged.  And... um, a permanent boost.”

“How big?” asked Duncan.

“She also asked about where she could find J-cup bras,” Kelly admitted, blushing just a touch.

Duncan materialized one of Pauline’s business cards and handed it to Kelly.  “That takes care of the bras.  And the connection between the remote and your mother will let me handle the contents.”

“Donna!  I mean Duncan...  Phrasing.”

Duncan laughed again.  “I have plenty of boobs of my own to handle.  There, hopefully she was expecting the boost.”

Kelly giggled.  “Probably not.  I doubt she’s upset, though.”

Duncan handed the remote back to Kelly.  “Good to go for another week.  If they want something that’ll last longer, have them drop by the Kitten some time.”

Kelly nodded, then started fidgeting with her pendant.  “I’d also...”

“Ask.”

“The thing with the pendant, is...  I still have too much control.”

Duncan raised an eyebrow curiously.  “You’re not just talking about getting back to your human body.”

Kelly shook her head.  “I mean, it’s great fun playing with the boys as their toys, but...  Sometimes I want to really just be the toy, and the toy is... doing its own thing.  Like Unit Kate, except with a really simple mind in charge.”

“That could be arranged.  But I’d want some safeguards in place, so you don’t get too stuck.”

Kelly whined softly.  “But I like being stuck.”

“Long enough that your still-organic body suffers?” demanded Duncan.

That got Kelly thinking.  “I suppose Dad would be upset to find me mouldering.  I’d still be safe, right?”

“For certain somewhat limited values of ‘safe’ that don’t count the possible suffering if you ended back in a half-dead body, sure.”

“Fine!”  Kelly threw her hands up in the air dramatically.  “Make it safe, just let me get stuck for a while.  Until my body gets hungry?”

“I can work with that,” agreed Duncan.  “Done.”

Kelly blinked.  “Just like that?  Wait, how do I get stuck.”

Duncan grinned at her wickedly.  “You’ll just have to find out the hard way.”

“Cooool.”