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A plate of pancakes was deposited in front of Magnus, and he and Greg stopped speaking for a otta go," he said "I was out patrolling to see if anyone had been attacked, and I saw you through theWanted to say hi It’s nice to see you back"

Magnus dropped five dollars onto the table and pushed the pancakes away

"I’ll come with you I want to see this for myself"

The temperature had shot up in the hour or so he’d been in the diner This a out of metal trash cans (which only cooked it and intensified the scent), bags of it piled up on the curbs Trash just thron onto the street itself Magnus stepped over the haer wrappers and cans and newspapers

"Two basic areas to patrol," Greg said, lighting up a new cigarette "This area andwest from here There are a lot of clubs over by the river, in the Meatpacking District"

"It’s quite war the pulled off his vest There were certainly worse things than taking a ith a handso Now that it washand in hand, in the open, during the day That was fairly new Even as the city see

"Has Lincoln spoken to Canus asked

Max Lincoln was the head of the olves Everyone just called hiaunt frame and bearded face--and because, like the more famous Lincoln, he was a fa said "Not anymore Camille comes down here for the clubs, and that’s it You knohat she’s like"

Magnus knew all too well Caers and acquaintances She had the air of royalty The private Camille was a different beast entirely

"What about Raphael Santiago?" Magnus asked

"He’s gone"

"Gone?"

"Rumor is that he’s been sent away I heard that from one of the fey They claih Central Park Heand had soone"

This didn’t bode well

They walked through the Village, past the shops and cafés, up toward the Meatpacking District, with its cobbled streets and disused warehouses Many of these were now clubs There was a desolate feel here in the --just the re below Even the river seemed to resent the heat They checked everywhere--in the alleys, next to the trash They looked under vans and trucks

"Nothing," Greg said as they peered into and poked the last pile of trash in the last alley "Guess it was a quiet night Time to check in It’s late

This required a quick walk in the ever-increasing heat Greg couldn’t pay for a cab and refused to allow Magnus to do so, so Magnus unhappily joined in the jog all the way down to Canal Street The olves’ den was concealed behind the facade of a takeout-only restaurant in Chinatown One olf stood behind the counter, under the menu and the stock photos of various Chinese dishes She looked Magnus over When Greg nodded, she let theh a beaded curtain to the back

There was no kitchen behind the back wall Instead there was a door that led to a er facility--the old Second Precinct police station (The cells ca down the dimly lit hallway to the main rooathered, and Lincoln stood at the head of the roonus, he raised a hand in greeting

"All right," Lincoln said "Looks like everyone is here And we have a guest Many of you know Magnus Bane He’s a warlock, as you see, and a friend to this pack"