2
I stopped between the columns framing the front portico of the Strange Mansion and turned Jason toward me. “Sorry about tonight. Not quite what we'd planned.”
He frowned. “Not a great start to your adulthood. Is it always like this?”
“No.” I turned to look over the manicured grounds, the house set back a few hundred meters from the street. I sighed, the sky clear, the night warm, and the stars bright. Beyond the skyline of Montalban, clouds were gathering on the horizon. I didn't need to see them to know they were there, the next rain about an hour away. I pulled Jason with me, his hand in mine.
“Who do you suppose was behind the labgrown work stoppage?”
“I could hazard a few guesses, but that's all they'd be.”
“I heard they stopped your gravrail by throwing themselves on the track
