Madly & the Jackal Read Online Free PDF Page A

to see the Warden Major about a request he’d submitted to the Wildlife Authority several months back.  It was in regards to a marmoset.  It’s a bit of a long story, but my wife and I are rehabilitators and we’ve been nursing one back to health for some time now and we’d like to find her a good home.  We’re hoping the Warden will take her.”
    It sounded so ridiculous, it was believable.  It had to be.   It was utterly preposterous and I felt sure the Sentinel would agree that someone with nefarious plans would never use such a silly excuse to gain entrance to the mansion.
    The young guard frowned and made a soft snorting noise.  Not one loud enough to be rude, but it was discernible nonetheless.  He must’ve been thinking the same thing I was.
    “Hold please,” he said, reaching for the special amulet he’d been given when he was assigned his position.
    I knew all about them since I’d lived around Sentinels just like him all my life.  The necklace reminded me of dog tags, the human soldiers’ means of identification, but the guards had only one. 
    It was a thin, rectangular shard of marble that was taken from the very walls of the mansion and charmed by one of Atlas’s first Warden Majors.  It was a direct line of communication to various people with whom the guard might need to speak, as well as a means to sound the alarms.  The wafer-like stone the Sentinel held was undoubtedly transmitting his request to the Warden Major himself.  I resisted the urge to close my eyes and pray that the position was still occupied by my father.
    A few seconds later, the guard focused his attention back on us, handing Jackson a small, transparent disc that resembled a clear CD.
    “Sign in please.  Someone will be along to escort you to the Warden momentarily,” he assured us stiffly. 
    It gave me a headache to watch him.  He took his job way too seriously.  Yes, it was an important job, but I was pretty sure it was acceptable for him to breathe occasionally.
    Jackson waved the small circle over his left hip and then handed it to me.  I did the same, knowing that the device recorded my unique scale color and pattern, just as it had Jackson’s, and that our visit would be forever stored in the Warden’s archives.  The magic I’d used to cloak us had altered our appearance as well as our scales.  Now the color and pattern would be officially associated with John and Mary Rainns.
    “Name?”
    “John Rainns and this is my wife, Mary,” Jackson said, indicating me with a wave of his hand. 
    When the guard bent his head to input and link our scale patterns to our names, Jackson tossed me a quick wink that had my lips twitching.  He was so wicked.
    Afterward, we only had to wait a few minutes for our escort.  He was every bit as stiff as the first Sentinel, but at least he was a bit more loquacious, even if it was just polite small talk.
    “What brings you to visit the Warden?” he asked conversationally.
    Jackson spoke up and explained the nature of our business, saving me from having to utter the word marmoset and blow our cover with my giggles.  And he did it perfectly.  He was casual yet engaged, confident yet approachable.  He was as non-threatening as someone of his intimidating height could be.
    As we ascended the familiar walkway that led to the arched front entry of the mansion, pride, love and comfort swelled within me.  I hadn’t even been aware of missing home until that moment.  I could only imagine that it was intensified by the fact that the safety of my family was very much in question.  All in all, I was near tears by the time we reached the enormous granite front doors.
    When the heavy panels began to part, a puff of air from the interior of the mansion wafted out to tickle my nose.  It carried with it the myriad scents I found most comforting in all the world.  It carried with it home—my home.  As we stepped through into the cool marble foyer, with its deeply vaulted