At the door of the bar they were met by a selkie woman with her skin draped over her shoulder, and a three-legged crow with small, glowing red eyes who perched on a host's podium.

"Sorry, folks," the selkie said, shrugging. "No vacancies."

"We've been full up for weeks," the crow added. "You're welcome to stay on the property, and we've got plenty of food, just no space in the inn. Sorry."

They went away again without arguing, each in somewhat unsurprised silence. The monsters they passed had not bothered to hide their shapes--Hawk and Teige had to sidestep a buffalo-headed minotaur that towered even over Hawk.

Minnie sniffed derisively. Parker rounded on her.

"Oh, Minnie," she snapped bitterly, "Why do you give a fuck? You're human! Nothing's going to happen to you!"

"Oh right," Minnie retorted. "Like they'd check before shooting me."

"Then why don't you fucking go--"

"God," Abi said loudly. "Both of you shut up. I'm so sick of y'all bitching all the damn--"

Someone bumped past Hawk then, an angular-faced man with a cigarette in his mouth. Hawk turned to look at him, and the man looked back--then paused, and raised his eyebrows, looking Hawk over.

"Oh, here comes Kim and Aram," Abi said presently, as the stationwagon appeared at the top of the hill, leaving a trail of dust as it descended into the small valley. "Hope they like sleeping in their car."

Hawk turned away again as Teige murmured, "May as well take advantage of happy hour, eh."