Who else would I put on the commission? The goddess Minerva if I could have her, if not, then my assistant by the same name would be just as bright with the added bonus of representing humanity as well. Inanna and Maat hadn’t been seen in a very long time. Durga, like the Morrigan, was a war goddess, and while I suspected the Morrigan wouldn’t sit on a Council—she operated very much on her own terms—I believed Durga might join us. That’d make three. Haukim and Balder immediately sprang to mind when I thought about gods. Though the Council of Good Fortune contained only goddesses, I wasn’t averse to putting gods on the justice council either, and the ones I thought of would be wise and fair. I added Pugu to the list. I hadn’t spoken with the Siberian God of the sun and justice in a very long time, though I believe Aggie had dealings with him as he helped the farmers in the region.
Was I really ready to do this? Was I really ready to put a Council of Justice together on Par Impar to punish those who acted under Kairos’ influence? I sucked a breath between tight lips. Yeah, I was. In a way I blamed the Council of Good Fortune for this because had we not been so much in the shadows, had we tried not to tip the balance then perhaps this wouldn’t be needed. Perhaps this would finally do the things that needed to be done.
The VIP tower held six suites, and that would be enough for each of the deities. They’d have staff of course, but there was an adjacent set of rooms currently unoccupied for them to use if they needed. My business sense screamed at the idea of giving so much real estate over to the deities and to the elves and other ambassadors. They wouldn’t be renting rooms. Where would that money come from? Would they even be willing to pay a little toward their food or for housekeeping? I shoved the thoughts aside. I was a goddess. I’d been among mortals for too long if I, the goddess of luck and good fortune, worried about money. Nervous laughter bubbled from my throat.
“Everything okay?” Minerva asked as she entered my office.
“Just laughing at myself. We all have to do that every now and then.” I swiveled in my chair to look at her. “I have a proposition for you.”
“Oh?” She sat down in her usual spot. “And here I was just going to come give you an update on what I found out after our staff meeting.”
I smiled. “This is all related to that.” I took a deep breath and looked at my notes one more time. “I am wondering if you have any way of reaching out to your patron Goddess. You see, with what is coming I feel as if we’re going to need a Council of Justice. I’ve reached out to Iustitia and have a few others on my list, but I believe Minerva would be a strong addition to the Council. There’s a lot that’s going to happen. I don’t think Par Impar is going to go back to a human resort anytime soon.”
Minerva nodded, her eyes sad, though she quickly masked it. “I’ve gathered that.”
“Are you okay with it? I know that there have been a lot of changes since I’ve returned, and I’m not able to talk to you about the reasons why.”
“Yeah,” she replied, nodding again. “I am. It’s just…” She sighed. “I’ll miss the people. There’s something about watching a family, young children seeing dolphins or sting rays for the first time. It warms your heart. This, I don’t know about. It all seems so…” Her words trailed off. “I’m sorry. I know this is your deal and you have a plan for it. I trust you. I really do. It’s just that this is all—” She waved her hands in the air. “Political and I know I’m an avatar of a goddess, but we’re dealing with things I didn’t know anything about. It’s just a lot.” She finished, then frowned. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t feel this way.”
I touched my assistant on the shoulder. “How you feel is how you feel. You don’t have anything to apologize for. I expected this. It’s something we’ll probably have to deal with in all the staff. I want you to come to me with these feelings. I want to know.” I’d had it in the back of my mind that I’d have to deal with feelings like this. I wasn’t so removed from humans that I didn’t understand their confusion. “Is there something I can do to help?”
Minerva smiled. “I suppose that I will just have to work through it, but I appreciate knowing that you are here if I do need to reach out.”
“Okay, good.”
“And yes, I will see if I can contact Her. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to. She’s been reluctant as of late to reach out, but hopefully I’ll be able to get in touch and let you know. I like your idea. It’s a shock. I mean, I figured I wouldn’t be working around any one more famous than the occasional VIP star or something. And now to realize we’ll have ambassadors and gods here? It’s a lot to take in.” Minerva glanced down.
“Well if there’s something I can do let me know,” I repeated feeling as if I were at a loss for words. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”
Minerva smiled, her first real relieved smile since she’d walked into my office. “I know, boss.”