"You can't," Teige repeated, watching Hawk slip one wing gingerly through the strap of the messenger bag. "Really? I never knew a goblin that couldn't change shape some..."

He paused, seeming genuinely mystified, while Hawk pulled the strap over his head and tucked his wings back over the bag.

"Unless," Teige mused, "you're a halfbreed."

The feathers all up Hawk's back stood up. He turned to look at Teige, whose eyes had gone wide with surprise.

"You are, aren't you!" he exclaimed. "I s'pose that explains why you look like a human with wings just slapped on. Bit of an odd configuration, otherwise. Still, ent nothing to be ashamed of if you ask my opinion--"

"Y'know," Hawk interrupted, unable to keep his lip from curling out of irritation, "You done nothing but�yak�the whole way across the island. How about you--" he paused, because Teige's eyes had suddenly gone even wider and blank white, like a pair of headlights, and his head had swiveled around to peer up at the boardwalk above them, "What?"

"Time's up," Teige answered, jerking his thumb up at the boardwalk. He promptly went up in bright green flames, diving for the sand.

Another police officer had suddenly emerged into view, standing on the railing of the boardwalk. "HEY!" he barked.

"Chrissakes," Hawk muttered, and swung around, opening his wings.

Teige had slithered into the messenger bag at Hawk's hip, now in the form of a toothy black stoat. "Try not to drown this time, sunshine," he advised.

Hawk took the the air in a couple downbeats, leaving the police on the boardwalk with nothing to do. "Shut up," he said.