"Its a good choice," he said, smiling. "And I do understand the discomfort with government and politics. That's not why I do it. I do it now because the only family I've had since I was in school was Robert and Remus and Kate.
"That aside, though, I originally got into it because Rufus Scrimgeor recruited me when the war broke out. At the time, it kept me out of jail. I think he felt either a bit sorry for me. I was more than a bit pitiful as a kid. Or, he felt he'd rather have me stealing for him than from him. I've never known just which it was.
"The pay, though, is extraordinary. And they can't really tax what they won't admit you have. They've tried, but I've been able to keep it from sticking much.
"I work when I want, and I dont' work when I don't want. That is, if someone doesn't guilt me into some assignment I really don't want to do. I can be a patsy about that. All things considered, though, if I were a family man, I can't see myself forced into a job that robs me away from my family 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year and getting peanuts for it.
"You'll be getting your training and credentials and what-not's from one of us that you already know as being associated with Robert. They're not part of the Unspeakable unit, but Robert needs us to function as his eyes and ears--and voice for the moment.
"I'm guessing you know most of the folks associated with Robert. I'm guessing the faces you might see, besides me, might be Brian, Angus, and then there are a couple of unusual players.
"Marcus Belby. He's British but he was hired by the Bulgarian Minister's office years ago as a bodyguard for the Minister. Long story short, he's on indefinite loan from them to Robert. He specializes in espionage and intelligence and personal protections. His dossier reads like a cold war spy novel. You saw him, I believe, the night you were with us and met James in the alley. You can trust him.
"The only other odd fellow in the bunch is Robert's American counterpart, Lee Shepherd. Lee is here not only because of his friendship with Robert but also because America is a sworn ally to us. They have a vested interest in making sure England doesn't go to pot. He's got strong skills in military operations and intelligence. And he's got ties here in England too, not just in the States.
"If I were a betting man, I'd wager that this will be a team operation that Robert will be running behind the scenes and Shepherd might well be the messenger for. But I'm not entirely sure on that. I'm guessing Robert will want the rest of us as agents in the operation.
"So you know, we've also been approached by the leaders of the Death Eaters who are offering their support. They have a strong interest in seeing this law overturned in order to avoid seeing the purebloods watered out by the law over time. We're not fool enough to see it as an unconditional alliance, but neither would we be foolish enough to look a gift horse in the mouth. It does give us some temporary common ground, if we find we can use their help. If the time comes, we might need to see if there's anything of the Order left. But that's your call entirely.
"Now--are you completely overwhelmed?" he gave her a slight smile. Then he teased her a bit. "Its nice to have you on the team. At least that way, I can look out for you and not have you taking it on all by yourself." As if Jack needed someone to look out for her anyway. It didn't stop Michael from wanting to do it, though.