THE SLEEP DEVIRATIVES OF MACROECONOMICS

It was just Ben, Ki, Wolfgang, and I left in my family's suite at the Night Forest Packhouse. Ki and Wolfgang got busy almost immediately. They set up the living room coffee table with tea and cookies, and papers and books.

"What are you guys doing?" Ben tsked impatiently. I had sat down on the floor in front of a plate that Ki had served a nice big cookie on. Ki kindly poured my tea. To Ben, he answered, "We are setting the scene, beta."

Ben dropped down to sit cross legged next to me, he looked disgruntled, "Whatever."

I ate my cookie while Ben glared at me, "This is delicious."

I know we were kind of in a rush to my Grandma Wanda's rescue, but I was a little peckish, and also I had discovered a secret happiness in watching Ben's agony whenever he was forced to exercise patience.

So I enjoyed my cookie as Ben fumed next to me. It was a delicious minute, especially since the cookie in hand was the macadamia, white chocolate, and cranberry one. Aunt Jade had said it was my cousin's favorite, so I knew without even looking/smelling/tasting that it would be of a delicious standard. My cousins had very good taste in baked treats - specifically the kind that were sweet and warm.

Wolfgang was still busy. He was very detailed about "setting the scene", passing a pen to me, "Please copy a few lines from this page, princess."

I looked at the book Wolfgang proffered opened in front of me, "Urm… okay…"

It didn't look too hard… at least it was in English (probably). I took a second look at the rows of tiny font just to double check that we were still working with the same language.

Ki sat down on my other side and took out a sheet of paper. I got distracted immediately when he produced a fountain pen from his pocket to copy out the text. I wondered if that pen was the same price as a car.

"You too, Ben." Wolfgang instructed.

"Aren't you getting carried away with this, Professor Hotstuff?" Ben groaned, but he picked up the nearest book to give it a cursory flip, "It's not like anyone's going to…"

There was a knock on the door. I froze, pen in hand. Ben put down the book, "I don't believe it."

"We did warn you, beta." Ki smiled.

Ben ran a frustrated hand through his short crop of curls, "Of all the stupid… a spot check?"

"On a visiting foreign delegation's alpha in the middle of the night." Ki said it like it was grave sin.

"What the hell is your uncle thinking, Sam?" Ben made it sound like it was my fault!

"The audacity." Wolfgang muttered under his breath, but he straightened and opened the door. to let in Oscar and Aunt Jade.

"Luna is here." Oscar bowed politely. My wolves stood stonily and returned the greeting with a silent bow. I had instinctively stood up with them, so I just stood there.

"Oh, sorry." Aunt Jade looked flustered, "Your uncle was worried and wanted me to check if you are going to bed yet. It's past your bedtime after all."

Ah, that's right. I told them I was going to bed.

Aunt Jade laughed nervously, "What are you doing?"

"As you can see," Ben inclined his head pointedly because in his mind this was an unwarranted spot check, "we are studying."

I imagined this was how Ben would speak to his mum and dad if they checked on what he was doing in his room. Lizzy had told us that her parents had to do this because Ben being quiet in his room was usually the quiet before the storm. According to Lizzy, Savy and I could laugh only because we weren't living in the same house, "He's such a pest."

I never had a brother, so I never quite understood the feeling.

I would have expected Ki to help soothe over Ben's prickly response towards my luna aunt, but he only stood there with his gentle smile. Did he think this was a spot check too? Were they angry on my behalf at being checked on?

Thank goddess for Wolfgang. He produced a perfunctory and very respectable bow and explained, "The princess and her betas are behind on their lessons. I will be tutoring them for a couple of hours."

"Oh. I see." Aunt Jade peered over at our table. I looked down to check what we were studying. It looked like cookies, tea, and "balancing Keynesian and Neo-classical economic models".

Ki had already written on his page that fiscal and monetary policy should be used actively in the short run to manage aggregate demand. I was still holding a pen, although my page was blank. In my defence, my cookie wasn't going to eat itself. And Ben, even though he hadn't taken out a pen at all, raised his hand, "What's the difference between Keynesian, New Keynesian, and Neo-classical synthesis, Sir?"

"Excellent question, Beta." Wolfgang nodded, "We will get round to that in a moment."

"Well, I better let all of you get on with your lessons then." Aunt Jade decided, "Sorry for the interruption."

Actually, if I didn't know this was a fake lesson, I think I would have been sorely tempted to leave with her too.

"Oh, and ah… Sam?" Aunt Jade faltered at the door, "I know you must be busy, but just try not to sleep too late."

"Yeah. Okay." I said. I won't lie, I did feel a little bad about tricking Aunt Jade, but I squashed that feeling aside. Technically, I was going to sleep.

Oscar dropped me another courtesy bow before leaving with his Luna.

I sighed the moment the door shut behind them, and sank back down in front of my blank sheet of paper. Ben sank back down next to me, arms folded, "Alpha Louis is really pushing it."

"I would be sure to report it." Ki smiled agreeably.

"They're just taking care of me." I brushed it off. Family was like that, sometimes they nag about stuff like bedtime, but that's because they're worried.

"Yeah, they sure are "taking care" of you carefully." Ben smirked, "Alpha Louis even sent his luna to check on you in your family suite."

Yes? I mean… huh? Why did Ben say "taking care" with the sarcasm of meaning the opposite?

"What?" I demanded.

"What, what?" Ben demanded.

I decided to ask someone who was more willing to pour tea, "Ki, what exactly are you going to report?"

"I will be reporting the various infringement into your privacy and disrespect towards your sovereignty, goddess." Ki smiled like a flower to the sun.

I immediately regretted asking.

"F*** the reports!" Ben grumbled, his arms crossed, "It's not like Alpha King will make a move because of some petty spot checks."

"They're just worried about me sleeping late?" I started my sentence was a statement of fact, but even as the words came out, I began to wonder. Were my wolves overthinking it again?

"Yeah, let's go with that." Ben nodded towards me, "They're just worried about Sam's bedtime." He sounded every word to be downright sarcastic now.

Wolfgang nodded, "I see. Although it is infuriating, I have to agree."

"We'll just play along for now. I expect they'd come check on us a few more times." Ben grumbled, "What a pain."

Ki was still smiling, but it was the kind of smile that I had long understood to mean he had taken offense, "Since our goddess has kindly stepped into his "care", Alpha Louis will do well to watch his steps."

Ki's tone had an unmistakable capisce about it.

"Whatever." Ben shrugged, "Now that the trap is set, there's nothing more to do. In the meantime, let's deal with the missing healer."

WTH were my wolves plotting? And how was it that they made it sound like they were following my decision when I was the only one who had fallen off the plot horse? Based on previous experience, my wolves were probably overthinking some complicated web of unseen intrigue.

Wolfgang had a hand on his chin, "How shall we do this?"

How shall we do what? After all these timelines, I was still stupid.

"Perhaps we might be able to tabulate our answer." Wolfgang decided.

I watch him write it out in whiteboard pen over a large decorative mirror - so a mirror could be a whiteboard too... Wait, were we seriously going to discuss whatever Key-thing Ben was asking about? Apparently, yes. Wolfgang immediately launched into a deep dive to explore the macroeconomic history of the Keynesian theory that had evolved from a tenet of mainstream economic thought that the economy would automatically revert to a state of general equilibrium… blah blah blah… the way he spoke, it sounded like I had splashed into the exquisite and mysterious sea, surrounded by the underwater colors and sounds or the majestic coral reef where even the smallest fish and stone held deep mysteries waiting to be discovered… Except that it was the deep mysteries of economic theories so I guess it was unsurprising that I fell asleep.