“Hold still, you infuriating creature!”
Rairate struggled feebly, his arms and legs held by two Resten and two Nerre, as Voustrets examined his injuries. It was not the pain- it was the protocol-violation of being examined by a very intrusive Estrai who did not bother with permissions. Voustrets had come up with some sophisticated Runge tourniquets and braces, and was hell-bent on immobilizing Rairate for further medical care. He wasn’t about to wait for the gravely injured feline to talk him through the permissions involved in strapping a cat to a board, and Rai was having no tolerance for the omission.
“Oh, there, he’s passed out again. Who knew he had so much blood in him?”
“The poor thing! Why won’t he let us help him?” said the newest visitor to the Cathouse.
The Resten girl’s name was Finsly Bect, and she stayed very close to Boodins, gazing at him worshipfully and obeying his every suggestion. In response, Boodins was so puffed up he was barely recognizable, behaving like he was head medic, owner of the Cathouse, and several flavors of secret agent and soldier of fortune all at once. In fairness, it was quite obvious he’d saved the girl’s life, but his posturing would be attracting much mockery were things not so serious.
Across the room, sharing a couch, Dene fussed over Siertes, who was utterly smug. She had saved Dene, she’d covered for Boodins while he rescued two innocent bystanders, she’d leapt into space while riddled with bullets and crashed to the ground and survived it all, and now she was being cosseted by her beloved wolfess.
“How much will you do for me, sweetie? Hmmm?”
Dene blinked. “I need to fix these bandages. You were so brave when Voustrets dug the bullets out. I’m not sure anyone’s ever dug bullets out with a nipple-clamp before…”
“And they never will again!” said Faisand. “I can’t believe you had those, Cery!”
Daucery did not protest- she was engaged, along with Demarle, in holding Rai’s paws still. While Arle’s ears were back and her expression alarmed, Cery’s rangy frame wasn’t overly stressed from holding Rai still, though this was partly due to the ninja-kitty’s injuries and weakness, and Cery’s ears were perked forward in curiosity and attention.
“Don’t look so playful!” protested Arle. “He’ll never forgive us for this, and he could still kill you with that foot! He’s got the claw implants, remember?”
“I got him.” purred Daucery contentedly. “Voustrets will have his arms strapped down soon…”
“You didn’t answer me, sweetie…” said Siertes. “How much will you do for me? Will you feed me treats?”
“What, you mean peel you grapes?” said Dene. “If they’ve got them, sure. I can’t tell you how grateful I am you’re going to be okay…”
“Will you peel, without the grapes?” smirked Siertes.
“What?”
“I feel weak, darling, life force just slipping away… I need to taste the meaning of life once more…”
“It is not of the good taste to make such jests!” objected Voustrets. “This Nerre, he flirts with just that fate!”
“Fine, well I’m flirting with my wolf girl.” said Siertes dismissively. “So- how about it? Will you?”
Dene glanced around, her ears flattened in alarm. “You’re serious? Really?”
“I grow faint,” said the Tompar, “I need sustenance…” and her tongue lolled out of her mouth, glistening a bit.
“Oh my God.” said Dene. “Would a peeled grape suffice? Guys, find me some fruit quick…”
Nobody paid attention- Rai’s plight was much more impressive than that of a wounded but sarcastic Tompar wising off incessantly. Siertes seemed to be riding some kind of high involving the survival of the raid on Dinsam, and the survival of Dene in particular. She hadn’t been a bit sentimental about the survival of herself, but then it was rather alarming the way she’d been able to walk back to the Cathouse after being shot and falling out a second story window to the street. Dene was more than a little awed.
“When am I not serious?” said Siertes. “Indulge me.”
Dene glanced around, then leaned in. “Siertes- I love you. I thought I’d lose my mind when you ran after Boodins. But can you really picture me doing what you ask?”
“Of course. It’d be great. I want to bask in the vibrations of it again.”
Dene glanced around again. Faisand was watching, but nobody else.
“You will, you will… but not in front of all these people, okay? You be you, let me be me, okay?”
Siertes considered that, and the cranky imperious look in her eyes softened a bit. “If you put it like that…”
“I do put it like that. Please?”
“I like you being you while howling your pleasures to the moon…” said Siertes speculatively.
“I did that?” blinked Dene.
“Maybe a little breathlessly. You might have not been real close to reality at the time.”
“You can say that again.” said Dene. “We have to talk about that…”
“It sounded so pretty…” murmured Siertes.
Dene leaned in. “Keep the really deep crazy stuff for the last moment, and we need to get you some kind of timer.”
This time Siertes blinked, with an uncharacteristic look of surprise. “You’ve been thinking about it more than I expected.”
“You’re mine. Nobody’s as lucky as me. All we have to do is keep you from inadvertently killing me and life will be all kinds of awesome.”
Siertes’ eyes twinkled. “Already is.”
“I thank you! Your help is unlooked-for yet essential with this injured Nerre!” said Voustrets to the new Resten girl. “But we must now bring you up to speed regarding the consequence of the events you have witnessed.”
“Huh?” said Finsly cutely, one ear flopped over her eye. She brushed the ear aside in a well-practiced gesture, and her tongue lolled cutely in its place.
“Nine hundred credits easy.” joked Daucery in an undertone.
“Hush, you, she’s a civilian…” replied Demarle.
“I refer to the terrible attack on your workplace!” said Voustrets.
Finsly had apparently forgot. A tragic look flooded her eyes, and her lip quivered. Boodins, seeing this, rushed awkwardly around the improvised stretcher with Rai on it, nearly knocking over Daucery, and hugged his newfound Resten friend.
“Figure I can still borrow him?” whispered Daucery.
“Shush!”
“We cannot overemphasise the seriousness of this attack. My friend, Anzende Ndeschwin, of whom you have doubtless heard…”
Finsly looked blank. Voustrets promptly continued.
“He is demanding explanations of the Verss police for this atrocity, but we must assume that there are other rogue policemen, and that you may be targeted by them. Dinsam was ransacked, its computers destroyed, all the paper burned, and many of the employees killed…”
“We helped some of them escape!” said Boodins.
“You did not.” replied Voustrets. “Before Anzende began questioning the Verss police, the attackers had hunted down two of the three Runge lab workers who had escaped, and killed them. The survivor fled the city immediately, and his whereabouts are unknown. The only survivor of the massacre who is still in Verss is standing before us.”
Finsly wobbled a bit, steadied by the attentive Boodins.
“It is imperative,” said Voustrets, “that we learn what she knows, before she too is killed!”
Boodins’ jaw dropped. “What??”
Finsly swooned into Boodins’ arms, bearing a piteous expression, and he struggled not to drop her, awkwardly adjusting his grasp while trying not to grab her cheerfully jouncing tits.
“Nine hundred and fifty credits- if you’re quick.” murmured Daucery.
“Shush, Cery! Not funny!” protested Demarle. “Voustrets, you can’t mean that! We can’t protect her?”
“The hell we can’t.” said Jennis. “We might be down one kitty, but the Tompar is still in action and I’m damned if I’m going to let the cute puppy get hurt. We’re going to protect her.”
“Down one kitty?” yelped Boodins. “Rai is dying?”
“I will not allow it.” stated Voustrets fiercely. “He shall be saved. I will ask this- what exactly did he suffer? What caused these wounds?”
“He got his ass shot off.” said Siertes.
“It appears to be intact, though indeed his leg, his torso, his shoulder, and head all appear to have the serious injuries…”
“Yeah, that.” said Siertes. She gazed over at the mortally wounded feline with unaccustomed respect. “It’s amazing he made it this far, they’re not exactly rugged… I saw what happened, and he saved our lives with that, including Dene’s. He was right between the guns and her.”
“You were watching?” said Voustrets.
“I was right there. I didn’t get hit once, not until later. I’m sure he took a bullet for me as well.” said Siertes.
“He flung himself into the path of the bullets? Sacrificed all?” said Voustrets, and there was a tone in his voice that suggested the fox found this irresistibly romantic.
“Look at his paws.” suggested Siertes. “All of them.”
“I do not see injuries to account for…”
“You’ll find them on corpses in the wreckage of that Dinsam place.” said Siertes, and the admiration was even more obvious. “I saw it all. At least three guys came through the door at once. They took those lab techs apart. The cute little kitty here, he hit the floor as fast as I did, but he was right next to the lab guys. What does he do? He went straight at the cops while they were firing point-blank at him, claws out, and he must have dropped three of them at once. I oughta learn that claw stuff, I can’t do that…”
“You can’t?” said Dene.
“I can drop one so dead even the devil can’t reach him, with a bite, especially if I’m kinda jacked with adrenaline- but that’s just one. It takes time to get my head over to another one, and they can dodge, or they could shoot the roof of my mouth which isn’t as tough as my skin… I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell people that…”
“Oh, we in law enforcement are aware of such weak points.” said Voustrets.
Siertes glowered. “Great. Anyway- little kitty here took out three attackers who were shooting at my wolfess. When I think about it, I have to hand it to him. I think he must have injured some others- the next thing I knew, he’s slammed the door and locked it. He says ‘this is not good’ in this little voice, and he’s got blood all over him. I thought it was all theirs at first, but obviously they all targeted him when he charged…”
Everybody stared at Rairate, still unconscious and strapped to the board.
“You’re gonna save him.” said Siertes. “I insist.”
“What about her??” said Boodins. “Finsly, I mean! You said she’s gonna be killed!”
“He’s wrong.” came a gravelly voice. Voustrets glanced over excitedly, as did Faisand. Anzende Ndeschwin had arrived.
“Anzy! We must get this heroic and gravely injured Nerre to hospital.” said Voustrets. “If necessary, we shall arrange for a security detail from Kiesens to protect him from further attacks…”
“Not necessary. The attacks are over.” said Anzende grimly.
“It is the certainty, that you have?”
“The guy that ordered them is dead. We’ve got all the raid guys locked down- those that survived. Some of them look like they ran into a pile of chainsaws…”
“Yeah, he’s over there, strapped to a board.” said Siertes. “Pretty cute for a pile of chainsaws. They didn’t do him any favors in return.”
Anzende’s eyes widened, looking at Rai. “Really? Wow. I think he can legitimately claim self-defense. Look at him. You might want to get some pictures of it for when he defends against multiple cop murder.”
“We’ll get right on it.” said Siertes. “Sorry about the poisoned ones.”
“A little less sarcasm, please.” said Anzende wearily. “You’ll notice I’m not cuffing him, or you. We have bigger problems.”
“You said, the one that ordered these terrible attacks is dead? That the attackers are locked down?” said Voustrets. “You have been fighting battles in the police stations?”
“No. The guy killed himself. He left a note, but all it says is ‘shame on me, shame on me, shame on me’ over and over until it’s obscured by the blood. It looks like he shot himself. We’ve gone through his papers, and I’ve got some questions…”
“And you say it is the, what you call raid guys, who were the attackers?” said Voustrets.
“They’re a drug squad. It looks like he’s been telling the drug squads that they’re on super tough assignments, that he’s uncovered major sources where they cook the stuff up, heavily defended sources. He was pumping those guys up to such a level of tension that they’d just go crazy, treat everything like a threat…”
“They belong dead.” piped up Hallem, stubbornly. “You’re not going to get me to be sorry for them.”
“I’ve still got a friend in the hospital who tried to hold back the raid on your home, kid.” said Anzende. “He failed. The point is, the guy getting them to do that is dead.”
“How did you get them to- lock down? the raid guys?” said Faisand. “You’ve always been so frustrated that you’re not in the chain of command in this city.”
Anzende glanced at her. “You might not like this very much…”
“You didn’t.” breathed Faisand.
“I did. I burned Stinky.”
Faisand’s jaw dropped. Her paw lifted, waved feebly a bit, then dropped, to dangle loosely by her side. Expressions of rage, relief, sadness, gratitude chased themselves across her feline face. Finally, she spoke. “I’m retired, then.”
“I’m afraid so. Lives were at stake, darling. I had no choice.”
“Wait.” said Siertes. “What did he do?”
Voustrets, too, looked appalled at the revelation of a secret not privy to him. “Yes, what?”
“Our biggest leverage.” explained Faisand. “The top head of police here is.. was one of my special customers. Special even for them. That boy had a desperate need to mess, it got everywhere…”
“That was our leverage.” said Demarle, shocked. “What gave you the right to use it?”
Anzende glanced at her. “Some of the raid guys were still out. I had to question everybody, very quickly, figure out who’d been ordered to do what. Stinky didn’t want to pull everybody back in, just on the say-so of a cop from Kiesens and an unexplained suicide. He didn’t want me searching the guy’s office. I’m really sorry, Arle. I’m sure all those clients will pass the word, get spooked, go elsewhere- but lives were at stake, and I really had no choice.”
Demarle glanced at Faisand, who shrugged and said, “We’ll make up the income somehow.”
“But why was the dead guy doing it?” said Siertes. “Just to be more ashamed, or something?”
“That’s what I’m here for. I’ve got a piece of paper, and I’ve got a hunch about it…”
“And it is a hunch which I have also hunched!” cried Voustrets. “Can it be that you have found the telltale note?”
“Oh, come on!” snapped Anzende. “What telltale note? You’ve never said anything about a note!”
“What I mean is,” said Voustrets, “it is the note that allows us to make a connection…”
“Depends.” said Anzende. “What I’m wondering is whether that spy you’ve put into the Mistress Elistary whorehouse can get us a DNA sample. I’m pretty sure we can get the note analyzed. Get a load of the text, it’s a smoking gun. ‘You will see to it that every living thing in Dinsam is destroyed. I am pleased with your work at Ungovernment, but I expect equal or better results going forward, or I will not favor you again. You give me what I need, and I will give you what you need.’ It’s unsigned- guess that would be too much to expect.”
“You want to get a DNA sample?” said Faisand.
“One guess as to whose.”
“Elistary.” said Faisand venomously.
“Elistary.” confirmed Anzende.
“Perhaps that Allie girl can recognize the handwriting?” said Faisand.
“She’s not here…”
“Excuse me.” said Jennis, and Faisand and Anzende noticed she was trembling.
“What on earth is the matter, dear?”
“I… If you could let me see that.”
“You!” cried Faisand. “You’ve worked at Mistress Elistary! Anzy, let her read it!”
“I… I…” stammered Jennis as Anzende handed her the note. “Faisand… I can’t read. I can’t read, Faisand. But…”
“Yes?”
“I’ve watched Elistary write, many times. She would tease me about how I didn’t know what she was saying. It was like she enjoyed that I couldn’t understand what she wrote. She would have me carry messages to people…”
Anzy sounded sympathetic. “I’ve already read it, honey. I don’t need you for that. We can find you education… but for now, tell me if you recognize that writing.”
Everyone held their breath while Jennis studied the squiggles and shapes- besides Rai, who was still unconscious and breathing shallowly, and Finsly, who was breathing evenly while being held up by Boodins.
“Yeeeahhh…” said Jennis. “It’s Elistary. There’s shapes that she always puts in, it goes to these different sizes and stuff… this one here, she always does that, it’s this big shape. What’s that one that she always makes so big and digs the pen in so much?”
Anzy’s voice was gentle. “It’s the letter I, ma’am.”
There was a moment of silence as everyone thought about that.
There was a faint sound outside, a sound of frantic running.
It grew louder, accompanied by panting, and Jennis moved to interpose herself between her employers and the door. Anzende glanced at her, and he sort of shook his arms out, as if freeing them for combat. He didn’t draw his gun, for it was true- he didn’t wear one.
The door burst open, and Allie ran in.
She was wild-eyed, apparently terrified, and she was only wearing the cutoff shorts she’d got from Mistress Elistary- and those were torn. She was topless. She stared around frantically, too breathless to speak, and then she was gasping and shaking in Jennis’s arms, as the shaggy wolf byotch first patted her down thoroughly and then more or less held her up.
“Do you want to get her some kind of shirt?” said Anzende.
“I think that’s a good idea, darling.” said Faisand, and promptly removed her own, offering it to Allie.
“I didn’t mean off your own back!” objected Anzende.
“And why not? I’m retired now, let me show off as I please. Anyhow, I think she appreciates it, she liked me.”
It seemed that Faisand was correct- Allie’s eyes showed how touched she was, though she was still panting too hard to speak.
“Why’d you search her?” said Anzende to Jennis. “I saw that. What did you think she had?”
Jennis glowered, while still hugging Allie. “I don’t like to say. Thank goodness it wasn’t true.”
“But.. what?”
“You know the security systems they have, that ID people? I don’t know if these Cathouse ladies have that, but I’ve heard about a workaround…”
“Yeah?” said Anzende.
“Wire up an innocent who’s on the list to explosives and chase them into the place at gunpoint.” said Jennis.
Anzende looked grim, but he said nothing, because Allie was trying to speak.
“‘Sgone! shesgone! hhh!”
“Take it easy, honey,” said Anzende sternly. “Don’t pant so hard, slow down..”
“Hhhh! shesss! hhh!” yelped Allie, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she sagged into Jennis’s sturdy embrace.
Anzende, Demarle, Jennis, Voustrets, Daucery looked around in consternation. There were now three unconscious people in the front room of the Cathouse- Rai, on a stretcher, Finsly, who was still being supported by Boodins, and now Allie, who appeared to have run all the way from Mistress Elistary without pausing or slowing.
“Get her onto the bed.” said Anzende. “Let her rest.”
“What was she trying to say?” said Demarle. “I’m guessing Elistary’s gone? But why would that be so upsetting?”
“We’ll find out soon enough. She’s young and healthy and won’t stay down for long. I think the trick’s going to be calming her down once she wakes back up…”
They stared at Allie for a while. Daucery said, “Damn, she’s nice.”
“Allie’s really something special.” said Jennis. “She hasn’t been on the street long at all. She’s an incredible sweetie.”
“Didn’t mean that.” said Daucery. “She’s such a work of art it makes me want to grow a wolf dick.”
“Daucery, behave!” chided Faisand.
“Yes,” said Jennis sadly, “she is. She really is.”
“What’s that about?” said Daucery. “I thought you liked her. Isn’t that a good thing? I don’t ever see the regular Verss whores looking anywhere near so… beautiful. Why do you sound sad?”
“That’s just it.” said Jennis. “Enjoy it now. It won’t last. Not in this city.”
“Oh, come on!” said Daucery, but Faisand interrupted her. “Jennis is right, dear. We shelter you, and Demarle and I have gone to great lengths to make this a sort of oasis. Not entirely for selfless reasons, either- it helps justify our high prices, because we can convey some of that oasis quality to our clientele. This girl is from the other side of things. Don’t you remember what Jennis said?”
“About the rough trade guy?” said Jennis. “And her ex-con boyfriend who only lasted about a day? I know when I saw her outside that cafe, she was walking like he’d hurt her. The rough trade guy, I mean. Well… yeah, actually I guess the perv also hurt her, not in the same way. I gave up on her after she picked him up, she was heading for complete disaster.”
Daucery studied Allie some more. “I’m pissed off that she looks more feminine than me and she’s a Runge, but I guess I can’t blame her for that…”
“Oh, Cery.” sighed Demarle.
“And anyhow she doesn’t deserve complete disaster. Are you looking after her, Jennis?”
“Sure will. I won’t abandon her again.”
Allie stirred, wriggling on the bed. “Okay, calm her down first.” said Anzende, and Jennis moved in.
“Take it easy, honey…”
Allie’s eyes opened. “She’s gone!”
“Who’s gone? Elistary?”
“It… they…”
“Take it easy. You’re safe. What’s happening?”
Allie heaved a deep breath. “Elistary’s gone, and the whole place went crazy!”
“Crazy how?” said Jennis.
“Everybody’s stealing everything… all the enforcers are gone… I was trying to figure out what to do, and this girl grabbed my shirt, and she just ripped my shirt off and ran away with it…”
“Oh, that’s why you…”
“I ran straight here. I was afraid a cop was going to get me for being topless.”
“Yeah- you shouldn’t have let that girl do that.”
“I was afraid one would grab my pants and leave me naked…”
“Pants are harder to snatch.” said Jennis. “But no wonder you were out of breath…”
“Elistary’s room was open, and girls were in there taking anything they could, and they were tearing down the walls…”
“‘Scuse me…” said Anzende hastily, and got busy on the phone.
Allie stared at him. “What do you expect to do about it? I never saw cops caring about what went on in that place before.”
“Don’t be too streety, hon.” said Jennis. “You’ve been there for what, two days? I know why he’s on the phone.”
“To find Elistary?”
“That’s going to have to wait. He needs to get some people down there to lock the place down until it has new ownership.”
Hallem had wandered in, not wanting to miss the excitement, and expressed his opinion. “Capitalists!”
“What?” said Jennis.
“You heard me. The people don’t matter, it’s all about controlling ownership of the property. That’s all he cares about, he’s just a prison guard and the people are the prisoners. The judge? It’s property, the concept of property itself. He’s defending a concept against the people who have to live by it…”
Anzende had finished his call, and glanced at Hallem curiously. The anarchist boy’s eyes gleamed with conviction, and his chin was held high. Anzende didn’t react in a big way, but you could sense the amusement coming to him.
“I was just calling in a five-forty-three. Do you know what that is?” he said.
Hallem looked suspicious. “I don’t. …that’s different, is it?”
“Well,” said Anzende, “no, really it isn’t. You’re right. I’m defending property against the people, and I probably got away with it, too, which pleases me.”
“All right,” said Hallem, “why are you smirking? You’re hiding something.”
“Don’t tease the child, darling.” said Faisand chidingly. “Fill us all in, please.”
Anzy glanced at Faisand apologetically. “Sorry. Five forty three is subsidence related structural emergency.”
“Oh, shit, you’re right!” said Jennis immediately, while Faisand looked puzzled and said “Emergency?”
Hallem glanced quickly at Jennis, then back at Anzende.
“Hopefully not.” said Anzende. “We like to stay on top of breakdowns like that, the warning was almost certainly in time…”
“Bitches won’t just stop at stealing the copper wiring and pipes.” snarled Jennis. “I know them. There’s a lot of metal and saleable salvage materials in the underlying building structure. A LOT of metal.”
“Nobody with cutting torches will be allowed within a block of the place.” reassured Anzende.
“Good.”
Hallem’s ears were back, in some alarm. “Let me get this straight. You really think the people rioting at Mistress Elistary will bring friends with cutting torches and rip out supporting beams holding up upper layers of the city? That’s fucking crazy!”
“He’s quick, this one.” said Faisand approvingly.
“I know them.” said Jennis. “Especially the ones real hungry for drugs. It’ll take them some time, and they’re not going to get that time now. It should be okay.”
Hallem said, “Wouldn’t it seem… really obviously dangerous?”
“They’ll figure Verss could spare one major supporting beam and not mind too much…”
Anzende was on the phone again. “We’ve got five people into custody. Looks like two separate teams both thought that at the same time. No major damage. They’re going to need some repair in there quickly, though- one of the teams had a high speed plasma cutting torch.”
“Fucking Gertly and her friends in construction…” said Jennis.
Hallem sank into a chair, his head in his hands, and muttered something.
“Didn’t quite hear you there…” said Anzende, not unkindly.
“I said you guys need a better class of anarchists!”
Anzende lifted an eyebrow. “You know, I think I honestly agree with you.”
“What are we going to do with Elistary?” said Allie.
“Indeed that is the question first to my mind!” said Voustrets. “Did you form the impression that her self-named house of ill repute was more full of… BARRELS than usual?”
Allie stared at Voustrets as if he had grown a few extra heads, each sprouting penises and extra tongues.
“It would appear not…” said Voustrets, imperturbably.
“What the hell is he talking about?” said Allie.
“She didn’t have the barrels of poison sent there!” objected Dene. “That guy had a tracer on them! They’re up in the mountains, five miles w… um, east? I was right there, I should remember what he said…”
“Sweet wolfy, you hadn’t been shot at before. I’m impressed you remember any of it.” said Siertes.
“Well, then, do you remember what he said?”
The Tompar shrugged. “You were being shot at. I’m off my game, obviously, but I’m enjoying the new game far too much to care…”
“…up in… the mountains… in the middle… of nowhere…”
Rairate’s voice was very feeble, so severe were his injuries, but it didn’t matter- everyone went dead silent.
“…about ten K west of Dennte.”
Siertes was already at his side, staring at him in astonishment. “That sounds about right…” she said.
“Yes.” said Rai weakly. “…now let me go, ‘aons.”
Siertes stared. Finally she said, “No. I’m sorry Voustrets offended you, but you’re on a stretcher for a reason. You’re going to hospital.”
“Let me… join.”
“Join what, kitty?”
“You will… seek out Elistary. I shall… accompany…”
“The hell you will.” said Siertes. “You’re going to hospital.”
“My duty… is with Boodins…”
“He’s not coming along.”
“Oh yes I am!” yelped Boodins. Finsly had woken back up at some point, and was gazing adoringly at him. “I really need to talk to Elistary! That’s who I thought I was rescuing!”
Siertes turned on him. “Seriously? Don’t tell me, you’re going to sniff her out. Standing in front of the mountains, you’re gonna track her.”
“Sure!” said Boodins.
“You just said you were trying to sniff out Elistary, and instead you got this Finsly girl. Who’re you going to get in the mountains?”
Finsly opened her mouth, shut it, and looked imploringly at Siertes with puppy-dog eyes.
“What.”
“I… I had shook Elistary’s hand… three days ago…” said Finsly.
“There!” said Boodins. “You see? I need to go along.”
Rai tried to lift himself, but he was strapped down, and the effort caused his eyes to roll into his head a bit. He gathered his strength and managed, “Don’t let him… ‘ns…”
Voustrets was studying Boodins interestedly. He said, “The reasons for sending him to Dinsam, they are still with the validity…”
“Nnnt!” mewed Rairate, and the little Nerre’s strength gave out again. He collapsed, still tightly restrained, teeth bared and a tear leaking from his eye.
Siertes reached out, with unusual gentleness, and she petted Rairate’s head once. “You’re going to hospital. I still can’t believe, after all that, you’re the one who remembered that guy’s exact words. I thought I was tough. I’ll tell you this, though- your boy here isn’t going to come to harm. I’m gonna bring him back safely.”
“I’m coming with you.” said Dene.
“No, I want you to stay with kitty and nurse him back to health…”
“I’m coming with you!” barked Dene. She looked abashed, and added, “Sorry. That’s just how it is.”
Siertes appeared to calculate the odds of the mission succeeding- looked annoyed for a moment, then shrugged it off. “Yeah- I understand. Just know this: if I lose you, I’m not coming back either.”
“We’re both coming back.” said Dene stubbornly.
“So am I!” said Boodins.
“I’m coming with you!” said Finsly.
“Stay back and take Rai to the hospital.”
“Okay!” said Finsly immediately. Dene and Siertes exchanged a glance.
Finsly looked over the stretcher. “It’s barely breathing now. Shouldn’t we go right away?”
“He.” corrected Boodins. “Rai is a he. Well, mostly.”
“Oh.” said Finsly. “Like people?”
“Yeah!” said Boodins cheerfully, while the Cathouse denizens’ eyes narrowed slightly.
Jennis noticed this. “Mm… honey, this is probably a good time for your errand of mercy. Who else can go with her? Voustrets?”
Voustrets protested. “But we have the great planning to undertake!”
“Fine.” said Jennis. “I’m staying here, because I’m at work and things are too out of hand to leave my post. How about… Allie?”
Allie had regained her breath, and had donned Faisand’s top, which fit her entrancingly poorly. “You want me to help with the stretcher? I think I know where a hospital is. Anzende, will just an emergency room work?”
“I’ll go along.” said Anzende. “Unless I get some call. I’ll talk to the hospital people, get him set up as a VIP. I’ll need him as a witness later anyway…”
Allie hopped to her feet. “We’ll go, then.” she said. And then whispered to the Nerre not on the stretcher, “…I’ll make sure she doesn’t take him to a vet!”
Demarle glanced at Faisand, who returned the glance and added a little nod.
“When he’s safe there,” said Demarle, “come back here. You haven’t got anywhere else to go, you’re Jennis’s friend, and… just come back here, okay?”
“Come back.” said Faisand. “We need to talk. And you’re wearing my top!”
“I’ll bring it back!” said Allie, and with Anzende advising, the Runge and Resten girls carried Rai off. Finsly remarked, “It’s hardly any weight at all, poor thing!” to which Allie replied, with a big eye-roll, “I think IT’S silk or something” as if Finsly had meant Faisand’s shirt… and shared a sympathetic glance with Demarle and Faisand, who seemed to have no idea what to say about the perky Resten girl’s pronoun problems.
Once they were gone, Siertes shrugged. “Resten are like that. If you were a Tompar, you’d get even cooler treatment. Runge are more open-minded.”
“Hey!” protested Boodins.
“Well, it didn’t seem to surprise you, how she talked.” said Siertes.
“I guess I know what you mean.” said Boodins. “It seems natural enough to me- but I’ve been spending a lot of time with Rai, and then oh my God, Mags and Daucery…”
“Seem more like people when they’re on the end of your dick?” remarked Faisand acidly.
“Rai was never!” protested Boodins, but Demarle cut him off. “Don’t be a bitch, Faisand!”
“He’d probably like me better if I were…”
“I like you!” said Boodins. “Well… I wish I liked you! You’re… strict.”
Faisand sighed. “I suppose I am. Yes, I am…”
“You’re trying to make me not be dumb.” said Boodins. “Well, I WANT to not be dumb.”
Faisand quirked an ear. “I wouldn’t call you that. You’re just full of assumptions, and I’ve seen them all in my day and have no patience with them anymore. What you’re saying is a good sign, really…”
“Good, teach me not to be dumb!”
“But I can’t.” said Faisand. “My dear Anzy has some ideas about these things. If we’re not quite people to you, or Siertes here isn’t a person to you because she’s a Tompar, we can’t argue you into feeling different, we can only demand that you act accordingly. If you want to not be dumb, as you put it, you’ll need to open your eyes and be with us, not in the sense you were with Daucery…”
“Speak for yourself.” said Daucery fondly. “I definitely want a rematch, and I think Arle’s interested too.”
“I am speaking for myself.” snapped Faisand. “And what I say stands. Boodins, the more you are with us simply as people, the more that dumbness will slip away. Or, you can think only of Finsly and our dear little criminal Elistary and go straight back to Restred where you’ll not see any species too unfamiliar to you, and we will gradually become mysterious unpeople to you again, puzzling memories disconnected from your experience.”
“Um…” said Boodins. “I’m not sure I really followed you. I shouldn’t think of Finsly?”
“You probably should tell her you’re fucking me.” said Daucery. “‘Cos I want more of that, and I get the impression it wouldn’t go over well with her. But I’m almost sure I can be way hotter than her.”
“Almost?” said Demarle.
“You never can tell. But I’m motivated.”
Boodins looked distressed. “I think you’re right. I think she’d freak out- and, and, and she has no right to! You’re awesome, and you were great, and I always fantasized about that but I never knew you’d be like a cool person with feelings and stuff…”
“He’s probably going to turn out okay.” said Faisand. “Welcome to reality, Boodins, where your Nerre fantasy is a person with feelings and stuff.”
“You’re teasing me…”
“I’m strict, remember?” said Faisand, and there was a hint of warmth where before there was disapproval.
