The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories (24 page)

“
I don’t imagine that went over well.”

Jonas shrugged. “He offered me gold and then said I was making a mistake.”

“
That all?”

“
Yeah.” Jonas sighed. “But it was a mistake, wasn’t it? I mean, I should’ve just stayed out of it.”

He said it more because he wanted her to agree than because he believed it, and he was surprised when she said, “I don’t know ’bout that, Jonas. Why did you go see him?”

“
Because…I wanted him to leave Mikka and Benton alone.”

She laughed. “I think you made sure of that. Listen, kitten, you acted from the heart, an’ that’s good. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it wasn’t your brain telling you to do it anyhow. Now it’s done, your brain’s kickin’ in with all the things you shoulda thought about before, but sometimes you need to just go and do, and that’s what you did.”

“
But I made more trouble for myself and everyone else.”

“
Don’t you worry ’bout that. We know what kind of trouble he thinks he can stir up. I’ll make sure all your licenses are in order and you’d best check all your new customers pretty carefully for a while.”

“
New customers?”

“
I wouldn’t put it past him to send someone over and leave somethin’ valuable here, then claim you robbed him. Old trick, but a good one.” She grinned. “Used it m'self, once upon a while.”

“
I’ll be careful.”

“
I know you will.” She pulled her arm back. “Now let me get a letter and if you’re not too busy you can take it to Mikka. He’d best hear it from you anyway.”

“
All right.” Jonas started to get up with her, but she pushed him down. “Just set right there and I’ll be back soon.”

“
Yes’m.” He grinned at her and leaned back in the seat, a little surprised at how much better he felt already. Hazel certainly didn’t seem worried, and that made him relax. Maybe he’d been working himself up about nothing. He closed his eyes and let the heat of the day warm him, enjoying the occasional breeze that ruffled his fur.

His reverie was interrupted by the brush of parchment against the fur of his arm, and the scent of skunk. He opened his eyes to a black and white arm and Hazel’s smile. “Here.” She pushed the paper at him again. “Just give that to Mikka. You can read it after he does. It’s just telling him not to worry like I know he’s gonna.”

“
Okay.” Jonas took the paper and stood up. “I’ll be back for Felter’s appointment.”

“
I’ll let him know if he comes early.” She grinned. “Don’t you go worryin’ neither. This is gonna be okay.”

“
Thanks, Hazel.” Jonas gave her a warm smile. He was tempted to brush her muzzle or hug her, but they hadn’t touched much since she’d taken advantage of his services; at least, he hadn’t touched her.

Mikka, on the other paw, he brushed muzzles with regularly, and the grey fox was smiling when he came out of the back of his shop to see Jonas. They nuzzled and Mikka said, “What brings you here?”

Jonas glanced at the back room, but the apprentices were not in evidence. He handed Mikka the note. The fox wrinkled his nose. “From Hazel?” Jonas nodded. Mikka opened the note carefully and read it, and his ears lowered as he did.

“
Okay,” he said, setting the note on the counter. “I’m calm, and I’m confident that all your business papers are in order. I have them upstairs. Now why am I remaining calm?”

It had been easier to tell Hazel. Jonas fidgeted and then said, “Benton came by, and he mentioned Dixan…”

“
Oh, no.”

“
I just wanted to tell him to leave you guys alone.”

“
You didn’t go see him?”

“
I thought if I showed him the pendant that he’d know not to bother you.”

“
Jonas, dear…that’s a really sweet thought…”

He pointed to the note. “Remember what Hazel said.”

Mikka looked down at the note and then grinned. “Okay. I’m staying calm.”

“
Hazel said not to worry. She said all the papers are in order and there’s nothing he can do to us.”

Mikka patted the counter beside him. Jonas sat up on it. “Hazel may be a bit optimistic,” the grey fox said, putting a paw on Jonas’s knee. “There’s plenty of trouble a lawyer could dream up. But panicking now won’t help.” He beckoned for Jonas to lean forward, and stood on tiptoe to kiss the cougar on the nose. “It was a
very
sweet thing, dear.”

Jonas managed a half-smile through his confusion. “Oh, you’re welcome,” he said. He hadn’t really thought of it as something he was doing for Mikka and Benton, just that it was, well, some trouble he’d caused that needed to be made right. And, he supposed, the fact that it was hurting his friends led him to pursue it with greater passion than he might normally have had. That aside, he didn’t want Mikka to mistake this for more than it was. Their relationship had stabilized at a level that Jonas was comfortable with, and he no longer feared that he would be kicked out into the street if he hit a bad patch of business, but now he worried that Mikka was just waiting for a sign from him to pursue something further again.

Fortunately, the fox didn’t seem inclined to follow up the kiss. “I’ll make sure all your licenses are in order. I filed them away upstairs. Maybe you should take them and keep them with you, just in case there’s an inspection or something.”

“
All right.” Jonas prepared to hop off the counter, but Mikka waved him down. “I’ll get them. You just wait there.”

Mikka came back a moment later with a small packet of papers. He spread them out on the counter and looked up at Jonas. “Just so you understand, okay? I am listed as the business owner because I paid the fees on it. I listed this place as the main business address, because if things didn’t work out with Hazel, you could move. And here you’re listed as the employee, and remember signing this here? So you’re all legal, and he can’t touch you, at least there.” He grinned at Jonas. “I guess if he paid, he could touch you somewhere else.”

Jonas shuddered. “Not funny.”

“
Sorry, dear.” Mikka patted his knee. “You’ll be okay with these?”

“
Sure. I can read.”

“
I know.” Mikka smiled. “I trust you. Go on back. And tell Hazel I’m calm.”

“
I will.”

“
And Jonas…” Jonas turned as he hopped down from the counter. Mikka smiled at him. “Thanks. Really. I know it must have been hard for you to do.”

“
Oh, it was…” He shuffled, unsure what he wanted to say.

“
It was sweet, dear.” Mikka smiled. The fox took one of his paws and squeezed it. “And we appreciate it. That’s all.”

“
O-kay.” Jonas fidgeted, and finally squeezed back. Mikka let go, and Jonas smiled at the fox. “You’re welcome.” He left quickly, but as he glanced back through the window of the shop, he saw Mikka’s pointed muzzle and dark eyes watching him with perked ears and a slight tilt to his head, a look that Jonas could only interpret as curiosity. The fox smiled when he saw Jonas’s gaze, but didn’t turn away. Jonas raised a paw, and went on his way.

Chapter 13

Trouble was not long in coming. The next day, as Jonas was finishing up with one of his newer clients, he heard conversation below and Hazel’s voice saying, “I’m telling you, he’ll be right down. He’s with a client.”

The wolf on his bed gasped and came, and Jonas hurried the cleaning up process as much as he felt comfortable doing. His client was still relaxing, pulling his clothes on leisurely, when Jonas heard footsteps on the stairs. The wolf heard them too, and gave Jonas a sharp glance. “You should schedule your customers better.”

“
They aren’t customers,” Jonas said just as the two guards appeared at the head of the stairs. He drew the curtain across the bedroom door and stepped out into the foyer to greet them.

Reminding himself that they were just agents, not the cause of his annoyance, he said, “I’m with a customer.”

“
This will be quick.” The stag looked bored. His younger partner, a bear, looked around with flattened ears that Jonas interpreted as mild disgust. “We just need to make sure your license is in order.”

“
It’s right here.” He unlocked his money box and handed the paper to the stag. “What’s this all about?”

The stag examined the papers very carefully. After a moment, his partner said, “Royal directive. Lots of unlicensed prostitutes working in the city and it’s bad for health reasons.”

“
You got a surgeon’s certification?” The stag looked up from the papers.

“
No. I didn’t know they did that. My doctor is Hewill, over on Marsh Street. You know him?”

“
We know him. We’ll be checking.”

They didn’t seem inclined to leave, even when they’d handed back the papers. The bear, keeping the same look of disgust, nevertheless was sniffing the air so strongly that Jonas could see dust motes swirling around his nose in the sunbeam. The stag kept looking at the curtain and trying to see around it. He lifted a hand to it, and to forestall him, Jonas said, “Anything else?”

The stag dropped his hand, looked at the curtain one more time, and then shrugged. “No. Come on, Jars.”

They tromped down the stairs and out. Jonas waited until he heard the door close, and then drew the curtain back. The wolf was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“
I’m really very sorry about that.”

His customer smiled and held out a gold. “I feel better knowing you’re licensed and inspected. Can I see you again next week?”

“
Of course.” Jonas took the coin and bowed. “Thank you.”

He followed the wolf downstairs and saw him out. When he told Hazel what had happened, she laughed. “If that’s the best that fox can do, then I’m not worried.”

“
It’s annoying.”

“
Yeah, but he can’t do it forever.”

Jonas sighed, walking back upstairs. “Let’s hope not.”

He was in the Green Dragon the next day chewing on the bread and reflecting that it was not as fresh as usual when he heard a small sniff behind him and caught the scent of a mouse. He knew the scent vaguely; she was someone he’d seen often in the bar, with a variety of different males, but he’d never paid her much attention.

When he turned, he was surprised to see that she was waiting behind his table—waiting for him. The fur under her eyes was damp and crusty, and she was wringing her paws as she stood there. Her tail was curled tightly around her legs. She sniffled again when she saw him, and said, “H-hello, sir.”

“
Hi.” Jonas turned his body, giving her a more thorough look. The only mouse he’d known well was Sasha, and although there wasn’t a physical resemblance, there was something in her demeanor that reminded him of his friend. “Is there something you want?”

“
No. Yes. Please, I—” She broke off and looked at the floor.

Jonas slid over in his booth. “Why don’t you sit down?” He was still brooding over yesterday’s episode, but it occurred to him that maybe her troubles were a little worse than his.

“
Oh. Oh, thank you.” But she stood motionless.

Jonas patted the seat. “Really. Sit down.”

She shuffled forward and then lifted herself up onto the bench. “Thank you,” she said again in a whisper.

He saw the way she was eyeing his bread, and said, “I’m done with that. You can have the rest if you want.”

“
Sir, I couldn’t—”

“
Take it, really.” He cut off her protests.

“
I...” But then she grabbed the bread and attacked it.

Jonas watched her finish it in under a minute, and couldn’t help grinning. “Want more? I can order some.”

“
Oh, no, sir, no.” She started to slide off the bench, and then stopped. “It’s only that...you see, I’m...well, we’re...” She looked at the bartender. Jonas followed her gaze and saw that the old boar was watching them both. The mouse dropped her voice to a whisper. “He said we’re in the same line of work.”

“
Oh?” But it made sense as soon as she said it. That was what she and Sasha—and he—had in common.

“
Yes, sir. But I’m not...I don’t have a license. I used to work here, and he’d let me, but the guards came yesterday and...” She sniffled again, and wiped her muzzle. “My little kit and I, sir, we don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t know what else I can do. And Elgyn said, he thought you were successful and maybe you could help us.”