Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the movie Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. All registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Chapter title from verse four of Dylan's When the Ship Comes In.

The Words Will Not Be Understood

Nick and Judy both expected a high level of teasing at the First on Friday. Nick resolved to laugh it off. Friends would drop it, and anyone who really wanted to irritate him would drop it if they saw he didn't care. Hampering his resolve was the fact he had over-indulged Thursday night and was tired and slightly hung-over, two factors that made it hard to laugh off anything. Judy wanted everyone to know what really happened, and resolved to offer a fast and simple explanation to try and kill the teasing. If Judy had any enemies they would have seen it as proof the teasing annoyed her, and it wouldn't have stopped them. Fortunately Judy had no enemies among the officers at the First.

Clawhauser, of course, teased neither. Ben listened sympathetically to Judy's frustration when she came in. He was happy to hear the failed proposal apparently had no serious consequences. Judy warned the Commissioner recommending the Mayor ignore the Task Force proposals might have Nick more upset. Judy might have meant it as a warning to avoid the topic when Nick came in, but Ben did his best to offer sympathy when the fox came in, five minutes late. "Sorry about the Commissioner not supporting you. It sounded good to me... Can the City Council still act on it?"

"If they want to. City Council has a lot of theoretical power, but they mostly just rubber-stamp the Mayor's recommendations. Fact he almost got defeated last election might give them some courage, but they've all got day jobs and trust the Mayor to define city policy. You know the odds of winning the lottery?"

"Something like a trillion to one?"

"Pretty much, and that's like five times more likely to happen than for the City Council to read and approve the Task Force report after the Mayor dumps it."

Detective Nyte may have been watching for Nick to arrive at the bullpen that morning. She pounced before he could get to this desk. "You break up with Judy over this and you're dead meat. She loves you."

"Hey, no break up. Just a minor stress fracture in the relationship."

"So, it'll heal?"

"It'll heal."

While Nick did not appreciate being threatened with bodily harm it showed the panther supported Judy, and Lylah hadn't teased. Other detectives were sometimes crude.

"Hey, Wilde? You really male enough for two rabbits?"

Nick shrugged, "You don't hear either one of them complaining."

Fairly popular was the theme, "Sisters? You're making it with sisters?"

"Jealous, or you lack imagination?"

Then, of course, since Susan was just eighteen there were the occasional comments about robbing the cradle or barely legal.

The common themes Judy heard most were, "Finally wise up and decided to dump the fox?" and "What do you have against your sister?"

Things might have returned to normal by the end of the day except for two factors. First, someone put the phone numbers of both Nick and Judy on-line and they began receiving calls and texts. And it was a slow media day and reporters were looking to fill space/time.

The majority of the texts/calls were from individuals opposed to inter-species relationships. The second largest group wanted Judy to explain why she asked Nick to marry her sister. The third largest category were those expressing support of inter-species relationships, "It's no one's business who you love as long as you're both consenting adults!." There were a variety of other texts, some hard to categorize, some easy to categorize.

"Another proposal," Nick told Judy. "With photo! Oooh, and she's not wearing much."

"You don't really believe vixens are really sending you sexy selfies, do you? They're probably scans that old male perverts are sending you."

"Never look gift porn in the mouth... Unless you've got a teeth fetish. But you're right, I should definitely save these as evidence."

"Nick!"

"What? You aren't getting proposals?"

"The things being sent to me? I delete them and want some kind of phone bleach – I don't even like touching my phone after it's had those things on it!"

Thursday's failed proposal would not have been worth the attention of the mainstream media if it were not for three facts. First the Mayor following the recommendation of the Police Commissioner was not a big story. Second there really was no other medium-sized story to fill news space. And finally the name Judy Hopps associated with the failed proposal brought it to the attention of everyone.

"Please, Suze," Judy begged over the phone, "will you handle the meeting with the press?"

"This is all your fault. You should do it."

"I know I should, but you know I sometimes panic when you shove a microphone in my face. And after embarrassing Nick yesterday I don't want cameras on him today. You know the facts. You can do it."

"If I do, you owe me."

"True. How about I take it off your tab for letting you crash here over–"

"Fine... But yesterday was major disaster. You wouldn't believe the crank comments I'm getting in the dorm."

"You're getting? Someone put our phone numbers online. Nick is getting proposals from vixens! I'm getting all kinds of filthy propositions."

Susan sighed, "It should blow over soon. Although the truth won't make the haters go away."

"I don't care what the haters think. I love Nick. But I want the truth of what happened to be clear."

And so, at two o'clock at the Zoo U student union, Susan faced animals from three radio stations, two television channels, and two newspaper reporters. There were two camera crews for the television stations. It was more than Susan had expected, and more than she believed the story deserved. Judy's fame in the Night Howler case was the only reason, in Susan's mind, for there being so many animals there. Susan explained carefully what had happened, and thanked them for coming to straighten out the confusion.

"Just a minute," a wolverine called, "question for you."

Susan wondered if he hadn't been paying attention. She had explained everything clearly. "Yes?"

"About your male friend, the weasel."

"I'm not seeing a weasel."

"When you visited you sister in the hospital, after the Three Bears arrest, you were with a weasel and told the nurses he was your male friend."

"Ernie was in high school with me. Nick has encouraged him to enter the Police Academy, and Ernie was concerned about Judy's health. Nick thought introducing him as my male friend would convince the nurses to let him see Judy. Nick was the one making the introduction, not me. Ernie is a friend, nothing more."

"Last summer you attended a wild party with a fennec."

"Terry is the younger brother of one of Nick's friends. He's an electrical engineering major at the U. I was new in town and he showed me the campus, and invited me to a student-faculty picnic. Innocent student-faculty picnic. Terry is a friend, nothing more."

"And the inappropriate photos you sent to a cheetah at the First Precinct?"

"I did not send any inappropriate photos. I sent a picture of Judy and Nick, fully clothed, talking. I sent it to their friend, Ben Clawhauser, who accidentally sent it out to pretty much all the police force. That mass forwarding was what was inappropriate."

"So, you will not deny you've sexted with other members of the ZPD?"

"Hearing no intelligent questions, I'm out of here," Susan told the media and turned and walked away.

A grip from a camera crew, a ring-tailed coatimundi, ran after her. "He's with the Daily Innuendo, it's part of Rudolf Mudlark's media chain."

"That koala who wouldn't know the truth if it bit him in the ass?"

"That's the one. You got to be really stupid to believe anything you read, or hear, or see in anything he's got a claw in."

"You really believe that?"

"I believe that. Unfortunately I also believe there are a lot of really stupid animals in the world."

"Great," Susan muttered, "just great."

"And idiots would rather believe a simple lie that worry about the facts. And advertisers go with the audience. But I don't think your story will last long, they'll move on to something else in a day or two."

"I guess I should just be grateful for that... Uh, your name?"

"Mateus," the coati told her and stuck out a paw. "Call me Matt. Pleased to meet you."

"Thanks for the advice."

"No problem. Hey, there's a huayño band playing tomorrow night at Club Quechua. Can I take–"

Susan started running before he could finish the question.


Judy had planned on cooking for Nick Friday night. She extended the invitation to Susan as well when a Twit-wit named her the wildest teen in Zootopia for dating outside her species. Judy might have taken them both out to a budget-breaking restaurant as a gesture of apology to Nick for the failed proposal and apology to Susan for getting her even deeper into the rumors. Under the circumstances, however, she decided it might be better for the three of them not to be seen together in public.

Dinner felt subdued, everyone feeling the tension. Judy and Nick almost felt a sense of relief when their pagers went off.

"All short officers report immediately?" Nick asked. "What does that mean?"

Judy advised, "Turn on the news. I'm changing."

What the news showed were smalls rioting in Rodentia, and in other parts of Zootopia.

"Don't know when we can get you home," Judy warned Susan as she and Nick left. "Spend the night?"

"Like I've got a choice? Hey, no problem. Stay safe."

In the face of small unrest large officers were helpless to do anything. All short officers had been called in, but they were too few in number to be effective. Even the shorts currently enrolled in the police academy had been drafted to try and handle the situation. Judy was assigned a female opossum, who was so nervous she complained she might faint. Nick had hoped he might be assigned Ernie, but was saddled with an over-eager raccoon who thought he should have been issued a sidearm.

"Slow, deep breaths. You can do this," Judy told her apprentice.

Nick reminded his, "Protect and serve. You can protect a lot better if you don't shoot them first."

There weren't enough short officers and recruits to be everywhere. Small rioters simply went under cover when officers were near. Around midnight the report came of fires in a small warehouse area.

Judy and her possum, who was now feeling more confident, were assigned perimeter duty to keep spectators back.

Nick and his apprentice were told to watch and help the firefighters.

"Shouldn't I have a gun now?" the raccoon begged. "What if someone attacks a fireanimal or something?"

"You're not getting my sidearm. We're not going to a station house to get one issued to you now. And the most danger a fire fighter would have at the moment is a nervous raccoon who was armed."

"You really think there's a dangerous raccoon around?"

"I have my suspicions. Right now, just stay out of their way."

"But I should do something!"

"Okay, look around and see if you notice a small arsonist."

"Uh, what will a small arsonist look like?"

"Question anyone carrying gasoline and matches."

Nick stayed out of the way. He gazed at the flames. The warehouses were old, and in poor shape. He had a suspicion they were well insured and wondered if the owners had taken advantage of the riots to set the fires, or perhaps had even encouraged the riots to provide an opportunity to burn them.

As the flames were doused he approached a bear who seemed in charge, and recognized him, "Captain Black?"

"Yes, I... Nick Wilde, isn't it?"

"Yep. Hey, just had a thought for your arson squad."

"And?"

"If the owners list contents lost in the fire they should check inventories for... Your guys already know that, don't they?"

"Yeah," the bear chuckled. "Hey, you and the rabbit catch someone speeding – you should write them a ticket."

"Point taken," Nick sighed.

"Seriously though, you feel like there is a chance this wasn't just part of the riot?"

"Something just feels off, the whole riot seemed a little orchestrated."

"How do you orchestrate a riot?"

"Violins to the left," the fox suggested.

The bear laughed. "What's up with you and the rabbit?" Although it went against his nature, Nick offered the best possible answer, the truth, and gratefully went back to his apartment to sleep.


Nick's alarm awakened him before he had enjoyed enough sleep, but an auction which featured a large collection of 78s had a higher priority to him than physical comfort.

Judy slept until ten, when Susan woke her up to report she was heading back to university. Judy considered going back to bed for a couple hours, but decided not to risk missing football. She ate a large breakfast and headed to the fields so see friends. The events of the previous night were more on the minds of players than the failed proposal, but the subject did come up and Judy got more teasing, usually good-natured, at football than she had at the First.

On the major radio and television stations news anchors and analysts, along with talk show hosts brought up the question of whether the Mayor should have moved toward opening the police department to small officers. It was universally recognized that large officers had been completely unequipped to deal with small protestors... Or rioters. Even how to speak of the events of the previous night wasn't clear with some media outlets using protest and other riot.

The role of short officers in dealing with the events received general praise, with some speakers convinced that they would be sufficient to deal with any other instances of small unrest as the number of short officers grew. Other speakers took it as a sign that greater size diversity in the police force would be a good thing.

Radio and television outlets catering to listening audiences of smalls tended to portray the events of the night before as an example of large callousness toward smalls. Large animals in the city government or police force were seen as being clueless towards the inequalities smalls faced on a daily basis.

Nick heard at least part of the discussion, on a radio station catering to short animals, on the drive back from the auction. He cranked it up loud, not because he needed to hear the self-congratulations for how well shorts had performed but because he was afraid of dozing off.

He stopped at Judy's, "Want to order a pizza? I'm beat."

"Ohhh, you smooth tongued devil, how could I resist an offer like that? Tell me about your auction while we wait for delivery?"

"Tell me about your day," he yawned. "I'll give you my day while we eat."

"Sure you can stay awake that long?"

"I can try," he promised.

Judy related how the game had gone well, except for a couple team members who had brought up the failed proposal too often. "But it was really bad for poor Suze. I had to call up Mom and spent an hour on the phone telling her Suze hasn't gone wild in the city."

"What happened?"

"You know the junk group that was suggesting she was promiscuous?"

"Oh yeah, still at it?"

"Still at it," Judy nodded. "Well, they called Ernie, and Terry, and even Ben to ask about Suze. Terry thought it would be funny to... You know they've shared rides on Fetch a couple times?"

Nick nodded yes, not sure why it mattered.

"Anyway, Terry thought it would be funny to say he'd been in the back seat of a car with Suze a couple times and it was always fun–"

"Please tell me he's not that big an idiot."

"Apparently he is. He takes after Finnick."

Nick argued, "Even Finnick wouldn't... He probably would."

"So, Suze heard that, and called Ernie to tell him to say nothing but the truth if he got called. They'd already called Ernie, and he had told them Suze was a friend from high school. But when Suze told him what Terry had said he got jealous, or angry, or something. We may need to stop a duel."

"Wonderful," the sleepy fox muttered, "I'll call him after pizza."

After the pizza arrived Judy waited until Nick finished his first slice before asking, "The auction. Get any good stuff?"

"Prices were kinda high. Lost some items because they went way over value. But I picked up a couple interesting things I'd never heard of real cheap, one thing I've wanted for a long time, and got very fine copies of a two records I have in poor condition."

"Is five a good day or a not-so-hot day?"

"Would be a mediocre day, except for the one thing I've wanted a long time. That made it a good day. Not a great day. If those other records hadn't gone so crazy high it would have been a great day."

"You know, if you really loved me you'd tell me some of the seventy-eights you want, so I could buy one for you at an inflated price to show how much I love you."

Nick chuckled, "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Not since Thursday... Of course, there is a reason for that."

"Oh, yeah. Could you have found a way to embarrass me more?"

"I could have posted a picture of you in the shower. But you might have been proud of that."

The fox yawned again, and closed his eyes, "Love you, Fluff."

"Love you too, Nick... Nick?" She slipped a pillow under the sleeping fox's head and put a blanket over him.


The Commissioner of Police was on all the important radio and television news shows on Sunday morning, insisting that the fact the smalls brought an end to what he called a riot themselves proved that the small population was well served by their existing social structures and didn't need any interference from outsiders. And, of course, what constituted 'all the important radio and television news shows on Sunday morning' for the Commissioner did not include any of the stations which had a listening audience mostly of smalls.

In the afternoon the Mayor's office released an unusual weekend statement saying that the events of Friday evening to Saturday morning vindicated the Commissioner's recommendation.

Nick and Judy had the radio on for background noise as she made breakfast, until he asked her to turn it off.

The couple took in an early matinee on Sunday, then returned to his apartment for some 'quality time'.

"So," Judy whispered in his ear, "was that make up sex?"

"Wha..." Nick managed to mumble.

"I've heard that after a couple has a fight the sex is really great when they make up. Some couple even fight just so they can have make up sex."

With considerable effort Nick brought his brain back into focus. "Bad idea," was his opinion. "The sex isn't any better, there's just this relief you didn't break up. But that feeling of relief isn't worth the stress of worrying about breaking up. And a staged fight could get out of hand and cause a real break-up."

"I suppose you're right," she agreed, one paw playing with the fur on his chest. "Do you think this might be a good time to start talking wedding?"

"Excuse me? I think accepted proposal comes first."

"One of us will get it right, and the other will accept. Now, most interspecies couples just get married in front of the city clerk–"

"Because usually neither side of the family is happy with them. If one side or the other accepts it, the ceremony is often done that way."

"But both our families... Well, I don't think happy is the right word. Accepting seems right."

"Works for me."

"You know anything about rabbit ceremonies?"

"Never been to one. I hear they're huge and noisy."

"Huge... Get that many rabbits together and there is a lot of talking. Ceremony itself is simple. What's a fox ceremony like?"

"Small and private... Ceremony is... Ritual can take an hour. Think enough of your relatives won't show up for the wedding to protest you marrying a fox that it could be manageable in Bunnyburrow?"

"Even half my relatives are a crowd. And Bunnyburrow is a long way for your family... Think your uncle Charlie would come?"

"No. And I wasn't that close with his kids. Did you hear Eric's suggestion? Shoot me with a tranq dart and haul me off to marriage drive-through?"

"I heard. You're too heavy for me to load in the car. Have you considered a tranq for me?"

"Can't risk bruising your bunny butt. I'm afraid the easy route is out."

"And I'd like to share the day with friends... I'm thinking we should have our wedding here in Zootopia. Our friends are here."

"Rabbit ceremony or fox?"

"Doesn't really matter... I wonder if anyone has written an interspecies service that might be good?"

"Carrots, you're lousy at lying."

"What do you mean?"

"Little nuance in your voice. You've been looking online and found at least one you like. You're trying to make it sound casual – but I can tell you're lying."

"I haven't had a lot of practice lying, but I did happen to see a couple ceremonies I liked."

"And by 'happen to see' you mean you Googled 'interspecies wedding ceremonies'?"

"Interspecies marriage actually... One of the sites had links to ceremonies... You might be a dangerous male to marry, you are far too clever."

"And that, my dear Fluff," the fox said, and leaned over and kissed the top of her head, "is the real reason your mom and dad warned you against foxes. Too clever for our own good. It's a curse, but we've learned to live with it."

"But it has left you smug."

"It's hard to be humble under the circumstances."

"I should have listened to my mother and father."


By Monday morning the failed proposal had faded considerably from public comment. Unfortunately Susan remained on the minds of prurient animals. The weekend disturbances were the topic of conversation at the First. Some officers thought the events demonstrated the need for a small force. Others took the position that the fact smalls had ended it themselves showed a small force wasn't necessary. If anyone else shared Nick's suspicion about whether the warehouses were burned for the insurance money they didn't mention it, and Nick decided not to bring it up.

The morning and early afternoon were routine, gathering evidence at a crime scene – burglary which had probably taken place on Sunday, but not discovered until Monday morning. Judy collected several prints she thought would be of value while Nick worked out method of entry and looked for any clues the perpetrators had left behind on breaking in or exiting the scene.

"Amateurs," was Judy's opinion.

Judy and Nick returned to the First and Clawhauser beckoned them over, "Nick," he warned in an excited whisper, "there's a small waiting to see you. And she brought this really huge bear with her!"

Nick and Judy looked blankly at each other, then he turned back to the cheetah, "She have fur with different colors and an eye-patch?"

"Yes! You know her?"

"We didn't actually meet. Where is she?"

"I, ah, think she's at your desk waiting for you."

"Animals off the street aren't supposed to wait in the bullpen," Judy reminded him.

"It was really, really huge bear," Ben reminded her.

"Chelsea Dagger," Nick told Judy. "Why don't you do something else for a few minutes while I talk with her. She's supposed to be dangerous."

"I'm supposed to let the fox I love go into danger alone? We're partners, remember?"

"And I love you, and while she is supposed to be dangerous I can't imagine she'd do anything inside a police station. And, on the outside chance she has something she wants to tell the police privately she might feel more free to talk if I'm alone."

Judy thought a minute, "The next time I want to do something you think is foolish and stupid will you keep your mouth shut?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because..." Nick paused.

"Care to finish that sentence?"

"Would I be in more trouble if I said because you're a rabbit or if I said because you're a female? I'm hoping I may be able to get by with 'because I love you'. And you love me, and that's the reason you're telling me I shouldn't do something foolish."

"Good recovery. I don't know why everyone thinks you're dumb. You really think it might be a good idea to go in alone?"

"Can't be sure, but it might be."

"Then I'll let you do it. And you know why?"

"Because you love and trust me?"

"Bingo. Oh, and you've got fifteen minutes while I pretend I'm doing something meaningful. Then I'm joining you."


It was not the larger of the two bears Nick had seen on Monday evening who stood beside his desk, but he was still intimidating. The lemming sat on a pile of police reports atop Nick's desk.

"Standard procedure is you shouldn't be sitting on a detective's desk."

"I really don't care what police procedure is, and if you were serious about a small force you need to be more accommodating."

"Point taken. May I help you?"

"Have some information you need to hear. I've been hired to do a job and–"

"And I needed to hear that? It does strike me as odd, from what I've heard of Chelsea Dagger she doesn't work for anyone but herself."

"First, Boyo, what makes you think I'm not working for myself? But that isn't the information you need. You should learn to shut up and wait. Not sure if you paid me a compliment or an insult. Everyone will sell out if the price is right, and–"

"I don't believe that."

"Believe it, fox. Everyone has a price. It isn't always money. It could be the safety of a friend. It–"

"You threaten Judy and–"

"You really need to learn to shut up and listen. Who mentioned your rabbit? I said price isn't always money. Safety of a friend, getting a kid into the right college, information on an enemy. Everyone has a price. Oh, price may be more than you can raise – or the person may not be worth the price... Know a weasel who'd sell his soul for ten creds, but he's not worth five."

"Duke Weaselton?"

"You know Duke?"

"Everyone in Zootopia knows the Duke. Can I ask your price?"

"No, you can't. And we're getting too far off topic. I need to tell you the job I'm working on, I'm going to see Zootopia adopts your plan and gets a small police force."

"But you hate the police?"

"You like everything about your job?"

"No."

"But you do it anyway. Now, my first plan didn't work so hot–"

"The riots over the weekend?"

"I prefer to call them a spontaneous plea for civil recognition. They demonstrated the police were helpless to deal with problems in the small community."

"They did. You were right on that."

"Yeah, well it didn't change the game and it's going to take a game changer to get small police. Headlines on tonight's evening news will probably be the recall campaign against the mayor. And that's what I need to tell you about."

"Can't I just hear it on the evening news?"

"No, you see the law is you can't just launch a recall unless there is another candidate for the office. The animal running in opposition to the mayor is you."

"That's crazy. I'm not going to run."

"Not going to run? Then why is your application on file with the City Clerk?"

"I didn't file an application to run for mayor."

"Sure you did. Matter of public record at the City Hall - signed by you, witnessed, and notarized. All nice and legal. You didn't bring it in personally but the legal document is there – perfectly legit."

"I didn't sign any application."

"Your name never looked better. Any expert will say it's yours."

"I... Syd the lynx?" Chelsea nodded her head. "Always heard he was the best. But I'm willing to file charges against your witnesses and notary for false testimony."

"You'd do that?"

"You bet I would."

"And here I thought Vaughn Wheeler was your friend."

"Doc Wheeler? What did you do to him? You hurt him and–"

"I didn't do anything to the hamster. This was his idea."

"What?"

"After civil disobedience didn't work I looked for a smart animal who knew Zootopia politics, and I figured Wheeler was my best bet... Oh, second witness to your signature is that other hamster on your task force, Bob. You'll need to arrest them both."

"I will not run for mayor."

"You don't have to do anything. Your application is on file – let your candidate for assistant mayor deal with the press."

"And my running mate?"

"Vaughn Wheeler."

"The little bugger sandbagged me again," Nick muttered.

"Again?"

"Never mind."

The lemming held up her paws in an 'I don't know gesture'. "For some reason you impress the Hell out of him. He thinks you can do anything you set your mind to. Me? I'm not sure you've even got a mind. Since I didn't have a plan I went with his. I am capable of doing anything to get my job done successfully. There is an incentive bonus if I can manage it without killing anyone. I would like that bonus, but the highest priority is a successful meeting of the contract."

"Now, just to be clear, you're trying to get policing for the smalls, you don't care if I'm mayor or not."

"Correct, I don't give a damn."

"So if Lionheart wises up and proposes it?"

"You're off the hook."

"Any chance I can fire you from my campaign staff?"

"Interesting question, but you–"

"Got delayed," Judy apologized as she arrived on schedule.

The fox made introductions. "Judy, this is Chelsea Dagger, an up-and-comer in the small community. Ms. Dagger, Detective Judy Hopps, my partner."

"I've heard of you," Chelsea told Judy. "Respect the fact you push the system. Sorry about what happened to you last week. If you need any muscle," she nodded her head at the large bear standing against the wall.

"Breakdown in communication," Judy assured her. "Everything is fine."

"Ms. Dagger stopped by to see if I told you the news," Nick commented dryly. "I neglected to tell you that I'll be running against the mayor in a recall campaign." He looked at the lemming, "Do I have a party affiliation?"

"Yeah, the Equality Party. Wheeler thought it had a nice ring."

"Doc Wheeler?" asked Judy.

"Running on my ticket for assistant mayor."

"When did this happen? How did it happen?" demanded Judy. "Doesn't there need to be some sort of petition or something?"

"True enough," Dagger admitted. "City might consider amending the charter for how many signatures a petition requires. When it was written five thousand might have seemed like a lot. Zootopia is a lot bigger now. And given the number of smalls living in Zootopia voting wards, and given the organizations opposing him in the last election, it took less than twenty hours to get way over that. I've heard there are still animals wanting to add their names to the recall petitions."

"And all legal?" inquired Nick.

"So clean you could eat dinner off them. Wheeler wants it done honest."

"Yeah, right," the fox muttered.

Judy looked at her partner, "What does this mean for us? Will you be on leave to campaign or something?"

"I won't mean a damn thing in my working with you." He glanced at the lemming, "I have no plans to campaign whatsoever. Is that clear Ms. Dagger?"

"Fine by me. It's exactly what Wheeler said you'd do. He predicts your dedication to the job and helping the animals of Zootopia will play well with the voters."

"Ms Dagger is apparently the head of my campaign," Nick told Judy.

"No, I'm not," the lemming told him firmly. "My job is getting an effective police force for Rodentia. Now, to the extent that overlaps with you running for mayor, I will be glad to offer my support, but let's just say my name might not look good to some animals if they saw it on the list of your campaign staff. Wheeler says everything is going to be done nice and legal – at least in your campaign. That's a little more structure than I like in a contract. You need a large to head your campaign. A feline would look good in the role."

"Let's imagine, for the sake of an argument, I need to contact you for some reason. Should there be some way for me to do that?"

"Call Wheeler. He knows how to get in touch with me. You? You don't even know me, and have no idea why I might be promoting your campaign. I just stopped by today to tell you that your talk to the small civic leaders last week was appreciated, and Amaqjuaq is fine."