Chapter 5:
Judies police chaser entered the freeway. In the front, Nick and Judy sat handcuffed with Judy driving.
Where's all my stuff?
"Back at your place. Your landlord said that he'd keep everything ready for your return."
"Didn't realise Jorge had a soft side. We need to stop there."
"Why?"
"You have eyes, don't you?"
"NO!"
"what?"
"We have no time to make a detour and stop so you can preen yourself."
"If you hadn't noticed, I'm a wreck."
"I've noticed. Deal with it."
"If I was starving, you would be required to stop for food. If I was thirsty, water. I'm vile at the moment, I literally have to preen myself. Did your parents even teach you how vital this was?"
"They taught me that is was bad to waste time by filling it with vain actions."
"Vain actions? You don't understand.. do you.. Just a lucky bunny who looks great with no ef….AHHH!."
"Serves you right."
"I HATE high intensity. It's even more cruel, it's even more bar….AHHH!"
"It's for you own good."
"I'm getting what feels like a bee sting for the crime of getting annoyed. Please explain, if it's so good for me surely it's good for you."
"It keeps your kind in check. Of course foxes like you are smelly, haggard, untrustworthy, mean creatures whatever they do to disguise it. Surely your time in prison would get you acquainted to your own species."
"I was the only fox, the only canid there."
"Don't be absurd. Foxes make up 0.1% of the population but 5% of prisoners. Half of em get bunged in jail once in their life just like…"
ZAPP! Judy could hear the shock play out on the tame collar until it changed from yellow to green yet Nick stood there motionless, looking at her with a look of pure contempt and lips slightly parted. Judy pulled the car over and fingered for her fox repellent.
"Foxes get put in for four years tops in the medium security wing for things like fraud, cons, etcetera. Prey who do the same thing get shorter sentences in low security jails as the world is a lovely fair place. Surely as a police offices you'd notice that most serious criminals are prey. Elephants, Buffalo, Hippo's. If one gets mad they can go on a rampage while us preds are leashed back. Up until this crime wave we were most often the victims!"
"Good thing. It still doesn't change the fact that your species choose to make their living from crime."
"Do you remember that I spent 6 weeks in juvenile hall aged 6?"
"Yes, it reminded me of an old fox bully at home who should have done the same."
"Do you also remember me stating that I've been banned from the main city bank for 26 years?"
"Yes…. I assume they are connected" Judy said as they went back onto the road.
"My Dad always told me that people could be cruel and mean. That you would say the word fox and they'd think you're a scraggy ragamuffin up to no good. He said that you had to put in effort, be smart and presentable, always, in order to defy their expectations. A sharp-dressed fox would surprise them and make them think twice before accepting you as their equal. He also warned me that sometimes, a fox could do everything possible but it wouldn't stand a chance at stopping someone looking down at you."
"That picture of him in your office, putting on your tie."
"Yup, have it here in my wallet now" He said, showing her.
"I do admit that you looked smart".
"…Thanks. Well, just after my 6th birthday I went on the field trip to a natural history museum where I got my first collar. I knew it would zap me if I was naughty but I didn't gauge quite what that meant. Just like I didn't gauge what 'look down' really meant. My Dad…"
"Tailor, I know."
"Planned to buy an old store and do it up as a custom suit store for all types of animals. He had all his records of his previous dealings which had gone from strength to strength. He had a model of the store front with well-made model suits in a variety of sizes. He dressed myself up in my finest clothes and we headed over…"
26 years earlier:
"Mr J, Wilde. Office 34 please." Called an unenthusiastic secretary.
Two foxes got up carrying boxes of materials and files. They walked towards a corridor where a small Pica was standing. The little rodent turned heel and jogged down the corridor.
"Heads up, two foxes coming."
Looking through the windows, the second fox, a small kit, noticed files being gathered up and hidden as they went passed.
"Dad, why are they gathering up their stuff?"
"Lots of meetings ending, just sorting their stuff out."
"OK."
"Here we are, room 34."
An elderly pair of elephants, two Pica's and a Lemming were standing in attendance. The foxes climbed up onto the chairs as the elephants cleared the desk of paperwork and items.
"Thank you for clearing the desk for us, Sir" said the young Kit, eliciting a muted guffaw from one of the elephants.
"Good day, Gentleman. As you know, I am John Wilde and this is my son and future apprentice Nicholas. For the last 12 years, since leaving school at 16, I have worked in the tailoring business out of my house. My current mail order sales are strong, I am well recommended by my clients and I have even suited up Harry Hyena and his slick six (the kit giggled at the mention of his favourite band)."
"I'm sorry, don't know them." Replied the Elephant in a monotone, disinterested voice.
"Anyway, It has come to my attention that there is an abandoned store in Cyprus avenue at the border of Happytown. Many different kinds of animal live and work there but the only shops selling or hiring good clothing, specialise in one size. Mr Trunkton (looking at the Elephant) would have to travel miles and pay a fortune as would Mr Plummet (looking at the Lemming). Consequently, I propose John Wilde and sons…"
"Suitopia!" the two foxes cried as the main presentation opened to reveal a detailed tailor shop model.
"A place where animals of all sizes and ages can find the right suit for them. The models in here are actual suits if you wish to try them on to check the quality. Or you could fold through my current order book to see just how much demand there …"
A loud stamp came down and printed a red rejected notice on the application form. The two foxes paused before the older one grabbed his stuff.
"Thank you for your time and appreciation. Come on Nick."
The other Elephant guffawed and muttered "Foxes". The sound went over the elder fox's head but it pricked the ears of the glum kit and brought him to his sense.
"You didn't look at all? Why didn't you look?"
"Come on Slick Nick, now's not the time…" said the elder fox as the two elephants ignored the kits question.
"You look down on us… You were never going to approve that loan ever!"
"Quick learner for a fox" muttered one of the two Pica's who had hurriedly come over to retrieve the stamp.
"You think that I'm going to steal that, you all do!"
"Nick" said the now worried father as his son picked up the stamp with the two rodents hanging from it to the great alarm of the bankers.
"SECURITY!"
"What's wrong with being a fox" the Kit began to blub, "just because I have to wear this, does…. AAAAHHHH!"
"NICK!"
The little mice crashed into the desk as the Kit contorted into a foetal position crying. His fingers had darted out from beneath his colour and the red light finally went down to a relatively safe green.
"Nick, Nick you silly boy, come here, it's over, its….."
"The Kit assaulted my employees and tried to steal a paper weight. Book him!"
The Kit was torn from his father's arms and carried out by the Rhino.
"Please! He's six, he got his collar a week ago. He didn't know what it could do, he… AHHH!"
The fathers collar went off with an orange light.
"Daddy!" cried the Kit as another shock went through him.
"Nick…"
The present:
"I learned the truth about a lot of things that day. By the end of it, three wallabies in a small court sent me off to a correctional hall for 6 weeks based on the sole testimony of a Pica who said that, after I failed to shake him off the stamp I tried to steal, I threatened to bite him. My Dad testified for me, as did a young Dhole who was delivering letters that day. However, the Judge said that the word of a senior banker was impeccable compared to that of a teenage girl who witnessed the event at a distance and a father who was too busy trying to scam a bank to teach his son right from wrong."
"This is just a sop story, isn't it? I mean, what next, the Juvie hall gave you your fear of muzzles?"
"I'M NOT TELLING YOU THAT STORY, YOU LITTLE….." his voice trailed off as his tame collar buzzed around the threshold.
"That was close…. Juvenile hall wasn't too bad. My family and Finnick would come over and visit and the boys weren't that bad. We got the last laugh however. 6 weeks' savings from food, combined with pawned valuables and a little loan from a certain sympathetic double-bassist of certain a local band. When I exited Juvie, my dad got me to wear a blindfold as he had a surprise for me. Low and behold a mini-suitopia!". Nicke Wilde and son's tailored suits and accessories. We rolled in the mail order business and we were soon making money. My Dad's estimates had been a bit excessive but, aged 8, we celebrated the paying off of the debt with the return of my parents wedding rings. We laughed…. my Dad had a bit too much to drink and re-enacted to moment where he met my Mum on their first date…."
"The other Photo?"
"That very one."
"Did they scream each other name?"
"Old wife's tale… but yes they did, very, very load."
"He even sent a card to the bank managers, thanking them for the opportunity and informing them that his business was going strong."
"Did they enjoy that?"
"They sent back a ludicrously expensive house and,…. life insurance quote…."
….. "Nick, that didn't sound as funny as the rest. Bogo mentioned something about the last time high intensity collars were used, that was 23 years…."
"NO MORE!" shouted nick as his neck twitched from some shocks. "I said it was a painful place and it is." He sighed and peered out of the window. "The truth is, I have a lot of bad baggage and memories. And I'm inclined to keep them all to myself. Even my best friends don't know anything about my parents beyond my father's profession. Apart from Finnick, who was there, no one knows about the Juvenile hall incident and that was the first time I ever told someone about the bank. As for the… thing..."
"Muzzle?"
"DON'T EVER SAY THA…..", the shock quickly dissipated and Nick continued. "Don't ever say that word again. It brings back horrible memories and makes me look weak. I made my living my appearing cool, in charge and under control. That's the only positive thing people see about foxes. They get the Job done no questions ask and, if they can't keep their cool, they have no use. My father was known as Honest John, and I thought it meant that foxes could be accepted as trustworthy. But, in the end I realised that it was only because many of his mail customers never knew he was a fox till he opened his store. When they learned that, they had to accept it, and when justifying their choice in a review or advise they called him Honest John to make him sound good… ironically due to the fact that he didn't tell the whole truth."
"Then why are you opening out to me?"
"You cracked the dam. You know my biggest weakness, so some sentimental guff won't really hurt anything."
"A fox at my school bullied me when I was young, I've always distrusted them and I still think it's good advice. But he's nice now, admits he was a jerk and had problems and now bakes for the local town. Maybe you could be less of a Jerk?"
"Says the lady who made her big lucky break by ruining my life."
Judy slammed on the brakes and turned to nick. "Don't insult my career, don't insult my work ethic and don't ever think that it was just luck. When I first spotted you being dodgy I followed you, realised your clinic was up to no good and scoped it out."
"Just when I thought I was getting to bear your company, shame."
"You could keep talking or shower and change. We're at your place."
Nick looked around and realised where they were, the two handcuffed animals got out and wandered down into the apartment. Taking the cuffs off as they got in, Nick wandered into a shower as Judy surveyed the area. "This place is a tip Nick, gives my neighbour porkins place a run for its money. What happened to smart and presentable?"
"Going to bed at 3AM happened."
After a short while Nick got out of his shower. His fir was clean and back to how it was one year ago. His nails had been trimmed down and neatened. Moving to a mirror, Nick began cutting off stray whiskers before grabbing a new suit a putting it on. Adjusting the tie in the mirror, he then grabbed some heavy duty numbing cream in order to rub around his standard issue tame collar.
"Looking good, Slick Nick!" joked Judy, yet when she looked over she saw Nick looking at her with a collar zapping away at his unflinching neck.
"Put the cuffs on and we get going to tundra town. We're going to Manchas' old boss. Kozlov."