-----Chapter 11-----

Eventually the two ended up back at Faun's place, where Camdyn was finally able to see the show she was supposed to do.

"Let me get this straight...that's the show? They pay money to see that?"

"No. They pay money to drink and gamble and...urm. Otherwise entertain themselves." Faun said diplomatically.

"It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life." Camdyn muttered.

"I suppose it would seem much more sophisticated after a few drinks." the antelope said wisely.

"I suppose."

"Well...I think you might want to retire to your room before we open..." Faun said, then looking at Mina continued, "So I'll show you to them, right?"

"Fine by me. I could use a little nap." Mina said, stifling a yawn.

Camdyn merely nodded and followed the others up the huge staircase. The upstairs was just as fancy as the downstairs. It seemed like Faun was leading them around forever before she stopped in front of two doors, one on either side of the hall. "This one will be Mina's..." she said pointing at the door marked "0", "And this one is yours." she said gesturing at the other, marked with a star.

"Now, if you'll excuse me...I have to go get everything set up for tonight."

"Zero?" Camdyn asked, peering at the marker on the door. Mina smiled.

"Yep. It's an old joke...Faun once asked me how much money I expected to make as a pirate and I told her I could never have less than zero."

"Oh, I see. She gave me one with a star. I suppose it's my dressing room, huh?"

"I suppose so." Mina said, laughing. "Well, good night...I'm just about a zombie here."

"Good night." Camdyn said, watching the bear close the door. She opened hers, wincing at the loud groan it made.

"Oh, and one more thing...don't go out without me." Mina said, opening her door a crack.

Camdyn didn't answer, just went into her own room. The bear sighed, closing the door again.

"I swear...I'm getting too old for this. I'm never taking on a canine again...first, there's that wicked wolf and now I'm stuck with a finicky fox..." she mumbled as she headed for the shower that was in a smaller room off hers. "If she thinks she'll get out of here without me knowing she's got another thing coming. I could hear that door a mile away."

Camdyn was trying to figure a way to get out of the room without Mina knowing it at that precise moment.

"Can't go out the door, too much noise. Can't go out the window...cause there's no window. Can't go through the ducting...too small." She sighed and flopped onto the bed. She didn't want to be cooped up just yet, she wanted to see if she could find out where Karnage had gone with that map. She didn't know why she cared, she certainly hadn't known about the map until earlier that day. It was just a small thing, but it ate at her. The principle of the thing, she had decided, was what bothered her. Camdyn sighed and flopped back, and in doing so, saw how she would escape.

"The transom! Now if I could get to it..." Camdyn looked around the room and spied a chair beside a small table. Perfect.

Sliding the chair over to the door allowed the vixen to grip the lower edge of the transom. She carefully pushed it open and, with a struggle, lifted herself up and through the small window. Hanging there, half in, half out, she pondered the how wise the decision was.

"Oh dear...now what?" Camdyn muttered to herself. Her problem was solved when her grip slipped and she dropped to the floor.

Camdyn froze, listening for Mina. After a few minutes, when no sounds came from the room across the hall, she began creeping down the hallway. She managed to make it as far as the stairway, ducking and hiding in the shadows whenever someone came along.

Peering over the railing, she noted that Faun was nowhere to be seen. Camdyn decided it might be best to just act casual. She was amazed at how easy it was to slip out unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Once outside, Camdyn was faced with a decision, to go check near the docks or go into the town further. Debating on it, she decided to go farther into town, as the docks would probably be watched by the Rabbit, who, she was certain, would report her back to Mina. Hoping her instincts would help her, Camdyn disappeared into the town.

After wandering around trying to get her bearings, Camdyn found a bar that at least looked hospitable. She wasn't much for drinking, but she bet there wouldn't be any better place to listen for information.

-----

"What do you mean she's gone?" Mina asked, stressed.

"Just that. She must've slipped out somehow." Faun said. "Where would she go? I mean, she doesn't exactly know anyone."

"She's gone after Karnage. I just knew it! Damn them both! I've got to catch up to her before she gets herself murdered." Mina said, walking out the door, slamming her fist into it.

The antelope looked at the slight dent left in the door and sighed. Mina certainly had a way with doors.

-----

"Well, so you managed to get the map, I'm amazed Karnage." A slick looking leopard purred, eying the map spread out on the table.

"Shut up, Grimmo." A black-furred weasel growled.

"What did I say, my dear? Insult your boyfriend?" Grimmo the leopard laughed, sounding amazingly like a hyena.

"I said shut up! Just shut. UP."

"Shall I cut out his tongue?" A cream-colored wolfess asked, giggling.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would pay you ten dollars just to be having the pleasure of viewing that." Karnage whispered to the wolfess.

"Sure, and then you'd steal it right back."

"But of course." Karnage said, grinning. It was a dangerous game. He hadn't expected to be fanangled into a plot of this magnitude, and he didn't like it. He trusted none of the pirates in the room.

"Well? Where's the vixen? We decided we'd need her as bait didn't we?" A grim looking bear said.

"She will be coming." Don Karnage said, hoping the vixen would be smart enough to stay low in Parides until they decided on some other plan.

"What makes you so sure?"

Grimmo laughed once again and said, "Cause she's in love with the glorious Don Karnage, fearsome pirate and robber of pathetic cargo ships."

Grimmo's laugh was cut off into a startled squeak when he found the business end of Don Karnage's cutlass a hairs breadth away from his throat.

"Ooohooohoo! One more word out of Grimmo and his crew's gonna be looking for a new leader, what?" a bouncy looking house cat in a ridiculous green overcoat laughed.

"Yeah, Grimmo. You'll be breathing through your neck!"

"Uh, hee...um...I was just joking about the pathetic part, there." Grimmo whined.

"Shut up. I can not stand that hideous noise." Karnage withdrew his sword, but kept it in his paw. He did not trust any of the others. There was no doubt in his mind that they didn't trust him either. Under normal conditions they would have been at each others' throats, but the six captains had decided on a truce to take care of a small piece of more important business...capturing and executing Johnson the Hunter.