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Chapter 36. If You Can't Be With The One You Love

by Pearl

When you're down and confused
And you don't remember who you're talking to
Concentration slip away
Because your baby, is so far away
Well there's a rose in a fisted glove
And the eagle fly with the dove
And if you cant be with the one you love.. honey
Love the one you're with

"No! No no nonono, I can't! I promised I wouldn't!" Pearl looked around at the other four beasts who were all staring back at her. "It would be setting a terrible example for Sandy and just giving them more fodder for their belief that I'm not a fit parent. I won't . . ."

"It's not like ye haven't done it before," Zula offered unhelpfully.

The older vixen started to reply but the protest died on her lips. They're right. Rekkua and the sheriff have been trained as warriors and even Zuzu showed some fighting spirit back there with the hares. I can't rush into battle like they can.

"If I must, I'll . . ." She resigned herself with a sigh. "What's the plan?"

Through the streets of Evnakt, the otter led the vixen. He may have been escorting her to a dance for all the force he exerted with one paw gently cupping her elbow. It definitely wasn't any violence on his part that caused her to stumble.

"Are you all right there, Ma'am?"

Pearl smiled at the polite woodlander. "Just fine considering the circumstances. I was thinkin' about what we've got to do." The vixen swished her tail and thought she caught the stench of the sewers. She hoped the little she had been able to do to clean up would be enough.

"I suppose I should be paying more attention to where I'm walking." She patted his paw. "And you shouldn't be worrying about treating me so good. We wanna make this look convincing, don't we?"

"Of course, Ma'am." Gericault gave her a quick nervous grin and then hardened his features and his grip on her upper arm. "I'm takin' you in t'see the boss an' there's nothin' you can do about it," he barked.

The look of anger and fear that she gave him as a part of her own act must have been persuasive because Pearl almost thought she saw his resolve falter. Instead he nodded and resumed their march. When they came in sight of the square she began to struggle.

"No! Let me go! I don't know anything about any Red Brandy!"

"Oh you know and you're gonna tell what you know or you're never gonna see your kit again!"

"Where is she? Just tell me!"

The commotion drew the attention of vermin and woodlanders alike. It was just as Gericault had told them. The squirrel leader of Felldoh's Heirs was sitting behind a desk while one by one, vermin who were bound paw and footpaw were led before him for interrogation.

Marcion looked up from his paperwork at the new distraction, only mildly annoyed. "Just put her in line with the others." He gestured with a paw at the line of mustelids, rats, and foxes.

This isn't working. Time to step it up a notch. Pearl didn't really want to do it, but the otter seemed to be loosing his nerve. She drew her footpaw back and kicked him hard in the shin. "Give me back my kit, Riverdog! Sarkleyet was right! He said you were all a bunch of villains! He was right to hide the Brandy from you!"

That was the story they had concocted. Better to leave Nevyeer out of it. He was supposed to be dead anyway. And nobeast would be overly upset if the woodlanders took out the evil old marten.

"Wait." Marcion held up a paw, stood, and pushed the weasel he had been formerly questioning out of the way. "Bring that one here, Gericault."

The otter, limping slightly from Pearl's kick, nodded and complied with the leader's order. But it was the vixen's turn to get distracted from the main objective. A female wildcat shoved her way through the crowd of woodlanders.

"Let her go! She doesn't know anything!" Emma called out in defense of her former employer.

This time it was Gericault who rectified the situation. "Oh she knows something. She's been up in that big house learning all kinds of secrets from that mad scientist."

Marcion ignored both his minions, his eyes focused hungrily on Pearl. "Do you know where the Red Brandy is?"

The vixen was momentarily cowed by the fervor of the squirrel.

"Tell me where Sarkeyet has hidden the Brandy!"

"I don't care about any brandy!" Pearl finally burst out and it was true. This is where it ceased to be an act. "I just want my kit back!"

The otter, in a fit of adrenalin, shoved his captive forward with more force then strictly necessary. "Tell him what you know, whore!"

The vixen fell roughly at Marcion's footpaws, grasped his boots with both paws, and looked up at the squirrel, pleading, "I just want my kit back. I'll do . . ." One paw ran slowly, seductively up the back of the black boot and caressed the fur of the calf that emerged from the top of it. " . . . anything."

The look in the squirrel's eyes changed slightly then. It was no less hungry but this was more the hunger that that the madam was familiar with. For a moment longer he studied her indecisively then he mastered himself and stepped back out of her reach.

Emma rushed forward. "She's just trying to fool you into getting her kit back. She doesn't know anything. You should let her go. Send her off somewhere."

Marcion roughly pushed the younger female out of the way. "I'll decide that for myself, quean! Get the other vermin back to their cells! I want to question the vixen further."

There was a flurry of activity as the woodland soldiers herded their vermin captives out of the square, and Pearl used the distraction to catch the catmaid's eye and whisper, "Thought you were dead."

"I won't let them hurt you," Emma whispered back before she was roughly kicked.

"What about this one?" Gericault sneered. He seemed to think Pearl's girl was messing up the plan but the vixen wasn't so sure. They were only supposed to cause a diversion. If Emma could help them draw this out a little longer, wasn't that a good thing?

What is she up to though? Dirano said she sold him out. But then he had deserved it, hadn't he?

"She's proved her loyalty but she doesn't need to be here now," Marcion waved a paw of dismissal. "Go back to your room, cat. You'll be summoned if you're needed."

Emma did not look as if she intended to leave at all as she stood, staring threateningly around at the woodlanders. "You're barking up the wrong tree with that one, I tell you." She started backing away, daunted by their superior numbers. "She'll tell you anything. Better to just send her on her way." At last fearful for her own hide, she turned and fled the circling Heirs.

The squirrel remained silent until there were only three beasts left in the square, himself, Gericault and the vixen. Then he addressed the otter, "You say she was in the marten's house? How do you know?"

"I caught her coming out of it, Sir."

"Hmmm," Marcion didn't seem convinced.

Pearl decided to speak up. Just stay as close to the truth as possible. "Another marten, Serpentcharmer-something, brought a group of us up there." She sat up a little straiter in her place still on the ground. "Sarkleyet talked to us. He said he wanted the Red Brandy but he wanted some other beasts to do his dirty work to fetch it." She didn't specify that none of them knew exactly where it was. "He promised payment for anybeast who would help him but I didn't want any part of it. I just want my kit back. That's all I've ever wanted. I know your creatures have her. Just give her to me and, I swear, I'll never cause you any bother again."

The vixen watched Marcion carefully as she spoke. She saw recognition when she mentioned Captain Serpentcharmer and eager interest when she spoke of Sarkleyet's quest. When she got back to the subject of Sandy, the squirrel looked almost pleased. Pearl swallowed, wondering if he was remembering the promise of 'anything'.

"Help the lady up, Geri. Take her to my room."

The otter stepped forward and helped Pearl to her footpaws. But the squirrel stopped them before they could get any further and stroked the vixen's face with his paw. "We'll discuss this somewhere more comfortable?"

The madam barely contained a shudder, nodded, and allowed herself to be led away.

"Oh and Gericault," Marcion added. "Tell your sister I won't be needing her assistance this evening."