One good turn deserves another
...It was already beginning to dawn when the man lying on the bed woke up and shivered, because it was quite chilly in the ward. However, this circumstance did not affect his quite good health, so he got up, took a quick ordinary morning motions, and then did some exercises.
His wardmate, the jaguar, was still snoring, deep in sleep, not even batting an ear at the Soviet sniper's morning fuss.
Victor, having finished with the exercises, began to look out the window of the ward, waiting for the doctor's rounds. However, there was no one on the streets of Treehollow at such an early hour, with the exception of a not very big white Creature in the work clothes of a janitor, similar in appearance to a marten, who was cleaning the street next to a large wooden building, similar to a cafe, and located opposite the hospital. Having finished cleaning the area next to the cafe, the Creature slowly moved and began to sweep next to an unusual and rather large house of irregular shape, vaguely resembling a giant termite mound, standing on a small hill and covered with thick wooden bark and turf with grass, after which it disappeared from sight.
Victor was already starting to get bored when he finally heard a knock on the door of the ward and Terra's voice.
"Good morning, Victor, Isaiah!" she said, entering the ward and noticing with surprise that the jaguar was still sleeping.
"Good morning, Terra!" the man "greeted" the wolf-nurse in return.
"How are you feeling, Victor? Do you have any complaints?" the wolf "asked".
"I feel... Good, I think. No complaints. And how are you, Terra?"
"Thank you, Victor, we're doing well! Maya and I are preparing for winter!
These days we have been unloading firewood for heating our house, and doing minor repairs too."
"Oh, you and Maya know each other, as I see?" the man "inquired".
"Yes, of course we do! We have been married for over ten years and are raising our daughter Marie!" Terra "answered" contentedly.
"Err... Excuse me!.. What are you doing? Raising... Your and Maya's daughter?!" the man "asked" in amazement, staring at the she-wolf like a ram at a gate.
It's not that he was shocked by the existence of same-sex relationships, especially considering that at the dawn of the Soviet Union such things were treated with indulgence. But a conceiving of a child without the participation of a male creature was completely beyond his comprehension.
"Well, yes, Marie is our daughter!.. Oh, excuse me, I think I understand what's confusing you! In fact, she actually has two biological parents - me and her donor father, the skunk Ranjan.
Unfortunately, Ranjan died of cancer nine years ago, and now Marie's only relatives are us and our relatives. But Maya is as much a real mother to her as I am!" the she-wolf "answered", after which she smiled slightly and spread her paws.
"Uh... Now everything has become a little... Clearer. Yeah..." the man shrugged, surprised at the local customs. However, he was busier thinking about the upcoming visit to the cat-tailor, and therefore left questions about the cultural and family traditions of Silver Sage "until better times".
After the "conversation" was over, the she-wolf gave the man a routine medical check-up. After making sure everything was okay, Terra walked up to the sleeping jaguar and gently nudged him in the shoulder several times. Isaiah, who had been sleeping on his belly, woke up, stretched lazily, yawned, and sat down on the bed.
"Good morning, Isaiah! Sorry to interrupt your sweet sleep, but it's almost time for breakfast! I see that your burns have stopped hurting so much?" the she-wolf asked the jaguar.
"Good morning, Terra! It's okay! You know, yes, they practically don't bother me! Apart from a slight burning sensation..." he answered, smiling.
"Okay, Isaiah! Then I'm leaving, and you and Victor will soon be called for breakfast! Yes, Miss Trisha will be the cook today!" said the she-wolf, after which she said goodbye to both patients and left the ward.
"Good morning, Victor! How are you?" the jaguar "greeted" his wardmate.
"And you too, Isa! Everything seems fine... Wait, today I need to fix your girlfriend's sewing machine! She said that her house is not far from the hospital. But where exactly? I don't know where anything is in your town!" the man "answered" thoughtfully.
"Her house is just visible from the window of the ward, let me show you!" the jaguar perked up, after which they both came themselves to the window.
"Look, Victor, do you see a small hill of irregular shape, partially covered with grass and wooden bark? Well, to the right of the "The Bat and The Badger" cafe! That's Avery's house and her sewing workshop at the same time!" the jaguar "said" to the man, before pointing his finger at her house.
"Yeah, I see, thank you, Isa! It really is close to the hospital; I won't get lost... So, what kind of cafe do you have there, and why does it have such a name?" the man "inquired", after which he looked out the window again and froze in surprise.
A huge, powerful white-dark-grey badger in a blue kitchen dress came out of the cafe door and began busily washing the cafe windows from the street side.
"O-oh, Tess is preparing the cafe for opening! I wish I could have some fresh strawberry jam pies!.. Ah, that... Well, the cafe is named after the owner, "badger"-baker Tess Baker, and her adopted daughter, "bat" Belfry Baker, who also works there. Although, in fact, Tess is a hybrid cross between a badger and a bear, and Belfry generally combines the genes of a bat, a squirrel, and a ringtail cat; but it is much better and more convenient to call hybrids by the name of the species of their parent-Creature, whose features are most expressed in their appearance. In general, in addition to them, Tess' husband and co-owner of the cafe, deer-baker Walter Baker, and the Bakers' biological daughter, "doe" Briar Baker, work at the cafe. Something like that...
By the way, maybe after fixing the sewing machine you could stop by the cafe, grab me a bag of strawberry jam pies, and have a snack yourself? Almost everyone in Treehollow knows the sign language Trissol at the most basic level, so you can take an order without any problems. And they cook very well there! I'm sure you'll like the pastries there!" the jaguar "asked" the man for a favor, after which he quickly wrote a note-order for the "badger" and handed it to the man. He took the note and put it in his tunic pocket.
"Yeah, I'll grab her if I have time after working with your girlfriend's sewing machine. And thanks for the short excursion regarding the cafe!.. Listen, Isa, does Tamberlane live there, too?" Victor suddenly "asked" and looked closely at his "interlocutor".
"Well, yeah, she lives there too. It's their cafe and their home at the same time! Today is Sunday, so a kits are not at school. If you're lucky, maybe you'll be able to see her. But she usually doesn't walk alone, and the other kits might get scared, mistaking you for Longwalker, so it's not a fact that you'll be able to communicate with her, ha-ha!
"Who might the kits take me for, Isa?!" Victor frowned, clearly not appreciating the jaguar's last "remark".
"Oh, sorry, Victor! "Longwalkers" are a folklore name for humans in our fairy tales, something like monsters. I understand that it sounds rather offensive for you, but our generation didn't write these fairy tales, just as it didn't write chronicles with laws! As I have said before, we don't have any truly truthful detailed description of your species. You and Tamberlane are, in fact, the only known living representatives of humanity in all of Silver Sage, and perhaps on the entire Earth! Although about the entire Earth, I probably got carried away. In any case, from the countries closest to us there was no news of the discovery of Creatures like you ... If we put aside the Edicts and fairy tales, then perhaps your appearance here is not so bad. Theoretically, if you'll integrate into our society without causing harm to anyone here, and Parliament agrees to reconsider its attitude towards humanity based on the facts of your behavior, then both you and Tamberlane will have a chance at a good future. Well, we, the Creatures, will also avoid the problems associated with the presence of "Tainted Animals" in our current legal realities of Silver Sage. Perhaps..." the jaguar thought out loud at length.
Almost immediately after the jaguar's last "phrase" there was a knock on the door of the ward, and the vixen Trisha entered the ward.
Having greeted the jaguar with her voice and communicated a little with him, the fox also began a "dialogue" with the man.
"Good morning, Victor! How are you? Is everything okay?" she "inquired".
"Good morning, Trisha! Thank you, everything seems fine, except that Tamberlane and I are outside your laws. As far as I remember, you are a member of the Council? Have you and your colleagues by any chance discussed what you are going to do with us?" the man unexpectedly changed the "conversation" to a serious topic for the vixen, after which he began to look at her expectantly.
"Victor, to tell the truth, we haven't seriously discussed this issue in the Council yet, because it's not in the foreground. We are more concerned with preparing for winter and expecting the arrival of our ship any day now. But yes, formally you and Tamberlane are indeed outside our laws, and if Parliament finds out about this now, then we will all be kicked out to the place from which there is no return! But, fortunately, Parliament cannot find out about this now, since our next ship will sail to our capital only next spring, and their inspectors will not arrive before that time. So, you have time to try to integrate into our society; and we have time to make sure that you are not the merciless monsters that you are presented in our chronicles and fairy tales..." "answered" the vixen, shuddering a little nervously.
Jaguar also watched the "conversation" between Victor and Trisha with thoughtfulness.
"Okay, I understand you, Trisha! Well, I'll try... "To integrate your community", as you said. And I certainly don't intend to threaten anyone here, as long as there is nobody will threat to me... Or Tamberlane," the man "promised", looking straight into the blue eyes of the elderly vixen.
"Thank you, Victor! In principle, you are already doing it pretty well!.. However, we've been chatting for too long, it's time for me to go to the kitchen! Well, it's time for both of you to go to the dining room!" the vixen nodded her head approvingly, after which she left the ward.
The man and the jaguar also did not linger and headed to the dining room.
After breakfast, the jaguar headed back to his ward, while Victor headed to the staff room.
Inside, he found Nora sitting at her desk, writing out some paperwork, and the bird-horse herbarist Rhode, whom he already knew, sitting on the couch and reading a book on pharmaceuticals. The man greeted them both.
"Good morning, Victor! I see you're ready for your first walk outside the hospital. So, I've already filled out the necessary permits for temporary leaving and walk around the town. Don't forget - you need to return to the hospital before sunset! And try not to get into any trouble!
So, good luck with repairing Avery's sewing machine, and just have a nice walk around Treehollow! I think you'll like our architecture, which, by the way, was partly created by Maya!" the vixen immediately got down to business and gave the man two small rectangular sheets of gray paper.
Taking them, Victor saw on them several lines written in Growl's small font, several intricate signatures, and a seal. The man carefully folded the permits in four and put them in another pocket of his tunic.
"Thank you, Nora, I'll try not to get into trouble! Well, then I'm on the way," the Soviet sniper got ready to "go out".
"Let me ask Rhode to take you to the hospital exit and tell you about the landmarks closest to the hospital" the fox suggested a better solution, after which she turned to the bird-horse, - "Rhode, can you take our patient to the hospital exit and explain what exactly is in our immediate vicinity?
"Yes, of course, I'll help!" the bird-horse agreed, after which she put the book aside, got up from the sofa and went to the exit from the staff room.
"Wait, Victor, I almost forgot! Here, wear this raincoat! It's quite cold outside, and you still don't have any fur... Henry agreed to give it to you, he has another raincoat in case of rain!" and after these "words" the fox took a long green raincoat from the hanger and handed it to the man.
"Thank you! You and your husband are so kind to me! I even feel a little embarrassed that I have nothing to repay in gratitude with!.." the man "answered" sheepishly, after which he wear the raincoat.
"Don't worry, Victor! Your best gratitude for us will be if you are kind and respectful to all folks of our town, regardless of their size, species, age, or gender!" the fox "answered" with a smile.
"I'll try. So, Until the evening!" the man "promised".
"Until the evening! Come here again when you return so that I can put down marks about your timely return!" the fox "answered", after which she returned to administrative work.
Rhode gave the man a sign to follow her, after which they both, having walked briefly along the corridors of the hospital and reached the exit, which was on the western side.
"So, Victor, do you see those three big buildings across the street?
The one on the left is "Woodcarver" workshop run by Miss Coriander, but she's don't work today, so you don't need to go there.
In the center is the "The Bat and The Badger" cafe, you can stop by and have a snack to eat after your work. I think the Bakers won't be stingy with a tasty pie and some tea for you. Just show them your permits for moving around town first. Otherwise, you might dragged to jail for no reason!
And to the right is the house and sewing workshop of the cat-tailor Avery, where you need to go now! I think she's already waiting for you impatiently, because the residents of Treehollow, whose orders have been delayed due to her sewing machine breaking down, are also very eager to get winter clothes as soon as possible!
As for the rest of the surrounding area, to the north of the hospital is our pharmaceutical lab called "Alchemists", where Twitchel and I create medicines and some medical "consumables"; and the shop of the "marten" Ainsley Scavenger, where "they" exchange all sorts of interesting things that was founded for other things and services.
To the east of us is a residential area and a prison, where you definitely don't need to go, he-he!
Well, and to the south you will find the residential burrow of bunny Honey the Gardener, who is a member of the Council on agricultural issues. And a little further from her burrow is a multi-faith temple and a small cemetery behind it. The temple is run by the lioness-chaplain Vessie, but you already know her!
Well... That's all for now! Have a successful repair and a pleasant walk, and it's time for me to engage in self-education!" the bird-horse finished her excursion through the local sights.
"And have a good day, Rhode! Thank you for the clarification!" the man thanked her, after which they smiled at each other and went their separate ways.
Ten minutes later, Victor approached slowly to Avery's house. He knocked on the low wooden half-oval door, at the same time appreciating the original small windows of a complex shape in a natural style. It also became finally clear that Avery's house was a small hill, covered with pieces of thick wooden bark overlapping together with turf and grass, and from which almost all soil was taken out, and strengthened inside with stone walls and wooden ceilings. Behind the door, the stern voice of the cat-tailor and the humble thin voices of her kittens were heard, after which the door opened, and Avery appeared in the doorway in an elegant everyday dress of blue color with a white pattern of stylized fish.
"Oh, hello, Victor! How glad I am to see you! Come in! Just don't forget to bend over - the door is a bit small for you!" she happily "greeted" the man, thoughtfully reminding him not to forget to bend over when entering.
"Hello, Avery! Glad to see you too!" he "answered" and went inside, bending over a little.
Entering, the man found himself in a small hallway that led into a large rectangular workroom.
Taking off his coat and boots, and putting on the slippers kindly provided by the cat, Victor followed her into the workroom and looked around with interest.
On the plastered stone walls of the room were hung ready-made clothes of various styles, but mostly in Victorian style, blanks of various stages of completion, as well as skeins of various fabrics. Closer to the wall of the house opposite the entrance, where there was also a small window, there were two sewing tables: a small low one and a large high one. On both tables stood one mechanical sewing machine with a pedal drive, also of the appropriate size.
A little closer to the entrance stood two tables for cutting fabrics, also obviously adjusted for the cat-dressmaker and her daughter.
On the sides of the room stood a couple of medium-sized sofas, small closets, primitive mannequins, a stand for an easel, lamps and other household items, slightly moved away from the walls. Well, in the middle of the room, with a meek look, stood two of Avery's main pride and problems at the same time: the older, but very small, stocky, dark gray, in places covered with beige stripes and spots, nine-year-old short-haired cat Piper, dressed in an ordinary children's yellow dress and with a metal ball-bell on her neck, and about whose complex dominant character, as well as about her love for all sorts of pranks and intrigues, all of Treehollow had heard; and her taller seven-year-old kitten brother Anthony, also short-haired and similar in color to his sister, but without any stripes and spots, and who, in turn, was dressed in ordinary children's purple shorts and a white T-shirt.
Anthony's character was much more meek than that of his older sister, and the latter didn't disdain to take advantage of this, as a result of which he regularly got into trouble; but still, he stoically endured all the difficulties and hardships associated with Piper, hoping that with age she would come to her senses and stop bothering him.
Seeing the adult human, both kittens shuddered in surprise, stretched out, and began to look at him with some fear. They had heard enough about Longwalkers eating cubs and adult Creatures alive, and now the "monster from legends" stood before them personally, and looked at them with interest.
"Piper, Anthony! You don't need to be afraid of Victor! Please remember about etiquette! And remember that for now he can only communicate with Trissol gestures! What do you usually do when guests come to visit us?" the cat subtly hinted to her kittens what they needed to do now.
"H-hello, Victor!" the kitten and the cat "greeted" the man almost simultaneously, smiling tensely and trying not to show their fear.
"Hello, Piper and Anthony!" the man also calmly "greeted" in response, smiling, then squatted down and extended his right hand to the kitten for a handshake.
He was a little embarrassed by this, as was the half-cut off index finger on the "monster's paw", but he still carefully extended his right paw; and they both exchanged a light handshake. Piper, meanwhile, seeing that the "Longwalker" clearly didn't pose any danger, stopped being afraid of him, and watched what was happening with interest. As soon as Anthony and Victor unclenched their "paws", and the man began to remove his hand, kitty, pushing away her brother, who was dumbfounded by her actions, jumped up to the man's hand and slapped hardly his still open palm with her small palm. But the Soviet sniper wasn't a fool, and was already ready for this, so after her trick he only laughed fervently. Piper again stood next to her brother, proud for her brave joke.
"Oh, that Piper!" the cat-tailor apologetically clapped her paws, and then "continued", - "Victor, would you like some tea? I'll cook it now, and in the meantime, you can repair the sewing machine on the big table next to the window. It jams periodically, as you already know. I've already prepared the tools, technical grease, and instructions, but in any case, I'll be right there."
"Thank you, Avery, I won't refuse!" the man accepted the cat's offer, after which he stood up from his haunches, moved around the kittens and approached the big table with the broken sewing machine.
"Anthony, if Victor needs any help with the machine, help him! Piper! Please, just try not to bother with either the guest or your brother, okay?" the cat gave valuable instructions to her kittens, and then went to the kitchen.
The man, meanwhile, quickly examined the sewing machine. In appearance, it was very similar to those used by people in his era, except that it was a little smaller and the inscriptions were in Growl. He spun the hand wheel and made sure that the machine really did jam periodically. Having finished examining the sewing machine, Victor began read the instructions for it, but, as expected, didn't understand anything, even despite the quite successful study of the Growl letterforms. The writing went in continuous lines in one font, without any, as it seemed to the man, visible division into words, and of the punctuation marks he recognized only bold dots. But the instructions contained quite detailed diagrams of the sewing machine's design, showing that the machine was very similar in design to the Singer sewing machine, not counting some improvements such as adding stitch step adjustment.
"What if I do it this way?.." Victor thought, after which he "called" Anthony, who was modestly standing to the side, to him with gestures. The kitten wasn't eager to interact with the stranger, nor to get a scolding from his mother cat, so he nevertheless approached, hoping that the horrors of the legends would not become reality. Piper, who was already starting to get bored, also perked up and stood behind her brother, watching what was happening.
"Anthony, I need your help! Spin the hand wheel to "clockwise" direction, only slowly, and I'll try to find by ear which mechanism is jamming", the man "asked" the kitten for help, and he began to slowly turn the hand wheel in the indicated direction.
The man began to put his ear to different parts of the sewing machine body, listening to the sounds of the mechanisms, and soon found out that the jamming was related to the needle bar drive mechanism.
"Anthony, stop spin the hand wheel! I think I've found a possible problem with your mother's sewing machine", he "said" to the kitten, and it immediately stopped spinning the wheel, - "Okay, Anthony, find a platter so I can put the mounting screws on it! I'm going to disassemble the part of the sewing machine where the needle bar drive mechanism is," the man "voiced" another request.
The kitten began searching in the nearest closet, looking for the right thing. He finally found what he was looking for and placed a medium-sized ceramic platter on the table next to the sewing machine.
"Thank you, Anthony! Well, let's get started!.." and after these "words" the man began to carefully unscrew the screws that connected the protective cover of the needle bar drive mechanism to the main body, using various screwdrivers.
Having finished with this, the Soviet sniper removed it, and the mechanism itself appeared in front of him. It was noticeable that the mechanism was a little dusty and some fallen wool had settled on it, and the grease had thickened over time, but this was not the cause of the jamming. The needle bar drive itself was in a rather bad condition, and required a complete replacement rather than repair.
Meanwhile, while the man was tinkering with the machine, Piper, in her usual manner, climbed and sat on her brother's neck in order to better observe the actions of the "Longwalker". Anthony tried to push her off himself, but it was useless, so he could only resign himself and watch the man. But then Avery's footsteps came from the kitchen, and she went into the workroom to see how things were going, bringing him a large cup of hot herbal tea.
"Well, how is going with repairing my sewing machine, Victor?" the cat "inquired", first touching the man's shoulder with her paw, and then putting a cup of tea on the table. Seeing her daughter comfortably sitting on her brother's neck, who was clearly not happy about it, the cat only sighed heavily, deciding to hold off on the educational conversation.
"Avery, I found the trouble," the man "answered" and pointed to the needle drive mechanism, - "All of this needs to be completely replaced, to be honest. Do you have such a spare part?"
The cat scratched her chin thoughtfully.
"W-e-e-ll, I don't have a separate spare part like that. I have a similar sewing machine for fine fabrics that works good, but I can't give it to you because I don't want to be left without any sewing machines at all if something goes wrong. But... You know... I can sacrifice my daughter's sewing machine. Although it's smaller, many of the parts in it are the same as in my machine," - the cat found a way out of the situation, after which she turned to Anthony and Piper, - "Piper, do you mind if Victor takes the necessary parts from your sewing machine to repair my machine? I think nothing terrible will happen if your sewing lessons are temporarily interrupted until next spring. And I'll always find you some housework, don't worry!"
"Take parts from my machine to repair yours? Sure, Mom, let him take it apart!" the kitty answered with an innocent look, already mentally rejoicing at the expected break in her sewing lessons, and immediately began to make a huge plans for the upcoming free time.
The cat only smiled ironically, after which she went to the small sewing table and took her daughter's sewing machine from it, after which she put it on the large table next to her machine.
The man, thoughtfully twisting the Piper sewing machine in his hands, put it aside and drank some tea, after which he took it up again and removed the protective cover of the needle bar drive.
In appearance, the needle bar mechanism in the Piper sewing machine looked almost identical to the needle bar in the Avery machine, but he still decided to make more accurate measurements.
"Avery, please give me a drawing compass and a ruler," he "asked" the cat.
The cat nodded, went to another closet, and after some searching in it, took out the measuring instruments the man needed and gave them to him. Anthony, and Piper, who was sitting on his neck, continued to watch the Soviet sniper's actions with curiosity.
The man began to measure the main dimensions first from the needle bar drive mechanism of one sewing machine, and then took measurements from the mechanism of another machine. After making sure that they were identical to each other, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Good news, Avery! It looks like I can repsir your machine! But it will take an hour, maybe even two hours, since I also plan to remove the protective cover on your sewing machine and re-lubricate the moving mechanisms."
"Great, Victor! Then I'll take the kids for a little walk. If you do it before we get back, wait for us! We'll try to walk no longer than an hour and a half!" the cat "said" happily, then turned to the kittens, - "Piper, Anthony! We're going for a short walk now so as not to bothering our guest while he fixes my sewing machine! So, we quickly change into street clothes and go outside!"
"Okay, Mom!" Anthony and Piper answered happily, after which the latter deigned to get off her brother's neck, and they, together with the cat-mother, went to the living room, changed into clothes made in an old Victorian style especially for a weekend promenade, and went for a walk.
Victor first removed the protective cover from the Avery sewing machine, and then completely removed the old grease from all the internal mechanisms. After that, he carefully replaced the broken needle bar drive mechanism with the good one that was in the Piper sewing machine. To his delight, the working mechanism was identical in design and size to the broken one, so the replacement went without a problem.
Having finished replacing the needle bar drive mechanism, the man decided to check the condition of the shuttle mechanism. Having removed the shuttle mechanism, he saw that the "shuttle" was also quite worn out, so he also replaced it with a less worn "shuttle" that was in the Piper sewing machine.
Without assembling the case, the Soviet sniper turned the hand heel of the sewing machine several times. To his delight, everything began to move as it should and without jamming. The man did additional adjustments to the needle bar mechanism, then lubricated all moving parts of the sewing machine mechanism with new grease and installed the protective cover back in place.
Having put the pedal drive belt pulley on the hand wheel, Victor "ran" the sewing machine idle at different speeds. Now everything worked perfectly.
"I should try to sew something..." the man thought, and decided to look in the closets for pieces of fabric and spools of thread. However, there was nothing useful in sight, and his conscience and upbringing did not allow him to rummage through cat's things. Instead, he decided to simply wait for return of Avery and her kittens.
Victor felt thirsty, and he began to look for the kitchen.
He quickly found the right room, found a jug of clean water, drank some water, and at the same time marveled at the bundles of dried fish, meat and vegetables hanging all over the kitchen, and went back to the workroom.
Having sat down by the window, the man began to look out it, but saw nothing but a small birch grove near the back of Avery's house. He was already becoming frankly bored, when finally, the footsteps of the cat-tailor and her children were heard. Having looked into the workroom and made sure that the man and everything else were in place, she waved her paw at him contentedly, after which, together with the kittens, she went into the living room, quickly changed into home clothes, and, without waiting for Anthony and Piper, went back to the workroom.
"Victor, how are things going with my sewing machine?" she "asked" impatiently.
"Well, basically, I repaired it. But only you can say for sure, since I didn't rummage through your things in search of unnecessary pieces of fabric and spools of thread to check it myself," the man "answered" and stood near the sewing table.
"Oh, Victor, I am so grateful for your decency and good manners! It somehow slipped my mind to give you pieces of fabric and leather, needles, and thread to check the sewing machine. I guess I just didn't expect you to cope so quickly!.. Then I'll check it myself now!" the cat "said" with a satisfied look, after which she quickly dived into the "belly" of one of the closets and found several small pieces of thick dense fabric and thin leather there. In another closet she took out a small spool of thick blue thread and replacement parts for a sewing machine designed for sewing on leather.
Sitting down at the sewing table, Avery deftly prepared the sewing machine, then put some thread onto a special spool that fed the thread into the shuttle mechanism. Having put the required number of layers, the cat put the thread from the main spool directly into the needle itself, put the thread into the shuttle mechanism from a special spool, and tucked two pieces of thick fabric folded together under the presser foot.
Meanwhile, Anthony and Piper, cheerful and dressed in their home clothes, ran into the room and stood next to Victor, no longer particularly afraid of him, and all three began to watch Avery.
After making several passes over the folded pieces of fabric, the cat pulled them out from under the presser foot. Her muzzle lit up with joy.
"Oh my God, Victor, it seems like you really repaired it! So nice! Well, let me try it on leather!" the cat "said" happily, then replaced the usual presser foot, feed dog and needle with ones specially designed for sewing on leather, and successfully sewed together a piece of fabric and leather too.
"Victor, it works again as it should! Thank you so much! Now I can finish the orders for the winter on time! You know... Maybe you'll have lunch with us? I can treat you to some delicious fish soup!" the cat "offered" the man to have lunch with them.
"You know, thanks, Avery, but maybe next time... I need to stop by "The Bat and The Badger" cafe right now for fresh pies for your boyfriend, and I myself also want to have a snack of something like that from the pastry..." he politely "declined", keeping in mind that he needed to return to the hospital BEFORE sunset.
"Okay, I get it! Then enjoy your meal, Victor! If you need any new clothes, you can always come to me! I'll be happy to sew you something! Let me walk you to the exit!" the cat "accepted" the man's refusal understandingly, after which they walked together to the exit of the house.
"Thank you, Avery, I'll keep that in mind, unless, of course, I get kicked out of here before winter comes! Well, I'm off! Maybe we'll see each other again!" the man "said goodbye" to the cat warmly.
"Of course, we will, I'm sure! I wish you a nice walk and pleasant acquaintances! See you later, Victor! Bye!" the cat-tailor "finished" on an encouraging note, waved her paw to the man goodbye and carefully closed the door.
"Well, the day is going pretty well! Isaiah is really lucky with his girlfriend! And her kittens are also quite nice children! Although, Piper seems to be quite the mischievous one!.." the Soviet sniper was immersed in pleasant thoughts, heading towards the only cafe in Treehollow. Although the clouds began to thin out, and rays of warm autumn sun were breaking through them, there was almost no one on the streets of the town. Only halfway from Avery's house to the cafe, the man met a tall, slender beige and white doe in glasses of a bizarre elongated shape and a business pink women's suit. She embarrassedly "responded" to the man's greeting gesture with the same gesture, looking at him with visible fear, after which she went around him in a wide arc and disappeared at high speed at the end of the street.
"Looks like I'm out of her taste, heh!" Victor shrugged and moved on. Soon he stopped thinking about the strange doe and began to enjoy looking at the unusual architecture of the local buildings, made in a primitive-natural style. The man was already approaching the cafe, still continuing to look at the local houses with genuine curiosity, when he heard quickly approaching loud growls and incomprehensible remarks interspersed with laughter. The next moment, someone ran into the Soviet sniper, dropping him on the stone pavement, which paved all the more or less large streets of Treehollow.
"FUCK YOUR MOTHER! DO YOU PUT YOUR EYES IN YOUR ASS OR THAT?! A-A-R-G-H-H, FUCK!.." Victor cursed furiously after falling backwards onto the cold, hard stone. Although he had managed to group himself, so that none of his bones broke, his body was still too skinny, so the fall was very painful.
For a minute the man simply lay, waiting out the intense pain from the fall. At the same time, he heard someone's obviously childish, frightened voices next to him. Tilting his head forward a little, the man saw that next to him were two fluffy young cubs of a light pale-orange color, and from their voices it was clear that they were both girls. One of them looked like a hybrid of a weasel and a cat and was slightly shorter than a man's waist, while the other looked like a hybrid of a hare and a tiger and was slightly taller, and, unlike her "sister", had dark red stripes on her back and tail, and the outer side of her ears was also dark red. The only clothes they had was their own fur.
Seeing that the unknown Creature that one of them had knocked down was glaring at them with an angry look and clenching its "paws" into fists, they raised their upper paws in fear and quickly began to babble something in an apologetic tone.
Groaning from the slowly fading pain, the man slowly moved from a lying position to a sitting one, and with gestures showed that he did not yet understand their speech, and could only communicate in Trissol gestures. He no longer looked at them with the anger that he had moments earlier, but rather only with reproach.
"S-s-sorry, sir! I didn't want to push you! I-I-I just didn't see you!" the "kitty" began to "apologize", guiltily lowering her eyes.
"Please, sir, forgive Minna! She won't do it again!" the "bunny" also "apologized", after which she looked reproachfully at her "sister".
"U-u-r-gh! O-o-okay! Okay, I forgive you! But really, be more careful during your games, otherwise you really will accidentally kill someone!" Victor "accepted" the cubs' apologies, after thinking to himself: "Perhaps I should also stare less at the local architecture and look around more! Otherwise, I'll get run over by a car or a horse!.."
"Yes, sir, we won't do it again, we promise! Would you like us to dust off your clothes and help you to get up?" the "kitty" "offered" to help.
"Okay, Minna a-a-and..?"
"I'm Roselyn! Or just Rosie!" the "bunny" "introduced" herself.
"Okay, Minna and Rosie, I wouldn't mind if you dust off my clothes a bit and help me get up! By the way, my name is Victor! Victor Reznov!" the man nodded, also "introducing" himself.
The "kitty" and "bunny" quickly jumped up to the man and quickly shook the dust off his coat with their small paws. Then the "kitty" stood to the left of the man, and the "bunny" to the right. Each of them clasped their paws with their palms up, and with their combined efforts, putting their clasped paws under his elbows, helped him to get up.
Having staggered a couple of times, and having stood up confidently, Victor felt how the kits began to shake the dust off his pants.
Having shaken his pants, the "bunny" and "kitty" stood in front of him.
"Well, sir, it seems we've dusted you off! Excuse us again! But can we ask a question?" the kits "addressed" the man, starting to look at him with a more intent gaze.
"Thank you, Minna and Rosie! Of course, you can!" he "exhaled", having almost completely stopped feeling the pain from the fall.
"Are you really a human? Our brother Jentzen told us a little about you. He saw you when he visited our common foster mother in the hospital" "heard" the question, which had already become commonplace for Victor.
"Yes, I'm a human! Yes, I know that I'm a "monster" and a "beast" to you! But I'm not going to harm anyone, if no one will try harm me! And yes, I'm not from Abroad! Any other questions?" the man immediately "laid all his cards on the table", looking sternly at the "kitty" and the "bunny".
For a second they froze, looking at the monster from the legends in fear, but then they calmed down a little. The Creature that Minna had knocked down was too obviously at odds with what they knew about the humans from the fairy tales, and it didn't look like he was going to commit cruel reprisals against them now.
"Okay, sir Reznov, we understand!.. S-sorry for our tactlessness!" the "bunny" "asked" for forgiveness.
"It's okay, Rosie and Minna! And stop calling me "sir"! Just call me by my first name! I'm an ordinary worker, not some kind of aristocrat!" the man "expressed" his request.
"We get it, Victor! Then may we ask you: how is our mother?"
"Genevieve, I suppose? I haven't seen her for several days, since I was transferred from the ICU to the regular therapy department, but as far as I know, she was supposed to have new skin transplantation onto her scolded leg. I haven't heard from her since then, but I hope she's okay. Otherwise, I would have found out about her problems. If I see her, I'll be sure to say hello to her from you, although I think your brother will do it before me... You know, girls, it's nice to talk to you, even despite my fall, but I need to go to the "The Bat and The Badger" now. So, I'm off! Say hello to Jentzen! Bye!" the man "said goodbye" to the "kitty" and "bunny".
"Enjoy your meal, Victor! We'll be sure to say hello to our brother! Bye!" the "sisters" waved their paws in response, after which they returned to their games and ran down the street towards the Oakewood Library.
The Soviet sniper just chuckled to himself, after which he finally reached the door of the cafe, from which came the appetizing smells of freshly baked goods.
To the man's surprise, the wooden door of the cafe was composite and consisted of two parts, with the lower part being able to open separately, and was clearly intended for small Creatures and cubs.
"Smart solution, nothing to say more!.." Victor appreciated the constructive solution, opening the door and ringing the garland of small bells hanging on the inside of the door, similar in appearance to the one that was on Piper's neck.
Having entered, the man put his coat on a hanger and looked around.
The hall for visitors turned out to be not very large, although from the street the cafe, which was also the home of the Baker family, seemed quite big. It was made in a primitive-natural style, but the oil paintings with various beautiful landscapes hung on the wooden walls, as well as flowerpots and tubs with plants, gave a certain coziness and charm, at the same time showing that the Creatures were clearly not primitive upright animals "on instincts".
There were four massive wooden tables in the hall, each of which consisted of a thick large oval varnished oak tabletop, nailed with huge steel nails to an oak log-base, uprooted right with the roots. Three tables stood by the wall of the cafe to the left of the entrance, and one table stood in the middle of the hall. Near each table there were four wooden chairs.
At the opposite end of the hall from the entrance there was a counter and a showcase with pastries, and behind all this were the entrances to the kitchen and the living area, where the Baker family lived.
However, the Soviet sniper appreciated not only the interior of the cafe. At the far table in the corner of the room he saw the already familiar white Creature-"marten", who had changed from the work clothes of a cleaner to light brown baggy linen pants and a sweater of the same color. "Marten" was reading some comic book, simultaneously savoring a cupcake.
At the nearest table, which was next to the exit, sat alone a furless cat of a white-pale color, dressed in tight black leather pants and a strict black dress, sewn from satin. On the cat's head was a figured felt black hat with "ears", completely covering the upper part of the cat's head along with the ears, and on its lower paws were long black elegant leather boots. She absentmindedly looked out the window, eating a pie with fish filling.
"The very charm goth-kitty!" Victor gasped to himself, having had the opportunity before the war to see the copies of some medieval European paintings done in this style, which his art-historian friends had.
And near the table, which was in the middle of the hall, sat a fluffy plump adult fox and a slender teenage fox cub.
The adult fox was slightly shorter than the Soviet sniper, had a light red-white color, wore elongated glasses, and was dressed in a thin green sweater and light blue overalls. The fox cub was a more saturated red-white color, and was dressed in blue denim overalls. Both of them ate mushroom pizza, and, to the man's surprise, communicated with Trissol gestures instead of talking with their mouths.
A few moments after Victor entered the cafe, all the Creatures that were in the hall turned their heads in his direction and began to examine him.
The man first greeted the cat with a welcoming gesture, then the foxes, and then the "marten". While the cat looked at the new visitor to the cafe with thoughtful curiosity and greeted him back, just like both foxes, the "marten" was in no hurry to greet, clearly showing his fear and nervousness.
"Looks like he or she read too many fairy tales about Longwalkers in childhood!" the man shrugged and decided to get acquainted with the assortment of the cafe.
Victor had already started walking towards the showcase with pastries, when he noticed that the adult fox was beckoning him to their company with paw gestures. The man decided that he shouldn't miss the chance to try to get acquainted with the Creatures, who clearly didn't express fear or aggression towards him, so he changed his route and approached them.
"Good day, sir! My name is Cilantro, and my little brother is Parsley! Do you want to chat a little? True, I'm deaf from birth, so I can only communicate with Trissol gestures..." the adult fox "asked" with a friendly smile. The teenage fox also smiled.
"Good day to you too, Cilantro and Parsley! My name is Victor Reznov, but you can just call me Victor! I have some free time, so we can chat. True, I don't know Growl yet, but I know Trissol, so..." the man "accepted" the adult fox's offer with a slight smile and exchanged a confident, firm handshake first with the adult fox, and then with the fox cub.
"Victor, I suppose you're new here? This is the first time I've seen you, and far as my brother too. Well, I don't live here, and I just sailed here yesterday from Three Rivers to visit my mother and brothers, and to help them with some of the housework..." the adult fox continued the "conversation".
"Yes, Cilantro, I'm new here, you could say that..." the man nodded his head.
"Victor, if it's not a secret, what species are you? Cilantro and I, for example, are ordinary foxes!" the fox cub suddenly intervened in the "conversation" between the man and his brother, while carefully examining the "interlocutor", who in some external features was too reminiscent of one of his classmates.
"Parsley, it's a little impolite to start a conversation with this topic right away, you know?!" the adult fox sternly "reprimanded" his impatient brother, after which he "addressed" the man again, - "Excuse my brother, Victor! It just seems that you are too similar in some external features to his classmate, whose species is still unknown to us!"
"It's okay, Cilantro! You mean Tamberlaine, I suppose?"
"Wow, you already know about her! Yes, that's right, we mean her - a practically furless, tailless, small, dark-skinned female Creature of an unknown species, with fur only on her head, and on top of that, and a completely flat muzzle!" Cilantro raised his eyebrows, surprised by the newcomer's knowledge of Treehollow's main mystery. Parsley looked impatiently at the man's hands, waiting for an "answer".
"Okay, I'll "tell" you who I am... And, perhaps, who Tamberlane is by species... But I'm afraid you won't like the answer. So, first, promise that you won't harm her!" the Soviet sniper's gaze suddenly became hard, and his expression acquired a stern look.
He didn't care at all about the "marten" and the cat, who were interested in the unexpected turn of his "conversation" with the foxes and who put down their food and watched him attentively.
"What, Victor, what are you talking about?! She has always been, is, and will be our favorite Creature, regardless of what of species she belongs! And we will always be a defenders for her, and will not let anyone hurt her!" both foxes waved their paws, making it clear that they consider the "female kid-Creature of an unknown species" equal to themselves.
"Well, I hope that you know how to keep your word! I swear - anyone who offends her may get troubles! Very big troubles, include even death! However, returning to Parsley's question...
And I, and most likely Tamberlane too, belong to the species "Homo Sapiens", or, to put it simply, we are humans! Yes, yes, those humans about whom all sorts of crap are written in your fairy tales, as I understand it! And I'm serious now! Don't think that I'm joking or that I'm not in my right mind!" the man "answered" bluntly.
Victor physically felt the shocked looks of the Creatures who were not participating in the "conversation" piercing him. As for the foxes, their muzzles stretched out to the limit, expressing absolute surprise and shock, and their ears pressed against their heads. The adult fox even took off his glasses for a moment with a trembling paw, nervously wiped them with his sweater, and put them back on his nose, without taking his blue eyes off the man. The fox cub simply grabbed his cheeks with his paws and opened his mouth, also staring fixedly at the "interlocutor".
Victor momentarily shifted his gaze to the other Creatures.
While the cat simply stared at the man with a surprised and distrustful look, leaning her elbows on the table, the scared "marten" hid in in the corner of the room, shaking and covering his muzzle with the comic book, while saying something in a quiet, trembling voice.
Victor turned his head to the foxes again, expecting that they had already run away from him in panic. However, they were still sitting at the table and looking at him, but their muzzles expressed thoughtfulness, not surprise.
"So, what's now, Cilantro and Parsley?" the man looked at the fox brothers with a searching look.
"You know, Victor... Although your revelation is like a thunder from the blue sky for us, but... Tamberlane, personally for us, still remains the same beloved and respected Creature that she was before your confession. Moreover, most likely, not only we already know what species you both belong to! In any case, we'll not let her be offended!" the adult fox "answered" firmly, looking into the eyes of the man, after which he clenched his paws into fists, showing the seriousness of his promise. His younger brother did the same.
The Soviet sniper just exhaled and nodded his head gratefully.
Suddenly, Cilantro turned towards the furless cat, who was still watching their "conversation" with the man, and began a "conversation" with her now, looking at her piercingly.
"Bast, I know, you closely observed our "conversation" with the human-newcomer, and therefore you know its contents! I'll just ask you - if it will be needed to protect Tamberlane from possible insults and threats, are you with us or against us?!"
Seeing the adult fox's "question", the cat raised an eyebrow in surprise, but then frowned a little, stood up from the table and walked gracefully towards her "interlocutors". She looked attentively at both the man and the fox brothers several times, after which gaze of her amber eyes settled on the foxes-brothers.
"What are you talking about, bro?! Of course, I'll help protect Tamberlane if it's needed! And I'll scratch out the eyes of any bastard or bitch who tries to hurt her, I swear!" she "answered" decisively, after which she raised her upper paws with long, thin, bony fingers, and for a moment released her large, sharp claws.
"Thanks a ton, Bast! We're very grateful to you!" both foxes "thanked" the cat for her support, then pressed their right paws to their chests in the area of their hearts and nodded their heads slightly.
Bast nodded in response, then turned to the man, looking at him again for a moment, as if trying to figure out how much she could trust an adult human. Victor also looked at the cat, not being frightened by her periodic, stern, direct gaze into his eyes.
"Well, Victor Reznov, hello! Let me to introduce myself – I'm the sphinx cat Bast, an aspiring artist. I have already heard something about you from my friends, but I admit, at that time I didn't attach much importance to it. But now that I have seen you personally, and your confession... You know, in fact, I don't really care what species you and Tamberlane belong to! I prefer to judge Creatures by their deeds, and not by their muzzles, and as for the Edicts... I don't care at all about some of their provisions, in general! I only hope that you'll show yourself in the best way, and will not be like some morons that I had the chance to meet in my life!" "said" the cat with a slight smile on her face.
"Thank you, Bast, for your trust! I'll try not to be a moron, if, of course, I correctly understand this... "Term", heh!" "answered" the man, also smiling.
The cat was about to "ask" the man where he was from and how he came here, when heavy, loud steps mixed with the clicking of claws on the tiled floor were heard from the side where showcase was. The man and the Creatures turned their heads in that direction and saw a huge, muscular, white-and-dark-gray "badger" in a blue kitchen dress slowly approaching the counter.
Almost reaching the counter, the "badger" suddenly stopped abruptly, as if she had crashed into an invisible wall, seeing a familiar stranger. Her green eyes widened to the limit, and her muzzle, decorated with scars from a stormy past, expressed genuine surprise and shock.
"Y-Y-O-U?!.." she said in Ruchirrik in a rude, hoarse, surprised voice, but to the man it sounded absolutely like Russian, albeit with a strange unknown accent. The man also began to look at the "badger" with surprise, and then whistled, appreciating her well-developed muscle body that were clearly visible even through the thick dress.
"Oh, Cilantro and Bast! Something can happened! Let's move a little further away, okay?" Parsley "said" timidly, first looking at his older brother, and then at the cat-artist. All three knew the explosive nature of the cafe owner too well, and although she had long been trying to keep herself in her paws, no one could predict how the conversation between the former pit fighter and the "tainted animal" would go.
"Yes, Parsley, you're right! Let's be polite and not disturb the adult Creatures during their conversation! I think they have something to say to each other!" the cat "agreed". The adult fox also nodded his head, after which all three "tactically retreated" to the table near the exit, silently praying that Victor-Tess' conversation would go peacefully, and they wouldn't have to run for Henry and Vessie.
"Marten" continued to sit in the corner of the hall, but was already tired of trembling and wailing in fear, and therefore simply silently watched what was happening, praying to himself that the "monster" would leave the cafe quickly, or better yet, leave Treehollow forever and never return. "Badger", meanwhile, had recovered from the initial shock and surprise. Her muzzle took on a proudly stern expression, and her eyes looked coldly at the man. She walked again, and in a moment, she was already near the counter.
"Hello, Tess Baker!" the man was the first to greet the "badger", trying to take the initiative into his own hands.
"At first, Mrs. Baker for you, a human!" she answered sternly, making it clear that she wouldn't give her interlocutor a fun talk.
"I understand. Hello, Mrs. Baker!" the man had to accept the "badger's" "rules of the game".
"Much better! And now introduce yourself, and at the same time explain why you are here and not in the hospital?! As far as I know, you haven't recovered yet!" she demanded an explanation in a tone that didn't tolerate objections.
"My name is Victor Reznov. And yes, you are right, Mrs. Baker, I haven't fully recovered yet. I just had one business to do in your town... Something like paying off a debt, and so I had allowed to temporarily leave the hospital. I've already done my business, and I'm here with you because my wardmate... Isaiah Gaffer... You know him, I suppose? Anyway, he asked me to grab him some strawberry jam pies. I even have his order-note for you!" explained the Soviet sniper, after which he took a note of the jaguar from his tunic pocket.
"O-o-oh, you already had business in our town, right?! And Isaiah ordered some pies from me, right? Well, that's commendable, that's good! But didn't you forget to take your "going-out-hospital" permits and permits for walking at Treehollow, Victor? If you have them, give it right now! And if you don't have..! the "badger" grinned, hoping by herself that perhaps the "rogue" had forgotten to take the necessary permits, and she could drag his ass to prison with a clear conscience.
But to her disappointment, the man pulled out both necessary permits from another pocket of his tunic and handed them to her. He was surprised to see how she carefully took the papers from his hand with her flexible claw-like thumbs, trying not to touch him.
Opening the papers, Tess was surprised to see the signatures of Nora, Henry, Trisha, and Timmothy.
"Wh-a-a-t?!.. I wonder how they even convinced Timmothy to let this bandit leave the hospital to repair Avery's sewing machine, considering who he is and what he tried to do to Milo?!" she thought, after which she carefully folded the permits in four and handed them back to the man.
"O-o-kay, Victor, since your papers are indeed in order, then... Welcome to "The Bat and The Badger" cafe! You said that Isaiah had an order. Please give me it! - the "badger" remembered about the jaguar's order, feigning formal politeness on her muzzle.
The man handed her the note from his wardmate.
"F-fine, I still have a few strawberry jam pies left from this morning. But you know, Victor, first I'm going to call all the adult members of my family, and we'll have a serious "heart-to-heart" talk! There's still plenty of time before sunset, so for now, so, take an empty table and ask an visitors not to sit at it! Would you like mushroom pizza with tea?" the "badger" made an offer that it would be better not to refuse.
"Okay, let's talk. And yes, I wouldn't refuse pizza with tea," agreed the man, who also had some questions.
Tess nodded silently, turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the living area.
Victor walked up to the empty table near the window.
However, while he was talking to the "badger", Bast had already brought the "marten" from the corner of the hall back to the table where they had been sitting before the "monster" arrived, and was now trying to calm them down. The foxes-brothers were now sitting at the table near the exit, watching with interest what was happening in the cafe hall.
Seeing that the man was nearby again, the "marten" became nervous again and began to tremble.
"Ainsley, take a deep breath and pull yourself together! Victor is not a monster or an alien, you don't have to be afraid of him! Tamberlane is also a human, but you're not afraid of her, are you?" the cat-artist tried to encourage the "marten".
"Y-yes, Bast, now I understand that Tamberlane is a human too! B-but he's just so big and scary by his appearace, and she's so small and c-cute!.. A-and she didn't threating anyone, unlike him! It still hard for "us" not being afraid of him after everything "we've" learned about h-humanity from the chronicles and tales... A-and the E-dicts..." the "marten" answered nervously, glancing sideways at the Soviet sniper.
"Fuck that rusty Edicts and chronicles, Ainsley! But!.. Hm-m, I have an idea!.." suddenly the cat-artist had, what seemed to herself, an excellent plan on how to make the "marten" stop being afraid of the "monster". She "called" the man to her with her paw's gesture.
"Victor, let me take your paw in my paw," Bast suddenly "asked" the man.
The eyes of the "marten" and the eyes of the foxes-brothers widened in surprise, but the man only shrugged.
"I dunno what do you want to do, Bast, but yes, take my "paw", I don't mind," and the man extended his left "paw" to the cat.
He felt her long, thin, hot, bony fingers gently took his wrist. With the fingers of her other paw, she opened his palm, then after she suddenly grabbed the paw of the "marten", quickly opened "their" palm, and pressed the "paw" of the man and the paw of the "marten" together with her palms.
"E-e-e, what's going on?" the foxes-brothers asked themselves the same question, dumbfounded and can't believing what they see right now.
The "marten" suddenly and silently went limp for a moment, as if "they" was going to die. However, to the surprise of the cat and the foxes-brothers, "they" began to come to their senses quite quickly.
The man, in turn, first felt how the "marten" instinctively dug into his palm for a moment with "their" short, furry fingers with blunted claws. However, after that, "their" paw began to relax little by little, and a few moments later the "marten" began to carefully touch the man's palm.
Noticing that nothing terrible had happened, "they" continued to touch the stranger's unusually furless palm, when "they' felt that he had also entered the "game", starting to touch "their" palm. "They" began to try to "fight" the man for a couple of minutes, not allowing him to touch "their" paw normally, but in the end "they" got tired of it, and "they" simply interlocked "their" fingers with the fingers of the "monster", while defiantly looking into his eyes.
Under the quiet giggles of the cat, the man and the "marten" looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, interlocking their paws. The foxes-brothers, having recovered from their surprise, also began to giggle quietly, but suddenly stopped, hearing footsteps to their left. Turning their heads in that direction, they saw how the entire Bakers family, except of Tamberlane, who was absent from home that day, was walking towards the empty table separating the foxes-brothers and the man with the cat, and the "marten".
Seeing the "fight" of the paws of Victor and Ainsley, the Bakers slowed down for a moment and stood silently in amazement. The "badger", carrying a tray with mushroom pizza and tea, was about to make an obscene joke about the man and the "marten", but she held back, putting the tray on an empty table and just deciding to watch until the end to see how it all ended.
Bast, noticing the Bakers approaching, quickly stopped holding the man's and the "marten"'s paws, making a ordinary-melancholic expression on her muzzle. Victor and Ainsley also saw the cafe owners approaching, and immediately unclasped their paws, but still exchanged short greeting "replicas".
"Nice to meet you!.." the man "began" first.
"Our" name is Ainsley! "We" are also g-glad that you are just... Another Creature, not looks like us. And what is your name?" the "marten" "introduced itself".
"Our", "we"? Why does he talk about himself in the plural or as if in the third person?" the man was surprised, but remembering Nora's instructions, he continued the "conversation" with the "marten" as if nothing had happened.
"I'm Victor Reznov! Nice to meet you too, Ainsley! But sorry, I need to talk to the Bakers right now. Is it okay if we chat another time? So, see you later!" the man quickly finished the "dialogue" with the "marten", remembering the upcoming serious conversation with cafe's owners.
Ainsley just nodded silently, after which the man turned to the Bakers family. Seeing, in addition to the already familiar "badger" Tess and the deer Walter, a young, short, beige-brown "doe", whose head was decorated with two small, straight, sharp, dark-brown antlers with a small branch, and who was wearing a simple but stylish beige linen dress, over which there was a green waiter's apron; and a light pink "bat", also in a similar dress, but with an open back and sides, and with an apron in white and red "squares" ornament, and with a surprisingly large fluffy tail, on which there were several dark pink "rings", the man gasped, and then greeted them all on Trissol and approached an unoccupied table.
While the "badger" looked at the new visitor with barely concealed hostility, and the deer looked kindlier, their daughters looked at the man with surprise and embarrassment.
"Oh, Victor, have you already decided to make friends, or maybe even a life partner?! Nice, nice, but I need to disappoint you - the heart of our scavenger already belongs to another Creature, so you don't have any chance! So, now, please, take a seat at the table next to the window!" the "badger" pointed out to the man his place at the unoccupied table.
The man sat down there silently.
"My darling, let's not be too harsh with our guest!" Walter tried to soften the tone of the upcoming conversation, after which he turned to the man, - "Hello, Victor! Glad to see you in our cafe! Forgive my wife for her strictness, such is her attitude towards uninvited strangers! But believe me, if you are a good pious Creature, and you will to prove it to her... Perhaps she will become kindlier to you! And now allow me to introduce my daughters! To my left is Briar Baker, and to my right is Belfry Baker!"
"Hello, Victor! I'm Briar Baker, but you can call me "Bri," the "doe" introduced herself without enthusiasm, also making a welcoming sign with her rather massive paws. The "bat" simply said hello in Trissol, looking with slight excitement at the new visitor, which didn't escape the eyes of her parents.
"Belfry, if you want, go to the kitchen. Other visitors can come at any time!.. And in the meantime, we'll have a "heart-to-heart" talk with the human," the "badger" kindly suggested, seeing the growing anxiety of her adopted daughter, who began to realize what kind of species her own adopted daughter belonged to.
"Yes, Mom, I think I really will go! Enjoy your conversation!" Belfry answered, after which she quickly left the hall.
After the "bat" left, the "badger" decided that it was best time to start a "heart-to-heart" conversation with the "guest." She wasn't cared at all by the fact that Bast, Ainsley, Parsley, and Cilantro were still in the hall, sitting at the neighboring tables and anxiously and curiously awaiting the start of the "show." She exchanged glances with her own daughter, then nodded her head.
"Victor, I have some very important questions for you, and I hope you'll be honest in your answers! May I sit next to you?" Briar started the conversation first, looking sternly at the man.
"Ah... Of course, you can!" the man nodded, and the "doe" immediately sat down next to him, after which she again began to look him straight in the eyes with a stern look.
"Eyes like her mother's... And her temperament is most likely the same! But her appearance is more like her father's!" the man thought, looking at the "doe" with curiosity.
While the man and the "doe" were busy looking at each other, Tess and Walter also sat down at the table. The deer sitting opposite the man, and the "badger" sitting opposite her daughter.
"So, Victor, tell me frankly, do you know Milo Academique?" the high-pitched hoarse voice of the "doe" was heard.
"Milo Academique? You're asking about that hyacinth-colored bird-horse student with round glasses, aren't you, Bri?" the man clarified.
"Yes, Victor, I'm asking about that bird-horse student! So, do you know him or not?" the "doe" repeated the question again in a slightly raised voice, without taking her eyes off the interlocutor.
"Hm-m, I don't think I've ever met him before he visited me in the hospital with your father and the other Creatures... So, no, I don't know him!" the man answered simply, feverishly trying to remember whether he could have crossed paths with the bird-horse-student BEFORE the hospital or not.
"Really?! But, I think, you're trying to lie to me, Victor! Well, then I'll ask you "straight ahead": why did you try to kill him if, as you say, you don't know him?!" the "doe" asked a question-accusation of murder.
The man shrugged in surprise.
"I tried to kill him? You know, Bri, honestly... I don't remember trying to do anything like that to him! However, after that jump into the teleport, I don't remember much until the moment I woke up in the hospital..."
"But I remember your crime very well, Victor, because I was with him in the forest that day when we found you! You tried to shoot him when he was examining you for signs of life! Don't make your situation worse and don't try to "slip off" responsibility because of imaginary amnesia!" the "badger"'s rough, irritated voice rang out.
The Soviet sniper turned his head in her direction and saw that the "badger's" cheek, on which there were several old long scars, began to twitch nervously, and her lips angrily compressed. However, the expression on her daughter's muzzle also became more severe, and she even began to nervously tap her claw-like fingers on the table.
"Girls, let's calm down a bit! It's quite possible that our guest isn't lying and could really have forgotten about this sad incident! Maybe we should take a short break and eat some pizza?" Walter tried to defuse the situation.
The "doe" and the "badger" quickly looked at the head of the family, then sighed heavily, but still began to eat the pizza. The man also sighed and decided to have a snack too.
For some time, all four of them ate the pizza in silence, and after finishing it, they began to drink tea.
After finishing the tea, the man and the Creatures exhaled.
Propping her chin with her paws, the " badger" again began to look at the man, but more thoughtfully than angrily. Her daughter, leaning her elbows on the table, also looked at her interlocutor again.
"Listen, Victor! I'm going to do something to you, but it won't make pain or hurt you! Just continue sit as you are sitting now and look straight ahead! Do you understand me?" the "badger" suddenly addressed the man, then got up from the table and walked to the other end, turning to her daughter, - "Bri, please bend down a little to the table!"
"Mom, what are you want to do to him?! Are you really think that this is a good idea?" the "doe" asked anxiously, not hurrying to bend down to the table.
"Sweetie, please, bend down! I won't do anything bad to Victor! Just trust me!" the "badger" repeated the request with maximum conviction in her voice, even pressing her right paw to her chest in the area of the heart.
The "doe", sighing heavily and exchanging glances with her father, who only silently shrugged, nevertheless followed her mother's request and bent down to the table, having no idea what her mother had in mind. The man also followed the "badger"'s request, continuing to sit up straight and watch, even despite the anxiety he could barely conceal.
"Victor, I'm starting! I repeat – I'll not cause you any hurt or pain! Sit still!" said the "badger", after which, leaning her paw on the table, she bent down a little, hanging over her daughter.
"S-sacred spirits of the Earth, what is Tess even g-going to do? I-is s-she won't t-to do s-something r-related by the f-first point of the Ed-dicts right here?" the "marten" whispered fearfully, still sitting with the cat-artist at the table near the corner of the room.
"I don't think so at all, Ainsley! In any case, she definitely doesn't have such authority for that action. Just let's see what happens..." Bast answered skeptically, thoughtfully watching the actions of the cafe owner and the reaction of the man.
The foxes-brothers continued to sit silently at another table, which was near the exit, and watch the "show".
No one in the hall even paid attention to the two other visitors who entered the cafe: an adult strong wolf of white-gray-fawn color, of average height, and in gray work pants and a white shirt, over which there was a green jacket; and a tall thin adult "bat" of gray-steel color, whose membranes on his wing-paws, as like as the inside of his large long ears, were an unusual cyan color. His neck, like Belfry's neck, was covered by a large, spectacular fluffy "collar", but if the adopted daughter of the Bakers had a pink color, then the "bat" had a gray-white color.
The "bat" was wearing green cloth pants with a belt, and the rest of his body was covered only by a piece of cloth with pockets for office supplies and a clipboard for documents, since due to the large membranes on his wing-paws he couldn't wear a regular shirt or other similar clothes. Both of them were wearing rectangular glasses.
Seeing the strange scene taking place in the cafe hall, the wolf wanted to ask what's going on, and had already opened his mouth, when he was immediately interrupted by the "bat", who raised his finger up to his muzzle, while making a quiet "Sh-h-h!.." The wolf understood him, and they both simply began to silently watch what was happening.
Meanwhile, the "badger" had already stretched out her paw to the back of the man's head, tensed her palm, and lightly hit him on the back of the head with the palm's edge several times. Suddenly, the man began to tremble, and he grabbed the edge of the table even though the "badger" had kept her promise about no-hurt him. Sweat began to flow down his head, while in a slow-motion movie, the events of that rainy day, which was supposed to be the last in his life, began to recall in his memory...
The Soviet sniper began to speak, but his voice sounded so unnaturally and otherworldly that even the veterans of pit fights, who had seen mostly everything, felt uneasy, not to mention the other Creatures in the hall.
"You know, Bri... I'm starting to remember... Yeah...
...At first, after teleporting from the "death camp", everything was going well, except for the fact that my comrade Dmitry Petrenko... He stayed behind me and sacrificed himself by blowing up the teleport so that my enemies couldn't follow me...
I got out of the cave in the low mountain where I found myself after teleporting... It was fine autumn weather, and in the north-west I could see your town, where I headed through the forest... And then the endless cold rain started... I lost track of time, whether it had been a week or a month of my journey... I couldn't cook food, or dry my clothes and shoes...
I got pneumonia and lost all my strength, going through this damn forest... In the end, I fell into the fern bushes... And I was already starting to die, when I felt someone standing over me and touching me, and his hand, although, it would probably be more correct to say, paw, began to approach my pistol in my hand...
At first, I thought that my enemies had finally catch me, and I was going to take at least one of them to the hell with me...
But when I grabbed the supposed enemy and threw him down on myself, I realized that he was not a human, although my enemies can hardly be called like a humans, even though I and they belong to the same species...
Those frightened dark blue eyes behind oval glasses... And that muzzle with a beak, not at all like a human face...
Be that as it may, I began to ask him questions in the languages that I know, but he clearly didn't understand me... By then I had already lost the desire to kill him, although I hit him in the chin with the pistol a couple of times... And I didn't know what to do next, when he suddenly shouted something... And then I felt a crushing hit to the back of my head... The hit of your mother's paw... And I "passed out"...
And I woke up already in the hospital, on wheelchair... Those gentle touches of vixen-doctor's paws when she examined me... And her frightened look of beautiful blue eyes when I grabbed her paw and began to touch it, not understanding whether in this world or already in the next... Then I also warned her about the deadly danger of my bag that was with me, but she didn't understand me either... I hope that none of you tried to examine its contents, and its pieces of body didn't fly across half of Treehollow...
One way or another, I then lost consciousness again... And woke up already in a hospital bed. Well, and what happened next, I think you already know..."
Having finished his "confession", the man fell silent, only breathing heavily.
"H-he remembered everything! He really remembered and didn't lie about everything regarding the incident with Milo and what happened in the hospital! Everything was exactly as I saw it! Incredible! My method worked!.." the "badger" whispered in shock, sitting back down at the table and looking at the man with a shocked gaze.
Her husband and daughter also looked at the "tainted animal" in surprise and shock, more trying to understand the beginning of his story. The rest of the Creatures that were in the hall stood with their muzzles stretched out, not understanding the essence of the conversation, except that something very important was being discussed.
"O-okay, Victor... Some things have become clear to me... And thank you for your honesty! Although the events BEFORE your "meeting" with Milo aren't entirely clear!.." the "doe" said thoughtfully, propping up her chin with her paw.
"It's okay, Bri, it's completely understandable... I myself don't fully understand what exactly happened... In any case, whoever this bird-horse doctoral student is to you, I sincerely apologize for what I was going to do to him! And I'm ready to take the deserved punishment in accordance with your laws!" the man apologized.
"Wait, Victor! Please explain why you initially perceived Milo as an enemy?! And what is this place that you called the "death camp", and where did you, as you said.., come in the teleport?" the "badger" asked, having come to her senses a little.
The man, who had begun to calm down, began to tremble again and looked down at the table.
"I completely understand your curiosity and concerns about me, Mrs. Baker, b-but... I want give a lot to forget what I saw and experienced before I appeared here... A-and... It's torture for me to even just remember my recent past again, not to mention telling you about it in detail... L-let's not now, but a little later... When I've caught my breath a little, and I'll have the mental strength to tell you about these events... As an alternative, I can help you safely open my danger bag... There's something in there... A trophy photo album that will partially answer your questions... If only you all don't throw up while looking at it after a couple of pages..." the Soviet sniper whispered, breathing heavily and sweating.
However, his answer didn't satisfy the frowning "badger".
"Listen, Victor, I would prefer to hear the answers right HERE and NOW, and not wait for that unknown far away, when you gather your courage! Or have you done something so monstrous that you yourself are now shuddering?! So, confess now and unburden your soul!" the "badger" persistently repeated her question.
"S-sorry, b-but no!.. I-I don't want to!.. B-better kill me than make me remember these m-months of hell! I still sometimes h-hear that smell of human ashes!.. H-h-r-r-r-r!.." the man croaked pleadingly, pressing his clenched fists to his face.
Suddenly he began to shake violently and wheeze continuously. His eyes became glassy and stopped blinking, and his arms began to swing like pendulums. Tess and Walter shrank back in their chairs in fear, while the other Creatures simply stepped back from the table.
"VICTOR! VICTOR, CAN YOU HEAR ME?! VICTOR, LOOK TO ME!" Briar screamed at the man who had fallen into a panic attack, but he was silent, continuing to shake in a fit, not hearing or seeing anything. Then she grabbed both his hands with her strong paws by the wrists, and squeezed hard, trying not to break them. This helped - the man suddenly fell silent, stopped shaking, and turning to the "doe", began to look at her with an uncomprehending look, as if he saw her for the first time.
"Victor, do you hear me?! Please, take a deep breath and calm down! You are safe! No one will hurt you here! I'll protect you... No, WE will protect you if necessary!" she said quietly, after which she carefully hugged him, pressed him to her, like a mother hugs her scared child, and began to stroke his head.
Burying his face in the furry, bake-scented neck of the "doe", the man began to cry silently.
"Mo-o-o-o-m, can you wait with the interrogation until Nora and Twitchel come up with some solution, huh?! As you can see, he's having a panic attack! Please!" the "doe" turned to her mother in an irritated and pleading tone at once, looking angrily at her.
"O-of course, my sweetie, of course! I... We... I mean, the Council... We will wait with interrogating him until he can more tranquilly tell us about his past!" the "badger" answered apologetically, almost covering her muzzle with her paws.
Walter simply remained silent, amazed by the unexpected ending of the conversation with the "guest".
At this time, Maya came into the cafe for sweets together with a small "skunk" girl of grayish-lilac color in a dark purple dress and a very fluffy striped tail, which was only slightly smaller in size than she was.
Approaching the wolf and the "bat" who were still standing in the hall and looking in the same direction as they were looking, the dog-panda and the "skunk" girl widely opened their eyes and mouths in surprise. They were about to ask the expected questions, when the "bat" immediately silently raised his finger to his mouth, looking first into her eyes, and then into the eyes of the "skunk" girl.
Both she and her daughter understood him and didn't break the silence that had just been established, but simply began to silently observe what was happening in the hall.
Gradually the man stopped crying and the "doe" released him from her embrace.
"Hey, Victor, are you feeling better?" she asked solicitously, gently blotting his face from tears with a napkin and giving him some tea from her mug.
"Y-yes... Probably Bri... T-thank you so much!.. But, what time is it now?" the man asked, almost calming down, remembering Nora's warning.
"It's 5:00 p.m. now, Victor! The sun will set in an hour!" the deer-baker answered, glancing at his pocket watch.
"Thank you, Walter! I must go! I need to get back to the hospital... before sunset!" the man said quietly, already getting ready to leave.
"Wait, Victor! I'll ask Belfrey to quickly heat up the pies that Isaiah asked for! It won't take long!" the "badger" reminded the man of his wardmate's request.
"Eh, Tess, thank you!" the man nodded his head in gratitude, after which the "badger" went to her adopted daughter, who was standing near the counter, and who had been watching her sister's actions with undisguised shock and fear, but at the same time with quiet sister's pride.
At that moment, the "marten"-scavenger approached the table where the man was still sitting, and, rummaging through his pockets, pulled out a jar of some pills and instruction for them.
"Victor, you know... I have suffered from mental disorders since childhood, and I also sometimes had panic attacks, until Twitchel and Rhode created a medicine for me. So, take this jar as a gift! But don't forget to read the instructions first! I hope it will help you!.." "they" offered "their" help.
"Let me gently remind you, dear Ainsley, that this medicine was created specially for you! There is no guarantee that our guest will not get worse problems from taking it! Therefore, it'll be much better if qualified medical assistance is provided to him by Creatures with the necessary competencies and experience! Anyway, I'm glad that you did a care for Victor! He clearly needs our support and help, even though he is a human!.." the politely stern voice of the "bat" was heard, approaching the table together with the wolf, the dog-panda, and her daughter.
"Oh, Gunny, thank you for reminding me! Somehow, I mostly forgot about it..." the "marten" apologized, after which he put the medicine and instruction back into the pocket of his sweater.
The "bat" nodded and smiled, after which he turned to the man, who was looking at him with curiosity, especially at the membranes of an unusual color on wing-paws, and greeted him with gestures, smiling politely. The other Creatures standing next to the "bat" did the same. The Soviet sniper made a return greeting gesture, quickly looked at the wolf, at Maya, who was already familiar to him, and then at her daughter, noting with surprise her unusual coloring and the fact that she was looking at him not with fear, as one would expect, but with sincere sympathy.
"Ahem, Victor!.." the deer said, clearing his throat, and then continued, - "I want to introduce the Creatures that are still unfamiliar to you! The wolf standing closest to you is our repairman Bleddin! He will repair anything you want, but sometimes not always successfully, ha-ha! Also he is very good singer and folklore narrator!..
Next to him is an engineer, the Councilman of Planning, and mediator - the "bat" Gunner!
Perhaps, you'll not find a more reasonable and erudite Creature here than he is! No matter what controversial disputes arise in the Council, or simply between Creatures in an everyday situation - Gunner will always help find the most optimal and fair solution for all parties to the dispute!
You have already met Maya - you met her in the hospital!
And next to her stands her and Terra's little daughter - the "skunk" girl Marie!
Getting up from the table and making handshake with the slightly agitated wolf and the completely calm "bat", the man noted that the latter wasn't afraid of him at all, as if he was facing a familiar Creature, and not a "monster from legends".
Suddenly he heard Maya's surprised sigh, and then someone tugged at the edge of his tunic. Victor looked down, surprised to see that it was Marie, handing him a caramel candy.
He squatted down in front of the "skunk" girl, took the candy, and put it in his tunic pocket.
"Ah, thank you, Marie!.." he "thanked" her, also smiling in response, after which he turned to the dog-panda, - "What a sweet and kind daughter you and Terra have!"
"Tha-a-anks, Victor! Yeah, Marie always tries to comfort anyone who is sad, regardless of their species!" Maya answered proudly, patting her daughter on the head.
But then, from the side of the showcase, heavy, characteristic steps were heard, and the "badger" approached the small crowd of Creatures huddled around the man.
"Hey, Victor, here are the pies for Isaiah!" she said, handing the man a paper bag with the pies for the jaguar.
"Thank you, Mrs. Baker!" he thanked the "badger", taking the bag.
"Oh, come on!.. You can just call me "Tess" now!" the "badger" sighed.
"Okay, Tess! Anyway, it was nice to meet you! And thanks for the delicious lunch! I must go. Maybe I'll see you again someday... Goodbye!" the man said goodbye, after which he also said goodbye to the other Creatures.
"Yeah, we'll see each other again! And more than once, I'm sure!.." Tess thought to herself, returning behind the counter and starting to serve the waiting Creatures.
As he was leaving the cafe, he heard the door open behind him and someone touched his arm. Turning around, he saw that it was Ainsley.
"Um, sorry, Victor, let "us" escort you to the hospital! "We" just thought it would be better if you had someone with you along the way, just in case..."
"Thanks, Ainsley! Yeah, that's probably a good idea..." the man "agreed", after which they both silently and leisurely wandered along Treehollow, which was blazing in the rays of the setting sun.
Already near the hospital, they encountered a dark orange "dragoness" in a gray autumn coat. She looked at them in bewilderment, not expecting to see a "marten"-scavenger in the company of a "tainted animal", but still said hello to both Ainsley and Victor, after which she went to the cafe.
"Ainsley, who is this "dragoness"?" the man "asked" when they came to the hospital entrance.
"Ha-ha, "dragoness"!.. Her name is Callie, and she is a teacher at the local school! Actually, she is a hybrid of a lizard, an antelope and a dolphin. I have no idea how her parents managed to conceive her, he-he, but... Nevermind!
"Yeah, you're right!.. By the way, I heard that Jentzen... Well, who was her assistant... Anyway, they had a scandal about whether it was permissible to discuss one forbidden place at school. What do you think about it?"
"Eh, Victor... "We" don't think anything about that, because "we" try not to stick "our" nose into other Creature's conflicts, especially on this topic. We can only note that at one time there were rumors in our town that Tamberlane was from there, but they soon ceased, for everyone knows very well that it is no chance to get out of there alive..." answered the "marten", shuddered and looked around nervously.
It was clear that talking about this caused obvious discomfort for "them".
"I see, Ainsley... Sorry that my question caused unpleasant emotions for you! Anyway, thanks for keeping me company!"
"It's okay, Victor! To tell the truth, "we" ourselves sometimes wonder what this damned Abroad is... It's just, you know... Many of the Creatures in our town had relatives who were either exiled after the riot during the Great Outbreak, which happened about twenty years ago, like Jentzen's parents... Or they left later themselves, when symptoms of the disease appeared, like what happened to Belfry's parents.
Don't think that I'm a gossip, no! I just want to tell that for many Creatures, talking about this place isn't just a hypothetical risk of attracting unnecessary attention from the authorities, but also a risk of evoking bad memories... Just remember that!..
Ah, the sun is already close to the horizon! Perhaps it's time for "us" to go home!
Then "we" say goodbye to you, Victor! Although our first meeting took place under rather unusual circumstances, it was still nice to meet you! If you want, you can stop by our little shop with all sorts of found things, which is not far north of the hospital, and exchange something unnecessary for something you find useful! Bye!"
"Thanks, Ainsley, I'll take note! It was nice to meet "you" too! Goodbye!"
After exchanging a farewell handshake, the "marten" and the man went their separate ways...
Entering the hospital, Victor hurried to the staff room.
Entering it, he saw that there was only Nora there, reading some book.
Seeing the patient who had returned, the vixen immediately put the book down, looked at the wall clock, and, having made sure that the man had returned on time, sighed contentedly and smiled.
"Wow, Victor, you made it in time! I assume your first day outside the hospital went well?"
"Yes, Nora, I think you're right. I helped Avery with her sewing machine, and my legs remained unharmed, and I visited your local cafe, where I met many interesting Creatures..."
"So nice! If it's not a secret, with whom exactly?" the vixen pricked up her ears.
"Well, they were the foxes-brothers Cilantro and Parsley, then the Bakers daughters Briar and Belfry, and the Bakers themselves. I also met the cat Bast and the "marten" Ainsley. And before leaving, I saw the wolf Bleddyn and the "bat" Gunner, and Maya and her daughter Marie too..."
"Victor, I'm really glad that you are able to establish contacts with the folks of our town! But what is this fragrant delicious smell? Have you decided to get yourself some pies for supper?" the vixen sensed the appetizing scent from the paper bag that was in the man's hands.
"No, It's for my wardmate Isaiah."
"A-a-a, I get it! Let me examine you right here then, so I don't bother you later!"
Nodding his head, the man quickly stripped to the waist, after which the vixen first measured his pulse and blood pressure, and then began to listen to his chest. However, when he turned his back to her, she gasped in shock, seeing small fresh bruises on his back.
"Victor, what on Earth happened to you?! Where did those bruises on your back come from? Are you sure you don't have any problems with your coordination while walking?!" she "asked", frowning anxiously.
"No, my sense of coordination is fine, Nora, it's just that the "kitty" cub Minna accidentally ran into me near the cafe, that's why I fell on my back. Well, and at the same time I saw her sister, the "bunny" Roselyn, too," he "answered", then, apologizing, spreading his arms.
The vixen only breathed a sigh of relief, but still carefully felt the man's back, and, having made sure that there were no signs of fractures of the vertebral processes, turned the patient to face her.
"Oh, those mischievous Minna and Roselyn!.. So, Victor, let's agree that you will immediately inform me of any health problems, including even minor injuries, okay?" she "said" with a stern expression on her muzzle, after which, having softened a little, "continued", - "However, everything is more or less fine with you, so you can go to your ward! Oh yes, in three days you will be visited by Claude Oakewood and Milo Academique. They want to talk to you about... Let's say, about assistance in researching the biological, physiological, and social characteristics of your species... Anyway, I wish you and Isaiah a good dreams! See you tomorrow!"
The man just chuckled, after which, having wished the vixen good night, he went to his ward.
"Oh, good evening, Victor! How was your day? I see my pies are here!" the jaguar happily greeted his returned wardmate.
"Good evening, Isa! Yes, just like you asked for - pies with strawberry jam!" the man "said," giving the jaguar a bag of pies, after which he "continued", - "And about the day... Yes, it went well: I fixed your girlfriend's sewing machine, walked around your town a bit, met new Creatures..."
"Great! Who have you seen? I hope Piper didn't cause any problems?" the jaguar "asked", after which he began to enthusiastically gobble up a pie, simultaneously watching the man's "answer".
"Well-l-l... I saw Ainsley, Bast, Cilantro and his brother Parsley. Also I saw Bakers' family. Then Gunner, Bleddyn, and Maya with their daughter Marie came... Oh, and I literally ran into Genevieve's children, Minna and Roselyn! Or rather, Minna knocked me down on the pavement when she bumped into me while playing tag with her sister," Victor "answered" with a tired yawn, and "continued," – "As for Avery's kittens, both Piper and Anthony behaved well."
Having gobbled up two pies, the jaguar sighed with satisfaction, after which he handed the remaining last pie to the man. He didn't refuse the treat, and took the pie, after which he ate it.
"Mmm, delicious! Thank you, Isa! But, listen... Minna and Roselyn aren't Genevieve's biological children either, are they? They clearly don't look like her..." the man "inquired".
"That's right, Victor! Genevieve is practically Treehollow's main foster mother! In addition to them and Jentzen, she also has Kyrra under her care!"
"Kyrra? Who is she?"
"A bluejay-fox hybrid girl, the smallest of them. However, they are not biological sisters for each of other. Each of them had their own parents: Roselyn's father and mother were a rabbit and a tigress, respectively, while Minna's parents were a weasel and a cat. Well, you already know about Jentzen, I suppose. Be that as it may, they all have one thing in common: their parents were either sent there because of their serious violations of the Silver Sage laws, or they went there themselves because of their illnesses that couldn't be cured here..."
Victor scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Pretty interesting situation! Too many orphans for a little town, Isa! Just like after a total war of extermination!" the man "said", then thoughtly crossed his fingers and continued to look at the "interlocutor".
"Er, Victor... We didn't have a total war, but about twenty years ago there was an epidemic of an unknown contagious disease... Many Creatures, some of whose kits you have already seen, and will see, died from it. But, in addition to this, due to the inept leadership of the previous Council during the Great Outbreak and, a little later, there was a riot.
That Council was eventually removed, and the current Council was slowly formed, but, nevertheless, the Creatures who participated in the riot were also banished. Something like that..."
"How familiar, Isa! "No inconvenient human..." Oh, sorry, "No inconvenient Creatures - no problems!" Huh!.." the Soviet sniper chuckled.
The jaguar tilted his head in surprise, not understanding the man's message.
"It's just that some events connected with this Abroad, the riot, and the banishing... That all somewhat slightly like what happened in my motherland before the war... And this phrase from my world is quite suitable for you, it seems to me. But now I want to sleep, so I'll explain the full context later. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe after I learn to speak your language," the man "said", after which he left the ward, took a shower in the bathroom, returned, and, having said goodnight to his ward neighbor, went to bed.
Isaiah also said goodnight to the man and continued reading his book about optical science...
Author's note: Some of the main character's rude expressions were really used in his era and are still used in Russia today. Keep that in mind when read it :)
