“It just… appeared,” said Tandri weakly. “I didn’t see it come in.”
“What in the hellsisit?” asked Viv.
The massive animal ignored them both but yawned, extended all the claws in its forepaws, and arched its back in a languorous stretch.
“Dire-cat,” a voice piped up from behind Viv.
The elderly dwarf looked over from his paper. “Don’t see ’em nummore, these days. S’posed to be lucky.” He squinted. “Or mebbe unlucky. I forget.”
“You’ve seen one before?”
“Aye. Used to be more around when I was wee. Good ratters.” He coughed. “Also kep’ the stray dog population down.”
Tandri blanched. “Should we… try to move it?”
The dire-cat regarded first Tandri, then Viv, with green eyes like saucers. Slowly they drifted to slits, and the rumble of a distant landslide filled the room. Viv realized it waspurring.
She thought of the thumps on the roof tiles and Laney’s pilfered cake. She thought about the lines of verse and the Scalvert’s Stone.
“Honestly,” said Viv. “If I’ve learned one thing, it’s that if a beast isn’t angry yet, don’t get it started. I think I’ll leave it be. Maybe it will wander off? I’m pretty sure it lives around here.”
Tandri nodded dubiously and edged behind the counter.
The elderly dwarf folded his broadsheet under his arm, hopped down, and strolled past the cat, giving it a scratch behind one of its enormous ears. “Aye, a good girl,” he said. “Missed seein’ ’em around.”
“How can you tell it’s a girl?” asked Tandri.
The dwarf shrugged. “Guessin’. But I ain’t gonna lift ’er tail to find out for sure.”
* * *
The dire-cat did not leave,but Vivdidmanage to lure it to a less central corner of the shop with a dish of cream. The animal approached with magisterial grace, surveyed the room, and then emptied the dish with a tongue as big as a spade. Then it resettled in a great, shaggy heap, the sound of its rumbling purr trebled, and it fell asleep. Tandri was visibly relieved to have the creature out of the way.
The café was empty again, in what Viv was beginning to suspect would be the slowest part of the day, although she was hopeful they’d get at least a visitor or two.
But the one who appeared at the threshold was the last person she wanted to see.
Fennus strode into the shop, hands behind his back, his perfume trailing like a cloak. His hair was pinned up fashionably, expression arch. The elf had always possessed a regal bearing. Viv couldn’t understand how he managed to look down his nose at her, even though she was two heads taller.
She’d crewed with him for years, and neither had warmed to the other. Viv tried to chalk it up to personality conflict, but deep down, she knew that it was mutual dislike. Fennus always found ways to make her feel less-than with the barest twist of inflection or a carefully chosen word slipped like a knife between the ribs, so sharp you didn’t notice the wound until you looked up from a lapful of blood. And Viv wasn’t above a blunt riposte, even if it often came far too late.
She’d assumed she’d never see him again and would have been glad of it. The fact that he was darkening her doorway meant he wanted something. She very much hoped she was wrong.
Still, she forced a smile. “Fennus! Surprised to see you here.”
His smile was even more false than hers, although it hardly marred his beauty. “Viv. I’d heard from Roon that you’d set up an….” He glanced around with a perfectly wrinkled brow. “…enterprise. I thought I’d see for myself.”
“And how is Roon?”
“Oh, well. Very well.” He ran a finger along the counter top and inspected it.
Tandri watched the exchange with pursed lips and clearly noticed the electric buzz of tension. Leaning on the counter and adopting a smile, she addressed the elf. “Hello, there! I don’t want to interrupt, but would you care for a sample? It’s a grand opening promotion.”
“Grandopening?” Just the slightest quirk to the first word, the tiniest caress of amusement. “Ah, is this that gnomish beverage you were so taken with?” He glanced at Viv with an indulgent smile. “No, not for me, thank you kindly. I’m just stopping in to see an old friend.”
“A pleasure,” said Viv.
It wasn’t.
