As she chewed, Viv could feel some kind of atmospheric shift around Tandri, a sultry radiance, and her tail lashed back and forth in elegant loops. Viv and the rattkin watched her chew, rapt.
When the succubus opened her eyes again, her irises were huge, cheeks flushed. She looked dreamily at the rattkin. “You’re hired.” Her voice had gone husky. Then she startled and glanced at Viv. The aura dissipated. “Wait, that is why he’s here, isn’t it?”
Viv turned to Thimble. “How would you like to bake these here every day?”
He nodded and shifted from foot to foot, as though he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words.
“Four silver a week?” Viv prompted. She looked at Tandri to make sure there would be no objection.
The succubus nodded, eyes big, and made ayes-yes-get-on-with-itflapping with her hands.
Thimble nodded an affirmative, then he stretched out his nose, and for the first time, uttered more than one word in his silky whisper. “Free coffee?”
Viv offered a hand. “Thimble, you can have all the coffee you want.”
12
When Thimble reported for duty, he had a much-stained scrap of parchment in his paws. He bobbed his way into the shop and slid it onto the counter top, patting it gently.
Tandri picked it up to scan. It was a list, written in a crabbed and slanting script. “Flour, soda, cinnamon, dark sugar, salt…. These are ingredients,” she said.
The rattkin nodded earnestly, pointing at the parchment.
“And some supplies,” Tandri added as she finished reading. “Looks like some pans, bowls….”
Thimble scurried to investigate the area behind the counter top, then peered into the pantry, as well, tapping his lip with one claw as he took inventory. He gestured for the paper, and Tandri returned it to him with an amused smile.
Seizing a stylus from under the counter next to the cashbox, he stood on tiptoe to add a few more items to the list before nodding decisively. If Thimble could communicate without speaking, that certainly appeared to be his preference.
“And this is what you’ll need to make more of those rolls? The ones with cinnamon?” asked Viv.
Thimble affirmed in the expected way.
“Any idea where I can get all this?” Viv asked Tandri.
“Not immediately, no. I’m sure I can find a baker, but….”
Thimble interrupted by pulling on Viv’s sleeve and pointing to himself. “I show.”
“Oh. Sure. Well, no time like the present, I guess. Tandri, you’re fine with holding things down ’til we get back?”
“Of course.”
The rattkin shifted from foot to foot and stared longingly at the coffee machine.
“Coffee first?”he pleaded.
* * *
Thimble tookhis time with his drink, clearly appreciating every sip in what had become his favorite booth. The morning rush was in full swing before he finished and carried his mug to the front, where he waited by the door until the last customer in line had ordered.
“Guess we’ll be going,” said Viv, drying her hands and joining him.
Tandri gave her a distracted nod while frothing milk for a bleary-eyed Gatewarden.
Just as they prepared to leave, Amity drifted across the threshold like a low-lying thunderhead, and Thimble froze without so much as a squeak.
“Oh hells,” hissed Viv, preparing to hoist the rattkin out of reach at the dire-cat’s slightest aggressive twitch.
