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In the Hall of the Mountain King
Enter Joey
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THERE WERE CATS. MANY cats. Cats of all colors. Vertu walked carefully, unwilling to step on a vulnerable paw in her storm boots, until she saw that the cats displayed a fine understanding of where she and her boots were, and that they were not so much a random mob, as an – escort down the hall.
"Hoping to get some handouts from the buffet," Miri Tiazan said from beside her. "Hear them tell it, all they got here is empty bowls."
Vertu smiled. She had left her coat on the hook by the door, alongside her hosts' jackets, and those of Yulie and Mary. It was pleasantly warm in the hallway; she was glad to be walking, no matter the comfort of her driving seat, and the cats, seen as escort, began to amuse her.
Perhaps a little too much, she thought.
"I am grateful for the House's care," she said, in Liaden.
Miri Tiazan slanted a look at her face.
"The House is grateful, to be able to extend its care," she answered, and her accent in the High Tongue was that of Solcintra. She jerked her chin slightly to the right.
"Here we are," she said, back in Terran.
Yulie and Mary were standing, struck, in the center of the room, while Val Con yos'Phelium was seen at the wine table, seeing to the filling of glasses.
"Driver Dysan," he said, not looking 'round. "Red or white?"
"Red, if you please," she answered, as their cat escort flowed around her feet, and one in particular – a large, fuzzy gray with black feet – marched forward with purpose.
"Joey!" shouted Yulie Shaper, and went down on one knee, arms wide. Vertu thought to glance at the wine table, but Val Con yos'Phelium's nerves were as steady as any Scout's might be. The glasses were intact, the wine unspilled.
The gray cat leapt, and landed in Yulie's arms. He rose, hugging it over his shoulder.
"But, Joey, what're you doin' here? Botherin' the Bosses?"
"Not at all," said the host, turning to offer Mary a glass of the white. "We believe that several of yours came up the hill when the storm became apparent, as support for our cats in-house."
"Well, that's a nice face to put on it," said Yulie, "an' I'm glad you kept 'em inside. But they start makin' a habit – or a nuisance – you send 'em packing."
"Sure we will," said Miri Tiazan. "You ever try to tell a cat what to do?"
Mary laughed.
"Yulie, your wine," she said.
"Hmm – oh, right. Thanks, Boss."
Joey slung over one shoulder like a furry towel, Yulie turned and took his glass.
Vertu stepped forward and received hers, with a bow of the head.
"My thanks," she murmured.
"My pleasure," he returned.
"I wonder," she said then, "if I might use the comm."
"Of course. I will show you."
Jemmie was pleased, though not surprised, to learn that Vertu was sheltering at the top of the hill.
"Road boss knows their bidness, always said so," she said in sum-up.
"When I come back down," Vertu said, "we will need to talk about the rogue cabs. We nearly lost a man to his own incompetence, and a failure to maintain an adequate machine. It is our place as the professionals to do something."
"Yanno, I been thinking the same. We'll talk about it when you get back home. Might need to take it up with the Bosses – but that's later, Vertu. Right now, you call your big man an' let him know you're safe, fed, an' about to tuck up. Then you go and tuck up, hear me?"
"I hear you, Jemmie," Vertu said softly. "Thank you for your care."
"Funny to be thanked for something comes so nat'ral. Now, you hang up this call and get with that man o'yours."
#
"SO, YOU GOT UP TO THE house all right, then. They taking good care of you?"
Someone who was not as familiar with Cheever McFarland's voice might have thought him unconcerned, even bored. Vertu heard otherwise, and smiled into the phone.
"Indeed, we have arrived safely, all twelve of us."
"Twelve of you! How'd that happen?"
She smiled, took a sip of her wine, and told him.
Sometime during the telling, she felt something soft land in her lap and glanced down to find one of the ubiquitous cats sitting on one knee and kneading the other, while purring. Loudly.
"What's that, a motor?"
"A cat," Vertu told him. "This house is full of cats, and apparently this one has seen an opportunity to claim a comfortable lap for itself."
"What color cat?" Cheever asked.
Vertu frowned.
"All the colors," she said, after a moment. "Brown, orange, grey, white, black... The two front feet are white; the two back feet are black."
"Got a real looker, there," Cheever said. "So, what're you gonna do about the wild cabs?"
Vertu laughed. He knew her so well.
"Jemmie and I will talk about it, when I am back home."
"Good idea. Let me know if you need any help putting together a presentation for the Bosses."
She shook her head. The cat continued to purr and knead.
"Jemmie also thought we'd have to get the Bosses involved," she said.
"Road Boss at least," said Cheever. "Might be best to bring it up to all of 'em, though. Surebleak's gonna be needing associations and formal rules sooner more'n later."
"I fear you are correct," she said, "though I would not want to see Surebleak become Liad."
"Nobody wants that!" Cheever said in mock horror. "Now, you get yourself something to eat and some downtime. I got the house covered. Snow clearin' crews are already out, so you should be able to get back down into the city tomorrow in time to meet me for lunch at the Emerald."
"Excellent," Vertu said cordially. "I will see you then, Cheever." She hesitated. "Thank you for your care," she added.
"You bet," he said after a small pause. "You take care now, hear?"
"I will," she said, and resolutely cut the connection.
The cat was curled tightly in her lap. She sighed, and carefully slipped her hands under its dense, furry body, and moved it carefully to the bench. She then stood, picked up her wine glass and went back to the breakfast room.
Anna and Rascal had joined Mary and Yulie. The hosts were not in sight.
"Left us to ourselfs," said Yulie, "so we don't feel we gotta do the polite. Once Anna's finished eating, we'll just say we're ready to retire an' somebody'll come along to show us the way. Got it all set up with Nelirikk for him to take us over to my place tomorrow morning, by snow machine. So, we'll be saying good-night and bye-for-now, Miss Vertu."
"Thank you," she said. "You were wonderful passengers."
"And you were a wonderful driver," Mary said, smiling. "We were fortunate, that it was your cab that we saw, and decided to wait."
"Good-night, Miss Vertu," said Anna, coming to stand at Mary's side, Rascal cuddled in her arms. "Good driving!"
"Thank you for your help," Vertu answered. "Without your Sight, we would have missed the other cab, which would have been very bad."
"Yes," Anna said, and yawned widely.
"I think that's our cue," said Yulie. He bent and picked the fuzzy grey cat from the chair where it was napping. "C'mon, Joey, you're worn right down to bones and claws. Best get to bed."
A shadow moved in the door, murmuring.
"This way, please. We have prepared rooms."
The three of them marched out, and Vertu turned to the buffet to make herself a plate.
She poured another glass of wine, carried it and the plate to a small table, and sat down. She felt something land in her lap, and looked down to see the same multi-colored cat in her lap, looking up in to her face with wide green eyes.
Vertu smiled.
"I suppose you're hungry?" she said.