Chapter 8

A warm padded hand runs through the thick black hair and brushes it past the curve of Pintear's ears, bringing him calm, but groggy consciousness. Lifting his head from the crater he made within the plush pillow from the turmoil of his chaotic dreams, he slackly looks into the eyes of Falcon, who is standing beside the bed with the smell of breakfast rolling off his clothes and fur, and takes Falcon's paw and places it on his cheek as he rises from his dead-like sleeping posture. Hair points in all directions from atop Pintear's head making him look like a poorly attired punk rock band member. Falcon laughs at the sight of the rising undead rock star and states that food is prepared downstairs, egging him to hobble to the elevator. Reluctantly, Pintear moans sleepily and removes himself from the warmth of the covers and bed to follow Falcon to the kitchen.
On the plates that sit in waiting on the table in front of Pintear are two steaming eggs benedict, bacon strips that seemed as thick as wooden shingles, and hot pancakes with honey and maple syrup drizzled, in duet, with an artistic serpentine fashion. Delighted with the gorgeous meal, Pintear thanks Falcon who merely shrugs with a smile then waves his hand in gesture for Pintear to commence eating. Noticing there is no food in front of Falcon, he questions, worryingly, if Falcon is going to eat as well. Falcon assured him that he has already eaten since he has been awake for a while then gestures again.
Plates empty, Pintear reclines back, letting out an unanticipated belch. Embarrassed, he apologizes which Falcon just giggles and shakes his paw in a “don't worry” way as he takes the plates to the kitchen.
While washing the dishes, Falcon says to Pintear, “I spoke with Monty this morning. He says he would love to have you back. That is if you want to go back.”
Having followed Falcon into the kitchen, Pintear replies, “He really said that? I guess I should. He wont hate me if I do come back, will he?”
“He holds no animosity towards you. He likes your veracity and empathy for others, well, that's what I like about you. He also said he has a gift for you when you arrive.”
“You are just too kind,” blushes Pintear, “I guess I will see Monty then.”
Finishing the last of the dishes, Falcon says, “I'll go with you. I have not seen Monty in a while. But first, you need to clean up.”
Feeling his face and hair, Pintear agrees with Falcon, “Yeah, I need a quick shower.” Still slightly sleepy, he turns and goes to the elevator.
“Your clothes are clean and dry. I'll retrieve them for you,” says Falcon, following Pintear.
The elevator lever moves to the ninth level and the cage rises to the upper parts of the tree. Ding! The ninth floor is reached. Pintear walks to the bathroom and Falcon to the laundry room. Upon entering the bathroom he closes, but does not lock the door, coming up with a devilishly clever idea. He draws the water on the tap to allow the water to heat up. He slides off his white pants and undergarments, so that the only thing covering him is his shirt tail. He waited only but a brief moment for the anticipated knocks from Falcon on the door.
“Come in,” he chimes.
Falcon walks in and sees Pintear standing in the middle of the room, hands gripping on the fringe of his white shirt.
“Oh, I'm sorry. You were changing. I'll come back later,” says Falcon, shocked and places the uniform on the sink counter.
Fearing Pintear will lose his chance, Pintear swiftly grabs Falcon by the cuff of his sleeve as he is turning to leave the bathroom and pulls him in for a kiss.
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With the act of spontaneity and shower over, they dry themselves off with plush clean towels. Pintear grabs his freshly cleaned blue uniform; it smells of jasmine and vanilla oils and feels softer than before. As soon as he thrusts his head through the opening of the shirt, he looks over to Falcon to help him dress, but he was dried, groomed, and dressed.
“How do you always do things so expediently?” asks Pintear, pulling up his pants, clasping the belt around his waist.
“You will see,” says Falcon, walking over to press his fuzzy maw against Pintear, under his neglected pompadour.
Falcon grabs the brush on the sink counter and brushes Pintear's hair, unbeknownst to Pintear, he is careful not to disturb the phalanges hidden within the pompadour. Falcon finishes, Pintear admires the pomp Falcon brushed for him. Falcon reaches over Pintear to grab the hat and situates it on Pintear's head.
“Now. Let's go see Monty,” says Falcon.
Invigorated by the shower and the feel of his fresh clothes, imbuing him with the same never-ending energy of a toddler running about a house as the parents try to capture him, Pintear grins the widest grin he could muster and turns to Falcon and says, “Seeing as you are so fast, we should have a race to the limo.”
“Is there a prize for the victor?” says Falcon, smugly.
Pintear furrows his brow while he thinks of a good prize.
“The loser must clean the night's dishes for three days. Does that fair well?” interjects Falcon.
“That does sound like a better prize than I was thinking.”
“Just let me know when you wish to start.”
Pintear wraps an insidious twisted smile about his head as he thinks he can get a head start to avoid the dishes. “Go!” he shouts, without proper setup. With speeds Pintear has never witnessed from living creatures, Falcon streaks past Pintear, out the door and heading the opposite direction of the elevator, leaving nothing but the scent of his sandalwood incense. Retching himself out of his stunned stupor, Pintear sprint out of the bathroom and follows the same direction Falcon was running, thinking that Falcon must know some other way to get to ground level.
Pintear's boots skid on the carpet as he comes to a fork in the hallway. He glances to the left and sees Falcon standing at the other end of the hall.
“I thought this was a race,” Falcon calls in his normal calm tone and flicking his tail.
Desperate to win this self-made challenge, Pintear lunges down the hallway after Falcon, who stands there and waits for Pintear to close some distance before darting away again, down another corridor. The color and texture of the walls blur past Pintear as he traverses the hall and banks a left at the next intersection. Pintear immediately halts his sprinting advancements, finding himself in a laundry room with Falcon in mid-flight, paws first, into an open window.
Falcon grabs the top of the window frame then thrusts his feet through it in an arc upwards to the outside tree wall where his entire body follows, seeming to fly up. Panic slaps Pintear and he rushes to the window to save the suicidal ferret. A rushing blur engulfs the outside of the window moving from top to bottom. Pintear reaches the windowsill and looks out to see Falcon galloping down the side of the tree to the bottom with the same odd finesse as a squirrel and inchworm hybrid. Anxiety rolls over to to show anger on its underside.
“You cheater!” vehemently yells Pintear.
Falcon turns his head mid-stride and winks then keeps up his insane descending pace down the side of the sequoia tree. Relief overcomes the anger, but does not destroy it. Pintear leans on the windowsill and watches Falcon make it to the base of the tree then flip off the trunk and onto the ground. His head fills with ideas and wishes of being able to do something as simple and amazing as that one day. His daydreams burst after he remembers that this is still a race! Pintear backtracks to the elevator to ride it back down to the ground floor.
Making their usual clanks, the doors open when the cage reaches level one. Pintear's eyes are flooded with light from the open front door with Falcon holding them. He puts on his angry face; he is wearing it just for Falcon. Pintear walks to the doors and brushes past Falcon who is still wearing his smug little grin. After closing the large doors, Falcon follows Pintear to the limousine. Pintear is just about to open the driver's side door when Falcon smugly says, “Aren't you forgetting something?” as he points to the door in the back.
Pintear grumbles as he walks over to open the door for the new “Highness”. Falcon throws himself into the plush back seat. Lying on his back and crossing his legs, he looks at Pintear, “Thank you,” he says. Pintear just slams the door and sits in the driver's seat and starts the engine.
Pintear turns about and to looks at Falcon who is still reclining, “I can't believe you cheated. Why would you cheat and how are you that fast, for that matter?”
“I will answer both your directed ripostes to my actions in order; if I remember correctly you were the first to cheat. As I said before you will see how soon. Oh, by the way. I'll get the dishes.”
“And why is that? You were the first one down here,” Pintear replied, annoyed.
“'Seeing as you are so fast, we should have a race to the limo,'” mimics Falcon, “I may have gotten to the bottom first, but you touched the limo.”
Pintear swells up inside then blushes. “Falcon is back to his normal, kind, yet quixotic and capricious self,” he thinks, “He must feel that I'm fine now. The poor thing was worried to death about me all night.”
“We surely should not tarry. Monty should be waiting for us,” says Falcon situating himself from his reclined posture.
Pintear giggles to himself, “Cuss, I love that ferret.”