Tzimmes Cracked Corn (And I Don’t Care)
A Spontoon Island story
© 2022 Walter Reimer
(Characters courtesy of M. Mitch Marmel, J.T. Urie and E.O. Costello. Thanks!)


Thumbnail art by  katiekat


32.


Rosie:

Franneleh didn’t look much the worse for wear when he came out of the jail. He looked tired though, leaning on his cane with Allan keeping a paw on his free elbow. I stood there with a broad smile on my face as the mink helped my buck towards me.

Which means that I was blessed by seeing Willow come charging up to her father and nearly bowling Allan over in her eagerness to hug Franklin. He hugged her and stroked her ears, and to this day I have to wonder how he managed to keep his balance after she barreled into him.

I walked up behind her and tapped her sharply on the shoulder. “Huh?” Willow said, glancing back at me.

“Beat it, sister,” I said with a jerk of my thumb over my shoulder. “This is my side of the street.”

My soon-to-be step-daughter (one day to go!) blinked at me, then looked at Franklin before grinning wryly and nodding. “Yeah. Okay, Rosie.” She looked up at her father. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Just tired, Grace,” he said with a gentle smile. “You look all in yourself.” He glanced past her and nodded to Reggie as he came up, and between the two of them they managed to peel Willow away from her father.

I immediately took his free arm and we started walking, slowly. “I’m glad that you weren’t hurt,” I said.

He shrugged. “I’ve had worse, but when he threatened you – “

He wasn’t able to say much more, because I kissed him.

And kissed him.

And he kissed me.

A big-nosed canine who was immediately and painfully familiar to me was walking past us, accompanied by an equally familiar vercachter duck. “Ey, Boss,” the canine said, “th’ Inspector, ‘e’s gotta himself a fine gal.”

“Quite right, Benelli,” the duck said around his cigar. “After all, he was fighting for her honor – which is more than she ever did,” he added, giving me a wary glance.

You know what?

I wasn’t even angry.

We finally came up for air, and Franklin started walking, with me clinging to him. “Wait a minute,” I said after a few moments. “Why are we headed this way?”

“I was headed back to Nerzmann’s Book Store – “

“Oh no you don't, Mister. You're coming home with me."

He blinked. "We agreed that we - "

"I know, but that was before. Right now, you're coming home with me. You're going to get a bath, an ice pack for your paw, and a good brea - well, brunch."

My darling gave me an amused look. "In that order?"

"Yes."


***


Vee:

“Well!” I said as Allan and I headed down the street. Rosie was looking after Franklin, so he was in very good paws. “How are you feeling, Jailbird?”

I had taken care to return Agent Fawnsworthy’s Starr 9mm pistol to her, since I lifted it from her purse during the court hearing. How? Agents have their little tricks, and while I’ve taught Willow a few things, I keep a few choice moves to myself.

And I knew that my goddaughter might lose her self-control and take active measures against her enemies.

My darling husband grimaced at me. “Tired and hungry, thanks for asking,” he said tartly. “We will speak of this to no one.”

I had to laugh at that. “Chances are good that Allan probably knows already. You know how he is.” Our son, the current head of Minkerton’s, is well aware that there are certain furs out and about in the world who wouldn’t mind having a swing at trying to bump off his parents. So it’s a lead-pipe cinch that there were one, perhaps two, agents watching us from a discreet distance.

Well, perhaps not Agent Phlute. He manages to stay concealed by his very obviousness; the usual explanation is “There’s no way he could be a Minkerton’s operative – he’s an idiot!”

Go with your strengths.

“So, nap?”

“Yeah.”


***


Toni:

You might think that some rich guy like Pierre du Cleds would be mortified at spending a night in jail, and would hang his head in shame or avoid people, or even declare he was gonna sue.

You might think that about some rich guy, but you’d be wrong about Pierre. When he got out of college, but before he started working in his dad’s company, he went to Europe. He tells me that his mother damned near had a heart attack when she heard he’d been part of the Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona. Yeah, that place in Spain where they let all the feral bulls loose, and you have to run just ahead of them.

Yeah, the thing that Hemminhaw wrote about.

So we had a good laugh about it after we got back to the hotel.

What’d we do after that?

None of your beeswax.


***


Kara:

“Witnessing-Gods, Karok-son-Karok, no one-declarative can go with you to any place,” I laughed as my little brother glowered at me. “Oh come on, Orrin, look on the bright side.”

“Yez ain’t gonna be representin’ me?” He was quick.

I laughed to shrug it off. He knows I work civil, not criminal, cases. “You were only in there one night, and you haven’t lost your job,” I said, ticking the points off on my fingers. “The only clouds I can see on your horizon is having to explain things to Mom and Kiki.”

“Lemme handle that, okeh?”

“Sure.” After last night, I figured I’d throw him a bone. “Say, did they return your blackjack? I know you feel naked without it.”

My brother grinned. “Heh. They never took it,” and he gave a flick of his wrist. The sap dropped into his paw, and as he put it back up his sleeve he said, “I t’ink they knowed I wasn’t gonna be in stir long.”


***


Stagg:

Rosie was true to her word. By the time I had finished my bath and had an ice pack applied to my paw, it was just after lunchtime. I suppose the meal would have been earlier, but Rosie insisted on washing me herself.

Which included getting into the tub with me.

Our late lunch was a crisp and appetizing salad, to which Rosie added some chicken salad for herself, and afterward she left me in my armchair, with my hooves propped up, so I could get some rest. It had been a very long day yesterday and an even longer night, so I welcomed the chance to get some sleep while Rosie saw to moving my things from Nerzmann’s back to her, soon to be our, apartment above Luchow’s.

Any nervousness I might have felt at the prospect of getting married the next day was consumed by the need for sleep.

My eyes opened, and I experienced a momentary disorientation. I had been in Luchow’s, sitting with my hooves up; now I was standing while a warm fog drifted around my ankles.

I had been here before, but the forest around me was new. I was also not experiencing any hoof pain.

Am I dead? I wondered, and I had a brief moment of anger at the thought that I should be taken now, of all times, leaving behind Rosie and . . . our fawn.

Calm, Franklin, calm.

When I lifted my head up, I saw a light off in the distance, so I started walking. No cane, either, and no pain in my hoof. Hmm.

The light was a warm yellow, coming through the windows of a rustic cabin. Not so much an afterlife, more of an après vie. I knocked before opening the door –

“Hello, Franklin.”

“D-Diana!?” I gasped. There she stood, dressed as I’d seen her last, when a Rain Island shaman had shown me something that had happened years earlier. But then, she hadn’t been able to speak.

She took my paw. “Come inside, darling,” she said. “We need to talk,” and she led me to a chair and helped me sit down, and while she took a seat beside me I saw that her dress had a high buttoned collar.

Hiding the rope scars.

“I – I’m sorry, my love,” I started to say, but she shushed me.

“That’s past, my love,” Diana said, “and the girls and I have forgiven you long ago. No, I’m here to talk about your future.” She smiled and put a paw to her face. “My stars, that sounded ominous, didn’t it?” She chuckled, and I felt tears well up. How I had yearned to hear her laugh, all those weary years since the Revolt.

“Don’t cry, Franklin, please.”

“I – I can’t help it, my darling.” I sniffed and wiped my eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I know, love.” Diana sighed and took my paw in hers. “But I want to talk with you about Rosalie.”

“Ye-es?”

She smiled. “I spoke with her earlier – “

“You did?”

She nodded. “And I gave her my blessing. You’ve found love again, Franklin, and hope, and a woman who wants to be with you for however long you two have together.” She stood and faced me, her paws reaching up to cup my upturned face.

Looking into my eyes, she said, “I love you, Franklin, and I will always be here. And I give you my blessing,” and she leaned in and our lips met . . .


***


Rosie:

Franneleh had fallen asleep while I’d busied myself at the Nerzmanns’, and he was still asleep as I came – quietly – into the apartment. I tiptoed around to let him rest.

It must be a wonderful dream, though, judging from the smile on his face.





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