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A Matter of Survival
A modern Spontoon Island story
© 2022 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
RockBaker
Eleven.
“Good morning, dear,” Qing said to Xia the next morning as she sat down at the dining table and he placed a full mug of coffee in front of her. She yawned and wrapped her paws around the mug as he asked, “What were you thinking about last night?”
It took her a few deep swallows of the mug’s contents before she realized that her husband had asked her a question. “Why do you – “
“You were kicking me in your sleep,” he said calmly as he sat down across the table from her, his own mug in his paws.
She blinked, realized what he’d said, and dipped her ears and banded tail in contrition. “Sorry.”
Qing smiled. “I’m used to it, my love. So, what were you thinking of?”
“Our current problem.” She drank the rest of her coffee and got to her feet to refill the mug. “Breakfast to make up for it?”
“Yes, please.”
Xia gave him a sour look, refilled her coffee, and started making breakfast. “You’re right, though, I was thinking.”
“About Jasper?”
“Yes.” After a few moments she added, “I’m thinking that it was a setup.”
Qing paused, mug partway to his lips as he thought. “The murder charge?”
Xia nodded as she scooped leftover cooked rice into the wok and started adding ingredients. “The other charges, pfeh. Americans,” and her lips curled back from her teeth in a sneer. “But think about it: We send a representative to America, and meet with our former friends. They agree to our proposals – but then a dead girl is found in Jasper’s room.” She portioned the rice into two bowls and added a little more oil to the wok before tossing in some cut-up vegetables. “Now, that sounds suspicious to me.”
“Same here,” Qing said reasonably.
Xia nodded, cracking three eggs into the wok and scrambling them with the vegetables before adding the mixture to the bowls of rice. She set the wok aside and turned off the stove, and carried the two bowls to the table. One was set down in front of her husband and she collected a kiss as payment before she sat down to eat.
Her ears flattened. “Qing. Seriously?”
Qing blinked at her. He had added a fat dollop of catsup to his eggs. “What?”
“Gah. I married a barbarian.”
Her husband grinned. “Could be worse, Xia. I could have come from Georgia instead of California. Over there, they put hot sauce on their eggs.”
“Bleah.” He laughed as she started eating.
It was a healthy custom that business was not discussed while eating so it wouldn’t interfere with digestion. After the meal was over, Qing collected the empty dishes.
Refilling his wife’s coffee mug, he asked, “So will you send Lu to see what he can find out?”
She glowered briefly before sipping at her drink. “I’ll take Jin-tao’s advice and wait to see what our lawyers might manage.”
“A barbarian, and one of his descendants?” Qing asked.
The current head of the Ni Family smiled. “Anything in the news?” she asked, changing the subject.
He rolled his eyes. “I read something funny in the Elele.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Naval Militia intercepted a small plane before it took off from Brackett Lagoon. It was headed for Cranium.”
Xia gaped briefly before laughing. “Missionaries again?”
“Seems that way. They’re getting the usual treatment.” That normally entailed expulsion from the Spontoons to the native country, with written orders to not try again.
If the missionaries tried again, the Althing could point to the documentation and say, “We tried.”
“Hmm,” Xia mused as she switched on her tablet to check her newsfeeds, “Maybe the Althing should let one or two get past them. Cranium might need the raw material,” she remarked as she sipped at her coffee.
***
The three attorneys met in the outer office of Judge Gore’s chambers early in the morning two days after their first meeting, before court began, and after making a call the secretary nodded. Kinney went in first, the Alsatian followed by Twyford and Stagg.
The gray tabby waited until the three mels had taken seats before saying, “The police seriously overstepped the bounds, Mr. Kinney.”
The canine’s ears went back. “I understand, Your Honor.”
“Good. Let Detectives Carson and Sanders know that I will be sending a memo to the Chief. I have my eye on them, so you can let them know that.” She turned to look at the whitetail buck and the cervine-feline hybrid. “I am dismissing the child pornography charges against Mr. Wu.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Twyford said.
“Don’t thank me yet. Mr. Kinney, how far have the police gotten on the murder investigation?”
The Alsatian raised his paws in a hopeless gesture. “They haven’t found the murder weapon yet, Ma’am.” He glanced at his two opponents. Twyford was listening intently, while Stagg was gazing fixedly at a point on the floor between his hooves and the judge’s desk, a paw to his chin. “They’re still running down leads.”
“What about the hotel’s cameras?” Twyford asked.
Kinney glanced at the buck, who swiveled his ears. Finally the prosecutor said, “They haven’t found anything on the hotel’s security cameras.”
Stagg raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
Judge Gore asked, “Thoughts, Mr. Stagg?”
“As you said, Ma’am, it’s not my place to say.”
“I’m making it your place. What are you thinking?”
Stagg sat back and placed his paws in his lap. “Mr. Wu is here in San Francisco,” he said slowly, “on business, to make contact with a business here in your city. If no connection can be made – so far,” he amended, glancing at Kinney, “between Mr. Twyford’s client and the dead doe, perhaps a look at Mr. Wu’s business contacts might be productive?”
Gore nodded. “Good point. Mr. Kinney?”
“I’ll talk to the detectives today.”
“See that you do. Now, Mr. Twyford – and Mr. Stagg – I am going to release Mr. Wu from jail – “
“You Honor!” Kinney gasped.
“We have no idea when the police will find something for the grand jury, Mr. Kinney.” The judge smothered a cough with her paw. “I’m releasing Jasper Wu on his own recognizance, but he will not be allowed to leave San Francisco until this is resolved. He won’t be given his passport.”
“He’d have to be kept under surveillance,” the Alsatian said.
There was a pause, broken by the question “May I make a suggestion?”
Judge Gore nodded. “Go ahead, Mr. Stagg.”
“Mr. Twyford is still Mr. Wu’s attorney, and I’m here as his adviser,” Stagg said. “I will take full responsibility for Mr. Wu until he is either returned to jail under charges, or allowed to go home.”
The three Americans all stared at the Spontoonie.
“Impossible,” Kinney snorted. “Your Honor, this could be a plan to have some way of spiriting Mr. Wu out of the country, to either the Sea Bear Republic or Rain Island, and from there back to Spontoon – “
“I am an officer of the Court in my own country, Mr. Kinney,” Stagg said, “as were my father and grandfather. I am offering myself as surety that Jasper Wu will remain in this country until his name is cleared or he is tried and punished.” He turned to Gore. “I am willing to do this, Your Honor.”
“Yes, I can see that. All right,” the gray tabby said, “I’ll think it over and then I’ll see you all in my chambers again.” She looked down at her desk calendar. “Two days. We’ll talk again on the nineteenth.”
“Your Honor – “
She held up a paw, and the prosecutor fell quiet. “I’ll consider your position as well, Mr. Kinney. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have court in a few minutes,” and she stood up. The others stood, and they left the office as the feline reached for her robe.
“Kent,” Kinney said as they left the judge’s chambers, “I have no idea what cockamamie idea you and this guy are hatching, but it’s a Hail Mary.”
“Trust me, Bob, I had nothing to do with this,” and he joined the Alsatian in glaring at the hybrid.
For his part, Stagg merely smiled. “Look at it this way, Mr. Kinney. I keep him out of trouble, and you save money by not having him in jail. And, if you have to drop the charges, it saves you some embarrassment.”
Kinney growled under his breath and stormed off.
The two defense attorneys started off down the hallway. “I hope to hell you know what you’re doing,” Twyford said.
“I hope so too,” Stagg replied.
<NEXT>
<PREVIOUS>
<FIRST>
A modern Spontoon Island story
© 2022 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
RockBakerEleven.
“Good morning, dear,” Qing said to Xia the next morning as she sat down at the dining table and he placed a full mug of coffee in front of her. She yawned and wrapped her paws around the mug as he asked, “What were you thinking about last night?”
It took her a few deep swallows of the mug’s contents before she realized that her husband had asked her a question. “Why do you – “
“You were kicking me in your sleep,” he said calmly as he sat down across the table from her, his own mug in his paws.
She blinked, realized what he’d said, and dipped her ears and banded tail in contrition. “Sorry.”
Qing smiled. “I’m used to it, my love. So, what were you thinking of?”
“Our current problem.” She drank the rest of her coffee and got to her feet to refill the mug. “Breakfast to make up for it?”
“Yes, please.”
Xia gave him a sour look, refilled her coffee, and started making breakfast. “You’re right, though, I was thinking.”
“About Jasper?”
“Yes.” After a few moments she added, “I’m thinking that it was a setup.”
Qing paused, mug partway to his lips as he thought. “The murder charge?”
Xia nodded as she scooped leftover cooked rice into the wok and started adding ingredients. “The other charges, pfeh. Americans,” and her lips curled back from her teeth in a sneer. “But think about it: We send a representative to America, and meet with our former friends. They agree to our proposals – but then a dead girl is found in Jasper’s room.” She portioned the rice into two bowls and added a little more oil to the wok before tossing in some cut-up vegetables. “Now, that sounds suspicious to me.”
“Same here,” Qing said reasonably.
Xia nodded, cracking three eggs into the wok and scrambling them with the vegetables before adding the mixture to the bowls of rice. She set the wok aside and turned off the stove, and carried the two bowls to the table. One was set down in front of her husband and she collected a kiss as payment before she sat down to eat.
Her ears flattened. “Qing. Seriously?”
Qing blinked at her. He had added a fat dollop of catsup to his eggs. “What?”
“Gah. I married a barbarian.”
Her husband grinned. “Could be worse, Xia. I could have come from Georgia instead of California. Over there, they put hot sauce on their eggs.”
“Bleah.” He laughed as she started eating.
It was a healthy custom that business was not discussed while eating so it wouldn’t interfere with digestion. After the meal was over, Qing collected the empty dishes.
Refilling his wife’s coffee mug, he asked, “So will you send Lu to see what he can find out?”
She glowered briefly before sipping at her drink. “I’ll take Jin-tao’s advice and wait to see what our lawyers might manage.”
“A barbarian, and one of his descendants?” Qing asked.
The current head of the Ni Family smiled. “Anything in the news?” she asked, changing the subject.
He rolled his eyes. “I read something funny in the Elele.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Naval Militia intercepted a small plane before it took off from Brackett Lagoon. It was headed for Cranium.”
Xia gaped briefly before laughing. “Missionaries again?”
“Seems that way. They’re getting the usual treatment.” That normally entailed expulsion from the Spontoons to the native country, with written orders to not try again.
If the missionaries tried again, the Althing could point to the documentation and say, “We tried.”
“Hmm,” Xia mused as she switched on her tablet to check her newsfeeds, “Maybe the Althing should let one or two get past them. Cranium might need the raw material,” she remarked as she sipped at her coffee.
***
The three attorneys met in the outer office of Judge Gore’s chambers early in the morning two days after their first meeting, before court began, and after making a call the secretary nodded. Kinney went in first, the Alsatian followed by Twyford and Stagg.
The gray tabby waited until the three mels had taken seats before saying, “The police seriously overstepped the bounds, Mr. Kinney.”
The canine’s ears went back. “I understand, Your Honor.”
“Good. Let Detectives Carson and Sanders know that I will be sending a memo to the Chief. I have my eye on them, so you can let them know that.” She turned to look at the whitetail buck and the cervine-feline hybrid. “I am dismissing the child pornography charges against Mr. Wu.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Twyford said.
“Don’t thank me yet. Mr. Kinney, how far have the police gotten on the murder investigation?”
The Alsatian raised his paws in a hopeless gesture. “They haven’t found the murder weapon yet, Ma’am.” He glanced at his two opponents. Twyford was listening intently, while Stagg was gazing fixedly at a point on the floor between his hooves and the judge’s desk, a paw to his chin. “They’re still running down leads.”
“What about the hotel’s cameras?” Twyford asked.
Kinney glanced at the buck, who swiveled his ears. Finally the prosecutor said, “They haven’t found anything on the hotel’s security cameras.”
Stagg raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
Judge Gore asked, “Thoughts, Mr. Stagg?”
“As you said, Ma’am, it’s not my place to say.”
“I’m making it your place. What are you thinking?”
Stagg sat back and placed his paws in his lap. “Mr. Wu is here in San Francisco,” he said slowly, “on business, to make contact with a business here in your city. If no connection can be made – so far,” he amended, glancing at Kinney, “between Mr. Twyford’s client and the dead doe, perhaps a look at Mr. Wu’s business contacts might be productive?”
Gore nodded. “Good point. Mr. Kinney?”
“I’ll talk to the detectives today.”
“See that you do. Now, Mr. Twyford – and Mr. Stagg – I am going to release Mr. Wu from jail – “
“You Honor!” Kinney gasped.
“We have no idea when the police will find something for the grand jury, Mr. Kinney.” The judge smothered a cough with her paw. “I’m releasing Jasper Wu on his own recognizance, but he will not be allowed to leave San Francisco until this is resolved. He won’t be given his passport.”
“He’d have to be kept under surveillance,” the Alsatian said.
There was a pause, broken by the question “May I make a suggestion?”
Judge Gore nodded. “Go ahead, Mr. Stagg.”
“Mr. Twyford is still Mr. Wu’s attorney, and I’m here as his adviser,” Stagg said. “I will take full responsibility for Mr. Wu until he is either returned to jail under charges, or allowed to go home.”
The three Americans all stared at the Spontoonie.
“Impossible,” Kinney snorted. “Your Honor, this could be a plan to have some way of spiriting Mr. Wu out of the country, to either the Sea Bear Republic or Rain Island, and from there back to Spontoon – “
“I am an officer of the Court in my own country, Mr. Kinney,” Stagg said, “as were my father and grandfather. I am offering myself as surety that Jasper Wu will remain in this country until his name is cleared or he is tried and punished.” He turned to Gore. “I am willing to do this, Your Honor.”
“Yes, I can see that. All right,” the gray tabby said, “I’ll think it over and then I’ll see you all in my chambers again.” She looked down at her desk calendar. “Two days. We’ll talk again on the nineteenth.”
“Your Honor – “
She held up a paw, and the prosecutor fell quiet. “I’ll consider your position as well, Mr. Kinney. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have court in a few minutes,” and she stood up. The others stood, and they left the office as the feline reached for her robe.
“Kent,” Kinney said as they left the judge’s chambers, “I have no idea what cockamamie idea you and this guy are hatching, but it’s a Hail Mary.”
“Trust me, Bob, I had nothing to do with this,” and he joined the Alsatian in glaring at the hybrid.
For his part, Stagg merely smiled. “Look at it this way, Mr. Kinney. I keep him out of trouble, and you save money by not having him in jail. And, if you have to drop the charges, it saves you some embarrassment.”
Kinney growled under his breath and stormed off.
The two defense attorneys started off down the hallway. “I hope to hell you know what you’re doing,” Twyford said.
“I hope so too,” Stagg replied.
<NEXT>
<PREVIOUS>
<FIRST>
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Hybrid Species
Size 1636 x 2251px
File Size 291.6 kB
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