There was a word for the room, I guess. I couldn’t think of it, right now, but I was sure there was a word for it. Powerful, maybe? Intoxicating? Dynamic, impressive, awesome, incredible, impossible, immense, blinding, terrifying? Terrifying. That’s a good one.

Hey, it may just be an office, but you try being in the inner sanctum of a high priced lawyer who also happened to be the father of a girl you had a crush on and see how calm YOU feel. And Richmond Rat knew exactly what he was doing. He had me wrapped around his finger the moment he decided to pick up the phone and call my house. He asked for me, personally, and that was that. The instructions he gave me were precise and clear. There would be a limo around the front door of my house in five minutes. Get into it. That was all it took, and now here I was, Chaos Coyote, standing nervously in the middle of the rats expensive office.

Expensive. That’s a good one too. Expensive certainly fit. Rich leather bound seats, a massive looking stained desk, a bookshelf that stretched around the room in it’s entirety and filled to the brim with tombs of law, and order and every loop hole there was. And here I was, standing in the middle of it all, a scruffy little coyote boy, hardly able to see over the top of the desk, while this Adonis of a toon sat casually and quietly, with his slick backed hair and his perfect pin stripe suit. Rhubella’s father.

Not only had Richmond managed to procure a large sum in damages for me when I was forcefully removed from Prefecto Prep’s student body, but he got me reinstated with no questions asked. I of course, took the opportunity to join Acme Looniversity with my mentor, Wile E. Coyote, but standing here, now, I had a sensation of terror rippling down my back that I can’t begin to explain.
The rat had summoned me to his personal, private office and shut the door. He didn’t offer me a seat, he just sat there, scrutinizing me under his piercing, calculating gaze and templed his fingers. I was on his turf. His terms. All of this was made to get his way and demoralize me- not that it would have been terribly difficult to do so in the first place. How I wished the Toony Trio were here to back me up. Foxy and Rush wouldn’t have been intimidated by this toon. Mostly, due to the fact that Foxy would probably be drunk and Rush would be rooting through the desk for porn…but regardless, they would have protected me nonetheless.

Richmond slowly climbed to his feet, and peeled himself around the side of his desk to pull himself closer to me. I didn’t know what he wanted- and that was the worst part. Psychological torture. He was playing up the idea that I might be in trouble. That he could have me thrown away into the deepest, darkest, dankest prison in the world, and there was nothing anyone could do about it- and it was working. I’d have agreed to anything he asked for at this point, and begged him just to let me out of the stuffy room!

But he played it cool. He stepped past me towards the book shelf and pried open a small box sitting on one of the shelves, pulling out a cigar. Wordlessly, he gestured towards the box, and a twinkle of a grin twisted at his lips.

“Smoke?” He asked. I balked. Did he know how old I was? Was he teasing me? Did he really not understand what he was asking? But he knew. I’m sure…just another way to keep me off my toes. He was in my head and throwing leisurely curve balls left and right.

“N, n, no thank you, sir.” I managed to stammer when I finally found my voice. It came out funny. High pitched and strangled, like I’d be wandering through the desert. He pointed the butt of his cigar at me and chuckled quietly.

“I like you, Chaos. Polite. That’s what I’ve always liked about you. You’re polite.” He said crossing his arms, letting the cigar dangle precariously from his fingertips. It was still sweating bullets. He didn’t tell me what he wanted. He was dancing around the subject in this well practiced tango of torture! I wasn’t another attorney! I wasn’t a rival lawyer! I was just a stupid kid with a pair of goggles! He knew exactly what he was doing and it was driving me crazy because it was working so terribly well. But then, I don’t suppose you get to the top without a few tricks up your sleeve.

“Chaos, you remember my daughter, Rhubella, don’t you? Of course you do, you and her had a bit of a scuffle with her boyfriend a while back. Glad that’s all taken care of now…” He explained, leaving the words hanging in the air. He was reminding me that he’d helped me. He wanted something form me. He wanted my assistance without bargaining for it. On his terms.

Before I could answer him, he drew himself back over to his desk and leaned against it, letting the cigar split past his fingers and bob in the air. He was sizing me up, but surely he knew I was no match for him. That I couldn’t hope to show any sort of resistance under this sort of merciless display of power. I was trembling by now, troubled by what he would take such pains to ask of me, and why he summoned me to an empty house. I had only seen Rhubella’s father twice in my life. Once in a picture of him she kept in her bedroom on the night stand, and once in person, while riding in a limo, while I was hopped up on pain killers and anti-depressants. Another story I’ll talk about later.

“Chaos. I think I have a project for you.” He began. He called it a project. An assignment. He spoke of it as if I were under his employment somehow. I swallowed. He continued. “There have been a number of issues coming up at work, where I’ve been called away too often, and too long for me to look after Rhubella as I would like to. Situations where I would like to dispense my advice to her but I’m either too far from her, or she won’t listen to me the way she listens to her friends. As I recall, you were a member of her inner circle. Someone that she trusted, and more importantly, somebody that I trust as well. You weren’t like the other students. You didn’t cheat, you didn’t swindle, you didn’t steal. You’re honest, hard working, and loyal. Personally I can’t see why someone like you wanted to go to a school like that in the first place, but it works out to my advantage in this case. Chaos, I would like for you to keep an eye on my daughter for me, while I’m overseas. It’ll just be for a semester or two, and I’ll take care of costs and everything you’d need to worry about…but you’re a boy I can entrust my daughters safety to and I should like for you to agree to this. “He said, letting the prospect loom over me. His voice was like liquid ice and his posture was stoic and powerful. He had me right where he wanted me, and we both knew it.

I swallowed dryly, and opened my mouth, but he shook his head, cutting me off again. “Don’t answer now, lad. It’s a big decision and you’re a smart fellow. I’m sure you’ll do what you think is right. You’re the type that never lets your friends down- and I admire that. Think it over. I’ll contact you tomorrow for your answer. “ He explained, and hustled me out of the room with a hand on my shoulder blades. The next thing I knew, I was home, sitting in my computer chair, staring at my computer. I’m not sure how long I sat there, staring at the blank screen, arms slacked at my sides, and my brain tumbling over the proposal again and again and again. Hours maybe. It was dark when I looked up.

It shouldn’t have been so difficult to decide. I knew what he wanted- it was honoring, to say the least, that Richmond Rat had asked ME to look after Rhubella. That she liked and trusted me was a bonus. In and of itself. Still, I had no idea what I was supposed to do, or how I was supposed to make this decision…so I grabbed the nearest quarter I could find. Heads Perfecto- Tails, I stay at Acme.

I flipped it.

…

Ok, best two out of three.

…

Damn it.