“But you didn’t actually need
me. You guys were coping.”
“Opinions differ,” said Soledad dryly. “Fenella, Walker is
our vet.”
“Vet in training,” said Walker. “Not as good as a licensed
vet, but a whole lot cheaper. I’ll work for food, actually.
When Soledad cooks.”
“A vet is a doctor for animals,” Lucy said.
Fenella was grateful for Lucy’s translation. Then she realized that Walker might find it odd that she had needed it.
Her mind was spinning. Again.
Walker hadn’t even seemed to hear Lucy, though. He’d
squatted down beside the cat carrier and was looking at
Ryland. “Huh,” he said thoughtfully.
The cat hissed again. Fenella! An animal doctor? I am not
an animal. I am fey. Don’t forget it.
Fenella tried to think of how she could answer Ryland in
front of people. No ideas came to her.
“I only have a few more courses,” Walker said to Fenella.
“And tests and things. But I’m going to make it. I’m nearly
sure. So, this is your cat?”
He was evidently the kind of person who liked to chat,
and who would tell you more than you had asked for or
wanted to hear. At least he had ended on a question that was
relevant. It could also be answered in a single word.
Fenella opened her mouth. “My name is Fenella Scarborough.” Which had been the right thing to say. A minute ago.
A hot flush crept up her cheeks.
Walker said, “Nice to meet you, Fenella.”
Lucy stepped in. “Fenella’s a relative of mine. She’s staying with us for a while.” Dawn was squirming, uttering
frustrated little noises, trying to get closer to the cat. Lucy
hitched the child up in her arms.
Soledad added, “I guess we’ll figure out how to deal with
the animals, and get them to be friends. Somehow.”
“Usually a cat and dog can learn to tolerate each other.”
Walker paused, opened his mouth again as if he was going
to add something, but then closed it. A furrow worked its
way across his forehead as he stared into the carrier at Ryland. Ryland, sitting, stared back. “Male cat, right?”
He was talking to Fenella, who was now able to answer.
“Yes.”
“Age ? ”
“I don’t know.”
“Shots?”
Fenella sent Lucy a quick, frantic look of appeal.
Lucy shrugged. “We have no idea.”
Walker nodded. “Tell you what, I’ll take the cat with me
tonight and give him a checkup at the clinic.”
Inside Fenella’s head, Ryland’s protest was instantaneous
and shrill. Fenella! Do not let this man take possession of me!
“No,” Fenella said reluctantly. “The cat has to stay with me.”
“But it’s important—” said Soledad.
At the same moment Lucy said, “Fenella, I should have
thought of this before, we can’t take any chances with Dawn—”
Walker spoke over them both. “You come too, Fenella.
You can keep me company, and you’ll also help keep your
cat calm.” His entire face was made mysteriously radiant by
a smile.
He was young, Fenella realized. This Walker Dobrez was
not many years older than Zach and Lucy. She had been
deceived by the way he conducted himself before—by his
authority, and perhaps also by his size. But now she saw that
the owner of this smiling face had experienced little of the
world. Certainly little of the darkness in it.
He was so—so sunny.
“Fenella can’t go with you, Walker.” Soledad gave Fenella
a motherly, reassuring nod. “She’s had a long day. But you
can take the cat.”
“Fenella doesn’t want me to take the cat without her.”
Then he added, directly to Fenella, “Does the cat have a
name?”
“Ryland,” said Fenella. “What will you do to him?”
“Just a wellness exam. It won’t take long. It won’t hurt
him. Then we’ll come back here and I’ll check out Pierre’s
scratched eye.” Walker paused before finishing tactfully, “If
it turns out that you folks need the cat to stay with me overnight, that’s fine too.”
No! said Ryland. Fenella!
“No,” said Fenella.
“Probably not,” said Lucy.
me. You guys were coping.”
“Opinions differ,” said Soledad dryly. “Fenella, Walker is
our vet.”
“Vet in training,” said Walker. “Not as good as a licensed
vet, but a whole lot cheaper. I’ll work for food, actually.
When Soledad cooks.”
“A vet is a doctor for animals,” Lucy said.
Fenella was grateful for Lucy’s translation. Then she realized that Walker might find it odd that she had needed it.
Her mind was spinning. Again.
Walker hadn’t even seemed to hear Lucy, though. He’d
squatted down beside the cat carrier and was looking at
Ryland. “Huh,” he said thoughtfully.
The cat hissed again. Fenella! An animal doctor? I am not
an animal. I am fey. Don’t forget it.
Fenella tried to think of how she could answer Ryland in
front of people. No ideas came to her.
“I only have a few more courses,” Walker said to Fenella.
“And tests and things. But I’m going to make it. I’m nearly
sure. So, this is your cat?”
He was evidently the kind of person who liked to chat,
and who would tell you more than you had asked for or
wanted to hear. At least he had ended on a question that was
relevant. It could also be answered in a single word.
Fenella opened her mouth. “My name is Fenella Scarborough.” Which had been the right thing to say. A minute ago.
A hot flush crept up her cheeks.
Walker said, “Nice to meet you, Fenella.”
Lucy stepped in. “Fenella’s a relative of mine. She’s staying with us for a while.” Dawn was squirming, uttering
frustrated little noises, trying to get closer to the cat. Lucy
hitched the child up in her arms.
Soledad added, “I guess we’ll figure out how to deal with
the animals, and get them to be friends. Somehow.”
“Usually a cat and dog can learn to tolerate each other.”
Walker paused, opened his mouth again as if he was going
to add something, but then closed it. A furrow worked its
way across his forehead as he stared into the carrier at Ryland. Ryland, sitting, stared back. “Male cat, right?”
He was talking to Fenella, who was now able to answer.
“Yes.”
“Age ? ”
“I don’t know.”
“Shots?”
Fenella sent Lucy a quick, frantic look of appeal.
Lucy shrugged. “We have no idea.”
Walker nodded. “Tell you what, I’ll take the cat with me
tonight and give him a checkup at the clinic.”
Inside Fenella’s head, Ryland’s protest was instantaneous
and shrill. Fenella! Do not let this man take possession of me!
“No,” Fenella said reluctantly. “The cat has to stay with me.”
“But it’s important—” said Soledad.
At the same moment Lucy said, “Fenella, I should have
thought of this before, we can’t take any chances with Dawn—”
Walker spoke over them both. “You come too, Fenella.
You can keep me company, and you’ll also help keep your
cat calm.” His entire face was made mysteriously radiant by
a smile.
He was young, Fenella realized. This Walker Dobrez was
not many years older than Zach and Lucy. She had been
deceived by the way he conducted himself before—by his
authority, and perhaps also by his size. But now she saw that
the owner of this smiling face had experienced little of the
world. Certainly little of the darkness in it.
He was so—so sunny.
“Fenella can’t go with you, Walker.” Soledad gave Fenella
a motherly, reassuring nod. “She’s had a long day. But you
can take the cat.”
“Fenella doesn’t want me to take the cat without her.”
Then he added, directly to Fenella, “Does the cat have a
name?”
“Ryland,” said Fenella. “What will you do to him?”
“Just a wellness exam. It won’t take long. It won’t hurt
him. Then we’ll come back here and I’ll check out Pierre’s
scratched eye.” Walker paused before finishing tactfully, “If
it turns out that you folks need the cat to stay with me overnight, that’s fine too.”
No! said Ryland. Fenella!
“No,” said Fenella.
“Probably not,” said Lucy.
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