Fugitive (29 page)

   "Lester also said that the woman at the lake house killed it," Tisana reminded her friend. "You don't think she'd kill Manx, do you?"

   "Not for a minute," Jack said staunchly, "which is why I think she's either seen him, or knows him, and is protecting him. I'd also be willing to bet those Nedwuts are just biding their time before they come back looking for him again. We had pretty good evidence he was here, and they must have too, or they wouldn't have come to begin with."

   "Do we really know they
didn't
find him?"

   "Lester said they left peaceably—"

   "Which should be your first clue not to trust them," Tisana warned.

   "
And
weren't ever out of his sight! If they'd captured Manx, Lester would have known. Since they didn't find him and knew they couldn't use the, 'We're here to hunt down the nasty cat' line again, they had to retreat and think of something else."

   Tisana shook her head in wonder. "I can't imagine Nedwuts giving anything that much thought, can you?"

   "For five million credits?" Jack scoffed.

   "You have a point."

   Just then, Leo emerged from the ship and came across the clearing to peer into the boiling cauldron with his golden eyes. "Need anything else?"

   Even after marriage and children, the vision of her husband's feline grace mixed with raw leonine power could still take Tisana's breath away. "No," she replied after taking a brief moment to regain her composure. "We've got sweat, hair, semen, urine, and a few skin cells from each of you again today—I think that should do it. I just hope his nose is as good as you say it is."

   Cat broke off from a rousing game of tag with his sons to add, "We should include aroused Terran female scent in that potion. Manx would find it irresistible."

   Jack smiled at this, but remained doubtful. "Won't he just smell this stuff and think someone's boiling Zetithians alive?"

   Tisana shook her head as she swept a lock of dusky curls back from her damp brow. "No, he won't," she said firmly. "I made sure of that."

   "How?" Jack inquired.

   "I put something in it to make sure it didn't smell that way," Tisana replied. Her tone was nonchalant, but her green eyes sparkled with mischief.

   "Oh, yeah?" Jack said, still eyeing the cauldron curi ously. "What?"

   "Just a little something I picked up on Terra Minor," Tisana replied. "You really don't want to know the details."

   Jack looked at Leo who shrugged his shoulders and then at Cat who merely shook his head.

   "I know what's in it," Tisana's daughter, Althea, piped up from her seat on a nearby tree stump. She was engaged in directing the local butterflies to dance in unison to the delight of her two brothers as she spoke, an ability which only hinted at the extent of her powers. "But I promised not to tell."

   "You witches and your odd little secrets just kill me," Jack muttered. "I ask a simple question, and all I get is the runaround."

   Tisana smiled approvingly at her tiny daughter. With her mother's dark hair and her father's Zetithian features, she would be a beauty—as well as the most talented witch in centuries.

   "Had any luck talking with the birds?" Leo asked his wife.

   Tisana's eyes narrowed. "You know how it is with birds," she said witheringly.

   "On this planet too?" Jack knew that most birds were short on brains, but she was hoping it wouldn't be true on Barada Seven.

   "So far, I've talked with warbirds, something that looks like a long-legged silver duck, and a little purple dove," Tisana said wearily, "but none of them seem to be able to comprehend that I'm looking for someone who just looks like Cat, and not Cat himself. They've pointed him out to me several times already—along with your boys."

   Jack glanced over at her three eldest sons playing nearby. They all looked very much like Cat too. "And those little pig things that live in the jungle haven't seen him, either?"

   Tisana shook her head. "Nor have the… well, I'm not sure what you'd call them—you know, the ones that hop like a rabbit, but look like long-legged salamanders?— they aren't any smarter than the birds and don't seem to pay much attention to the locals, either. They barely paid attention to me when I was trying to talk to them. I don't think they'd have noticed Manx."

   "Those little pet rat-monkeys the kids all seem to have might know," Jack went on. "What about them?"

   "The srakies?" Tisana said. "They're pretty smart, actually—smart enough to keep a secret if they need to. If any of them know anything, they aren't talking."

   "I still think we should go talk to that woman at the lake," said Jack. "What did Lester say her name was?"

   "Drusilla," Cat replied.

   "Yeah, and she paints birds," Jack commented. "You know, sitting out there by the lake, painting birds, a person would be bound to notice something like Manx hanging around."

   "But Lester said she was alone," Cat reminded her. "And that she did not appreciate having company."

   "I still don't believe it," Jack said stubbornly. "If I'd been her and had hooked up with Manx, I wouldn't want any visitors either—especially if they brought along a band of Nedwuts!" She peered into the bubbling cauldron and shook her head. "I still don't think he's just gonna smell that and come running." Pausing to look question ingly at Leo, she went on, "You're the best tracker we've got, Leo. Don't you think we should be looking for him, and not just waiting for him to come to us?"

   "But I have no scent to follow," Leo pointed out.

   "Bet we could find one if we went to that lake house," Jack declared.

   "It might be dangerous," Tisana said. "If that woman killed a wildcat, she might take a few potshots at you."

   Jack waved a hand dismissively. "If she didn't fire on a band of Nedwuts, she won't shoot at me." Grinning at Cat, she added, "Especially if I bring someone along who could pass for Manx's brother!"

   "Lester said not to," Tisana reminded her again. "You don't want to get us in trouble, do you?"

   "I've been in more trouble on more planets than you can count," Jack said dismissively. "I always manage to get through it."

   "Which never ceases to amaze me," Tisana said. "But there's a first time for everything. This could be it."

   "What Lester doesn't know won't hurt him," Jack said roundly. "And if what I suspect is true, I think Drusilla will be very glad to see us." Turning to her boys, she said, "Now you guys hold the fort until we get back. Don't let anything happen to Tisana or that potion!"

   "Don't worry," Larry said bravely, indicating himself and his two litter mates. "And we'll protect the babies too."

   "We are not babies!" Aidan insisted, looking away from the butterfly dance.

   "I wasn't talking about you," Larry said. "But you
are
younger."

   Tisana chuckled. "I can look after myself," she said. "And I've got Max around to sound the alarm if he smells a Nedwut, but I'm glad you boys take your responsibilities seriously."

   Tisana looked over at her dog, Max, and Jack suspected there was a telepathic exchange of thoughts going on between them because a moment later, Max raced off into the jungle.

   "Where's he going?" Jack asked as she watched the black hound's sudden departure.

   "Reconnaissance," Tisana replied, giving her potion another stir.

   "Ah," said Jack. "I still wish you could recruit a bird."

   "Don't even go there," Tisana warned.

   "Yeah, right. Bird brains." Jack took a deep breath. "So—Cat, Leo? How about we take a little speeder tour through the jungle? See what's out there. After all, we're tourists, aren't we?"

   "You look like a commando even without your gun hanging from your hip," Tisana remarked. "No one would ever mistake you for a tourist."

   "You don't look like a witch either, but you are one," Jack countered.

   "And here I've been trying so hard to look the part," Tisana said glumly. Twirling around so that her shim mering green skirt clung to her hips, she added, "Doesn't this dress make me look like a sorceress?"

   "Um, don't do that right now," Jack said with a nod toward Leo. "You're getting your hubby all hot and bothered, and right now I need him."

   "You know, Jack," Tisana said wearily, "sometimes you're tougher than the soles of a Darconian's feet."

   Cat and Tisana exchanged a speaking glance. "You
know
how she is when she is on the hunt," he said.

   "Hey, finding Zetithians might be my passion," said Jack, "but kicking a little Nedwut ass in the process is the icing on the cake. Just let me at 'em!"

   "I will get the speeder out of the hold," Cat said. "And we will see what is 'out there.'"

   Jack grinned. "Thanks, Kittycat!" As Cat turned to go to the ship, Jack looked at Leo. "Nose all clear and ready?"

   Leo laughed. "Your eyes are very sharp and your nose is nearly as good as mine," he said. "Between us, if Manx is anywhere about, we should be able to find him."

   "I'm sure we will," said Jack. "I just hope we aren't too late."

***

The trip to the lake house might have been accomplished much more comfortably than taking the journey in Lester's truck, but Lester had the advantage of knowing where he was going. It took them far longer to find it than Jack had anticipated, but at last they found the track and the clearing.

   "So, do we just knock on the door first, or take a look around?" Leo asked.

   "I don't know," said Jack. "That depends. I'm not really picking up a scent, what about you?"

   Leo shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "But I haven't seen Manx in a long time—and I must admit, I never paid much attention to his scent back then."

   Not the least bit surprised to hear that, Jack grinned and motioned them onward.

   Approaching the house, Jack let out an appreciative whistle. "Man, this place is fabulous! Wouldn't mind spending a little time here myself. We could all use a break."

   Cat took one look at the lake and the boat and began purring.

   "Down, boy," Jack admonished him, knowing exactly what he had in mind. "Plenty of time for that later."

   "Yes, there will be," said Cat.

   Jack paused for a moment, weighing the situation carefully. If this woman had met Manx, she would be interested in seeing Cat and Leo, but if she hadn't, the sight of two big cats on her doorstep might not be the best opener. Jack, on the other hand, was Terran, so Drusilla should see her as a common Earthling and be more willing to talk. "Why don't you two head down to the lake and see if you can find out anything there while I talk to the painter."

   Jack knew this woman had supposedly killed the wildcat and was armed with what was probably the only weapon on the planet, but if she was feeling any qualms, they didn't show as she strode up to the door and pushed the bell. Inside the house, she heard a voice intone. "Known species. Interaction deemed benign."

   Ordinarily it might have ruffled Jack's feathers a bit to be considered "benign," but in this case, it was justified. She felt naked without Tex strapped to her thigh, and hoped she looked friendly enough that the woman would at least open the door. Jack mulled over what she should say to her, but as the door opened, her anxious expression told the whole story. Manx had been there, but just as surely was now gone.

   "Hello, there!" Jack began heartily. "Thought I'd come out here and see how you were doing." Offering a hand, Jack went on, "I'm Captain Jack Tshevnoe—you know, the one who brought supplies for the house? Tell me, did you like the cheesecake?"

   Drusilla had nearly knocked over her easel in her haste to reach the door, all the while praying it was Manx. Her disappointment at finding this woman on her doorstep was reflected in her pathetic smile and weak handshake. "I'm Drusilla Chevrault," she said, "and the cheesecake was quite delicious."

   "Knew you'd like it," Jack said, beaming a smile at her that nearly took Drusilla's breath. "It came from a deli in Indianapolis. Best cheesecake in the universe!"

   Drusilla gazed past her odd visitor, praying there weren't any Nedwuts with her. She certainly seemed honest enough, and couldn't have known about the cheesecake unless her story was true, but in light of recent events, Drusilla knew that Barada wasn't quite as safe a place to visit as she'd been led to believe. "So, are you here all by yourself?"

   "No, the guys are down checking out the lake—and the boat," Jack replied. "You know how men are about boats. Actually, we were thinking of renting the house sometime. Mind if we take a look around?"

   Out of the corner of her eye, Drusilla could see Klog hovering nearby. He had a wire whisk in one of his hands, but she knew he could whip out a knife in the blink of an eye if he sensed danger—and his senses had been spot-on thus far. Then she remembered a pertinent detail. "Is Lester with you?"

   "No, he seemed to think you didn't want company, but I knew an Earth girl this far from home was bound to be lonely. Actually, I wasn't even sure where the house was. We just sort of stumbled on it while we were cruising around the jungle in my speeder."

   "You have your own speeder here?" This sounded like a great thing to Drusilla. Perhaps they might be able to use it to find Manx, if they were willing to look for him, that is—or if she even dared to mention him.

   "Oh, yeah. I wouldn't ride around in that old rattle trap of Lester's if you paid me," Jack said frankly. "Bet you had a bumpy ride out here."

   "I'm surprised I didn't lose any teeth," Drusilla said, unable to suppress a smile.

   "I hear you're a painter?" Jack said, returning her smile. "Would I have heard of you?"

   Drusilla shook her head. "Not unless you like birds," she replied. "They have some positively stunning birds here, so my agent booked the house for me. I've sent most of them back to him already but—" Drusilla broke off there, realizing that she didn't have a single finished painting in the house that was not of Manx; the bird paintings she
did
have weren't done; and she suspected they never would be.