Shorts: The Furry Years (4 page)

"Magic? You're kidding right?" I chuckled.

"No, I'm not," she replied. "Think about it; things, people, they're all objects. I know how to manipulate objects already...."

"You do?" I said skeptically.

"Sure, object orientated programming. That's what that guy at your company did. Just applied it to the real world, now that you can of course!"

"I don't buy it."

"Of course you don't," she foofed at me. "It goes against your solid engineering training."

"Which you've got as well," I pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm a tiger not a human! I know that reality isn't exactly what it appears to be."

"I will concede that point. But, you're not a tiger anymore than I'm a human." And I launched myself across the room at her. We wrestled for a while, until I let her pin me.

"We should really be doing this outdoors you know," Rasha said.

"I can't help it, I just get these terrible urges to play sometimes. How did you ever resist?"

"Oh, I had this really horrid master who would just pout everytime I got out of hand or broke something," She started to say.

"Okay, okay. I get your point. Wanna go outside and play?"

"Sure!"

And off we went. It was like being a kid again, when everything was new and different.

We did manage to try and live normally that week, but it turned out we were both becoming 'popular' as word about us got out. Everyone wanted to hear our story, even the local news media wanted our story. I wasn't pleased, but Rasha rode herd on my temper, making me give them an interview and be polite.

Few people knew where I lived, so we didn't receive any real harassment. But the station forwarded us two large bags of mail. Seems a lot of folks had an interest in us to say the least! We used the paper to start fires in the woodstove.

Then of course there was Rasha and her learning magic. I was skeptical at first, but there were one or two stories on the news about people doing things using magic, it wasn't wide spread, and more likely then not people made mistakes.

Rasha's first attempts were annoying, I'd walk into the house and it would be full of some awful stench, or a burned spot on the wall or something. But when she turned all the gold in the living room into lead, well, I banished all of her practicing to the back shed.

"I'm sorry John, I didn't realize that your computer and stereo had that much gold in it!" She looked at me very apologetic and downcast.

"You have my training, you should have thought about the possible consequences before trying the old 'lead to gold' trick." I said with a sigh. "Besides, I'm getting more and more afraid you're going to burn the house down! At least the shed can be replaced easily."

"I guess you're right Hon, I'll be more careful."

I gave a sigh of relief and hugged her. "Just try smaller things okay? Start with the easy stuff."

The rest of the week was much more peaceful.

Trouble started on the second week after the change, when I got laid off.

"What do you mean you don't need me anymore?" I growled quietly at Kurt, my boss. I had showed up personally today, having planned on going back to my old schedule.

"Well, the company's cutting back, John. With all of this magic stuff going on, the heads don't want to start any new programs and are putting most of the others on hold."

"I don't see anybody else getting the boot!" I growled a little deeper; he blanched.

"Well, frankly, John, you terrify the hell out of us, okay?" He said stuttering slightly.

I could smell it too, he was terrified all right. It just served to agitate me even more though.

"So kindly leave or I'll call the police."

"I'll sue on this!" I threatened lamely. I didn't want to start a scene, I liked these people. But to just dump me like this was maddening.

"On what grounds?"

"Oh, I'll get a lawyer to think of something! I want, no I deserve some compensation!" At least I was keeping my voice low.

"Well, good luck. Now good day and I'm sorry, you were a good worker." He looked down at his papers obviously dismissing me. That was the best thing he could have done at that point, if he had made eye contact I was afraid the tiger in me would have lost it.

I was still fighting with my temper when I got to the car. I was learning to live with it and Rasha had been helping me to cope. But I had never had to deal with anything like a temper before. Once I calmed down I looked at the rest of the stuff that was in with the pink slip. Three months pay; maybe they really were sorry about letting me go. That or scared. At least I'd have some money in the bank.

When I drove up, Rasha came out to meet me in front of the house.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned.

"They let me go. Afraid I guess." I sighed dejectedly.

The word of my unemployment must of made the rounds, or maybe everybody just wanted to hire a tiger. I don't know. But by Friday I had turned down the FBI, DEA, BATF, Secret Service, State police, and three private security companies! At least the CIA only sent a card; the rest all had the gall to show up in person. I had no interest in playing spy, which is what everyone of these groups wanted, an 'inside' man. Since I had held a special clearance when I was in the service, they felt they could trust me.

I wonder how many suckers fell for it?

Saturday morning started with a persistent knocking on the Door.

"Ugh, more cops." Rasha sighed.

"Think so?" I grumbled, dragging myself out of bed.

"Yeah, they all use that same damn knock. They must teach it in school or something," she grumbled back and dragged herself out of bed behind me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming!" I said as I approached the door. "Listen, I'm not joining ..." I said as I flung open the door, and stopped surprised.

"Oh really, John?" Said a rather tall wolf. He was wearing a duster and cowboy hat, over what looked like a pair of togs and a T-shirt. He also had a badge on, the kind you see in the old cowboy movies. I peered a little closer; 'United States Marshall' it read.

"Well? You gonna stand there and gawk, or you gonna invite a wolf in?"

"Ummm, do I know you?" I said bewildered.

"I used to be the Sheriff around here," he said smiling kind of lopsidedly. "But I got a better offer a few days ago. Got one for you too, lets talk."

"Sheriff Jackson?" I chuckled, "A wolf?!"

"Great ain't it?" He laughed and I showed him inside.

"Rasha, this is Sheriff Jackson, I think you remember him." I introduced her.

"Vaguely." She sniffed his hand briefly as they shook.

"Well I remember you, though I must say you look a lot friendlier now, Hon." He smiled easily.

"I hope you're not here looking to hire me," I sighed as I headed for the kitchen and started to make some coffee.

"Why's that?" he asked curiously, sitting down at the table.

Rasha sat across from him.

"I don't feel like playing snitch or any of the stuff everybody wants. Just because there's this whole new group of people around, it doesn't mean there should be a rush to spy on them, does it?"

"Couldn't agree with you more on that one! But I'm not looking for inside men, or finks."

"What are you looking for then?" grumbled Rasha as I handed her a steaming cup. She was becoming more of a caffeine freak then I was.

"Marshals, what else?"

"Why do they want a tiger for a
Marshall
?" I asked handing him a cup.

"Why do they want police in any minority group? To give folks somebody they feel they can talk to about their troubles. To get them on the right side of the law. To investigate their crimes. What else?"

"Their crimes? We've only been around two weeks!" protested Rasha.

"And there have been twenty murders, six lynchings, and sixteen kidnappings. And that's just on the West Coast," he said quietly. "A lot of people have been trying to grab us, for their own purposes. So the Department of Justice decided to do something about it; a task force. No spy stuff, no ratting on folks, just plain police work. Interested?"

"Kidnappings?" I said, surprised. "Nobody's bothered either of us, right love?"

"You look in a mirror lately John?" He laughed at my expression.

"Yeah, so what?" I said indignantly.

"Do you think anybody in their right mind is going to harass you? You're a huge, mean-looking tiger now, so's your girl. Well actually, she always was." He chuckled and ducked as Rasha took a playful swipe at him.

"But not all are so lucky. So I'm hiring, here's your badge and I'll see you downtown Monday morning at eight."

"What makes you think I'll take the job?" I growled annoyed at him.

"Because you need a job, for starters."

"I can get a job lots of places," I countered.

"Then there's the little thing about sleeping with a minor,"

"WHAT!" I roared. "WHO???"

"Her." He pointed at Rasha. "She is only three you know." He chuckled at my look of discomfort.

"That would never stand up in court! And you know it!" I snarled, my temper starting to show.

"Wanna bet?" He smiled nastily. "Take the job, give it a while. If you really hate it, you can quit. But right now there are a lot of people getting the short end who don't deserve it and I need help helpin' them. You're elected."

I had a sinking feeling. I guess I had a new job after all. "I should never have contributed to your re-election campaign." I grumbled.

"Yup, like they say, 'No good deed goes unpunished!'" Marshall Jackson stood to leave.

"What about me?" asked Rasha.

"Oh, I'll see that things get set straight so you won't have to worry, Hon." He smiled.

"No, I want a job too."

"Sorry Hon, this is man's wor--ekk!"

"Rasha! Put him down! Now!" I yelled. She had him by the neck and was straight arming him two feet off the floor.

"I'm not letting you go out there to get shot at without me, dear. You're just not mean enough." She looked back at the marshal. "I
am
however!" she purred.

"Okay, okay!"
Jackson
gasped and she set him down carefully.

"Damn, woman!" He panted, getting his breath back. "I had damn well better hire you so I can at least fine you the next time you do that!"

"Good, now you had better get going. I can see by the look in my mate's eyes that he wants to discuss this privately."

He took one look at me, grinned and said "I'm outta here alrighty!" and left, fast!

I supposed my growling wasn't helping much.

The 'discussion' lasted till very late that evening, with the kitchen bearing much of the brunt of it. I found that trashing things did help with my temper. Of course Rasha was pretty mad about my attempts at sheltering her, and made it very clear that she had a mind of her own and was prepared to use it.

"I'm just worried about you okay?" I said when we had finally settled down. "You don't have the experience dealing with people. If anything happened to you I'd be devastated!"

"You can't protect me forever. And I don't need it anyway. You heard what
Jackson
said, nobody'll mess with us!"

I sighed. "Remember what guns are? People will mess with us all right. And it doesn't matter how tough you are when someone has a gun."

"Oh," she said quietly, "I hadn't realized that."

"That's what I'm worried about, Hon -- you getting shot."

"What about you?" she asked, looking concerned.