Page 98 of Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate
Akira simply hurried to the guesthouse. Not much had changed since he left.
Hallow perched on the edge of the table while a big, blond healer did things with swabs.
Moon lounged in the door to his room, casually gnawing on a strip of what looked like rawhide. Though when Colt entered, wafting the scent of beef, Moon’s tail took to wagging.
The healer turned. “Sit here,” he said to Sinder, pointing to a spot on the other end of the table from Hallow. And withdrawing an aspirator from the pouch at his waist, he strode to Colt. “Open. Inhale. Deeply. Again.”
Eyes wide, Colt obeyed. But once he was able, he weakly asked, “Bavol?”
With a faint and fleeting smile, the healer replied, “Hello, little brother.”
THIRTY-THREE
Under the Influence
Juuyu escorted Jiminy out of the Amory and toward the trolly stop. At least, that’s what Juuyu thought he was doing. Until Jiminy took his arm, deployed a sigil, and pressed a crystal between their palms. Juuyu had been subject to enough wolfish handling to know that he was now being escorted.
Jiminy calmly ordered, “Keep walking, please.”
“Why?”
“Keep walking,” he repeated.
They strolled along at an easy pace for two blocks, and Juuyu remained alert for the source of the alteration in Jiminy’s manner. Nothing stood out. His bafflement must have shown.
“Let’s continue like this for a little while longer.”
“Why?”
“Back at the corner. By the trolly stop.” Jiminy studied his face with open interest. “How many people were sitting on the bench?”
Juuyu barely resisted the urge to turn his head. With frank dismay, he asked, “There was a bench?”
“Don’t worry,” Jiminy soothed. “He had as much chance of seeing me as you had of seeing him.”
“Are you saying that we just walked past the Gentleman Bandit?”
“We did.”
“You saw him?” He couldn’t believe their quarry was so close.
“Sure did. I recognized him from Akira’s photo.”
Juuyu pulled on Jiminy’s arm. “I am supposed to apprehend him.”
“That’s certainly the goal. But now’s not the time.”
“Why not?”
“He has a goal, as well.” Jiminy patted the strap that crossed his chest. “Or have you forgotten what I’m carrying?”
Juuyu followed the line of the strap to the slender case riding on Jiminy’s back. He vaguely remembered appropriating one of Mirrim’s weapons cases. “I do not remember.”
“Interesting! You know, I think this was a very near thing.” Jiminy cheerfully asked, “Do you remember the way home?”
Too unsettled to be offended, Juuyu answered, “The safehouse is in this direction.”
“About this Junzi. The Bamboo Stave. Do you know anyone who can play it?”
