Kari nodded, understanding this poor kids reaction completely.  3 daysago they had almost  been killed.  She smiled warmly to the Barovianferret.  "Yes, is only me.  It's OK, I'm jumping at shadows myself."   Shespoke to him quietly, "Time to get cleaned up.  Its time to go home."

Jeremy's heart sank as he meekly obeyed.~~~

Both of them walked up the resort path to the door of a long glass andiron walled building.  Stenciled on the front door in gilt lettering wasthe label 'Building C.'   Cross-crossing in front of the doorway were neonyellow police lines.  Kari slipped the key in the lock and pushed the dooropen.  Jeremy stood still, as if the yellow ribbons would forever bar hispassage.  Kari steeled herself and ripped down the plastic tape, stridingboldly in.  The interior was quiet and still and bathed in sunlight.  Thelast time she had walked into this building it had been to rescue Jeremyfrom two goons sent to kill her.  They had cowardly used Jeremy as ahostage and only the intervention of a strange sable named Darkheart hadsaved them.  Between her and the scoundrel of a sable, they had gunned downthe assassins.  She wondered if she could she live with the price forsaving Jeremy.  She hoped so.

"Tchika Kari?",  Jeremy timidly inquired.

"Huh?  Oh- yes?"

"Are they in purgatory now?"

Jeremy was now standing by the plywood panel that covered the hole leftby one of the thugs.  He had crashed through the glass after being fatallyshot by Darkheart.   Kari tailswished unhappily.

"I don't know Jeremy.  I know the badger was Barovian and the ox was aFreelander, but I'm not sure how inclusive your religion is."

Jeremy nooded, "I hope Karthax purify sins."

Kari tried to bite her tongue but couldn't.  Her blue eyes flashed withindignation,  "Jeremy, they tried to kill you!  They don't deserve yourpity!"

Jeremy looked at her mournfully, then observed the cast iron pillar wherethe ox had slumped to the floor after being shot through the heart by Kari.He rested his head against the pillar and spoke softly, "Do you regretkill him?"

The fox was taken aback but defiantly shook her head  "I had to save you.It had to be done.  I will have to carry the burden of my decision, but Ican bear it.   It was worth it because you are still here."  She squeezedhis shoulder for comfort.  "Now please tend to your plants.   They needyour touch to thrive."

Jeremy sighed and sat down, showing defeat in his yellow eyes.   "Ibetter off working for Mr. Muskytail.   Then I cause no harm to friends."

Kari expected that answer but she was far from ready to throw in thetowel.  "Then I'll get Sylvia.  She your boss, so she gets final say, OK?"Jeremy looked at her sadly and nodded.  Kari caressed his cheekfur warmlythen left.~~~

A 40ish fur walked in showing equal amounts of otter and rabbit in herlooks. She carried a large battered box under her arm.  Jeremy immediatelystood up.  "Mrs. Slipsunder, I need talk with you about job."

Slyvia held up her paw and motioned him to follow her into the attachedpotting shed.  The room was packed with clutter.  Both of them removedboxes from a table to make enough room to sit down.  "Sure thing Jeremy,but first I need you to listen.  Please."

"Yes, Mrs. Slipsunder."

She open the box and placed dozens of pictures on the tables.  She fishedthrough them, looking for a particular image.  She smiled as she found ablack and white glass photograph.  She turned it so Jeremy could see itclearly.  "Do you see the otter?"  Jeremy indicated that he did.  "That'sSilas Slipsunder, the founder of this resort long before your king wasborn.  The Happanstance islands were independent at the time.  Do you seethat skeletal building behind him?"

"Yes, It look familiar...like Greenhouse!"

Sylvia smiled toothily, "This building is over 150 years old.  Silasbuilt it for his mate Timothy Greyglove.  Tim was originally sent to theislands by Oreinsia University to catalog the tropical plants.  He didn'tcount on collecting a Slipsunder tho.  So he stayed permanently and thisgreenhouse was built for his use."

Jeremy looked surprised.  "I remember reading there is fern calledGreyglovii.  That named after him?"

"Mmm-hmm.  And you're working in the same greenhouse he once used."Sylvia enjoyed the ferret's look of wonder, as she took out a black & whitephotograph.  "This is Amanda Slipsunder as a child, Silas' granddaughter."

Jeremy was still looking at the glass plate.  "But how Silas havegranddaughter if his mate was man?"

Syl laughed heartily.  "Oh easy, he had a fling with a fauve female tohave a successor."  Jeremy looked like he had more questions than answersbut he didn't push the matter.  Sylvia continued, "Amanda was my greatgrandmother  She was by far the most talented of the Slipsunders atgardening.   Old Timmy just collected specimens, but 'nana Amanda reallybonded with her plants."  She placed another photograph beside it, takensome 20 years later.  It showed an otter standing next to a halfbadger-half otter fur in a military outfit.   "That's Amy as an adult,standing next to her son Jacob.  See that he's wearing a Marine uniform.He was in the Island Self Defense forces during the Transoceanic war.   Hesaw horrible things in the war.  The Zanji were trying to undermine theFreelands Alliance by assaulting from the south as their allies wereattacking the Northern continent.   Jacob Slipsunder helped turn the tidein our favor along with the aid of the Alliance Expeditionary forces.They stopped the enemy advance about 100 Km to the East of Fairport."

"Oh Mr. Muskytail said there were bunkers in Fairport with guns."

"They were never fired in anger, but it was damn close.  The islands thatwere fought over were devastated.  The island council made sure it wouldnever happen again, by joining the Alliance as a member instead of just anally.  The old country joined as well so the Confederation was born in theashes of the war.  3 stars on the flag changed to 5."

"Did people stay in town during war?"

Sylvia nodded.  "For most of the war yes, but right before the Zanji werehalted, Fairport and the resort were evacuated.  Amy had to leave herbeloved greenhouse behind.  A week later she returned with her family andwas never the same again."   Sylvia stopped long enough to dab at her eyeswith a tissue.  She regrouped and continued, "The enemy sent scout partiesahead of the main force.  One team landed on the resort but were driven offby islander snipers.  One of the Zanji soldiers was fatally wounded, butmanaged to drag himself into the greenhouse before he expired.  The bodywas removed by the time Amy got back, but she saw the dried blood was stillthere.  It broke her heart.   She had seen the greenhouse as a symbol oflife and not death, so she never....never used the greenhouse again."

Jeremy looked at his feet, "So she not garden anymore?"

Tears were rolling down the rabbit/otter's cheekfur.  "No, she kept upthe flowerbeds but she sold off the greenhouse plants.  It became an emptyshell.  That's why it looked like a garage sale by the time I hired you.Packed with 90 years of stuff."   She smiled slightly.  "But the storyisn't quite over.  The Zanji soldier widow sent my family a gift after thewar ended."

Jeremy looked surprised.  "Enemy send gift?"

"Yes she did."  Sylvia shrugged in a way that suggested she was a bitpuzzled as well.   "It was a windchime with symbols on it on it that stoodfor 'Blessed Earth' or something similar."

"That amazing Mrs. Slipsunder.  So your great-grandmother Amanda hang it up?"

Sylvia just looked sad.  "No she said it could only be hung up in thegreenhouse.   And no one in the family was willing to do it while she wasalive.  There was too much painful memories attached to it."  She took outa color picture and handed it to Jeremy.  It was of an old badger/otterwith an otter and her half rabbit child.  "That's a picture of me with mymother and grandpa Jacob."

"You are little girl?"

"I was the youngest of 7 children.  That photo was taken by my oldestbrother on my 12th birthday, the day I came of age.  I also was entrustedwith the chime, which has passed down my family from generation togeneration."

"No one else before me use greenhouse?"

Sylvia sighed, "Not even my own children have broken the tradition ofguilt."  She stood up.  "The violence that fell on my great-grandmother'sheart broke it.  Now you must decide if it will break yours.  I know whathappened to you and Kari scarred you for life.  I can't really understandwhat you are going through.  Kari is my lover but she can't express it tome.  But you can share it with each other.  Together you can keep going."She looked drained as she finished.

Sylvia then fished out a smaller box from the photograph box and pushedit across the table to Jeremy.  She put the photographs back in the largerbox and tucked it under her arm.  "That's all I can say.  I can't say I'dblame you if you're back at the Muskytail fishery tomorrow."  She headedfor the door.

Jeremy twisted around to call her back.  "But what about box?"

Sylvia winked and smiled rather enigmatically.  "Just consider it a giftfrom an old friend."  And with that she was gone.  The door softly clickedshut behind her.

There was nothing to do but open the box.  Jeremy gingerly opened up thedisintegrating flaps.  Inside was a dark metallic cone shaped object.  Helifted it up by the top and saw a rectangular windcatcher dangle beneathit, tethered to the cone by a thin wire.   As the object caught the faintseabreeze it began to sound musically.  It was a Zanjinse windchime.