Freedoms Run 12756, 6:08 AM 

Larry bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun. He never tired of seeing the sun rise over the water, a luxury he had missed for nearly 34 years of his life.  Ah well, he thought, everyone has regrets, but he had always been proud of his Naval service, even if he had been buried in the bowels of the aircraft carrier's tactical room, permanently cut off from the sunlight.  At least he could now work with the sea, and see the sunlight.  The dock at the Muskytail fishery was quiet, as the fishing boat Sandy Shoals  had steamed out before dawn.  It was at that point he heard the faint creak of the planking about 20 feet behind him.  Ah well, not totally quiet, he thought, rather amusedly.   He knew it was Jeremy for two rather obvious reasons; one-  the dockworkers wouldn't be needed until evening so they were asleep or elsewhere on the island, two - only Jeremy had that tentative gait, all others would have clomped on the deck making more racket than a marching band.  Thinking about that ferret brought out a mixture of pride and sadness.  Jeremy had incredible resilience, just like one of his plants, struggling to thrive in the worst soil.  When he had hired him about a year ago, most of his employees had thought he was nuts, hiring one of them , a Barovian, the enemy!   But Larry had put his paw down and insisted they give him a fair shake.  After all if the Barovian government had wanted to send in a spy, they would have to have done a better job then sending in a ferret with the unmistakable amber eyes of the Barovian Torniz tribe, and an accent thicker than molasses!  Most of the employees were still a bit brusque to him, but they all enjoyed the fresh herbs he grew, and thought of him as merely crazy and not homicidal. Larry sighed a bit, and knew that crazy wasn't too far off the mark.  The poor kid had long ago retreated into the comfort of his inner voices, and only his medication cut him away from that comfort.    He waited for Jeremy to pad up beside him, and join him in welcoming the sun to the sky. 

Jeremy Longwhisker hesitated.  He was caught between eagerness and indecision.  He had waited for over a month for the seedlings to arrive and knew that today they'd come in!  He wanted desperately to tell his parents about the plants, but the Chlorzanthatil muted them, until they could mummer only incomprehensively.  He regretted that of course, but Mr. Muskytail said that it would better this way, that he would have to start listening to other people now, instead of the voices.  He could see him at the end of  the dock, watching the sunrise as usual.   He didn't want to disturb him, but this dock would give the best view of the Seaplane port. Before he could make up his mind, Larry said "Come on down and join me, Jeremy" in a pleasant tone of voice.   Jeremy started, then did as he was told.  He padded up to Muskytail's chair and his disconcerting yellow eyes looked past his dark tinted glasses scanning the skies.  "I'm just sitting in my favorite chair, wasting time" , commented Larry with that ever present hint of amusement.  Jeremy looked back at him but didn't respond. Muskytail was always easygoing, but Jeremy didn't want to mention the chair, in case it was a sore point.  Better to play it safe.  He could see Muskytail's 50ish form, sitting in a rugged chrome colored wheelchair, which had been a mountain bike in its last incarnation.  He had the classical white spots on black fur starting to tinge gray, the fur of a spotted skunk, with his tail billowing out behind the chair, always attired in shorts and a Navy T-shirt.  His headfur was iron gray, although his rather stern looking features were well softened by his pleasant slate blue eyes. 

Jeremy never knew what to say about the chair so he stumbled a bit, " Well, I er, I was waiting, for er.." 

"Kari", finished Larry, "don't worry, barring a hurricane or UFO abduction, she'll be here"  At that he flipped out his grandfather's Mariner pocketwatch  "6:08....she's due about now"  Right on time the low buzzing sound of a dual engined  Naval surplus plane indicated that he was right. Both watched the plane come into view, circle gracefully and flawlessly touch down.  Larry smiled at Kari's touchdown, still the showoff he thought.  "Go and meet her, Jeremy, she's very nice" 

Jeremy nodded, his excitement threatening to burst him, "I never see seaplane up close before...I meet your friend!  I'll be back soon!"  He started running down the dock  "I come back soon, I promise!" 

Freedoms Run 12756, 6:45 AM 

Kari shoved the second to last crate out the door onto the dock, grunting a bit as she struggled with it.  That job done, she sat to rest on it a bit.  Most of the cargo had been claimed and paid for, and the two passengers had long ago disembarked.  She had no oncoming passengers as yet, but they wouldn't show until about an hour before her 9AM departure, if any showed at all.  Most of her business was freight in the off season anyway, as there were always staples that the islanders couldn't  produce themselves.  The last 3 items were still awaiting their owners.  Unlike the military, punctuality was last on the list of priorities for the natives. The islanders saw little point in rushing, so they would doubtless meander in in their own time.  She brushed the sweat off of her fur, and smoothed out her shorts, her only piece of apparel at the moment.  She idly wondered if Sylivia had some free time the next time she returned to the island. She flipped through the logbook, noted the date, and decided to pay her love a visit next time she was here.   She sighed and glanced up at the troublesome portside engine and fished out a parts catalog to check out the vintage spark plugs.  At that moment Jeremy arrived and stopped short. 

Jeremy blinked as he saw the tan colored fennec casually lounging on a crate, leafing through some sort of classic airplane parts catalog, her intimidating blue eyes intently scanning for a particular part.  Jeremy could understand the need for spare parts, considering the plane was likely as old as Muskytail!  The bright red painted plane dwarfed her.   It had the wide boat shaped hull and looked about as maneuverable as a cow.   Its massive overhead wing with its huge propeller engines cast a shadow on the dock.  It looked finely restored and doted on.  The pilot was topless as most islanders were, and she looked very lithe and strong.  She was seemingly oblivious to his presence.  She idly brushed a stray strand of dark brown hair back over her forehead as he again hesitated between indecision and insistent expectation. 

Kari, without looking up, knew instantly that whoever this guy was, he wasn't an islander, his gait was far too uncertain and hesitant.  The islanders had a characteristic way of casually strolling that was unmistakable.  Why he had stopped and was just standing there wasn't her concern.  Probably just here to look at my baby.  She smiled inwardly. Half the people who saw her seaplane were impressed with her plane, and half were impressed it flew at all.  Rather reluctantly she got up, chucked the catalog into the pilot compartment, and reached inside to wriggle the last big crate out on to the dock. 

Jeremy looked all over the dock, read over the labels, and reread them, looking for 'Live Plants', 'Handle with care', 'keep in a warm storage' and finding nothing.  However he saw a slender box atop the large box the Fennec was wrestling with.  The plants are in that box, he thought. In his intense excitement he forgot he started to speak in the lilting language of his homeland.  "<Lady, the Seedlings!>", he said.."<can I..?>" and stopped.  Something was terribly wrong with her posture. 

Kari's fur stood up on her back, one word searing through her head "Malik!"  She knew a Barovian voice when she heard one.  She whirled around, with revenge on her mind, her eyes showing white hot hate!  That arrogant bastard would pay for Rebecca and Raymond!  Her teeth bared and her fingerclaws shot out , ready to tear at her enemy!  Her eyes were insane with fury, narrowed to slits.  She faced her tormenter ready to- 

"<Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  Don't kill me!!>" shot through her head and she started and stopped.  The image of that Bastard of a prince dissolved into reality, that of a terrified black haired ferret youth, scared out of his mind, his yellow eyes showing absolute terror!  He had wet his overalls and his glasses had spun onto the dock.  "<Please please don't hurt me>", he sobbed.  Kari's rage collapsed into a mess of shame and confusion and bewilderment, all piled together.  She leaned heavily on the plane hatch for support, feeling weak and sick. As soon as she did so, he was off like a shot, running for his life!  Kari felt in no position to call after him or even move.  She staggered into the plane and shut the door loud enough to make it clang.  She savagely kicked the catalog into the wall and slumped into her seat, tears searing her eyes and her nails dug hard enough into her paws to draw blood. "Goddammit" she bellowed, over and over again to no one but herself. 

Freedoms Run 12756, 10:00 AM 

Kari padded along the pleasant streets of the island, basking in the familiar warmth of her home.  Her plane flight would have to wait, she had left a note explaining the flight was delayed due to mechanical problems.  Now that  wouldn't  be a hard one to swallow, she thought, besides there are other problems to deal with a new spark plug won't fix. Cradled in her left paw was a small box labeled "Neo Flora Nurseries", and securely stowed in one of the shorts utility pockets was a pair of Barovian made smoke  colored glasses.  She paused at the gates of 'Muskytail Fishery', glad that she had saved this one for last.  That poor kid was no Barovian spy, especially since his work clothes was a dead giveaway to his occupation.  And she couldn't have missed that stench of fish on him even if she had been short a nose!  From where she stood, she could see the main warehouse and next to the dock, the main administrative buildings.  The roof still had the painted Block letters 'GO NAVY' although it was rather faded by now.  The place was deserted now, confirming her suspicion from the air that the Sandy  was still out plying the fishing lanes.  No audience, that's one good thing at least she thought.  She saw the windows were open on the second floor office, so that incorrigible skunk was in. 

She bounded up the flight of stairs in favor of the longer ramp, and was at  the office door when she heard a merry voice say  "Come in Kari!" inside.   She opened the door and padded in, seeing Muskytail seated as his desk, casually grinning at her. She realized instantly that he had been waiting for her for quite some time.  So the ferret has already spoken to him.   If she knew him as well as she thought, she knew he would cushion the conversation with small talk so she could be relaxed enough to bring up the ferret herself.   Despite her mood, she smiled just a bit inside, of course it would be Larry, of all the people on the island , whose uncle and grandfather had fought  to destroy the Barovians in the Transoceanic war, who would hire  one!   Other than Sylvia, this old sea salt was the only one who knew of her secret dark past.   "Hello Lt.Commander Muskytail", she said, saluting him. 

He saluted back, not smiling except for his eyes.  "At ease Lt.", he said casually. 

Kari, eyed the 'Navy' T-shirt, and commented "Aren't you burning up in that shirt?" 

I'm all right, but if you need an extra shirt I can always lend it to you", he quipped winking. 

"It would make a handy oil rag" she mused thoughtfully. 

"Perfect to service a Naval seaplane" agreed Muskytail. 

Kari smiled despite herself, you would better luck telling the sun to rise in the west than they would convincing each other their branch of the Freeland's military was the best.  "How is the fishery holding up?  The Sandy Shoals still being held together by bubble gum?" 

"As Always", he nodded for her to take a seat, "A gracious host would  get up, but ..." 

Kari, was a bit sorrowful, and never knew how to handle the topic of the wheelchair.  Of course he was self effacing about it, but it must have hit him hard to get in that drunken crash that cost him the use of his legs.  He was clean and sober now, but the price had been too high.  He had been in the Navy for 36 years without even a scratch only to do a dumb thing like that off duty.  She wasn't the only one with demons in her past. Muskytail opened a cubical refrigerator 

"what will you be happy with?..nothing harder than a Diet Cola for myself of course, can't get too much sugar at my age after all..its unhealthy" 

"Mineral water", Kari said snapping her mind back on the here and now,  "I uh, have a delivery to make" 

"Really?", Muskytail said in mock surprise, "What is it?" 

After taking a big swig from the bottle of water, Kari gently laid the box on the table, gently placing the glasses on it as well.  She tailswished as she hesitated, "Its for...an employee of yours..he didn't get the package" 

Muskytail leaned forward and smiled as took her paw,  "Jeremy will be overjoyed to see it, Kari.  I'm glad you came by to deliver it yourself.. you didn't have to" 

Kari shook her head firmly,  "I needed to do this.  I need to talk with him." 

"Of course you may", he said smiling.   He then handed over the money to pay for the shipping cost.  He got that usual impish grin of his as he punched on the PA system.  The sound blared over the empty fishery "Will Jeremy Longwhisker please report to the main office!" , and switched it off.  There was a long pause of at least ten seconds, before the door behind Muskytail creaked open, and a very sheepish looking ferret shuffled out.  Kari looked at him, his obvious Barovian traits still making her wince a little, but she was filled with shame at her explosion at him.  She wordlessly pushed the box to him.  Jeremy hesitated and took the box. "Threes a crowd, I think, so why don't you two go for a walk?" the skunk said graciously. 

Freedoms Run 12756, 10:28 AM 

As Kari and Jeremy stood on the dock,Kari glumly thought it just figured that neither of them could think of a damn thing to say.  They both stared at the Seaplane, about a mile away.  She knew Jeremy had overheard everything that she had said to Muskytail, but that didn't make apologizing any easier.  Both of them had their own private pain and shame, and she reasoned they both felt equally guilty and equally to blame. 

"Mr.Muskytail said you good soul, you never hurt me", he abruptly said. 

Kari nodded, "About that, I'm really sorry Jeremy, I just lost my head for a second, it really isn't important" 

At that, Jeremy's expression became totally miserable, "No is my fault because of what Prince do to Ray and Becky" 

What???, thought Kari taken totally aback, How does he know ?  It then hit her like a ton of bricks...that damn navy skunk told him!  She fumed at the the office window at the other end of the dock, silently vowing to kill him later, only half in jest. 

Meanwhile, Jeremy continued "Prince was bad, Mr. Muskytail said, but I always thought he was good.  King hold day of mourning, and every year since, whole country have a Matyr's day.  He said you kill him.  He deserve it.  I deserve hate for liking him." 

Without thinking, Kari touched his cheek, and he looked startled. "No damn it, you don't deserve it!  Only he deserved to burn!", she said. 

"But others suffer, when prince die, there were people trying to get power, King got real mad, bomb towns, house burn." 

Oh hell, the civil war!, Kari thought. 

"I deserve because I thought prince was good", he said, on the verge of tears. 

Kari felt incredibly mixed feelings about the civil war.  Right after Malik's deservedly unpleasant end, several of his cousins had tried to jockey for more power, and the king negotiated with them, by firebombing their headquarters and the towns with them.  No need to make deals with corpses.  At the time she had been in the hospital, doped up on tranquilizers, had found the short but vicious civil war hysterically funny, as it was broadcast on the news.  "Serves you bastards right!  Rot in hell all of you! " she had screamed, while laughing, oblivious to Sylvia's look of horror as she had held her hand and watched helplessly. She had hated them all, even this poor kid, who was probably not much older than Becky at the time of the war. Well she didn't have to hate them all any longer, or she'd end up in the same place as Malik. 

Kari hugged Jeremy gently, even though he was a bit taller than she was. "Its OK, Jeremy...its OK" 

Jeremy looked up "Am I your enemy?". 

Kari shook her head  "No, you're my friend...will you be my friend?"  She released him, and looked a bit stuck for what to say. 

Finally he nodded, "I be your friend of course" 

"I'll show you the plane up close, is that OK?", the vixen asked hopefully. 

"Sure" he said, nodding, and looking amazed that she didn't want to take off his head again.  They silently walked towards the entrance, and he dashed off to put the box in the warehouse.  Kari stopped and gaped.  By the side of the warehouse, in nothing but bare ground was plants...herb of all sorts, even flowers.  She stood there silently, waiting for him to stow the seedling box and return.  When he did, she pointed to the garden mutely, and his gaze followed her finger. 

"You like?" he said, quietly. 

"How did you do it?", she said, wondering how in the heck he had done all this. 

"Oh, its nothing much, is my hobby", he said, smiling for the first time. 

"This is amazing!  You have a real talent", Kari said, and meant it.  "You can do better than processing dead fish you can....Jeremy?" 

"Yes?", he said, blinking. 

"I know of a much better job for you than this.  We can talk to Larry about a new job for you. " Kari said "My girlfriend has this resort, only a stone's throw away from here, and she could really do with a good landscaper.  The house even has a greenhouse or two in back.  Wouldn't you like to work with plants all the time?"  His ecstatic expression answered that  question. He nodded.  "I have just the place!", she said mirroring his eagerness "Come let's go have a chat with Larry"  Finally she could do a favor and make it up to him!   Boy, if only you knew what else was waiting, she thought.  They traveled together towards the office, eager to get out of the bright sun.