The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories Read Online Free PDF Page A

you’re lucky to have a job. Half these guys in here, they won’t be in next month. Times are good now, but come the winter, most of the nobles head south, and the farmers head home. Nobody needs to hire help, so they’ll be tightening their belts.” Jonas nodded. Winter was a slower time for the Staff, too. “But you’ll still have a place to live, food on the table, and a job. Your profession and mine, they’re about the only ones you can count on day in and day out.”
    “ Could I get a job here?”
    “ Doing…what you do?” The bear’s eyes widened, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I can’t. The police would take the pub.”
    “ No, I mean…serving, or…or…keeping the books.”
    Mani looked skeptically at him. “You got a head for numbers?”
    His father: can’t you even add two numbers together? Why can’t you be like Trias? Two years younger and he did all his sums without one mistake! Not one! “I’m…I’ve had experience with…”
    His tongue stumbled and halted. Mani shook his head. “I got all the help I can use. I could, um, ask around…”
    But it was clear the bear’s heart wasn’t in it. “That’s okay.” Jonas took a sip of the cider, then a longer drink. The fumes had given his head a pleasant spin.
    “ Really, think about what I said. You’re pretty lucky.”
    “ Yeah. Thanks.”
    Mani got up, and pointed at the cider. “Don’t worry about paying that back. On the house.”
    “ Thanks.” He put more sincerity into that one. “See you on Ursiday.”
    “ Yeah.” Mani scratched behind his ear and got up, bending over a nearby table to ask if they needed any more ale.
    Jonas sat at the table, letting the cider warm his stomach and head, while his thoughts continued to chase each other around and around. He couldn’t stand to keep doing what he was doing, but he couldn’t do anything else. The cider vanished quickly, the headiness more slowly, but when they were both gone, his dilemma remained.
    A raccoon cleared away his mug, and Mani signaled from near the fireplace to ask if he wanted another. Jonas shook his head. He’d imposed enough, and he was content to sit in the bar, absorbing what he could of the fire’s warmth, simply being away from the Staff until he had to go back.
    Tally was waiting for him when he walked into the back room. Jonas pulled his robe closed and looked at the board.
    “ My office.” Tally stepped into the room without waiting for Jonas to acknowledge him. Jonas sighed, and followed.
    “ So what happened to Sasha?” Tally’s arms were folded, his ears cupped forward. They were dyed light blue today, as were the sides of his cheeks. His paws were hidden in the crooks of his arms, but Jonas was sure they were dyed blue too.
    He stared at them and shrugged, avoiding the other cougar’s eyes. “Family emergency.”
    “ Come on, Jonas. You’re not doing him any favors by covering for him. He skipped out the night Van Wyck was here, so it’s not hard to put together what’s going on. Either he got hurt or he got sick and he didn’t want Van Wyck to know. But I know you two were close and I know you know.”
    He can’t know, Jonas said to himself, but another voice spoke up and said, why not betray Sasha? He betrayed you. It would serve him right. Imagine if he came back and didn’t have a job any more. “He got sick,” he said abruptly.
    “ That’s what I thought.” Tally nodded. “I’ll go back and find out what mice were here in the last few weeks and ban them. We don’t need that kind of customers. You report any sick ones too, you understand?”
    “ Sure.”
    The other cougar softened and walked forward, brushing Jonas on the cheek. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you, kit.” When Jonas remained silent, Tally dropped his paw. “I’ve got a client waiting for you. When you’re ready in seven, I’ll send him over.”
    “ I’ll be there in a minute.” Jonas was left numb by how quickly his resolve