A couple of weeks have passed since Piper's work on behalf of Eeeeat Up! The manager seemed impressed by the net full of Creens when she paid him, and promised him further revenue should that prove the last of their trouble with the pests. He has not yet heard back from her, however.

Piper's efforts in training the new Creen have been far more successful than he was with the previous one. This Creen has been tractable, even friendly, and has yet to bite anyone, although it cannot be noted for exceptional intelligence.

Nearly two months have passed since the Gallah rescued Kassie from the sewers, and she's recovering well under Roho's care. The vixen has become quite restless, eager for more activity; that her leg and arm are still in a cast has deterred her from doing very much.

Piper lazily lounges across his bunk, gently scratching the Creen's chin with a finger. "Now that you're fairly well tamed, maybe we can start teaching you to speak a few words, eh monsieur?" His tail wags sluggishly as he thinks about the vixen's reaction if the Creen manages to learn how to speak her name.

"Cree?" inquires the little animal, blinking its bright eyes at the dog as it stretches its neck beneath his finger, wings fanning out and then steadying for balance.

The Gallah scratches his nose and digs in his pocket, pulling out a few seeds he keeps as treats. "Ka-see. Come on now, monsieur. Ka-seeee." He waves the seed hypnotically under the Creen's nose.

"Suur?" The Creen's mouth stays open after it completes the syllable, as it lunges forward to nab the seed, wings fluttering with the thrust.

Giggling, the mutt relinquishes the seed to the Creen. "It's a start, monsieur." He rubs his finger between the Creen's feathered wings as it eats.

Outside the Black Rock's common room, the everyday sounds of the street can be heard. It's mid-morning, and the Bazaar is lively with vendors calling to their customers, haggling and struggling to catch the attention of the wealthiest (or most gullible) individuals.

The Creen's mouth works around the seed, tongue moving and jaws opening and closing a couple of times before it gets the object fully down its throat. It creees softly at Piper's caress, wrapping the lower section of its body securely around the dog's other arm. "'Suur," it repeats contentedly.

Piper yawns and sits up in the bed. "Ka-see," he repeats to the Creen, holding out another seed. His ears perk at the noise outside and he remembers that he should still do his daily rounds looking for work, or perhaps pay the little fox girl a visit. This bout of training may get cut a bit short.

"See?" The Creen seems to ask, making a lunge for this new morsel of food.

This time Piper holds the seed back. "KAH-see," he repeats, emphasizing the first syllable. ( It knows it gets treats for speaking now, a fair start… )

"See! See!" the little serpent repeats urgently, its coil unwinding from the Gallah's arm as it slithers forward in pursuit of the treat. "See?" it pleads mournfully, fluttering its wings as the food continues to be withheld.

At this time of day, the inn Piper calls home seldom has much in the way of business; the innkeeper and his family usually spend the slack time cleaning and preparing for the lunchtime crowd. He can hear April humming as she works in the main room, especially as the sounds outside grow muted – perhaps a momentary lull in the flow of life at the Bazaar.

"Oh, I suppose I can relent this one time," the dog grins and uncurls his hand from the seed. He lazily sniffs at the air to see if any new scents have stirred their way into the inn today.

The dog hears the door to the main room open while his pet gleefully wolfs down another seed, and the breeze from the open door to the street sweeps through to the common room, carrying the scent of an unfamiliar female feline. The sound of the young proprietor's daughter humming ceases, her footsteps padding on the wooden floor as she presumably crosses to greet the newcomer.

The Gallah licks his chops contemplatively at the newcomer's scent, he sniffs for traces of perfume or any other hints of fineries that might help determine if she's just another person on the street or a noble. His hand digs out another seed, which he waves in front of the Creen again. "Kah," he says to the Creen… hoping to get it familiar with the first syllable as well.

The little animal retreats back to a more comfortable position on Piper's arm to savor its latest conquest, and at the sight of the new seed, it flaps its wings once, head drifting from side to side as it tracks the motion of the dog's hand. "Krah," it says obediently, after a moment. The new visitor's scent carries no perfume, but a faint tang of Temple incense clings to her. Her voice and April's are indistinct as they converse in low tones, although the Gallah catches one word that might be his name.

"I wonder how mam'selle would react to being called 'crassy'? But that is close enough for today." He hands the seed over to the Creen and then gently eases it back into its cage. "Enough training for today, monsieur. I smell work in the air."

After swallowing the seed, the Creen repeats, "'seur?" inquisitively, wings fluttering in discomfort as the mutt disentangles it to replace it in the cage. "'seur?" It looks plaintively at the mutt from within its cage, while a soft knock can be heard on the partially opened door which joins the common and main rooms.

"I shall be back to scratch your chin soon enough, fear not my little winged petite." The Gallah lays a ratty sheet over the cage to quiet the Creen and slings on his belt and quiver as he ambles towards the door. "Bonne apres-midi, can I help you?"

"G'morning, Piper," April says quietly. Her black-ringed tail twitches from side to side, betraying her nervousness. "There's, um, someone here to – "

Abruptly, Piper finds that the door is wide open, and two people are in the room with him – one April, whose black-masked face is screwed up fearfully, and the other a Khatta with gray tiger markings, whose hand is waving a few inches from his nose. " – ver seen this happen to him before?" the Khatta is saying, apparently to April, although her eyes are focused on his face.

Piper tilts his head sideways, glancing at April and the Khatta. "Is something the matter, Madames?"

A smile appears and vanishes almost as quickly on the feline's face as Piper speaks, while she lets her hand drop away from his face and to her side. She wears the robes of a Temple Investigator. "Are you with us again, Mr. Piper? We might ask that question of you – You've been standing there staring into space for a few minutes now. Are you feeling well?"

The Gallah's ears droop. "I have? I'm very sorry, Madame. But yes, I'm fine now." He pats himself as though checking for bumps or bruises. "Just a small spell, nothing to be worried about."

April wrings her hand nervously as she watches Piper, and starts suddenly backwards. "A spell!" she squeaks in alarm, making the sign of the anchor and cross over her chest. The investigator, meanwhile, tilts her head in a gesture of curiosity, her gaze on the Gallah like that of a scientist studying some new specimen.

Piper waves his hands frantically. "Not a magic spell, I mean. Just a bit of dizziness. It happens to me from time to time, nothing to trouble yourself about."

The Rath'ani looks in no way reassured by his words, backing away towards the door, while the Khatta seems to accept his explanation, nodding her head slowly. "You have these spells often?" she asks, her voice low and pleasant, tone neutral.

"It's hard to tell, Madame. Often enough, I suppose. Maybe once a day or once every few days." The dog scratches at his ear. "Have I done something wrong?"

She nods again, then twitches her whiskers, "Ah! Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Piper. I am Investigator Faith, with the Temple. I've had many unusual reactions to my presence in the past, but yours was surely the most unexpected of them." Another quick smile, here and gone, crosses her face. In response to his question, she continues, "I don't know, Mr. Piper. Have you?" Her expression remains sober as she delivers the question in a neutral tone.

Piper rubs his nose in thought. "Is this about the wheelbarrow I found? I've kept it in case the owner should show up, but I assure you that I didn't steal it."

The Khatta blinks twice, then says, "Wheelbarrow?"

"Yes, Madame. I found a discarded wheelbarrow in the sewers while I was hunting vermites. It was the same day I found the poor mam'selle at the bottom of the shaft as well," the Gallah yips in reply.

"I see." She appears to give the mutt's words careful consideration before she speaks again. "I know nothing of a missing wheelbarrow, Mr. Piper, though I will make inquiries at the Temple regarding it. How long ago did you find it? And whom is this 'poor mam'selle' you found?" Her voice carries a more curious note on the last question, betraying a trace of emotion lacking from her earlier calm queries.

Piper sucks on his upper lip as he counts the weeks. "I believe it was about two or three holidays ago, Madame. The mam'selle is named Kassie and had been pushed into the sewers by some ruffians, although I've no idea who they might be, as the mam'selle didn't get a chance to see them. She's in Roho's hospice now having her broken arm and leg tended to." The Gallah chews on his lip a bit more and adds, "Is mam'selle Kassie in trouble?"

Faith listens to Piper's story with detached interest, nodding at various junctures. "Might we have a seat, Mr. Piper? It seems I will have quite a few questions for you." She gestures to one of the two small tables set up in a corner of the otherwise bunk-filled common room.

"Of course, Madame." The Gallah smiles at April as he seats himself at the table. "Mam'selle, could you bring us a pitcher of water or juice to drink? Talking a lot makes my throat dry."

The Rath'ani squeaks at the mention of her name, startled out of her rapt contemplation of the previously "bewitched" dog and the Temple investigator. "O-okay." She slips hurriedly out of the room while the investigator pulls a chair out from beside the table and seats herself.

The Gallah licks his nose nervously. "I shall answer your questions as best as I can, Madame Investigator. Please forgive me for being a bit shaky; I'm not used to being visited by Temple officials."

"Please be at ease, Mr. Piper. As long as you've done nothing wrong and remain honest, you are in no danger from the Temple." Her uninflected tone makes the words less reassuring than they might be had they come from a more compassionate speaker, and there's a pause as the Khatta chews over the Gallah's earlier words for some moments before she speaks again. "It sounds as if Miss Kassie may well be in trouble; being pushed into the sewers is scarcely a sign of a tranquil existence. Would you describe her appearance for me, please?" She takes out a tablet and pencil from a pouch at her side, jotting down a few words onto the page.

"She's a young fox girl, I'd say twelve years at the most." He holds out one hand to indicate her height. "She used to be a healer's apprentice but her master died. She was living at an inn in Darkside and was running an errand when she was pushed into the sewers. I just assumed it was another case of some bored children playing videz le renard."

The feline nods as Piper continues, jotting down a few more notes, and making a moue of distaste at his last phrase. "I see. What kind of errand was she running?"

Piper's eyebrows pinch together as he tries to remember. "I… I believe she was delivering a message for the innkeeper to some sort of shop. I can't recall precisely to whom though."

Another nod. "That's all right. Do you recall which innkeeper she was delivering it on behalf of?"

"Not his name, Madame. The inn was called the 'Crossed Swords', though." The Gallah, places his fingers together in an 'x' shape to emphasize the fact.

"Very good." She dashes an X on to her pad, then pauses. "Did you or Miss Kassie report this incident to the Temple previously, Mr. Piper?"

"Not to my knowledge, Madame. As the mam'selle did not see who pushed her into the sewers and this sort of thing probably happens all the time, I did not think there was much the Temple could do. I was simply happy to help Kassie find a place where she could get some proper treatment," Piper barks.

Faith sighs heavily, setting her pencil down and looking at the Gallah for a moment. "While your observation may be unfortunately apt, Mr. Piper, I would appreciate it if you would report future illegal activity to the Temple. We may not be able to help when you tell us about a problem, but we certainly cannot help if you do not. Am I understood?" She fixes the mutt with her gaze.

Piper shrinks down a bit. "Yes, Madame. Perhaps I am still too accustomed to the traditions of Gallis."

The Temple investigator acknowledges him with a nod, then flips a sheet on her writing tablet. "Thank you." Her voice returns to her earlier professional, uninflected tone. "Are you familiar with an individual who goes by the name "Torn-Ear," Mr. Piper?"

The Gallah perks up again. "Oh yes I do, Madame! He wanted to give mam'selle Kassie a job and managed to find work for me in Little Babel."

A few blinks from the Khatta in response to Piper's enthusiasm. "What kind of employment did he offer to you and Miss Kassie?"

"I believe that he wanted to find work for mam'selle Kassie's healing skills, and I helped a market in Little Babel with a Creen problem and cleared out a tower there of a Creen infestation as well." Piper's tail wags nervously, unsure as to why mentioning his friend would result in a confused reaction from the Temple investigator.

Faith digests this piece of information slowly, her whiskers twitching forward and backwards. "I … see. How did you first meet 'Torn-Ear,' Mr. Piper?" She lifts her pencil, jotting a few words onto the tablet.

The Gallah sucks on his lip again. "I was making my rounds and he noticed me and called me by name. He took me to a bar and bought me a smelly drink and asked me a few questions about mam'selle Kassie."

Nodding, the investigator encourages Piper to continue. "And this would have been about how long ago? Did you know Kassie before you found her in the sewers?"

"This was about one or two holidays ago. Kassie had been in the hospital for about four weeks if I recall, and no … I'd never met her before I had found her in the sewers," Piper replies.

Smoothing back her whiskers with one hand, Faith studies her tablet. "He hailed you to ask you about Miss Kassie," she repeats. "And what did he want to know about her? Were they friends?"

"He asked me if she was going to be all right, and if she saw who pushed her in the sewers. He said he wasn't quite a friend of mam'selle Kassie, but wished to be sometime." Piper scratches at his ear in confusion. "Madame, has misseur Torn-Ear done something wrong?"

"What kind of 'smelly drink' did he buy you, Mr. Piper?" she asks almost absently, after noting the Gallah's response to her previous question, and not yet responding to his own.

"Just some form of beer. I've never cared much for the taste of fermented things – it reminds me too much of the sewers," the Gallah chuckles.

The investigator has the unconsciously precise and erect bearing of one who has been trained in proper demeanor, and she sits without much fidgeting throughout her inquiry, the fingers of her left hand resting on the table while her right jots with the pencil. She flickers another smile at Piper's comparison of beer and the sewers. "I see," she murmurs. "Did you find anything odd about Torn-ear's inquiry into Miss Kassie's 'accident'? Why did you think he was asking you about it?"

Piper shrugs. "He sounded concerned about her well-being, Madame. We had made quite a scene when I pulled her out of the sewers and I assumed that he had gotten word as to what had happened."

She keeps her attention on the Gallah's face as he speaks, studying his expression carefully. "All right. Do you have anything else you'd like to tell me, Mr. Piper?"

"Nothing comes to mind, Madame," the mutt murmurs, his ears drooping again. "If I knew of anything that might help, I would gladly tell you, but I'm not quite sure what it is you want me to tell you."

"Just the truth, that's all. And I believe you've been honest with me." She folds her tablet closed and tucks it back into her pouch. "As far as I know, Mr. Piper, you are not in any trouble with the Temple, and I'm sure we'd both like to keep it that way. But there are a lot of dangerous people in the Bazaar. I am just here trying to sort the criminals from the regular people. That's my job, and any information you have now – or that you come upon later – which might help me do this, I'll appreciate." She offers a slightly longer smile to the Gallah.

As the investigator pushes her chair back and stands, April at last enters, bearing a platter with a large pitcher of orange juice and two glasses. "Sorry to take so long, Piper," the raccoon half-whispers as she sidles over to the corner table, stealing nervous glances towards the investigator.

"What about Monsieur Torn-Ear or Mam'selle Kassie?" The Gallah whimpers nervously. "I'd hate to think I got any of my friends into trouble – OH! Thank you, Mam'selle April. I was starting to get thirsty." He quickly pours himself a glass and laps at it eagerly.

Faith slips her pencil into a slot within the pouch, and pushes her chair back in. "I will look into the matter of Miss Kassie's 'flushing'." She frowns distastefully. "Should I learn anything conclusive regarding it, I will be sure to let you know, though so long after the fact… " She gives a brief sigh and shakes her head. "In any event, good day to you, Mr. Piper. Keep well."

"You as well, Madame. I am here if you ever need to speak with me further." The Gallah stands up from his seat and bows.

Nodding an acknowledgment of his gesture, Faith adds, "Thank you," in her coolly neutral voice, and departs.

April watches the Temple official leave, not relaxing until she hears the front door close behind the other woman. "Phew!" the little raccoon exhales in a rush. "What did she want with you, Piper?"

Piper sits back down and sips from his glass again. "I'm not sure. Perhaps one of the Temple guards finally got around to reporting what had happened with mam'selle Kassie, although I've no idea how monsieur Torn-Ear's name was brought up. Did she ask you anything about me?"

April shakes her head. "Just that she asked if you were here."

After a pause, she adds, "I hope you don't mind that I said yes. You're not in any trouble, right?" She peers anxiously at the Gallah's face.

"Of course not! I don't even go poaching on other people's property." The dog cups his chin in his hand. "I hope Kassie isn't in any trouble either."

"April!" The booming voice of the innkeeper's wife echoes into the room from beyond to door. "April, drat it, where are you, girl?"

The little raccoon's tail swishes in agitation, and she waves a hurried goodbye to Piper as she rushes to the door. "Coming, Mother! I was just bringing Piper something to drink!"

Piper smiles a bit and waves back to the innkeeper's daughter. His hand drops to his pocket and he fishes out another seed.

The Gallah carefully pulls out the little Creen and pets its head, showing it the seed. "We'll try this again now. Kah… Kah… "

The caged Creen was coiled with its head beneath one wing, and it makes a sleepy cree of protest as Piper pulls it out, but as its eyes focus on the morsel, it looks more reconciled to its fate. "Krah? Kah?" it queries optimistically. One wing flutters, but it doesn't seem quite up to a snatching lunge yet.

Piper grins and feeds the Creen his treat. "That's right! Now let's try putting them together." He fishes out a small handful of seeds as he settles in for another training session. "Kah-see… Kah-see… "

A couple of weeks have passed since Piper's work on behalf of Eeeeat Up! The manager seemed impressed by the net full of Creens when she paid him, and promised him further revenue should that prove the last of their trouble with the pests. He has not yet heard back from her, however.

Piper's efforts in training the new Creen have been far more successful than he was with the previous one. This Creen has been tractable, even friendly, and has yet to bite anyone, although it cannot be noted for exceptional intelligence.

Nearly two months have passed since the Gallah rescued Kassie from the sewers, and she's recovering well under Roho's care. The vixen has become quite restless, eager for more activity; that her leg and arm are still in a cast has detered her from doing very much.

Piper lazily lounges across his bunk, gently scratching the Creen's chin with a finger. "Now that you're fairly well tamed maybe we can start teaching you to speak a few words, eh monseur?" His tail wags sliggishly as he thinks about the vixen's reaction if the Creen manages to learn how to speak her name.

"Cree?" inquires the little animal, blinking its bright eyes at the dog as it stretches its neck beneath his finger, wings fanning out and then steadying for balance.

The Gallah scratches his nose and digs in his pocket, pulling out a few seeds he keeps as treats. "Ka-see. Come on now, monseur. Ka-seeee." He waves the seed hypnotically under the Creen's nose.

"Suur?" The Creen's mouth stays open after it completes the syllable, as it lunges forward to nab the seed, wings fluttering with the thrust.

Giggling, the mutt relinquishes the seed to the Creen. "It's a start, monseur." He rubs his finger between the Creen's feathered wings as it eats.

Outside the Black Rock's common room, the every day sounds of the street can be heard. It's mid-morning, and the Bazaar is lively with vendors calling to their customers, haggling and struggling to catch the attention of the wealthiest (or most gullible) individuals.

The Creen's mouth works around the seed, tongue moving and jaws opening and closing a couple of times before it gets the object fully down its throat. It creees softly at Piper's caress, wrapping the lower section of its body securely around the dog's other arm. "'Suur," it repeats contentedly.

Piper yawns and sits up in the bed. "Ka-see." he repeats to the Creen, holding out another seed. His ears perk at the noise outside and he remembers that he should still do his daily rounds looking for work, or perhaps pay the little fox girl a visit. This bout of training may get cut a bit short.

"See?" The Creen seems to ask, making a lunge for this new morsel of food.

This time Piper holds the seed back. "KAH-see," he repeats emphasizing the first syllable. ( It knows it gets treats for speaking now, a fair start… )

"See! See!" the little serpent repeats urgently, its coil unwinding from the Gallah's arm as it slithers forward in pursuit of the treat. "See?" it pleads mournfully, fluttering its wings as the food continues to be withheld.

At this time of day, the inn Piper calls home seldom has much in the way of business; the innkeeper and his family usually spend the slack time cleaning and preparing for the lunchtime crowd. He can hear April humming as she works in the main room, especially as the sounds outside grow muted – perhaps a momentary lull in the flow of life at the Bazaar.

"Oh, I suppose I can relent this one time," the dog grins and uncurls his hand from the seed. He lazily sniffs at the air to see if any new scents have stirred their way into the inn today.

The dog hears the door to the main room open while his pet gleefully wolfs down another seed, and the breeze from the open door to the street sweeps through to the common room, carrying the scent of an unfamilar female feline. The sound of the young proprietor's daughter humming ceases, her footsteps padding on the wooden floor as she presumably crosses to greet the newcomer.

The Gallah licks his chops contemplatively at the newcomer's scent, he sniffs for traces of perfume or any other hints of fineries that might help determine if she's just another person on the street or a noble. His hand digs out another seed which he waves in front of the Creen again. "Kah," he says to the Creen… hoping to get it familiar with the first syllable as well.

The little animal retreats back to a more comfortable position on Piper's arm to savor its latest conquest, and at the sight of the new seed it flaps its wings once, head drifting from side to side as it tracks the motion of the dog's hand. "Krah," it says obediantly, after a moment. The new visitor's scent carries no perfume, but a faint tang of Temple incense clings to her. Her voice and April's are indistinct as they converse in low tones, although the Gallah catches one word that might be his name.

"I wonder how mamselle would react to being called 'crassy'? But that is close enough for today." He hands the seed over to the Creen and then gently eases it back into its cage. "Enough training for today, monseur. I smell work in the air."

After swallowing the seed, the Creen repeats, "'seur?" inquisitively, wings fluttering in discomfort as the mutt disentangles it to replace it in the cage. "'seur?" It looks plaintively at the mutt from within its cage, while a soft knock can be heard on the partially opened door which joins the common and main rooms.

"I shall be back to scratch your chin soon enough, fear not my little winged petite." The Gallah lays a ratty sheet over the cage to quiet the Creen and slings on his belt and quiver as he ambles towards the door. "Bonne apres-midi, can I help you?"

"G'morning, Piper," April says quietly. Her black-ringed tail twitches from side to side, betraying her nervousness. "There's, um, someone here to"

Abruptly, Piper finds that the door is wide open, and two people are in the room with him – one April, whose black-masked face is screwed up fearfully, and the other a Khatta with gray tiger markings, whose hand is waving a few inches from his nose. " – ver seen this happen to him before?" the Khatta is saying, apparently to April, although her eyes are focused on his face.

Piper tilts his head sideways, glancing at April and the Khatta. "Is something the matter, madames?"

A smile appears and vanishes almost as quickly on the feline's face as Piper speaks, while she lets her hand drop away from his face and to her side. She wears the robes of a Temple Investigator. "Are you with us again, Mr. Piper? We might ask that question of you – you've been standing there staring into space for a few minutes now. Are you feeling well?"

The Gallah's ears droop. "I have? I'm very sorry, madame. But yes, I'm fine now." He pats himself as though checking for bumps or bruises. "Just a small spell, nothing to be worried about."

April wrings her hand nervously as she watches Piper, and starts suddenly backwards. "A spell!" she squeaks in alarm, making the sign of the anchor and cross over her chest. The investigator, meanwhile, tilts her head in a gesture of curiousity, her gaze on the Gallah like that of a scientist studying some new specimen.

Piper waves his hands frantically. "Not a magic spell I mean. Just a bit of dizzyness. It happens to me from time to time, nothing to trouble yourself about."

The Rathani looks in no way reassured by his words, backing away towards the door, while the Khatta seems to accept his explanation, nodding her head slowly. "You have these spells often?" she asks, her voice low and pleasant, tone neutral.

"Its hard to tell, madame. Often enough I suppose. Maybe once a day or once every few days." The dog scratches at his ear. "Have I done something wrong?"

She nods again, then twitches her whiskers, "Ah! Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Piper. I am Investigator Faith, with the Temple. I've had many unusual reactions to my presence in the past, but yours was surely the most unexpected of them." Another quick smile, here and gone, crosses her face. In response to his question, she continues, "I don't know, Mr. Piper. Have you?" Her expression remains sober as she delivers the question in a neutral tone.

Piper rubs his nose in thought. "Is this about the wheelbarrow I found? I've kept it in case the owner should show up but I assure you that I didn't steal it."

The Khatta blinks twice, then says, "Wheelbarrow?"

"Yes madame. I found a discarded wheelbarrow in the sewers while I was hunting vermites. It was the same day I found the poor mam'selle at the bottom of the shaft as well," the Gallah yips in reply.

"I see." She appears to give the mutt's words careful consideration before she speaks again. "I know nothing of a missing wheelbarrow, Mr. Piper, though I will make inquiries at the Temple regarding it. How long ago did you find it? And whom is this "poor mam'selle" you found?" Her voice carries a more curious note on the last question, betraying a trace of emotion lacking from her earlier calm queries.

Piper sucks on his upper lip as he counts the weeks. "I believe it was about two or three holidays ago, madame. The mam'selle is named Kassy and had been pushed into the sewers by some ruffians, although I've no idea who they might be as the mam'selle didn't get a chance to see them. She's in Roho's hospice now having her broken arm and leg tended to." The Gallah chews on his lip a bit more and adds, "Is mam'selle Kassie in trouble?"

Faith listens to Piper's story with detached interest, nodding at various junctures. "Might we have a seat, Mr. Piper? It seems I will have quite a few questions for you." She gestures to one of the two small tables set up in a corner of the otherwise bunk-filled common room.

"Of course, madame." The Gallah smiles at April as he seats himself at the table. "Mam'selle, could you bring us a pitcher of water or juice to drink? Talking a lot makes my throat dry."

The Rathani squeaks at the mention of her name, startled out of her rapt contemplation of the previously "bewitched" dog and the Temple investigator. "O-ok." She slips hurriedly out of the room while the investigator pulls a chair out from beside the table and seats herself.

The Gallah licks his nose nervously. "I shall answer your questions as best as I can, Madame investigator. Please forgive me for being a bit shaky, I'm not used to being visited by temple officials."

"Please be at ease, Mr. Piper. as long as you've done nothing wrong and remain honest, you are in no danger from the Temple." Her uninflected tone makes the words less reassuring than they might be had they come from a more compasionate speakerm and there's a pause as the Khatta chews over the Gallah's earlier words for some moments before she speaks again. "It sounds as if Miss Kassie may well be in trouble; being pushed into the sewers is scarcely a sign of a tranquil existance. Would you describe her appearance for me, please?" She takes out a tablet and pencil from a pouch at her side, jotting down a few words onto the page.

"She's a young fox girl, I'd say twelve years at the most." He holds out one hand to indicate her height. "She used to be a healer's apprentace but her master died. She was living at an inn in darkside and was running an errand when she was pushed into the sewers. I just assumed it was another case of some bored children playing videz le renard."

The feline nods as Piper continues, jotting down a few more notes, and making a moue of distaste at his last phrase. "I see. What kind of errand was she running?"

Piper's eyebrows pinch together as he tries to remember. "I… I believe she was delivering a message for the inkeeper to some sort of shop. I can't recall precisely to whom though."

Another nod. "That's all right. Do you recall which innkeeper she was delivering it on behalf of?"

"Not his name, Madame. The inn was called the Crossed Swords though." The Gallah, places his fingers together in an 'x' shape to emphasize the fact.

"Very good." She dashes an X on to her pad, then pauses. "Did you or Miss Kassie report this incident to the Temple previously, Mr. Piper?"

"Not to my knowledge, madame. As the mam'selle did not see who pushed her into the sewers and this sort of thing probably happens all the time I did not think there was much the Temple could do. I was simply happy to help Kassie find a place where she could get some proper treatment," Piper barks.

Faith sighs heavily, setting her pencil down and looking at the Gallah for a moment. "While your observation may be unfortunately apt, Mr. Piper, I would appreciate it if you would report future illegal activity to the Temple. We may not be able to help when you tell us about a problem, but we certainly cannot help if you do not. Am I understood?" She fixes the mutt with her gaze.

Piper shrinks down a bit. "Yes, madame. Perhaps I am still too accustomed to the traditions of Gallis."

The Temple investigator acknowledges him with a nod, then flips a sheet on her writing tablet. "Thank you." Her voice returns to her earlier professional, uninflected tone. "Are you familiar with an individual who goes by the name "Torn-Ear," Mr. Piper?"

The Gallah perks up again. "Oh yes I do, madame! He wanted to give mam'selle Kassie a job and managed to find work for me in Little Babel."

A few blinks from the Khatta in response to Piper's enthusiasm. "What kind of employment did he offer to you and Miss Kassie?"

"I believe that he wanted to find work for mam'selle Kassie's healing skills, and I helped a market in Little Babel with a Creen problem and cleared out a tower there of a Creen infestation as well." Piper's tail wags nervously, unsure as to why mentioning his friend would result in a confused reaction from the Temple investigator.

Faith digests this piece of information slowly, her whisker twitching forward and backwards. "I… see. How did you first meet "Torn-Ear," Mr. Piper?" She lifts her pencil, jotting a few words onto the tablet.

The Gallah sucks on his lip again. "I was making my rounds and he noticed me and called me by name. He took me to a bar and bought me a smelly drink and asked me a few questions about mam'selle Kassie."

Nodding, the investigator encourages Piper to coninue. "And this would have been about how long ago? Did you know Kassie before you found her in the sewers?"

"This was about one or two holidays ago. Kassie had been in the hospital for about four weeks if I recall, and no… I'd never met her before I had found her in the sewers," Piper replies.

Smoothing back her whiskers with one hand, Faith studies her tablet. "He hailed you to ask you about Miss Kassie," she repeats. "And what did he want to know about her? Were they friends?"

"He asked me if she was going to be alright, and if she saw who pushed her in the sewers. He said he wasn't quite a friend of mam'selle Kassie but wished to be sometime." Piper scratches at his ear in confusion. "Madame, has misseur Torn-Ear done something wrong?"

"What kind of "smelly drink" did he buy you, Mr. Piper?" she asks almost absently, after noting the Gallah's response to her previous question, and not yet responding to his own.

"Just some form of beer. I've never cared much for the taste of fermented things – it reminds me too much of the sewers," the Gallah chuckles.

The investigator has the unconsciously precise and erect bearing of one who has been trained in proper demeanor, and she sits without much fidgeting throughout her inquiry, the fingers of her left hand resting on the table while her right jots with the pencil. She flickers another smile at Piper's comparison of beer and the sewers. "I see," she murmurs. "Did you find anything odd about Torn-ear's inquiry into Miss Kassie's "accident"? Why did you think he was asking you about it?"

Piper shrugs. "He sounded concerned about her well-being, Madame. We had made quite a scene when I pulled her out of the sewers and I assumed that he had gotten word as to what had happened."

She keeps her attention on the Gallah's face as he speaks, studying his expression carefully. "All right. Do you have anything else you'd like to tell me, Mr. Piper?"

"Nothing comes to mind, madame," the mutt murmurs, his ears drooping again. "If I knew of anything that might help I woluld glady tell you, but I'm not quite sure what it is you want me to tell you."

"Just the truth, that's all. And I believe you've been honest with me." She folds her tablet closed and tucks it back into her pouch. "As far as I know, Mr. Piper, you are not in any trouble with the Temple, and I'm sure we'd both like to keep it that way. But there are a lot of dangerous people in the Bazaar. I am just here trying to sort the criminals from the regular people. That's my job, and any information you have now – or that you come upon later – which might help me do this, I'll appreciate." She offers a slightly longer smile to the Gallah.

As the investigator pushes her chair back and stands, April at last enters, bearing a platter with a large pitcher of orange juice and two glasses. "Sorry to take so long, Piper," the raccoon half-whispers as she sidles over to the corner table, stealing nervous glances towards the investigator.

"What about Monsieur Torn-Ear or Mam'selle Kassie?" The Gallah whimpers nervously. "I'd hate to think I got any of my friends into trouble – OH! Thank you Mam'selle April. I was starting to get thirsty." He quickly pours himself a glass and laps at it eagerly.

Faith slips her pencil into a slot within the pouch, and pushes her chair back in. "I will look into the matter of Miss Kassie's "flushing."" She frowns distastefully. "Should I learn anything conclusive regarding it, I will be sure to let you know, though so long after the fact… " She gives a brief sigh and shakes her head. "In any event, good day to you, Mr. Piper. Keep well."

"You as well, Madame. I am here if you ever need to speak with me further." The Gallah stands up from his seat and bows.

Nodding an acknowledgement of his gesture, Faith adds, "Thank you," in her coolly neutral voice, and departs. April watches the Temple official leave, not relaxing until she hears the front door close behind the other woman. "Phew!" the little raccoon exhales in a rush. "What did she want with you, Piper?"

Piper sits back down and sips from his glass again. "I'm not sure. Perhaps one of the Temple guards finally got around to reporting what had happened with mam'selle Kassie, although I've no idea how monsieur Torn-Ear's name was brought up. Did she ask you anything about me?"

April shakes her head. "Just that asked if you were here."

After a pause, she adds, "I hope you don't mind that I said yes. You're not in any trouble, right?" She peers anxiously at the Gallah's face.

"Of course not! I don't even go poaching on other people's property." The dog cups his chin in his hand. "I hope Kassie isn't in any trouble either."

"April!" The booming voice of the innkeeper's wife echoes into the room from beyond to door. "April, drat it, where are you, girl?"

The little raccoon's tail swishes in agitation, and she waves a hurried goodbye to Piper as she rushes to the door. "Coming, Mother! I was just bringing Piper something to drink!"

Piper smiles a bit and waves back to the Inkeeper's daughter. His hand drops to his pocket and he fishes out another seed.

The Gallah carefully pulls out the little Creen and pets its head, showing it the seed. "We'll try this again now. Kah… Kah… "

The caged Creen was coiled with its head beneath one wing, and it makes a sleepy cree of protest as Piper pulls it out, but as its eyes focus on the morsel, it looks more reconciled to its fate. "Krah? Kah?" it queries optimistically. One wing flutters, but it doesn't seem quite up to a snatching lunge yet.

Piper grins and feeds the Creen his treat. "That's right! Now let's try putting them together." He fishes out a small handfull of seedsas he settles in for another training session. "Kah-see… Kah-see… "