In the Teeth of It

by K A Miltimore

  Chapter Two

  Yami Hayashi arrived in town just as it was turning to dusk. She was expected at the waystation, but first she had to meet the one who had hired her.

  Her instructions were to go to a small park near the courthouse, which was easy enough to find; Enumclaw was a small town. There was a slab bench available, but Yami preferred to pace and watch; she did not want to get cornered unexpectedly. The park was mostly dark, despite the ring of Christmas lights illuminating the nearby streets. The sound of crow caws filtered through the cloudy dusk.

  “I see you made it to this sleepy little hamlet.” Lyssa’s voice croaked out of the darkness but Yami could make out her figure standing next to a large tree. Yami had exceptional night vision but even so, Lyssa’s form was little more than blackness. There was a scent of something rotting on the wind.

  “Tokyo to Seattle to Enumclaw. I have been traveling a long while; you understand that you will be paying me extra for my inconvenience, yes?”

  “You will be paid handsomely, don’t worry about that. I need your particular skills to help me finish what I started in this town. I was thwarted by the waystation host and her friends; it was my fault for underestimating them. I won’t make that mistake again.” Lyssa spoke in a calm, measured way, but the grit of hatred simmered under the words.

  “Fine. Tell me what you want, and I’ll get the job done.” Yami found the scent that seemed to envelope Lyssa growing in strength and she wanted to leave the park as quickly as she could. The sooner she finished the job, the sooner she could get back home. She was done with this kind of work; it was time to get out of the life.

  “You’ll go to the waystation and be my eyes and ears, reporting on what happens there. When the time is right, I’ll have further instructions.”

  Yami nodded and turned to leave the park. She felt something on her shoulder, holding her back.

  “But first, there is a small task I need you to perform. It will help set the wheels in motion.” Lyssa’s voice croaked in Yami’s ear, bringing that smell too close, wrapping Yami in a putrid fog.

  ✽✽✽

  Though there was no set check-in time for a guest to arrive, most visitors came to the waystation by dinnertime. Travelers of all stripes seem to prefer company when they ate. Hedy kept an eye on the clock, but it was close to ten and still no visitor. The shop customers had dwindled down, no doubt the wet weather and the winter darkness contributing to that. Mel had gone home an hour earlier, leaving Hedy to wrap things up.

  “Ready to close up shop?” Maurice, the chinchilla, wandered in from the kitchen where, by the looks of his fur, he had been sampling a bit of the trifle pudding.

  “Yes, I think so. I’ll switch the sign to closed, but I’ll leave the door unlocked for a bit just in case our traveler arrives. In the meanwhile, I can get a bit more baking done for the morning.” Maurice seemed satisfied with that response because he made no complaint; unusual for Maurice. He made his way to the entry and turned to head upstairs for the night.

  Hedy almost asked him to stay, to keep her company, but she stopped herself. She knew a chinchilla of his advanced years needed his rest. She was feeling melancholy anyway and would likely be poor company for anyone at the moment.

  The holidays were difficult. Hedy rarely had people around her for very long, and companions at Christmas were even scarcer. The last really happy Christmas had been in New Orleans, and that was a long time ago.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t like Christmas. On the contrary, Hedy found the tradition and spectacle to be wonderful. But celebrating without friends or family could be challenging, especially when it seemed like all the world had loved ones at that time of the year. She had gotten used to having Bren around for the weeks that he stayed to watch for Lyssa. Now that he was gone, it reminded her that she had no one nearby with whom to share the season. It made her wistful.

  “Enough of that, Miss Leckermaul. You have Zelda, Maurice, and Alice, you have Mel, you will see Anahita soon, and there is a new traveler coming. That should be enough to keep you busy.” She heard her voice, but it sounded falsely hopeful even in her ears.

  She was never very good at lying.

  The front door bell tinkled and Hedy looked up to see a woman wrapped up against the weather standing in the doorway. She was tall and lithe, from what Hedy could see, and she had a backpack on her shoulder.

  “Good evening. Are you Hedy Leckermaul?” The woman had a soft voice, with a Japanese accent. In the flickering candle light of the entryway, Hedy thought the traveler’s eyes flashed green.

  “Yes, welcome. Please come in. I wasn’t sure you would make it tonight.” Hedy came to meet her guest in the entryway and held out her hand to take the woman’s wrap. The wool coat was soaked through. “My, I didn’t know it was still raining that hard. I thought things had tapered down. You must be freezing. Please, come in and let me make you a hot drink while we get acquainted.”

  The woman nodded gratefully and followed Hedy into the shop, taking a seat near the counter. “Thank you, I would love some tea. I feel chilled to the bone tonight. My name is Yami Hayashi. I believe the Concierge told you of my arrival? I have my card to show you for identification.”

  Yami was a striking woman, with dark hair and a bit of a point to her face. Hedy saw in the light that her eyes were not green after all, but a lovely shade of dark brown, fringed with long eyelashes.

  “Yes, you are my first traveler in a few months, and it is nice to have you here. Don’t worry about the card; we don’t stand on ceremony around here. I hope you will be with us for a while.” Hedy hoped she didn’t sound desperate when she said that, but it would be nice to have company again.

  “My plans are not solid yet, but I do hope to impose on your kindness for a little while, if that is alright with you.” Yami watched her host as she bustled behind the counter, brewing a pot of tea and placing cookies on a plate.

  Yami wasn’t sure she had ever seen a more absurd looking woman. Her host had impossibly out of style hair, with that sky-high up-do, and her clothes looked like something from another era. Yami tried to gauge Hedy’s age and though her hair was white, her face and hands were youthful. She would guess she was in her mid-thirties, but she couldn’t say for certain.

  How could her employer have been thwarted by this strange woman?

  “Here we go. Hot tea and a few cookies for you. I suspect you’ve had a long day.”

  Yami accepted the tray with a smile and gave the teapot a delicate sniff; it was chamomile but Yami also detected apple and perhaps a bit of cinnamon.

  “You have an amazing house, Miss Leckermaul. I’ve traveled the world, but I can’t recall ever being in one quite like this.” Yami poured a bit of tea into her cup and let the scent waft over her.

  “Please, call me Hedy. Yes, it is an interesting house in its own right. When you add in all my curiosities…well, it does make it rather unusual.” Hedy took the seat across from Yami, smoothing her apron as she spoke.

  “The house is very large and looks old. Quite unlike the houses where I am from, to be sure.” Yami took a sip of the tea; it was delicious. She would have to give the woman her due, she knew how to brew her tea.

  “Where do you hail from, if you don’t mind me asking?” It had been awhile since Hedy had more than a few words with someone other than Mel and she was genuinely interested in learning more about her guest.

  “Japan. I was born in a small village in Okinawa, but I have spent almost all my life in Tokyo. I travel quite a bit for my work, but I am always anxious to get home. I enjoy the ‘hustle and bustle,’ I believe that is the phrase, of my city.”

  “Sounds hectic and very exciting to live in Tokyo. But do you ever crave the quiet of the countryside? Cities can be wonderful, but for me at least, I need some quiet time regularly or I feel a bit stifled.” Hedy had lived in big cities before and she knew how impressive they could be, but also isolating.

  “Oh, I find time to get awa
y from the city. Either through my work or to visit friends who live in the Miyagi Prefecture. That is north of Tokyo, about four hours by car. It is nice to escape now and then. There is beautiful countryside in Japan.”

  Yami took another sip of her tea. Why was this woman so inquisitive about her life? Perhaps she wasn’t as simple as she seemed.

  “I must confess that I am not that familiar with Japan and its geography, but I hope to travel there one day. What would be interesting for a traveler in the Miyagi Prefecture?” Hedy watched the young woman as she sipped her tea, her eyes never leaving Hedy’s face. She seemed rather intense for such small talk.

  “There is a village there, Zao fox village. It is a refuge for foxes and people can go there to interact with them and feed them if they wish. It is rather famous.” Yami finished her tea and placed the cup back on the plate.

  “That sounds quite interesting indeed. I assume they are foxes that, for some reason, can’t live in the wild? We have similar refuges here as well. Just south of here, actually, is such a sanctuary for wolves. Wolf Haven.” Hedy watched the woman smile slightly but she said nothing more. Hedy was picking up the cue that her guest was ready to retire, and she rose from the table. No reason to press her tonight; there would be time for talking later.

  “Yes, Zao is a place for those foxes who are not able to be in the wild, for one reason or another. It is a place I visit once or twice a year to catch up with my old friends.” Yami rose from her seat and gathered her things.

  “Well, I look forward to hearing more about Japan while you stay with us. You must be tired, so let me show you to your room. I have you in the room near the top of the stairs. You’ll notice a large stone chaise in the room but pay that no mind. It belonged to a former guest. I left it there in case he needed to return. I think you will find the space comfortable.”

  Hedy led Yami out of the shop and down the hall toward the stairs. Hearing someone in the house besides the knocks and rattles of Adelaide would be nice again.

  “I’m sure it will be just fine, thank you. I do appreciate your hospitality.” Yami gazed around the hall at the objects covering every surface and slightly shook her head. She couldn’t understand the need for such clutter. They passed through the wooden bramble gate and made their way up the stairs. Yami found the old-fashioned portraits that lined the walls to be depressing.

  “Tomorrow, I will introduce you to the menagerie, to Mel, and to Adelaide. I’m afraid this house is likely more peculiar than you may have suspected.” Hedy chuckled but her guest didn’t join in.

  “Oh, peculiar doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve encountered many strange things in my travels, so it would take something truly unique to surprise me.” Yami watched her host open the bedroom door and they bade each other good night. Yami closed the door behind her.

  She hoped her employer would give her more direction beyond just watching and reporting on this house. What in the world could she want with this absurd baker?

  Chapter Three

  Thursday dawned drier than the day before, which for a Washington winter was a rare thing. Enumclaw was the gateway to a large ski resort and all anyone really cared about was how much snow was coming to the slopes. The weekend forecast called for a large snowstorm in the mountains, so Hedy expected skiers to start showing up in town, which might mean more business for her.

  It was already stacking up to be a busy weekend. The town was having their annual Christmas market at the fairgrounds, which sounded a bit like the Christkindlmarkt she knew from her travels in Bavaria. There would be food, vendors, musicians and dancers, and a beer garden where they would have hot mulled wine. Hedy was one of the vendors, and for the occasion, she was making her grandmother’s recipe for Pfeffernüsse , the German gingerbread famous at Christmastime.

  Her guest was not up yet, and Mel wasn’t due for an hour, so Hedy set to work gathering up the ingredients for the glazed gingerbread. Her grandmother’s recipe called for honey, cream, and white pepper, among other secret spices. This would be the first time Hedy made the recipe to sell in the shop before. Perhaps this would be the beginning of a holiday tradition of her own.

  Zelda, the tabby, meandered into the room, still licking her lips from her breakfast of kippers. Her coat was looking as well-groomed as always, but Hedy had noticed a bit of gray sprinkled among the black. Zelda would not appreciate the insinuation that she was aging; Maurice was the only one getting old as far as the cat was concerned.

  “There’s a bit of a ruckus on the back porch, Hedy. Something is out there pawing at the door. I can hear its nails scratching at the wood.” Zelda didn’t seem too intrigued by a mysterious visitor on the porch. If it wasn’t a nice juicy vole, she had no use for it.

  “Oh, I suspect it is a raccoon trying to get into our milk delivery box, but I will go check it out. Thank you, Zelda.” Hedy left her ingredients on the counter and headed for the kitchen in the back. Maurice had not been down yet this morning as his breakfast wasn’t touched, but it looked like Alice, the magpie, had come and gone for the day.

  Hedy heard the scratching and tried looking through the glass at the top of the door for a glimpse at the visitor. Unfortunately, whatever was making the noise was too close to the door; she could see nothing. Hedy made a point of making noise as she unlocked the door and gingerly opened it. If it was a raccoon, she thought it might scamper off at the sound of activity. Hedy peered out the opened door and saw Ren, the fox, pacing in front of her.

  “I am glad you finally came to the door. I have trouble and I need your help.” Ren stopped pacing and sat in front of Hedy, looking worried. Ren’s previous visit inside the house had given Hedy the ability to understand his speech due to Circe’s staff, which hung in the hallway. A side benefit to Hedy’s strange collection.

  “What can I do for you, Ren? Do you want to come inside?” Hedy suspected he would rather stay right where he was; as a wild creature, being inside a human’s home would likely be an uncomfortable place.

  “No, I am fine here. But I do need your help. I fear the humans will be hunting me and my kind, and I have no way to stop it.”

  “What has happened?” Hedy had no idea what could be causing the fox such distress.

  “Last night, there were attacks at several farms. Mostly chickens, some goats, and even a few sheep. The attacks look like the work of a fox, but no fox near the human farms was involved - they know better than to provoke a reaction from the humans. Foxes survive close to civilization because we know how to stay out of human business. Whatever fox or creature attacked these farms last night is going to bring havoc on the rest of us.”

  Ren started pacing again, clearly unable to sit still with all this happening.

  “What would you like me to do?” Hedy was sympathetic, surely, but she didn’t really know what she could do to help the fox.

  “If you can, tell the farmers not to trap foxes. Let them know that the foxes will deal with it themselves. We will handle this danger.”

  Hedy tried to keep the skepticism off her face as he spoke.

  “I’m afraid that might be difficult. They won’t understand that I am having a conversation with you about it all. Maybe if you can find the culprit and put a quick stop to it, the farmers won’t have time to get organized?”

  Hedy wanted to help, but she really didn’t see what she could do. The last thing she could do was go around telling the farmers of Enumclaw that a fox told her to spread the word. People thought she was strange as it is.

  “We are looking, even now, but you don’t know how quickly they will turn on us for this. They think we’ve harmed their livelihood. They will have traps out all over the place by the end of today, mark my words.” Ren didn’t know why he expected this human to be any more helpful than other humans in the past. As always, foxes were on their own.

  “Ren, I’ll think about how I can help, I really will. I don’t know any of these farmers personally, but maybe there is a way that I can help influence
them, so they don’t hunt any foxes. I promise I will think about it and try to help.”

  It was the best that Hedy could offer, and she could tell that the fox was disappointed. The thought of not having a solution to Ren’s problem bothered her. Hedy was the one everyone turned to for help and she took pride in that. A feeling of failure gnawed in her belly.

  Ren gave her a curt nod and left the porch without another word. She wondered if she would ever see him again.

  Hedy closed the door and pondered the situation. Even if what Ren said was true and a fox wasn’t behind the attacks, something was, and the farmers had to put a stop to it. The best scenario would be that whatever it was had moved on and the attacks would stop, so the farmers wouldn’t be inclined to continue looking for the culprit. She had promised Ren she would think about a solution and she planned to keep her word. She would mull it all over while she was working on her gingerbread.

  Hedy went back to the shop trying to solve a puzzle on how a human baker could help a fox from the traps of angry farmers.

  ✽✽✽

  “Good morning, Hedy. Looks like a nicer day today.” Mel arrived a short while later, wrapped up in a down jacket and a knitted cap. Under all her layers, she was wearing a red plaid jumper, which was definitely more in keeping with Hedy’s vintage style than Mel’s more utilitarian look.

  “Nice dress, Mel. Where did you get that?” Hedy admired the flared hem and the two brass buttons at the shoulder straps. Mel wore it over a dark green turtleneck, and she looked adorable, although Hedy thought a big poinsettia hair flower would finish things off nicely.

  “My mother bought it for me. She went by that new store I mentioned, The Red Bat, and found it. She thinks I need to branch out from my basic black.” Mel looked down at the dress, still unsure if she could pull of something with this much pattern.