{"sf1_id":1522165,"sf2_id":"3egKq7Be","title":"Antlers Collide (Otherwise Untitled)","author":"Moriar","words":604,"posted_at":"2019-12-12T23:21:00.000Z","tags":["Illusion","Jackalope","Mystery"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1522165-antlers-collide-otherwise-untitled","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/3egKq7Be","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/9d/1d/9d1df401-5263-4ab1-a1a5-301871deb694","description":"#167 of Short Stories\n\nDetective Clip, Jackalope of the Law, recognized another jackalope while on a job. Her elder quizzes her.","content":"~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The polite fundraiser was a slog of patience and observation to Detective Clip, dressed in her finest civilian attire. She nodded politely to a Dean, shook hands with a princess, and nodded agreeably to the wild tales of some CEO. All the while she kept making glances to the beaver in a three button suit who was similarly mingling. For all of her stalking, a fox caught her eyes. The jackalope disengaged from her current listening to slide over towards the fox who was carefully selecting a tiny piece of bread from a larger tray.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Want to know what gave you away?\", Detective Clip inquired of the fox once she had completed her task of selection.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The fox held her fingers up to her muzzle in mock surprise, \"Oh, me? Whatever could you refer to?\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Detective Clip pointed up to her own forehead, sliding a finger along the spot where the fox had a scar along her own, \"Because Lady Makur does a better job of hiding that scar for formal occasions; you must've met her sometime while she was casually strolling around town, if that's how you think she looks at shindigs like this.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The fox regarded Clip for a moment, before her voice became the raspy tone of the kind of fellows who'd lived in the badlands and found enough to tell. His tone was that of a playful teacher, \"And that's not enough to know, and I reckon you can't just see straight through me, else I'd have heard of you. Tell me more, young'n.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The unconcealed jackalope continued her explanation, \"You keep avoiding that beaver who's been about for pick-pocketing. You've got an eye for scofflaws; Lady Makur is far too naive to've known the look of him and kept away this whole night.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The older jackalope, still looking like a fox, chuckled darkly. \"I've not got anything to share with him. Lessons come in threes, kid.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"And you're wearing a luck charm, of some kind. I can't tell where, but that it's an object and I can't see it. So it must be something on your actual outfit.\", the Detective glancing up and down Lady Makur's many frilled dress, \"You got any weapons I should worry about, under that?\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The fox regarded Clip with a toothy grin, \"This is all a matter of politics, bun. What says I don't just nudge you out of the way of my work?\", the Detective feeling the chill of a revolver's barrel against her arm for a moment, entirely unseen.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The younger jackalope's tone became a bit more annoyed, \"I suppose this is the pop quiz? We both know the answer.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The fox plucked another small bread from the larger tray, his tone still that of a patient teacher, \"Recite for me, the First One's Oath.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; With a muted groan, \"Our strength not Might, our Magic Lite. To each and all we depend our Wit; `til She takes you Home, mind your own shit.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The fox shrugged, \"You didn't get the tempo right; but how can I help? You want the beaver dead, or just skinned?\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The detective offered Lady Makur a small wallet that looked to contain matters of value, \"I can't get him to nick this tracker from me; could you see that he gets it?\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Lady Makur's expression seemed alive with vigor, the scar above her eye adjusted to match Clip's advice, \"I would be delighted to assist with your task; please stay out of the way of my listening.\", again using the vixen's voice.  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Short Stories","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1522163-travel-documents-otherwise-untitled.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1522170-a-paying-gig-otherwise-untitled.json"}}