{"sf1_id":2015915,"sf2_id":"pnG2PW6m","title":"Chapter 3: Cultists and Pragmatism","author":"HeatherOBunn","words":7781,"posted_at":"2023-07-02T16:06:00.000Z","tags":["Captivity","Cat","Chapter","Dog","Duchess","Fox","Hostage","Murder","Novel","Predator/Prey","Puma","Thriller","Trickery","Vixen","Wolf","carnivore","cult","plot","scheme"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2015915-chapter-3-cultists-and-pragmatism","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/pnG2PW6m","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/16/06/1606a722-a2b1-42fc-8134-4e11476f94f8","description":"#3 of The Murderess of Maplesburg: Reign of Terror\n\nHaving escaped from the cruel duchess, Ellie and Jason travel to Ellie's hometown of Willowdale. But how will Ellie's friends and family react to learning she's in a relationship with a cat? Meanwhile, Rita has been captured and must now use all of her wits to save Maplesburg, and maybe all of Vulpineva, from the existential threat of the carnivore cult!","content":"Chapter 3: Cultists and Pragmatism  \nThe cage was too small to lie down in. Therefore, Rita was obliged to either crouch or sit  \nin the dome-shaped prison. Her triangular ears brushed the top when she shifted positions. It  \nwas terribly cramped to say the least. Leaning against the narrow brass bars themselves was  \nextremely uncomfortable, and Rita hadn't been able to sleep since the puma had shoved her  \ninside early that morning. It had given her plenty of time to think. Unfortunately, she kept  \nreturning to the last images of Wolfgang and Boots: Wolfgang shot, lying in a pool of his own  \nblood; Boots' twisted frame at the bottom of the dark staircase. Rita tried to divert her mind to  \nher own situation. There was nothing she could do for her servants now. She needed to figure  \nout how to deal with these cultists.  \nThe cheerfully painted clock on the wall of what, until recently, had been the Maplesburg  \nMayor's office indicated that it was now late afternoon. Rita's muscles ached from being stuck in  \nthe cramped position. She tried shifting her weight but to little avail. Anxiously, she watched as  \nthe black minute hand again passed over the depiction of the sun that shone down on the  \nflower-filled meadow of the clock's face. When were her captors going to return? The puma had  \nmade it clear he wanted her as a hostage to convince the King to suspend prey rights. Hence,  \nkeeping her locked up made sense, but Rita didn't see what this level of confinement would  \naccomplish. Besides, she was hungry, and she really needed to pee.  \nFinally, at 4:27, the puma strode into the office followed by a gray female timber wolf.  \nBoth were wearing black utility vests, and the wolf also had a black belt with a long, curved knife  \nand handgun looped around her hips. Rita noticed their vests had red insignias depicting a  \ndeer's head over crisscrossed knife and fork in the upper left corner. The puma sat nonchalantly  \nat the large oak desk where Rita's cage had been placed.  \n\"Now what's all this nonsense you wanted to talk with me about, Judith?\" he growled.  \nThe wolf shifted uncomfortably on her feet, \"I just think we need to be more careful, think  \nabout the long term. You can't keep dragging prey out of their houses. No one is going to stand  \nfor that.\"  \nThe puma nudged Rita's cage, \"We have our trump card. What are they going to do  \nwhile she's in our custody?\"  \n\"The King might be reluctant to act, but what about the prey?\" the wolf pressed.  \nHe scoffed, \"The prey? You don't really think-\"  \n\"Or the other predators. Most of them don't agree with us, and they might be willing to  \nsacrifice one fox for the safety of their prey friends.\"  \n\"We have other hostages,\" the puma rejoined.  \n\"Fewer today than we did last night! Do you think letting our members eat them will  \nincrease our leverage?!\"  \n\"They were prey, weren't they? What else are prey for?\"  \n\"They were supposed to be leverage to get the citizens to cooperate! Voices of authority  \nwe could use to pacify the populace! They can't do that post-digestion!\"  \nThe puma waved his hand dismissively before patting Rita's cage, \"This is the only  \nhostage we need,\" he replied confidently. \"The perfect voice of authority to 'pacify the populace'  \nas you say.\"  \nThe wolf looked like she was about to respond, but Rita cut in, \"I'll endeavor to do my  \nutmost. However, would one of you be so kind as to escort me to the restroom? It's been quite a  \nlong day, and it is rather urgent.\"  \nThe puma glanced at her, looking annoyed at the interruption, \"Pee in there. I'll have  \nsomeone hose you off later.\"  \n\"Joshua! You can't make her sit in her own urine! Haven't you taken her out all day?\" the  \nwolf remonstrated irritatedly.  \nThe puma snarled, \"Don't take that tone with me, Judith! And shut it with your idiotic  \nworrying! You know who got us where we are! We'd never have half the membership let alone  \ncontrol of Maplesburg if it weren't for my vision!\"  \nThe wolf cowered back, \"I'm sorry, Joshua. You're right. I ought to have faith in your  \nplan. Can, may I take the Duchess to the restroom?\"  \nThe puma snorted. \"Do what you want with her. So long as we have her in our custody,  \nthere's nothing the King can do.\"  \nThe wolf slunk up to the desk and examined the cage and the locked door. She held out  \nher hand, \"May I have the key?\"  \nThe puma sat up in his seat with a grunt and yanked open the middle drawer of the  \ndesk, noisily sifting through its contents until he found the brass key. He slapped it into the  \nwolf's hand. She unlocked Rita's cage and reached inside to grab her scruff.  \n\"I can manage myself!\" Rita protested. \"I'm not going to try to run away!\"  \nThe wolf gave her a dubious look.  \n\"On my honor as a predator,\" Rita swore.  \n\"What does that mean for some prissy fox who's never slain prey in her life?\" the puma  \nmocked.  \n\"I'll have you know I've killed plenty of prey! Simply because I don't subscribe to your  \nideology doesn't mean I can't experience the thrill of the kill!\"  \n\"Prove it,\" the puma growled.  \n\"How do you intend for me to do that?\"  \nHe stood, \"I'll go get you one.\"  \n\"Fair enough, but I'd appreciate it if you'd withhold that test until after I use the restroom  \nand have a bite to eat, preferably.\"  \n\"Eat? I'll be brining you prey! What else would you need to eat? Asparagus? Take your  \ntrip to the bathroom.\"  \n\"Thank you.\" Rita turned her eyes toward the wolf, who was still holding her by the  \nscruff.  \nShe let Rita go and beckoned for her to follow, \"I'll show you to the bathroom.\"  \nRita scrambled out of the cage and briefly stretched her sore muscles. However,  \nstretching only upset her bladder further, and she quickly hopped down from the desk and  \nspeedily followed the much larger canid out of the office and down the hall.  \nThe wolf insisted on coming into the restroom with her, but at least Rita had the stall to  \nherself. She sighed in relief as she emptied her swollen bladder. Once she was finished, she  \ntrotted out to the sink. The wolf eyed her cautiously as she washed her hands.  \n\"Have you really killed prey before?\" the wolf asked.  \n\"I have,\" Rita answered casually, scrubbing her hands diligently. She rinsed the soap off  \nand gave them a shake.  \nThe wolf motioned toward the blow drier, but Rita shook her head.  \n\"Those are unsanitary,\" Rita told her.  \nThe wolf rolled her eyes. \"So what did you do? Step on a mouse by accident?\"  \n\"Have you heard about the killer who's been displaying their works around Maplesburg?\"  \n\"You mean the serial killer who likes to cut his victims into little pieces?\"  \n\"That's me,\" Rita stated smugly.  \nThe wolf gave her a distasteful look, \"We kill prey for food. We don't torture them.\"  \n\"You can't tell me you don't enjoy the thrill of seeing the fear in their eyes before you kill  \nthem,\" Rita countered.  \n\"That's not the point. The point is they're our food, not that slop they make us eat.\"  \n\"Is that why you're doing this? You dislike the lab meat? I think it tastes rather nice.\"  \n\"Have you ever had the real thing?\" she pressed.  \n\"No,\" Rita answered mildly.  \nThe wolf shook her head and growled, \"All of those kills, and you didn't even bother to  \ntaste it. What a waste.\"  \n\"And you've never taken the time to have some fun before your dinner. I say that's the  \nwaste!\" Rita shot back.  \nThe wolf rolled her eyes again but then chuckled lightly, \"Heheh, well, I guess no one  \ncan accuse you of being a prey-lover. You'll have to eat the one Joshua gives you to kill  \nthough.\"  \n\"No problem, I'm famished.\"  \nThe wolf escorted her back to the office. The puma was waiting with a white and brown  \nrabbit whose hands were tied behind his back. The puma shoved him toward Rita with his foot  \nas she entered.  \n\"There you go. I expect you know what to do,\" the puma growled.  \n\"That's not another of our hostages, is it?\" the wolf inquired.  \n\"No, I took him from one of our men,\" he replied. \"I expect this will be worth taking food  \nout of the mouths of our members,\" he added warningly.  \nRita eyed the rabbit disconcertedly. Not that he looked much like her, but his white and  \nbrown fur reminded her of Ellie. Rita was surprised to find that the idea he might be related  \ndisturbed her quite a bit. She trotted up to him and put a hand on his cheek: it was damp, and  \nhis puffy eyes showed that he'd been crying.  \n\"What's your name, Dear?\" she crooned soothingly.  \n\"Jeremiah,\" he whined.  \n\"Jeremiah what?\"  \n\"Jeremiah Baker.\"  \n\"You wouldn't know an Ellie Bennett, would you?\"  \n\"Who?\"  \n\"Never mind. What do you do for a living, Jeremiah?\"  \n\"Get on with it!\" the puma roared.  \nThe rabbit shot into the air, and Rita caught him as he landed, steadying him so he  \nwouldn't fall.  \n\"I'm merely getting to know my guest!\" Rita protested.  \nThe puma growled, \"I knew you didn't have the stomach for it. Shove her back in her  \ncage, Judith.\"  \nThe wolf stepped toward her, and Rita yelped, \"Wait! I'll do it in a minute. What's the  \nrush?\"  \n\"I have better things to do,\" the puma growled.  \n\"W-what are you going to do?\" the rabbit whined.  \n\"I'm going to have to kill you, Dear. I would have liked to spend some time chatting first,  \nbut we're in a terrible hurry, it seems. I apologize for the abruptness.\" Still holding him by the  \nshoulders, she bent down to reach her jaws for his throat.  \n\"N-no! I-I have a wife and kids!\" he cried.  \nRita clamped her jaws around his throat, and he sobbed. Sorry, Dear. Biting down hard,  \nRita jerked her head to open his throat with her dagger-sharp canines. Blood sprayed out of the  \nragged wound, peppering Rita's front. The rabbit jerked twice before falling still. Rita lay the  \nbody down onto the floor where blood continued to seep into the tannish blue carpet around it.  \nShe looked up at the puma: he was watching with an amused expression.  \n\"That's one way to do it,\" he jested. \"Messy though. Go ahead and eat. I'll let Judith  \nfigure out where to put you if she thinks the cage is unacceptable.\" He sauntered out of the  \nroom, stepping over the body and blood-soaked carpet on his way.  \nRita eyed the rabbit's body uncomfortably: he still didn't look like dinner. What am I  \nsupposed to do about all the fur? \"Do you do anything to prepare it, or do you dig right in?\" Rita  \nqueried awkwardly.  \n\"I'll show you how to skin and clean it,\" the wolf muttered.  \nShe stepped forward from where she was watching by the door and picked the rabbit's  \nbody up by the legs. It swung limply, residual blood dripping from the neck wound.  \nShe gestured to Rita with a jerk of her head, \"Come on.\"  \nThe wolf led Rita out of the office area into the wider City Hall. Standing, Rita came to  \nthe wolf's hip, and as she followed the wolf's bushy gray tail, she might have rushed forward  \nand easily ducked to dart between her legs. In addition to being at least three times her height,  \nthe wolf was several times her weight. However, unlike the massive puma--who stood almost  \nfifty percent taller than the wolf and was probably two and a half times her weight--she was still  \nsmaller than Boots; although, Boots was much less fierce, had been much less fierce. Rita  \nforced away the image of the human's broken body; she needed to focus on her current  \nsituation.  \nThey crossed a balconied walkway over the front entry hall. Peering down, Rita saw  \naround two score of the cultists, primarily larger cats and dogs, milling about on the ground  \nlevel. Some had set up tents, and others were utilizing gas camping stoves. The aroma of  \nroasting meat wafted up to Rita's nose: it certainly smelled good. Maybe she should have tried  \neating her victims before now. She glanced at the dangling rabbit gruesomely swinging in front  \nof her as the wolf strode through the hall. On the other hand, maybe not.  \n\"Do you usually live in camps?\" Rita inquired.  \nThe wolf glanced back at her, \"We're not exactly welcome in broader society,\" she  \ngrowled.  \n\"Do you think this will change that?\"  \nThe wolf nodded, but then hesitated before she went on, \"Joshua thinks so.\"  \n\"And you think differently?\"  \n\"He's brought us this far. He's an inspiring leader,\" she answered.  \n\"Inspiring people to follow you is all well and good, but now you're in charge of a city.  \nYou have to deal with the realities of managing those who don't agree or even violently oppose  \nwhat you're doing.\"  \nThe wolf sighed and shook her head, \"I know. Joshua doesn't seem to understand the  \ndifference. He thinks a few high-ranking hostages are enough to cow people while he harvests  \ntheir neighbors, and half of those he doesn't even care about. It's like he doesn't understand  \nthat other people don't view prey the way we do. I actually had to stop one of our members from  \neating the Mayor this morning! All because she's a bird and not a raptor, our most important  \nhostage!\" She glanced back at Rita, \"Aside from you anyway.\"  \n\"Probably more important where the people of Maplesburg are concerned,\" Rita  \nadmitted. \"Your leader is right that the King won't want to put me in danger, but I've had little  \ninteraction with the general populace.\"  \nThe wolf glanced back at her again with a frown, \"That's what I assumed. I'd hardly even  \nheard of you before I joined our group. No offense.\"  \n\"None taken,\" Rita dismissed. \"Honestly, I'm sympathetic to your cause. Prey have  \ngotten far too uppity since they realized they could win elections by sheer numbers. Not that that  \nmeans anything really, but they've gotten self-important. I can deal with any who offend me as I  \nsee fit, but it must be frustrating for predators who don't have the status to put them in their  \nplace.\"  \n\"It all started with that slop they make us eat,\" the wolf replied darkly. \"Damn whoever  \ninvented that!\"  \n\"It was less the inventor's doing and more the monarchy's,\" Rita corrected. \"Philip the  \nThird, I think it was. He realized the potential for unification lab meat offered us. It was much  \ntrickier keeping the country together before that. It took all of our wits and guile to convince the  \nprey they were better off united than attempting a revolt. Why do you think foxes are in charge?\"  \nThe wolf stopped and turned around to glare at her through suspicious, narrowed amber  \neyes, \"I thought you said you sympathized. What you call unification, I call subjugation. Maybe it  \nprotected your precious monarchy but only at the cost of predators' freedom.\"  \n\"I understand the logic behind Philip's decision. That doesn't mean I think he was right or  \nthat I agree with everything that's happened since. I'm sure there's a middle ground between  \npulling people out of their houses and forcing you to eat what you consider slop,\" Rita explained.  \n\"My idea was to make them pay tribute, so they can decide who gets eaten as long as  \nthey cooperate.\"  \n\"Hmm, I'm not sure how well that would work either. I doubt they'd cooperate for long, if  \nat all.\"  \nThe wolf snorted derisively. \"Then what do you think we should do? Beg them to let us  \nhave their violent criminals and be satisfied with a taste of proper meat once every few years?\"  \n\"There must be plenty of prey who die every day, not only from disease but also in  \naccidents. If we gave you a right to their dead and there was a slight uptick in the number of  \naccidents, well, there's plausible deniability at least. Enough that, if we fix the numbers, most of  \nthem will accept the official narrative, assuming your group doesn't explode in size.\"  \n\"We'd mostly be eating the old and diseased then,\" the wolf grumbled. She didn't sound  \nas though she liked the idea, but she seemed to see the pragmatism of the suggestion.  \n\"That depends on the increase in the number of accidents, but yes, I suppose it would  \ntend that way. I suppose it depends on whether you prefer something sustainable or a really  \ngood run before you're deposed and executed.\"  \n\"If we're deposed, you're going with us,\" the wolf growled warningly. \"Especially if it's the  \nKing who deposes us.\"  \n\"I'm well aware. That's why I'm trying to help you. Besides, I don't relish the idea of  \nhaving to be rescued. I prefer to negotiate a solution, show Frederick he can count on me.\"  \nThe wolf nodded, \"Makes sense.\" She sighed, \"Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able  \nto get through to Joshua. He might prefer to go down fighting than to accept any compromise.\"  \n\"Do you think many of your members agree with him?\"  \n\"It doesn't matter. He's their leader; they'll do what he says.\"  \n\"How is that determined?\"  \n\"Loyalty,\" she stated bluntly.  \n\"No, I mean, who the leader is. You seem to have some authority; at least, he feels he  \nhas to consider your view. How is your leadership determined?\"  \n\"We put it to a vote. Unfortunately, there are more cats in our group than dogs. Every  \ntime I get enough support for a vote, he wins.\"  \n\"So the group is split along feline-canine lines?\"  \n\"We're united,\" she insisted. \"But you know cats; they don't want a dog in charge.\"  \n\"They can be very arrogant,\" Rita agreed.  \nThe wolf eyed her suspiciously, \"Almost as arrogant as foxes. Be careful, 'Your Grace';  \nwhether you're really sympathetic to our cause or not, don't think I'm stupid enough to let a fox  \ntrick me.\"  \n\"Noted,\" Rita chirped cheerfully. \"We can discuss how to convince Joshua to  \ncompromise later. For the moment, let's focus on dinner. Maybe I'll be converted to your way of  \nthinking when I taste 'proper meat' for the first time.\"  \nThe wolf smirked and lifted up the dangling rabbit, \"Maybe. Come on.\" She turned and  \ncontinued to lead Rita to another office on the other side of the entry hall.  \nRita watched curiously as the wolf gutted and skinned the rabbit. The gutting wasn't so  \ndifferent from what she'd done when extracting organs; although, her forays with a scalpel had  \nbeen more delicate than the wolf's work with the long, curved knife she took from her belt. On  \nthe other hand, Rita had never skinned someone. Perhaps I ought to have a go at that  \nsometime.  \n\"Do you think I could try that?\" Rita inquired.  \nThe wolf glanced at her and then the wickedly sharp knife. \"I don't think so,\" she  \nanswered dryly.  \nWhen the wolf finished skinning the rabbit, she cut it into pieces, skewered them, and  \nthen began roasting them on a portable gas grill.  \n\"You don't eat it raw then,\" Rita remarked.  \nThe wolf glared at her, \"We're not savages.\"  \nWhen it was done and had cooled enough to eat, the wolf handed Rita one of the  \nwooden-handled skewers. Rita took a delicate, experimental bite of the meat: warm, savory  \njuices flowed over her tongue. The rabbit was unlike anything she'd tasted before, including lab-  \ngrown rabbit meat: it was more herbal, fresher, more complex. The tender, savory flavors  \ndanced over Rita's tongue until she gulped down the bite. She tore off a larger bite with a little  \nmore effort than she was used to; it was also tougher than the lab-grown meat. Rita attempted  \nto keep her expression neutral, but she noticed the wolf grinning at her.  \n\"Good, isn't it?\" the wolf teased. \"Are you converted?\"  \n\"It's tasty, but I'm not sure I'd characterize the alternative as 'slop' in comparison. Gustav  \ncan do wonders in the kitchen with any cut you give him. It's merely a matter of preparing it  \nproperly. Of course, if you're only going to eat unseasoned chunks of it, then this is nicer.\"  \nThe wolf snorted contemptuously. \"'Gustav?' Not everyone can afford their own personal  \nchef, 'Your Grace',\" she drawled.  \n\"I'm sure they can afford to look up a recipe or two online,\" Rita dismissed.  \nThe wolf frowned, \"It takes more than some spices to make up the difference.\"  \n\"It hardly seems worth living as outcasts from society.\"  \n\"Maybe not to you. Besides, that's what we're correcting.\"  \n\"Quite. Well, we'll see what we can do about that. I think some solution can be reached  \nso long as we're committed to attaining a reasonable compromise.\"  \nRita finished eating what the wolf had prepared for her, and the wolf finished off the rest  \nof the rabbit.  \n\"Right, now we just need to figure out what I'm going to do with you,\" the wolf mused. \"I  \nthink that cage Joshua got was a little bit ridiculous, but obviously, I need to restrain you  \nsomehow.\" She picked up a tan backpack from the desk of the office and began to rummage  \nthrough it. She extracted a pair of handcuffs. \"I picked these up when we raided the pigs,\" she  \nnoted. She scanned the room, her eyes finally settling on the swivel chair behind the desk.  \nThe black cushioned chair had wheels on a metal ring at the bottom. The wolf dragged  \nthe chair over to where Rita was seated and locked one cuff around her right wrist and the other  \naround the bottom of the chair.  \n\"I don't think you'll get far dragging that,\" she commented. \"Don't try anything though, or  \nyou're going back in the cage.\"  \nRita nodded. \"Thank you, I appreciate your civility. That cage wasn't comfortable in the  \nslightest.\"  \n\"Like I said, we're not savages. If you need to use the restroom, ask, and I'll escort you.  \nAre you alright for now?\"  \nRita nodded.  \n\"I'm going to go find more dinner then. Don't leave the office while I'm gone.\"  \n\"As you say. I'm quite sleepy anyway. I couldn't rest at all before.\"  \nThe wolf nodded, seeming satisfied. \"There's a bedroll over there,\" she nodded toward a  \ntightly rolled up black sleeping bag on the floor in front of the desk. \"I'll see if I can find you your  \nown.\"  \nThe wolf left, closing and locking the door behind her. The door locked by a latch on the  \ninside, so Rita easily could have left. However, as the wolf had said, she wouldn't likely get far  \ndragging the chair before someone stopped her. Rita dragged the chair over to the sleeping  \nbag. She was obliged to proceed on all fours as her attachment to the bottom of the chair didn't  \nallow her to stand properly. She gave the bedding a cautious sniff: it smelled strongly of the  \nwolf's sour musk. Canine scent didn't bother Rita much, but the idea of sleeping in bedding so  \ninundated with someone else's bodily oils did. I hope she finds me a cleaner one. Rita unrolled  \nthe bag and lay on top of it, her right hand resting on the ring at the bottom of the chair. She  \nneeded to consider how she was really going to deal with these cultists; allowing them to  \ncontinue to terrorize Maplesburg simply wasn't a tenable option, and even if they were willing to  \ncompromise, Rita had no intention of actually negotiating a permanent change to the current  \norder. No, terrorists such as these needed to be crushed, completely. Otherwise, the ruling  \nclass would seem impotent and others might begin to question the vulpine hegemony.  \nFortunately, they seemed divided. Rita could work with that. For now, however, she was  \nexhausted, having only slept a few hours last night and not at all since. Rita soon slipped into  \nneeded slumber.  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nRita awoke the next morning. The pale dawn light filtered through the window. A bit early  \nfor Boots to bring my coffee yet. Rita pulled the covers up to block the light. They smelled  \nstrongly of cat. The strong feline tang wasn't something Rita was used to even after holding  \nJason the past couple weeks; on him, the scent was lighter. So why did her bed smell like a cat  \nhad been lying in it for weeks? Rita's eyes popped open, and she noticed the desk as well as  \nthe office chair she was chained to. She noticed she was lying in a bag on the floor. Oh, right.  \nShe was in the custody of the cultists now, and Boots wouldn't be bringing her coffee because  \nhe was- The gruesome image of his twisted body flashed through her mind. Rita let out a cry of  \ndistress. Not Boots!  \n\"Are you awake then?\" the wolf sounded slightly annoyed.  \nRita shoved aside the disturbing images and sat up to look at her. The wolf was sitting  \nup in her own sleeping bag, her elbows resting on her knees as she watched Rita.  \n\"I have business to attend to, so as soon as you eat and do whatever you need to do, I  \nwant to get on with it.\"  \n\"What's for breakfast?\"  \nThe wolf nodded to a hunk of meat on top of the unlighted gas grill, \"You can finish that  \noff. I'll find something fresh.\"  \nRita eyed the leftover meat disconcertedly, \"What is it?\"  \n\"Mutton.\"  \nRita decided not to ask any more about the sheep who the mutton had been. \"Did you  \nmove me last night? I don't remember getting in this bag.\"  \n\"You were on top of my bed. I decided not to wake you.\"  \nRita didn't like the idea of the wolf handling her in her sleep, but rather than say so she  \nreplied, \"That was considerate.\"  \n\"I don't know how I ended up being your nanny, but I suppose someone had to do it,\" the  \nwolf commented dryly. \"I'm sure you're used to being waited on and pampered. Well, this might  \nnot be as luxurious as you're used to,\" she gestured to the surrounding office with a sweep of  \nher arm. \"But a hostage isn't much good if she starves.\"  \n\"I appreciate that you're doing your best to make me comfortable.\"  \n\"Like I said, you're not much use dead.\"  \n\"But you certainly could be treating me worse. You could have left me in the cage, for  \nexample.\"  \n\"There's such a thing as basic respect,\" she declared.  \n\"True, and you're going to need that if you plan to stay in power. You have to have some  \nconsideration for what others need, even those outside your group. There's a limit to what  \npeople will endure, and therefore, a limit to what thinking only of your own desires will get you.\"  \nThe wolf grunted in acknowledgment before asking, \"Do you need to go to the bathroom  \nbefore you eat?\"  \nRita nodded, and the wolf got up and took the key for the handcuffs out of the pocket of  \nher vest, which she was still wearing. Rita noticed the wolf also had kept the belt with her gun  \nand knife close at hand. She unlocked Rita's handcuff then retrieved her belt and looped it  \naround her hips. Rita stood and stretched; it was good to stand up after being stuck close to the  \nfloor.  \nThe wolf jerked her head toward the door, \"Come on.\"  \nRita noticed that the wolf had to unlock the door as they exited. \"Do all of your members  \nhave their own room?\" she inquired.  \n\"Most of them are camped in the entry hall.\"  \n\"I'm sorry for dragging you away from your friends.\"  \n\"I like my privacy,\" the wolf responded tersely.  \n\"Then I'm sorry for intruding.\"  \nThe wolf grunted ambiguously.  \nThey both used the restroom and washed their hands--the wolf also used the blow  \ndrier--before returning to the office. The wolf sat in the chair, which she barely fit in, and  \nwatched Rita contemplatively while she ate.  \n\"Do you really think your solution would be sustainable?\" the wolf muttered.  \nRita paused her eating, \"I believe so.\"  \n\"What makes you so sure?\"  \n\"I believe I can sell it to Frederick. He won't like it, but I can make him see reason.\"  \n\"And then everyone else will accept it?\"  \n\"They don't have much of a choice really. Of course, like I said, we'll want plausible  \ndeniability to limit any protests, but ultimately, I'm in charge unless the King says otherwise.\"  \nThe wolf stood, rolled the chair over to Rita, and locked the handcuff around her left  \nwrist. \"If you're okay, I'll be back in a few hours.\"  \nRita nodded. \"Good luck with Joshua.\"  \nThe wolf didn't look hopeful about convincing the puma, but she nodded. She exited the  \noffice, again locking Rita in. Maybe the intention is to keep someone else out. Rita supposed the  \nwolf could see holding their most important hostage as a source of leverage in the cult's  \nhierarchy. So far, the wolf had treated her well enough, so Rita wasn't anxious to be under the  \npaw of someone who might be crueler, like the puma. Rita could always let someone in if she  \nwanted to anyway.  \nRita spent the next few hours boredly sitting next to the chair on the thin, ugly blue  \ncarpet. She briefly explored the room but found nothing interesting. She was almost pleased  \nwhen the wolf returned.  \n\"Any luck?\"  \nThe wolf shook her head, frowning darkly. \"Just like I said, he'd rather die and take the  \nrest of us with him.\"  \nRita frowned, \"Do you think it would help if I talked to him?\"  \n\"I doubt it.\"  \n\"What are you going to do then?\"  \n\"Hope Joshua is right and things will work out,\" she grumbled.  \n\"He isn't right,\" Rita emphasized. \"If you go down this path, you'll all be killed. You'd  \nhave been better off staying where you were.\"  \n\"What do you think I should do?\" she asked annoyedly.  \n\"You need to show him there's support for compromise, get enough of your members on  \nyour side that, even if you can't take control, he'll see that he has to listen.\"  \nThe wolf nodded slowly, \"I suppose I can talk with the others, try to get them to see that  \nJoshua's position is suicidal. Even most cats can't want to die when there's an alternative.\"  \nRita nodded. \"At any rate, we have to try! I'm sure most of them will see reason!\"  \nThe wolf didn't seem convinced, but she nodded anyway. \"It's worth a shot. Do you need  \nto use the restroom before I go back out?\"  \nRita nodded. After the wolf took her to the restroom, she locked her back to the chair  \nand in the office. Rita hoped the cultists wouldn't be too reasonable. She wanted the puma to  \nfeel there was a threat to his power but not for him to be overwhelmingly out-voted. She needed  \nconflict within the cult, and this issue was the most promising source she had.  \nRita napped through most of the afternoon until she was awakened by someone yanking  \non the door. She shot up and watched the noisily wiggling handle nervously. The wiggling  \nstopped, and Rita held her breath, hoping whoever it was would give up and leave. I doubt  \nthey've come to rescue me! Instead, she heard the sound of metal scraping inside the lock.  \nAfter a few minutes, the lock clicked open, and the door slowly swung in. Rita tensed as she  \nsaw the puma standing in the door. He grinned at her toothily before shutting the door behind  \nhim. He sauntered across the room and crouched down in front of her, still towering over her.  \nHis tail flipped as he glared down at her.  \n\"C-can I help you?\" Rita queried. She tried to keep the fear out of her voice but wasn't  \nsuccessful.  \nThe puma grinned dangerously, \"So, you think you have a better idea of how we should  \ngo about things,\" he stated softly, menacingly.  \n\"I was merely trying to offer a solution. Judith said she wanted to reach a stable  \ncompromise, but I didn't think her plan sounded feasible.\"  \n\"There isn't going to be any compromise,\" the puma growled. \"The prey belong to us.  \nThe other predators will accept that, and there's nothing the prey can do to resist.\"  \n\"I think you'll find things a bit more difficult than that,\" Rita returned.  \nThe puma's hand shot out, and he grabbed Rita by the neck. She struggled to pry his  \nhand away with her free right hand, but he was far too strong.  \n\"If I didn't need you alive, I'd kill you right here,\" he snarled. \"You foxes are the ones who  \ngot us into this mess with your 'compromises'. There's only liberty or slavery. I won't be the  \nslave.\"  \nHe let her go, and Rita gasped a breath.  \n\"M-maybe there's some other way I can help you. I can help give your cause legitimacy  \nwith my support,\" she suggested nervously.  \nHe snorted contemptuously. \"We don't need your legitimacy. We're creating a new order  \nwithout prissy foxes trying to tell us what to do.\"  \n\"You're starting a conflict you can't possibly win. If the stability of Vulpineva is on the  \nline, the King will sacrifice me. You'll all be hunted down and killed,\" she urged.  \n\"Then you'll die too,\" he growled.  \n\"I know! That's why I'm trying to help! If my original solution isn't acceptable, then we'll  \nthink of another one!\"  \nHe narrowed his golden eyes dangerously, \"Like what?\"  \nRita thought quickly, \"The police! I-\"  \n\"We already dealt with them.\"  \n\"No, I mean, I can appoint anyone I want; they work for me!\"  \nHe gave her a bemused look, \"Really?\"  \n\"Yes! It, it might be tricky to pull off unnoticed, but I could appoint your people. Then you  \ncould get away with whatever you wanted!\"  \nHe looked dubious, \"What's the difference? You really think it won't be obvious what's  \nhappening if we wear badges while we 'arrest' prey?\"  \n\"We-ell, that might be too obvious, but if prey continue to disappear at a similar or even  \nslightly higher rate, we can deny it has anything to do with your group.\"  \n\"And you think that will fool them?\" he asked skeptically. \"It's not like when no one  \nbelieved we existed; we're here now. We can't go back into hiding.\"  \nThe wheels of Rita's mind were spinning rapidly. Her suggestion about the police had  \nbeen desperate, but she could find a way to turn it toward her advantage. She maintained a  \nnervous tone, \"We, we'd probably have to convince them you'd been dealt with.\"  \nHe narrowed his eyes and growled, \"How?\"  \n\"P-perhaps we can round up some predators and pretend they were responsible, make  \na show of having them tried and executed. Then we could proceed as if the problem was  \nsolved.\"  \nHe tapped his chin with a razor-sharp claw, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, \"That could  \nwork. It might be even more convincing if we arrested predators known to be involved with us,  \npredators who were observed ransacking the police station, for example,\" he mused.  \nRita had to hold back her glee at his treacherous suggestion, \"I wouldn't think you'd want  \nto sacrifice your own people.\"  \n\"There are a few who've been causing more than their share of trouble,\" he growled  \ndarkly.  \n\"If we really wanted it to be convincing, we'd have to sacrifice quite a few, maybe about  \nhalf of your group. I doubt anyone knows how many of you there really are, but they probably  \nthink it's at least a dozen.\"  \n\"About half,\" he murmured thoughtfully. \"I think we can withstand that. We can make up  \nfor the loss in numbers later. When predators see that they don't need to be slaves to prey,  \nthey'll be joining us in droves.\"  \n\"It's a lot of your loyal members. Maybe using other predators is better.\"  \nHe shook his head, \"No, if this is going to work, it needs to be people who've been seen  \nharvesting prey.\"  \n\"Do you have an idea about who to choose, or will you do it by lottery?\"  \nHe grinned, \"I have an idea.\"  \nRita had a good idea who would be included. \"Well, let's think about it for a little while. It  \nseems extreme, but this may be the only solution.\"  \nHe nodded slowly. Rita didn't think the treacherous cat needed any time at all to  \nconsider it. It was exactly what she'd hoped: fragile authoritarians needed to purge their  \nopposition to stay in power, even when that opposition was overwhelmingly on their side. He  \nstood and turned toward the door but then turned back to look at her contemplatively.  \n\"If I take you with me, Judith will know I was here, but if I leave you, you might tell her  \nwhat we've discussed,\" he mused out loud.  \n\"On my honor as a predator, I won't breathe a word of this to her,\" Rita swore.  \n\"Dogs tend to stick together,\" he stated.  \n\"Foxes aren't really dogs. Canids, yes, but I've always thought we had more in common  \nwith cats. We rely more on our wits like you, and anatomically, well,\" she displayed her  \nretractable claws. \"At the very least, we're neutral where cats and dogs are concerned. Clearly,  \nyou're in charge. I'm on the side of whoever finds a path that keeps me alive.\"  \nHe nodded, \"I'll leave you here then.\"  \nHe proceeded out the door, and then Rita heard him working to get it locked for a few  \nminutes before the lock slid back into place. Rita stayed silent several minutes, listening  \ncarefully. He seemed to be gone. She snorted but restrained herself from bursting into raucous  \nlaughter. Her shoulders shook in silent mirth. What an idiot! It had been child's play to trick the  \noverconfident puma! Half of his members! Rita knew exactly which half it would be, the same  \nhalf who would likely agree with the wolf about the need to compromise. There's a reason foxes  \nare in charge!  \nAbout six o'clock, the wolf finally returned. She sighed grumpily as she stepped through  \nthe door, locking it behind her.  \n\"Do you need to use the restroom?\" she grumbled.  \n\"I do, but first I'd like to hear how it went. Were you able to convince many of your  \nmembers?\"  \n\"Not enough,\" she answered tersely.  \n\"Oh dear, I thought they'd see reason,\" Rita replied, doing her best to sound worried.  \n\"They all want to die rather than compromise?\"  \n\"Not all. Most of the dogs, almost all of the dogs, understood what I said. They weren't  \nhappy about the idea of mostly eating the old and diseased, but they saw that it's the only way.  \nMost of the others understood too, except the cats.\"  \nRita shook her head somberly, \"I can't believe they wouldn't see reason, all because of  \nspecies. It's incredible.\"  \n\"Species among other things,\" she grumbled resignedly. \"I accidentally let it slip that I'd  \nbeen discussing the issue with you, and then they didn't want to listen. They're upset about a  \nlynx who died during the raid on your manor.\"  \n\"Oh no, I'm terribly sorry about that. We were only defending ourselves though.\"  \n\"I know, and she knew the risks. It's a ridiculous reason to ignore what you had to say.  \nOne cat died, so now they all want to die? And they accuse us of being loyal to a slavish  \ndegree!\"  \n\"So what fraction of your members did see reason?\"  \n\"About half.\"  \nRita stroked her chin, pretending to consider the problem carefully, \"I think you should  \nkeep at it. Keep trying to convince them, and meanwhile, let Joshua know how much support  \nyou've garnered in only one day. It's far from hopeless. If you can only convince a few more,  \nhe'll have to listen, or you can call an election and depose him, giving the same result.\"  \nThe wolf nodded, \"You're right. Almost fifty percent in one day--one afternoon really--is  \nnothing to give up on. I'll remind them what's at stake, that Lucy knew what's at stake and gave  \nher life for us. They can't throw away her sacrifice by letting her die for nothing.\"  \nRita assumed Lucy was the lynx, the one who'd killed Wolfgang and wounded Boots.  \nShe and her cause could rot in Tartarus for all Rita cared, but she smiled pleasantly. All that  \nmattered was that the wolf continued to make herself obnoxious to the puma, make him feel  \nthreatened if possible. \"Excellent point. Reason and sentiment, you'll be certain to convince a  \ngood fraction with incisive argumentation like that.\"  \nThe wolf appeared hopeful. Rita had to restrain herself from giggling. After the wolf took  \nher to the restroom, she led her downstairs to the entry hall. Several of the cultists gave Rita  \ncurious looks as she walked by. Several of the feline cultists glared at her. The wolf stopped  \nbeside the carcass of an enormous hog. A jaguar was busy slicing hunks of bloody meat and  \ngelatinous fat off of the hog. Like all of the cultists, he wore a black utility vest with the deer  \nhead insignia and a belt carrying a gun, in this case an Uzi, and the empty sheath for his knife.  \n\"Big piece for me, smaller piece for her,\" the wolf ordered.  \nThe jaguar turned to eye the two of them and glared at Rita. \"Are you sure she wouldn't  \nprefer some of that slop from the store or a nice head of broccoli?\" he sneered.  \n\"She'll eat what I say she does, Rico!\" the wolf barked.  \nThe jaguar scowled. \"Yes, Ma'am,\" he muttered.  \nHe carved off two chunks of flesh, and the wolf accepted them. She took Rita over to a  \nlarge, black charcoal grill where several other pieces of the pig were roasting. Rita sniffed the  \nsavory sweet aroma, and her mouth watered. Even if these terrorists threatened the Vulpinevan  \nway of life, they had a point about the quality of meat to be had from prey. A wolverine was  \nbusily poking and turning the grilling meat with a pair of tongs. His brown face reminded Rita of  \nJohann, and she blinked back a tear. This wasn't the time for sentiment.  \n\"These are ours,\" the wolf stated as she set the pieces of meat in an empty spot on the  \ngrill.  \nThe wolverine glanced at the meat and then them, nodded, and went back to work.  \n\"He'll let us know when it's done,\" the wolf told her.  \nShe led Rita a short distance away and sat on the white marble floor. Rita sat beside  \nher. The wolf looked down at her and gave her a small smile.  \n\"Not so bad, is it, Your Grace?\"  \n\"It has a quaint charm. I imagine it's even more atmospheric out in the woods than in this  \ngaudy hall.\"  \nThe wolf glanced around at the marble staircases and columns, the rows of windows in  \nthe front extending up the four stories to the vaulted ceiling, and the walkways overlooking the  \nhall on the upper floors behind. \"It looks nice to me.\"  \n\"The columns and floor are mismatched. The windows are too small, and that awful  \ncarpet on the floor upstairs completely ruins everything,\" Rita criticized.  \nThe wolf snorted in amusement. \"If you say so.\"  \nAt length, their pork was cooked. The wolverine deposited it on a platter, and the wolf led  \nRita over to retrieve it.  \n\"Thank you!\" Rita chirped. \"I don't think I caught your name.\"  \nThe wolverine glanced at her, \"Simon.\"  \n\"Pleased to meet you, Simon.\"  \n\"I guess,\" he muttered.  \n\"If you ever think about changing professions, I might have an opening for you.\"  \nHe gave her a funny look, \"Uh, okay.\"  \nThe wolf led her back over to their spot on the floor. \"What was that about?\"  \nRita paused, a bit embarrassed by the silliness of her answer, \"Um, he just reminded me  \nof one of my bodyguards, Johann. He, Wolfgang told me he was killed in the attack, and now  \nhe's dead too, and Boots.\" Rita quickly brought her left arm up to wipe her eyes. \"Sorry, I know  \nyou lost someone too.\"  \nThe wolf put her hand on Rita's closer (left) shoulder. \"I'm sorry you lost people you  \ncared about. I wish it didn't have to be this way. Predators shouldn't be fighting over prey. We  \nshould be united, sharing in the bounty nature gave us, like this,\" she gestured around the room  \nto the cultists feasting on the hog.  \nRita didn't point out the irony of appealing to unity while eating another Vulpinevan  \ncitizen. She didn't tell the wolf that Boots had been an ape, and while the human could eat  \nmeat, no proper carnivore would have viewed him as anything other than prey, least of all these  \ncarnivores. No, Boots would have been another prey for the slaughter. Suddenly, Rita didn't  \nhave much of an appetite for the hunk of grilled pig she was holding. These terrorists weren't  \nonly a threat to the Vulpinevan way of life and ruling order; they were utterly wrong. Rita may  \nhave found Frederick's talk of unity and harmony naive, but that didn't mean the opposite was  \ntrue. There are exceptions; not all prey are for killing. Ellie's angry visage flashed through her  \nmind, \"Maybe I'm not an exception at all! Maybe you'd see that we're all people if you took the  \ntime and were open-minded. No one deserves to be killed!\" the rabbit rebuked her. Thinking of  \nher lost pet dropped another stone into Rita's stomach; she didn't even know if Ellie was still  \nalive. One of these cultists might have devoured her without a second thought, leaving no trace  \nof the feisty bunny she'd grown to adore. No, there was no place for people like Boots or Ellie in  \nthese cultists' unity.  \nThe wolf patted her back, mistaking the nature of Rita's contemplation. \"If you need to  \ntalk about it, I'm here.\"  \nRita looked up at the wolf, noting the sincerity in her expression. For a moment, she felt  \nsorry for the wolf; she wasn't evil, only brainwashed. But her sincere belief is precisely what  \nmakes her dangerous. She looked back at the hunk of flesh in her hands. She needed to be  \nstoic, to harden her resolve for what had to be done. Even if the wolf was kind to her, she had to  \ndie, just like the rest of them. Meanwhile, Rita had to keep up her strength, to nourish her brain  \nso that her wits wouldn't fail her. She took a bite of the grilled hog.  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"The Murderess of Maplesburg: Reign of Terror","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2015908-chapter-2-aftermath.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2017515-chapter-4-family.json"}}