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ScarboroughFair

Story One

Chapter Five

by RedFox6

Marrakesh

While waiting in low orbit, Leu and Tollel were on the bridge. Leu was displaying a readout on the current political situation on Marrakesh, explaining how the system worked.

Indicating the various color coded districts across the continents, he pointed to one of the larger ones and said, "That's King Mike's."

He looked at it again, whistled, then went on, "Looks like Papa Wolf has increased his turf by about a third."

"Actually," Marie said over the speakers, "according to the latest update on the political situation, it's 32.7%"

Leu snorted and said, "Damned obsessive compulsive computers."

"It is important to be as accurate as possible," Marie responded. "Inaccuracy leads to imprecision, imprecision leads to poor planning, and poor planning leads to failure."

Tollel could sense the tension, but had no idea what it was about. Still, she kept quiet, hoping not to be noticed, knowing from her past experiences that it was safer that way.

"Leu," Marie began. "we have received permission to land at the Auberge Starport. They have assigned a landing bay to us, and we may begin the approach in two minutes. There is also a message from King Mike. He will send a car to pick you up at the main terminal. It should be there within the hour."

"Excellent," Leu said, leaning back in his chair. "Been a while since I last saw Papa Wolf."

"Leu," Tollel began carefully.

"Yes?"

"Why do you call him Papa Wolf?"

Inside, Leu smiled. The Tollel he'd rescued would never have even considered asking questions. "Because he is," Leu replied, then went on, "Ever seen a male wolf defend his cubs?"

She shook her head no.

"King Mike is fiercely protective of his people. He doesn't let anyone hurt them, and those that do, well, let's just say they usually don't do it twice. He genuinely looks out for the welfare of his followers, and they respond with true loyalty.

"Papa Wolf has come a long ways since I first met him," Leu went on, half to himself.

He went on aloud, "I'll go talk to him first, get everything set up. Probably be able to get everyone onplanet by tomorrow. King Mike and his people will want to start getting them acclimated as soon as possible.

"In the meantime," he continued. "we've got some shipments coming in. You can sign for them, and help Marie get everything stowed away correctly."

"Me, Sir?" she squeaked in surprise. "You want me to sign for things?"

"Of course," he said. "Shouldn't be too hard. Just check the inventory, make sure everything is actually there, then sign for the purchases. Marie will make sure everything gets stowed properly.

"You're part of the crew," he went on. "and it's about time you started taking on some responsibility around here."

"I, I'll do my best, Leu," she replied.

"Good enough," he said. "Now, c'mon, we need to brief our passengers on what's happening."

After they had landed and paid the appropriate fees, Leu went into his room and began dressing to meet his old friend. He had put on an old three piece suit and was clumsily knotting the tie when Tollel entered.

She took one look, then crossed the room, saying, "Let me help you with that." Tollel swiftly and expertly adjusted the tie correctly, before buttoning up the vest and helping Leu into the suit jacket. A quick glance into the drawer he had opened, and she selected the appropriate accessories to go with the outfit. With her help, he was looking more professional and fashionable than he ever had on his own.

Looking in the mirror, he said, "Damn. I look good."

He grabbed Tollel, gave her a quick hug, and said, "And all because of you."

"I'm just glad to be of help," she replied, smiling and looking down.

He kissed her and said, grinning, "Admit it, you just didn't want to be embarrassed by me."

"No," she responded automatically. "I just wanted to help..."

He interrupted her and said, "No need to apologize. Suits and ties are not normal apparel for me, and I know what I look like in them." He looked in the mirror again, put on his fedora, then went on, "But you've made me look good. In fact, I look almost respectable. Not an easy task by any means."

Pleased, she grinned up at him, and said, "Well, we can't have you looking bad before your friend, now can we?"

Leu was more pleased than he could say, Tollel was definitely getting used to being free. "Next thing I know," he thought, smiling inside. _"she'll be arguing with me. And probably nagging at me too." _

Reluctantly leaving her behind, Leu slipped on his sunglasses and stepped off the ship, into the cloying heat and polluted stink of Auberge in the summer. From past trips he knew the quickest way to get used to the smell was to take several deep breaths right away, getting the coughing over with as soon as possible.

Sunlight forced its way through the chemical fog in the air, attempting to dissipate the perpetual haze that trapped the heat near the surface, causing the atmosphere to resemble a sauna. Leu's clothes began sticking to him almost immediately as he waited for a ride.

After a few minutes, a courtesy bus arrived. Leu gratefully entered its air conditioned interior for the trip to the main terminal. The bus was half filled with humans and morphs, some chattering to each other, the rest quietly sitting as it moved towards the terminal. The bus made several more stops on its way. At each stop, some passengers got off and others boarded. Finally, the bus arrived at the main terminal, and Leu exited it and headed for the nearest CHI station.

At the CHI station, Leu presented his ID. Checking his monitor and seeing that Leu was a guest of King MikeMcDonald, the guard said, "Very good, sir. The VIP lounge is to your left." He looked at his monitor again and went on, "There is a package from King Mike waiting for you; just show your ID to one of the attendants and they will bring it to you. Have a nice stay on our world." He then turned to the next person in line, leaving Leu to move on into the terminal proper.

Entering the lounge, Leu was struck by the opulence on display. Rich oak paneling covered the walls, while a deep, soft carpet stretched across the floor. Here and there on the walls, expensive artwork was discreetly displayed. There were tables and chairs set at intervals on the carpet, each protected by its own sound dampers. A bar stretched across one wall, with several attendants behind it, catering to the guests' drink requests. Classical music played softly in the background, helping to further insure the guests' privacy.

Several attendants, both male and female, human and morph, circulated in the room, unobtrusively attending to the needs of the other inhabitants.

Leu showed one of them his ID. The attendant handed over a small square package with an envelope on top. Leu opened the envelope, pulling out a note that read, 'Professor. A replacement for the one you lost the last time you visited. ' and signed, King Mike.

Leu moved to a table in the room, and opened the box. Inside was a Valker 12 handgun, along with a shoulder holster and two magazines. There was a small card nestled in the holster, a permit to carry the pistol.

Admiring the weapon, Leu thought, "Papa Wolf always did have an eye for quality."

Shrugging off his jacket, Leu put on the shoulder holster, adjusting it until it fit snugly. The handgun slid smoothly into the holster, secure yet easily removable. He loaded the weapon, replaced it in its holster and covered it with his jacket. The extra magazine went in a vest pocket while the permit went in the same pocket as his ID. He felt much more comfortable with a sidearm available.

A female rabbit morph in a smart looking uniform was circulating with a tray of drinks. Leu accepted one and moved to stand by the observation window.

Standing in the VIP waiting room looking out the one way observation window, Leu observed the crowds in the terminal while waiting for his ride. They were the usual mix of male and female, young and old, human and morph, slave and free. It was easy to tell the passengers from the workers. Business people were dressed in their power suits, either heading home after a hard day of making money in the cutthroat corporate world or heading out to begin their day making their living. Starport personnel wore the rugged clothes of those who did manual labor for a living. Most prominently displayed a badge signifying their sponsor, or, in the case of the slaves, their owner. All had the slightly worn look of someone who had been working hard all day and was looking forward to some well earned relaxation.

Heavily armed CHI enforcers manned the security stations and circulated in the crowds, their dark blue uniforms bulked out with armor. They carried their disruptor assault rifles at low patrol when on the move, their eyes scanning from under the visors of their helmets, intently watching for any sign of trouble.

Tourists moved through in packs, goggling at the sights, and taking extensive vids of everything they saw.

Over to one side were obvious refugees just off the transport vessels, worn clothing, few possessions, standing huddled together looking around apprehensively. Immigrant runners descended on them like vultures, trying to convince them that their sponsor could offer them the best deal, and all for a bargain price, with just a small down payment now and easy installments for the rest, with just a small interest charge...

Everywhere there were stands and carts, selling food and souvenirs. Some of them were run by free beings while others were manned by slaves. Just across from the lounge was a shoeshine stand. The shiners were attractively built slaves, male and female, kneeling unclothed in front of the customers' chairs. Their owner would take the customer's money, then let them have their shoes polished by the slave of their choice. Business was brisk.

The joyboys and joygirls were out in force, propositioning the passersby. Some stopped, and engaged in negotiations. If successful, the two would move to a nearby hotel that rented rooms by the hour, for some distractions from the work day.

Most of the free people wore practical outfits, if sometimes a little elaborate and fancy, but there were others not so modest.

Strutting by him was a young human girl, dressed in a rather saucy schoolgirl uniform with very high heels, the skirt higher and the shirt tighter than was normally allowed at any school Leu had ever been at. She had thrown a short red cloak with hood over her dress, and it swirled around her body as she walked. A book bag swung from one hand while the other held a leash attached to the genitals of her wolf morph slave boy, naked except for his collar. It was the kind of scene that normally had Leu frowning in disapproval, but the happy look on the boy's face showed that he was a willing participant. It reminded him of Sola and Kevin back at Tir na n'Og.

He smiled, thinking, "By now, Kevin has to have earned enough money to have bought his freedom from Sola several times over. If he wanted to."

Then, he observed something moving through the crowd that did raise his ire; a fashionably dressed human woman with her beast of burden. It was a human male, with his arms tied in reversed prayer fashion, naked except for a hood leaving only small holes for his eyes and nose, leg irons, and a leash attached to the cruel looking piercing in his cock head. He wore short boots with extremely high heels, forcing him to balance awkwardly on his toes, and had a large, heavy looking box strapped to his back. A cord running from his nose hook over the top of his hood pulled his head back, so he was compelled to stare upwards, while heavy weights swung from his nipple rings. Around his ball sack was a heavy metal ring, with spikes jutting out to scratch and irritate his inner thighs, making him keep his legs spread clumsily as he walked. A small dog whip hung down from his collar. Judging by the welts from neck to knees across his front, some still trickling blood, it had been liberally used all morning.

Leu's hand twitched, and he had to restrain himself from taking action and causing a scene. He had to content himself with glaring at the woman from behind his glasses.

Observing all the other slaves in sight, he gave a small sigh of resignation. Despite over fifty years of efforts, the abolitionist movement had achieved only limited successes, managing only to pass weak laws prohibiting cruelty to slaves. Leu could only hope that the other owners treated their property more humanely. At least on Marrakesh, the laws were mostly enforced, in public anyway.

Waiting for his ride, Leu had a nagging sense of something wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something seemed to be lacking. A quick pat down of his weapons and equipment assured him that all was in place, but still, something was missing, and it put him on edge.

A well dressed and highly attractive female cat morph came in and spotted him. Crossing over she asked, "Captain Leucidion?"

At Leu's acknowledgment, she went on, "King Mike sends his compliments, sir, and has instructed us to take you to him directly. If you would follow me, sir?"

"Gladly," Leu said, grinning, his response eliciting a practiced smile from the morph.

As they approached the entrance to the terminal, the cat morph spoke into the microphone attached to her collar. Almost immediately, an armored limousine pulled up to the curb.

The cat morph opened the rear door, holding it so Leu could enter.

Approaching the car door Leu instinctively turned to let Tollel in, and that's when he finally realized what the lack was; she wasn't by his side. "Funny," he thought, "how fast I got used to her presence. And how wrong it feels without her."

The cat morph entered the rear compartment with him, saying, "My name is Linda, sir. King Mike has tasked me with being your guide while you are here in Auberge."

As the car drove off, merging into traffic, she gestured to a small wet bar, and asked, "Would you like a drink, sir? We have both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks available."

"Some orange juice, maybe?" he asked.

"Of course, sir," she responded, pulling a small bottle out of the wet bar and handing it to him.

He took a swallow, then said, "And I'm not a sir. I work for a living."

This elicited a genuine smile from Linda, as she dryly said, "Quite." She looked at her watch, then continued, "King Mike said you would use that within the first ten minutes of my meeting you. I felt it would take longer. Looks like I owe him twenty crowns."

They spent the rest of the trip in quiet conversation, Leu asking questions and getting up to speed on how his old friend was doing.

Reaching a public square, the vehicle stopped. Gesturing at the window, Linda said, "King Mike said you might be interested in this."

Looking out the window, Leu saw the Execution Tubes, a series of armorglass cylinders just large enough for someone to stand up in. Criminals would be placed in them through the barred tops and left to die of exposure, hunger and thirst. The nearest tubes held several naked humans, while a sign identified them as a team of Imperial bounty hunters, captured trying to infiltrate Marrakesh.

Most of the passersby ignored them, but a few, mainly morphs, paused to taunt them, some throwing objects that bounced harmlessly against the armorglass. A handful of police officers watched from their guard station, bored expressions on their faces. Occasionally they would use their loudspeakers to warn off people who were getting too close to the Execution Tubes. Their job was less to protect the prisoners than to make sure no one tried to free them.

Leu smiled nastily and said, "When we bring my passengers in tomorrow, we'll have to stop here, let them see what happens to Imperials."

"Yes," Linda agreed. "King Mike likes to have new immigrants brought past these, especially when we have Imperials in them. It helps them to feel more secure."

As the car traveled through the busy streets, they came upon two rival groups shouting and waving signs at each other from opposite sides of the road. One group carried signs showing a distinguished looking Dalmatian morph called Charles Garrett, while the other displayed the photo of a well dressed human with a broad smile named Margaret Johnson.

With a roar, the two groups charged each other, punching, kicking, and biting in a grand melee in the middle of the street. Traffic came to a standstill as the combatants blocked the road. Passersby looked on, cheering on the fighters and laying bets on the outcome.

With a sardonic smile, Leu remarked, "I'd forgotten it was election season."

"Yes," Linda answered. "Things will start to get interesting for the next few weeks."

With a sudden pop, the door locks opened and the engine stalled. A coordinated group of morphs and humans descended on the car, opening the doors and reaching inside for the occupants.

The first one through Leu's door was an older human male, thrusting forward with a stun rod, and carrying the short range jammer they'd used to disrupt the car's electronics. In one smooth motion, Leu drew his weapon and fired twice. The 12.7mm explosive rounds struck the man in the chest. He slumped over dead, and Leu kicked the body out of the door and into the face of the next attacker.

That attacker, a badger morph, made the mistake of attempting to keep Leu from shutting the door. Leu shot him in the head, and he fell back, into the horrified grasp of his companion. Leu took advantage of the situation to slam the door closed.

Next to him, Linda had drawn a compact needler and calmly fired at the assailant coming through her door. The ruby red beam struck him in the forehead. He convulsed and fell back, twitching in his death throes, his nervous system fatally disrupted.

The driver was defending himself with controlled bursts from a machine pistol, while the other guard, a large bear morph, had exited the car and was taking the fight to the enemy.

They swarmed over him, attempting to bring him down with clubs and stunners. Rearing up, he shook off his attackers, grabbing two of them and slamming them against the car so hard their bones cracked and the armored limo rocked on its suspension. Others swiftly fell to the guard's blows, his body armor protecting him from their attacks.

The attack not going as planned, the rest decided to flee. They hadn't expected this much resistance. Some grabbed their fallen comrades as they left, but most just ran away as fast as they could, leaving their dead and wounded behind.

The driver restarted the car while the guard assured himself that Linda was fine, before swiftly checking the bodies for ID, a heavy laser pistol in his paw.

Waiting for the police to arrive, he threw several wallets into the back of the car, while keeping an eye out for further attacks. At the first sound of gunshots, the crowds had miraculously dispersed.

Linda calmly holstered her pistol and began going through the wallets. She smiled grimly as she said, "According to these, they're a local street gang, the 12th Street Tunnel Bandits. A bit out of their territory."

Swiftly scanning a data chip found in one of the wallets, she said, "Looks like they were working for the Prentiss Machine. Probably trying to kidnap us to use against King Mike." Looking at Leu, she went on, "Not necessarily the best idea in the world."

Slipping his pistol back under his jacket, Leu agreed. "Yeah. As I remember, Papa Wolf does not take that kind of thing lightly. I imagine he'll be plotting immediate reprisals."

Settling back in his seat, he went on, "I see politics is still a full contact sport here."

Linda smiled but said nothing, merely continuing her search through their attackers' IDs.

A police skimmer was the first vehicle to arrive, followed in short order by two groundcars, sirens screaming and lights flashing. Heavily armed and armored officers, some human and some morph, exited the vehicles, weapons at the ready.

A quick scan of the limo's plates and the police became more respectful as they approached, putting up their weapons. The sergeant, a Doberman morph, approached the guard, saying, "Sergeant Murphy, Auberge PD, at your service."

When Linda stepped out to talk to him, he stiffened to attention and saluted, saying, "Ms, MacDaniels! Are you alright, ma'am?"

"Quite alright, Sergeant," she replied, the bear morph guard standing protectively close to her. "And we thank you for your prompt arrival here."

"Well," Leu thought. "Apparently, Ms. MacDaniels is a tad bit higher up in Papa Wolf's org than I thought."

The other officers busied themselves with checking on the casualties. Those who were still alive were being cuffed and gathered in a central location, while the dead were checked for IDs and their weapons were collected and cataloged.

Linda had some quiet words with the police sergeant. Turning to her bodyguard, she gave him a short order.

The bear morph entered the rear compartment, gathered all the IDs, and handed them over to the police.

After some more discussion, Linda arranged for an officer to come to King Mike's main residence and headquarters, The Workingfur's Exchange, to take her statement. The discussion ended, and she and the guard reentered the limo and it drove off.

Looking out the rear window, Leu saw a Black Maria pull up. His last sight was of the shackled prisoners being thrust none too gently into the back of it.

The further they traveled from the starport, the more upscale the neighborhoods became. Police were more in evidence, and air scrubbers began making appearances, attempting to cleanse the pollutants out of the local atmosphere. The air began becoming cleaner as more scrubbers were seen on the sidewalks. The pedestrians in sight were better dressed. Nannies watched over their charges, couples walked together, and well dressed servants and slaves discreetly carried out their assigned tasks. Everywhere was a show of politeness and civility.

Arriving at the Workingfur's Exchange, the limo easily passed through the security checkpoint and entered the underground parking garage. It pulled into a spot next to the elevator, and Linda escorted Leu up to King Mike's private floor.

The first thing Leu saw as he exited the elevator was King Mike himself.

The old gray wolf walked stiffly over to the two. Only someone who knew would be able to tell the legs were prosthetic, and not just arthritic.

To Leu's surprise, King Mike embraced Linda and said, "I heard about the attack. Are you alright?"

She hugged him back, and said, "I'm okay, Papa Wolf. Your friend helped save the day. Those kidnappers didn't stand a chance."

"All righty, then," Leu thought. "Way higher in the org than I even guessed."

Still holding her, King Mike turned to Leu and went on, "Professor. Thank you. I don't know what I would do without Linda, here."

Releasing her, he said sternly, "Next time, you take more guards."

Linda smiled indulgently and answered, "Of course, dear. But for now, I have work to do. So I'll let you and your friend alone." She sauntered off down the hallway.

The two spent a moment looking each other over. King Mike, observing Leu's suit, could tell at a glance that someone with taste and fashion sense had helped him with it. He looked good, whereas normally Leu looked like he'd dressed hurriedly in the dark. King Mike said nothing, but chuckled knowingly.

For his part, Leu thought, "Papa Wolf is still looking pretty good."

Despite being in his late fifties, King Mike still had the physique of someone who worked out daily. His gray fur was well groomed, and the suit he wore had obviously been custom tailored to fit him.

Leading him to the lounge area, King Mike asked with a smile, "Well? What do you think?"

"Of your aide?"

"Of course."

Leu considered, then said, "Very smexy. Doesn't panic easily, and is good with a weapon. She doesn't seem to have any problem dealing with others, either. I'm assuming she's one of your 'special projects'."

"Ah, yes," King Mike smiled as he remembered. "Bought her from a very bad owner. Had to bankrupt him first, of course, but it was worth every crown. Best chief of staff I've ever had."

He lit up his cigar, then said, "Freed her first thing, of course. Free beings are much more reliable and productive."

He puffed on his cigar, smiled slyly at Leu and went on, "They make much better lovers, too."

Leu stared at him open mouthed for a second, before responding with a smile and a shake of his head, "Deity's child old fur, you never cease to amaze me. You've got to have, what, twenty five years on her?"

King Mike's rich laughter rang out as he threw an arm around Leu's shoulders, leading him over to a table and chairs. "Closer to thirty," he admitted as they walked.

As they were sitting down, King Mike said, "A drink, for old times sake." A waiter brought out two glasses filled with Brutal Hammers, a mix of cheap red wine and cheaper vodka. They each took a glass, raised them in toast, then swallowed.

Coughing and spluttering, Leu said, "Deities! Now I remember why I stopped drinking this drek."

Laughing, King Mike responded, "Ah, Professor, but it brings back old memories now, doesn't it?" He put the glass down and signaled for another round. "But I have much better liquor nowadays." The waiter brought two glasses filled with an amber fluid.

"To Johnny," he said.

Leu raised his glass and responded, "To Johnny."

After they drank, Leu went on, "There seems to be a bit of a religion brewing about him, especially in the Empire. Everyone seems to think he's somewhere in deep space, with his father, getting ready to return and free all the slaves."

"I know," King Mike said with a smile. "I try and encourage that idea. Keeps people from bothering me quite so much.

"Better they don't know the truth," he went on quietly, looking down at his prosthetic legs.

"Yeah," Leu agreed. "Deity only knows what would happen if they ever found out."

They sat in silence for a while, then King Mike snorted, and said, "Sheol, even if they do find out, most of them won't believe it anyway."

They drank some more, Leu appreciating the smoky flavor of the whiskey, especially as it took away the bitter aftertaste of the Brutal Hammer.

"We'll have to run your passengers past my Sensitive," King Mike was saying. At Leu's curious glance, he went on, "Imperial Intel is getting very clever. They've been taking morphs and conditioning them, programming them with all kinds of nasty surprises. Had one last month, went berserk and began killing everyone around him.

"Had to kill him finally," he went on. "But I felt sorry for him. You could tell, he didn't want to hurt anyone, but the programming took over control of his body. Deity, that would be bad, to not be in control of your body, and be forced to watch as it did horrible things. I think, maybe, he was relieved when we finally stopped him. At least, I like to think so."

"I wonder," Leu thought. "It doesn't seem likely, but that could explain Tollel's 'talents'. Wonder how I could discreetly find out. Have to talk to Marie, maybe she'll have some ideas."

"Looks like there may be an attempted realignment in the Empire," King Mike was saying.

"Oh?"

"The Imperial Navy is massing opposite Malmordo, supposedly for 'maneuvers'," he went on. "No one's really sure why, unless maybe they're thinking of pushing out and taking the planet."

"Wouldn't that be an act of war?"

"Yes," he answered. "But if it works, it would be a coup for whoever started it. Give them a lot of status."

"Hmph," Leu said reflectively. "Sounds like maybe the Emperor is about to get himself a new protector.

"I wonder," he went on. "Malmordo has some fairly close trade connections to the Empire. Could be someone in their government is planning a coup d'ètat. If they take over and then ask for help from the Imperials, well, that would change things a lot."

"Yes," King Mike replied. "They could even petition to join the Empire. Under the Articles of Confederation, planets do have the option of leaving if they want."

"Wouldn't be very good for the common folk," Leu said, bitterly. "And it would be an absolute disaster for the morphs. But if you dangled enough incentives before the right people, they might see advantages to being part of 'the Glorious Empire of the Benevolent Protectors of the People.' It'd give the Empire a fairly rich prize."

"It would also shut down a very important part of our Underground Railway," King Mike added. "I'm sure Imperial Intelligence would like that."

Leu took another sip of the whiskey, then said, "Ah, Sheol. Bad luck and bad cess to the lot of them."

He went on, "Malmordo won't be that easy a target for them. If nothing else, the Furlatrorts would fight it tooth and nail. I remember what happened when the Empire kidnapped their daughter."

He softly rubbed the scars under his eye and then went on, "They're not nice people, and they neither forgive nor forget. They have the connections and more than enough money to hire Basti Assassins, so anyone in the government pushing for this is likely to get extremely dead extremely quickly."

He smiled grimly and went on, "The Malmordo military is no pushover, either. Remember the last time someone tried a coup d'ètat there?"

At King Mike's amused chuckle, he continued, "They're well trained and equipped, and not afraid to call in the Star Enforcers for help. The Empire will probably get nothing but a bloody nose out of this."

"So mote it be," King Mike replied, sipping from his glass.

They spent the next few hours before lunch getting caught up with each other and discussing the general situation in the Confederation and elsewhere.

The attendants wheeled in an excellent lunch. Over it, King Mike and Leu discussed the logistics of getting the refugees off of the Fair and under his protection. King Mike agreed to send a vehicle and guards in the morning.

Leu also gave King Mike a rundown on the refugees themselves, highlighting especially Bobby and his experiences. Puffing furiously on his cigar, a low growl came from King Mike as Leu explained what had happened to him.

When he mentioned the name Mengeles, King Mike bit through his cigar, looked sharply at him and asked, "You're not thinking of returning to the Empire and trying to finish the job, are you?"

"No," Leu admitted glumly. "Marie managed to convince me that that would do no good. But it does hurt that we didn't get them all."

"Aye," King Mike agreed, leaning back and puffing on his cigar some more. "But we accounted for all the Mengeles' that were known, so this one must have been a pretty obscure relative to have escaped our notice. Fourth or fifth cousin or some such. Couldn't have been very important, either, else he would have been at the reunion."

King Mike blew a large cloud of smoke, dismissing that problem for another day. The ventilation system caught the cloud and swiftly carried it away before it could affect anyone else. "But as to your passengers," he went on. "I have some very excellent counselors on staff. I'll have them standing by when you get here tomorrow."

The meal over, they exchanged further pleasantries, and then it was time for Leu to return to the Scarborough Fair. During the ride back, Leu smiled happily as he considered how well things were going.

Later that day, the King Tiger and its escorts arrived in orbit around Marrakesh. Bribes were paid, so that they could remain in high orbit above Auberge, unlogged by Traffic Control. They settled into ambush, waiting for the launch of the Scarborough Fair.

That night, their day's tasks completed, Tollel crawled into bed with Leu, determined to reward him for all he'd done.

Laying partially on him, Tollel slid down his body and began to caress and lick his cock. Her fingers slid up and down his dick, while her tongue wrapped around it, lapping at it slowly and exquisitely.

Her slow and gentle ministrations brought him up to full hardness in almost no time, and when he was ready, she turned around and presented her rear to him, raising her tail out of the way. Leu rose to his knees and entered her cunny, already wet and waiting for him. He thrust in gently but firmly, rocking back and forth. Despite his body's desires, he slowed down, making sure Tollel was enjoying it as much as he was.

After he climaxed, and was lying back, Tollel began licking his cock clean, soon bringing him back to hardness. When he was ready, she mounted him and began riding, making sure to give him as much pleasure as possible.

With a groan, he came a second time, lying back on the bed and panting from exertion.

Tollel let him rest for a while, then began fondling his genitals, slowly working him up again.

Smiling, Leu gently tried to push her away and asked, "What the Sheol are you trying to do, woman? Kill me?"

"Would it be such an awful way to go?" she asked with a smile.

"Maybe not," he answered. "But it wouldn't make for a very dignified obituary, now would it?

"Besides," he went on, as his dick rose again and started clouding his thinking. "I still have things to do before..."

His rational thoughts vanished under the manipulations of Tollel's clever hands, and his body answered to a more primitive need.

Finally, he could respond no more, and Tollel had mercy and let him rest.

After they were through and lying together in the sheets, Tollel began, "Leu?"

"Yeah?"

"I did some research while you were out," she said, hesitantly. Lazily tracing around his nipple with her finger, she went on. "Marrakesh doesn't have any royalty or nobility. Also, there don't seem to be any references to King Mike before about 25 years ago."

"And?" he replied, half knowing where this was going.

"How did your friend become a king?"

"Well," Leu answered with a smile. "It's pretty much a self chosen title. Kinda fits though. He wields a lot of power and influence, and tries to use it to better the lives of his followers.

"And there are no references to him before then because that's about the time he moved to Marrakesh."

Leu smiled, thinking back. "After we evac'd him out, Papa Wolf joined one of the many political factions here, and it didn't take him long to rise to the top of it. And not too long after that, his group became one of the more important factions in the planet's politics. They ain't the biggest, yet. But Papa Wolf does wield a lot of power and influence. He's definitely someone to watch out for."

"Evac'd him out?" she asked curiously. "Was he...?"

"Have to be careful here," Leu thought. Aloud, he went on, "Yeah, Papa Wolf was a very important part of Johnny's group. During one of our early raids, he took several rounds in his legs. We didn't have a Daktari, so we had to amputate them finally. He said he was useless to the cause, and begged us to kill him."

Here, he smiled and said, "Instead, we sent him to Marrakesh. He raised a lot of money from the expats here, became even more important than before. His support kept us going right up to the end."

Leu chuckled. "I must admit," he said sleepily, giving her a hug. "that's the best interrogation technique I've ever had used on me."

Smiling slightly, Tollel lowered her eyes and ducked her head in acknowledgment.

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Leu, Tollel and the refugees were up early. A hasty breakfast, and they moved outside to wait for their ride. Standing outside the Fair with their meager possessions, everyone went through a fit of coughing, getting used to the heavily polluted Marrakesh air.

Eventually, an armored minibus pulled up. A large wolf morph got out. Smiling at the refugees as reassuringly as a heavily armed guard could, he said, "Hi. We're from King Mike. If you would all enter the bus, we can get going."

The party entered the bus, grateful for the air conditioning. Settling down in their seats, they stared out the heavily tinted windows at their new home. Wide eyed, they watched the city roll by outside.

The minibus reached the public square Leu had been shown the day before, stopping before the Execution Tubes. The refugees looked on as the guard read out the sign on the bounty hunters' tubes. With relish, he said, "Eventually, they'll just die from exposure, hunger an' thirst. But it'll take 'em a good long while. We don't take kindly to Imperials here."

Bobby looked out at them, an unreadable expression on his face.

"They, they're Imperials?" Bobby finally asked the guard plaintively. "and they're being punished for trying to hurt people?"

"Oh, yes," Leu answered gently. "Marrakesh is one of the least friendly planets for Imperials in the Confed. There are so many refugees here, and they haven't forgotten what happened to them in the Empire. Anyone threatening to take them back is given short shrift. And usually wind up in these Execution Tubes. Not a pleasant way to die, but you'll find few who feel sorry for them."

"Good!" Bobby exclaimed. "Make them hurt for what they did."

Turning to Mandy, he broke down and began crying softly, leaning into her for comfort.

Wrapping her arms around him, she looked at Leu, her face a mixture of sorrow for his sufferings, and concern about the hate in his voice.

"He'll be alright," Leu said softly. "I talked to King Mike, he's got counselors standing by. Bobby will get the help he needs."

By the time the bus reached the Workingfur's Exchange, Bobby had recovered from his crying, and was looking around curiously at the city scenes. He paid extra attention to the many morphs walking around freely. He was especially fascinated by the ones in positions of authority, staring at them until they passed from sight. A subtle tension seemed to leave his body, as he began to feel safe for the first time since he was a cub at his mother's breast.

The elevator ride took them to a different floor than Leu had visited the day before. Just inside the room were several morphs standing behind tables wearing large, friendly smiles. In front of them all was King Mike himself, waiting to welcome them in person. Beside him Linda stood ready to assist in any way needed.

Leu and Tollel watched as King Mike gave their passengers a short welcoming speech, before turning them over to his people.

With the skill born of long practice, the attendants managed to process the refugees through the procedures fairly quickly. They were given basic health checkups and received inoculation shots for various ills. Their names were taken down and identification measurements taken. The refugees were given their ID cards as soon as they were printed out. Attendants served them food and drink while they waited to be processed, helping to set them at ease.

As the refugees were being assigned temporary quarters in the lower floors of the Workingfur's Exchange, their minds were discreetly scanned by a sad looking nondescript brown ferret. She could detect no conditioning, so passed them all as safe.

Observing the way Leu and Tollel stood next to each other, King Mike smiled knowingly. Tollel's collar raised his eyebrows though.

"Linda, my dear," he began, determined to get to the bottom of things.

"Yes?"

"The Captain and his companion look a little hungry. Kindly arrange a small lunch for us before they return to their ship, will you?"

"Of course," She began entering data on her PPC.

"Also," King Mike went on. "it would be nice if you could arrange for the Captain and I to be alone for a few minutes during lunch. I have some questions I would like answered before they leave."

Linda caught the iron underlying his words. Smiling, she answered, "Of course, dear."

Glancing at her PPC, she went on, "The meal will be ready whenever we are."

"Excellent." Looking at her, he smiled and said, "How did I ever get along without you?"

"I'm sure I don't know," she answered, smiling back.

While Linda engaged Tollel in conversation, King Mike said to Leu, "My people can handle the rest of this. Would you care to join us in a small meal before you have to leave?"

Leu caught the subtle undertones in King Mike's voice. Despite some slight misgivings, Leu agreed and followed the others towards the dining room, Linda and Tollel in the lead.

With a gracious smile, Linda asked Tollel, "Shall we continue our chat in here?" while gesturing towards the dining room.

Tollel wasn't fooled; her extensive training at Forever Yours had taught her how to read people's body language, so it was child's play to see that Linda wanted to leave Leu and King Mike alone for a while.

Nevertheless, she smiled and inclined her head, saying, "Of course, Mistress," before following Linda into the next room.

"So," King Mike said, when they were out of earshot. "Another 'broken wing', I take it? But, collared...?" There was a slight undertone of menace in his voice.

"Maybe," Leu thought wryly. "I should just make up some cards, hand them out to all my friends. Might save me some time and trouble."

Aloud, he said hastily, "In public only. I saved her from Blaine Crakesbone, and he's still looking for her, has her biometrics flagged."

At the mention of the crime lord, King Mike nodded, "Ah, now I see. But, in private?"

"The collar comes off," Leu said. "She's free. We just can't let anyone know yet. It's, frustrating."

"I think," King Mike went on shrewdly, "maybe she is more than just a 'broken wing', yes?"

"Yeah," Leu said quietly, slightly embarrassed. "I think that, maybe, just maybe, I might have found that special someone."

Smiling, King Mike slapped him on the shoulder and said, "So finally, the Professor finds someone to care about again. It's about damned time, too, old friend. Twenty years is too damned long. Welcome back.

"And the feelings, they are mutual I think?" he went on.

A thoughtful expression came over Leu's face. "I honestly don't know," he said. "She was trained at Forever Yours, so I can't be sure if she really cares for me or if she's just using her training to make me think so."

"I think," King Mike went on, smiling, "that you will find it is not just training. The way she looks at you, it is more than just simple gratitude, I think."

"That would be nice," Leu said, wistfully. Smiling, he went on, "But you know my life. Everything good goes away eventually."

At that point, they entered the dining room where Tollel and Linda were waiting, ending that conversation.

The meal went well, King Mike easily keeping them all entertained with his stories of life on Marrakesh and the ins and outs of the political scene there.

The end of the meal came all too soon, and Leu and Tollel reluctantly rose to return to the Fair. King Mike and Linda escorted them to the garage, where the two boarded a limo for the ride to the starport. Their last sight as the limo exited the garage was of King Mike and Linda waving farewell to them.

Settling back into the decadently comfortable seats, the two snuggled against each other during the trip back to their ship, both feeling well pleased with a job well done.