FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pepper pulled the floater up in front of the bungalow and got out, followed by Victor. They gingerly made their way up to the porch, careful not to slip on the small patches of snow and ice that partially covered the walkway. The window blinds for the front room were still pulled shut. Taking out her house key the vixen unlocked the door and pushed it open, only to be suddenly jerked back by her cousin.

“What the hell...?"

“Careful..." he said. “Saul's activated the firewall on my thumb drive."

“Firewall?"

“I'll explain later. Do you have a mirror on you?"

Pepper reached into the black vinyl shoulder bag she often carried. It was a cross between a purse and a military field pouch, though a bit more stylish. She pulled out a compact and removed the mirror, handing it to the todd.

He took it in one hand. “Stay out here until you see that green glow fade from the wall. Then it will be safe to come inside." Using the mirror to peek around the corner, he covered one eye with his hand and slowly went into the room. Focusing only on the mirror, he worked his way around to where Saul was sitting rigidly in front of his computer. Victor pulled the glowing data stick from its port then pushed the power button. The screen instantly went dark and the glow faded from the walls. Pepper was inside the room like a shot.

The first thing she saw was her partner sitting at the table, his computer in front of him and both hands poised as if in the middle of a keystroke. Though seemingly frozen in place, she could see the slow rise and fall of his chest.

“Good," her cousin said. “He couldn't have activated the firewall too long ago. It still hasn't affected his autonomic reflexes."

Pepper didn't quite register what he had said. Instead, she was gently shaking her partner, trying to wake him up but having no luck. She looked up angrily. “What did you do to him?"

“It's not what I did, but what he did; though I will admit to providing temptation by forgetting my data drive in the computer. That part's on me."

“Why isn't he moving?"

“It's the effect of something we call the Medusa Firewall. The intended purpose is to prevent anyone without a knowledge of magic from accessing the mystic web."

“The what?"

“The mystic web," he replied, dropping the glowing data stick into his jacket pocket. “Think of it as a combination of social media, internet platform and World Wide Web for mages, witches and the like. Naturally, there are protections in place to keep anyone from discovering that magic exists."

Pepper examined her partner. “So how does this Medusa Firewall work, and can we undo what's happened to Saul?"

“The effects will slowly wear off over the next hour or so, though I imagine his body's going to feel like pins and needles until it does. Right now, everything's numb, like what happens when your hand or arm goes to sleep."

“It had better... Pepper growled softly, “or I'll kick your ass all the way back to Chicago, then tell Gwen what you did and let her deal with what's left."

“Look at the bright side," Victor replied, trying not to flinch when the vixen glared at him. “His exposure was limited, as evidenced by the fact he was still breathing. It's far from the worst case scenario."

“Worst case?"

“I heard that there was one fellow who literally starved to death staring at the computer screen... but as far as I know, it's only a rumor."

The todd never realized that a pillow could be thrown so hard, or hurt so much as when it caught you straight on the nosepad. He was lucky it wasn't the bookend that sat within easy reach of Pepper.

* * * *

For the second time that day Saul felt himself waking up from a deep sleep. This time however it was different. His mind seemed to wake up first and his body just didn't want to respond to anything he wanted to do. Not only that, but everything, every muscle, tingled, including his eyelids. For a few brief moments he wondered if he'd had a stroke of some kind. This was quickly dispelled when he finally got his pinkie to twitch, followed by a random assortment of fingers, toes and eventually eyeballs. Opening his eyes he found himself once more lying on the bed in the back guest room. He decided then and there that he hated déjà vu.

After about fifteen minutes of concentrated effort he was finally able to sit on the edge of the bed and scratch at his head. His scalp tingled in response leading the detective to decide even his hair had fallen asleep. The exact reason for it though escaped him.

There was a gentle knock on the door and it opened to reveal a worried vixen. Upon seeing him sitting up, Pepper broke into a relieved smile. “You're looking better... How do you feel?"

“Like Sherman and the union army have been marching through Georgia with me as the speed bump."

“You must be feeling okay... you're not making any sense, as usual," Pepper observed.

“What doesn't make sense is how I got in here. One minute I'm on the computer, and the next I'm lying on a bed of ants."

“You can thank my cousin for that," the vixen replied. “You tried playing around with one of his magic items."

“The data stick?"

She nodded. “It's a hook up for what he calls the mystic web. Think of it as a social media site for wizards, warlocks and witches. Kind of like Facebook, Twitter-pated or Muzzle Time."

“I wouldn't know, I don't do social media anymore. I had my fill of it back in college."

“Short story long, you hacked your way straight into a rather nasty firewall, with teeth."

Saul thoughtfully rubbed his chin, slightly surprised at how smooth it felt and how much he missed his stubble. “So... magicians use computers and com-cams these days? What for... exchanging potion recipes or some such non-sense?"

“Possibly. Victor won't go into detail about it. Claims it's above our paygrade."

The human sighed. “Wonderful. Between werewolves, were-dragons, mystic religious weapons, curses, sorcerous web-sites and the like we're never going to be able to officially close this case."

Pepper huffed quietly. “Doesn't look like it. It's hardly something we can take into court, let alone the D.A.'s office." She thought for a moment. “Maybe we're thinking too much inside the box. If, as Victor suggested, there is some kind of secret magical society out there, they might have some way to deal with these kind of things internally."

“Sort of a Para-Legal Prognosticator," Saul muttered, chuckling.

“That, or an Alchemic Attorney," the vixen shot back with a small grin.

“Maybe they'd be a Court-Appointed Conjurer?" the detective replied. The partners bounced half-a-dozen made up titles off each other, laughing at the absurdity of their situation.

“I wonder if there really is some kind of Star Chamber used for dealing with magic criminals."

“Actually, they're referred to as Adjudicator Magi," a voice replied. Both Saul and Pepper looked toward one darkened corner of the room and spotted a small dragon dangling upside down from a hanging plant.

“Victor? What the hell are you doing up there?" asked the vixen.

“Taking a nap while keeping one eye on your partner. Dragons can do that you know. Makes it hard to sneak up on us." He let go of his perch and flitted over to the detectives, landing on the headboard of the bed.

“More like spying," Pepper accused.

“You were too angry to talk with earlier, so I decided to watch and make sure Saul recovered from the Medusa spell without any complications. I was already here when you came in, so no, I wasn't spying."

“So what exactly is an Advertiser Mage?" the human queried.

“Adjudicator Magi," the dragon corrected. “Well, imagine taking a judge, a prosecutor, a defense counsel and a jury, then combine them with a cross between a Texas Ranger, Sam Spade and Dumbledore."

“Sounds a bit like vigilantism," Saul said.

“More than a bit. There's really no formal structure to magic in this world or how it's used, so from time to time a sort of general congress is convened and they vote on a set of guiding principles and choose a few members to investigate suspected abuses of magic. There is a loose magical council to whom these Adjudicators answer, but for the most part, they are left to their own judgement."

“Interesting," Pepper muttered. “So what happens to those who are found to have violated the guiding principles?"

“In most cases they have locks placed on their ability to collect and use mana. In really serious cases they are turned to stone for a few hundred years, then released on probation," Victor replied.

“No capital punishment or rule of law?"

The small dragon shook his head. “After all the witch-hunting of the 14th through 18th centuries the magic council decided to take the high ground and limit the death penalty only to crimes which would be the equivalent of crimes against humanity. Last time anyone was executed were three wizards who helped the Nazis during the Holocaust. Otherwise, nothing in the last two hundred years or so. As to rule of law, that would require a much more organized system than our numbers would permit."

“Too few magic users?" asked the vixen.

Victor nodded. “The best estimates put it at about one true magic-user for every 5,000 ordinary people. That of course doesn't take into account magical beings or cursed creatures such as myself. We can't manipulate mana, we're just foci for it."

“That would put the number of witches, wizards and the like at about eighteen-hundred, give or take a couple of dozen," Saul observed. “So, what eventually happens to the mages who get turned to stone? Do you have an Indiana Jones style warehouse for them?"

The were-dragon chortled lightly. “Most wind up in front of, or in museums, hiding in plain sight as it were. I think the most famous is Rodin's 'The Thinker' in Paris."

“Wait one second," Pepper said. “I may not be a museum scholar like you, but I did take a couple of courses in art in college. The statue you're talking about was cast in bronze, not made from stone."

“True," Victor replied. “But it does sit on a stone pedestal. In that particular wizard's case, I think he has about one hundred and fifty more years to serve on his sentence."

The human grinned. “Never thought I'd appreciate the role pigeons played in the justice system."

The small dragon stretched its wings and shook itself out. “Listen, I can't really hang around too long, not with Gwen expecting and the twins to consider. I figure that, barring complications, Saul should be back to normal by this time tomorrow. At that point, I'm going to have to head home."

Pepper frowned. “I was kind of hoping you'd be able to stay a few days and help us out with this case, seeing that it has a sizable component of magic involved. Your expertise would be useful."

“Sorry," Victor replied. “I can still give advice via the internet, but I really do have to get back to my wife. The gestation period for Lappe is a bit shorter than for either Feli or Zorrs. I can help you make contact with one of the Adjudicator Magi, if you're interested. Being kinda of like private detectives, they might be able to help you with the magical elements of your investigation."

“I assume they charge a fee for outside consultation services," Saul grumbled.

The dragon nodded. “It's not a problem. They're a lot less expensive than a box of black rose pollen."

“Speaking of which, how are we going to get our hands on four and a half pounds of gold," Pepper asked.

“Not to worry, I was pulling your leg earlier." Victor leapt off the headboard, executed a summersault and transformed back into his normal Zorr form while sticking a perfect landing. “Gwen and I already took care of that. After all, you're family... and you did save my life when we went up against Kurok and Cypriana." He was surprised when both his cousin and her partner turned away. “Is something wrong?" he asked.

“Pants!" they both replied.

The Zorr looked down at himself and the inside of his ears blushed. “Oops!"

* * * *

They were in the middle of breakfast the next morning when Saul abruptly returned to his normal size, exploding out of the clothes Pepper had lent him and collapsing the chair he was sitting on. Fortunately, he was also wearing his football jersey as an outer layer of clothes, thus he was able to preserve his dignity... somewhat.

Victor calmly looked at his wrist watch. “Interesting," he said as the restored detective rose from the debris. “The Black Rose pollen wore off fourteen hours earlier than I thought it would. I wonder if it's a side effect of the pollen itself or your larger than normal size." He recorded the time and jotted down a few lines in his notebook to show Gwen later.

“Swell. Now I can add being a magical guinea pig to my work resume." Saul grunted, scratching unconsciously at the massive amount of body hair that now covered his oversized frame.

“You feeling okay," Pepper asked.

“Just peachy, though I itch like hell. I'm getting a little tired of feeling like my skin is crawling with ants." He stood. “Excuse me while I go shower and change." The human left the kitchen, pausing just long enough to pick up what was left of the chair and pile it next to the back door.

The vixen glanced at the kitchen clock. “Looks like Saul and I will be able to go into work this morning after all. Will you need a ride to the airport?"

Victor shook his head. “I'll grab a lifter-ride from here once I can confirm my return flight. At least this time I won't have to wear a scuba suit to contain my scent." He then jotted down some information on the back of a business card that was tucked into his notebook. Then he handed it to Pepper.

“This is the name of an Adjudicator Magi Gwen and I know. If you decide you need help, give her a call and tell her you're my cousin. That might be worth a discount at the very least."

“Her?" The vixen asked looking at the card as she read the beautifully scripted lettering:

_Grandma Din-Din - Apothecary and Alchemist. _

Rare Herbs, Elixirs and Potions.

Complete collection of needful things for the Apprentice.

Registered Notary, Guidance Counselor

And

Adjudicator Magi.

On the back of the card he'd written a short phrase which Pepper tried to carefully sound out. “Wéi j? shì chéng f?ng pò làng de j? huì. What the hell is this?"

“A password of sorts, so she'll know you're legit if you call her," Victor offered.

“Grandma Din-Din? Are you sure this is on the level? The name sounds like something out of one of Saul's old, silly martial arts vids."

“Oh she's real alright," Victor replied. “She's originally from China and runs the only legitimate magical supply store in the mid-west. I was curious myself so I did a little etymology research on her. Din's a family name, a variation on the word Chen, one of the states or provinces that existed during the Zhou Dynasty, between about 1045-479 B.C.E. Roughly translated it's a verb which means to lay out, exhibit or to narrate, which kind of makes sense because she runs a combination tea shop and magic store..."

Pepper brought his monologue to a screeching halt when she held up her hand. “As fascinating as that is, Saul and I have to get to work and you have a plane to catch, unless you plan on flying home under your own power."

“Sorry," muttered the todd. “Got a little carried away with the geek factor."

The vixen gave him a hug. “That's one of the reasons you're my favorite cousin."

“I'm still your only cousin," he replied with chuckle."

* * * *

Arriving at work, the two detectives double checked their case board and e-mails. As there were no new clues on the murder, they decided to take care of a couple of minor robberies which were fairly easy to clear up. Pepper often referred to such work as “brain scrubbing." It gave them a chance to reset their perspectives and discover previously unseen angles on the harder cases.

By noon they had made two arrests and were in the middle of filing their reports when Captain Harris called them into his office. The grey-furred badger was unusually quiet as he closed the door behind them.

“I need to see your case journals for the last three days."

The two detectives looked at each other. Their journals were a standard issue record book each deputy was required to keep when working an investigation. They were considered semi-private and could only be requested as part of an Internal Affairs Department inquiry.

“What's up with this?" Pepper responded.

“We've had a theft from our evidence locker related to your current case. I need to know who, outside the department, you may have had contact with."

Saul rubbed the back of his neck. “What was taken?"

“At the moment, neither of you have a need to know," the badger growled irritably. “Just hand over your journals and you'll be informed in due course."

“I'm going to have to decline," the human responded calmly. “At least until I can have our union rep and lawyer present for the turn-over."

Harris looked like he'd swallowed a hair-ball. “Look, you overgrown Neanderthal," he whispered intensely. “I'm trying to keep this on the Q.T... There's more here than just that crappy dagger you tagged and bagged. We already know who was responsible for the theft. It's how it was done that could blow up in our faces, just like a certain volcano off the coast of Italy!"

Pepper suddenly went cold inside. Captain Harris was the only other person on the force who could have used that reference with any impact. _Stromboli was somehow back in play. _