Dealing with Things

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

05/03/97:

Annoyed was the simplest way to describe what I was feeling.
Though not whole right. It had been a close to a week sense
I had my strange encounter with Burke in my hanger, and it
was still rubbing against me.

I really wasn't to found of the man, if calling him that was
even accurate. After he had vanished in front of my eyes, I
had pulled in a lot of resources and scrounged the bay from
one side to the other. I even had a trio of mages come in to
see if there was any magic involved in his appearance or
disappearance. They found nothing.

The only thing that had been found at all was a few DNA
samples, some hair and a set of footprints. Who ever this
Burke guy was, he was good, very good.

To good.

He moved in and out like a ghost, using a level of
technology that no one has even seen before. Vanishing like
he did, leaving no trace at all of teleporting via magic or
technology, it's more advance then anything know to the
council.

Though the Council's R&D boys were enthused, they, along
with the Brothers, hand scrounging every bit of evidence,
examining it down to the atoms themselves. They say they may
have some theories about how it was done, not to mention
what laws of physics need to be changed to allow it, in a
few months.

My main opinion in all of this was that I was that I really
disliked the guy and hopped I never meet him again. Though I
had a very strong feeling, right at the base of my tail, an
interesting side effect from Oriana's spell, I sometimes get
a 'ghost limb' in the way of said tail. Not that I mind it
to much.

Though I degrees, as I was saying, I had a strong feeling
that I would be seeing Burke again. I was also going to be
prepared for it. I had starting caring in my pocket a small
Environmental Measurement and Analyzing device. Basically,
for the techno-babble impaired, a tri-corder. Though with
the name of 'enviromesad' (pronounced enviro-mesh-add) or
for everyone like me an EMD.

I fully planed on using it to get a good scan of Burke next
time I end up encountering him and anything I can when he
vanishes (I admit, if it can be re-created, I stand to make
a very large profit off it). I should also be able to tell
if he's really a human or some type of illusion.

That last question may be answered by the hair and DNA left
behind. I had just given Page a sample of it to analyze when
she could. I wasn't sure how long it would take for her to
try and I.D. it, though I really tried to make it clear she
didn't need to rush it on my account.

I still regretted having broken up her date last time I
needed her help, and didn't want to screw up any more of
her, now growing, relation ship with Milgrove. To be
perfectly honest I think this is the happiest I've seen her
sense I first meet her.

Still though, there was something that was just... I don't
know. I've stopped feeling... I guess comfortable is the
best word, around her. I just can't place why.

I put it out of my mind, I still had things I needed to do
otherwise. The _Falcon_ had more then to much work that
needed to be done on it, as well as a lot of custom parts.
The class name for it was a lot more then a name off the top
of my head. I has some plans for that ship, and they did
involve water.

To be more accurate (though still obtuse) there was some
things underwater I though needed some investigation. Mostly
because I do like to make good on serious threats that I've
made to my enemies.

I shrugged that train of though off as I stepped though the
t-curtain and into my living room. Sora was spread out on
the couching, reading over something on a padd, I assumed it
probably was for one of her classes for certification. Funny
thing, I never actually took any of the classes, I had read
over all the text before my exile, but never took the class,
or received a certification. But I'm a natural, so I guess
that wasn't something that applied.

I plucked up my own padd that was sitting on the table next
to the door, going over it. It was the list of materials for
the _Falcon_ that had been dropped off that day.

Punching a few buttons, I confirmed the order, then set the
padd back down on the table. Then I turned and started up
the steeps.

"I would be quite up there, Oriana has company." Sora said.

I stopped half way up the stairs and looked over the railing
at her. "Oh? You know who?"

She shook her head. "Some lion guy, can't remember the name.
They talked for a few minutes then went up to her room." She
said the last bit with a sneer. She really didn't like
Oriana's main choice of work back on her home. That's was
Sora's prerogative, though Oria and I hadn't told her about
Oriana's training with Marn, we both agreed it should be
keep as quiet as we could.

My response though was to raise an eyebrow. "Was it Mason?"

Sora paused for a second, thinking it over, then nodded.
"Yes, that was his last name. Something or another Mason."

In perfect timing, just as she finished saying that Oria's
bedroom door opened up and the person in question stepped
out, adjusting his clothing a bit. He saw me half way up the
steps and smiled. "Fox."

I smiled back. "Steven, how have you been?"

He started down the steps, still grinning. "Rather well,
I've actually got a small trade business set up back home
selling that tea you got me on."

I chuckled, the only person I've ever found who disliked
Rithen was Ken. I had let Steven try some of it after all
that happened with the HammerHeads and he got hooked. Taking
advantage of the fact that it wasn't available anyplace in
the Twelve Empires, in which he lived, he used some of his
fathers connections and made himself the sole distributor of
it.

Giving him a pat on the back I moved past him. "Well, good
luck on that. You staying for a while?"

He shook his head, glancing up the steps. "No... what I came
here for is taking care of and I needed to get back."

I nodded. "Hope to see you soon then."

He gave me a quick wave as he come to the door. "You just
may, I want to talk over some things with you later as is.
Goodbye Fox," he tilted his head to Sora, "and farewell to
the lady."

Sora, who had watched all this, scoffed and flexed her wings
slightly, then went back to her padd.

Steven shrugged, then with a smile left.

I shook my head a smile playing accost my lips, and
continued up the steps. As I walked past Oria's open door, I
said, "Have fun?"

I heard break out into laughter as I continued on into the
kitchen and started making myself up a pot of tea. Setting
the kettle onto boil.

Turning around, I unexpectedly found myself nose to nose
with Oriana. She was smiling widely and draped her arms over
my shoulders.

"Yes, I had a lot of fun."

I smiled back. "That's great."

She gave a very content sight, I could actually feel her
purring as she leaned against my body. "It's been so much of
a time, I actually forgot what it felt like to be a whore."
She then gave me a light kiss on my cheek.

I chuckled, touching the side of her face with my hand.
"Sounds like you missed it."

She nodded, stepping back a bit, and sitting down. Adjusting
her own clothing. "You know Fox, I think I'll have some of
that tea."

This caused a raised eyebrow. "Oh, I though you disliked all
teas?"

"I'm in a good mood, so why waste it?"

I shrugged, as behind me the kettle started to whistle.
Turning around, I pulled it off the heat, then got out a
second cup. Breaking up one of the large leaves (Rithen Tea
leaves and very a foot wide and two long) I filled some into
each cup, then added the water.

Giving both a stir, I walked over to the table. Setting a
cup down in front of Oria then sat down myself. She picked
up the glass immediately and raised it to drink.

I reached out my hand and held it against her wrist. "No...
let it sit for a few minutes or else it will be just hot
water."

She nodded, setting it back down on the table. "So... did
you find anything?"

I shook my head, turning my cup slowly. "Nothing yet. Page
is looking into the DNA but that could take a few days."

Oria nodded. "I was thinking... could it be this Master
fellow."

That got a raised eyebrow. "Grasion, no. This is not his
style. He's more of slash and grab then toyful playing."

She nodded.

I sat back a bit. "He said his name was chosen to remind me
of someone. It actually does, but just on the verge of my
perception, like something out of the corner of my eye. I
think I see something, then when I turn to look, there is
nothing."

"Well, how many people named Burke do you know?"

I chuckled. "One, James Burke. Believe me though, I doubt
that is the one of connections I'm looking for." I snickered
a bit at my, rather obscure, pun.

She shook her head, getting one of those 'you are just plain
silly' looks on her face.

I gave my tea a quick sip, then nodded. "It's safe to
drink."

Oria gently picked up her cup and slowly, as if she was
worried it was poison, and took a small sip. She paused for
a second, as if considering the taste. Then slowly, a smile
creep accost her muzzle, and to her ears. "This is very
good." She said, taking a larger sip.

I nodded. "Yes, that's why I like it so much."

She nodded again. "So... any luck unscrambling his riddle?"

"Yes, 'How can someone else find what at a distance, you
where unable to see.' I've had no luck with it, I have no
idea what it could mean. I keep thinking of it as asking how
someone can find, accost the room, something I was looking
for, and pasted five or six times. I would say they were
removed from the search, but that doesn't make sense."

"Yes, that's about how I see."

I smiled a bit. "Then obviously it's way off from what the
actually answer is."

She snickered a bit, nodded slightly.

"Maybe," Sora interjected, walked into the kitchen, "it's
not a riddle at all, maybe he's trying to show you something
you should have seen."

"How do you figure?"

She crossed her arms. "It sounds like one of my father used
to say when I forgot to do something, or made an obvious
mistake. It sounds to me like he's trying to say there is a
hole in your logic, but doesn't want to show it to you
directly."

I leaned back in my chair a bit, looking over the pattern of
leaves on the bottom of my cup, now that I was finished with
my tea. It looked a bit like some kind of crab. "That's
quite a good bit though you know. Especially if you take
into account that he said he was in a position to help me,
and that was what he was sent to do."

"So, you just have to find what you missed that fits his
statement."

I nodded, not sure which would be harder. Solving it as a
riddle, or solving it as a problem with my logic.

Either way, is was going to be a pain.

-----

This story is (c) 1997 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.
'Milgrove' is (C) 1997 by J. 'Packrat' McCoy, and is used
with permision.