Diana Dueyn - The Big Meow

“Only one,” he said. “It’s hard to remember things from in between, you know how that is… but it seemed to me that when I felt I might have to cross over, something …interfered.”

“And you’ve been here a while – “

“Some years,” he said.

“Such a long time to wait…”

“It was all right,” Hwaith said. “I knew you were coming. I saw you sometimes, from a distance. That always made me feel better. And anyway, after today, it doesn’t feel like a long time at all.” He put his whiskers forward at her. “So can you use a spare gate technician? I’m told that though I’m out of practice, my proficiency rating’s still satisfactory.”

She bumped her head so hard into his that the sound echoed. “Idiot,” she said. “What I can use right now is a tom. My tom. We’ll discuss your other proficiencies later. Meantime, let’s go home!”

They headed down to the terrace and unsidled. Rhiow went through the cat flap in the sliding door first, to show Hwaith the way. Iaehh was home, as Rhiow had half thought he might be, and in the kitchen. He looked over at her without surprise and said, “Well, there you are! Hungry, plumptious one?”

But then the surprise jumped out all over his face as Hwaith came in through the door and paused there, looking around him uncertainly.

Rhiow looked from the ehhif to her new mate, and back to Iaehh again.

My Queen, she said. You did say if there was anything else —

Yes?

Then one last thing.

Yes?

Here, at the very last moment, for fear of being refused when it was so important, Rhiow found herself actually afraid to speak. But the Queen hears hearts as well as minds.

Seeing as how you’re on sabbatical, said Queen Iau, …just this once.

Rhiow’s whiskers went so far forward that her face felt pulled out of shape. Standing there beside Hwaith, her tail twined with his, Rhiow looked up at Iaehh.

“Iaehh,” she said aloud in the Speech, which even an ehhif could understand — and his eyes went very wide — “He followed me home. Can I keep him?”