“What on earth?” Yana began.
Bunny, something said quite clearly in her head.
“Did you speak, Nanook?” He gave her a resigned look and a sort of growly purr. “I don’t mean to be difficult to communicate with, Nanook. Nod your head if Bunny’s safe and coming?” Nanook solemnly inclined his head.
“That is such a relief.” Yana stroked his fine pelt in appreciation. “Maybe one day, we’ll hold a meaningful conversation,” she added, emboldened by her relief.
Soon.
“Oh!”
Just then Sean appeared over the edge of the high harbor wall and she ran into his arms, burbling to tell him that Johnny had managed to leave off fuel here in the Fjord. Even with Sean smelling to high heaven of fish oils and brine, it was good to have his arms about her and see his smile of delight at her enthusiastic welcome. Then Nanook, who had sat in dignified patience, obviously spoke to Sean, who smiled broadly and fondled the track-cat’s ears.
“Bunny and Diego are on their way here, and Shush, the one cat who survived at McGee’s Pass, is just a ways behind them. Nanook rendezvoused with her to reassure her and protect her most of the way, but he left to return to us so we wouldn’t worry about the kids anymore. He says the village must be good to Shush. She needs to be safe again.”
“She’s not the only one. When does he expect them all to arrive, Sean? I’ve been getting quite worried.”
Sean shrugged. “Probably by nightfall.” His arm tightened about her. “No point in wasting energy backtracking. Nanook says they’re okay.”
“Run that past me again, Sean, about one cat, surviving at McGee’s Pass? Only one? What happened to the others? I thought the cats were cared for in all the villages, the way Clodagh looks after the ones in Kilcoole”
And they look after her. Yes, that’s very serious news to me. too. A village with only one surviving cat is a village in very serious trouble.”
“Sean, what did we let those children in for?”
“We’ll know soon enough,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders in comfort and reassurance. “The fact that Nanook has stayed here means they’re okay, no matter what else. See what I brought you for your dinner, love?” And he held up the pair of rainbow-scaled fish as long as his forearm and considerably thicker.
“Oh, good, Ardis has some potatoes left, and we thawed carrots and onions. Bunny and Diego’ll be hungry when they get here.”
“Yes, and we, too, for their news.”
When Bunny and Diego, who was carefully supporting the wounded Dinah in his arms, arrived at dusk, the evening meal was ready but remained uneaten while more important matters were attended to.
Bunny nodded once at the six place settings at the table. “How did you know we were coming?” she asked. “Oh, I know. Nanook, of course. He started to run past us, stopped long enough for a sniff, and ran away. We didn’t see him return though.”
“He saw you, though,” Sean replied. “He was going to the aid of an orange cat from McGee’s Pass. I don’t suppose you saw her on the way?”
But Bunny didn’t answer; shook her head, preoccupied. Her attention had been captured by watching the movements of Ardis’s gentle hand sewing up Dinah’s wounds, setting the five broken ribs and the hind leg bone. She splinted the tail, too, but feared that all nerve connections might have been severed. Dinah had managed to convey to Diego that after the man had clubbed her with his staff, he’d caught her by the tail and slammed her against the nearest tree.
Diego had been a thundercloud ready to burst until Ardis had reassured him that, except for the possible damage to her tail, the lead dog would completely recover from her mistreatment. While this was going on, Bunny gave a quick resume of the situation of the cowed and subjugated folks at McGee’s Pass, Satok’s activities, and the unthinkable sealing of the cave.
“What Bunny doesn’t say,” Diego began, as Fingaard gently transferred Dinah to a thick blanket near the hearth, “was what that Satok damned near did to her.”