yes…I believe I have this in stock.” She glanced back at
Jen-Tom. “Your devotion to your mentor does you credit.”
Which made him feel more than a little guilty, since the
main reason he’d undertaken the journey was to protect his
only chance of returning home by ensuring Clothahump’s
continued good health.
“You overpraise my altruism.”
“I think not.” She stared at him in the most peculiar
fashion. “You are better than you give yourself credit for.
That is why you would make a good adjudicator. Your
good instincts outweigh your common sense.”
For the second time since arriving at the store Jon-Tom’s
eyes widened. “How did you know that I was studying to
be a lawyer?”
256
Alan Dean Foster
“Lucky guess,” said Snooth absently, dismissing the
matter despite Jon-Tom’s desire to pursue it further. She
held out the paper with the formula written on it. “May I
hold on to this?”
Jon-Tom shrugged. “Why not? It’s the medicine we
need.”
Snooth tucked the paper neatly into her pouch. Again
Jon-Tom thought he saw something moving about within.
If Snooth was carrying a joey, it was evidently either too
immature or too shy to show itself.
“Come on in.” She turned and pushed wide the door.
Her visitors mounted the steps and crossed the porch.
The front room of the building was furnished in simple
kaleidoscopic style. To one side was another rocking chair,
only instead of being fashioned of wood it was composed
of transparent soap bubbles clinging to a thin metal frame.
The bubbles were moving in slow motion and looked fragile