© 2012 Marvin E. Fuller
"I ain't talking to you," Ned snarled as he finished washing off where Skady had lost control of his bladder and bowels. Fortunately for the mink, he had missed his trousers thanks to them having been yanked about his ankles.
"I'm sorry, li'l brother," Bert said once more. "Pa and Mister Coonacutty came up with the idea after services ended, so we really couldn't tell you about it too well."
"Should have waited for the new magistrate," Ned said.
"He's already here," Bert told him. "You know that cougar who came in last night?"
"Yeah?" Ned double-checked Skady's brown-furred legs for anything he might have missed.
"That's him," Bert explained. "He's one of the things we haven't had a chance to tell you about yet. He's heard some things about Pa and wanted to see him in action. That's why he let us pull off this charade on Skady."
"He looks like a lord to me," Ned said.
"He's Ol' Lord Mountte's third son," Bert passed Ned a towel. "Yeah, I didn't know he existed until not too long ago either, but he says he wants to organize things better out here. Thinks something needs to be done to stop black witches from running amuck anymore."
"Good luck," snorted Ned, unconvinced of the young noble's high-minded ideas. "You sure got people together fast."
"You know people've been talkin' kind of ugly the past few days," Bert said. "Lulubelle may have forgiven Ringers for what he did, but a lot of others haven't. Skady was in on a lot of it, so he's goin' to get caught by it. We did this to save him. We never meant to kill him, just give him a taste of what he gave those poor girls before they died."
"Right," Ned said sourly as he finished drying Skady off. With Bert's help, Ned tugged Skady's trousers back on. The mink didn't protest at the rough treatment, his eyes staring glassily at nothing, his spirit broken by the fake hanging.
Despite all the theatrics, the rope around Skady's neck had purposely not been properly tied off. The rat named Ben had performed his usual cleverness with knots to make the rope feel taut, but would easily come loose once Skady's weight pulled upon it. The whole prank was brilliant, devious, and more sadistic than Ned liked.
"Look, Ned," sighed Bert. "You'll understand more when you finally find a girl of your own and maybe even have your own daughters. Havin' a loved one taken advantage of like that, maybe because your own screwup lands you in hot water, it's like– well, it really hurts, Ned."
"You don't have any kits yet, and Ringers had his way with Lulubelle before you met her," grumbled Ned. He hated to admit it, but Bert was right.
"Even so," shrugged Bert. Together, they guided Skady back towards the gaol, the mink walking obediently if listlessly. Ned kept an eye on him anyway, just in case.
"Look at it this way," Bert paused before opening the gaol door. "Skady's safer now. The town won't try anything with him now that they've had their revenge."
Ned made a derisive sound. He understood what Bill said, but he had no intention of liking it.
"You're a lot like Ma, you know," snickered Bert. "All friendly-like until someone steps across a line. Then hell hath no fury."
Bert shoved the door open. Fuming, Ned nudged Skady in after him. Inside, he noticed Valerie, his father, Coonacutty, two other town elders, Father Louie, and the cougar and his entourage waiting. Ignoring them all, he lead Skady into his cell and sat the mink on a bunk. Skady didn't acknowledge anyone's presence, instead curling up on his side. Bert locked the cell as soon as Ned left it.
"Take the rest of the day off, Ned," Bert clapped his paw on his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry. Nothing more will happen to Skady today."
Ned didn't trust himself to speak. Instead, he gave the cougar a quick bow and "M'lord", then left the gaol as quickly as he could manage without appearing rude. He didn't get far before Valerie charged out after him.
"Ned! Ned!" she called out. With a martyred sigh, Ned stopped, letting her catch up with him.
"Not now, Val," Ned ground his teeth together. He didn't need another of Valerie's rants.
"I'm sorry, Ned," she avoided looking him in the eye. "Are you mad about earlier? You know, with the rope and all?"
"Yes– no. I don't know," Ned rubbed the bridge of his muzzle. He wanted to punch something, but the only things he could punch would hurt his paws. He'd sooner punch his own face off than hit Valerie. "I don't like what happened to Skady. It ain't right for us to take the law into our own hands like that. It's like we're no better than him and his kind when we do. It's– arrgh. I don't know how to say it."
"You're right," Valerie said meekly.
"I am," Ned gave her a sharp look.
"It's just– I was there during the hanging. Fake hanging, I guess," Valerie grimaced. "And I feel really bad for Skady. I'm just kind of ashamed it went so far."
"That's better than what Skady ever felt, I'd think," Ned crossed his arms in front of his chest. His temper backed off.
"Yeah," Valerie said mournfully. "I don't know. I just kind of wish things turned out differently."
They stood in silence, Ned watching as Valerie's paws fiddled nervously with each other. Emotions flickered over her silver-furred face at some inner turmoil. He wasn't sure he cared.
"You know why I always came to you when I wanted to talk?" Valerie finally blurted out just as Ned opened his mouth to make his excuses to leave.
"I didn't talk back much?" Ned guessed, not altogether too charitably. Valerie shook her head.
"You know how Ringers would sometimes have people put in the gaol for some reason?" Valerie asked.
"Yeah, so he could get their wives or daughters into his bed," Ned wondered what she was getting at. "Skady told me you were one of them, that you were mad at Ringers because he made you chose between saving your husband or looking as if you wouldn't stand by him like a proper wife should."
"That's not quite true," winced Valerie. "I guess I was never really mad at Ringers. I was mad at my husband and also myself for going along with the whole stupid arranged marriage thing our parents put us through."
"Oh?" Ned waited. Something still didn't quite add up.
"Oh, Ned, how could I be mad with Ringers?" Valerie heaved a sigh and plowed on. "Whatever his faults, you have to say this much for him. He really knew his way around a female. My husband never gave it to me so good. That was when I realized just how much I couldn't stand my husband. When the week was over, I wished Ringers had sent him away just so I could have more.
"Then I started to wonder how it would be like with someone I did like or someone who didn't have to force me into bed just to get some. I've always liked you, Ned, even when you looked ready to strangle me in order to shut me up. I just didn't have the guts to ask you to go that far, not even after my husband died last fall. After all, I couldn't ask you to be something you're not, and you're too good of a guy to be an adulterer."
"You said I was too young for you," Ned kept his expression neutral.
"Well, I was too young for you, too. Kind of," Valerie uncomfortably said, no doubt acutely aware she was two years his elder. "Maybe more like too immature. It was right before the wedding, and I didn't know what else to tell you."
"We both had a lot of growing up to do," Ned relented.
"And how," Valerie nodded, relieved he understood. "I need a husband, one I want to stand by. And whose bed I want to share."
"Uh hunh," Ned wondered if he could bow out of what Valerie seemed to be hinting at. While he didn't dislike her, he no longer felt as sure as he did as a boy that he wanted to marry her.
"Honestly, Ned, do I have to be the one to court you?" for a moment, Valerie's old fire returned in full, but she suddenly softened and looked thoughtful. Somehow, that also made her look prettier, as if some poisonous thing had released its hold on her. Ned supposed it had something to do with her no longer looking so weary.
"That's– that's not a bad idea, really. Screw tradition. It ain't done me much good so far," Valerie smiled widely for the first time Ned had seen in years. She cleared her throat, straightened up her shoulders, and stood with her paws formally clasped behind her back. Ned thought it an interesting transformation, as if she had shed several years just by standing up straighter. He also surprised himself by thinking she still looked pretty after all.
"Ahem, Ned, would you be my husband?" she asked in a dignified manner. "I have a home. I'm not too bad off. Er, I want to live my life out with you?"
Valerie grinned hopefully as Ned raised a whiskery eyebrow at her.
"That sounds dumber than what I asked you," Ned reminded her.
"Yee-ah, I'm new at this," Valerie flicked back her round ears in embarrassment.
Ned considered the other opossum. He thought of what Lulubelle had told him about Father Louie's sermon and of how his father had chosen to interpret it, on how doing unto others gave them permission for you to do the same thing back unto them. But didn't that mean that you also gave them permission to do that thing unto you yet again, thereby setting up a vicious circle? You hurt them, they hurt you back, you hurt them in revenge, and so on. The more Ned thought about it, the more it didn't sound like a very good deal.
But maybe, just because someone gave you permission didn't mean you had to take them up on it and give them permission on back. Even though Valerie's earlier rejection still stung after all this time, he didn't have to hurt her feelings by rejecting her off-handedly. Some small part of him even thought it might be interesting to see Valerie do the courting instead of himself.
Besides, he had to admit the nights were getting lonelier the older he got.
"Sure, let's give it a try," Ned nearly smiled at the joy spreading across Valerie's face. She gave a squeal of girlish delight.
"Eee-hee-hee, ahem," she reigned herself in with difficulty. After a moment's thought, she stuck out an elbow. "Ned, would you like to go for a walk?"
"Okay," Ned reached out and grabbed her elbow. They stood awkwardly for a moment before switching their arms' positions. With her paw threaded through Ned's bent elbow as they walked along, Valerie felt surprisingly nice against his side.
This certainly promised to be very interesting indeed.
