NOVEL FROG Chapter Twenty-Five
Breakfast was tasty but quiet. I ate more bacon than the cat, which wasn’t normal. As I headed into the main shop to make another latte, the cat followed me.
“Do you want another?” I asked.
“No, thank you.” The cat jumped up onto the counter. “Today will be a simple day, and then you can start your day off early.”
“Early?” I asked, hesitating. I wasn’t sure if the cat should just vanish like he normally did on my days off. Normally, the shop would appear somewhere warm and I’d crash on the rooftop deck, for a tropical vacation with unlimited books, coffee, and sunlight. I wasn’t sure if that would be good for him. He seemed like he still needed some attention.
He nodded, responding to my question.
The shop hadn’t changed, which normally meant deliveries and bookstore people, not people from other worlds. “So, what’s on the schedule today?” I finished making my second latte and sat down on the stool.
“Deliveries, and dealing with dogs, of all things,” said the cat.
“Dogs? Like, the pets, dogs? Or dogs, like you’re a cat, dogs?”
The cat turned to stare at me, his eyes wide. “Somehow I understood your broken thought process.” His tail flicked, and I swore he snorted. “Actual dog creatures.”
“What are they going to buy?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“They aren’t.” He turned toward the supply closet. “I need you to go get the tube of tennis balls.”
Again, no answers today, but that was pretty normal. The more he spoke, the more normal he became. I opened the supply closet door and the shelf to the inside of the door had a tube of three tennis balls in it. The easiest supply run ever.
“When I tell you to, I need you to throw the ball as hard as you can out the door,” said the cat.
This time I stared at him. “Excuse me?”
“You will need to open the door and toss the ball,” answered the cat. “I can’t throw it. I don’t have hands.”
My anxiety showed up. “How far?”
The cat shook his head. “Just as hard as you can, it doesn’t matter. It’ll go where it needs to.”
“But what if it doesn’t? I don’t have a throwing arm,” I said, squeezing the tube. “I make coffee for a living.”
The cat's voice came out differently, this time. “You are the Shopkeeper, and you will do this.” The voice rattled around the shop, and I took a step back. He stared at me, his eyes glowing.
“Okay… Don’t get your panties in a twist,” I mumbled.
“Panties?”
I shook my head and grabbed a tennis ball. It was like any other tennis ball I’d seen before. Nothing special. The door was closed as I approached and I couldn’t see out.
“Get ready,” whispered the cat. His voice was more normal than before.
My fingers tightened around the ball, and I let out a breath.
“Now!”
I swung the door open and flung that ball as hard as I could.
Then I froze.
Right outside the door, a massive battle was going on. Creatures the size of great Danes tore into each other with giant sharp claws. Others chomped down with jaws on necks or legs. The smell of mud, and the copper tang of blood, hit me. The bright yellow ball flew, distracting several animals, including two giant ones on top of a hill. They were bigger than all the other dog creatures.
Howls rose at the sight, something yanked me back and the door slammed shut.
I stumbled backward but landed in the nice chair that normally sat in the window display. “What was that?” I whispered, eyes wide. “Cat?!”
He jumped up into my lap. “That was us changing the course of a battle and saving lives.” He purred as he kneaded my legs before curling up. My hands automatically petted him as he purred.
There had been so much blood.
“Those were dog creatures, fighting each other.” The warmth of the cat in my lap stopped me from trembling. “Why?”
“To decide who was going to be top dog.”
The pun hit me and I snorted unintentionally. “Top dog, really?”
“Really. That was two princes trying to figure out who would be king. It shouldn’t have become a massive battle. It spiraled out of hand.”
“What did I do?” I asked. Did someone die because I tossed that ball? Did I now have blood on my hands?
“The fighting stopped. To you, it looked like a tennis ball. To them, it was an orb of divine right. Whoever got to it first became King,” explained the cat. “You saved lives.”
“So, I didn’t just end up killing someone, right?” The question came out as a whisper.
“No, you didn’t.” He nudged me with his nose. “I wouldn’t ask you to kill someone, Sable.”
I nodded and focused on petting the cat in front of me. Something solid. That scene, with all of those creatures fighting. I shook my head slightly. Those poor creatures were all fighting about who would become king. How many died?
“Drink some more of your coffee, it will help,” said the cat.
Next to me was a short table with my mug now sitting on it. Somehow he had moved it, without me even noticing. I smiled softly and picked up the mug. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting to see that when I opened the door.” I took a sip of the warm beverage. “Did they see me?”
“No,” said the cat. “The shop’s magic hid it. Only people who are supposed to come to us, do.”
“Including me?” I asked.
“Including you,” replied the cat. “Plus, now…”
His voice cut off as the door jingled. His head tilted to the side, and the cat sighed. “Well, we have one more item on our checklist for today. You should get back behind the counter.”
I quickly made my way back and by the time I glanced back at the door the chair was back in place.
The cat gave me a quick look then the door opened. In walked a man, who might be human, wearing a deep red cloak. “Ah, you're finally open.” He glanced at me behind the counter and then at the door he’d opened before shaking his head and stepping inside. He flashed a friendly smile, but as I returned it, something felt off.
The cloak was a deep shade of crimson, but it was like it absorbed the light. It covered most of his body as he stepped closer to the counter.
“Welcome, how can we help you today?” I asked.
“Ah, help yes. I’m looking for a particular book,” he said, moving closer. He glanced at the bookshelves but continued until he was standing in front of the counter. “I think someone sold it here a few weeks ago.”
“Given that this is a bookshop, I need a little more to go on,” I said, glancing at the cat.
The cat stared at the man without blinking, but said nothing.
“It’s a cold book, I know the Book…”
“No,” said the cat, snapping me out of my terror. I knew what book he was searching for, and there wasn’t a chance it was leaving this shop. The word came out as a meow, making the man pause. “That book is not for him. Tell him he is not welcome here.”
“The cat said no, and you are not welcome here,” my voice came out flat.
Yet, the guy's black eyes narrowed. The warm smile vanished. “Now, you listen here-”
“I said, you are not welcome here!” This time my voice boomed out, and the bookshop shook. The door flew open, and he stumbled back against a table. “Leave!” Again my voice rang out, and something shoved him out the door. He slammed into the stoop, before climbing to his feet. He suddenly patted his pockets, but the door slammed in his face.
My legs went out from under me and I crashed to the floor. The cat peered over the counter.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just strangely exhausted.” I climbed back to my feet, still feeling unsteady.
“Well, now we are done for the day,” said the Cat. “So take as much rest as you need.”
I nodded to myself and slammed the rest of my coffee. Today was just too much. Maybe I’d nap for a bit and try to restart the day. We’d only been open for an hour. I could just pretend I’d slept in.