Finished with his business at Radio Station KPXX, for now, but realizing his day is far from over, Lance Knight went back to his car. But before starting off for the Tachibana estate, he used the hands free set in the economical hybrid sedan to call his office.
"Hello Boss. Everything okay?" asked Lucy, his personal secretary, answering the phone.
"Had to clean house at KPXX. Have to hire a new station director and DJ, at least until Crabby Camelia gets back from maternity leave," he replied.
"You finally got rid of that DJ Woof huh? Good riddance!"
"You too huh? Looks like I'm going to have to do a complete examination of the current state of Knight Media holdings for myself within the next few weeks. Meanwhile, how are things there?" asked the Editor-in-Chief of The Moon Lake Gazette.
"The paper itself is fine, but the town is abuzz with the news that Julie Stovall just got acquitted on most of the charges against her!" revealed his secretary.
"WHAT?" exclaimed Lance, glad he wasn't driving after all, because he probably would have lost control of the vehicle at that revelation.
"Defense attorney successfully argued violation of 6th Amendment rights, so the judge was forced to throw out most of the charges, although he did defer the potential attempted violations of Statute 1-A* to the Elders' Council, according to what Ella Alyn said when she came back to file her story."
"I suspected that part would happen, but not the other. Of course, Stovall's still suspended until she pleads her case to the school board, but that's another issue. Anything else?"
"Your brother keeps calling, asking if you're in and wanting to talk to you about our article concerning Far Houjin and Kai Wu Wang," said Lucy.
"If he calls again, and I'm sure he will, tell Benton the last paragraph was to prevent any potential International incidents and lawsuits. My paws were tied on the matter," said Lance, lying, because he knew the truth. He amended the article at the request of Far and Tachibana no Akane. "Now then, I've still got Elders' business to attend to," he said, thinking of his next stop. "George is quite capable of being managing editor in my absence, as usual, but I should be back before deadline. Regular before deadline staff meeting unless I say otherwise, but when I do get back, I will want to talk to Ella about the Stovall situation. The latest developments and town reactions, although I'm sure I'll hear a few of those myself before I get back to the Gazette."
"Okay. Anything else Boss?" asked Lucy.
"On the off chance that either my niece Frieda or a Lila Carpenter calls the office looking for me, tell them to call my cell. I'll still have that with me, just in case," said Lance, as he started his car.
"Okay. Take care, and we'll see you when you get back," replied Lucy, wondering who Lila Carpenter was.
The drive to the Tachibana estate was rather pleasant, despite the dreary looking clouds and the slush still on the ground.
Tachibana no Akane had bought this house on the outskirts of Moon Lake decades ago, after moving what remained of her family to America at the end of World War 2. Lance had no idea what it looked like before, but assumed Akane retained what she could of the old colonial style exterior, based on its appearance as he pulled up to the front gate.
"Madam is expecting you, sir," said the guard on duty. "Please drive forward to the main house and you will be greeted there."
Although both were still presently in their human forms, Lance could smell that the guard was a werefox, as were probably most if not all of the household employees.
Yet unlike Benton Knight and his staff, Tachibana was on a first name basis with everyone who worked with and for her and every vulpine would lay down their life to defend the Skulk leader if necessary.
At the end of the driveway, Lance was greeted by a friendly valet who offered to park his car, and by a butler at the front door, who promptly but politely took his hat and coat after Lance was formally invited inside.
"Mrs. Tachibana and her honored guests are within the main dining room awaiting you sir, but before you can join them, you must change," said the butler, pointing to a side door.
"Huh?" asked Lance, wondering if he was improperly dressed, but the butler suddenly changed into his werefox fursona, his uniform adjusting with the alterations in its wearer because it was made at Awareness, the local Moon Lake clothing store that catered especially to weres.
Understanding what the butler was asking, Lance briefly stepped into the side room, stripped off his Armani business outfit, and released his gray furred werepanther. This feels good, he thought, stretching out his arms and legs while his tail wagged.
Remembering to grab his cellphone, just in case, Lance rejoined the butler, who handed him a robe before leading him to the main dining room.
With his cellphone in the robe's pocket, Lance entered the dining room and was greeted by Tachibana no Akane herself. The werevixen leader of the Skulk, even in her vulpine form, was still physically shorter than Lance, but that didn't change her importance in were society.
"You honor me with your presence Lance," Akane formally said, bowing to greet her new guest.
"I am honored just to receive the invitation," replied Lance, bowing in return. "I just wish we were meeting under better circumstances."
"The outcome of Julie Stovall's day in court?" asked Akane. "I know, but that is another matter to be discussed before you leave today."
"I won't be in any trouble for missing that, will I? I had to clean house at KPXX."
"Is that dishonorable DJ Woof is gone? " asked Akane, to which Lance nodded affirmatively. "Good riddance, but do not worry. Between myself, Leon Talbot, and Andrew Curtis, the Elders' Council was well represented as it is.
Meanwhile, you have already met Far Houjin. The gentleman with him is my house's other honored guest, his grandson Kai Wu Wang," said the Skulk leader, indicating the White were-tigers who were standing by the dining room table.
"Gentlemen," said Lance, bowing before them as he approached.
"An interesting article in this morning's newspaper," said Far, after everyone was seated and formal introductions finished.
"My brother shares your opinion, but for different reasons. After you and Akane left my office yesterday, I added the last paragraph, much to his chagrin. He was hoping the article would cause people to sell their shares of Knight Industries back to him."
"And perhaps some Wang stock as well?" asked Kai.
"Perhaps," conceded Lance, "although I have no idea how successful Benton's been in that endeavor."
"As I have previously explained to you, while Lance and Benton Knight are related by blood, they do not agree on every matter before them," said Akane.
"No family ever does, but some relatives are more pleasant to deal with than others," replied Far.
"To that I will wholeheartedly agree," said Lance, staring at the white weretigers. "But before we begin, I hope I am not out of line, but there is one question I must ask you."
"Oh?" said Far, wondering what it might be.
"What's it like?" asked Lance.
"What is what like?" inquired the white weretiger, wondering what the werepanther was asking him.
"What's it like to be in your fursona day in and day out?" asked Lance, holding out both paws as he stretched his arms. "It must be wonderful."
Far Houjin thought about it for a moment and then said, "In truth, it's a two edged sword. On one paw, you see me as nature intended. Who and what I am, and I will not lie that it is wonderful. On the other hand though, until the day that plain humans are not only aware of our existence, but accept us for who and what we are so all can live in peace, we must make greater efforts to hide from public scrutiny. My grandson and I fully committed to our position of being ourselves, for lack of a better term, but at times it has made life more difficult for us."
"Thankfully, our humble abode in China is nestled in the mountains. Hard to reach unless you have... advantages," added Kai Wu Wang, while flexing the talons of one paw. "As long as the Wang Technical Consortium continues to earn the Chinese government honor and money, they pretty much leave us be as long as we comply by their... rules."
"I see," said Lance, as a werevixen came in carrying a tray of glasses full of milk for everybody.
"Thank you Yvette**," said Akane, as the werevixen bowed and left the room. "To the day humans and weres are able to co-exist peacefully in full awareness of each other," said the Skulk leader, raising her glass.
"Here, here," said the men around her table, joining in the toast.
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*In any Moon Lake story, the crime of turning any normal human being into a were against their will. The only worse crime is outright murder.
**Whether or not this werevixen is the same Yvette Smith of Earths 1 and 3 that turned William Anderson and Jenny Harper into werefoxes against their will remains to be seen, but remember, Smith never went rogue on Earth 2.—tmw.