Jeffrey stood aside the door, face blank and hands clasped neatly and stilly against his abdomen. McKale, sporting a pinstripe suit and bowler, tipped his hat to him as he passed through the door, his visage also pulled back in a state of stoniness.
"Good-bye, Jeffrey, he said, I trust you'll bring the bags shortly?"
"Sir, Jeffrey titled his head, I shall endeavor to do so, sir."
"Very good, Jeffrey, he cast a glance over his shoulder at Shar and Cyilume. His chin wobbled a bit, as if he were readying to say something, but the thought appeared only for a flickering moment before he shook his head, raised his cane to Jeffrey, and swept out the door without so much as a tinkerty-tonk in anyone's direction.
Jeffrey eased the door shut behind him. His hand stilled against the wood, and everything was still and silent for a long, tedious moment. Then suddenly Jeffrey's fingers curled into blunt claw-shapes and a strangled mewl tore itself from his throat. He shrank to the floor, pressing brow against the cold, unfeeling door, and jerked his lips back in a seeth to hiss of breath between his teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed.
Across the room, Shar and Cyilume exchanged a glance. Not waiting for anything more, Cy bounded across the linoleum to Jeffrey's side. She planted her chin against his knee and stared into his face with wide, luminous eyes, Jeffrey?"
Jeffrey pinched his brow and leaned away from the door. He stood, shaking a little as he did so, and at the motion Shar jerked and inch or so toward him. Jeffrey steadied himself and cleared his throat with a hearty cough, smoothing down his jacket and pants with fluid motion. "I apologize, I did not mean to-"
"You don't have to apologize to us!" Cyilume barked, placing her forepaws against his knees,"We're not your 'employer, she sniffed, glaring at the door.
~She won't stay mad. ~
"Quite the contrary, I am not entirely certain that is-"said Jeffrey.
beepbeepbeepbeepbeep, interrupted the room's personal communication system.
Jeffrey slid his hands over his suit a second time and strode across the room toward it. With a press of a button and face popped into the view screen. It was a rather round and peaky looking face, the likes of which Jeffrey was positive he'd never seen before. Said face did not appear to register the presence of Jeffrey, and started up as if he weren't even there.
*As we were saying, you should continue on with my plan to restrain Yaidom and bring him to me. There shouldn't be any problems. And- Oh. You're not McKale.* the face finally cast its gaze on Jeffrey. Bushy, white eyebrows narrowed considerably, *You're that butler of his...hers...aren't you?*
"Indeed sir, said Jeffrey, And you would be...?"
*Wilbur W. Winquist* said the caller.
Jeffrey stiffened. Instantly, Shar's ears were perked and he strode a minute amount of feet toward the vidphone. Cyilume, curious as always, made her way to Jeffrey's side, wiggling with the barely suppressed urge to pop her own face into Winquist's view. Jeffrey rested a hand on her head, stroking her 'hair' calmingly. He didn't know who for.
"Indeed, Mr.Winquist. I regret to announce Miss slash Mister McKale is not in at the moment, but I would be more than happy to take a message."
*You just tell him...her...Tell McKale to do what I said. She...he's...they're promiscuous enough, if that Ivor fellow was any indication, so sh- they shouldn't have any problem it. You seem like a reasonable fellow, you'll have h- them follow through with it, won't you?*
"Of course, sir."
The image on the vidcom blinked out of existence with a quiver.
"Is she promiscuous?" asked Cyilume, finally managing to wiggle out from under Jeffrey's hands to peer up at the empty vidcom. She grinned a little, How can she be promiscuous and still so concerned about her gender?"
"I have often wondered the same thing myself, Jeffery sighed shakily, moving back toward the armchair. He flopped down in it, quickly accompanied by Shar who managed to crawl up over it and rest himself against the arms and back.
Cyilume stayed back at the com, eyeing it scrutinously,"So what is it she has to do?"
"I would, perhaps, like to know as well, said Shar,"Maybe I can help." His brow furrowed in a decidedly 'pinched' manner.
Jeffrey nodded his head, sinking his fingers into Shar's head-hair, Very well..."
.:.:.::.:.:.
McKale stormed down the hallway, his cane thumping hard against the flooring with every heavy step he took. Swerving down the corridor, he turned sharply into the elevator (which had been, luckily, ready to await a customer) and jammed the buttons inward. The elevator dinged pleasantly at it's abuse and happily began to sink downward. McKale scowled at it, shifting his cane from hand to hand in time with the shifting of his weight from foot to foot. Rather a lot of shifting was going on inside the little compartment, and not all of it of a physical sort.
How dare Jeffrey biff off and do that! Bond dragons. McKale had never heard of such a...such a...such a dashed ruddy thing to do! Well, he had, but he'd never considered getting himself involved with the business. Dangerous stuff it was, sharing your mind with some scaly beast. Who knew what sort of thingummies they could pull out of one's head? McKale shivered at the thought. He'd banished all inclinations for bonding from his mind at a very early age. The first time he donned the wrong sort of evening ware, rather.
Jeffrey had no business at all in inviting strange creatures to move in with them. What about McKale's privacy? He owned the house, after all. He paid Jeffrey the rather tidy sum the man lived off of. Which really was much more than it needed to be, what with roof and food already paid for and all? Didn't he think of McKale at all? Here he was, waiting expectantly for dear old Jeffrey to return with a new apartment they could both move in to for the rest of their Space Station stay, and what does he do?
Barges in with two dragons and no warnings at all! With him, or rather her, as it were at the time, clad in nothing but a flimsy robe. The ruddy little silver one had the gal to chase him about, too!
The elevator dinged merrily again, and the doors slid open welcomingly. McKale shot them a sour look before shuffling outward...
"Oh dash it all!"
...And immediately throwing himself back in again.
Yaidom! He searched all over the rummy place for the chap and can't find him when he wants to, and now that he doesn't feel up to running into him, here he is doing it!
"Damn and blast!"
The elevator doors moved to close, and McKale leapt at them with a squawk, stuffing his cane between the panels. They stopped, and he managed to wrangle them open enough to slip through again. A quick glance around the halls told him Yaidom, and that blond-fellow Bress, were out of sight. McKale breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, he rummaged his key out of his pocket,To find the apartment. He turned again, thumping his cane against the floor and using it as a pivot. He wheeled around and...
...found himself nose-to-chest with Yaidom.
Without bothering to think about the 'hows', of how he got around the bend so fast and back into sight, McKale twisted backwards, stumbling over his feet and nearly falling over himself in his attempt to keep a hold of his hat, cane, and balance. And just as he was beginning to believe he'd caught everything up again, his shoes slid out from under the rest of him and he found himself floundering in a mess of aching limbs on the complex floor.
Yaidom did not offer his hand. Instead, he stared down at McKale with a twisted frown, Havent I seen you somewhere?"
McKale shook his head wildly, Certainly not, old chap, he laughed nervously, Never seen you before, but what-ho anyway! Rummy place this, isn't it?"
Yaidom wrinkled his nose and recoiled.
"Yaidom! It doesn't take that long to check the number of a door, footsteps sounded, probably Bress', which meant, of course, a higher chance of McKale being properly recognized. With that in mind, McKale leapt to his feet, brushing dust off of his suit and hat. He tipped said hat to Yaidom before turning about and racing down the hall with a loud,"Toodle-pip!" of farewell.
He couldn't very well have them memorizing his features when he'd have to be masquerading as Miss McKale to seduce them, after all.
.:.:.::.:.:.
"And I believe that sums up or current predicament adequately."
There was silence all around.
Cyilume was the first to break it. "You can time travel?" her eyes brightened at the idea, which, considering the hue of said organs, added a significant glow to her already luminous face.
Jeffrey's mouth twisted into a minute half-grin, No, my little Cyilume, I cannot. But time travel is, apparently, accessible through the usage of Miss slash Mister McKale's newly acquired watch, just as quickly as it had come, Jeffrey's smile dissapated,"Although I do not approve of such 'adventures'."
Shar nodded his head in agreement. Cyilume ignored them both.
"Time travel, she grinned dreamily, Imagine..."
Shar shook his head at his half-sibling, letting one of his own smiles, the first to appear on his visage, curl his scaly lips, You don't approve of McKale's duty to Mr.Winquist, correct?" he raised his upper body so he was eye-level with Jeffrey.
Jeffrey nodded, Certainly not." He scowled at the thought, I don't approve of the watch, let alone Mr.Winquist and his 'errands'."
"You know precisely what it is he wants McKale to do, correct?"
Another nod.
"And you don't want that either?"
"No...no, Jeffrey shook his head.
"Then, said Shar, raising his head just a little more, I believe I have a solution."
Jeffrey's brow quivered a fraction higher, Indeed, Mr. Tah?" the smile returned.
Shar nodded,"McKale simply needs someone to pose as Yaidom, and gently refuse her...attempts, he stirred uneasily, coloring beneath his scales and fur, After which, she can contact Mr.Winqusit and inform him his plan failed, and Yaidom was still unacquirable. Eventually, if it becomes apparent that McKale is not going to be able to bring Yaidom to him, Mr.Winquist will see that he is getting nothing in exchange for his watch and take it back from him...her..."he gaped a little, before letting out a muted chortle,"McKale."
"Indeed, said Jeffery, brow rising the rest of the way to his hairline, But I have located an err in your solution."
"Who will pose as Yaidom?" Shar's grin widened, I am the only one of us with active shapeshifting abilities..."
Jeffrey nodded, Very well then, Mr.Tah. It would appear that we have a plan."
"Well,"Cyilume piped up from the floor, Fancy that. You two can carry on a conversation."