"Willow's Missing Tail" 2

Martha and Perfidia sat with the unopened letters on the table next to their finished cups of tea. The tea had cleared their mind of the mundane and sharpened their insights on the present.

“Ready?” Martha asked picking up her letter.

“Past ready.” Perfidia nodded.

They both tore open their letters and a square, blank, post card fell out of both.

“What is this, a joke?” Perfidia asked.

“I’d say it’s familiar.”

“Familiar how?”

“Turn the card twice,” Martha instructed as she flipped the post card in her hand over.

Perfidia did the same and, sure enough, a message appeared.

Incognito Inc.

123 Park Tree Circle

Urgent

 

Perfidia frowned at the cryptic message.

“What, we're supposed to just go there, and if we are…when exactly?”

 “I’d say now.”

 

Martha parked her VW convertible near the entrance to Feathers and Trails, a local preservation park. They walked to the ticket booth, paid the suggested donation and walked through the gate.

"That trail’s sign says Park Circle. I think that’s the one we need to follow.”

"Sure," Perfidia shrugged and, not being much of a nature lover, flipped her designer sunglasses over her eyes, adjusted the tilt of her stylish hat and, since she wasn’t friends with insets either, buttoned up her long sleeve, cashmere sweater and placed her exposed hands in her pants pockets.

She stepped confidently forward onto an odd shaped pebble and, in her thin soled shoes, felt the pain of that sharp edge.

“Ouch!” Perfidia cried out in misery

“I told you to wear walking shoes.”

“These are my walking shoes,” Perfidia defended, smiling down at her leather, ballerina flats, “Aren't they stunning?”

“Of course they are,” Martha grimaced, “well I hope, for your tender foot sake, Incognito Inc isn’t too far off the trail.”

Perfidia gave her a sour look as she wobbled on the uneven terrain trying to keep up with her sneaker footed friend.

Martha held the post card in her hand and on a hunch she flipped it over again and, as she’d hoped would happen, a tiny map appeared under the message.

“Good news, it’s just over that hilly path,” she told Perfidia then walked off the path, following the maps unmarked trail instead.

“Great,” Perfidia grumbled picking up a long branch to help her steady her footing on the even rockier path Martha had just turned onto.

“Why do people enjoy this torture?”

“It’s not torture if you wear the proper shoes, it’s exhilarating, and look over there, it’s a red breasted sapsucker.”

Martha pointed to a bright feathered bird sitting on the branch of a tall spruce tree.

“Oh joy; I feel like a sap myself,” Perfidia mumbled under her breath.

Martha chuckled, “We should be close now.”

They walked another few yards and Martha found rocks that were pushed into place to shape out the numbers 123. They had to be at their destination but there wasn’t a building anywhere.

“So, if we’re here, where is it?” Perfidia asked looking around the tree thick forest.

“I haven’t a clue but according to the map, its right here.”

“Then the door should be here too…so knock on it,” Perfidia suggested.

Martha stretched her hand beyond the rock formation and knocked on what she assumed would be air but felt solid oak against her knuckles.

“Step back,” said an incorporeal voice.

Martha and Perfidia looked for the source of the warning and found the orange and purple delivery bird perched on a branch of a tree above them.

“I said step back,” he reiterated with annoyance.

They quickly took a step back and a solid door appeared in front of them and opened inward.

“You may enter,” the bird, Robin, advised then he flew down and into the dark interior.

Martha was about to step inside too but Perfidia held her back.

“I’m not sure I like this, how do we get out of something we can’t see?”

“Let’s worry about getting inside first, okay?” Martha suggested then stepped into the darkness.

Perfidia watched her friend get swallowed up by the nothingness and she wasn’t sure she wanted to follow her but then Martha’s hand came out from that darkness and grabbed hers, and pulled her inside.

The office of Incognito Inc was large and there were at least a dozen desks with clerks taking calls and typing information on computers. The space beyond that first room was an open hallway.

Martha noticed the dapper man approaching them was the man she’d meet at the solstice fair, the one who’d claimed to run Incognito.

“I am so happy to see you both,” he said affably but his smile was strained.

Martha noticed his tired eyes and his stride wasn’t as confident as she'd remembered either.

“Why are we here?” She asked.

“I’ve believe we have a mutual enemy Martha.”

“We do?” Perfidia challenged, not hiding her skepticism

“Perfidia Mishapsham,” he nodded to her, “I know we haven’t been introduced, I’m Avery Silencio,” he said with a polished air extending his hand to her.

Perfidia considered the hand extended and folded her arms instead.

“Not buying your gentlemanly flair until I know what this is about,” she warned him.

Avery dropped his hand but didn’t miss a beat in his debonair appearance in doing so.

“Understood,” he nodded.

“You hadn’t told me your name when we met,” Martha interjected, “I’m surprised you’re willing to give up that information now.”

Before he could elaborate his reasons to Martha, Perfidia interrupted.

“Avery like in Aviary? Did you choose that name because you run an aviary?”

He chuckled.

“No, it’s my given name but I do have a friendship with these feathered vertebrates and it’s been beneficial.”

Perfidia looked around with an eagle eye and nodded.

“How? Do they give you the tweets on what’s going on?” She snorted, unladylike, at her own humor.

“Good analogy Perfidia and yes, they do.”

“How does that work?”

This time it was Martha who’d asked.

“Follow me,” Avery said, walking them though the office.

He nodded to the clerks clicking away on hyperlinks set over a world map on their computer screens as he explained.

“You could say my network of tweeters is world wide. Think of all the feathered flocks in every country, every forest, mountain top, hill, valley, metropolis or farmland, more birds than people live in this world and they can move faster too. So, if you were to understand the language, their information would be timely, and priceless.

“You’re telling me you run a twitter network of birds?” Perfidia questioned, looking around the room in amazement.

Avery nodded.

“I am.”

Martha too was fascinated, thinking how incredible it was to have birds reporting back the conversations they’d overheard while sitting in a tree?  Who’d suspect that the sparrow lounging on your breakfast windowsill was paying close attention to your words, and reporting them back to headquarters?

“This is diabolically brilliant,” Perfidia mumbled in awe, wondering if it might work with another animal…say…cats? But she quickly decided that cats were too aloof an animal for gossip, and even if they did talk to each other, they’d never tell her about it.

Avery smiled at Perfidia’s compliment. “It has its advantages but unfortunately, not today.”

“And that’s why you called us here?” Martha asked.

“Yes,” he nodded and waved them through another door, “Follow me; I’ve a lunch set up for us to share while I enlighten you both on what I know.”

 

Perfidia and Martha followed him down a short hallway and into a circular room enclosed by a solid wall of glass; the forest without was the only decor, giving the forest and its inhabitants the prime place of honor and reverence in the room.

“This is breathtaking and peaceful,” Martha sighed.

Avery led them to a table already set with a blue linen cloth, sparkling crystal glasses, fine china and sterling silverware.

“I’m impressed,” Perfidia said sitting down at the table and lifting a gleaming fork, “You’ve taken out all your best stuff for us…and that makes me suspicious,” she said as she replaced the fork on the table and gave him a steady stare.

Avery waited for Martha to sit down before he joined them, and responded to Perfidia.

“I thought to ease us gently into the conversation; I know we’ve all had a morning of concern and-”

“What do you know about our morning?” Martha interrupted as a waiter in a tuxedo poured water into her goblet and another poured white wine into her crystal glass.

Perfidia had zoned out when a succulent cut of filet was placed in front of her along with asparagus tips, glazed carrots and a creamy mushroom risotto. It was nearly lunchtime and she realized, or her stomach did, that she hadn’t had a thing all day, except for a cup of tea, and she was starving.

Martha nudged her with her elbow and Perfidia awoke from her hungry trance.

“Right, what do you know about our morning?” Perfidia parroted but her eyes strayed back down to the plate and she picked up the fork, nonchalantly stabbing a piece of filet as he answered.

“I know your store was disturbed and I know Willow is missing.”

Perfidia stopped with the tempting morsel an inch from her mouth and Martha’s eyes grew suspicious.

“Then it was you who took Willow, and entered Perfidia’s store?” Martha accused him.

“No, but I have an idea who might be behind your havocs, as well as mine.”

“Yours...?” Perfidia asked, lowering the fork all the way back to the plate.

“Yes, Max is missing too.”

That bit of news momentarily silenced Perfidia and Martha.

Avery took that silence and used the moment to enlighten them.

“I know that right now, you’re asking how could someone catnap a familiar with powers such as Willow’s and Max’s, and how with all the protections you have within and without your store Perfidia, could someone walk in as if you’d protected nothing?”

“That’s right,” Perfidia whispered.

Martha gave him an assessing look. “You said you have an idea who did this.”

“I do.”

“And that would be….?” Perfidia demanded, when he didn’t elaborate.

“My ex-girlfriend; her name is Dejanira Hexton.”

“Dejanira, sounds like the name of the princess in Greek mythology, wife of Hercules, the one who killed him,” Perfidia summarized.

“Yes and, before you say it, I already know her name means man-destroyer too, but what of it; it’s just a name.”

“Right, but it’s a name that could have given you a clue, maybe, not to date her?” Perfidia offered.

Avery’s suave demeanor slipped and his tone grew caustic.”

 “Tell me what I don’t know Perfidia and perhaps we can resolve all our issues but your snide recounting of what is, will do nothing. And by the way, did you know the name Perfidia means destructive and disloyal, is that true for you?”

“Okay, I’m sorry; didn’t mean to poke a wound.” She said with a shrug and picked up the fork with the morsel and this time took a bite of it. It was as delicious as it looked.

“All right then, ” he accepted her apology and raised his glass of wine for a fortifying, liberal sip before continuing, “I’ve also learned that Dejanira has changed her name to Daphne, probably hoping to throw me off her scheme.”

“What scheme?” Martha asked.

“She’s started a rival company called Shadows and she hopes to annihilate mine.”

“So she’s usurping your birds?” Perfidia asked confused why this Daphne person would want her plants and potions, or need Willow, to do that.

“No, it’s much worse. She’s gathering familiars of all kinds and forcing them to do her bidding, and only hers. I think she’s found some combination in your store’s stock that works for her as well, that’s why she broke in.”

Martha scoffed.

“Willow would never do as she was told, and not by anyone but me.”

“I believe you but tell me; where is she? How did she not defend her place?”

Martha had no ready answer and the answer she was thinking, made her nauseous.

“You know what it takes Martha,” Avery quietly prompted her.

“What? What does it take?” Perfidia asked, feeling she was missing some coded conversation and curious to know what it was.

“A sibling of equal or greater power can restrain a familiar,” Martha recited, “but Willow has no siblings.”

“Apparently she does, and so does Max,” Avery concluded, “I’ve a plan but we can discuss that after we eat this sumptuous meal.”

Martha wasn’t sure about eating anything; her thoughts were on worry overload. She knew Willow could take care of herself but she also knew how she hated to be trapped in any way. The only bright thought was when Willow is released; those captors will rue the day they took her. That helped her outlook but she still couldn’t eat, although, the wine was looking good.

Perfidia’s appetite was still gnawing at her but her enthusiasm had waned and even as she tasted the melt in your mouth filet, she wanted to throttle that trespassing, cat stealing Daphne.