Chapter 5: Clowns are here

I also spend time with the kindred's newest member-ish. Wezzel.

He is barely 4 feet tall completely covered in fur with the coloring of a raccoon. And yet he looks like, well as weasel. But he talks. He was a tool of what I am beginning to think of as a group of very nasty people.

He is still confused by his remarkable change of circumstances. The Kindred or more precisely Napoleon has put Wezzel under a kind of house arrest. He is not allowed to go out by himself, he is not aloud by the weapon stores in the protectors bunker. He pretty much has to have some one go with him if he wants to pee. At first I was humiliated on his behalf by Wezzel seemed to think all of this treatment was par for the course.

"Wezzel what do you know about the Empire's plans for the Kindred?" Napoleon asks, interrogating Wezzel for what seems like the hundredth time.

"Wezzel not know, Wezzel go where they say. Wezzel keep safe," says Wezzel as he cringes back.

"Do you not think this is enough?" I ask Napoleon. Stepping in before he can start to using physical force to get his answers. Wezzel has squeezed himself into the farthest corner of the room.

There are two other Protectors in the room with Wezzel and Napoleon, Saber and Seattle. Saber gives me a nod in greeting. Seattle stands and gives me a hug.

"Welcome to the white room," Seattle says dryly.

"What white room?" I ask, look around at the faded wallpaper pattern on the walls.

"Never mind," Seattle says as his grin gets bigger.

"That is one I do not know," I reply.

"More library work for you," Saber says. He gives a little smirk that I want to wipe off his face, but don't have chance.

"If you are here to chat, take it out side," Napoleon growls at us.

"No, I am here to see Wezzel," I turn and hold out my hand to the little Scanner.

"Would you like to take a walk with me? Being cooped up here with no one but Napoleon to talk to must be tiresome," I flash Napoleon a grin as Wezzel scoots out from behind Napoleon and grabs my hand.

"Wezzel needs sunlight, yes," he says with an extra flash of his pointed teeth.

"I wasn't done," Napoleon snaps at me in open hostility.

He starts to make at grab for Wezzel but with a look at Saber and Seattle he stops himself.

"I think we all could use a break," Seattle says as he stretches wide and cracks his back.

With Wezzel holding my hand the 5 of us troop out of the room into the rest of house. Melville's home a silly 2 story ranch built sometime in the last century. But he has extra rooms so he and his wife Godiva thought they could watch Wezzel.

So far Wezzel has played the dumb beast, he had entertained the children, and answered any questions as best as he can and not tried to harm anyone. We have been lucky. I think Napoleon must know that or he wouldn't be trying to interrogate the Scanner all the time.

"You would think Napoleon would learn to ask different question," I mused under my breath.

Wezzel, wheezes a laugh at that. He says nothing only dances a little as we headed down the stairs. He keeps hold of my hand, I can feel his anxiety and longing from the contact.

We walk around the cabins, the three Protectors marching around Wezzel and me. He is still enough of a novelty that many of the residents stop and stare. Wezzel eats it up. He does a couple of tumbles and impressive leaps that have many of the watchers applauding his antics. He reminds me very much of the street performers from when I was a child.