The Spotted Tail

“His mom. Her name’s Carol,” Paxine said.

“I know her,” her grandma said, now watching Tinder who was staring at Tache who was staring at the escort.

“Paulie never mentioned beetles before.” Paxine was now watching Tache who tried to smack the escort with his tail again.

“No?” her grandma said, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. “Good morning, Carol. How are you doing?”

Her grandma held her phone away from her ear. Carol’s hitch pitched worried voice came through loud and clear.

“Oh my…you would never…the police just left…Paulie had something…I don’t understand…this is…” Carol said, sounding very upset.

“Oh my, what happened?” her grandma said, using a worried voice.

“Beetles. Paulie had beetles. I don’t know where he got them, but I guess he gave one away and the parents got upset and the police were here and this is embarrassing… There will never be beetles in my house again,” Carol said, crying over the phone.

Oh, dear. I’m so sorry,” her grandma said.

“Oh, David. I have to go. David is here.”

Click.

“David?” her grandma said, looking at Paxine.

“That’s his dad.”

The cube dinged. The door opened to reveal her grandma’s office.

“Greta…” Her grandma’s voice sounded stern. Paxine wondered if Greta ever got fed up with it.

“Yes, I know,” Greta said, seeming to already know what was going on, ignoring her grandma’s tone of voice, and sounding cheerful.

“Do you realize what this means?” her grandma said to Greta.

“There is only one trainer in the world who could train a beetle,” Greta said matter-of-fact.

“Rostenter. Yes, and I fired her. Where is she?” her grandma said as if Greta could make Rostenter appear at will.

“We’re looking,” Greta said, looking unconcerned.

“Has Linda reported back?” her grandma said, sorting through messages on her desk.

“I already heard from Linda. She’s hitting dead ends and is expanding her search,” Greta said.

“Who’s Linda?” Paxine said, watching Greta fill Tinder’s food bowl. Tache waited like a vulture to eat as soon as Greta was done.

“One of my security people,” her grandma said. “Shouldn’t finding out how Paulie got the beetles be easy?” Her grandma sounded frustrated.

Greta didn’t answer.

“Tache. He did have breakfast this morning,” she said while Tache crunched away.

“Yes, but someone else’s food always tastes better,” Greta said, adding more food to the bowl.

“But it’s the same food.”

Her grandma laughed and her mood changed. “He is a sassy little boy. Not that Tinder isn’t a sassy little girl. Here, you can try this out today.” Her grandma handed her a backpack. It was large enough to hold…

“Tache will fit in that and you can use it when the leash isn’t appropriate. Tinder fits in my bag and I don’t use the leash at all. The leash is more for training or a social setting with friends but not in public. He needs to be able to move freely and the backpack will allow him to do that and stay discreet when needed,” her grandma said.

“Okay, Tache. Enough food or I won’t be able to carry you.” She lowered the backpack for Tache, who grabbed one more bite of food before hopping in, hanging his head out the top.

“Oh, my gosh. He’s heavy. He did eat too much.” She emitted a grunt as she heaved up the backpack.

Her grandma laughed. “Now you know how I feel about my handbag and Tinder. My handbag seems to get heavier and heavier every day.”

“No more tail whacking,” Paxine said, referring to Tache’s whacking of the escort, but she had the feeling Tache was glaring at the man.

“Let’s go shopping, now,” her grandma said, heading back to the cube.

When they next stepped out of the cube, there were two dress shops side by side. One displayed blue dresses and the other red. The next store, a shoe shop, displayed colorful striped socks. Next to that store, the smell of perfume wafted out and her grandma entered.

The store was narrow but long. Three aisles stretched from front to the back. The clerk, standing at the front checkout, seemed bored and ignored them. Their escort stayed by the door. Her grandma headed to the middle of the store where there was a display of scented soaps.

“Move your backpack to the front. You need to work with Tache,” her grandma said.

Paxine shifted the backpack around. It felt funny.

“Sniff,” her grandma said, handing her a bar of soap.

“Strawberry,” she said.

“Now let Tache smell it.”

Tache wrinkled his nose at the bar of soap. Paxine held it for Tinder to sniff before handing it back to her grandma.

“Now this one.” Her grandma picked out another bar.

“Lemon,” she said, letting Tache and Tinder sniff.

“This one?” her grandma said, offering another.

“Um…flowery.” She was unsure of the scent.

“Lavender. And this?” her grandma handed her yet another bar.

“Mint. Whoa, Tache. He likes that one.” She held the bar away from Tache’s paws. Tinder even reached for it.

“Probably reminds them of catnip,” her grandma said, rescuing the bar of soap.

“Hey, you’re teaching them the different smells,” she said, realizing they weren’t sniffing bars of soap for her benefit.

“Of course…” her grandma said.

“I’m sorry, no pets, please,” the clerk said, walking up to them. She tapped her pen against her bracelet, unaware of its annoying clack.

“These are service animals,” her grandma said.

“Yeah, right,” the clerk said, looking dubious.

“Tinder, lemon soap, please,” her grandma said as if putting in an order.

Tinder hopped out of her grandma’s handbag, sniffing along the shelves. She batted out a bar of lemon soap and with the skill of a hockey pro, batted the bar over to them.

“Thank you,” her grandma said and Tinder hopped back into her grandma’s handbag.

“Nice trick,” the clerk said with a smirk.

“Perhaps you would see a better demonstration if you tried to touch my granddaughter. Then you could see her guard cat in action. But I do warn you, I don’t have any bandages with me,” her grandma said in a casual manner.

Tache growled, causing the clerk to back off. Paxine held in a giggle while the clerk returned to the front of the store, leaving them to continue their browsing of the shelves.

Her grandma did purchase some soap and a small perfume when they were finished.

“Now this next shop is my favorite. Spices from around the world,” her grandma said, taking in a deep breath.

The shop’s shelves went up to the ceiling.

“Good morning, Sara. Looking for anything in particular?” the store clerk said in a cheerful voice.

“Nothing today. This is my granddaughter, Paxine, and I’m introducing her to the wonders of spice,” her grandma said.

“Okay, if there is anything I can help with, just let me know,” the clerk said with a smile.

Her grandma moved along the shelves, picking out spices, making her and the Tails sniff each one.

Snit. Tache sneezed.

“Tache. Sorry grandma,” Paxine said.

“Cocoa power. He turned away, no damage done,” her grandma said, putting the container back on the shelf. “Over here are extracts; vanilla, almond, anise, mint…”

They sniffed every one. The Tails again loved the mint.

“All these smells are making me hungry,” Paxine said, laughing as her stomach growled.

Her grandma checked a clock on the wall. “Well, it is time for lunch. And you only had a single sweet roll this morning. Let’s move the backpack around. You do look silly.”

“Oh, now you tell me. I feel ridiculous,” Paxine said. “But it is neat to see Tache and what he’s doing.”

Her grandma laughed, helping her switch the backpack.

“Goodness. You’re right. I think Tache did eat too much breakfast. He’s heavy,” her grandma said, giving the backpack one last adjustment.

“And he moves around too much,” she said, stumbling when Tache leaned too far over to one side.

“Watch it there,” her grandma said, grabbing her to keep her from falling over.

A spoon sailed through the air, landing on the ground with a clatter. Paxine twirled around, but Tache jump out of the backpack, almost sending her head first into a display of wooden utensils.

“Hey,” she said. “Watch it there.”

Tache picked up the spoon, putting deep teeth marks into the wood.

“Oh, no, Tache.” She looked worried at her grandma.

“I guess someone needs a spoon.” Her grandma didn’t seem concerned, just amused.

Tache carried the spoon over to the clerk and dropped it at her feet.

“One spoon,” her grandma said as if she had intended to purchase the spoon all along.

“You’re in luck, we’re having a special on wooden spoons today,” the clerk said, but Paxine thought the clerk just made it up since her grandma was a good customer.

“No bag,” her grandma said, stopping the clerk from putting the spoon into a bag. She took the spoon, handing it back to Tache before stuffing the receipt into her purse.

Paxine lowered her backpack for Tache, wondering where her grandma could find room in her handbag with Tinder taking up all available space.

Tache hopped into the backpack, only to bounce back. He carried his spoon like a dog carrying a stick. The spoon was wider than the backpack opening, preventing him from hopping in.

“Ahem,” her grandma said, stopping Paxine from grabbing the spoon. “He wanted the spoon. Let him figure out how to get it into the backpack.”

For ten minutes, they waited, holding in the giggles, while Tache flipped and flopped trying to get the spoon into the backpack. Then he tilted his head and the spoon slid upright into the backpack, and he was able to jump in after it.

Paxine hoisted up the backpack.

“One moment, let me take a picture,” her grandma said, holding up her phone.

“That is so cool,” she said, checking out the picture showing Tache sitting in the backpack right next to his spoon. “The spoon is as tall as he is. Can I have a copy?”

“Sure, I’ll send it to your mother,” her grandma said, tapping on her phone.

“Wait till my friends see,” Paxine said all excited.

“Come again,” the clerk said. “We have more wooden spoons.”

Her grandma waved, laughing.

“Hey, there’s a café over there,” Paxine said, pointing.

“Yes, that is a nice one. Time for some lunch,” her grandma said, leading the way.

Their escort sat one table over trying to muffle yawns. Paxine did note he was being vigilant.

“Now, this you should practice as much as you can,” her grandma said, keeping her voice low, after their drinks arrived.

Paxine could tell her grandma didn’t want the escort to hear.

“Discretion is the key here. People don’t like animals in their food,” her grandma said, giving her lap a light tap. Tinder hopped up, keeping a low profile.

“Position Tache by your side or in your lap. He needs to check your food, which is why he needs to learn which smells are appropriate and which aren’t,” her grandma said, keeping her hand close to her mouth.

Paxine put her hand near her mouth, like her grandma, to keep anyone from reading her lips. She tapped her lap. Tache jumped up into her lap, banging his head under the table.

“I think someone needs a lesson in discretion,” Paxine said in a whisper, almost laughing aloud.

Tache shook his head, almost falling out of her lap, then popped his head up to check out what was on the table. She rolled her eyes, pushing him down.

“If you have a drink, put it near you,” her grandma said, ignoring Tache. “Don’t forget your napkin, which helps hide what you’re really doing.” Her grandma slid her drink close to herself. Her napkin, she opened up and held in one hand, hiding Tinder. She held her drink in her free hand, looking off in the distance.

Paxine followed her gaze.

“Watch what I’m doing, not where I’m looking,” her grandma said in a mumbled whisper.

“Oh,” Paxine said, feeling stupid.

Her grandma lowered her glass enough for Tinder to sniff.

Tinder chirped.

“Remember not to look at Tache while you’re doing this. People tend to follow your eyes,” her grandma said, sliding her glass away and tucking her napkin right over Tinder.

“Yeah, I almost missed what you did cuz I followed your eyes,” she said in a meek voice.

“Now you try,” her grandma said.

Paxine repeated the actions of her grandma. Tache thumped her with his tail to tell her the drink was safe. Then she giggled.

“That was good, what are you giggling about?” her grandma said, pretending to straighten her napkin.

“I thought you were always just a fussy old lady,” she said through her hand.

Her grandma faked insult, which only made Paxine giggle some more.

“However…” her grandma said.

“It’s serious business. I know.” She thought about what she just learned, and it wasn’t about Tache checking her drink. Her grandma’s interaction with Tinder took on a new meaning. She wasn’t watching a woman interact with her pet. This was her grandma interacting with her Tail. Her Tail had a job to do. The job was to protect her grandma. Tache was her Tail. Did her parents know? Yeah, her mom knew he was a Tail.

“Excellent. Now, I want you to practice at home. The true test will be if you can succeed without getting poor Tache shooed off to a back room. Your mom may understand, but your dad won’t,” her grandma said, being serious.

Paxine nodded, but her head was spinning. Her whole world was changing because of Tache.

The only shops left that she and her grandma hadn’t visited were the dress shops and a shoe shop. Paxine didn’t think there was much training they could do in those stores and expected they would head back to her grandma’s office, so she was surprised when the cube door opened and a wide empty hallway greeted her. The silence was so intense, she was afraid to break it.

Spaced along the hall, on both sides, were plain solid looking doors. At the end of the hall, a neon sign read EXIT.

Her grandma headed for the EXIT, but stopped at the door right before it. From the distance, this door looked like any of the other doors. Close up, it was…

“What?” Paxine said, confused.

Attached to the door was a compass. It kept pointing to different directions even though the door wasn’t moving. That was impossible, she thought. But even more peculiar were the small chains, hooks and the clock with three hands. There were also several large coat buttons that formed a smiley face and two doorbell type buttons.

Her grandma pressed one. There was no sound, but soon, the door opened to reveal a thin old man. He had a full head of light gray hair, neatly combed, and he stooped just a little, which made him look shorter than he was.

“Mrs. Pondoulee,” the man said with a wink. “Very good to see you. I’ve been expecting you. Oh, you can stay outside.” He directed his last words at their escort.

The room, smelling of sawdust, oil, and caramel, was full of junk. Every shelf, and there were rows and rows of shelves, was full of glass, plastic and metal parts. Larger sheets of glass and plastic sat on the floor, leaning against walls where there were no shelves or against the shelves themselves. Things even hung from the ceiling. The only clear area was in the center of the room, where there was a single empty table. Paxine almost felt like she had stumbled into a toy shop, but there weren’t any recognizable toys.

“Paxine, this is Garon,” her grandma said.

“Good day to you,” Garon said with a wink, causing Paxine to blush.

“I need quite a bit today,” her grandma said, placing her handbag down on the table, and motioning for Paxine to put her backpack down as well.

Tache hopped out, his tail twitching with eagerness to explore. Her grandma sat in the only chair and had to scoop out Tinder who yawned and stretched.

“Two. New two,” Garon said with a chuckle. “So, you need one chain with T and R, no, hold on…two chains and two bracelets, and…no.”

Paxine felt as confused as Garon sounded. He was making no sense to her, but her grandma seemed to understand.

“Just one bracelet. I already have one. And, please bring another chair,” her grandma said, looking a little impatient.

“Yes, yes, that is so. Short one last time. Two chains and one bracelet. Yes. Yes,” Garon said in a mumble as he hurried off around a shelf.

Paxine thought to ask her grandma what he was talking about, but before she could even do so, Garon was back with a chair. He dashed off again, but was back in a moment.

“I have what you need,” Garon said, holding three fine chains. Two were silver and one was gold.

“May I?” Garon said, addressing Tinder.

Tinder blinked her approval and Garon fastened the silver chain around her neck. The chain was so fine that it settled into her fur and disappeared.

“May I?” Garon said to Tache, who seemed startled that Garon was speaking to him.

Paxine nodded to Tache, who lashed his tail. Garon took that as his approval, fastening the gold chain around Tache’s neck. This chain settled into his fur and disappeared just like Tinder’s.

Garon turned to her. “Now, you look like a silver. Please have a seat.”

Paxine hesitated, not certain if she was to do what he said, but her grandma nodded her approval.

“Can I have your left foot?” Garon said, kneeling when she sat.