“Giddon, seriously,” said Hava, scowling up into his face. “Did someone stab you with a tranquilizer and I missed it?” When he didn’t respond, she went so far as to wave a hand in front of his eyes.

“I can’t do this right now,” he said.

“You can’t do what? Walk along the harbor?”

“Hava,” he said. “I just can’t.”

Hava took him by both arms and nudged him, not exactly gently, backward. When his legs met the edge of a bench, Giddon sat. Hava sat beside him, studying his face. “What happened?”

Nearby, a blue fox was peering at them from behind a post, not even being subtle. When Giddon looked into Hava’s face, her features blurred and he blotted his eyes with his sleeve.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I have a memento I keep in my pocket. I just realized it’s gone. I’m upset about it.”

“Of course you are. You’re a sentimental goon.”

“Wow, thanks.”

“It was probably a locket shaped like a heart with a painting of Bitterblue as a wood nymph, smelling of ferns.”

“I don’t even know what a wood nymph is, brat.”

“It’s just like a bully to call me names when I’m being sympathetic.”

Giddon’s brain was returning a little more every time Hava made him smile. “Is the fox behind that post there the same one from earlier?”

“Yes,” said Hava. “It has the same smug nose.”

“Okay,” said Giddon. “Who do you think is having us followed?”

“I haven’t the foggiest,” said Hava, then pursed her lips. “Have you looked closely at every one of Quona’s cats? Are we sure she doesn’t have a fox?”

“What?” said Giddon. “What are you talking about? Of course they’re cats! They’re bigger, fluffier, less creepy, and also, they’re cats!”

“Wow, Giddon. You should join a debate team.”

“Well, you should not join a debate team,” said Giddon. “You can’t just propound a theory with no evidence.”

“I have evidence.”

“I’m listening.”

Hava crossed her arms. “I asked Quona how many cats she has. She said twelve.”

“Yes?”

“The other night, when we were in the sitting room and we heard scurrying footsteps above, she said it was cats in the attic. But I counted. There were ten cats in the room.”

“Well? Two cats can make a lot of noise, Hava. You should spend more time with Lovejoy.”

“It sounded like more than two cats,” said Hava stubbornly. “Or more than two something.”

“Okay,” said Giddon. “As evidence goes, this is pretty weak.”