Tuning William - Fuzzy Bones

"I take it," Holloway said, "that you plan to be on the winning side."

"You bet your sweet-" Gus chopped the sentence short as Liana Bell came hurrying up to them.

She had a 'writer in her hand. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she appeared to be short of breath. "I just heard, Mr. Commissioner-"

Holloway cut her off. "Jack," he corrected.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Jack. I just heard how you got your arm hurt, and I want to know if you would mind if I signed my name on your cast." She suddenly put her hands behind her and twisted nervously, swiveling at the ankles.

Holloway smiled. The points of his mustache turned up and creases appeared at the corners of his eyes. "Why, no, Miss Bell-"

She cut him off. "Liana," she said. She looked him dead in the eye when she said it.

"Yes," he replied, "Liana. I think that would be very nice, and I appreciate the thought."

She slowly inscribed something in Latin on the upper part of his spray-web cast, and then very elaborately signed her name in a flourishing hand.

He couldn't quite read it, because he was looking at it upside down. And the Latin would have made no sense to him, anyway. But, no matter; he could get Ben Rainsford or Gus Brannhard to translate it for him later. They both made their living from Latin.

She began to speak while she was still doing her signature. "You know that project with Fuzzy sociology we were talking about?" she asked.

"I recall we mentioned something like that at the van Riebeek's that night,"

Jack said.

"Well," she said,"I 've got approval from Dr. Mallin and Juan. Science Center is going to loan me out to Fuzzy Institute for a year to do a complete rundown on the system differences between Upland Fuzzies and Woods Fuzzies." She finished and looked at him directly, again. '"That means I'll be moving in with Lynne Andrews next week."

Holloway smiled, again, holding her direct-gaze with his. "I'm very pleased to hear that, Liana," he said.

She tapped his cast with the 'writer. "And I'm going to keep an eye on you and

take care of you till this comes off-you poor old bear. You got yourself hurt doing something very fine, and I'm going to see that you get well."

Gus had been reading the inscription. He turned suddenly, rumbling into his beard as quietly as he could, and wandered off toward the bar.

Nearby, Little Fuzzy, Diamond, and Starwatcher were seated in a circle on a table.

Little Fuzzy leaned toward Diamond. "What Pappy Jack make do?" he said. "Have fun?"

Diamond leaned closer. He said "Dishta," then whispered something in Lingua Fuzzy. By this time, Starwatcher had leaned into the conversation to hear what was being said.

A certain amount of giggling and shoulder-slapping followed the whispered conversation.

Then Starwatcher leaned back upright and tilted his khaki barracks cover onto the back of his head. Then he shook his head slowly. "So many things for Fuzzies to learn," he said.