The Gnat King Cole settled into his chair and furrowed his brow; this was surely shaping up to be an `unforgettable' evening. As Orkin raised his hand to swear his oath, Rufferto stood up in his place and pointed his finger skyward for attention.
"Your honor! An objection!"
King Beeby raised his eyes to the strange, freckled defense attorney.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Your honor, I move for a change of venue!"
The courtroom stirred with the murmurings of the onlookers, and everyone looked to the slick young freckled attorney with new interest (save for one of the large black wolves in Cole's coterie, who was sniffing at the stenographer with interest.
"On what ground, counselor?" King Beeby asked.
"On the grounds that your honor is intimately involved in the proceedings, and as a direct representative of the state is irrevocably biased in opinion and therefore unfit to judge these proceedings. For you to do so would be unlawful by article 37 section 22 of the legislative code."
The Gnat King smiled, delighted, while one wolf in the back (the one who had once been a lawyer) glowered at Rufferto and thought to himself "Everyone knows that."
King Beeby sighed, for he knew the attorney was right, and being a fair king, he would not contest it. He pounded his gavel for silence, and had to pound it thrice more to awaken one of the black wolves, who was snoring hideously.
"Groo, wake up!" urged Tabi, the wolf who had been a cat once.
"I am the Prince Of Chichester!" Groo declared in a sudden torrent of barks and growls.
"Your honor!" cried the prosecuting attorney, glaring at the black wolves. "Before you make your ruling, the prosecution would like to make a motion that the Gnat King's animals not be allowed to sit in at these proceedings, as their conduct and appearance and…" he turned a nose up at the large big-nosed black wolf who had shook the courtroom with his animalistic snores, "their odor -is offensive."
King Beeby nodded agreement.
"Yonder lies the castle of my father!" Groo growled sleepily, as the other wolves shushed him.
"We are in agreement counselor. This court is adjourned. We will continue this case tomorrow morning at Judge Mason's court in Lupo. King Cole's party is not to attend." The gavel came down.
The Gnat King bit his nails. If the session were to be in the morning in Lupo, Rufferto - who was obviously a brilliant l aw-dog, would be unable to represent him. If King Beeby saw fit to remove his wolf-guards from the court, surely Judge Mason would not look kindly on a dog representing him.
The lawyer-wolf knew this too, and grinned wolfishly. `Now is my chance to replace that hack dog!' thought the lawyer-wolf (whose name was Fenris).
King Gnat and Rufferto strode out of the court with the wolves at their heels.
"You did a fine job in there, Rufferto -but I'm afraid it was all for naught, unless we can find a way to keep you from changing back to a dog tomorrow."
"But I want to be a dog," Rufferto said.
The Gnat King ignored him. "I have heard that there is a band of gypsies encamped near the outskirts of Lupo. Perhaps someone among them can help."
Fenris was not at all happy to hear this, but was afraid to speak out against his master's wishes. However, he vowed to himself to foil the freckled man's/spotted dog's blossoming law career, if it was the last thing he ever did.
Meanwhile, amongst the wolves, Tabi the cat-wolf and Lobo the soldier-wolf were discussing a way to return to their former lives.
"If the gypsies can keep Rufferto from changing back into a dog, maybe they can change us back into men!" said Lobo, the soldier wolf, conspiratorially.
"And cats!" purr-growled Tabi.
"Who is the leader of the gypsy band?" Talbot the merchant-wolf asked.
"I have heard she is called Granny -" started Lobo, but then spun around with realization and saw Groo sniffing at the mouth of a badger den. "-Groo!" Lobo exclaimed. "If Groo is related to Granny Groo, perhaps he can appeal to her to change us back somehow."
Groo poked his muzzle into the den and yelped as the old badger bit deep into his gourd-like snout and chased him about, growling and hissing. The other werewolves watched him silently.
"How did Groo become our leader again?" asked Talbot.
"He ate the last one," Tabi muttered, licking her paws.
Next up:
Chapter 5 by Larry Steller
FULL MOON ON CHEESE DIP
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