"And then what?"  Lisa's wide eyes were fixed on Todd, sitting on the crib with his arms wrapped around his knees.  "What did you say?  What did they do?"

Todd kept his gaze steadily forward.  "I... don't really remember, Lisa."  His voice was quiet and anemic.

"Todd.  Stop keeping me out of the loop.  It was only an hour ago.  What happened?"

Todd felt an urge to shout at her, to browbeat her into silence.  He only sighed, though, closing his eyes.  "It's the truth, Lisa.  I think I freaked out a little.  It's a little fuzzy after that, until you helped me back to our room.  I remember... they said not to tell anyone.  But I had to tell you, Lisa.  This is all too crazy.  I had to make sure I'm not going crazy."

Lisa put her paw around Todd's fuzzy, stubby ear, squeezing and scratching it.  "You aren't."

"I thought you didn't believe in this dream stuff."

Lisa was quiet for a long moment.  "I didn't.  At least, I didn't think I did.  But this... it makes too much sense.  It explains too much about Arvetis.  I've known him for years, Todd.  I always knew there was something he was keeping from everyone around him."

Todd swallowed hard at the mention of the old Wolf.  He didn't want to think about that right now.  He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about him.  Lisa rubbed his thigh softly, then slipped a finger under his leak guard, checking.

"Dear, you're soaked."  She wiped her fingertip on his fur.

"Must have happened while I was dreaming.  Leave it; I'll be OK."  He had no desire to go through the intimate, disarming process of a change right now.  Lisa's brow wrinkled.  "Are you sure?"

"Yeah.  Just leave it."  He squeezed his knees and rocked back and forth slightly.  He wasn't at all sure that he could stay here anymore.  He wanted Lisa so badly, but to put up with this insanity - this danger - was another prospect.  They wanted to mark him!

Lisa rubbed her temples and stood up.  "Hon, I need to go for a little while.  I have to take care of something.  Will you be all right?"

Todd wanted to shout, "No, dammit!  Can't you see I need you?"  But he only nodded.  Lisa leaned forward, kissed his forehead, and walked out the door.  Without her, the stone room was barren and hostile.


***


"Don't worry, Arvetis.  We made the right choice with Todd."  Geraden rubbed the Wolf's onesied back as he climbed into bed, holding a white teddy bear and a book of theological essays.  "He'll come around."

Arvetis sighed, sliding under the sheets, and squeezing his bear close against his chest.  "I know.  I'm just worried about what he might do before that happens."

"Don't be.  He's scared and confused, but he's a smart Ferret.  He won't do anything problematic."  Geraden took the bear's head in his paw, nuzzling its snout under Arvetis's chin.  "I'm going to stay up a little while longer.  Will you be all right here on your own for a while?"

"Of course, love."  Arvetis cupped his paw around Geraden's.  "I'll be here."

The room fell silent as Geraden shut the door.  It was a blessing; Arvetis's head had been aching since the frightful confrontation with Todd.  He knew better than to give the Ferret's words much credence yet.  They were the product of shock and fear, not measured judgment.  Still...

"You're not him!  He was a murderer!  You're not that kind of monster!"

Being called a monster always set Arvetis's fur on edge.  Even more so because it was true.

He lay back on the pillow, letting the bear fall to his side as he opened his book and put on his reading glasses.  It was a consideration of the meaning of pain, originally a radio address by Jack Ceilli, by far his favorite Leporidan philosopher.  He ran a wrinkled paw-finger along the lines as he read, his aging vision unable to keep its place in the swimming text without an anchor.  He only made it through a paragraph, though, before there was a soft knock on the door.

"Yes, come in."  He groaned as he pushed himself up against the headboard of the bed, sliding his glasses down his long snout so he could focus on the far end of the room.  As the door swung open, and Arvetis saw who was behind it, his fur involuntarily stood.  He wasn't ready for this.

Lisa stepped into the room, looking sideways at Arvetis and holding her long tail in front of her.  She was wearing the pink footed sleeper everyone loved on her - it matched her tail and the inside of her ears.  Her dark look didn't match the outfit now, though.  It told Arvetis exactly what she knew.

"Is it true?"  She moved further into the room, staring at Arvetis's scarred face.

"Lisa..."

"Just tell me if it's true."

Arvetis closed his eyes.  "He said he wouldn't tell anyone."

"If you thought he meant me," she said, her voice quiet and wavering, "you had no business believing him.  So it's true."

Without responding, Arvetis slid his feet off the bed, placing them in his slippers.  Lisa immediately backed towards the door.

"Lisa!  Please.  It's me.  Whatever else is true, it's still me.  Don't hurt me like this."

"Don't hurt you?  Arvy... Arvetis."  She sounded like she was just now hearing the name for what it was.

"Yes, Lisa.  It's true.  I'm... him.  Was him."

"How?" Lisa demanded.  She sounded angry, as if the facts had betrayed her.  "How could it possibly be?"  Her paw was on the doorknob.

"Why would we lie about this?"

Lisa swallowed, trying to steady herself.  "Who else knows?  Here, I mean."

"A few.  Brutus.  Gerry, obviously... one or two of the dogs.  People whom we know to be trustworthy."  Arvetis restrained a wince as he said that, knowing what the implication was.

"And you didn't tell me?" Lisa squeaked.

"Lisa... that's not what I meant."

"How long have we been friends now?  And you never told me!"  At least she was stepping away from the door.

"I couldn't.  It was nothing to do with trust; please believe that.  Lisa, you're the sweetest Mouse I've ever known."  Arvetis was surprised to feel tears rising.  He'd thought he was stronger than this.  "I couldn't... what if you hated me?"  He looked at her as he said that, his face twisted in guilt.

Lisa stepped forward, letting go of her tail, allowing it to sway gracefully behind her.  "You thought I'd hate you?"

"Don't you?"

There was a horrible pause.  "N... I thought I would.  If you said it was true, I thought I'd go and, I don't know, tell the police or something."  She sat down on Arvetis's bed and patted the sheets next to her.  "Come here, Arvy."

Arvetis dipped his muzzle to his chest, sitting gingerly next to the Mouse, as if he was afraid to touch her, his tail curled tightly under his onesie.  Immediately, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me."

Arvetis let out a breath he'd been holding for a while, returning Lisa's embrace.  "I guess, even after all these years, I'm still a coward."

She held him a moment longer.  When she pulled away, she was staring at her lap.  "I hope some things about you have changed.  Even if that hasn't, I mean."

"Lisa, I swear to you."  Arvetis took her paw in his.  "I swear that I'll never forget what I owe this world.  This is my second chance."  His eyes were wide and shining, with fear or with regret Lisa could not tell.  

She held his hips, guiding him to lie back on the bed.  He hit the sheets heavily, as if falling from a great height, and slowly crumpled to one side, great, rolling sobs slipping past his control.  Lisa ran her Prey paw through his hair with the grace of a daughter.  Or a mother.


***


Todd started at the soft knock on the door.  It had been ten minutes since Lisa had left, and he hadn't moved a muscle.  He groaned.  Why did she have to leave?  He didn't want to face whoever that was alone.  What if it was...  He shook his head, trying to clear the stupid haze from it.  "Come in."

The door opened, and the tall, blue-robed frame of Geraden strode through.  He gave Todd a warm smile.  "You look terrible, Todd."

Todd realized that he must - his fur was on end, and he was still hugging his knees.  He sighed and tried to relax, letting himself sink into a more normal sitting position.  "I'm sorry.  That was... quite an experience."

Geraden shook his proud head.  "It is I who should apologize to you.  We didn't handle it very well."

"Was it true?  What I saw?  I know the last vision I had was... distorted.  Were they all?"  There was a note of hope to his voice.  If the vision couldn't be trusted, as Arvetis had hinted before, then the situation wasn't as crazy as it seemed.

Geraden again shook his head, though.  "The Tigers say you're a true witness.  If any of your visions were not literally true, then they had truth in ways the bare facts could not have communicated.  And I happen to be able to personally vouch for your first visions."

Todd grimaced, rubbing his head.  He shifted, causing his soaked diaper to squelch.  "Geraden, I don't think I can handle this.  I didn't sign up for magic dreams and zombie dictators.  This place... might not work out for me."

Geraden nodded slowly, taking a seat next to Todd on the open crib.  "That is, of course, your right.  Nobody is forcing you to stay.  There is something, however, that you should see before you make that choice."

Todd remained silent.  Whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than what he'd already seen today.

"Todd..." Geraden hesitated.  "The timing of this is unfortunate.  It has the look of extortion, and I hate that."

"Just show me."

Geraden sighed, reached into the folds of his robe, and produced a white envelope.  He handed it to Todd.  Even in the dim light of the bedroom, the words "FORECLOSURE NOTICE," in bold, red letters, were visible through the envelope.  "They sent this copy to Lisa here at the hall.  I'm sorry, Todd," Geraden said.

Todd took the letter, flipping it from side to side, as if it had no meaning.  He was numb - there was no fear or panic rising in his gut.  He made a noise - "huh" - and set it next to himself on the crib.

"If you still want to leave," Geraden said, "we can help you.  Try to find a place for you to stay.  It won't be easy, though; we ran a credit check on you as part of your vetting process.  It's not exactly stellar."

"And what if I stay?"  Todd spoke into his lap, with no inflection.  "Will you mark me, like Arvetis said?"

Geraden sighed.  "Arvetis should not have sprung that on you.  If you want to be the formal Predatory witness of Corwin Hall, then yes, you'll have to join the Order.  It's not a necessary condition for your presence here, though.  You'd be welcome regardless."

Todd shook his head.  "I don't understand.  Why do you need me to be a w- witness?  I might be willing to, if it's for a good reason.  But you've already got a witness, don't you?  You have Brutus."

"It's difficult, Todd, because so much of that answer is very sensitive information.  There is so much I cannot tell you until we know your loyalty."  Todd began to protest at that, but Geraden hushed him.  "Please, don't take offense.  We take the safety of this community very seriously.  These are things I would not tell Arvetis himself if he didn't have those marks."

"All right.  I guess I understand.  Is there nothing at all you can tell me, to help me make up my mind?"

Geraden smiled warmly, the deep wrinkles at the sides of his eyes folding benevolently.  "There may be.  How would you like a change?"  Geraden's eyes flicked down to Todd's near-leaking diaper.

Caught off guard by the non-sequitur, Todd stammered.  "N- no.  No thank you."

"Todd, you're absolutely sodden.  Your rash is going to be awful."

Todd squirmed.  "That's the second time you've offered to change my diaper.  No offense, but I just don't swing that way."

Geraden's laugh, long and lively, brought some vitality to the dim room.  "Todd, I'm far too old to be a letch.  My intentions are chaste, I assure you.  Please."  He stood, and gestured for Todd to lie down on the crib.

In spite of himself, Todd shifted and began to stretch himself out.  Geraden's authority was almost irresistible.  "Will you explain?  A little, at least?"

"I fully intend to, as much as I possibly can," Geraden said, hunting around for changing supplies.  He found the package of diapers under the crib, and wipes and powder on the bureau.  After setting them down on the sheets of the crib, he reached out to undo the tapes on Todd's diaper.

Todd shuddered a little in anticipation of the cool air on his nether-regions.  He closed his eyes, laying his head back.  "All right.  Why should I be your witness?"

"There are things happening right now.  We're not entirely sure what yet, but they're related to your visions.  Brutus has been having visions as well, but they're... different."  Todd's tapes came off with two loud pops.

"Different how?"  He tried not to think about it as Geraden pulled the front of the diaper down, exposing his urine-soaked fur.

"Brutus is a Rabbit.  As such, his visions mostly center around Rabbits.  Occasionally, he'll see things relating to other Prey species, but very rarely does he see Predators.  In fact, the only Predator he's seen in recent memory is you.  That's how we knew you were a potential witness.  He saw your testing."

Todd digested this new information, drawing his paws up to his chest to keep them out of the way as Geraden got out a wipe and began cleaning his groin.  It was a less lusty procedure than when Lisa did it, but at the same time even more disarming.  Even if he'd never known Elyssa, he could tell that Geraden had once been a parent.  Pushing down his resistance, he spread his legs and curled his tail to the side.  "Is that why you need me?  Because I'm a witness who can see Predators?"

Geraden nodded.  "The thing that is occurring right now mostly concerns them.  Our knowledge of it is dim, because Brutus can see only the outskirts of it."

Todd's fur stood on end as Geraden wiped under his tail.  "And I suppose you can't tell me what is going on.  As much as you know, I mean."

"I'm afraid not, Todd.  At least, not yet."  A sprinkle of cool powder fell across Todd's thighs.

"More insect spray..."  Geraden gave Todd a puzzled look at that, as he pulled a new diaper out from the package and unfolded it.  "Never mind.  You know, you might win me over on pure curiosity."

Geraden smiled and rubbed Todd's belly.  "Lift up, kit."  This elicited a bright flush from Todd, but the old Rabbit seemed to have said it unconsciously, as if he was reveling in an old memory.  He lifted his rump in the air, allowing Geraden to slip the thick diaper under his bottom and affix the tape around the base of his tail expertly.  When he sat back down on the soft cotton padding, he realized that he was beginning to understand why Lisa liked this.  It felt different with an older, fatherly figure doing it to him.  It was comforting, rather than off-putting.  When Geraden tugged the bulky front up between his legs, he almost churred in contentment, and it wasn't just because of his restored privacy.

"Think about it, Todd," Geraden said, pressing the diaper panel to the Ferret's long belly and attaching the tapes snugly.  "I'm sorry to demand answers from you in exchange for information, but we don't have much time.  Whatever is happening, it's going to come to a crest very soon."

Todd didn't respond to that.  The perception of Geraden as a paternal figure had set off another thought in his head - something that he hadn't quite fully taken in yet.  "Sir... if my vision was true, and Arvetis is Agathos, then that means you're-"

"I was Geraden Warkyn, Yes."  Geraden clapped his paws together lightly, brushing off the baby powder.

"Not just Geraden Warkyn, though.  From the way you told your story, you're also G- um.  Gel-Herathin?"  For a moment, Todd lost the fatherly image of the old Rabbit above him.  Geraden's visage began to take on the same flavor as Arvetis's, when Todd has first risen from his trial.  He was old - impossibly old - and terrible.  Closing his eyes again, Todd resisted this nightmare vision, pushing it out of his head.

"Yes. I am Gel-Herathin."

"I don't understand.  I don't know what that is, sir."  Todd hardly noticed that he was calling Geraden "sir" again.

Geraden sat next to Todd on the crib again, putting his arms around the Ferret's shoulders and pulling his upper body into his lap, facing upwards.  "It's very complicated."  Geraden sounded like he was talking to a child, but Todd didn't really mind.  He'd had enough intrigue for one day, and a simplified explanation would serve him quite well.

"I am a protector," Geraden continued.  "When my people - Rabbits - need help, the ones who have kept the old lore call out.  And I come to them.  Usually, I don't even remember who I am until I'm needed.  Except this time... but that's one of the complicated parts."

"Are you... dangerous?"  Todd's eyes were wide as he asked this, and his paw moved unconsciously up to his mouth.  He began to suck softly on the side of it.

Geraden's face became pained at that question.  He looked like he was briefly considering a lie, but sighed and nodded.  "Yes, Todd.  I am."
