Ruger's first thought was the rift in the Abyss. But Half-Man had said that as long as Ruger did not reveal it himself—by going in or out of it under a Demon's nose, for instance—no Demon would detect it.
His thoughts raced. He considered asking Wizard Zorn for help, then thought of the rabbit straightening his clothes and the smiles on Aisijin and the others' faces. Whoever had arrived had shown no hostility. Possibilities and ways to handle them flashed through his mind.
But as Tuzel continued, an unexpected picture took shape in Ruger's mind.
During one of the times Ruger had taken all the Spirit Furs into the Bedroom Space, Serious Mouse had been digging away with utter focus. He had long been building a backup exit for the Inn, slowly and entirely on his own. Just as he had in the Fairy Kingdom, he dug with a firm conviction. This time, though, he had made the passage more orderly. He had read about mysterious back doors to inns in the adventure novels he borrowed from Aisijin, and he intended to dig more hidden exits for the Inn, just like in those books. When powerful adventurers and knight-wizards got into trouble, they slipped out the back. Those doors could lead to all sorts of secluded alleys.
That was what Serious Mouse had in mind as he dug.
When Tuzel sensed something strange and hurried to the Inn, he found the Spirit Furs spread out around it, swaying and praying. The innocent little creatures seemed to have sensed that Serious Mouse was in trouble and were offering him their blessings. Faith Power filled the air.
Thanks to Serious Mouse's friendly natural contract with Ruger, the Spirit Furs had always liked their fellow furry creature. Naturally, the God of Spirit Fur,