The carriage came to a steady stop in the Small Square.
After the patrol officer opened the door, Arthur entered the Shire District Police Department with the empty cage in one hand and Pendragon cradled in the other. Amid a chorus of "Good afternoon, Consultant," he headed straight for the chief's office.
Maltz, who had returned a dozen minutes before Arthur, was teasing "Chief" with a cat wand made from a feather and a willow twig-as an older man living alone, Maltz worried that "Chief" would have no one to look after him at home, so he had chosen to bring his cat to work.
As for the rule against bringing pets to work?
Sorry, there was no such rule.
There used to be?
Then it could cease to exist now that he had a cat.
As the head of the Shire District Police Department, Maltz found it quite convenient to get certain things done.
Putting away the cat wand and leaving "Chief" to seek out Pendragon, Maltz asked Simon to bring in two cups of plain tea. Only when the two of them were alone in the office did the old chief lower his voice-
"Tate's side of things is settled."
"Mm."
Arthur sipped his tea, narrowing his eyes in contentment.
Although he loved sweet things, he did not dislike the slight bitterness of plain tea, because that bitterness came with a distinctive freshness.
And that freshness carried faint traces of sweetness.
After drinking half the tea in his cup, Arthur sat up straight again and looked at his partner beside him.
"You're wondering why I wanted to help Tate?"
The old chief nodded.
Given their relationship, there was no need to conceal a question like that.
The old chief really was curious.
Because, in his eyes, Tate was