Chapter 6: Raising the Steaks

Dantes was getting somewhat worried. Well worried may not be how he’d describe it. He’d never be worried about a cat. It was just the food he was worried about.

This he what he told himself as he took one final sniff at the trail that Mitty had left behind. The moon had risen well clear of the horizon, and lit the street in a warm orange light. That was something that had really hurt his head. Apparently, humans saw in more colours than dogs, because it was an entirely new experience, as though a hidden switch had been flicked on, and suddenly, everything was just more.

Dantes examined the spot where her trail went cold. The street right in front of Angela’s Bookstore. He could sense her trail was strong here, but also this place was very popular with the cats. He detected at least six different cat trails coming and going, but there was one that was outbound only. He growled in annoyance, but suddenly had a thought.

Casting his mind back to his previous encounters with the cat, he tried to recall her scent, but failed. It had never seemed important in the past, and he wasn’t a tracking dog anyhow. He compared the outgoing scent to the other cat scents. Considerably less spicy, and a bit smoky. And it seemed to lead back to Cotwick Alley. That was a relief, as cats are masters of getting lost.

That damn furball had figured out how to turn back. He hoped she would still be willing to cook for him. He liked his dog form better, but food didn’t taste the same like that. He hadn’t had a diverse culinary experience per se as a dog, but even the air tasted good on his tongue as a human. Given the choice, he thought, he’d like to remain human for about a month so he could taste all the different kinds of food in the world, and then turn back.

“You must be that cute boy Mitts was going on about.”

Dantes whirled around, snarling inadvertently before realising there was no threat. A woman barely up to his chest with loose red curls and youthful face bearing a playful grin stood before him.

“I’m not a cute boy, I’m a good boy, and who are you? Also what did you do with Mitty?”

“I’m the owner of this bookstore, oh good one. I just walked her home. You know, your girlfriend worked really hard to make you dinner, you should hurry home so you can eat it with her.”

Shrugging off his apprehension for this strange lady he introduced himself curtly, “I’m Dantes. What do you want then, Angela?”

“Oh, nothing much, just tell Mitts that she doesn’t have to stop by tomorrow. I expect she won’t be out and about tomorrow anyway, mana exhaustion is rough. Also, hold on for a moment.” The woman popped inside her shop disappearing in the maze of books before returning with two books: one leather bound and the other just a sheaf of pages bound together by string. “Give her these. The papers are just some of my mom’s old recipes, but I have copies in better shape, so she can keep them.”

“And the Mornn-Lupan Sex and Cookbook and How to Raise Wolves?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he read the title.

“Just a bit of light reading for tomorrow if she’s feeling up for it. That one’s a fun one” She responded with an impish smile as if she were a child playing a prank. “Well, I’m going to go eat supper. You should go do the same, it looked pretty good.”

“I’ll be off then.” Dantes hefted the two books in one hand and made for home, or whatever the burnt store was to him now. His steps echoed softly in the empty streets, hastened by the promise of food, and not in the least because he was concerned about that cat. Well, maybe just a bit.

***

Dantes was already regretting having worried about her as she bossed him around setting up for dinner.

“Turn the heat rune down, we’re trying to keep it warm not cook it again!” Mitty meowed at him. She was curled up on the table, tail tucked around her front as she bossed him around.

“I don’t see why you shouldn’t do this. You said you’d handle the cooking,” he complained outwardly, but was very much looking forward to eating this steak. It had been lukewarm by the time he had returned to find Mitty sleeping next to the basket, but she’d awoken when he went to open it up.

“Well I can’t do it right now with this body, and Delphi told me that food tastes best when it’s hot and the kitchen is cleaned. You missed that cup over there by the way.”

“I agreed to clean up while the food is heating up, but I don’t see how the kitchen being clean affects the taste of the food. Who’s Delphi by the way?”

“Oh, just a friend I made today. She owns a bookstore near the market, and we traded recipes and she let me use her kitchen,” Mitty meowed with a smugness only cats can properly exude.

It took him a moment to realise that the woman hadn’t actually given him her name, he’d just assumed that the owner of Angela’s Bookstore would be Angela after all.

“Oh her? I met her on the way back. She told me to tell you that you don’t have to stop by tomorrow because of mana exhaustion? Something like that. She also gave me something for you.” He fetched the two books he’d been given and put them on the table in front of Mitty.

“Thanks. I’ll take a look at them tomorrow I guess. The steak should be ready warm enough by now.”

Quickly navigating the kitchen with Mitty’s instructions, Dantes soon had two plates loaded with mashed potatoes and steak on each. And it smelled glorious. He really wanted to just pick it up in his hands and tear into it with his teeth, but was pre-empted by a judging glare from Mitty, so he grudgingly relented.

Hefting his fork, he prodded the steak with the tines. Juices oozed out of the meat causing his mouth to water in reply. Sawing off a piece with the knife, he popped a piece into his mouth.

Never before had Dantes imagined such a construct could exist. If he had any doubts about Mitty’s knowledge and expertise in cooking, they were surely eliminated now, as he tasted something that transcended his ability to explain. Much like how it would be impossible to explain the colour red to him before he became human, it would be equally impossible to explain the flavours he was experiencing now without having eaten this food.

The steak was soft without being chewy, and had a strong garlicy sear on it that made each bite delectable, the juices carrying through the flavour of the salt and pepper perfectly. Suddenly Dantes was struck with appreciation for these clumsy human utensils, for without them, he would have devoured this steak in mere moments, denying him the time to properly savour it bite by bite.

Loathe to entertain the idea of rushing through the steak, he decided to try the potatoes. He already knew about potatoes, having had them for lunch, so he knew what to expect, but he wanted to finish the steak last.

A rich creamy flavour met Dantes, taking him off guard completely. This was not at all like the starchy, somewhat dry tuber that he had eaten at the docks. Instead, these potatoes were somewhat moist, and had a silky-smooth texture to them. To make things better, the juices from the steak were mixing with the potatoes, seasoning them in the juice and really enhancing the whole meal. To think that potatoes could taste so different with different preparation was unthinkable, but the proof was laid out before him.

In a matter of two minutes or so, the plate still warm from the oven was polished clean by Dantes, who had been so enraptured by his meal, he had failed to see Mitty hadn’t even touched her plate.

“I can finish that if you don’t want it,” he started hopefully, a hint of concern in his voice. How could she not want such fine food?

“Don’t touch it, Dantes. I’ll eat it later.” Mitty sounded exhausted still, though slightly better than earlier.

“Just a bit? Ok, ok, it was just a joke.” That had elicited a growl from her. “Why are you so tired anyway? Also, how did you turn back into a cat?” He was glad he could still understand her as a cat. If she stayed that way, he might have to learn to cook himself, though who knows how that could end up. He could barely cut meat with a knife.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s all connected to that smell I was telling you about before. Delphi called it mana. I can tell my clothes were absorbing the smell from all around me, but when I was in the bookstore, it started absorbing it from me instead. Something about the runes? Anyway, I just started feeling tired, and now I can’t move.”

“You can’t move?”

Mitty’s eyes widen as she realized her trip up. “Hmm? I didn’t say that,” she sputtered, but Dantes could tell her heart wasn’t in the lie, because even he could tell she was lying.

“Well if you can move, why don’t you stop me from taking your steak?” He said, slowly and deliberately reaching for her plate.

“Fine! I can’t move. Jerk. Just leave it on the table and I’ll eat it when I feel better.” Mitty was trying to bury her head in her paws, but failing to do more than plant her face snout first in the table. It was odd how some human mannerisms were imprinted on them, even as animals.

“So, Mitts, I’ve been thinking…” He got a peeved glare from the cat, but no reply. “We don’t really know how to get back, and I don’t think I would want to anyway. What do you want to do?”

“I just want to live an easy life where I don’t have to work except when I want to. Spend my days lying about in the sun in a small cabin in the mountains maybe. Find something I enjoy doing. That sort of thing,” Mitty sighed, content in the image she painted for herself.

“That seems easy. I would have thought you’d want something grander. Also, don’t you have anything you like doing? When I was bored I’d just chase my tail. You even have one now that you changed back.”

“No, I mean like a hobby or something. You can’t chase your tail forever, and that’s more of a dog thing. And I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as you think it will. It’s hard to get people to leave you alone long enough to get a decent nap in sometimes. What about you?” Mitty mumbled through the table.

“Well, first I plan on eating every sort of food in the world, and finish it off with that cake you were talking about. I figure after that’s done in a month or two, I’ll figure it out from there. Will you be able to cook like that by the way? Maybe I can pay someone to cook for me…” Dantes trailed off thoughtfully.

“I think only rich people can pay for private cooks, but I feel like I won’t be a cat for long. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like I’m filling up, and once I’m full, I’ll be human again. That’s how it feels anyway. I’ll cook for you, you take care of me. Sounds like our deal works out pretty well for both of us.”

“Okay, but once I’ve finished trying all the food, you need to promise to make me that cake alright?”

“Sure, sure. Promise.” A small grin might have been visible if Mitty’s face wasn’t still firmly planted in the table. “By the way, can you get me a pillow or something? This is really uncomfortable, and my head is starting to hurt, even without the nasty headache.”

It was Dantes’ turn to grin, but he padded upstairs and fetched a pillow from the bed. He returned, and put it on the table beside her.

“Umm, need some help?” he asked. Mitty ineffectually flopped over towards the pillow, but managed to pinch only some fabric from the casing.

“No. Go away. I’m not making breakfast by the way, I’m sleeping in tomorrow.” Now on her side, Mitty’s flopping became useless, and she hadn’t managed to move more than a paw onto the pillow.

“You know what, this is painful to watch.” Dantes plucked the pillow from the table, placed it on the floor, then quickly grabbed Mitty in both hands and set her down on it.

“PUT ME DOWN YOU BRUTE, WATCH THE BELLY, I’LL CLAW YOUR FACE OFF. Jerk. I had it. Go away.” A look in her eyes took Dantes off guard, as she seemed genuinely upset.

“Sorry, Mitty, it just looke-“

“I didn’t ask for your help! Leave me alone!” She face planted herself into the pillow this time.

“Sorry Mitts. I’ll go now.” Dantes spoke softly, somewhat confused, and slunk upstairs, the savoury taste of steak lingering in his mouth. Hopefully Mitty was alright by tomorrow.

***

Mitty:

This is humiliating. Too weak to even move, and handled like a kitten all at once. I feel a bit bad for snapping at him though. He looked so confused, like a kicked puppy. Heh. Word play got a lot more satisfying when you could actually think in words instead of just ideas.

Anyhow, I hope I can visit Delphi again tomorrow. She said I didn’t have to return the basket, but it was kind of fun just chatting, and maybe I can get some more answers, like why I’m a cat again, or why I was human in the first place, or why I’m so weak I can’t even climb onto a pillow. Argh. And she smells nice. I can see why Joss likes her, though maybe it’s just the free food.

Not particularly intent on going to sleep quite yet, still burning with annoyance, I decide instead to plan out tomorrow.

First, given I’m feeling fine, I want to go up to Delphi’s. Actually no, I should first pick a recipe that I want to make, then head out so I can stop by the market, so first thing is pick out supper. It feels weird picking what I’m going to eat given I used to be lucky if I could eat anything at all. Except on Sundays, I guess. I hope that old guy is fine.

Second is going to Delphi’s, and then probably stopping by the market. Hopefully that doesn’t take too long, and I can be back early and take a nap until supper. After supper, a nap sounds good too, and then maybe I can sleep after that. Maybe I could make a snack for when I get up in the middle of the night? I wonder if Delphi knows anything about midnight snacks.

It was strange, cooking for the first time today. Exhilarating and fun, I remember the focus I’d put into everything. Weirdly, that wasn’t even the best part. That came later, when I saw the goofy grin on Dantes’ face. I can almost imagine that tail wagging enough to throw him off balance. Somehow, that picture, combined with his thanks made today almost worth it.

Wait. No. He’s a jerk. Handled me like a kitten. I don’t care about his thanks. Hmph.

Having a tail to flick in contempt really helped. It was jarring, not having one, and it made me rather restless not having one.

So that’s what tomorrow is going to be. Decide on supper, hang with Delphi, go to the market, nap, eat supper, nap, sleep. Not bad.

Feeling a bit calmer, now that the initial shock of being grabbed around the belly had worn off, I settle in to the pillow a bit more. It was a good choice after all, this is really comfortable. I’m glad to be here really. It was scary starting anywhere new, but having someone with you in the same spot made it just a little bit better. Though I don’t see my dream of doing nothing all day every day coming true any time soon. Maybe some day…

My eyes snap open as my flesh writhes, a pressure building like trying to put on tight clothes, my tail shrinking back as I find myself face down on a pillow on the floor, but now very much too big to fit on it.

Dammit…