"What did the bartim say?" asked Bor. "Is your daughter going to school in Rock River?"
Sal's ears and tail dropped but he said nothing.
"That bad? I told you they won't accept us. They can say we're free but never mean it."
The silence continued.
"You did ask, right?"
"I may have made a mistake," said Sal.
A low growl rose up before Bor could suppress it. "What did you promise?"
A pause. "We are prosperous. It's just a year of double taxes." #tootfic #mfic