"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