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Otho was a busy bull, and normally Anne would be helping him, but she’d gone with Remmen for his off-planet duties which left a waiting room full of minotaurs dealing with various maladies and one very short-tempered doctor. But that day I was lucky enough to find him in a bit of a lull while he was restocking his shelves.
“I haven’t heard of any problems with the goats,” he said after I explained what I’d found. “No one at the farm has complained. Not that they would. And there haven’t been any issues in town with the livestock. Goats get sick. We can’t save them all.” In addition to being the town doctor, he also acted as veterinarian to the livestock.
No wonder he was so busy.
“I’m well aware of that, but sicknesses can rip through a population incredibly fast if they’re not seen to.”
“I don’t have time to go scouring the hills to treat wild goats.”
Otho shoved the last roll of bandages onto the shelf and closed the cabinet with his hip. The bell over the clinic door rang before he could turn around. A minotaur with one hand wrapped in a bloody cloth leaned through the doorway. “Sit down,” Otho called. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“All I need are a few supplies.” I reached for a jar on the shelf. “I was a vet back on Earth. I know what I’m doing. And I want to help.”
His gaze grew assessing. “Give me a few hours of your time to check on some of the animals around town and you can take whatever you need. Just don’t get yourself hurt. These damn fool fighters think farming is easy and I’ve sewn enough of them up. I don’t need more.”
“I can do that.” I grabbed what I could and escaped the clinic before he could hold me to my promise of a few hours’ help. I’d come by later to see what he needed, but I was pretty sure if I offered to help while Anne was still gone, I’d be sleeping in the clinic and never allowed to leave.
“Teresa!” A low voice stopped me in my tracks.
Korfas crossed the street toward me, smiling as soon as he saw me. The jar in my hand suddenly felt a lot more incriminating.
I shoved it into my bag before Korfas reached me. The top wouldn’t close over all of Otho’s supplies, so I tucked the bag behind my hip.
“I was hoping I’d see you,” Korfas said. “I stopped by the dorm and the girls said you’d gone to see Otho. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said. I didn’t add anything else.
But Korfas was looking at me like he deserved an answer. Crap. “I found a sick goat. I’m seeing if I can help it.”
That took him by surprise. He looked around. “Where?”
“It’s not here, obviously. I found it on my hike. He’s at one of the farms outside of town.”
Korfas sighed. “Don’t tell me you left an innocent animal with the Butchers. I heard Rauf drove you to town the other day. Those bulls are dangerous. You could have been…”
“He was a perfect gentleman.” The defense came up out of nowhere. “A bit gruff, but it wasn’t like I went looking for him and—no, I went for a walk, deputy. Is your town so dangerous that women are being accosted on the side of the road?”
Korfas’s mouth closed. He looked down the street. “No. Of course not.”
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “It’s a new place. You need to be safe.”
“I’m perfectly safe,” I promised. “I’m just helping a goat.”
“Right now?”
“Er…” I hadn’t planned on it, but Korfas was making me want to act rashly.
“I’m sorry I had to cancel dinner.” His tone shifted to something sweeter. “Why don’t we go get some lunch at the tavern? There’s a really good stew today.”
“I have to go help the goat.” Now why did I say that? I was supposed to be getting to know Korfas and lunch would be fine. My stomach would be getting growly soon and I needed to eat.
But I didn’t have a taste for stew. Or company.
“I’m heading out to check on the goat.”
That brought Korfas up short. “But I just sa—let me drive you out there.”
“I can walk. It’s a nice day.” I didn’t look at the dark clouds on the far horizon. I was still learning how weather worked on Ceres-9 and I wasn’t sure if they meant rain or just gray skies. “Besides, I could be out there awhile and you’ve got your deputy mayor duties.”
