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“No, indeed! They are to stay here in the Palace!” the Empress declared. “These are honored guests, Chancellor! Be certain they are treated as such.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Come,” he said to Solon and Abbey. “We must visit the Royal Eye-pet Breeder and the Royal Perfumer so that you will be ready for the Empress’s banquet tonight.”
They made several more bows to the Empress, who was extremely gracious, but already preoccupied with a group of people who had come in with the Royal Perfumer. All of them were sniffing the bouquet of roses and exclaiming rapturously over the “exquisite new scent!”
As they left the throne room, Chancellor Maprist said,
“Well, as it seems the Royal Perfumer will be busy for some time, I do believe we shall visit the Royal Eye-pet Breeder first.”
“Oh, do you really think I can be matched with an Eye-pet, even though I’m too old?” Abbey asked and Solon could feel her hopefulness through their clasped hands.
“If the Empress has decreed it, it must be so,” Maprist said firmly. “Come, let us go and see the Royal Breeder.”
27
ABBEY
Abbey couldn’t keep the hope from bubbling up in her heart as they walked down the long, smooth corridors. She liked how the Royal Palace was laid out. The dark red floor was easy to distinguish from the bright white walls and the golden ceiling above. Every once in a while they came to a piece of art on one side of the broad hallway or the other and Chancellor Maprist would ask them to stop and “admire” it by running their hands all over it.
It was an interesting experience, but Abbey was far more eager to get to the Royal Eye-pet Breeder and see if she could be matched with one of the fluffy little creatures. The moment Chancellor Maprist’s Eye-pet had scampered up her arm and whispered in his squeaky little voice in her ear, she’d known that she wanted one.
The way she’d lost Major had been so traumatic, she hadn’t been sure if she would ever be able to apply for another guide dog. But the little Eye-pets were different—they could actually talk. How incredibly useful that would be! And the idea of having a pet that would never die was wonderful.
Even though his life had been cut short, Major had been getting quite old at the time of his death. Abbey had known that she might lose him soon and the thought had broken her heart. The prospect of having a sweet little guide pet who would live as long as she did was immensely appealing.
At last they took a left and went down a long, sloping ramp which led to the bottom floor of the Royal Palace—at least according to Chancellor Maprist. One more turn and they found themselves in front of a carved door—Abbey could tell because she ran her hands over it at the Chancellor’s urging.
When she touched the door, a soft, asexual voice murmured,
“Royal Eye-pet Breeder, main entrance. Welcome.”
“Oh!” Abbey pulled her hands away in surprise. “Do all the doors talk here?”
“Of course—it makes it much easier to know exactly where you are,” Chancellor Maprist said. “Do go in my dear. I’m sure the Empress sent someone running ahead of us—they must be expecting you.”
Abbey found the door latch and pushed the door open with Solon’s help, since it was heavy.
The moment the door opened, she felt like she was in a pet store. The air was filled with the scent of straw bedding and fur and high, excited cheeping and peeping sounds could be heard.
“Ah, you must be the Lady Abbey,” an unfamiliar voice remarked and a purple and green mottled blur came towards her. “I’m very pleased to meet you—I am Gustobrav, the Royal Eye-pet Breeder. May I have your leave to sniff you, my Lady?”
“You may,” Abbey said, smiling at the strange greeting. She held still as the large male leaned towards her and inhaled noisily through his nose. She sniffed him as well and thought that Gustobrav smelled like the pets he bred—furry and a little like a clean dog.
The Royal Eye-pet Breeder exchanged “sniffs of greeting” with both Solon and Chancellor Maprist and then said to Abbey,
“So I understand that the Empress has decreed you must be matched with an Eye-pet of your very own.”
“Yes, but only if you think it’s possible,” Abbey said quickly. “I don’t want to take a pet who doesn’t want me or might be unhappy living with me on my own world.”
“My lady, when you are matched with the correct Eye-pet, you become his or her whole world,” the Royal Breeder assured her. “It doesn’t matter where you go—as long as you keep them close to you, they will be happy and content. However, thank you for that answer—I feel better about matching you, knowing that you truly care for your pet’s happiness.”
“Oh, of course!” Abbey exclaimed. “I had a seeing-eye guide dog named Major that I loved so much and I firmly believe that animals should have rights. If Eye-pets are considered animals, that is,” she added uncertainly.
“They are. We consider them to be sentient animals,” Gustobrav told her. “And they are dependant animals too. Once you take one, you must keep it with you always because they become very close to their owners.”
“I understand.” Abbey nodded. “And what do they eat? I wouldn’t want to make one sick,” she added, remembering all the foods that were dangerous for dogs. Major had accidentally gotten a piece of chocolate once and scared her to death!
“That’s the best part about an Eye-pet—they’re what we call ‘psychic feeders’—they live on the emotions of their owners,” the Royal Breeder said. “So as long as you’re having feelings, they’ll thrive.”
