Page 77 of Outfoxed

“No, we don’t. We have a rather excellent relationship with many retail stores nearby, and a laptop was on the request list. As soon as we received the request, one of our staff went to the store and purchased it. They stayed open a little later than normal for us, as they often do on auction nights. Some items we couldn’t fulfill, but we found acceptable alternatives. For example, the buyer wanted us to acquire some books for you, but as the nearest bookstore closed before the auction’s conclusion, we acquired a tablet for you, opened an account on your behalf with an online bookstore, and set it up so you have access to reading material. Your buyer does not wish for you to become bored, and she wants to make certain you’re able to adapt to your new environment.”

“Is that because foxes are destructive and she thinks I’m going to tear up her house if I become bored?”

“While this may come as a shock to you, most of our clients, especially on the high-end auctions such as yours, want their courtesans to be content. There’s an adaptation period, as most men and women don’t adjust quickly to the idea of losing certain freedoms, but you’ll find your situation to be much improved from your recent past.”

“Well, that’s not all that hard. I’ve been living in the Alley.”

“While dodging bounty hunters for several years. Your record is quite interesting.”

“Why wasn’t that mentioned at the auction, anyway? That seems like an oversight to me.”

“The tablets they used to submit bids had most of your record available for them to peruse at their leisure. It included all bounty attempts, your bounty values, and any notations from bounty hunters after sightings. The specifics of the bounty hunters were masked, although they were rated by their general competency.”

“You mask who the bounty hunters are?”

“Yes. That’s for your protection as much as theirs, although your buyer does have the fully disclosed list. We do not want to encourage the other buyers into attempting to make off with someone else’s purchase, and they might attempt to contact the bounty hunters should they know their identities.”

Huh. The auction house had put a lot of thought into keeping their acquisitions safe. “I don’t understand why all of this is being done, well, now. Rather than in a week from now. After I sleep for a week.”

“You can read up to twenty books in a day when bored, and after reading through them, you pace. Pacing is bad for your health. Your reading habits were disclosed to the buyers to ensure you’re properly stimulated.”

What the actual fuck was wrong with the people in the East? Buying and selling people took the cake, but they thought my reading held the secrets of the universe? However much I enjoyed reading, it would not save anyone from my scheming, especially not when I had a group of asshole music mages to bury. “I’m adaptable.”

“Well, you are a fox. That is a baseline trait of all fox hybrids. You’re adaptable, curious, and prone to create trouble should you be permitted to become overly bored. Your buyer is wisely preparing for you, and she does not view your medical situation as something capable of slowing you down for long.”

“I guess foxes are trendy,” I muttered.

“More than merely trendy. There have been several buyers interested in you for years, and interest has only grown since your rather successful dodging of bounty hunters. Frankly, had there not been a murder attempt, I expect it would have taken at least another few months for the current batch of bounty hunters to bring you into custody. Your provisional buyer in the Alley complicated matters.”

“So I’ve been told. And he’ll be paid?”

“The payment for purchasing out his contract has already been submitted, and per the current legal rules, your buyer pays his taxes. He will receive the full value of your auction as compensation for your loss.”

I couldn’t imagine how much taxes my buyer paid between Sandro’s share, the auction house fees, and the money I would supposedly be paid to go along with being enslaved by some rich family with more money than sense. “Dr. Dorothy had mentioned I’d be paid, too. Is that true?”

“It absolutely is, and like your provisional owner, you must be paid the complete amount, and your buyer is responsible for the taxes. Part of the delay is handling all of the payments, as we do not release our courtesans until all legalities and payments are handled. As your provisional buyer’s identity was sealed in the Alley, it took an hour for the auction house to receive the banking details associated with that contract. Your buyer was not notified of your provisional owner’s identity, nor will she be notified.”

“And my provisional owner? Is he being notified?”

“He has been notified with an anonymous method of contact should he wish to make a bid to purchase you from your buyer. Considering the amount of money paid for you, I do not expect the bid to be successful should he make one.”

I wondered what Sandro would do—if he did anything at all.

Only time would tell.

“What’s next?”

“We need to grab a few more things for you, and then you meet your buyer. As soon as all of the payments are cleared, you’ll go to your new home. Until you’re fully recovered, I expect you’ll be pampered. You’re worth far too much to be ill-treated, so don’t worry about that. That said, we do check in with our courtesans to make sure they’re being treated well. It’s a part of the contract.”

Of course. The contracts went beyond the sane, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to untangle myself from it. “Well, let’s get this done, then.”

Once I learned if my buyer would be a boon or an obstruction, I’d decide what to do with my future—if I could do anything at all. I’d find out soon enough.

Saturday, May 23, 2043.

Albany, New York.

The East.