Zero Balance
by Allen Kitchen, all rights reserved

The characters Zero_wolfe and CopperFox (c) by their players.



on the world of Gateway, close to the inter-dimensional crossover 
known as the Nexxus...

	Tom had been trying to catch a taxi for over 15 minutes.  He 
needed to be downtown in less than an hour to play a concert with 
the city orchestra, and his lousy car naturally chose this as the best 
time to die.  Murphy's laws seemed to be enforced just as well out 
here at the dimensional-nexxus as they were anyplace else in the 
universe.  The city and its people were as comfortable with high 
sorcery as they were with high tech.  Yet it didn't matter whether 
the device was magical or technical, there always seemed to be a 
curse that made it break at the worst possible time.  

	And people weren't immune from the effect either.  Here he 
was, first chair clarinet for the Philharmonic, and he couldn't even 
catch a damned cab.  Why? Because he was a human, that's why.  He 
wasn't in an area of the city that had many humans, so he was a 
minority around here.  Typical worst-case scenario, thanks to 
Murphy.  Even in the best circumstances, many species viewed 
humankind with suspicion.  Occasionally even outright hostility, ever 
since that "Homo Supremicist" group bombed the government 
building two years ago.  The group claimed divine rulership over all 
species throughout the galaxy, and tried to force the matter with 
terrorist tactics.

	Therefore, because of his lack of fur, no cab would stop and 
pick him up in this neighborhood.  He was very well dressed, so 
nobody could possibly mistake him for a thief.  In fact, very few 
criminals tried to flag down taxis while wearing a tuxedo.  He was 
starting to get really steamed.  If he didn't catch a cab soon, he 
wouldn't make the concert in time.  And lord knew that raccoon 2nd 
chair clarinet would screw up the trills if Tom wasn't there.

	A few dozen feet away, Tom saw that a cab had stopped for a 
grey-furred wolf.  The wolf was wearing a short sleeved shirt and 
tie, and was carrying a briefcase.  Clearly a professional type.  
Perhaps if he was going downtown they could share the ride.

	"Excuse me sir!" Tom called out to the wolf as he was opening 
the cab door.  The wolf turned and looked up at Tom.  

	"Are you heading downtown?" Tom asked, jogging toward the 
open taxi.  "And if so, would you be interested in splitting the fare?" 

	The wolf smiled and waved for Tom to join him.  "As a matter 
of fact, I am going downtown." he replied.  "And you certainly look 
out of place on this street.  Come on along."

	Tom thanked the polite wolf, and climbed into the backseat, 
scooting over to make room for his benefactor.  The wolf then 
climbed in, and slammed the door behind him.  "Central technology 
center please driver." he said to the ferret behind the steering wheel.  
Tom was lucky indeed.  That was only a block from the music house.  
He was going to make it.

	The driver made a rude remark under his breath, but turned 
the meter on and pulled out into traffic.

	Tom put his hand out, and offered to shake with the wolf 
beside him.  "Thank you for the lift." he said politely.  "I appreciate it.  
My name is Tom."

	The wolf shook his hand vigorously.  "Don't mention it Tom.  
And my name is Fentris.  A pleasure."

	It was while they were shaking hands that Tom caught sight of 
the tattoo on Fentris's arm.  It was laid out like a barcode, and ran up 
his arm to his elbow.  "You work in the Central Tech center then?"

	Fentris stopped shaking hands and set his hands on the 
briefcase on his lap.  "Yes I do." he replied.  "I have worked there for 
about 3 years.  I am not allowed to tell you what I do, of course.  But 
then again, I don't think you really expect me to."

	"Judging from what I see on your arm," Tom began, "I would 
say that you are employed in the Skunk Works.  So no, I certainly 
would not expect you to tell me anything about the advanced 
technology you work with."

	Fentris looked at Tom with a surprised look.  "You know about 
the Skunk Works?" he asked.  "I am impressed.  I wouldn't have 
thought a musician would know anything at all about advanced tech, 
or the people involved with it."

	Now it was Tom's turn to be surprised.  "How did you know I 
was a musician?"

	"Oh come on now." Fentris replied.  "You are dressed in a 
tuxedo, and you are carrying a clarinet.  What am I supposed to 
guess you are?  A fry cook?"  Fentris chuckled aloud.  "And by the 
way, how did you figure out that I work in the Skunk Works?"

	"From the tattoo." Tom replied, pointing at Fentris's arm.  "A 
neighbor of mine was  a tiger.  She worked for the Skunk Works also.  
She had a similar tattoo, and she told me what it was for and why 
everyone there has one."

	Fentris nodded.  "It is the ultimate in identification." he began.  
"Everyone gets scanned as they enter their department, so we always 
know exactly where all our people are.  And the I.D. can never be 
stolen or lost.  Also, nobody would ever forge one, since they would 
be marked for life and easily identified.  Not a bad system actually."

	Tom chuckled.  "I would die to be know some of the things you 
do.  Technology has always fascinated me, but I just couldn't hack 
the math to enter the field."

	"Not many can." Fentris replied.  He then pointed to the 
clarinet.  "You know, I have often wanted to be able to play music." 
he sighed.  "The best I can do is press the 'start' button on my stereo.  
You humans certainly have a great gift for it.  Wolves can't play 
music worth a damn."

	Tom shook his head.  "That isn't true at all.  In fact, we have a 
wonderful vocalist in our group.  A world class singer, and he is a 
wolf, just like you."

	Fentris shook his head too.  "No Tom, that isn't what I am 
talking about.  Anybody can howl, even our cabby here.  No, what I 
am talking about is being able to control a machine and have it be 
expressive for you.  To make a device amplify your emotions.  It isn't 
true magic, but it is still very moving to hear.  And many species will 
never know what it is like to have that kind of intimacy with an 
instrument.  My own species for example."  He held up a paw, with 
short pads and claws.  "As you can see, we have digits suitable for 
operating a computer.  But they aren't long enough to, how do you 
say it, finger an instrument?"

	"Or pull a trigger on a rifle!"  the cabby interjected angrily.

	Tom and Fentris looked forward again.  "What was that again?" 
Tom asked, trying to sound pleasant.

	The ferret looked away from the road for a moment and stared 
at them in the rearview mirror for a moment.  "I said that humans 
also can pull a trigger on a rifle.  Or set off a bomb in a government 
building.  At least my species doesn't kill for sport or personal gain."  
He then looked back at the road.

	Fentris looked at Tom and said "I think our driver is talking 
about that Homo Supremicist group."

	Tom nodded.  "Sounds that way.  Good thing the government 
arrested them all." he said to Fentris.  "I didn't like what they had to 
say, and I certainly didn't like the way they said it."

	The cabby, visibly angry, turned around and glared at Tom.  
"The only way our government is going to stop your Supremicist 
group is to throw you and your entire species off the planet and back 
through the Nexxus again!  Admit it, you think that their movement 
is right!  You secretly believe all that nonsense that you were created 
in god's image, and that you were granted divine power over all 
species!  You know that you do, so just come on and admit it openly, 
asshole!"

	Tom and Fentris both pointed ahead of them at the same time, 
and screamed for the driver to watch out.  The ferret turned back 
around just in time to see the rear end of the truck ahead of them 
smash through the windshield with a shower of glass...

*****

	The rescue squad wove through the traffic on it's little Tri-
wheeler.  It was tiny, only able to hold 3 people and a supply of 
materials.  They were tiny so that they could drive in between 
stopped vehicles and reach an accident site quickly.  That was the 
whole objective: get people to the accident fast.  The rescue vehicle 
was never used to carry people back to a hospital.  It was only 
needed to get the squad to the accident, and then the mage in the 
squad would teleport the injured to a nearby emergency room.  The 
teleport was almost instant.  Countless lives had been saved with this 
technique.

	The squad approaching the wrecked taxi consisted of Ferris, 
Taru, and Wildclaw.  All were leopards, because there were times 
when no vehicle could reach an accident, and speed was essential to 
any rescue effort.  'A minute lost is a life lost' was the motto of all 
rescue crews everywhere.  Leopards and cheetahs were naturals for 
the job.  This time the little machine was able to reach the accident 
without incident or delay.  Wildclaw parked it next to back of the 
cab.

	Teamleader  Ferris was out first, with Wildclaw close behind 
him.  They left Taru the mage asleep in the vehicle.  This was their 
6th accident today, and it might have to be Taru's 6th teleport as 
well.  Regulations prohibited more than 4 teleports per 24 hour 
period, but Ferris wasn't about to allow any rule to keep him from 
saving lives.

	Wildclaw forced the door to the back seat open, and half 
climbed inside.  "I have two live ones in here!" he called to Ferris.  
"They appear to be in bad shape, but if we get them to the hospital in 
time, I think they will be alright.  How's the driver?"

	Ferris turned away from the headless form in the front of the 
cab, and shuddered.  There were no good ways to die, but there were 
some particularly nasty ones.  Ferris would have to get a blanket for 
the body fast, before the news crews showed up.  He looked up at the 
sky, and could just see a couple of vultures flying towards them.  He 
didn't see any cameras hanging under them, but they were still 
pretty far away.  Could be lawyers, he thought to himself.  That 
wouldn't be pleasant either.

	Ferris came to the back and helped Wildclaw pull a bloody 
unconcious wolf from the backseat.  "The driver is dead." he said.  
"Forget him.  Let's get these two treated for shock, and get them 
teleported to BenTaub as fast as we can."

	Wildclaw looked back into the cab.  "Well I'll be damned!" he 
exclaimed.   "This other guy is a human.  And all dressed up to boot.  
He must have been on his way to a funeral."

	"It may turn out to be his own funeral if we don't hurry."  
Ferris growled.  "And I really don't care what species he is.  He is a 
patient now.  Let's get them and their things out into the open and 
ready for teleport.  I'll inject them with stabilizers.  You wake up 
Taru and tell her that she is on again."

	"Ferris, we should really wait for another unit to arrive and use 
their mage." Wildclaw said, concern in his voice.  "Taru has already 
teleported people 5 times today, and the regulations cut her off at 4.  
She is too new to the job.  We don't know what her magical limits 
are."

	"Well, this will be the last one for today.  I promise." Ferris 
said.  He opened a case, and took out a small vial and a hypodermic 
needle.  "But if she wants to draw a mage's pay, then she is going to 
do a mage's job.  Now go wake her up."  

	"I don't know Ferris." the smaller leopard waffled.  "She really 
is very tired.  Sorcery is draining.  Another unit will be here in a 
little while, and they have a mage with them.  If you force Taru like 
this, you could really hurt her."

	"Look!  We don't have the time to wait!" Ferris roared.  He filled 
the syringe from the vial.  "I am not going to let these two die here in 
the street!  Not if I can help it.   We don't know how long it will be 
before the next unit arrives, and this human and this wolf are dying 
right now!  If you don't get them to the hospital quick, then I will 
make damned sure you go to their funerals.  Now go wake Taru up, 
or so help me god, I will wake her by beating your skull against the 
windshield!"

	He knew a command order when he heard one.  Ferris was the 
team leader, and he had the final word.  Wildclaw jumped up and 
ran over to the little triwheeler, and shook the lady leopard awake.  
"Come on Taru, we need you for an emergency transport."  He then 
leaned over, and took down a case similar to the one Ferris was 
using.  She yawned, and looked at him with bloodshot eyes.  

	"I don't have the strength to teleport anybody Claw." she 
groaned, shaking her head.  "I am completely taxed out."

	Wildclaw quickly filled a syringe with liquids from 3 of the 
vials.  "I know Taru, I know.  I told Ferris already.  But he has 
decided that the patients will die if you don't try."  He then stuck the 
needle into her arm, and pressed the plunger forcing the liquids into 
her bloodstream.

	She winced at the pain and the surprise.  "What in the cosmos 
are you doing Claw?"

	He took out the needle, and cleaned the spot on her arm with 
an alcohol soaked pad.  "Just a little something to help you along.  
Some vitamins, some metabolism replinishers, and some stimulants.  
Harmless, but you should be strong as an ox in a few moments.  You 
will be weak as a kitten for the next few days though, as the effect 
wears off."

	He put the case up, then turned and smiled at her.  "I guess we 
will need to reschedule our date Taru.  Although I would enjoy 
seeing you as weak as a kitten, the fun would be in getting you that 
way.  And this really isn't the method I had in mind..." 

	She giggled, and reached out to stroke the back of Wildclaw's 
neck.  "Aw, you are sweet.  But you are also right.  I won't be much 
fun for the next couple of days."

	He nodded, then looked deep into her eyes.  "So how about it?  
Do you think you can teleport two people and their effects to 
BenTaub?  If you say no, then no it is.  We have another unit on the 
way..."

	"But a minute lost is a life lost." she finished for him.  She 
frowned, and slowly nodded to her boyfriend.  "I will do my best.  I 
will try."

*****

	They set the bloody and battered patients side by side, several 
feet away from anything.  Teleports were easiest when there wasn't 
anything around to block the aether.  The human and the wolf both 
had their arms across their chests, clutching a briefcase and clarinet.  
Ferris had just finished putting a tag on the wolf's arm, marking him 
as patient zero.  Normally he would also have marked the human as 
patient one, but there was no time left.  Besides, there was only this 
pair being transported... the hospital would figure out which was 
which.  

	Wildclaw was on the radio with the hospital, and Taru was 
standing by the bodies with her arms spread.  She was beginning the 
spell to send them off, and blue and red streams of energy were 
weaving around her spotted arms, smelling of ozone.  

	Wildclaw spoke to the radio..."Yes, two patients.  Patient 
marked zero is a wolf, about 25 years of age.  We are also sending an 
unmarked patient, a human, age unknown.  Yes, I said a human.  
What, you never saw one before or something?  Both patients 
suffering severe impact trauma from traffic accident.  Multiple 
lacerations visible, and I guarantee that they have internal bleeding."

	Sweat was pouring from Taru's forehead.  Her face was twisted 
as if in pain, and she was baring her teeth.  She was straining with all 
her might, it was obvious.  But she had formed the gateway around 
the patients, and was now trying to open the pathway that the 
gateway would pass through, sending them instantly to the 
destination she chose.  The ground below the patients shone like the 
sun, a bright shining ring of golden light.  Golden streams of energy 
licked over the wolf and human laying there like flames on a log.

	"Teleport is commencing now BenTaub." Wildclaw continued, 
watching his girlfriend weave her spell.  "Also notify the rescue 
command that our mage is exhausted, and we will be unable to..."  He 
stopped speaking into the radio, and stared at Taru in horror.  "Oh 
my God!  Taru, what's happening?!"

	The bright ring of light had turned blood red, and was pulsing 
rapidly, becoming brighter with each flash.  Taru looked ill, and one 
of her arms was drooping.  A small amount of drool was coming out 
of one corner of her mouth.

	Something was horribly wrong!

	Wildclaw dropped the radio, and rushed over to the mage, just 
in time to catch her body as she fell over.  She began to convulse, 
jerking wildly in his arms.  She gasped and choked as her body 
madly thrashed about.

	"Ferris, 100mg Tarragine, now!"  Wildclaw screamed.  He 
looked down and tried to keep Taru off the hard concrete.  The lady 
in his arms was in the beginnings of a stroke, and only the magical 
medicine Tarragine would save her life and her mind.  

	Ferris saw what was happening, and ran over to the triwheeler 
as fast as he could.  He quickly retrieved another case from the 
vehicle.  Nobody was paying any attention to the brilliant pulsing 
ring anymore.  The red flashes now alternated with blue ones, and 
the only thing that could be seen of the patients was an outline of the 
two melting together.

	Ferris quickly ran over with the needle, kneeled, and injected 
her in the neck with it.  She jerked 3 more times, then suddenly she 
was still.  Her breathing slowed down, and soon became regular 
again.  Her eyes did not close.  They were fixed, unblinking, staring 
straight ahead at nothing.  Wildclaw took a paw and gently closed 
her eyes so they wouldn't dry out in the wind.  It would be days 
before they knew whether or not she had gotten the medicine fast 
enough to do any good.

	Ferris stood and looked over to where the patients had been 
laying, and saw nothing there but a smoking briefcase.  The ring-
shaped dimension door was gone.  At least she had gotten them to 
the hospital, he thought.  She had come through for them after all.  
He hoped that he had come through for her also.

	Wildclaw cradled Taru in his arms, gently rocking her.  He 
looked over his shoulder at Ferris with a hatefilled glance.  "You 
bastard." he hissed.  "You almost killed her.  She was exhausted, and 
you knew it. You could have waited a few moments for the second 
team to arrive, but you had to be the great hero didn't you?  Now 
look at her!  Look at what you've done to her!"  Wildclaw turned 
back to the wrecked mage, and began to stroke her hair.

	Ferris didn't watch.  He didn't look at either of them.  He didn't 
want to see the twisted face of one co-worker, or the heartbroken 
face of the other.  Instead he walked back over to the radio lying on 
the ground.  He picked it up, and began slowly speaking to the 
hospital.  "BenTaub, rescue team leader here.  The two patients are 
teleported, but we have a man down.  When the backup team 
arrives, we will be transporting our mage over to you as well.  She is 
suffering from what I think is a stroke, probably caused by 
uncontrolled magic.  She has been treated with Tarragine, 100mg, 
and I think we got to her in time."

	He frowned at the radio.  "What do you mean, the other 
patients aren't there?" he growled, becoming angrier by the second.  
"They have to be there!  We finished the teleport!  If they aren't 
there, then where the hell are they?"

	He didn't like what the hospital told him, so in a rage he 
savagely threw the radio down to the concrete.  The plastic and 
metal transceiver exploded into a thousand pieces.  His patients 
never arrived at the hospital.  They teleported out to who-knows-
where when Taru lost control of the spell.  The nexxus was so close, 
they could have popped up anywhere within the galaxy!  The only 
person who really knew what just happened and where the patients 
could be was Taru herself.  And since she just had a stroke, her mind 
was now damaged, maybe even destroyed.  She could not help 
anyone now, probably not ever.  

	And if she did manage to recover, and remember where she 
sent them, it would be weeks away at the earliest.  About the only 
good that would serve would be to collect the two bodies for burial.

	He looked over at Wildclaw.  He was crying while clutching 
Taru's limp body close to him.  He then saw the 3 other leopards 
running through the crowd trying to reach them.  The other rescue 
team.  Great, he thought.  Just great.  He had about as much chance of 
finding out where the wild teleport placed his patients as he had of 
putting the radio back together.  He was directly responsible for the 
loss and assumed deaths of two people, for the near death of a 
teammate and mage, and now for the loss of a radio as well.  He 
slowly rubbed his forehead.  God, he hated Mondays...

*****
	
	He opened his eyes, and slowly looked around.  Things 
appeared fuzzy to him.  There were no shapes or designs that he 
could recognize.  His vision was very strange all of a sudden.  He 
couldn't remember much.  His head felt funny.  He felt very odd, like 
he had just taken a ride in a trash compactor.

	Slowly his eyes began to refocus.  After a moment he was able 
to see around him.  He realized that he was laying down in an dark 
alley behind an old brick building.  He could smell the garbage, and 
see the overturned cans laying about.  An old beat-up volkswagon 
beetle was parked near the end of the alley.  Nothing here looked 
familiar to him at all.  

	"Hey you dirty old wolf!  Get out of that trash!" a voice yelled.  
He looked up, and saw a large fox in a three-piece suit standing there 
with a closed laptop computer in his hands.  "You heard me, get going 
you nasty wolf!  If you need something to eat, go to the mission 
down the road!"

	"Wolf?" he heard himself say.  "Who is a wolf?  Me?"

	The fox was chuckling.  "Who is a wolf?  Wow, you really are 
messed up aren't you?  Are you smoking something?  Come on, get 
going.  I don't want you hanging around in my trash cans.  It looks 
bad."

	He slowly stood up and climbed out of the collection of metal 
garbage cans that he had been laying in.  He looked at the copper 
colored fox standing there in the doorway watching him.  He saw the 
laptop in the fox's hands.  "Um, say listen," he began "you wouldn't be 
able to tell me where I am, would you?  I seem to be very lost."

	"You don't even know what species you are." the fox replied.  
"Lost doesn't even begin to describe you pal.  What's your name 
anyway?"

	He didn't know.  He wanted to answer the fox, but he really did 
not know.

	" I'm sorry.  I really am, but I just can't seem to remember 
anything.  I don't know what my name is or who I am or how I got 
here."  He raised a hand to point to the alley, and discovered that it 
was covered with grey fur, and ended in claws.  His hands looked 
like a cross between a wolves paw and a human's hand.  He simply 
stared at it for a couple of seconds, fascinated by the odd appearance.  
"I don't even seem to know just what I am..." he added.  Funny, he 
thought.  You would think I could remember having fur...

	"Well, then.  How about I just call you Zero, wolf?"  the copper 
fox said.  

	He looked up again to the fox in the doorway.  "Why?" he 
asked.

	"Well, that is what is on that tag you are wearing.  Right next to 
that funky tattoo on your arm.  The tag says 'Patient Zero', so I will 
just call you zero, wolf."

	He looked at the arm.  There was a tattoo all right.  It looked 
like some kind of barcode.  And tied to his arm was some sort of tag 
which read "Patient Zero".  

	Well, why not?  It was about the only clue he had to go on.

	He nodded at the smartly dressed fox in the doorway.  "Very 
well.  I am now called Zero_wolfe then.  Pleased to meet you."

	The fox chuckled again.  "A few french fries short of a happy 
meal today, aren't you?  Oh well, I guess Zero_wolfe will work as well 
as any other name.  And actually," he added grinning "it suits you.  
Now go find some other place to sleep zero." the fox said hefting the 
laptop up into a pitching stance. "I have to throw this damned laptop 
against that wall as hard as I can, and frankly, you are in my way."

	Zero looked agast.  "You are trashing your laptop?  Good grief, 
why?"

	The fox looked annoyed.  "Because my software keeps crashing 
on it, that's why.  I have been running some networking programs, 
and they sometimes just freeze and lock up my whole computer.  I 
am sick of losing weeks worth of data at a time, so if you will just go 
away, I can get to work on reverse engineering the thing with a large 
heavy object..."

	"Have you turned off your virtual memory?"  zero 
automatically asked.  He stopped, and recalled instantly what virtual 
memory was, and how it worked.  But how had he known about 
that?  Zero_wolfe didn't know.

	The fox cocked an eyebrow at the wolf.  "You know something 
about computers?" he asked.

	"Yeah." Zero replied.  "Just look under control panels, and you 
will find an icon marked MEMORY.  Go to it, and turn the virtual 
memory off.  Your networking will work fine after that."

	The fox looked at Zero, then looked at the laptop.  Then he 
looked at Zero again, trying to decide if the wolf actually knew 
anything or not.  Normally computer gurus don't sleep among 
trashcans.  Coffee houses yes, trash cans no.  Finally, the fox sighed.  
"Oh well, what do I have to lose?  If if doesn't work, I can still smash 
it.  And if it does work, I won't have to buy a new computer.  Listen, 
Zero, would you like to come inside and have a bite to eat?"

	Zero nodded.  "Sure," he slowly said.  "Thank you."  He stepped 
out of the refuse, and started walking towards the open door.

	"You'd better bring your little case with you." the fox said, 
pointing behind Zero's back.  "I promise you the rats will take it if 
you don't."

	Case?  What was the fox talking about?  But zero then looked 
behind him, and saw a clarinet case half covered with debris.

*****

	"It works!  It works!  Zero_wolfe, my new freind, you are a 
genius." the fox shrieked.  "Now I don't have to spend another couple 
of grand on a new machine."  

	Zero_wolfe was sitting on a sofa, drinking something called 
Coke and eating a banana.  "Glad to help mr., uh, mr..."

	"Just call me Copper pal."  the fox said brightly.  "All my friends 
do.  So listen, do you have anyplace to stay?  Considering the state I 
found you in, my guess would be no."

	Zero just shook his head.  "Sorry copper, but if I do have a place 
to call home, then I simply don't know about it.  Even if I knew, I 
probably couldn't find it."  He absent-mindedly picked up the case (it 
held a clarinet, but how did he know that?) and opened the latch.

	Copper saw the wolf produce a collection of wooden tubes 
covered with metal strips from the case he was holding.  He watched 
closely as Zero_wolfe put the odd looking sets of parts together like 
he had done it a hundred times.  

	"Well then zero," the fox began, still watching the wooden 
device take shape.  "I have a proposition for you.  If you will take 
care of our computers here at the agency, then you can sleep here for 
a little while.  At least until we can figure out where your home is.  
How does that sound to you?"

	"It sounds fair, I guess." Zero dejectedly replied.  How could he 
explain to the fox that he could remember lots of things, places, 
worlds, amazing machines, incredible music, worlds worth of data.  
But not the basic data like name, home, and family.  It was hard to 
believe.  Whoever he was, he had an incredible memory.  That 
memory was not damaged or erased, he knew.  If it were, then he 
would not have been able to repair the foxes computer.  He knew 
facts, but no personal recollections.  

	It was as if something poured an encyclopdedia into his head, 
but poured out his direct experiences to make room for it all.

	"It is a deal then?" the fox prompted.

	"It's a deal." Zero replied, adjusting something at the tip of the 
machine he was finishing.

	"Great!  Glad to have you on board Zero." the fox beamed.  "You 
can sleep on the couch tonight.  We will put together a better place 
for you to sleep tomorrow.  "	"Copper," Zero asked, still holding 
the instrument.  "What will happen to me if I can't recall who I am?  
What will I do if my memory does not return?"  

	The fox rapped his fingers on the desk for a couple of moments.  
He seemed deep in thought.  Then looking up, Copper replied "Well, 
let's deal with that when we need to.  Worst case, you can create a 
new life here.  It isn't so bad.  In fact, I like it.  You could even start 
your own computer consulting business if you wanted."

	Zero_wolfe nodded, and put the tip of the tube into his muzzle.  
He blew an experimental note through the clarinet.  The instrument 
responded with an offkey squawk, and zero began to automatically 
tune the device.

	Copper looked absolutely amazed.  "That thing is a musical 
instrument?" he murred. "I have never seen anything like it before."

	"It is called a clarinet." Zero replied.  "I think I am pretty good 
with it."

	Copper stared at the grey wolf.  "No wolf can play a musical 
instrument." he snorted.  "Wolves don't have large enough paws, and 
they can't hold a rythym to save their hides.  You can't possibly play 
that thing."

	Zero smiled, and placed the reed into his muzzle again.  He 
remembered a blistering fast song called "Perpetual Motion", and let 
it rip.  His now larger than average paws seemed to dance over the 
keys like they had been doing so for decades.  The instrument sung 
in his hands, the music echoing out into the streets through an open 
window.  The quick runs of the song came fast and furious as 
Zero_wolfe played them with a practiced ease.   Copper rocked back 
in his chair and stared at the newcomer with a shocked expression 
on his face.  People passing on the street outside paused and looked 
inside, wondering who could be playing that music.

	Zero continued the tune up to the first coda, and stopped. He 
felt wonderful!  Apparently music and computers were going to play 
a big part of his future life here, he thought to himself.  Well, at least 
things aren't going to be boring...