In Search of a Pony, a Devils Paw Story

Chapter Six

Long months passed while Devils Paw plied the waves, dealt with the occasional pirate and amused her rich passengers. Penny had made enough money by now to interest an agent back in England enough to search for a Manor for her. With that money now off to London by wire Penny herself was near out of ready cash, though her ship and crew were well off. This would change soon now that her primary goal had been reached. Once she had a property if anything happened to her it would be inherited by Calico and the mouses ‘family.’ She was currently talking with Aletha about her contract while watching rich Americans wander her ship in all styles of costume, many in none at all.

“I never thought I’d say this” Penny whispered as a rather rotund female feline lay naked on the foredeck, sunning herself. “But I am fast getting tired of seeing naked felines.”

“You mean the fat ones” Aletha added.

“That would be it” the mouse admitted. “Look, getting back to your contract. Ruth advised me this morning that you have more than enough money in your account to buy out. Though I at least will miss you, why don’t you?”

Looking up at the cloud filled sky Aletha shrugged. “I am beginning to like this life. I am second Engineer working with an engine the likes I never dreamed of, I get to dance naked for rich furs with more money than brains, I have free passage aboard a wonderful ship and get to see the islands. Honestly Penny you have treated me better than any of my previous employers. Sure, I’ll leave when my contract is done but until then I am having fun and I am learning about the future with that engine. It will be a great plus to my resume.”

“I guess I can understand that” the mouse accepted. “Still one day you will leave and since your little Hanson excursions have become wildly popular have you any idea how I could possible replace you?”

“You have that big chested human, Argent” Aletha suggested.

“A human broke me into being a pony mouse Aletha” Penny answered softly, “Completely broke me. I won’t chance doing the same to a human in misguided revenge so it will have to be someone else. Aletha, there are fifty women of various species and sizes aboard this ship. Other than Argent and Sable there has to be one... Oh, and mark off the officers too.”

“Would you?” Aletha asked seriously.

“No... I thought about it, I even slipped on your harness once but it gave me nightmares that night. I think that I’m ruined for enjoying that my dear friend, completely ruined though I am strong enough now to do it if I have too. We do need to prepare to replace you even though there is a long time before you depart. You started something wonderful for our customers. After all it isn’t like you are completely naked.”

“Then I’ll ask around, there have been some inquires but nothing serious and the body size has to be near my size. Have you seen some of the couples I’ve had to drag through those islands? The Fletchers almost gave me a rupture.”

Penny spun her memory back, the Fletchers were a candy manufacturing family. You wouldn’t think that poodles could reach four hundred pounds but they both had. It had forced Penny to place a waver in Aletha’s excursion contract, no one over two hundred pounds and even that stressed the she-wolf on some islands.

“We could buy oh, say Mrs. Beckenbauer over on Granada from her husband, she gave you a hell of a run for your money even with balanced loads last month.”

“And enjoyed every second of it she told me later” Aletha agreed, “But she wouldn’t do, she is way too well known after all and since her husband loves her too much she isn’t for sale.”

Penny watched the waves go buy for almost five minutes before making her decision. “Find someone, or by the Goddess I’ll do it even with the nightmares. At least I won’t be completely naked and available to children this time.” Then she walked away, returning to her private quarters while Aletha stared after her in disbelief. There was no way that her employer could pull a Hanson with four hundred pounds of flesh on it, the maximum Penny allowed Aletha to accept. It would kill the mouse and the hound knew it.