Shayde and Nanny have a semi-civilized chat while watching the artist take a LOOOOONG overdue day off in the park to recharge. Vendors notice the juxtaposition with mild curiosity.
Julie was on the swings. Laughing. She’d been on them for half an hour and, without any other instruction, was likely to stay on them for the rest of the day.
“Be careful,” Nanny barked for the fifth time since Julie had sat in the swing.
“Aw, rest yerself, love. They got all sorts of features in this pace. We’ll watch Julie together, eh?”
Nanny made a very dog-like noise in the back of her throat, halfway between a whine and a growl.
“She’s safe,” soothed Shayde, “I guarantee it.”
Nanny settled at last to the spread in front of her. A dog-friendly menu that included, amongst the many options, blue steak in peanut sauce. Nanny chose the fish and select steamed vegetables.
“I never saw a dog eat wi’ a knife and fork,” said Shayde. “D'ye remember learnin’? Training with Julie?”
“Julie is good girl,” said Nanny. “Happy memories. She teach, she learns. Nanny helps. Nanny good dog.”
“Aye, good dog.”
Nanny’s tail whisked the ground behind their bench seats as it wagged. “You are good girl,” said Nanny.
Shayde, knowing better, bit her tongue to stop the mischief coming out. “She doin’ better after I made the bad man go away?”
“Julie sleep soundly,” said Nanny. “No more nightmares. No more stress screams. She has all good days, since bad man gone.”
“Glad I could help.”
And just in time, Rael came back with the ninety-nines. Of course, part of the delay was explaining what a ninety-nine was. Their monetary value had changed since her last time on Earth.
“Lunch time,” Nanny panicked. “Lunch time for Julie!”
“Watch this,” Shayde grinned. “ICE CREAM!”
Julie almost jumped off the swing and landed running, heading like an arrow to the table.
“Ev'ry time,” Shayde grinned.
“Ice cream is sometimes food,” complained Nanny.
“Today is a sometimes day,” said Shayde. “We start with desert an’ work our way back to starters.” She handed the Augmented dog a special version of the ninety-nine over. One made to be good for dogs.
“Good Nanny,” said Julie, taking her own ice cream from Rael. “This is a really fun day. I like fun days.”
Nanny sized Shayde up with a special Look. It said, I know you’re not all-the-way good, but you are good today. And you are good for Julie. Those matter to me. But set a foot wrong with either of us and you’re in for some very real trouble.
Shayde nodded. She’d understood that from the moment they’d met. Besides, in her eyes, Julie was a child. She would never do anything to harm a child.
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