The fox had remained quiet, wide-eyed in confusion, while Arthur and the window-smasher -- Riley, it seemed! -- exchanged their hellos. Her ears swiveled to catch their meanings, her chin pressed against the ground, until Arthur addressed her directly. The tears had already begun to dry on his face, which was heartening at least. The fox smiled with a glimmer of small teeth, in an attempt to be encouraging.

"Then yell good and loud," she suggested. "Show 'em your teeth, make as much noise as your little lungs can muster. The guests'll happily snatch up anythin' that runs away quiet -- but they'll think twice about swallowin' somethin' loud and sharp." The fox offered a wink. "There's more'n one way to be courageous."

She lifted her head a little and flicked her ears at Riley, her nose wriggling. "You smell like them. You've met 'em and lived, then!"

"Let me [i]go![/i]" the little mouse rioted, wriggling in Riley's grip.

The flying-fox jumped slightly; she hadn't noticed! "Dooa, [i]there[/i] ya are! We were lookin' for ya, to help lil' Arthur here git home. He Fell just recently, he did."

Dooa the mouse stopped to glare beadily from Arthur to Riley and back. "It's true the Gold Lady can send ya home, if she wants. If she [i]doesn't[/i] want, she'll put you to work or turn you into something terrible and you'll be stuck here forever like the rest of us. The better way is to [i]kill[/i] her -- we'll all still be stuck here, but at least we'll all be human again and free."

The fox lowered her head again, ears back against her skull. "I don't approve of killing."

"[i]I[/i] don't approve of being [i]imprisoned![/i]" Dooa squeaked defiantly. "Don't you want to be a little girl again? What about the kids in the restaurant, working themselves weary day and night?"

"I ..." The fox paused, looking away. She did want to be human again -- but she couldn't ask it of Arthur and Riley. It was too horrible. She brightened and looked to Riley and Arthur. "Don't worry about us! I know the Gold Lady will like ya and help ya, if you give her a chance!"