FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The manor was impressive. At least, what Susila could see of it from the gate left him impressed. As far as he could tell, the manor was situated in the center of a plot of land that had to be at least twenty acres across. Yet Susila could clearly see the house rising imposingly in the distance. He reread the note he had received in order to make sure he was in the right place.

"Mister Flores,

You have come to the attention of my Lord Grentail and are invited to a dinner meeting to discuss a proposition he believes you will find intriguing. Formal attire is requested, though not required. We anticipate your arrival and expect that you will not disappoint us.

Photine Emberplume, Butler at the Grentail Estate"

Susila looked up from the letter to the gate towering above him. The lofty gate had no visible hinges, handles, or any other obvious means of opening, save for a grey pager with a large red button below its speaker with the words "Press for Admittance" printed on it. Taking a few steps back in order to properly read the enormous and elegant lettering lining the top of the gate, Susila saw that they spelled the word GRENTAIL. He was definitely in the right place.

However, Susila had to wonder how he had "come to the attention" of this Lord Grentail and what this proposition was about. He was an average monitor of the komodo variety, which of course meant that he was large and leanly muscled. At seven feet eleven inches and two-hundred twenty-five pounds, he was an impressive sight, to be sure, but Susila hadn't even met this mysterious Lord. Nor was the monitor very notorious. He had worked in construction and demolition for years, and while he was proud of his work, he could hardly call any of it particularly noteworthy or remarkable. So how had he caught the eye of a Lord?

Hoping to get some answers to these questions, Susila pressed the red button on the pager. There was the sound of a buzzer, and an automated, feminine voice came through the speaker a moment later. "Yes?" the voice asked.

Not expecting an automated message for a doorman from such a fancy-looking place, Susila was taken aback for a moment. "I have a note from," Susila paused and glanced back at the letter in his hand, "one Photine Emberplume saying that Lord Grentail has invited me to dinner."

"One moment, please," the voice ordered. After a moment, the voice said, "Please keep your hands off of the gate while it is opening." When the voice finished speaking, the buzzer sounded again.

With the sound of the buzzer, the gate shimmered, slowly becoming translucent, and then turning so clear that it was almost invisible. Susila's jaw dropped momentarily before he realized what was happening. It was a magical gate, which explained the lack of obvious methods for opening it.

The buzzer sounded again. "Step through, then wait for the car," the voice ordered before the buzzer sounded one last time.

Susila hesitantly approached the gate and pushed his arms through. There was slight resistance, like moving against the wind, but otherwise it was as if the gate wasn't there at all. As Susila made it to the other side of the gate, there was a loud metal clang that made him jump. Turning around, the monitor saw that the gate had reappeared, giving him the feeling of being closed in.

"Good thing my tail wasn't in the way," Susila joked to himself as he turned back around, putting his claws in his jeans pockets while he waited for the car to pick him up at the gate. While blue jeans and a leather jacket over a white sleeveless shirt wasn't exactly formal attire, these were the only clothes Susila had that weren't stained with construction detritus. Looking out to the main house, Susila was able to trace the path of the gravel road from the gate to the manor.

After a few minutes of shuffling his feet uncomfortably in the cold August air, Susila heard the sound of tires crunching against gravel, but strangely couldn't hear a motor. He could soon see a strange-looking car driving towards him. It was perhaps the smallest car he had ever seen, hardly the limo he was expecting to see in this place. He wondered how someone that lived in such an extravagant house couldn't afford a limousine.

His train of thought was interrupted as the car drove up in front of him, revealing that it had no driver and only one seat. Just what I need, a magic chair instead of a real car, Susila thought to himself, starting to get the feeling that he wasn't really wanted here.

The "car" opened its door expectantly, waiting for Susila to sit down. The monitor shrugged, walking around to the side of the car. Susila bent over and looked inside the car. The seat looked comfortable enough, but the inside of the car was as cold as the air outside. Ectothermic as he was, Susila wasn't looking forward to a cold car ride all the way to the manor. Biting the bullet, the monitor sat down in the strange contraption, closing the door.

The instant the door closed, a red laser-grid scanned Susila from head to toe before he could react. Before he could even say anything, the same synthesized voice from the gate stated, "Species confirmed; Monitor, Anthropomorphic Komodo. Adjusting environment, eighty degrees Fahrenheit, zero humidity. Adjusting seat for height and weight. Would you care for some tea or other hot beverage for your ride?"

As the heat rose and the chair suddenly became exponentially more comfortable, Susila was able to relax his painfully cold claws, which had been clenched shut to hold their heat in. Still, having something warm to hold would help. "Hot cocoa, please," Susila ordered.

As soon as he ordered, a mug of piping hot cocoa appeared before him in a little flash of rosy light, suspended in the air. "Your drink sir," the feminine voice stated. Susila tentatively grabbed the mug by the handle, testing the side for temperature. The mug mostly insulated from its hot contents, but was still pleasantly warm. Susila took a sip of the drink, finding it to be expertly heated.

"Are you comfortable, sir?" the automated voice inquired.

"Exceedingly," Susila answered, feeling considerably more welcomed than before.

"Wonderful, sir," the voice said, "We will begin toward the main house. I hope to better know your tastes during your stay at Grentail Manor, mister...?"

"Flores," Susila answered, half sleeping in his bliss, "Susila Flores." He was only partially aware that he was talking to what he had previously assumed to be a simple automated message. "What may I call you?" Susila asked the car-voice.

"Modern Automated Domestic Assignment Machine," the voice replied, "MADAM for short, Mister Flores."

Susila chuckled to himself. "Susila is fine, MADAM," he stated.

"Very well, Susila," MADAM responded, "I will inform you when we arrive at the Manor proper. In the meantime, please enjoy some Apisian Colonial Humming from the Pre-Draconian Era. I also invite you to view the garden as we move through it. Our gardener is quite gifted, if a bit eccentric. Then again, who is not in this manor?"

That last comment caught Susila off guard, rousing him from his blissful stupor. He hadn't expected a machine to form an opinion of someone, especially such a blunt one. However, he didn't press the matter, assuming that MADAM was some sort of new AI technology. When the musical humming began, he recognized it as the humming of bees, though much more musical. It sounded like a whole colony of bees was singing, and though the monotonous hum of normal bees was hardly the stuff of musical legend, this harmonic buzzing was strangely warm and relaxing, like honey for the ears.

Susila enjoyed the music and hot cocoa in silence, watching the rolling hills pass as the car slowly made its way to the manor. When the garden came into sight, it nearly took Susila's breath away. Spires of blue roses grew into the sky, while topiaries recreated long-forgotten battles. There was even a mock castle of ivy and flowers of different colors, most of which Susila couldn't identify. Other, more abstract marvels dotted the garden, hypnotic in their patterns. The garden seemed to fit together with the music flawlessly. When he realized that this was intentional, Susila was even more impressed with MADAM.

"Now this is how you combine technology and magic," Susila remarked under his breath.

"Thank you," MADAM replied, surprising the monitor. Apparently, there was some sort of super-sensitive microphone somewhere in the car.

After a few minutes, MADAM spoke. "We have reached the main house," it reported. Susila had been so absorbed by the garden that he hadn't even noticed the manor rising above him, or that he had finished his hot cocoa. When the door opened, the warm air was somehow kept within the car's boundaries. "Lord Grentail has been informed of your arrival and is expecting you soon," MADAM stated.

Susila reluctantly stepped out into the cold air, the door of the car closing behind him. As the car drove away, the empty mug that Susila had been holding disappeared, leaving him clutching at empty air awkwardly.

Lowering his arm and placing his claws firmly in his pockets, Susila looked up to the manor. The five-story building was truly massive, at least the size of a pediball field. The easternmost wing of the manor sported a tower that raised nearly ten stories above the rest of the manor. The Main door was flanked by massive columns and was graced by an enormous stained-glass window with the letter G in the center, surrounded by stylized dragons and what looked like red peacocks. As Susila stared up at this impressive sight, he heard someone clear their throat in front of him, causing him to snap his muzzle down, nearly spraining his neck in the process.

"Ouch!" Susila hissed, bringing his hand up to his neck. He then looked toward the source of the sound that had grabbed his attention. The sight caused him to gasp, as if trying to suck the hiss he had just made back into his lungs.

Standing before him was a bird resembling those in the stained-glass above the main door. She had fiery red plumage on her face and neck, the feathers of her body hidden by a blood-red tuxedo-styled jacket that seemed to have a sort of flat black saddle on it. Her wings were folded tightly at her sides, scarlet flight feathers extending back past her flank. Her legs and claws were bare, revealing bright orange scales and black talons. Her head was crowned by a fiery orange crest of feathers, and trailing behind her was a tail of matching plumage. Even without her crest, the bird was a good foot taller than Susila. But her most striking feature was her sapphire blue eyes, contrasting sharply with the red-orange feathers of her face.

He realized he must have been staring when the beautiful bird cleared her throat for a second time. Susila shook his head and refocused on the bird's face. "Hello, I'm..." he started to say.

"Susila Flores, I know," she said, her voice like a flute, "I sent for you."

Then it clicked. "You're Photine Emberplume?" Susila asked weakly.

"Yes," Photine answered, "Now please, come with me, my Lord Grentail is waiting for you and I don't like to keep him waiting."

Photine whirled gracefully around, her tail seeming to accentuate her every movement. Susila could have lost himself to the feathers which seemed to dance like a fire around the elegant bird. The monitor shook himself again, forcing his eyes forward and following Photine closely.

While they made their way through the house, its marvels were as appealing to Susila as a brick wall as he trailed behind the graceful butler. No matter how he tried, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. "So, have you been a butler for long?" Susila asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I have served the Grentail family for three generations," Photine answered, "I have been in this house since the Grentail family acquired it." Photine paused for a moment as a plump little bee servant, wearing a chef's hat and white apron, came bustling toward her with a tray carrying a teapot and small cups. Photine knelt so that the petite woman, just under three feet tall, could place the tray on the saddle-like devise on her back, answering the question of the saddle's purpose. As Photine stood back up, the bee made several gestures with all four of her hands.

Photine nodded. "I'll be sure to tell him," she said. The bee curtsied to Photine, then to Susila, buzzing happily as she returned to her work. Photine smiled at the bee's infectious happiness.

"Who was that?" Susila asked, taking any excuse for conversation.

"Apisians, or honey bees, as they are commonly called," Photine began as she continued to lead Susila deeper into the manor, "Don't have names that can be easily translated into our language. Her name is..." Photine stopped and turned to face Susila. She raised her right claw and made an odd gesture at to her right at chest height, another gesture down to her right at waist height, a third gesture to her left at waist height, and a last gesture to her left at chest height. "...this roughly translates to 'Brings Good Nectar, Makes Good Honey'. Of course, Apisians do all four gestures at once. We just call her Melissa, though. She's our cook."

Susila blinked in surprise. "Apisians don't speak?" he asked.

"Not audibly, no. They lack vocal capabilities altogether, though some use magic to convert their gestures into words," Photine answered, seeming happy to share her knowledge, "Apisian language is composed of both gestures, to convey words, and pheromones, to convey emotion, though few outside of their race can detect the latter. This is why Apisians have adopted Anthropomorphic body language. Nearly all colonial Entomian races have a language similar to this, though they all have different dialects."

"Huh, you learn something new every day," Susila commented, "I've lived with the company of Reptilians and Mammalians my whole life, so I haven't had much exposure to Entomian culture. Or Avian beauty." That last part was said under Susila's breath.

"Pardon?" Photine asked, not turning around.

Susila blushed. "I-it's nothing, Miss Emberplume," he stuttered, searching for something to change the subject.

Thankfully he didn't have to search for long. "We're here," Photine stated, stopping in front of a pair of large wooden doors. The massive doors looked as if they should have weighed at least three-hundred pounds each, but Susila was surprised to see that Photine could open the door single clawed.

"My Lord Grentail waits inside," Photine reported with sudden professionalism, holding the door half-open, "Please have the utmost respect while you are in my Lord's company." Opening the door the rest of the way, Photine stated, "Lord Grentail, your guest has arrived."

The open door revealed a long banquet table with its broadside facing the door. At the northern end, which was to the left of the door, sat a rather heavy dragon, a book on the table in front of him. At the sight of Photine, the dragon quickly closed the book and hid it in his robe. Confused, Susila looked toward Photine, who had a decidedly disapproving expression on her face as she lead the monitor to his seat next to the dragon.

"Ah, Miss Emberplume," the dragon said as Photine sat Susila down to his right, "I see you've found Mister Flores. Good, good."

Photine kept her stern gaze on the dragon until he sighed, relenting. "Alright, Miss Emberplume, you win again," he said, holding the book out for the bird to take it.

Photine took the book in her beak and slid it into a pouch on her right wing. She then reached around and grabbed the tray from her back, placing the teapot in front of the dragon. "Melissa says that she tried the new blend and that it turned out marvelously," Photine relayed.

"Ah, wonderful," the dragon replied, smiling at the bird. His smile was met with a cocked eyebrow and a tapping talon. Sighing again, the dragon said, "Yes, Miss Emberplume, the dining room is for dining, the study is for studying."

Photine nodded, satisfied, and said, "I'll leave you two to it, then."

"You're leaving?" Susila asked, hoping his disappointment wasn't obvious.

Photine nodded to the book that rode against her wing, her crest swaying gracefully with the motion. "I need to bring this back to the study, because somebody brought it into the dining room," she said, glancing over to the dragon, who smiled innocently, "I should be back in time to escort you back out." With that, Photine left, closing the door quietly behind her. Without the majestic bird distracting him, Susila looked at the dragon in finer detail.

The dragon was large, both in stature and girth. Wealth has had some obvious impacts on his frame, though not enough to mask the impressive muscles that were still plainly visible through the soft padding he had acquired over the years. He had long golden horns which curved like a ram's with bangles and gems adorning them. Two smaller horns grew from his chin like a beard, curving less severely than those on his brow, though covered in equally opulent jewelry. He had bright yellow eyes with slit pupils like a cat's, which brimmed with humor and well-meaning behind his gold-rimmed spectacles. The dragon's ventral plates seemed to be made of pure gold, although his scales were a dull green. His wings were the same green along the edges and on the outer membranes and gold on the inner membranes. However, when his tail swished into view, Susila saw that it brightened to an emerald green at its spade-like tip, its scales almost crystalline as they refracted the light from the window behind the dragon's seat. His expertly manicured claws were graced with gold and silver rings, one of which had the design of a backwards G flanked by a dragon and what looked to be another of the red peacocks he kept seeing in the designs of the manor. He wore an ornate violet robe with silver fur lining over a silver silk dress shirt and violet dress pants, his outfit complementing his scales perfectly.

"So, we meet at last," Lord Grentail smiled warmly, revealing sharply pointed yet well maintained teeth, "I have been looking forward to this for a while, now."

Susila was taken aback. "You have?" was all he could think to say.

"In a manner," Grentail replied cryptically, "Perhaps not you, specifically, but someone like you."

"Like me, how?" Susila asked, confused.

"You have a strong work ethic, Mister Flores," Grentail explained, "Committed, loyal, hard-working, and dependable. You get things done, Mister Flores, and you don't complain about how difficult they might be or how long they might take. I like that about you."

"But, how could you possibly know that about me if we have never even met before?" Susila demanded, before remembering that he was talking to a Lord.

Lord Grentail didn't seem offended. "Ah, you must forgive me," Grentail apologized, "I have been having my servants look into you ever since Miss Emberplume took note of your work on the columns that were put into the library. She told me how you continued working long after other workers had abandoned the project for other, easier tasks."

Susila shrugged. "I was just doing my job," he said plainly.

"That's exactly my point, Mister Flores," Grentail said, clapping Susila approvingly on the shoulder, "You do your job thoroughly and with pride. It is that integrity that I value most. And that is why I'm inviting you to work here, at my manor."

Susila's jaw dropped. "B-but, I'm no butler!" Susila stammered, "I work in construction. I haven't the slightest clue how to work in a manor."

Grentail stood, chuckling. Upright, his girth was even more accentuated, showing that he was nearly as wide as he was tall, a fact made even more impressive by the dragon's ten-foot stature, though he showed no signs of labor over hefting his own prodigious mass. "I know that, Mister Flores," the dragon stated, inviting Susila to stand, as well. The monitor rose hesitantly, joining the Lord at the large window behind the head seat at the table.

Lord Grentail indicated the eastern wing of the manor. "I wouldn't have you working as a butler right off the bat, Mister Flores," Grentail explained, "I've been thinking of extending the Esterwing for quite some time now, with the hope of better accentuating the study," he indicated the tower that rose above the manor, "Mostly for aesthetics, you see, though it would give a bit more space for my servants. I'm thinking maybe a media room. I've heard that video games are rising in popularity and have decided to give them a go, though I'm reluctant to adapt the theater for such a purpose."

It occurred to Susila that Lord Grentail might not have been up to date on recreational technology, as video games had risen to popularity nearly a decade ago. He decided not to press the issue.

Grentail turned to Susila, an eager smile on his face. "So, what do you think, Mister Flores?" the dragon asked, but before Susila could answer, Grentail had a look of realization, "Oh, and payment! I forgot to mention your payment," The dragon pulled a slip of folded paper out of his pocket, proffering it to Susila, "I don't have the figures memorized, so I wrote them down, instead."

Susila accepted the paper, opening it. He nearly dropped it when he read the figures on the paper. "This must be a mistake," Susila exclaimed, "This is nearly ten times my current salary!"

Grentail laughed heartily. "Yes it is, though it is no mistake," Lord Grentail threw an arm and a wing around Susila like a blanket, pulling him into his mattress-soft body, indicating the writing under the salary, "And also all the benefits. I pay my workers what I believe they're worth and make sure all their needs are met. Also included are meals provided by our cook, Melissa, your own room here at the manor, should you wish for it, and monthly vacations at the manor's expense."

If the dragon hadn't been supporting him, Susila would have fallen over from disbelief. Feeling the monitor's unsteadiness, Lord Grentail led him back to his seat, the dragon taking his own seat afterwards, the chair creaking loudly under its sudden and hefty burden.

Shaking his head, Susila said, "I need a moment to take this in."

"Of course," Lord Grentail replied, pulling a small book out of his pocket. At Susila's expression of disbelief, the dragon chuckled, saying, "This one is allowed. It pertains to my occupation." Grentail took the teapot and poured some black fluid into one of the cups, then tapped the side of the cup twice, causing two small ice cubes to appear in the drink.

Susila was far too distracted to notice the magic ice. He considered this turn of events. The monitor had never been one blessed with exceptional luck, and he had always been content with working for an average income. He was used to the bare necessities of life, not the niceties of wealth. It was almost too much to absorb.

And yet, why not? He had worked hard his entire life, why shouldn't he accept the rewards it brought? With a determined expression, Susila turned to Lord Grentail to give him his answer, when the dragon raised a claw to stop him.

"I don't want your answer now, though I can see what it would be," Grentail said flatly, "It would be spur of the moment. I want you to at least sleep on it in order to properly consider my offer. For now, let me show you the hospitality of my home."

Pulling a small bell out of his breast pocket, Lord Grentail gave it a little ring. Not even a minute later, the small doors to the south of the table burst open, a trolley of food zooming towards them seemingly of its own volition. As it neared, Susila realized that it was being pushed by Melissa, who barely crested the trolley's top, her antennae wiggling excitedly above the cart of food.

The cart screeched to a stop beside Susila, the food in the dishes sloshing back and forth, but not a drop spilling. Buzzing up to eye level, Melissa curtsied in mid-air before whizzing around to set the table in front of her Lord and guest. Susila wondered how someone so plump could fly with such swiftness, as the bee was practically a blur of activity. Melissa paused only to light a small candle in front of both her Lord and guest, gesturing to Susila with a happy expression and tracing several elegant patterns in the air with her four little claws. Before he could respond, the busy little bee returned to her trolley and bustled out of the dining room, closing the door behind her.

Susila looked to Lord Grentail with a confused expression, eliciting yet another chuckle from the dragon. "It's an Apisian tradition," Grentail explained, indicating the candle and putting the small book back into his pocket, "When you're finished eating, you blow out the candle. How low down the candle is when it is blown out indicates how long it took the diner to eat. Melissa will use this to judge how good her meal was, comparing it to the amount eaten. A low candle indicates that the eater to a long time to finish his meal. A tall one indicates that the diner ate quickly."

Susila acknowledged this as a simple yet effective system. He then took a look at the food before him. The monitor was amazed with the sheer variety and quantity. There was sushi, burger, crab, a whole cooked pig, and venison, all from insentient animals, of course. The smells of all these different dishes played on Susila's nose, eliciting a flicker of his forked tongue. The combination of tastes nearly overwhelmed him before he had even taken his first bite.

Dinner passed with light conversation. Susila discussed the specifics of the project with Lord Grentail, all while enjoying an amazingly well-cooked meal. Everything had a sweetness to it that made it seem as if he was having candy for dinner, though nothing ever became sickeningly sweet.

By the time that he and Lord Grentail had agreed on the specifics, Susila felt like the pig he had just finished eating. His once-flat stomach spilled over his waistband, taking up over half of his lap and causing his previously loose shirt to ride up slightly. Resisting the urge to eat more, Susila picked up his candle and blew it out.

On cue, Melissa barged in with her trolley again. The sudden noise caused Susila to jump, jostling his uncomfortably full stomach. The bee was again a blur of activity, clearing the monitor's dishes onto the trolley. When she had finished clearing Susila's place, she picked up his candle, hovering over the table as she considered it, unwittingly fanning her guest with a cool breeze, though not an unwelcomed one. The hot food that sat in Susila's stomach had begun to overheat him slightly, so the breeze was appreciated.

When she finished examining his candle, Melissa glanced approvingly at the paunch Susila had developed, causing him to blush slightly. "It was very good," Susila complimented, "You are an excellent cook."

Melissa blinked, and then grinned widely. The bee shot forward, hugging Susila around the chest, her chitinous body surprisingly soft against him. When the bee was this close, the monitor could literally smell her happiness as one of her antennae tickled his left cheek. "You're quite welcome," Susila said, smiling with the cook's infectious cheer as she pulled away from him.

Though he expected her to leave, Susila was surprised to see Melissa flit over to her cart and hover in the air, watching Lord Grentail expectantly. After a few moments, he too finished his meal, blowing out his own candle, eliciting another blur of activity from his plump chef.

When she had cleared Lord Grentail's place, she set a plate in front of both of them, each with a large slice of cake on them. "Oh, no I couldn't possibly..." Susila began before he saw the cook's expectant face start to fall. "Well, perhaps one slice," he relented, seeing Melissa's expression light up again. He picked up his fork and cut a bite-sized piece out of his cake, bringing it to his mouth and hesitantly biting into it. Hesitance turned to haste with the first taste of the mouth-watering cake. He quickly took bite after bite, though he was careful not to be so quick as to seem rude. When he finished his cake, he had to resist the urge to moan loudly, his stomach painfully distended, now taking up his entire lap and causing his shirt to ride up halfway to his chest, revealing his scaly abdomen.

Melissa seemed happy with Susila's obvious love of her cooking and cleared his plate quickly once it was empty, giving his stomach a little pat. The action caused Susila to groan quietly and brought on another blush.

Lord Grentail laughed heartily. "Melissa's cooking is hard to resist, eh?" the dragon patted his own ample middle, indicating the obvious answer to his own question. It was now quite obvious how a dragon, a species known for its impressively athletic members, could have grown so corpulent. "Don't worry about that, I'll have her bring smaller servings if you would prefer."

"No, it's alright," Susila said as Melissa cleared her Lord's plate, "I'll just have to exercise some self control."

"Good luck with that," Grentail chuckled, before addressing Susila with a slightly more serious expression, "I trust that you'll consider my offer. I don't expect your answer immediately, so take all the time you need to make a decision." Lord Grentail then pulled a small gong out of his breast pocket, ringing it with a single claw. One of the large doors then opened, revealing Photine.

"Yes, my Lord?" the bird asked.

"Please escort Mister Flores to the front door," Grentail ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," Photine repeated as Susila stood, "If you'll follow me, Mister..." She stopped and stared at Susila's distended abdomen with an inscrutable expression, and for a moment, Susila could have sworn he saw the feathers of her cheeks darken to a scarlet hue, though he was pretty sure that it was his own blush reddening his vision as he pulled his shirt back down to his waist. Photine shook her head and cleared her throat, continuing, "...Mister Flores, and I'll see you off."

Too embarrassed to speak, Susila followed quietly. It seemed like an eternity before they reached the door, yet when they did, it felt too soon. "Here we are, Mister Flores," Photine said curtly, "MADAM is waiting for you outside."

With that, Photine turned and left Susila outside the door, though, unknown to him, once it closed behind him, the bird glanced back, and then sighed, shaking her head. "What is wrong with you, Photine?" she demanded of herself as she returned to her duties.

"Susila, what is wrong with you?" the monitor unwittingly echoed once he was in the car. Despite MADAM's best efforts, Susila just couldn't get comfortable this time.

"Is something bothering you, Mister...I mean, Susila?" MADAM asked.

"Yeah," Susila huffed, "I am." He couldn't believe his own gluttony. He had never lost control like that with food, especially not in public. He rubbed his tight belly gingerly, adjusting his jeans so that they didn't feel quite so tight.

"I am not sure how I can help, then," MADAM stated, "Though if you should need anything, do not hesitate to ask."

It was odd being comforted by a machine, but Susila wasn't picky. "What I need is a bit of temperance around food," he growled, looking out to the cold air outside. "And a working car," he added as an afterthought.

"If you do not have a working vehicle, then may I ask how you came to the manor?" MADAM inquired.

"Yes," Susila answered irritably, "I walked."

The car suddenly stopped, jostling Susila and eliciting a gurgle from his sloshing stomach. "You WALKED?" MADAM demanded, her tone changing for the first time that Susila could remember.

"Yes," he replied weakly.

"This manor is twenty miles from anything and you walked to it?" MADAM demanded again, continuing before Susila could answer, "How are you getting home, then?"

Susila hesitated before answering. "I was...going to...walk?" he said, each word getting quieter until the word walk was nearly a whisper.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence. "Unacceptable," MADAM said, "Simply unacceptable. Susila, I insist on driving you home and being your means of transportation for the interim." Susila was about to protest when MADAM said, "I will not take no for an answer."

"But what about Lord Grentail? Doesn't he need you here?" Susila pointed out.

"I have nearly a dozen units like this one that I can control from my main computer at the manor," MADAM said, "Simultaneously, even. And do not worry about Lord Grentail. I will explain your situation to him. I am sure he will understand."

Susila hesitated. He found it strange getting charity from an Artificial Intelligence. "Alright," he relented after a moment, not relishing the thought of walking home with the sun so low in the sky, "Thank you MADAM."

The AI said nothing, but continued toward the gate. When it was in sight, he heard the buzzer sound on the gate and watched it slowly fade out. He heard the metal clang as they drove through the gate, though he wasn't able to see the rematerialized gate through his seat.

"Where do you live?" MADAM asked, her usual monotonous tone back.

"To the east, down in the valley," Susila yawned, listing off his address. The warm car, comfortable seat, and his full stomach were starting to have an effect on him. By the time they were halfway to his house, Susila was already fast asleep. In his dreams, he imagined himself as a tall, lean butler dancing with an elegantly dressed Photine, their eyes locked in a passionate stare as they waltzed across a midnight field. The very thought made Susila smile in his sleep.