The Start of the Final Project & Some Extra Work

I take one trip to the library and hunker down there while I search through the massive collection making sure that I mark where I got them from. I find some loose paper and begin taking my notes as I try to figure out what needs to happen. Creating the lens is easy. It's all Visum with four parts connected in a diamond with the parts hanging out to connect with other combinations. Size depends on how many sets of bonds are placed but I need two different lenses, one for each paw.

Getting the two of them to work as I want is going to be difficult. I want to be able to zoom in on a distant object but that will be difficult. I begin with the practical design. One paw will be further out while one will be in front of my eye. To get this to work I have to keep them separate but also have them working as one device. This is where I start to get confused. Bonds are tricky.

Soft or loose bonds are used when a reaction is needed or a bond needs to be able to be easily broken for a reaction. A hard bond is for when a reaction needs to be steady at all times. I'm trying to find out what kind of bond or even how many I'm going to need but it's just really getting to me. I spend hours on this going through books, just eating through the pages and looking for something similar to what I need but nothing comes up. It's after lunchtime and I think I missed my meal. Which means I didn't help Anne! Oh crap.

I take the books and quickly put them all back where they belong making a mental note of where they were. I go rushing out the door into the hallway making a quick mad dash to the kitchen where they are cleaning up from lunch and prepping for dinner. "Does anyone know where Anne went?" I hear someone from the back answer, "She left an hour ago!" Then I now have no idea where she has run off to. I don't know what she has left to do in between the lunch and dinner rush. The only thing I can do is search but this place is huge.

My best guess would be… To ask someone if they've seen her. But who? The first thought goes to the badger who guards the back door of the house. His answer was he last saw walking towards the gardens towards the worker's cabins. Following the small trail, I do see that people are heading that way so it must be for some reason. Sure enough, though, I found Anne and she's helping move cages for some of the plants.

When I approach I can see that there was some small critter infestation that damaged a lot of the plants. There are some ruined vines and scattered pieces of plants everywhere. Without a second thought, I begin grabbing cages myself and start following others in covering and caging. It's hours before I notice that Anne has wandered off again. I got too focused on the work at hand and forgot that I needed to be helping her. She returned shortly with dinner plates for people and she continued making trips back and forth between the house and the garden. I can't break away from the job at hand so I finish with the rest of the group.

It's almost sundown and I feel terrible. We finished securing everything and the others are watering the remaining plants but I didn't get to help Anne at all. I run into her delivering my plate to my table as I'm heading back. She sits down looking over at me with a smile, "Good evening." She's rather chipper. "Good evening. Sorry about not being able to help you today."

"You did help me."

"Huh?"

"By helping cage the plants you took my spot so I could continue my chores. I didn't get caught up in the garden work. You just took my spot."

"Oh, so I did help."

"You did, and thank you for that. Once you finish Penny wants to have another lesson."

Just so Anne can get as much done as possible I quickly eat and walk back with her to the kitchen. I must have been the last plate out as there are only two people left in the kitchen. Penny waits for me as the other Ferret cleans my plate and sets it up to dry before leaving himself. The two ladies go off and do their own thing in the corner while I sit and wait for the result. There's a distinct smell that fills the kitchen as they work and I have a strong feeling I know what it is.

It's another couple of minutes and sure enough, I was right. They were making a cake but they were making shortcakes. With a little syrup and fresh fruit, they had made a wonderful strawberry shortcake. With Penny's guidance, Anne was able to make another wonderful desert. As is the agreement, after it was eaten I helped Penny clean up the corner of the kitchen. She started a conversation with me on a strange subject, "So Red, I have a question for you."

"Ok, what's up?"

"You get to see Madam Odette a lot right?"

"Sometimes. There are weeks when I see her twice a day for about 10 minutes. There are times, like when training with Badger, that I didn't see her for weeks. I think the longest time I spent with her was a road trip to one of her friends."

"Oh, she takes you places to meet people. Must be exciting."

"It's different for sure. I wouldn't say exciting."

All we did was play poker, and talk, and I sweat while trying not to owe Madam Odette a mass of debt. I guess to some the stress and winning would be exciting but for me, it was just nerve-wracking. She continues, "Not a lot of us get a chance to get out of here but on occasion, we use our holiday. You, however, because you are so special, get to see more than we do and I want to know."

"What do you want to know?"

"What does Madam Odette do in her off time?"

I stop to think, "I don't know. Every time I'm with her it's all business."

"Really? Because that's not what I've heard."

"What have you heard?"

She lets out a muffled laugh, "I've heard that you're really close to her."

I have to bluff my way out of this one, "I don't follow."

"There was a day a while ago where the both of you disappeared for the entire day and no one could find either of you. When we tried to get a hold of Madam Odette we were told she was busy and could not be disturbed but the odd thing was, she was in her bedroom, not her study. Which is very different."

"I still don't follow, by choice at this point."

"Then how do I put this? I understand that you are her pet project but are you also her pet? Does she pet you from time to time or does she have you pet her?"

"I don't think we're talking about the same thing anymore."

"Well that's too bad but I did figure out what I want in return for helping Anne learn."

"Ok? What would that be?"

"I know you can't say anything about it so I'm going to have you show me what happens between you two."

I'm afraid of where this is going, "I'm not sure what you mean."

She slowly walks up getting very close to my personal space, "At the end of every week I want you to show me what you and Madam Odette do. I know you know what I mean and let me tell you something." She rubs her paw against the inside of my thigh, "I know you'll make due on what you owe me."

She ushers me out of the kitchen so she can finish locking up leaving me borderline speechless. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I'm still kind of wondering what people have been saying about me. I can't ask because no one will admit it. Maybe Anne might but she's not the type of person who would probably follow that sort of news. I'm a little concerned now.

It's late though. I have to clean up and get ready for tomorrow. I still need to have a spell ready by noon to show Madam Delula. I think I have the idea down but making it work is another thing. The idea is that with my paws create two lenses that are connected at three points. Two hard connections that cross and one soft connection that isn't meant to break but provide a variable. Together they aim to create a telescopic effect when looking in the gap of the paw between the thumb and index. Through rotation, the focus can be adjusted, and with stretching, the distance increases the zoom. I have no idea how well it will work but tonight is my night to try.

A good place to settle down is on top of the tool shed. It's sturdy enough that it can hold my weight and give me a height advantage to look around if I can get it to work. Getting all the focal points together is harder, more so when trying to focus one side separate from the other. One paw has to make a lens while the other does as well. They can't focus together otherwise it only makes one that blurs everything. Getting the two to work separately is the first trick, then will be connecting them. In theory, I should be able to do this, or I'll find out that I bit off more than I can handle.