NOVEL NEXT 1.65 – Steep
"Oi, there she be. And Big Blue, too."
"Mirkham? Uh, hi."
Emma grinned and slapped her belly. She had to be exaggerating, but she was a chubby girl now, and proud.
I ate 200 bread sticks at Olea's.
"Did ya, now? Quite a feat. Almost as impressive as turning half the town into sex zombies with tainted milk, eh? And here I'd thought you two weren't perverted like the rest of 'em."
Mirkham laughed and Emma laughed with him. He'd thought that?
Maple grimaced. He'd be out of a job now too, wouldn't he? Had he known what was going on? Was he in trouble? But he'd hated the lewd events taking place at SuQ Dairy.
"It wasn't my fault..."
"Don't I know it, lassie."
One of the gnolls who'd escorted her earlier sat at the desk. The friendlier one, she thought, but couldn't be sure until she heard his voice. Bailey had left after dropping her off, conflict of interest and all.
On the desk was a name plate: [Detective] Wallace. They were in his office. He sighed and gestured for them to sit.
"Let's get this done with. Did you learn anything from SIB?"
"Uh, was I supposed to? She asked me a bunch of questions."
"No, just curious. We cooperate, but they're not always cooperative, if you get what I mean. Sure, Syber will be compensated, but anything more than that? Actual answers?"
He shook his head with a click of his tongue. Even after the SIB interview, Maple had been expecting...something less casual. A bright light, cuffs, jail.
She felt disoriented, but began by recounting everything she'd told Iria, and what little she'd told her. Mirkham nodded along with one fist wrapped around his beard. At the end, he tched.
"Them succus were doing something after me processin'. It goes straight into the tanks after I'm done with it, and I never touch it again. 'Course I saw the effect your milk had, but it was mild. Non-existent when diluted with everyone else's. Taste tested it meself, like every other batch."
Maple turned to the [Detective]. This was all serving to clear her name. What a relief.
"Can't you look at the tanks, and uh, the other things?"
"Sure would have liked to. They took all their equipment, and they did it fast. We had no time to object, not that we could have. They would have pointed to a contract, or just withheld the pile of gold they're giving as recompense. Succubi police their own. Frankly, it's possible your milk had nothing to do with it at all, but is just being used as part of the cover up."
She's innocent!
Emma cheered and held up her notebook. Maple patted her thigh. It must have been boring for her, but she hadn't complained.
"Be that as it may, truth stone time. We questioned, hrr, whatever his name is, and just to make sure...Maple, are you in any way affiliated with, or the leader of, any succubus organizations?"
"...No."
This again, damn you Henry. Emma snickered and passed a note to Mirkham over Maple's lap.
She's the succubus queen.
Mirkham politely nodded, and stayed silent. Wallace had more, though he sounded resigned.
"Great, didn't think so. Onto the second matter. Mirkham, you can head out if you want, or stay if Maple doesn't mind. I don't think we'll have any more info on the milk."
Both of them shrugged and he continued.
"I'm already under the assumption that you were the one who used that mass Skill, referred to as the I'm Maple event, and that it was used in an attempt to assist during a citywide emergency. Is all that correct?"
"Um, yes."
"And which Skill would that be, exactly?"
Maple was dreading that. She thought of saying actually Mirkham should leave, but she wanted to talk to him after. Like it or not, whether it was who she was or just what had been assigned to her, she had to own up to it.
Her classes were [Slut] and [Interspecies Seductress]. All of her Skills were lewd. [Telepathic Orgasms] had worked, probably, because of the potion, as they'd witnessed that after cumming at least once, the victims were still affected by whatever was causing it.
She shared the entire story, leaving out minor details. She glanced at Mirkham a few times throughout, wondering how much less he must think of her, after he'd been so nice during the tour. He swiped the air after the fourth time.
"Don't go minding yer sensibilities for me, lass. You do what ya want, and I won't judge ya for it. Dairy is my passion, 'tis all. We both respect that."
"Hm. Alright, sorry."
The way he said it made her think, but Wallace cleared his throat.
"Right, we're about done. It falls under acceptable use, given the circumstances. I'd say don't do it again, but the only way you could is if there were another city-wide orgy, right? Strange Skill. I almost wish I'd experienced it first-hand, from how some described it."
Maple sat up, somewhat embarrassed, but relieved. It was over. She shared a smile with Emma. Wallace stood to see them out.
"Hrr, do be careful out there. Some are upset with the city watch, and we can handle ourselves fine, but they do also have a name to latch onto. You might want to think about changing yours, or just lying low. Bailey, or someone else if you want, can see you safely back to your inn."
She chose Bailey, of course. She got the sense Wallace knew they were close, but was being courteous. Bailey was off somewhere, so Maple had a few minutes to talk with Mirkham outside the guard building.
"Will you be alright now that SuQ Dairy is gone?"
"Aye. 'Bout time for me sabbatical, ain't it? It's the milkmaids that are going to have a tougher time. The wiser of 'em have all come to me, seein' if I'm 'bout to be starting anything."
Mirkham kicked the dirt. They were all out of work, and some had been lifers. Their bodies and Skills weren't suited for other jobs. Others, like Maple, had just been earning a side-income.
"I tell 'em all the same thing. I process dairy, I don't do any o' the rest. You think you'd ever catch me behind a desk, or in some kind of management position? Dealing with sales and order forms and contracts? Bah."
"Mh, fair. Aren't there other dairy places they could go to?"
"Not many. Them succus had 'exclusivity' contracts with mosta everyone. Guaranteed cheaper prices, thanks to their sex biz, just so long as ya don't buy from anyone else. Looky what that got 'em all. Someone will set someth' up eventually, but it sure won't be me."
Could Maple be that someone? With no experience, little money, a certain arachnid who'd hinted at helping her out with a larger loan if she ever needed it, a vague connection to both the [Cream of the Crop Milk Master], and his connection to a litany of out-of-work milkmaids? She knew Betty herself, and also briefly talked to a couple of the others.
But that'd be crazy, right? She'd fail. How were businesses even established here? It'd be gambling with someone else's money, if Charlotte even gave her a loan. But the market was wide open? How much would it actually cost? It felt almost guaranteed to work.
It felt like an opportunity. Just crazy enough to work—or so blatantly obvious that it would work, just miraculously fell into her lap, that she shouldn't even question it, just do it? She really could. She'd just need to do a series of small things. Convince Charlotte, rent a building, get some equipment, and so on.
She felt kind of excited, but also that it obviously wouldn't work. Just in case, under the guise of staying in touch for friendly reasons, she got Mirkham's address, along with the location of an inn some of the former milkmaids frequented.
Bailey showed up shortly after. They parted ways, and the idea began its slow steep in Maple's mind.
