Day 1 - Earth
A cat pours his body on the floor like water. It is restful just to see him.
-William Lyon Phelps
I had been approached by a man to find a woman called Leena. Ok, there are more details than that, be patient.
For some reason, whenever people talk about the beginning of things, they mention the weather. "It was a dark and stormy night," that kind of thing. Perhaps it sets the mood, I don't know, but don't let me be the one who breaks with tradition.
It was a bright, sunny day, warm without being too hot. The perfect day to just relax, lie back with a cold drink and read something. Darwin had thought so as well, except for the part about the drink and the reading. I am not sure that Darwin can read. Just to be fair, I am not sure that he can't either.
He had found himself a patch of sunlight in front of the door to my office and had simply melted into it in the way that cats immemorial have done. My front door was made of anti-projectile transparent metal, and my many large windows were of the same. They were very expensive, but in my mind worth every penny. I liked to watch the city pass by me, and the park with its trees and families across the way. Most of all though, I liked the sun. He and I were old friends and we have kept an eye on each other for a long time. Besides, having all these windows made it easier for me to watch potential clients, or vengeful non-clients, approach my office from virtually any direction.
The man in question was dropped at the curb by a non-descript vehicle, which was notable because of its efforts to remain average and hard to describe. Just a hint, if I may. If you want to hide in plain sight, do so with a little flair, a little flamboyance. Almost everyone is trying to assert their individuality in some way, and people who are average in every way are noticeable, they stick out. No charge, you are welcome.
Even though I was leaning back in my chair with my feet up on the desk, I could still see the potential client approaching. I had installed monitors in strategic locations so I could watch the perimeter of my office without moving too much. It wouldn't do to show too much interest too early in the game. A client's efforts to woo you reveal a lot about their motivations.
He was slightly shorter than average height, clean shaven though with a five o'clock shadow at ten in the morning. He was wearing a blowsy shirt that went out of fashion about 9 months ago and a hat under which he had tucked his long brown hair. He wore a scowl between two expertly sculpted eyebrows that framed his delicate face and walked towards my office with an exaggerated swagger. Yes, I know it was a woman disguising herself as a man, I am not an idiot.
As he/she approached the door, I noticed something unusual happening, or not happening as it were. Darwin was always aware of everything happening around him, no matter what he was doing, and that included napping in a particularly good patch of sunlight. Whenever a client was approaching the front door, he usually made himself scarce. His size and beauty always attracted the attention of clients, who felt the irresistible urge to pet him, comment on him, or generally make a fuss about him. It's actually quite rude to just reach out and touch an animal without its permission. You should always ask, not the owner but the animal. It is just good manners, and cats are very particular about manners.
Darwin wasn't moving. He just lay there. The client had reached the door and was looking down at the cat with wide eyes. People are always surprised by Darwin's size. They should be, though I don't think they always make the connection between his size and the potential danger he presented to their general health and wellness. They really should. It would be less messy.
I swivelled in my chair to look directly at the door, the client and Darwin. The client looked at me through the glass of the door, then pointed down at Darwin, as if I didn't' understand what was going on. I was looking at Darwin. His ears were twitching, his eyes were open, his tail was swishing, but he wasn't getting up.
I knew what that meant. He didn't want me to take this case, whatever it was. It would mean discomfort at best, danger at worst. He was letting me know that we should just stay here and enjoy the sunlight. I got the message. I disregarded it, but I understood it.
"Darwin, we might as well hear her out," I said. "Would you mind letting her in?"
His head cocked up and leveled a gaze at me that said 'Remember that I said we shouldn't do this.' There was no question in his mind that he would come along if I took this case, despite his protestations. We were partners, after all.
After making his displeasure known, he rose with deliberate slowness, stretching and preening for all he was worth. That particular stretch where a cat reaches forward with his front paws and extends his claws was a favorite of Darwin's, probably because of the effect it had on onlookers. His two inch claws always drew attention. If he really wanted to let you know just how much trouble you could get into if you stepped the wrong way, he would yawn as well, putting his inch long fangs on full display. Anyone who missed that message deserved whatever happened.
His calisthenics done, Darwin padded over to his bed under the desk where he could peer from beneath it at any clients who might be in. He was still in defense mode, so I decided to be careful.
The client walked in cautiously. "Are you open?" she asked in a contralto voice, trying to sound like a man.
"That's what the sign says," I replied.
She looked around a little trying to find the sign I was referring to. There wasn't one, but each client's way of looking for it (or for some other thing I would invent on the spot) would tell me something about their focus, their stake in the search. She was not to be distracted though, so gave no more than a cursory glance to my office.
Ok, she was in disguise, so she didn't want it to be known that she was here. This case was a secret to someone. The disguise was pretty amateur, so it meant that she was new to this, and was probably acting from what she believed to be honest motivations. Whatever her reasons, the object of the search was very important to her.
"I need you to find a person. What do you need from me to do that?"
This surprised me. Question number two was almost always 'Are you the Finder?' or some variation thereof, to which I would reply once again 'That's what the sign says,' which of course, it didn't.
But not her. She went directly to the point, no time to waste on small talk. She knew what I did, and therefore who I was, and probably a lot more. Her question tipped me off to another fact.
"At very least," I said "I will need what you gave the other Finders you have approached already."
This got her attention. She stopped looking at Darwin (people really can't help it), and focused on me. I waited for the next question, but again I was pleasantly surprise.
"You are good," she said, still trying to sound like a man. She didn't ask me how I knew that she had contacted other Finders. She was sharp, and used to command. She acknowledged people's skills, rather than demanding that they explain what they had just demonstrated. She expected them to do what they said they could do.
She took a seat in front of my desk without being asked, confirming my suspicion of her role as a leader. She crossed her legs in a relaxed but very ungentlemanly way. I made no sign that I noticed, however she quickly uncrossed her legs and sat in a way that she seemed to believe was suitable for her disguise. Clearly, she was trying to hide something. I decided to let her know what I already knew. It was a bit of a gamble, but I wanted her to know that I could do my job well.
"Thanks. So what can I find for you Miss..."
Again that small smile of acknowledgement.
"Mr. Jones will do. And it isn't what, it is a who."
"I beg to differ, Mr. Jones. It is always a 'what.' Very rarely, and never in my experience, does someone pay for my services to find a 'who.' People are interested in what other people can do for them, not for the actual people themselves. They are looking for restore or stop a function. Those functions are executed by people, it is true, but if the function is discontinued, the interest in the person is lost."
"Semantics," she replied with a casual wave of her hand.
"Semantics are important. Things are only given value by what they mean to people. The 'how' of what they mean, if you will, is what makes their absence noticeable. When did you miss this person?"
She was looking at me quizzically. I could see the wheels turning. This interview was not working out the way she expected.
"Leena has been missing for two weeks."
"I see. When did you miss her however? When did you notice that she was not where you expected her to be?"
She paused and considered. "Three days ago."
So now I knew that Mr. Jones needed to find Leena, who had been missed for about three days, though she had been gone for about two weeks. From a Finder's perspective, nothing is missing until someone is looking for it. Until then, it is only absent. This is an important distinction for a Finder. The motivation for the Finding is at least as important as the cause of the disappearance.
"And why did you notice that she was missing?"
"Am I being interviewed? I haven't given you the job yet."
"Yes, you are being interviewed. And until the interview is complete, I don't know if I will take the job or not."
"I can pay your rate, plus expenses, plus a Finder's fee if you succeed."
I smiled at this. She was smart, but she was desperate. I was wondering how many other Finder's had taken the bait at this point.
"Mr. Jones. Please allow me to clarify. You are not hiring me. You are proposing a partnership. You have a need to find something you lost." At this she started to protest. I held up my hand.
"Allow me to finish. You have a need to find something you have lost. I have a lifestyle I wish to continue to support." At this I absently reached down and scratched Darwin's head, who was still sitting under my desk watching Mr. Jones.
"However, neither of us wishes to fulfill our needs at any cost. There are likely some things you will not do to recover your lost item. There are somethings I will not do to maintain my lifestyle. This interview is to determine where those boundaries are, and to negotiate how our partnership will work within them in order to satisfy our needs. Shall we continue?"
She looked at me, at Darwin, then crossed her legs and sat back into the chair.
"Let's."