From Forgiveness, available now from, Cerridwen Press

Jim started to doze next to Penelope. “Jim, what’s Recharging like?” she asked.

Jim, his body half-in, half-out of her lap, tensed. [Just what it says—a chance to rest and rejuvenate.] It was a chance to cry, to use his hands again and touch human skin again, even if it was just his own. It was a chance to feel the floor with his feet, not with the leathery pads of an animal. A chance to be human, if only briefly.

“But we rest during quarantine.”

[This is different. I have an assigned room and a special counselor.] The angel in his mind made an annoyed noise at this prosaic description. [We talk about penance.]

Penelope’s hand, stroking his head, paused. “Is it awful? You don’t have to say if you don’t want to but…I’d like to know.”

[It’s the choice I made.]

“I love you, Jim.” She bent down and kissed his head, a tendril of long hair brushing across his muzzle. “If only you’d tell me who has to forgive you I’d go to her and talk to her. I’d tell her how fine you are. I can’t believe you’d ever harm someone.”

Jim let out a ragged sigh. [That’s against the rules,] he reminded her. [And anyway, she has to forgive the man I was, not the creature I am now.] He nuzzled against her arm. [If my penance is served, everything will change, Nell. You know that, don’t you?]

Her hand stilled on his head. “What do you mean?”

[I can’t tell you the details but things won’t be the same between us. Things will change.]

“I’d miss you if you were reassigned.” She sank back on her pillow with a sigh. “Is that what would happen?”

[Perhaps. That would be up to you, I guess.] The angel buzzed again and Jim knew he was perilously close to overstepping the rules. [Anyway, we don’t have to worry about that yet. Nothing will happen until I’m forgiven.]

“I love you, Jim,” Penelope said sleepily. “I’d hate to lose you.”

He nuzzled her again. [You haven’t lost me yet, Nell. Go to sleep now.]

Jim nestled against her side, listening as her breathing slowed.

[How does it feel to watch yourself?] his angel asked after a long pause. [What do you think of who you were?]

Jim pondered that, listening to Penelope’s gentle snores. [I loved her as much as I knew how,] he finally admitted. [I was so afraid the people here would turn against me too.]

[Why didn’t you tell her?]

[She was so sweet and gentle. Would she have understood?]

There was another pause. [Do you think this Penelope will understand?]

[Of course,] Jim said immediately. [She’s not sheltered. She’s seen human history.]

[But won’t she be more likely to fall in love with Benteen? She’ll have sympathy for a man who was persecuted for a social infraction.]

[It was a bit more than that!] Jim’s eyes narrowed as he remembered his past. [I should have saved Sarah. I should have seen what was happening.]

[You’re not to blame,] the voice said sharply. [Sarah killed herself. You were just there when she did it, unwittingly giving her the means.]

Jim snorted into his paws. [Thanks for that, at least.] He closed his eyes and settled down, his body relaxed while his senses kept guard.

There was a long silence. Jim had started to doze in Penelope’s arms when the voice spoke again. [Good luck, hound.] The words were affectionate and sad. Jim shivered. Penelope soothed him with a gentle murmur before falling back to sleep.