The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One: Fuel - 2

Disclaimer: Zootopia stories, characters, settings, and properties belong to the Walt Disney Co. This story is written under Fair Use Copyright laws.

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The Fire Triangle—A Zootopia Fanfiction

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Part One:

Fuel

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Chapter 1 – With This Ring

(Continued...pt.2)

Passing through the curtain, Ahmed paused for a moment, glancing backwards through the beads at the fox and bunny. Scratching at an ear with his hind, he considered how best to approach his brother. This was going to call for a delicate presentation, and depending on Ismael's mood of the moment, even that might not be enough to garner his approval.

He turned and continued on his way.

The rear section of Rafaj Brothers Fine Jewelers, where most of the work was done, had about as much in common with showroom as an adobe hut has with a sultan's palace. Oh the back was fitted with state-of-the-art LED lighting and a top-drawer air cooling and filtration system, but that was where the hi-tech ended; everything else in here was textbook retro-kitsch. The chairs and other furnishings all looked like leftovers from a low-budget remake of Catsablanca—while the employees themselves resembled like extras from the film. Kaftans, thobes and skullcaps abounded and the air seemed tinged at every moment with the smoked-flower aroma of incense. When one of the large-mammal employees got up and moved about, the floorboards invariably creaked in protest.

None of this mattered to Ahmed; his customers never saw this part of the store, only the creations that came out of it. Here was where all the stones were sorted and all the settings fashioned.

On the near side of the room were the worktables reserved for larger mammals while the opposite wall held two tiers of work spaces; a lower level for small-to-midsize species, and above this, a row of tiny tables on a shelf, the denizen of the rodent employees. To avoid any trampling issues, the room was bisected by a low partition.

It was a casual atmosphere to say the least; every employee was allowed to keep his or her worktable any way they saw fit, (provided it did not interfere with their job.) This ranged from a table crammed with enough papers to make a bureaucrat faint, (belonging to a gerbil,) to the almost antiseptically sterile work-space at the far end of the room—the private domain of Ahmed's younger brother, Ismael.

While physically the pair of jackals could almost have been twins, in mode of dress the only clothing item they shared was the deep-red fez perched atop each of their heads. Other than that, while Ahmed's clothes were western, sharp, and neatly pressed, Ismael's kaftan looked regularly slept in and seldom washed. Even worse was his 'lucky' embroidered vest; worn to work every day for the past twenty years, and looking twice its age. Sometimes Ahmed had to wonder; did his brother keep such a spotless work area as a way of compensating for his own, slovenly appearance?

At the moment Ismael was peering intently through a magnifying ring-light, scrutinizing a diamond held beneath it in a pair of tweezers.

Ahmed studied the younger jackal for a moment, considering once more the best way to put it to him. There was another reason why Ismael al-Rafaj was almost never seen out front. Not to put too fine a point on it, he had all the tact of a khamsin. More than once his elder brother had needed to talk one of their employees out of quitting because of him...and he hadn't always been successful.

He cleared his throat and stepped forward, speaking in Arabic

"A private moment if you please, brother?"

Without a word, Ismael pushed the ring light aside and got up. A moment later the brothers were seated crossed-legged on floor-cushions in Ahmed's private office, sipping coffee from Turkish cups

"What is it then, Ahmed?" Ismael inquired, impatiently setting his cup aside. The elder jackal let it pass, his brother was always impatient.

He set down his cup and leaned forward.

"We have a small mammal couple out front who wish to purchase... purchase an engagement ring...a lavender diamond engagement ring." It wasn't quite true of course, but if he was going to get the proposal past Ismael, this was how he'd BETTER phrase it.

"Truly?" The younger jackal also leaned forward, his tawny face alight in a rare display of excitement. He clapped his paws together and lifted them towards the ceiling. "Heaven be praised! Perhaps we shall finally rid ourselves of the last of the..."

He stopped suddenly, peering closely at Ahmed, one eye wider than the other.

"All right brother, I see it in your face...and you would not normally be consulting with me over such a matter. What is it, then?"

Ahmed sighed, and dropped the other shoe.

"They are a fox...and a rabbit."

Ismael's ears turned instantly sideways and his lip curled upward, revealing a fang.

"What...TOGETHER!" he snarled, coming halfway off of his cushion. He held like that for several seconds—while Ahmed held his breath.

And then finally, he sat back down again, picking his words carefully, as if they were diamonds.

"It is just fortunate...that it IS a lavender diamond they want. Else, I should insist you have this...this fox and bunny sent away at once."

"As I would have," Ahmed assured his brother, nodding gravely to hide his relief. It did not matter whether Ismael accepted the idea grudgingly—as long as he accepted it.

And with that out of the way, there was another matter to discuss. And so Ahmed leaned forward once again.

"We must rid ourselves of this diamond at all costs, Ismael. I say therefore that we should be prepared so offer it for no more than we paid, perhaps even take a small loss as long as it is gone."

This time he got no argument from the other jackal.

"I agree," his brother answered, nodding vigorously. "We made more than enough off the rest of the shipment to be able to afford it."

He left the next words hanging—prompting Ahmed to hang his head in momentary shame. Yes, they had...except for one, singular stone, the one that had been haunting them ever since.

Taking advantage of his brother's momentary contrition, Ismael lifted an ear and an eyebrow. "But you will, of course, not offer that as your FIRST price?"

Mildly offended, Ahmed pinched up his muzzle. He wasn't that ashamed of himself.

"Certainly not brother; you of all jackals should know me better than that." He tapped a finger on the coffee table between them. "Nonetheless, we must free ourselves of this accursed diamond and quickly."

"Yes, immediately," Ismael agreed nodding vigorously this time "before the Red Pig learns of what we have been doing."

At the mention of that name, Ahmed's ears went back and his fur spiked. This time, when his paw hit the tabletop, he didn't just tap it with a finger; he slapped it with his pawlm—so hard, the pair of coffee cups fell over and went rolling off the edge and onto the carpet. (Luckily, both were empty.)

"The Red Pig?" he snarled, "He is the LEAST of our worries, brother." He looked down and away, grimacing and pressing his knuckles to the side of his head, "Bismillah, how could I have been such a fool?"

Surprisingly, Ismael attempted to reassure him, offering the elder jackal a pair of upturned pawlms.

"You had no way of knowing who he was, brother."

Ahmed slapped the table again, harder this time.

"I knew he was a SHREW...and that he wanted an engagement ring. I should have added that together!"

A voice called warily from outside the door, "Is everything all right in there, Bey?"

"We are fine, go back to your work." Ismael answered, in a harsh, Arabic growl.

"Yes, Bey." The voice replied gingerly, "But Rashid asks me to inform you that your customers out front are becoming restless."

"Very well, thank you." Ahmed called, jumping in quickly before his brother could say any more.

Ismael looked at him for a second, and then rose decisively from his cushion.

"You had best go and soothe them while I fetch the diamond. I will see you out front with it shortly."

Ahmed also got up, but much more cautiously.

"I-I-I think it best if..."

The younger jackal immediately cut him off.

"You should have an extra pair of eyes on that fox, brother."

That sent Ahmed's ears shooting sideways and caused his neck fur to spike again, but his time in outrage rather than penitence.

"Yes, he is a fox...and are we not jackals? Do WE not also suffer the scorn of..."

"I don't care what species he is!" Ismael interrupted testily, "He could be one of our own for all I care. But what if he IS planning to steal the diamond? To whom should we report it, then?"

Ahmed sighed and wiped his forehead with the back of his paw. His brother was right and he knew it, but still...

"Very well," he conceded, "but this time, allow ME to do the talking please? I don't need you causing trouble with our customers again...especially not these two."

He reached over and opened the office door.

"What?" Ismael's muzzle was angled indignantly upwards. "Name one, single instance when I have ever done that!"

Ahmed turned and walked out, ticking off the memories on his fingers.

"There was the wood-rat who threatened to sue us; there was the bison who nearly pitched me through a display case;" He stopped, looking over a shoulder, "And let us not forget the raccoons who came back and sprayed graffiti all over the windows after you called one of them a trash-pan..."

"I said one SINGLE instance!" Ismael snapped.

A moment later, Ahmed was standing with Nick and Judy when Ismael appeared, cupping a tiny blue-velvet box in paws. The elder jackal could tell right away that this was not going to go well; his brother seemed to be barely restraining himself.

"Ah, thank you Ismael," he said, hurriedly taking the box from the younger jackal's paws...and flashing a discreet scowl that spoke volumes; "And pleeeeease, hold your tongue for once!"

He turned back to his customers.

"I fear we only have one lavender diamond remaining sir," He said, offering the fox and bunny an apologetic expression, "But it is quite lovely, I assure you...and happily, just the perfect size for the lady's species."

He cast a quick, sidelong glance at Ismael, who looked away, mouthing something unpleasant.

Ahmed nodded back sharply and then once more returned his attention to Nick and Judy.

"Here it is, then," he said, and flipped open the box.

Nick was the first to react. His ears fell backwards, his eyes went wide, and then he let out a long, trembling, airy breath while Judy put a paw to her mouth.

There, nestled in dark satin was a cushion-cut diamond of incredible luster—and the delicate hue of a violet sunrise. Nick said nothing but only looked beseechingly at Ahmed, who nodded slightly and whispered 'You may."

Carefully, delicately Nick took hold of the little ring-box and affixed his jeweler's loupe. At once, his bushy tail commenced to swish back and forth in an S-wave.

"This is it." He announced in a breathless almost choking voice, taking the loupe from his eye. "This is our diamond."

Judy cried out at once, "No Nick...no! Darn you I just said it's too much money."

But he was already pressing the box into her paws.

"Maybe too much for a birthday present, sweetheart," he told he, speaking in a soft, gentle voice, "Maybe even too much for a Christmas present." He offered her the jewelers loupe "But not for a lifetime...and how can it be any other diamond? Look Judy; look how it goes with your eyes.

Reluctantly, very reluctantly the grey-furred bunny placed the loupe in her eye and examined the ring. When she removed it once again, two things were obvious: The first was that the lavender diamond was a perfect complement for her lovely, violet eyes.

The second was that she was fighting back tears of joy mixed with frustration.

"It's too much money," she repeated, her voice nearly a mouse's squeak

Nick put his paw on her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes.

"I'll manage it, sweetheart."

"Nick..."

"I'll manage it."

Judy sniffed and compressed her lips for second, and then looked up nodding tightly.

"Okay."

"Okay," the fox answered, taking back the diamond with an adoring smile.

And then they embraced in a mile-deep hug...which brought Ismael flying in their direction. He stopped only after Ahmed turned and bared his fangs.

The instant they let go of each other, the red fox was back on ground level.

"Uhhhm, could we possibly discuss some, errr...financing?" he said to Ahmed

"I am sure we can arrange something." The golden jackal answered, before shooting a warning look at his brother; DON'T spoil this now!

A short while later, Ismael emerged from the back once more with a velvet box cupped in his paws, this one in burgundy red. (Ahmed was greatly relieved to see that his brother's righteous indignation had finally given way to practical considerations. Who cared what species these two were, as long as they were finally rid of the last of the lavender diamonds?)

"Here you are sir," the jackal said, presenting the box to Nick with a small bow.

Nick opened it, and both he and Judy gasped. There was the diamond, nestled in an elegant white-gold setting of two intertwined comets. They gazed adoringly for a second, and then Nick said to Judy, "Ready to try it on, Carrots?"

Judy held out her paw with fingers extended...while Ahmed's ears extended upwards and pointed at each other. 'Carrots?' While that was a common enough way to address a rabbit, it was certainly no term of endearment.

And calling a bunny 'Carrots' right before putting an engagement ring on her finger? Just one moment!

Ahmed's dark eyes narrowed as the words of his brother came swiftly and silently back to him, "Supposing he IS here to seal the diamond..."

He looked quickly over at Ismael, whom he saw was wearing the same expression. A subtle nod passed between the two brothers, and then Ismael signaled discreetly to Rashid, who moved quickly and quietly to block the front door. At the same time, Ahmed reached behind the counter, his paw poised over the emergency shutters 'panic' button.'

Nick seemed oblivious to everything but Judy; for the moment she was his whole universe. He slipped the ring onto her finger while she blinked back the tears once more.

"Oh Nick," she almost whimpered, rocking her paw slowly from side to side, "Look at it...it's a perfect fit."

"A perfect it for a perfect lady," the fox told her softly, gazing deep into her eyes.

He brushed at Judy's cheek with the back of his fingers—and then he took her in his arms and kissed her. She closed her eyes and kissed him back...lost in the magic of the moment.

...until Ismael's howl of outrage broke the spell.

"Do not do this in our shop, please! Rabbit...FOX!"

He looked towards his brother with smoldering eyes...and for once, the golden jackals were in complete accord. Standing by the door, Rashid seemed equally dismayed.

It took Ahmed all of half a second to come storming out from behind the counter, ears turned sideways and fangs showing, the fox's use of 'Carrots completely forgotten.

"Such an inappropriate display of affection," he raged, "A predator and prey species!"

"Right in front of us!" his brother Ismael growled, (a muted reaction, coming for him.) He looked around for a second, then back at Nick and Judy, aiming an accusing finger. "It is just fortunate there was no one else in our shop to witness your shameless behavior."

"And now you may leave," Ahmed told them, coldly, "You have your diamond, take it and go!" He motioned to Rashid, who stepped quickly aside to let them pass.

Nick ignored him, taking two angry steps moved in the jackals' direction. "Now, just a minute...!"

Judy swiftly grabbed his arm.

"No Nick, no...please, it's not worth it."

Nick stopped, but continued to glare at Ismael.

"It's not worth it." She pleaded again, trying to pull him back, "And it's nothing we haven't seen before. Please?"

Nick ignored her for a second, but then sagged in defeat, letting out long breath of air.

"Yeah...right as always, Judy. Come on, let's just go."

He put his arm around her while she laid her head beneath his shoulder.. Then the two of them strolled towards the shop's front entrance, all dignity.

As Nick pulled the door open, Ismael was unable to resist, firing off one last parting shot.

"Just be sure you make your payments promptly, fox!" he sneered.

"And in FULL!" his brother snarled.

It was Judy who answered them, turning to look at the brothers for a second and speaking in an oddly flat and dismissive tone. "Yeah guys, don't worry. You'll both get whatever's coming to you."

Before either of the jackals could respond to this, she and Nick were out the door.

They held each other tightly as they walked away from the entrance, drawing unhappy glances from several passersby and a derisive giggle from a pair of young goats. The fox and bunny ignored it all, drawing closer with every step.

At the next corner they turned down a side street; finally no more gawkers.

And then the minute they were alone, Judy hurriedly pushed Nick off of her.

"You KISSED me! What did you have to kiss me for?"