Read To Die Fur (A Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Mystery) for Free Online Page B

thought he was at a loss, but it turned out he was just gathering his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was different; he didn’t sound like a man delivering a sales pitch anymore. He sounded like someone in a church.
    “I am a Hindu,” he began. “As you no doubt noticed during dinner, I do not eat meat. This is due to the concept of ahimsa, which means non-violence. It is not merely a dietary restriction; it is the underlying principle by which I live my life. To do violence to any living thing is wrong, even to feed yourself. I hold all life to be sacred—and to be entrusted with preserving a most singular life is a tremendous responsibility.
    “Because of my beliefs, the liger means a great deal to me personally. Both the lion and the tiger are important figures in my religion. The fourth incarnation of Vishnu was half lion, while the tiger is ridden by the Goddess Durga.”
    He gazed at ZZ solemnly. “I promise you, should you choose Goa for Augustus’s new home, he will be treated as more than simply a valuable object. He will be treated with respect, and with reverence.”
    “Thank you,” ZZ said softly. “That answers my question nicely. Next up is Zhen Yao.”
    Zhen blinked. “Ah. Yes, of course. I have my presentation with me.” She fumbled at her feet for the black briefcase she’d taken with her from the sitting room, and put it on the table. In the process she knocked over a water glass.
    “Ai-yah!” she exclaimed. ZZ signaled for Astoria to wipe it up, but I was already there with my napkin.
    “Take it easy,” I whispered to Zhen as I wiped. “You’ll be fine.”
    She gave me a half-embarrassed smile, then nodded—more to herself than me.
    Once the spill was dealt with, I sat back down. Zhen opened her briefcase, took out a file folder and a laptop, and fiddled with both for a minute. Oscar took the opportunity to signal the drinks trolley for a refill.
    “I do hope you’re going to show a movie,” Oscar said. “Two sermons in a row tend to put me to sleep.”
    Zhen ignored him, which was often the best choice when it came to Oscar. “Ms. Zee-zee Deer, esteemed colleagues,” Zhen began. “I am here representing the Wuhan Zoo. We are a prestigious organization with a long and honorable history. We believe our organization is best suited for the care and housing of the liger Augustus.”
    I tried not to wince. Her stiffness made Rajiv’s formality seem as casual as a T-shirt and flip-flops.
    “As you can see, our facilities are impressive and very clean.” She tapped a key on the laptop and all the wallscreens turned a bright blue. The panic in her eyes got a little brighter, but she soldiered on. “There is some trouble with the interface. I will fix.” She bent over the laptop and started typing rapidly, muttering under her breath in what sounded like Cantonese.
    “A bit slow starting,” said Oscar, “but this shows promise.”
    “Oscar,” ZZ said, a warning note in her voice.
    [Foxtrot. I’ve scouted around Augustus’s cage. Tango is not here.]
    Is Augustus okay?
    [He appears to be fine. Would you like me to find her? I can track her easily.]
    Which way did she go?
    [Deeper into the menagerie. And from the residual scent I’m picking up, she was quite upset.]
    How upset?
    [Ready-to-rip-someone’s-throat-out upset. In my professional opinion.]
    Go.
    The wallscreens had changed to a shot of a large building—Wuhan Zoo, one would assume.
    One would be wrong. Zhen stared at the screens and said, “That’s my high school.”
    “I understand, love,” said Karst. “My high school was a zoo, too.”
    “Beastly places in general,” said Oscar.
    “Oscar!” ZZ snapped.
    “No, no, no,” Zhen muttered. She hit more keys and the school was replaced by a shot of a meadow filled with tall, yellow grass.
    “I say, the sports field needs a bit of tending,” said Oscar.
    “Wouldn’t want to lose a ball in there,” added Karst.
    “This,” said Zhen grimly, “is