"Her..."

“...t-that horrible fox...” Vivian was still trembling as she tried forcing herself to remember, even if it meant suffering in this room full of stink for even longer. “I...I-I’ll try to t-tell you what I gh...can...”

Texas nodded. She had no love for Vivian, but she wasn’t the type to mock someone who was suffering like this. Even this bitch. “R-right...so, can we uh, step outta this stink? I-it’s kkhinda hard ta breathe.”

“N...ngh...no. S-she made...me think...h-her farts are air. If I llleave, I can’t breathe...”

Jeez...Rivercrest really was just a psycho who put on fancy airs. Brainwashing and gassing people is bad enough, but messing with their heads so they think they’re suffocating when they breathe clean air? “Shit...wish I could h-help y’all there. J-just tell me whatcha know, and I swear the name Rivercrest Gi-”

“DON’T SAY HER FULL NAME!” Vivian shrieked before doubling over coughing once more. Texas was taken aback, and damn near jumped out of her seat at that. Through her watering eyes, Vivian looked dead into Texas’. “Bitch...gh...made her name a t-trigger f..fhk...four weeks ago. Makes me all stupid...”

That explains what Texas had seen earlier when she used Rivercrest’s full name. So she’s had the mayor in her pocket for at least a month now. And somehow, Texas hadn’t hears a lick of this until today. “R-right, uh...s-so when did she first uh...c-come here? And what the hell does she want?”

Vivian was struggling harder now. The longer she tried to focus, the more fart-tainted air she had to breathe. And that smell was making it hard to keep focusing! “Mngh...t-two months? Once a...a week. I...d-don’t kgh...know what she’s doing. Just t-that I couldn’t...t-tell her no!”

So, by that count it only took about four “sessions” with Vivian for Rivercrest to turn her into a total pawn. No wonder April was already starting to act funny. Well, Texas only had one thing left to ask then. “Mngh...d-do ya know i-if she’s snared...a-anyone else?”

Vivian nodded right away, barely able to hold onto herself. “She...s-she has...” The lynx straightened back up. “Texas, I am through answering your questions! There is nothing to investigate regarding Miss Gildegarden. Leave right this instant or so help me, I will have you pressed into toilet paper and left at Roxie Roo’s door!”

Well, that was...somewhat helpful. Texas at least knew that she probably didn’t have any post-hypnotic suggestions in her head...yet. Still, she didn’t know what Rivercrest was planning, nor did she have any idea who else in this town was under her influence. Though honestly, just knowing that there WERE other people in Gold Springs that she’d hypnotized was more than Texas had before coming here. Texas took her leave before the hypnotized Vivian got any more steamed at her continued presence, taking a pause to solemnly shake her head to the boar guards when they gave her an inquisitive look as to Vivian’s current condition.

Well, that left Texas with the question of what to do next. Rivercrest wasn’t in Gold Springs right now, so she couldn’t directly confront the fox unless she took a train East to the city. Though, she’d be out of her jurisdiction there and she’d be **** to deal with all their legal restrictions anyways. There was no guarantee she could even get Rivercrest put away up there, given that if she were put on trial, she might have a way to influence the minds of a jury! So, while it presented the most immediate way to solve her problem, Texas would be on her own, would have to operate beneath the law, and was taking a pretty big risk.

Texas could also try poking around town to see if she could sniff out what other folks Rivercrest might have enthralled. Though, most prominent folks around here weren’t as civilized as Vivian, and she could end up as someone’s ass tattoo if she wasn’t careful. Especially given that the search may end up being a needle in a haystack for her, given the large multitude of people that Rivercrest could have used her funny watch on.

Her final option was to wait. She knew Rivercrest would be back, and would be living out here for at least some parts of the year. The problem was that Texas didn’t know WHEN Rivercrest would be back. The vixen had apparently been regularly visiting Gold Springs every week for two whole months and Texas had never noticed her until Rivercrest wanted her to! Plus given that Rivercrest had actually chosen to reveal herself to Texas, and that she apparently had already gotten everything she wanted out of the Mayor, it would be safe to assume that she might not be visiting terribly often anymore until her home was complete. Rivercrest had even said herself she wouldn’t be back for a month or two.

None of these options were great, but Texas had to pick something!