The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1684

"Why aren't they even a little bit scared? It's as if they're just out for a post-dinner stroll."

Steward was utterly baffled. Previously, a couple of business partners had come to the island to discuss deals, and some were so terrified by the mere sight of a leopard that they'd faint on the spot. One time, a leopard had to drag an unconscious man by his shirt to the villa's doorstep for the security to carry him inside.

Then there was the guy who started screaming and running for his life at the sight of a tiger, only to be tackled by a few of them. The tigers didn't hurt him; they just batted him around like a toy, sending him flying from one side to another, scaring him so bad he wet his pants. It took him days to recover from that ordeal.

Another partner tried to scare a tiger off with all sorts of intimidating noises and even cursed at it, only to be met with a look from the tiger as if it was watching someone retarded. In the end, out of options, he broke down crying and started sharing his tragic life story with the tiger.

But this pair of buyers was as cool as cucumbers. They were a first.

"Send the hounds to greet them."

When Sean mentioned hounds, he wasn't referring to a nickname for one of his guys; he meant the actual dogs that guarded the property.

Horace followed his boss to the front of the villa, puzzled, "Boss, why aren't there any of their guys out here?"

Instead, a well-trained pack of hounds lined up and started barking at their approach.

These hounds seemed far more formidable than the tiger they had encountered earlier, each one tense and ready, as if they would tear them to shreds the moment they stepped through the gate.

Suddenly, Arabella made a sound, a series of elongated, modulated tones that seemed like she was communicating with the dogs.

Horace was flabbergasted. Was the boss talking to the hounds in some kind of animal language? He had seen some clips online of people doing that sort of thing, but this was real life, and facing a pack of hounds like this, he'd never seen anyone actually attempt it.

Would it even work?

Back at the monitors, Steward's jaw nearly hit the floor. One second, the hounds were barking madly at these strangers; the next, they parted to the sides, sitting down quietly, suddenly docile.