Page 10 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
“You see that?” he asked.
She shook her head in confusion, then realized he wasn’t looking.“No, sir?”
He pointed with the remote. “Pim Moonprowl. First openlyAmaranthine actress on primetime. Get this … she plays a wolf.”
Melissa stared blankly at the clip. The actress was clearly meantto be part of a team of investigators. A tracker with bare feet and baubles ather throat and ankles, clad in a form-fitting corset and a furry miniskirt thesame color as her tail.
“Ever seen the like?” he demanded.
“She’s very beautiful,” Melissa managed as she watched thattail flick and curl.
The old man gave her a disappointed look, then harrumphed. “She’sveryfeline.”
Uncle Abel asked, “Does it really matter? Rivven all lookthe same to me.”
“Next time you ask for a puppy, you’re getting a kitten,”groused the senior Mr. Reaverson.
“Dad,” his son sighed. “Meet Melissa Armstrong, who will beboarding with us while attending classes at Bellwether.”
“George Reaverson.” His handshake was firm, his gaze keen.“You look like family. All of us are long in the leg. Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Just George. Or Uncle George, if you care to claim me.”
Then the commercial break ended, and he unmuted thetelevision. A five-person panel of news anchors and color commentators welcomedthe world to Kikusawa Shrine in Keishi, Japan for the next phase of theStarmark courtship.
Aunt Hiro gave in with grace. Joe helped her add anotherleaf to the table, and Tami rearranged the place settings so they could all seethe television while they ate.
Melissa tuned in to the panel’s discussion.
“ … made all the more dramatic by yesterday’s announcement.”
“Spokesperson Twineshaft has shown impressive foresight. By actingas Eloquence Starmark’s go-between for the duration of the courtship, he’sgained the world’s attention. Today’s entertainment isn’t just a celebration ofthe upcoming Miyabe-Starmark union, but of the Five’s long-anticipatedannouncement that they’ve expanded their membership to seven.”
“That’s right,” jumped in their color commentator as thecameras switched to Kimiko Miyabe and her entourage. “Suuzu Farroost, therepresentative for the phoenix clans, is the first avian spokesperson on thecouncil. We received word earlier that in celebration of the appointment, theclan will honor the couple’s continuing courtship with a phoenix fly-over.”
“Cameras will be trained on the skies!” The anchor turned tothe Betweener on their panel. “Reaver Hinman, am I safe in assuming that thisis a great honor?”
“Oh, no doubt. Both an honor and a blessing, since ….”
Tami leaned closer to Melissa and asked, “Aren’t they a cutecouple?”
Melissa tapped her heart. “He adores her.”
“Everyonedoes. Have you seen Kimiko’s book group onGoodreads? She and a friend run it, and they knowallthe best novels inspiredby the Emergence.”
Melissa only smiled. She was more interested in theunfolding scene on television. Some things weren’t obvious to casual observers,but whenever the cameras lingered on the courting couple, it was possible topick up on their body language. They sent little messages to each other—teasing,tender.
After dinner, they lingered at the table, watching the pageantryunfold. Reaver Hinman proved an excellent translator as he narrated thegraceful movements of the dance performed by a dozen deer clan members. Their festivalattire honored both the courting couple and the appointment of TennaSilverprong to the Amaranthine Council.
“ … might interest you to know that the Silverprong clanwere part of the first enclave to welcome reavers into their community,pre-dating the founding of Wardenclave by nearly a century.”
“And today, they add their blessing to the upcoming union ofa reaver to the grandson of one of Wardenclave’s founders. Truly a historicevent!”
Aunt Hiro took advantage of another commercial breakfeaturing the miscast Miss Moonprowl to chase everyone out of the kitchen andinto a shabbily comfortable family room. As Melissa accepted a chair acrossfrom Uncle George’s, Tami and Joe crowded together on a couch built for two.
As the commentators rambled on about the preservation of oldforests and the intricacy of Silverprong woodcarving, Melissa felt a subtleshift in the atmosphere. When she searched for its source, she noticed thatTami now sat with her arm tucked through Joe’s, her head resting on hisshoulder.
