Page 162 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
The squirrel waggled his brows. “Stick close, and you’llsoon see.”
“Why do I need to be involved?”
“Might be good to have a witness.”
Ash groaned but gave in. He’d been living with a squirrelfor so long, a day wouldn’t be normal if there weren’t some kind of caperinvolved. And it gave him an excuse to introduce himself.
Hisoka exuded nothing more than polite interest at theirapproach. “Spokesperson Woodacre. Ashishishe Sunfletch. It is a pleasure.”
“Do you have time for a private word? Or would you prefernot to speak of weighty matters on the darkest day?”
“This is both an auspicious time and a hope-filled place.”Hisoka beckoned for more. “I would never deny a spokesperson their right tospeak.”
Uncle Denny gripped Hisoka’s hands gratefully, then slid hisinto the supporting position. “Two things, really. You see, I have connections.All of us in hiding, we find ways to keep in touch. Even before our boy heretook to courting, I was pulling this together.”
From inside his sash, he withdrew a folded paper.
Ash had no idea what was going on, but he watched Hisoka’sface closely. The cat scanned the page twice, then murmured, “This is quite alist.”
“Only one of its kind.” He tapped the edge of the page.“Every one of them is willing to step forward and represent.”
“That is welcome news.”
“It’s just the beginning.” Uncle Denny withdrew a secondpaper, which was more of a packet. He beamed. “Thisisn’t just cake.It’s icing.”
Hisoka glanced at the pages, his brows slowly knitting.“Tell me what I’m looking at, Linden.”
“A proposal for the proposal.” Uncle Denny’s hand clampedonto Ash’s shoulder. “He has a lady to impress, and she wants nothing more thanpeace. So he makes the rounds, the old whistle-stop treatment. Fifty states,fifty enclaves, each one doing good in their communities, each one willing tobe known.”
Ash tried to get a look at the papers. “What are you talkingabout, Uncle Denny?”
All he got was a wink. Denny was too deep in his pitch tostop now. “I know a guy who knows a guy, as they say. Willing and able to giveAsh and his courtship a television series. He goes in, gets a bit of history,tries his hand at their stock-in-trade, and brings home some special trinketfor his lady. Real. Informative. Entertaining. And every episode brings anotherclan or enclave into the open.”
“Interesting,” mused Hisoka.
“Isn’t it? A crosser crossing the country. You never knowwhen he might visit your state.” Denny was nodding like the deal was done.“Two-hour episodes aired once a month, plus holiday specials, and you’ll haveAmericans on the edge of their seats for … oh, four years, at least. You’d begiving the world something to look forward to after the Miyabe-Starmarkcourtship runs its course.”
“Very interesting.” Hisoka’s gaze settled on Ash. “Is this somethingyou would consider?”
It was a crazy idea. And catchy. It would probably take off,but there would have to be limits. “If you can keep my part of the productionto one weekend a month, I’d consider it. Because I’m not giving up my day job. Andyou’d better come up with someotherreason than courtship for mybringing home gifts, because I’mnotwaiting four years.”
Hisoka smiled. “You remind me of your father.”
Ash felt … teased. “I am his son. All is as it should be.”
The cat took a conciliatory stance. “Cyril placed similar conditionson his collaboration.”
“He wouldn’t leave his school?” That was hardly a surprise.
“He wouldn’t leave his son.”
While the oak glen rang with the songs of bards and theballads of storytellers, three twins, two janitors, and two wolves slipped awayby twos and a trio. The appointed time was near, and the appointed place hummedwith enough power to give Ash pause.
“Did you add to the wards?” he asked Kip.
“Should I be flattered? Or was that a joke?” His bestfriend’s tail was puffed double. “Jiminy?”
“Did anybody catch the guest list to this cabal?”
