Page 80 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
Overrun
Mindful of Kip’s warnings about the keen senses ofwolves, Joe skipped out on the formalities. He’d made short work of caring for themost essential of his responsibilities, then holed up in his room, where the door,the floor, and even the ceiling still shimmered faintly with Kip’s sigils.
One wall now boasted a modest stockpile—cereal boxes, bread,peanut butter, apples. He’d even smuggled in one of the coolers for itemsborrowed from the fridge.
Kip showed no signs of waking, so Joe settled in with therest of his contraband. Grandad kept a stack of tabloids next to his recliner.Flashy, sensational headlines screamed from their front pages, promisinginsider information and tell-all tales. Mom found them distasteful, referringto them as gossip rags, but Grandad read them religiously. Because ever sincethe Emergence, they were riddled with shocking revelations about the Rivvenraces.
The headlines were incredible.
My Neighbor Howls at the Moon
Rescued! Beast Saves Avalanche Victims
Girl Born with Demon Horns
Top Ten Signs Your Neighbor is Rivven
One Woman’s Unicorn Encounter
Joe flipped to see pictures of the unicorn’s love child, butthey were more confusing than conclusive. It might all be nonsense. Then again,some of it must be true. Why else would Grandad bother?
Slightly more credible were the articles following themovements of known Rivven. And the people closest to them.
Inside Lord Mossberne’s Mountaintop Retreat
Cats vs. Dogs: Twineshaft and Starmark Tell All
Adoona-soh’s Surprising Fashion Statements
Joe was halfway through an article entitled “This Year’sMust-Read Rivven Romances” when he realized that something was out of balance.With the farm overrun by wolves, he’d been adjusting like crazy. He could tell Jiminy’spackmates were nearby, which was unnerving. But this was slightly different.Could Jiminy be fussing with the wards again? Nope, this didn’t feel quite likethe harmonic dissonance that had been bugging him the other day. This wassomething new. Someone new?
He shook Kip’s shoulder.
Still no response.
Joe only hesitated for a scant minute before opening hisbedroom door and listening. The house was quiet. Everyone was elsewhere.Hurrying downstairs, he donned jacket and boots and slipped out a little-usedside door. Circling the house, he aimed for the road, sure that someone wasthere.
The house was warded. Jiminy had seen to that. But thedriveway wasn’t, since their customers needed access to their barns, thepumpkin patch, and the corn maze. The orchard and its produce were available toeveryone, no matter their species.
There. Someone was standing among the trees at the end ofthe driveway. Even though the gate was shut and the banners lowered.
Steeling his resolve, Joe walked down the drive.
Their lurker had black hair and eyes, and he watched Joe’sapproach without remark or retreat. His corduroy shirt was a weathered gray,and he stood with hands stuffed into the pockets of faded jeans.
“Are you Ash?”
“Hello, Joe.”
“Kip’s here.” He could feel color rising in his cheeks. “Hewon’t wake up.”
Ash nodded a few times. “Did he … say anything?”
“Umm … yeah.”
“How much?”
Joe didn’t even know where to start. “Most of it, I think.”
