The True Confessions of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 42: Never Let Humans Invent New Traditions

"I see you're making friends," commented Flicker.

With no documents to flip through, the clerk didn't seem to know what to do with his hands. He fidgeted with his fingers until he laced them together inside his sleeves and held them still.

Yep, I replied before I crunched into a spoon cabbage leaf. Mmm, it was so much crisper and sweeter than the one I'd bitten in a fit of rage in the Jeks' vegetable patch. I do need allies if I'm going to keep Taila alive.

"Allies – or tools?" he retorted.

Is there a difference?

He sighed. "For you, no."

There wasn't much to add to that, so I didn't bother. Instead, we lapsed into a comfortable silence while I ate and he shuffled his feet.

At last, I took pity on him and asked between bites, How're things going up there anyway?

His voice was curt, but the speed at which he answered told me that he was grateful for something to do besides watch me chew. "Same old, same old. Souls need reincarnating. Gods need placating."

How's Glitter doing? Getting along with Cassius? The question wasn't all flippant: I needed to know if the Superintendent of Reincarnation might ally herself with my enemy.

Flicker's grimace put my mind at ease. "Glitter is experienced at the inner workings of a bureaucracy."

Whereas Cassius isn't?

"Oh, he is. He is." The clerk hesitated, as if debating whether to spread office gossip to one of the souls it concerned. "The Star of Heavenly Joy is on the verge of getting himself appointed Assistant Director of Reincarnation."

He is???

My first reaction was pure, unadulterated horror. My second was surprise that it had taken him so long.

So what's taking him so long? I asked. Did Lady Fate have another vision or something? Although I started out sarcastically, halfway through it turned into a genuine question.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Flicker assured me. "There are just a lot of procedures that candidates have to go through before they can be formally appointed to a position like that. First of all, they have to serve for a certain period of time at the bureau in order to become eligible. That rule was instituted to ensure that officials are familiar with how their bureaus function, and that they can work with their colleagues."

I could imagine why that rule had been instituted. Doubtless, in the past, some god had wrangled a directorship for his wildly-unqualified favorite child, and said child had wreaked so much havoc that not even Heaven could overlook it. Nepotism had happened a lot on Earth too, even without my active encouragement. For all I knew, it was still happening. In fact, it probably was. I spared a moment for regret that I was no longer in any position to abet it.

By "colleagues," I assume you don't mean star sprites? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I did not get the impression that Glitter is a fan of Cassius'.

Alas, Flicker didn't let me tempt him into saying anything damaging about his boss. "As I said, the Superintendent is experienced at the inner workings of a bureaucracy and does not let her personal feelings interfere with her professional duties."

Ha. Meaning she detested Cassius but couldn't do anything besides work around him.

What other procedures does he have to go through before he can get appointed Assistant Director?