A band. We definitely need a band. Oh! And dance performances. Good thing the Green Frog is right across the river. We'll hire...hmm, let's hire the same musicians who perform at the Caltrop Pond Water Court. They're reasonable. And that'll flatter the baron, make him feel like he's on the same level as a dragon king. Wait! No! We should hire musicians and dancers from the capital! Yeah. Yeah. Any of you know which duke sponsors the best company? No? Fine, we'll look into it later. We need to make a list of everything we have to do. Clerk, write it dow–
Oh. Oh. Wait. I didn't have a clerk.
I didn't even have paper.
What I did have was a single sheet of worn parchment; a chipped inkstick that made pale, runny ink; and an event planning committee that consisted of two farmers, a bamboo viper spirit, a whistling duck demon, a cat spirit, and a rat spirit – only two of whom knew how to write.
At the moment, all of them were wearing stunned expressions. They gaped as I paced back and forth across the Jeks' lone table, planning a gala to celebrate the completion of our schoolhouse.
Well, that was to be expected. They'd seen Piri the turtle-shaped partyer; Piri the tutor; Piri the local community leader; Piri the emissary from Heaven, summoner of star sprites. What they hadn't seen yet was Piri the hostess of the Imperial Court.
Stripey, write it all down, I instructed one of the other two literate people at the table.
The duck demon eyeballed me until I sighed, (mentally) rolled my eyes, and added, Please. Only then did he reach for the brush.
Cassius' clerks had never required pleases or thank-yous.
"What am I writing down, precisely?"
Cassius' clerks had never required me to repeat myself either. Say what you would about the man, he'd gotten some things right.
Write down a to-do list. Please. Number one: Hire the best playing company in the capital. Oh, right, someone'll have to arrange transportation for them out here too.
Actually, come to think of it, I wasn't even sure what the capital of East Serica was. The City of Dawn Song, Cassius' capital, perhaps? I hadn't bothered to check on Floridiana's map, not that I trusted it anyway. Where was the border between East and North Serica on the map that Flicker had shown me? I mostly remembered that it was in a state of constant flux – but did it wobble back and forth to the west of the City of Dawn Song?
Eh, not my problem. I'd delegate the details to someone with an understanding of logistics, the way I always had. Stripey was pretty good at it. He could handle getting the performers from wherever the capital was to the Claymouth Barony.
Number two: Hire chefs. You can't have a gala without a banquet. Well, if we're already bringing in musicians and dancers from the capital, we might as well hire chefs there too. They'll be better than anyone out here. What else do we need food-wise? A menu. We have to draw up a menu. Ten courses or twelve?
"Ten!" Bobo broke in. Swept up in my excitement, she was waving her tail. "We ssshould have ten! 'Cause ten's a lucky number!"
I'd been leaning towards twelve myself, but I wanted her to feel that her contributions were valued, so I agreed, That's a good idea. Let's go with ten. Any thoughts on specific dishes?
Naturally, we'd have the standard soup, noodle, and fish courses.
Fancy fish. Not catfish.
"Cheese and nuts!" Master Rattus' voice lifted up in a squeak. "We gotta serve cheese and nuts!"
YOU ARE READING
The True Confessions of a Nine-Tailed Fox
FantasyAfter Piri the nine-tailed fox follows an order from Heaven to destroy a dynasty, she finds herself on trial in Heaven for that very act. Executed by the gods for the "crime," she is cast into the cycle of reincarnation, starting at the very bottom...
