The True Confessions of a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 132: With Full Confidence, at Full Volume

"No! No! Jullie! Noooooooo!" screamed Anthea.

She kicked at Dusty's sides, not to spur him into a gallop to rescue the queen – but because she was throwing a tantrum. For obvious reasons, that shocked him so much that he reared up. As she began to slide off his rump, she screeched, lunged forward, and clutched his mane, yanking out strands.

Eyes rolling in their sockets, Dusty whinnied and lashed out uselessly with his front hooves. "Make her stop! Make her stop!"

Anthea landed on the ground with a thump, silks splayed out around her, and began to bawl. The bear spirits who were carrying Katu's platform nearly trampled her before they teetered to a halt, and then a wave of worshippers stopping abruptly and getting bumped by those behind them spread down the street. The singing petered out, and its place, confused questions and complaints rose.

This was bad. If we lost momentum here, our procession wouldn't sweep into the throne room with full gravitas, and if we didn't sweep into the throne room with full gravitas, we'd never bowl over Jullia enough for her to obey me.

Get up, Anthea. We're not there yet. I flew from one side of her head to the other, fanning her face with my wings in an attempt to calm her.

"It's all ooooooooover!" she wailed. "It's just like the City of Dawn Soooooooong!"

This is not the City of Dawn Song, and it is not over. It hasn't even begun! I'm just getting started here.

"The mob – the riots – the dynasty – "

Anthea. Pull yourself together. Look at me. I hovered right in front of her nose, so close that she went cross-eyed focusing on me. The discomfort, at least, distracted her from her sobbing. Did Lady Fate send me to end Jullia's dynasty? Answer me!

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Sigh, over five hundred years old, and as much of a baby as ever. Still, I strove to hang on to my own temper.

Then, if Lady Fate didn't send me to end Jullia's dynasty, is it going to end?

A jerky head motion that could have been either a nod or a shake. I interpreted it as the latter, since that was the desired response.

So if it's not going to end, what are you bawling over? Pick yourself up, pull yourself together, and let's go see how she's doing. I'm sure she's looking for her pet raccoon dog.

That last part got a rise out of her, as I'd known it would. Anthea jumped to her feet, pointy ears sprouting out of her hair. "I am not her pet!"

There, there, you just keep telling yourself that.

As she hauled herself back onto Dusty's back, I flew up high enough for Katu to see me and gave him an exaggeratedly reassuring nod. The High Priest had been teetering on the platform, torn between maintaining a dignified stance and getting down on all fours to peer over the edge so he could see what gods-cursed crisis was going on down here. At my signal, he raised his arms to Heaven, and the flock of butterflies soared up as if released from his sleeves. Their wings sparkled in the sunlight, and a chorus of oooh's rose up after them.

"Friends!" Katu proclaimed. "Be not afraid! For we do the Kitchen God's will! The Divine Intercessor will protect us!"

Floridiana seized the nearest priests and propelled them forward. "Off you go! Sing!"