with my friends. I am grateful for all your kindnesses, Madame, and my
name is Sage. The hawk is Talon; the dog, Saber.”
Elena said, “Dibs on Stefan’s bath for Stefan and me, and Mrs.
Flowers’s bath for the girls. You boys can work things out on your
own.”
“I,” Mrs. Flowers said gravely, “will be in the kitchen, making
sandwiches.” She turned to go.
That was when Shinichi arose from the earth above them.
Or rather when his face arose. It was clearly an illusion, but a
terrifying and marvelous one. Shinichi actually seemed to be there, a
giant, perhaps supporting the world on his shoulders. The black part of
his hair blended in with the night, but the scarlet tips made a flaming
halo around his face. Having come from a land that was dominated by a
giant red sun, night and day, it was an odd sight.
Shinichi’s eyes were red as well, like two small moons in the sky,
and they focused on the group by Mrs. Flowers’s house.
“Hello,” he said. “What, you look so surprised? You shouldn’t be.
I really couldn’t let you come back without popping up to say ‘hello.’
After all, it’s been a long time—for some of you,” the giant face said,
grinning. “Also, of course, to share in the festivities—we’ve saved little
Stefan, and, my, we even fought an over