“Heh. If I was, I wouldn’t tell you, would I? Gotta make you work for it.”
Green glanced around his tiny living space.
“I’d invite you to sit, but I don’t have any chairs. What has you out roaming?”
“No worries. Can’t stay. I just wanted to check on the status of our looming danger. I already chatted with your boss about that. Made my rounds and all the members of our little community here are on high alert.”
“You talked to Valentina? How’d she look?”
“Not great. I suppose you knew that. The whole thing still sounds a touch precarious. And I got the distinct impression she was shooing me, know what I mean?”
“I do. That was part of what I was feeling sorry about.”
“Understandable. Funny thing about empathy, huh? Part wings, part iron anchor. The duality of all worthwhile things, am I right?”
“Uh, hard to say.”
“Heh. Well, I’ll ask you the same thing I asked ol’ Val. Any way I can pitch in?”
He raised his cup.
“You already helped.”
He took a long sip. Dancer smirked a crooked smirk.
“Medicinal. Don’t I know it,” she said.
“Honestly, I just wish there was more I could do for Valentina. I’m not much help.”
Dancer shrugged away the comment.
“Nah. Hogwash. That lady is weird as rain when the sun shines, but she’s also as practical as a door hinge. You wouldn’t be staying ather camp if she didn’t think you were helpful. Just be on hand. Sometimes that’s the most helpful thing of all. Being nearby. I’m sure she’s up there in the Perch concocting a genius plan as we speak.”
“The Perch?”
“Her tree house. I like to think of it as the Perch. On account of all the crows up there. That’s my little nickname for it.”
“The crows?”
“Yeah, the crows. There’s always crows up on the roof of that place. I think they roost up there. Geez, man, I know you haven’t lived in the woods long but crows ain’t exactly migrating warblers. I don’t know how you overlook crows. Personally, I love those birds. Whip-smart and elegant as evening wear.”
Gears clicked inside Green’s skull.
He drained his cup and handed it back to Dancer.
“I gotta go. You’ve given me an idea.”
“Makes sense. I’ve often thought of myself as a classic muse type.”
She sat the empty cup back down on his little side table and grinned.
“Don’t forget to come by and return that cup. Safe travels, Green.”
Tradition.
She ducked out the door and took long strides into the dusk.
Crows.
