[ic] as i walk through the valley where i harvest my grain

[pancakeboy]

They don't have time to hang around the Dojima house till the kids deign to return. So eventually Akechi sends Hawk a text, as you do.

Hello, Hawk. Are Akira-kun and Moth with you?

Comments

[pancakeboy]

Often, when a table has long and short sides, the most important person is seated at the top, yes? But a round table has no sides. I presume the king didn't sit at the table.

[One of the books has someone in an inaccurate horned helmet; he considers it. But Hawk will ask, and they'll get on to Loki, and it will be a whole thing. He gets the unspoken impression that someone in his head thinks he's a coward; well, let him.]

[aspiringhero]

[ Goro nods seriously. He breaks into a big smile upon seeing a picture of a big, fierce sea serpent, but then they've passed that book as well and he looks thoughtful again. ]

But how do you know which short side of the table is the top? Where the important person is?

[pancakeboy]

Good question. I guess because it's the side with the best chair. A king would have a throne, for instance. Even in a conference room, you'll see better chairs for the important people.

[Really! It's so pretentious, he thinks—at the same time as he thinks he deserves the better chair.]

Did you see something you liked? [He stops; he noticed the smile.]

[aspiringhero]

The snake. [ He points. No snake-related news has reached his ears, thankfully. But he's distracted; he wears the focused little frown of a six-year-old who is piecing things together. ]

Then. If the good chair is the important person place. Couldn't knights get good chairs for the round table?

[pancakeboy]

[All the questions he never asked, because there was nobody to answer them. I don't know, Goro-chan. Read your book.]

That's a good idea. But this was a very long time ago. They were probably lucky to have chairs at all.

[The snake, though. He doesn't want to hear about snakes—and he really isn't sure that book won't be another of the place's serpent-related games. A snake in water, though....]

What does the writing say? [A question he resents having to ask.]

[aspiringhero]

[ Goro stands on tiptoe to carefully read the book cover aloud. ] Gods and Monsters of the Norse.

[pancakeboy]

[Goddammit.]

Hm. I think I saw a book about Robin Hood further down. Perhaps we can find it again.

[aspiringhero]

[ It works. Goro is immediately distracted. ] Okay!

[pancakeboy]

[So, as the lesser of two evils, they head back down the shelves to the book with the man in green. He taps the spine with a gloved finger.]

This one, yes? How does it look?

[aspiringhero]

[ Goro nods enthusiastically. ] He has a bow like Pink Argus! In the future Featherman.

[ Because he's been watching a lot of seasons of Featherman, including some that haven't been made yet back home. ]