thought. âFunny you should ask that,â he said eventually. âI remember her well, but I just canât see her face for the life of me. For the life of me,â he repeated, âI just canât see her face.â
âYou must have known Barty Fumble too,â said Miles. He wondered to himself what kind of fortune-teller would be unaware that he was talking to the son of his own mentor, but he thought it best not to mention this for the time being.
âOf course,â said Doctor Tau-Tau, coming out of his reverie. âBig overweight chap. He would have been nothing without his tiger.â
Miles was almost too surprised to be annoyed. He had never heard anyone speak of his father with anything less than affection and respect. âIt wasnât his tiger,â he said shortly. âNo tiger can be owned by a man.â
âAh!â said Doctor Tau-Tau, tapping the side of his nose and looking pleased with himself. âI think you will find that you are wrong. I know many of the secrets of the striped cat. You wonât find the important details in picture books, my boy.â
âI think your fish has slipped behind your veil,â said Miles indignantly. âI happen to be good friends with a tiger, and he told me so himself.â
Little clattered her cutlery loudly on her empty plate. âPeople are leaving,â she said. âWeâd better get back to the wagons, Miles.â
For a moment Miles and Doctor Tau-Tau held each otherâs stare, then the fortune-teller straightened up and showed his gold tooth in a broad smile. âForgive me!â he said. âSometimes a man with my talents can be blinded by overconfidence. You do indeed bear the mark of a tiger friendâI see it now.â He reached across the table and graspedMilesâs hand warmly. âPerhaps you will ride with me for the rest of our journey. Such a gift is rare, and I would be honored to hear more about your friendship.â
âIâd rather not talk about it,â said Miles. He was uncomfortably aware that Little was trying to steer him away from the fortune-teller, but at the same time he could not help being flattered by the interest Doctor Tau-Tau showed in him. Sometimes he almost forgot how unusual a thing it was to have been befriended by a talking tiger.
âOf course, of course,â said Doctor Tau-Tau. âAs you wish, my boy. But please ride with me anyway, both of you. We will be many months on the road together, and we should not be strangers.â
âThank you, but I promised the Toki sisters I would help them with their costumes,â said Little. She shot Miles a meaningful glance. âThey need a lot of help,â she said.
Miles shrugged. âIâm not much good with a needle,â he said. He had just remembered that the wagon in which Tau-Tau was traveling had once belonged to his parents, and he was curious to take a look inside. âIâll see you when we get to Shallowford.â He leaned close to Little as they made their way out into the cold morning. âDonât worry,âhe said. âI think heâs harmless.â
âThe man who was in his wagon the other night didnât sound so harmless,â said Little. âJust be careful what you tell him.â She turned and jumped onto the back of the Toki sistersâ wagon just as it began to roll toward the open road.
Miles sat up beside Doctor Tau-Tau on the box seat of the small wagon, swaying with the rhythm of the wooden wheels, his belly comfortably full with a warm breakfast.
âA real tiger,â sighed Doctor Tau-Tau, almost to himself. âAnd you say he spoke to you? It is a sign of great fortune. But of course, if you donât want to talk about it, you certainly shouldnât. Not so much as a word, my friend.â
CHAPTER SEVEN
HALF A BOY
M iles Wednesday, belly-full and fire-warmed, closed his eyes and let the soft echoes