An Audience With The King

 

            Sitting there between Ramona and Twigg, Marge gathered her thoughts before speaking. She knew that Ralph wasn’t rushing her into it, so she sat quietly. The fire was warm on her shins, the flames flickered pleasantly. She was at peace, right where she was.
            Ramona did make coffee to go with the pastries, which were a great success with the family. Blue wanted a piece. The cats did not, pastry being much too lightweight for pumas.
            After the treat was eaten, and the coffee drunk, Twigg put the bakery box on the fire.
            Finally, Marge, spoke, “I’m happy here in the forest. The forest is the only place where I have felt as if I belonged and was a part of it. I never fit anywhere else.
            “This was a surprise to me. I thought that my life would be the usual path, school, college, job, maybe family. But after I went home the last few times I visited here, that path felt hollow and sad to me. It’s not what I want.”
            “So, what do you really want? Be really sure. There are not too many ways for a young woman to maker her way in the Great Forest. Do you have any ideas how you might do that?” said Ralph. “And how can I help you?”
            “My mother has been paying for everything. Before I change everything and leave college I want to make sure that she doesn’t have to spend any more money on me. This leads me to looking into the Forest Service. It’s a little bit of a long shot, but I did some research and there is a chance that there might be a volunteer job with them. It pays less than even a trainee ranger receives, but enough because it’s typical for housing to be provided,” said Marge.
            “Well, Marge,” said Ramona, “I can see why you would prefer to be here. I’ve never been down into town myself. Maeve tells me that it’s very busy, with many people moving around and talking and busily doing many things and that there are few trees, only a little grass and only a few plants in gardens. I don’t think I could live there either.”
            “Who is Maeve, Ramona,” said Marge.
            “Oh, haven’t you met Maeve? She is our friend, a very special sort of a Raven. She brings and takes the news. She observes the world from high in the air. I believe that she has seen you! In fact, I’m sure of it. She misses nothing,” said Ramona. She had taken a seat again after the coffee and all.
            “I would very much like to meet her,” said Marge. Then turning to Ralph again, she said, “The reason that I came to you, Sir, is that I have heard that the ranger in this section of the National Forst is a very good friend of yours.
            “They said, on the website, to speak to someone at a station and see if there was a position opening. I thought my chances would be better if you introduced me to him! Would that be possible?” she said at last, getting to the point.
              “Of course, I will take you to speak to the ranger,” said Ralph. “Do you have another plan in case this one doesn’t work out?”
            “Not really. I’m not a Forest Keeper, no matter how much I might want to be. If I can’t work for the Forest Service, I’m not sure what to do next,” she admitted.
            “Marge, you’re the first human who ever said that to me!” said Ralph. “I wish that you could be! I would change you into one of us if I could, but I can’t do that!”
            “Your mother wouldn’t like that very much,” laughed Ramona.
            “Then she wouldn’t believe in me either!” crowed Marge, enjoying the idea. “I would be impossible, imaginary, mythic! Mom can’t see those things at all.”        
            And as if it were written into the script somehow, right on schedule, Maeve wafted down out of the opening to the sky over their heads and landed on Ralph’s shoulder. She folder her wings neatly and looked around. If a raven could have raised her eyebrows, Maeve would have.
            “What’s up, Boss,” said she. But she was looking right at Marge while she said it.
            “Marge, this is Maeve. Maeve this is Marge. It’s about time you two met. You probably know, because you see it all, that Marge is Twigg’s good friend.
            “Now, Marge would like to work for Ranger Rick, so I’m going to go introduce them. Want to come along?” said Ralph.
            “Of course I do, Boss,” said Maeve. “Let’s go!”
            Therefore, looking nothing at all, not really, like characters from the Wizard of Oz, towering Ralph, with Maeve on his shoulder, Twigg only slightly less imposing than his father, and Marge in her puffer jacket, rain hat, and Carhartts, and backpack all set out for the ranger station together.
            “Oh, this isn’t far from the Home Clearing!” said Marge when she saw the Forest Service station come into view.
            “Sometimes the path is shorter than at other times, but yes, we are near neighbors in a way, Rick and I,” said Ralph.
            Rick’s service vehicle was parked by the dumpster at the out edge of the parking lot, so it looked like an interview was coming up.

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