Fred Herriot <gorgo@kwangju.net>


Hello, everyone,

        Herriot-san is unable to come to the computer right now, so he
kindly asked me to write you all and send you a copy of my portrait so
that all of you may visualize just exactly what I look like.

        I am depicted in my favourite kimono, white with black spots
meant to resemble the many cattle I raise.  My obi...which does NOT
indicate any sort of connection to that insufferable Oni who is trying
to dominate my poor Ataru-chan (sniff, sniff)...is a tribute to the
Tora-seishin ninjas, the ancestors of my clan.

        Naturally, being only physically 28 years old, I'm not the
"old lady" poor Natsu-chan always assumed I was before we saw each
other face-to-face when sweet Hazel-chan came to stay with me for a
time.  Hence, my hair and eyes are the same colour as my dear
grandson's.  Please get it right...or else I'll send Jinseiko-chan and
her delightful friends after you.

        I am told by Herriot-san that the next picture to come will be
dear Dakejinzou-chan's.  She is depicted in her lovely...but rather
(ahem) risque...bodysuit her father found her in fifty years ago.
After that is a portrait of my own gallant Ataru-chan as that
cybernetic creature whenever he is forced to suffer the presence of
those insufferable fools in Tomobiki (I wish he'd do the same thing
with that ridiculous Oni!).  And after that will come the portrait of
Honey, the sister to that equally insufferable Seishin-turned-Sagussan
brat Noa, the one who actually bonded my poor Ataru-chan with that
Oni...

        Eh?  What did you say, Herriot-san?

        Oh!  I'm sorry.  They haven't seen that story just yet.  Very
well, then.

        My apologies for revealing part of the plot to story 32.  I do
forget myself.

        Herriot-san also told me that he is still suffering the
effects of living in Seoul with all its dreadful pollution affecting
his recovering from a cold he caught a month ago.  It is somewhat
draining on him, but he has not forgotten you.  He will be back to the
drawing board as soon as he gains enough energy.  He will also finish
work on the last part of story 9's rewrite this evening, but it may be
some time before you can read it.

        His first project in the Couple's Gallery will be a personal
request to Gaffney-san, a portrait of my elder son's wonderful ward
Reigi Yumoa with his fiancee, that Johnny-come-lately Shutaro Mendou's
more well-behaved sister Ryooko, whom I truly must confess is a woman
after my own heart. Perhaps I should persuade Reigi-chan and
Ryooko-chan to come live with me in Rishiri-tou instead of living at
my son's estate in Sendai (after all, that idiot Komeru is NEVER
around to see his poor, suffering mother, off tramping around the
world like he always does!).

        After that will be Tobimaro Mizunokoji and his (ahem) fiancee,
Yuukiki Seishin, then Asuka Mizunokoji and her lover, one of my
granddaughter's odd friends, Osooko.  After that will come the other
Nendo-kata couples:  Okaako and Hei Sakurambou, Tatsuko and Saiten
Fujinami and Nintaiko and Donna Miyaki.  And after that will come the
granddaughter to my best friend Dame Victoria McTavish, Nicole, who
will be depicted with her life-mate Mujanba.  I'm so glad Ataru-chan
has them for neighbours instead of those impossible boors in Tomobiki.

        Now, can I persuade Herriot-san to do a portrait of Vi-chan
herself, much less sweet little Cherry?

        Well, I've probably bored you silly, so I'll end this letter
right now.  Right now, I'm going to go look at the pictures of dear,
sweet, handsome Natsu-chan...(very romantic sigh).

        Oh, how I do envy Benten...

Ta-ta,

Nagaiwakai Moroboshi, PRCZ
Rishiri-tou, Hokkaidou, Japan
(via Seoul, Korea)