"A staged reading in the Underworld?"
Sun Wukong looks awed by the idea, and Erlang Shen smiles.
Daji raises an eyebrow. "But since all of us are in the cast, who's going to run the inn? We can't just close it for a day."
"We could give the staff a day off," Wukong suggests, flipping through the employee rosters dating back years. "They haven't really had one since 2012 when most of them were convinced the world was going to end."
I sigh. "It's a different time, Wukong. If we close the inn, we might come back and Lamashtu will have taken over."
And besides, I add mentally, Sandy and Pigsy are still here, working on making amends to Daji. I can't just leave them by themselves.
"She'll have to get past me."
Fuxi flaps down, landing near the pool. He grins frighteningly.
"You?" Daji gasps.
"I'll guard the inn while you're away," Fuxi booms. "Ao Guang and I. We owe Sun Wukong a favor we haven't been able to repay."
