“She’ll make you watch her cubs while she goes to carouse at the floating ghost palaces,” said the younger. “She’ll leave you alone all the time, and a fox would never do that to you.” The turnip-head patriarch was shaken in vigorous agreement, but the son only looked on nervously because he had few illusions about what kind of husband he would be, and even fewer about how well he would fare against a tiger in a matrimonial duel.
