"You're pretty good," he says admiringly. "Was all that from home?"

"Am angel," she says. She's nothing special for an angel. "Home songs, yes."

"You mean all angels sing like that?"

"Mommy better. Mommy will Archangel. Dars got - 'powerful voice', she loud. Keziah best fast songs... Ariel maybe not better though. Ariel quiet, just okay. For angel."

"And who're all these people?"

"Mommy mommy. Dars Keziah Ariel sisters. Dars Keziah Ariel Pen." She points to herself when she names herself.

"Three sisters, huh? Lucky you."

"Mm-hm! Am only Pen. Two more Darses one more Keziah one more Ariel only one Pen anyplace."

"How many of me? Seemed like a lot."

"Lots. Uuuum count extras or no?"

"Well," he says reasonably, "what's an extra?"

"Is animal-soul. Or dragon and tall red one, extras each other. Or new-Sue."

"All right. How many without 'em, then?"

Pen starts counting on her fingers, loses track several times, and says, "Paper?"

He giggles, and fishes a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen out from under a couch.

"What's a cousinoid?" he inquires.

"That one daddy's kids. Or Glass's ones. Or Elspeth."

Next question, "Am I on this list somewhere?"

Pen shakes her head and then adds to the list, one I finded.

"Aha," he says.

"Seventeen," she amends. "Got nickname?"

"People call me the Joker, that work for you?"

Pen shakes her head and writes the Joker next to the line which mentions cousinoids.

"Mm." He regards the paper thoughtfully.