Before he had even approached the receptionist's podium, the young, pretty Japanese girl looked up and said: "Mr. False...Falls...?" Recognizing she was becoming flustered and uncomfortable, Carlo offered: "Fells-troope'. It's British."

"Ahh!" replied the receptionist, with a deep bow. "Felts-troupe. Kobotumi is honored. Please be seated. Mr. Takagowa and the committee will see you in only a few moments."

Returning the receptionists bow as best as he could remember seeing that action performed in the movies, Carlo was thinking Sure, I know the drill. No elevator. Glad I checked everything before I came in.

The seating area was tastefully furnished with finely-crafted wood and leather chairs set into small groups around tables of pebbled glass tops on rough stone pedestals. Between each grouping were carefully-arranged plants and, along one wall between the entrance doors and receptionist podium, a rock garden with statue of a crane. The only image on the wall was the Kobotumi corporate logo – a stylized version of the name with the 'K'; 'b'; and two 'o's' forming an old-style movie projector from which the remaining letters extended outward in a cone, as a film being projected.

Carlo had just made himself comfortable; in his experience he'd be sitting here at least thirty minutes; when to his left a door opened, revealing another young Japanese woman as attractive as the receptionist, carrying a small tray. Approaching Carlo, she bowed; lifted the lid of the small container on the tray; and with a pair of tongs removed a steam-warmed washcloth, presenting it to Carlo. Not quite certain what this indicated; if the staff of Kobotumi had concerns of diseases being brought in from outside (he'd seen both young and old wearing filtering masks for just this purpose), he unfolded the towel and swabbed it along his hands and face, returning it to a small dish the young woman provided. She then, again with tongs, lifted and offered to Carlo a dry washcloth which he used to dry his hands, replacing it to the same small dish. Without a word, the young woman bowed and returned back through the door.

Almost immediately a third woman, even more striking than the other two, emerged carrying another tray. On this, Carlo noted as she arrived, was a tiny container of water – as small as the 'airline' liquor bottles people seem to love; a small ceramic cup; two mints on a decorative oval plate; a single flower stem set in a miniature glass vase; and yet another towel, folded into a pyramid, sitting on a plate of its own. Setting the tray on the nearest table, the young woman bowed; opened and poured the water into the cup (there was just enough to fill the container; not a drop more or less); offering him the filled cup and, as soon as he had drunk the small amount, handing him the napkin which he dabbed across his lips before placing it back on its small plate which she was holding in anticipation. She then presented the plate holding the two mints to Carlo who took them both, at which point the young woman replaced the dish to the tray, bowed, and retraced her steps.

Carlo hadn't even finished his mints and had to swallow one still almost whole when to his right a door opened and a young Japanese man exited, extending his hand toward Carlo.

"Falsetrope-sama, I am Eijirō Tamura. If you prefer, you may call me 'Dave'. It is an honor." He then bowed. It's a wonder the Japanese don't have more lower-back problems, Carlo considered.

"Please, follow me", Enhero...Eniro...Dave continued. "We have been anticipating your arrival."

Within a few steps, Carlo found himself within the doorway of a room containing an oblong table in polished black; actually, an egg-shaped table, rounded to the back, tapering forward to a more pointed angle which was roughly directed toward the oversized windows framing a walled garden. At the base of the table; the bottom of the egg; sat an older man distinguished by the feathering of white in his hair. Behind him sat, to one side, a young woman with notepad and digital recorder; at his other side was a man, similar in age to Carlo, attentively sitting toward the edge of his chair. To the left of Mr Distinguished and proceeding clockwise, Carlo noted:

- A middle aged man with a striped necktie;

- A middle aged man with a solid necktie;

- An empty chair (now toward the point of the egg);

- Another empty chair;

- A man, younger than Carlo, throwing caution to the wind by wearing a necktie which included a pattern.

'Dave' closed the meeting-room door, stepped forward and gestured with an open palm toward those sitting at the table. "Falsetrope-sama, please make the introduction of ('Dave' proceeded to indicate from the base of the table continuing clockwise): Bochou no Takagowa;kachou no Matsuda;kachou no Chiba; and douryou no Kubo. Douryou no Kubo requests for him you apply the name 'Sonny'. As each man was introduced, he succinctly nodded from his upper body in what appeared to be the seated version of a bow. Carlo noticed the young man and woman either didn't require, or warrant, an introduction.

At the same instant 'Dave' introduced the man who for some reason wanted to be called 'Sonny', he leapt to his feet and in two strides was standing, after a quick bow, with hand extended in front of Carlo.

"Four Bear!" Kubo; uh, Sonny cried out with more enthusiasm than would be expected; and more than Carlo had received from any meeting he'd been to in a year. Or, ever.

Carlo reached out to accept Sonny's handshake which he gratefully welcomed in a uncertain grip; but to reinforce his enthusiasm, Sonny grabbed Carlo's wrist with his left hand and pumped the handshake two times to be certain.

"Please excuse douryou no Kubo", Dave offered apologetically. "He is filled with much excitement about working on this project; and has not before been in the United States."

"Sure, uh, no problem" answered Carlo, extracting himself from the handshake and taking the seat Dave had indicated. After scanning the room and its occupants to see all was in order, Dave himself sat in the last remaining chair, to Carlos' left.

"So", Carlo began. "I understand you're as stoked about bears as I am?"

The young man behind Mr. Distinguished – who Carlo now knew as 'Bochou no Takagowa'; softly uttered a brief sentence, in Japanese, beside the older mans ear. The only word Carlo recognized was 'stoked'. Takagowa did not reply, nor even acknowledge that he had been spoken to. The young woman dutifully wrote on her pad.

"Please excuse,Falsetrope-sama" Dave interjected apologetically. "It is custom for he holding the position of highest honor to first speak. However as bochou no Takagowa is less skilled in English and wishes to rely on his translator only for non-important information, he has, for this meeting, transferred the responsibility to kachou no Matsuda andkachou no Chiba". As Dave concluded, he again gestured toward the two men he'd just named.

Carlo already felt like he'd made a mistake that might end the meeting right there. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know. First time meeting with the Japanese, and you know..."

Kachou no Matsuda shot Carlo a look that conveyed either anger or pity. "Mr Falstrope; is use of that title permissible?"

Uh, sure. That's my name. Carlo replied: "Yes."

"Very good. Please to use as my name Mr Matsuda; and my co-director Mr Chiba. It will produce a more pleasant conversation with less need for formality."

Seems pretty formal to me, Carlo considered.

"Kobotumi Film has, for many generation, produced film of highest quality for industrial, technical, and educational presentation. General Manager Takagowa-san is, in fact, the grand-nephew of one of the founders of our company. Kobotumi has now determined there is great opportunity in film for entertainment; precisely, film which conveys the cultural and fabled history of Japan in a colorful manner; story which many of the current generation no longer hold honor." Mr Matsuda looked toward Mr Chiba who nodded in agreement. General Manager Takagowa listened to his translator with no reaction. The young woman dutifully wrote on her pad.

"Kobotumi has determined that you are well-schooled in yōkai and respectful of its many forms. We are honored." All those around the table, including the translator, bowed at the upper body. The young woman continued to dutifully write on her pad.

"Mr Falstrope", spoke Mr Chiba; "We find great joy in your concept of Bear spirit as yōkai to be both revered and feared. It is bear who some believe can guide men who are lost, or destroy men who deceive. We have great interest in character to serve as guide to stories of yōkai and Japanese culture to modern generation. Please tell how your character of 'Four Bear' would serve for our purpose."

Carlo couldn't remember any concepts he'd come up with that had anything to do with bears as spirits, or who could guide or destroy men. Or even what a 'yōkai' was. But apparently these men were aware of some of his work (how, Carlo couldn't imagine – maybe treatments passed from one producer to the other, he thought. Better than being passed directly to the wastebasket); but he was here and they were interested, so he'd do his best. He glanced toward Dave anticipating some signal to speak. Almost on cue, Dave gestured with an open palm.

"Mr Matsuda; Mr Chiba" Carlo began, looking toward the two men; bending into a slight bow while trying to rotate his upper body to acknowledge everyone (and receiving nothing in response other than a zealous smile from Sonny); "I've..." - taking a deep breath - "...always wondered why in every story we're supposed to believe only what we're told. Cinderella and a glass slipper? – you can't walk, let alone dance in glass shoes. Uncomfortable and dangerous. Red Riding Hood and a wolf? Only one animal in the entire forest that can speak, and he's out to get Red and her grandmother? What's his problem? Snow White? – don't even know where to begin. So I asked myself, what about those three bears and the little girl. There's a lot we don't know. There could have been a fourth bear, and..." Carlo struggled to think of a concept that would in some way satisfy the 'history and culture of Japan' angle. And to allow the translator a few moments to catch up conveying his interpretation of the pitch to Mr Takagowa, who was listening with no reaction.

"...so why not, and I'm just throwing out ideas here, what if the Fourth Bear is actually the Spirit of ancestral Japan, traveling in the form of a bear, searching for humans who have the compassion and honor to see beyond his wild and dangerous appearance, and the wisdom to be open to the teachings of culture and history? Maybe in the past there had been three other spirits who appeared in the form of bears – because throughout the world bears are recognized and symbolic – but each time those bears had been ignored, or maybe even killed, dishonoring the Spirits and their message. So now it's the responsibility of our Fourth Bear, within the world of colorful fable; to guide man back to an understanding of the stories of a people; of a nation; meanings which serve to enlighten the most observant, humble, and respectful of men. Something like..." Carlo hesitated, trying to think of existing properties he could combine and compare. But nothing came to mind. "Something like nothing's that ever been done before. What do ya' think?"

Around the table men shifted in their chairs to better gauge each others understanding. Mr Matsuda and Mr Chiba looked toward each other and nodded; Dave looked toward Sonny; Sonnys head swiveled between Carlo and the other four men, his smile saying all he couldn't (probably because he didn't speak English). In their final gesture, each of the men patiently looked toward Takagowa, who remained sitting with no reaction as his interpreter completed the translation and moved back into his position slightly behind, and to the side, of the General Manager. At his other side, the young woman continued to dutifully write on her pad.

"Mr Falstrope", General Manager Takagowa began, "with great expectation has Kobotumi Film desired to hear your story of Four Bear. Your work when brought to attention of Kobotumi Film was received with much enthusiasm. We find the image of Four Bear to be filled with much honor."

Carlo braced for questions; criticism; or indifference. But the only response was the generous amount of head-nods and smiles he received from Mr Matsuda; Mr Chiba; Sonny; Dave; the translator; and even the young woman who had momentarily set aside her notepad. General Manager Takagowa remained sitting with no further reaction.

As Dave rose from his chair, gesturing first toward Carlo; then toward the door; Carlo stood to leave, briefly hesitating to bow in response to the seated-bows generated by his departure. As he exited the room the only feedback Carlo could later report to Marjorie was the vigorous discussion in Japanese he heard as the door closed behind him. He wasn't sure they understood everything; they seemed to think 'Four Bear' was a fleshed-out character rather than a concept; and their complete lack of any follow-up questions or feedback meant Carlo had no chance to expand upon or define his pitch. Maybe something to do with the translation. But at least they had been considerate enough to maintain a polite amount of interest.

When the phone rang Carlo noticed he'd been asleep for less than fifteen minutes. He'd just come back from one of those 80's themed parties that are all the rage. If he'd known the 80's would be so popular now, he would have paid more attention to the stories about how 'Totally Righteous' that decade was.

"Carlo? It's Marge."

"Oh, hey. What's up?" Carlo answered, somewhat sleepily.

"I've got something that's come across my desk from Japan..."

"Japan?" Carlo replied, suddenly awake.

"From Kobotumi", Marge continued. "It's a contract for what they're calling: 'Four Bear: The Spirit of Japan descends from the forest as Historical Guide to Man and Defender of Culture.' Maybe it will be better in translation. Anyway, the offer is Head Writer and World Development for three seasons of an animated series; thirteen twenty-three minute shows per season; with hour-long bookends at each season..."

"Uh...huh", Carlo heard himself say.

"...and option to extend. Plus conceptual development for a feature animated film to follow along the same 'Four Bear' lines..."

"UhHuh"

"...and first-rights for a potential theme park partnership featuring 'Four Bear Cultural Village'."

"UH-HUH."

"Uh-huh?" Marjorie repeated. Is that all you have to say?"

"Wow." Carlo blurted out in surprise. "I thought the meeting went well, but I had no idea..."

"I'd say the meeting went very well. Congratulations. We'll go over the paperwork, and have to meet with Kobotumi a couple more times, but for now, you need to celebrate. But take it easy; it seems the entire cultural history of Japan is locked in your brain, somewhere."

"Wow." Carlo mumbled in bewilderment.

"Oh, and there's two notes clipped to the contract. One's on Kobotumi stationary; from the office of a 'Mr Takagowa'. He writes: 'It is with great expectation of a happy partnership. Please accept our deepest consideration and respect."

Carlo thought the last time someone said something that nice to him, it was probably his mother.

"This other one", Marge continued, "is...kinda odd. It's from a notepad with cartoon characters printed around the edges. It says: 'I am humble in enthusiasm by the joy that awaits us.' It's just signed 'Sonny.' Do you know what that's supposed to mean? Is it something I should be aware of? Something I might need to confirm or deny?"

"What?...Oh, no, that's just the show-runner. Very excited about the project. Doesn't speak English. Nothing to it. Just lost in translation."

Carlo hoped his carry on would fit in the overhead. He'd heard of all the airlines, JAL was among the most accommodating, but he'd never been abroad and didn't know what personal space he might have on the plane. Or even in what section he'd be sitting. Other than a couple of trips to Tijuana (that he'd rather forget), he'd never been outside the US. But Kobotumi said they needed him for three months, or more, of development, revisions, and world-building...and as they were paying for the flight...and a furnished apartment ...in addition to his contractual agreements...Carlo was...stoked.

Exiting the cab that had left him off at LAX International Terminal, he approached the ticket counter and handed his paperwork to the attractive young woman wearing the JAL uniform.

"Mr...False..." she began, looking at his ticket.

Fells-troope, Carlo prepared to interject.

"FELLS-troope" the attendant corrected. Is that British? I see we have you in Executive Business Class to Tokyo. We wish you the most pleasant and rewarding journey."

The...End?