I think I quite startled poor Dr Crane when I spotted the advertisement in the newspaper that morning. Dr Crane the younger, that is. My boss had taken his coffee over to the couch, but Mr Crane and his youngest son were at the dining table with me, and my squeal of delight was immediately followed by an ominous clatter. By the time I tore my eyes away from the paper, Dr Crane had already got up to fetch a dishcloth.

"I'm sorry about that, did I make you jump?" I called after him. "Only I just read some exciting news!"

"What's that, Daph?" Mr Crane asked me.

"Well, my brother, Michael, plays drums in a band. You know, the one I told you about." Mr Crane shot a confused glance at his son as the coffee spillage was cleaned up, and I nearly bristled at the way my news had been so quickly forgotten, but Dr Crane made amends.

"I remember, Daphne, the band is called Indigo Haze and they released their first album last year. Aren't they touring on some World Music festival or something?"

Trust him to have remembered every detail. I rewarded him with a smile and nodded. "They most certainly are," I confirmed. "And, what's more, they're coming to the Pacific North West!" Dr Crane arched his eyebrows in interest at me, and I nodded enthusiastically. "Last time I spoke to Mum, she was pretty sure they were only doing the one American show, over on the east coast, but it seems like they've been going down very well on the European leg and the tour is being extended!"

"Well that's wonderful, Daphne, you'll be able to meet up!" Dr Crane observed. He trotted back into the kitchen to rinse the cloth.

"When's the tour coming?" Mr Crane asked.

"Three weekends from now. Oh, it'll be lovely to see him!" I smiled and thought of Michael's mischievous smile and baby face. He was the nearest to my age of all my brothers and, although he could be as boisterous as the rest of them when they were all together, he was sweet as could be whenever I got him alone. I turned around in my seat and looked over to the elder Dr Crane. "Will there be any problem with my taking that weekend off?" I asked. "I think it's a bit far to travel in a single day, so I'll try to get some accommodation sorted out."

"No problem, Daphne, just so long as you aren't expecting us to go with you," he replied, a bit derisively. As if I'd even have considered asking him. Frasier Crane swigging scrumpy from a plastic gallon jug, wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt? That was a stretch for anyone's imagination.

"Well, bang goes that idea," Mr Crane said.

"What?"

"I was going to suggest Frasier drive you in the Winnebago. I mean, these festivals are normally held in the middle of nowhere, right? And I'm sure there will be facilities for motor homes. It's the perfect job for the Winnebago."

"I could drive you, if you like?" came an enthusiastic voice from the kitchen doorway. At the startled looks from the rest of his family, Dr Crane thrust his shoulders back and insisted, "I've driven the Winnebago before!" At Mr Crane's continued look of uncertainty, he added to his father, "And I've caused less damage than either you or Frasier when doing so!"

"Niles, you ... in a muddy field ... with several thousand hippies?" my employer sneered. "I don't think so!"

"I happen to believe that we should all try something at least once before ridiculing it!" came his brother's retort.

"Oh, well in that case, isn't it about time you gave towelling socks a chance?"

"Oh! You know very well what I mean!" I watched the interplay between the two of them as though it were a game of tennis, wondering what on earth was wrong with towelling socks. "It's good to broaden your horizons!"

"'Broaden your horizons'? That was the excuse you gave for your brief flirtation with Tae Kwon Do, and we know how that ended!"

"Frasier!"

"In tears!"

"Frasier!!"

"Quite literally -"

"All right Frasier!!"

"Well!" By now the two brothers were flushing red with outrage. I've never known two grown men make such a speedy art of getting worked up over nothing. "You don't even like rock music!"

"Indigo Haze are not a rock band, they play contemporary jazz, am I right, Daphne?"

I nodded and smiled at him for remembering. He paused in the exchange with his brother long enough to smile back, and his outrage seemed to seep away. I've always been a calming influence like that. It's a throwback from being the only girl among nine children

"A weekend filled with the culinary delights of hog roast, corn dogs and chilli burgers?" Dr Crane the elder insisted.

I wondered why he was so keen to stop his brother from going. Surely it was none of his business! I decided to interject. "Actually, the last festival I went to at Glastonbury had dozens of difference caterers, from all over the world. There was Chinese, Japanese, a crêpe stall, all sorts. And we can always stock up on our own food if we're going in the mobile home."

"There, you see, Frasier?" Dr Crane the younger shot across the room. "I'm in good hands, Daphne is obviously a festival veteran!"

"I just don't think -"

My boss was beginning to get on my nerves. It wasn't as if Dr Crane weren't old enough to make his own decisions! "Don't you worry yourself, we'll take good care of your brother!" I announced.

There was a pause, just for a heartbeat, and then Dr Crane sat back into his dining chair and asked, "We?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, didn't I mention? My friend Maggie's a big fan of Indigo Haze, and she'd never forgive me if I went to see Michael without her in tow. That's all right, though, isn't it? There's plenty of room for three in the Winnebago!"

"Sure!" Mr Crane replied. He shot a look over at his older son which, at a guess, was designed to prevent any further killjoy comments, then glanced back to the other one. "Just you look after the vehicle, son," he warned.

"Don't worry, Dad," said Dr Crane. "Three resourceful people together for a weekend in the countryside - obviously *nothing's* going to happen."

He sounded a little gloomy, all of a sudden, and I wondered whether he was having second thoughts. Now that I'd had time to get used to the idea of him tagging along, I didn't want him to cry off. Dr Crane is wonderful company, and there's something fun about introducing a friend to a whole new experience. Everything else besides, after the eighteen months he'd just had, getting through that terrible divorce, a fun weekend was just what the Physical Therapist ordered.

And for the short term, I knew just the thing to cheer him up.

"You know, Dr Crane," I said slyly. "A festival isn't exactly a black tie event. We're going to need to set you up with some jeans, decent boots and some wet weather gear, just in case."

"You mean ...?" he asked, his eyes glinting.

"Exactly." I adopted a mock serious expression. "You and I are going to have to go shopping!"