The Way of the Fox (25 page)

Sura
leaned closer, steepling her fingers. “False evidence?”

“Most certainly, priestess. The Usagi were ever true supporters of the imperial house. But court nobles schemed to seize Usagi rice lands. The nobles supported the Raiden in their claims.”

Sitting upright in his seat, the old merchant gave a sigh. “We failed them. We did not speak out for the Usagi, in fear for our lives. Ever since then, there has been a curse upon the land. Anyone who enters the forest valley becomes a lost soul. They are never seen again. Even quite large groups! A search party who went there looking for a child never returned.”

T
he old peasant immediately begged to differ. “No no – not so! The ronin Benten has been in there!”

“
Yes, yes. But not far. He hardly went out of sight of the old bridge…”

Ton
bo pushed aside his empty plate, leaning forward onto the table. The table almost bowed beneath his weight.

“And y
ou say there have been other deaths? Deaths outside of the forest?”

“
Yes, samurai.” The old monk pointed one hand towards the grey, unhappy streets. “Over the last two years, the curse has crept into the town itself! Scattered here and there – always unconnected. A laundress. A street tough. Unpleasant boys. A courtesan! Normally, one would put it down to misfortune, but in each case the deaths were similar. Not a mark was found upon the bodies, and each one was found with their face contorted in terror.”

Sura finished off the mushrooms.

“You clearly have needed help here for quite some time.” She shook her head and gave a puzzled sigh. “Why do people always wait so long before they see their exorcist?”

The innkeeper came nervously
over – hoping against hope that the town’s fortunes might be improved. He had brought an earthenware jug. When the cork popped, there was a sudden scent of plum wine. He poured the yellow wine – rough country rice liquor flavoured with plum syrup. Sura eagerly thrust forward her cup. She drank – her eyes going wide – and immediately drained her cup dry. Her cheeks took on a bright pink glow. The stuff was sweet as sin – and had a kick on it like a wild stallion. Sura immediately banged her empty cup upon the table.

“
We shall clear this area of its curse, Tonaga san! It is our sacred duty!”

The innkeeper and the elders all looked deeply relieved
, as if a burden was already lifted from their souls. But the old merchant looked to his friends in embarrassment, then cleared his throat, looking humbly at the fox.

“That is most
… most heartening news, honoured Spirit Hunters. But… I must say, Lord Raiden taxes us almost to the point of extinction. It is as though gold were all he cares about!” The man was wan with shame. “I fear that we have very little left with which to pay you.”

Kuno shot a sharp glance at the fox, ready
to intervene if she should press the man for payment. But Sura merely downed another cup of the ferocious plum wine, and leaned back easily in her seat.

“No no no no no!
Never let it trouble you, honoured elder! Perhaps you might just offer us the hospitality of your inn while we work, and a small present once we have completed our task? Bags of provisions would be perfect!” She eyed the wine jug happily. “You brew this plum wine locally?”

“
Yes! Yes, priestess! We do.” The three elders were utterly relieved. “You shall have all that you can carry!”

“Excellent!” Sura was
again quite pleased with her world. “We’ll get right onto the job.”

The monk alone seemed reticent. He looked anxiously into Sura’s eyes.

“Please excuse me, Reibai san. But can it truly be done? Can you truly solve such a mystery?”

“
Dread curse on a forest? Death stalking a town?” Sura beamed an easy grin that had far too many teeth. “Trust me! I’m a fox!”

The elders retired
off to another table, astonished and excited, bowing again and again. Sura bowed happily in return, then applied herself to the wine. She was already flushing pink across her cleavage and her cheeks.

Chir
i watched the elders depart, and felt for them – deeply, deeply touched.

“
It sounds as though this town is terribly troubled.”

“It is!” Sura
seemed wonderfully pleased at the challenge. “Right – we’ll get busy in the morning! Do some research in the town, ask around. Check out those murders… Lots to do!” The fox arose. “Meanwhile – the inn is probably the best place to find rumours. Get some snippets of folk lore. Get some inside dirt on Lord Raiden, on the garrison, on places that scare the living daylights out of the locals…” The fox downed her drink . “Right! I’m on the job!”

Over at the bar, t
he innkeeper was deep in conversation with the old monk. Sura arrowed towards them, opening her arms, and was soon an integral part of their conversation. They gestured through the doors towards some important point in the town – and somehow Sura was now in possession of more wine and a bowl of salted chestnuts. She listened to their stories, swapping tales; she was a grand master at work. Tonbo let her go, and sat down to share out wine with Kuno and Chiri. They sipped the stuff together – it was indeed rather hair raising – and furrowed their brows in thought.

“A haunting, perha
ps? Or is it a mortal murderer?” Tonbo swirled his cup and drank down his wine. “We must search through the town tomorrow. There might be eye-witnesses to the old Raiden attack. Eyewitnesses to the murders...”

Chiri ordered the empty dishes, making
things as neat as possible for the maid. “The garrison might provide excellent insights. Should we not ask some of the Raiden samurai if they were present at the battle?”

Kuno
shook his head. He disliked everything he had heard so far about the Raiden clan – their invasion and their stewardship. There was a clear sense of dishonour in the air.

“Forgive me – but I think we should treat the Raiden clan with great caution.
In fact, we should keep as low a profile as we can…”

All three turn
ed to look at Sura. The fox had formed a happy circle with the cook, the maid and the old monk. They were laughing – perhaps the first hearty laugh the townsfolk had managed in years. Sura’s cheeks, nose and cleavage were cherry pink – the sure sign that she was already under the influence of drink. She had a cup of plum wine in hand, and was happily swapping jokes. The fox nudged the laughing monk in the ribs, her voice carrying loud and clear all through the inn.

“
Oooh! Oooh! I’ve got another one! How many Zen Buddhists does it take to change a lamp-wick?” The fox looked happily around. “None! All change must come from within!”

Kuno cleared his
throat.

“As I said. A low profile...”

Chiri’s mouth opened in an ‘o’ of understanding. Her long pink tail made a great, expressive swirl.

“It is just her way, Kuno san. I believe she will soon gather a great deal of information about the town.” The rat wanly
admired the way Sura so easily made herself at home. “It is a gift she has. And I have noted that she is never drunk – only merry.”

Kuno sat back in his seat and glanced towards the fox.

“Wine makes her garrulous.” He corrected himself. “Wine makes her
more
garrulous. I am not certain the world truly needed
more
ways to make Kitsune Sura talk.”

Tonbo was keeping a
close eye upon events – particularly the colour of Sura’s cleavage. He rose up out of his seat. Kuno looked at him.

“
We’re cutting her off?”

“We’re cutting her off.
” Wine always made Sura sleep like a log. “We need an early start tomorrow.”

The white rat made a dainty little cough.

“Ah… Indeed. Discretion might perhaps be important...” The rat looked at Sura’s cleavage in sudden interest. “She really does blush bright red, doesn’t she!”

Kuno primly cleared his throat. “
I had not noticed.” He flicked an annoyed glance at the fox, then grew interested despite himself. Sura was rather well endowed. “That is a very strange characteristic. Surely it does not go all the way down?”

Tonbo
finished his wine. “It does.”

Off he went
to casually switch Sura from wine to tea. Chiri and Kuno remained at their table, listening as a samisen player began to perform in one far corner. A bowl of roasted chestnuts arrived, and Chiri accepted them from the maid with thanks. Sura told her jokes – the innkeeper told her town gossip, and Tonbo kept a careful watch over the safety of the inn.

Beyond the mountains, the sun was setting fast. The
mountain tops were lined with brilliant gold, and clouds high overhead were tinged with pink and scarlet. But the town of White-moon was now deep in the dark. The forests were jet black walls of darkness – the town streets ghostly grey under the light of the fading sun.

Chiri and her elementals turned towards the open doors and looked out over the town.
At the castle, baleful watch fires gleamed. No one came to the inn to drink and be merry – no children played in the streets. Chiri quietly caressed her air elemental, stroking a finger between the creature’s antenna. She looked out across the town and pondered.

There was sense of something watchful lurking
in the night. Something angry and terrible. Something stark.

Chiri gave a shiver. She did not protest when the maid shut tight the doors.

The night-time streets were a maze of pale grey moonlight and impenetrable shadows. The only signs of movement were the town watch, walking slowly along a distant street with lanterns in hand. They struck wooden clappers together to announce the hour, the sound echoing through deserted streets. Only the castle showed lights – red lanterns glowing like baleful eyes high above. Inside the houses, shutters were closed tight. Families ate their meals in silence and hid behind closed doors.

Three figures emerged from
amidst the wealthy houses near the castle. In the lead was a small boy holding a lantern in nervous hands. Behind him came two women. The young maid from the brothel was first – still dressed in green, but now with a courtesan’s expensive embroidered sash about her waist. Behind her came a serving maid carrying a makeup box and a samisen. The trio hesitated at the edge of the main street, then stepped out to hasten towards the castle, looking nervously at the shadows as they walked.

Ahead, across the open ground, the castle gates were flanked by blaz
ing baskets filled with logs. Foot soldiers could be seen on guard – spears erect and armour gleaming.

The night watch – yet more
foot soldiers from the castle – saw the trio as they moved through the streets. The soldiers came to demand to see curfew papers, for townsfolk were required to carry passes when out at night. The maid hastened forward to present their papers and explain them in detail to the guards. They walked aside to the far edge of the street, where a second lantern was brought so that the documents could be read in full.

A figure beckoned from
the shadows. The young woman in green shot a swift glance to the night guards, then flitted over. The figure drew her out of sight and into an alleyway.

The shadow was a
young, avid man armed with a pair of swords, short and long. Muscular, unshaven, and wearing old hemp robes, he took the girl into his arms, holding her for a moment. She clung to him, then thrust him hurriedly away.

“Benten san! You cannot be here! It is too dangerous.” She tried to pull back out
into the street. “Hurry! You must hide!”

The youth kept a hold of the girl’s hands. He looked into her eyes in anguish.

“Akiko chan! Please – you cannot go to him!”

“
It is an order! A direct order!”

The young man was mortally afraid for her. “
Feign illness. They can send another!”

“
Mama Ippongi would know. Then you and I would both be under suspicion!” The girl gripped the fan thrust through her sash. She was controlled, intelligent and unafraid. “He saw me from his palanquin! He specifically summoned me!”

Benten felt utterly sick. “
You cannot!”

“
And what of the town?” Akiko’s back was straight – her face set and proud. “These are my people. Any anger awakened in Lord Raiden will be felt by the town a thousand fold! He has already had one man executed merely for asking for an extension on his taxes!” Ashamed, Akiko could not meet Benten’s eyes. “If I can mollify him, then it is a worthy sacrifice.”

Benten looked at her, horrified for her
– feeling cold to his very core.

“Do y
ou know who that is?”

“
Yes, I know. But if I refuse to obey his command, then it is all over!”

“
What if he insists that you sleep with him?”

Akiko had turned away. Tears ran down her face.