Page 73 of Shadow of the Fox

Past the guard, we followed a bamboo wall, turned a corner and entered a large open area on the edge of a beautifully scenic lake. A red-and-gold pagoda sat on an island in the center, connected to a bridge that arched gracefully over the water. Shamisen music drifted through the air, played by an older woman kneeling on a rug, who plucked at the strings with practiced ease. Overhead, the individual cords of lanterns were a ceiling of floating lights, casting a bright, hazy glow over the throngs of people milling about. For a moment, I could only stare in awe at the sea of colorful robes, each one brighter and more extravagant than the last. The women wore many layered kimonos, so intricate and heavy-looking that I wondered how they could move. Some of the men wore hakama and jackets with stiff, flared shoulders, but several of them were clad in robes only slightly less elaborate than the women’s.

I felt a nudge, as Okame stepped close and nodded across the lawn to where a platform had been set up in front of a folding screen. Seated on a cushion before a lacquered table, surrounded by attractive women and imposing samurai, a handsome man in brilliant yellow-and-white robes sipped from a golden cup.

I swallowed. “Is that...?” I whispered unnecessarily.

“Taiyo no Genjiro the one hundred and forty-third,” the ronin murmured in my ear. “The Son of Heaven, and the emperor of Iwagoto.”

“Daisuke-san!”

A man came toward us, weaving around individuals and through clumps of nobles as he did. He had white hair and a sharply pointed goatee, and waved to the noble as he approached. “Uncle Morimasa,” Daisuke said, and turned to me with a slight bow. “Please excuse me, Yumeko-san. I will be right back.”

I nodded, and the noble strode away, smiling at his relative. But he hadn’t gone more than a few paces before a pair of noblewomen swept up to him, blocking his path. Daisuke’s polite smile never wavered, and he looked wholly interested in what they were saying even as he smoothly edged around them, only to find his path blocked by another. By the looks of the crowds converging on him, it seemed he might be a while.

Moving to the edge of the lawn, I stood beside a perfectly groomed azalea tree and gazed around, wondering which of these elegant, fluttering humans could be Lady Satomi. I also wondered if, somewhere among the sea of robes, Tatsumi was there, hidden by a spell or a disguise. I imagined him in an elegant black kimono, patterned in purple and gold, his violet eyes shining as they met mine through the crowd.

“You’re blushing, Yumeko-chan,” Okame remarked, grinning as he bent down to stare at my face. “What areyouthinking about?”

“N-nothing!” I turned away, feeling my cheeks flame, hearing the ronin snicker behind me. “I was just...ano...thinking of robes, and how mine is very hot, and how nice it would feel to take it off. And...that didn’t come out how I wanted it to at all, stop laughing, Okame-san.” I didn’t dare turn around to face him. “Baka. Be serious. We’re supposed to be looking for Lady Satomi...”

And then, one of the women seated closest to the emperor raised her head and looked right at me.

Behind my robes, forgotten and unnoticed by everyone, Chu began to growl. I suddenly felt itchy, like insects were crawling around in my sleeves, scuttling over my skin. The woman held my gaze, a faint smile gracing her full, painted lips. She was very beautiful, standing out among her fellow nobles, her crimson-and-black kimono hanging a bit more loosely in some areas than others. Not blatant or obvious, but suggestive.

Something squirmed through my hair at the base of my skull. Frowning, I reached up and grabbed something long and thin, pulling it from my head.

A red-and-black centipede wriggled between my fingers, coiling back to bite me. I threw it away with a violent jerk, barely managing not to yelp. The insect landed in the grass and was instantly pounced upon by Chu, who snatched it between his jaws and shook it like a rat. Okame, his laughter forgotten, muttered a curse.

Heart pounding, I glanced back at the woman, who was smiling at something the emperor said and not looking at me anymore. But I knew she was responsible for the unwanted visitor, and an icy chill raced up my spine as, quite suddenly, everything came together.Thiswas the person responsible for everything. The giant centipede, the undead crows, the demons that destroyed the temple; it was all because ofher. The unseen hand behind it all. The blood witch in the emperor’s court.

I trembled, not knowing if it was from fear or rage, and felt Reika move beside me, also gazing at the red-clad woman. Chu was still growling quietly near my feet, though no one around us seemed to notice the dog. “Well,” Reika said softly, “judging from Chu and how white your face has gone, I have a feeling we might have found our Lady Satomi.”

I nodded. The woman glanced my way again for just a moment, a smug triumph shining from her eyes, and I clenched my fists. If this was Lady Satomi, I also had the feeling that she wasn’t going to make things easy for us.

“Yumeko-san.”

Daisuke returned, the taller man at his side, both smiling at me as they approached. I wrenched my gaze from Lady Satomi and turned to face the nobles. “Yumeko-san,” Daisuke said again, “this is my uncle, Taiyo Morimasa.”

“Hello,” I said to the older Taiyo. Then, remembering where I was, bowed low and said, “It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

“The honor is mine, Yumeko-san,” Morimasa replied. He looked much like Daisuke, except his hair was in a warrior’s bun atop his head, and he had a neatly trimmed goatee. “You honor us with your very presence. We have not had an onmyoji at court for quite some time. Forgive my impudence, but your name is unknown to me. Which master did you serve under? I had heard rumors that the great Tsuki no Seimei was holding a contest to choose a new apprentice.”

“I...did not serve a master,” I said, groping for a reply. “I just...um...had the talent for it, I suppose. I learned on my own.”

“Amazing,” the older man said. “And at such a young age. Truly remarkable. Well, that decides it—you must perform for His Highness tonight. It would be a great honor to have such a talented onmyoji take the stage before all the court. What do you say, Yumeko-san? Will you show us your talent?”

I felt trapped, like a rabbit huddled in a corner with wolves closing in on all sides. Okame and Reika looked just as uncomfortable, though neither were jumping in with excuses. This was not a request. Even I, with my limited knowledge of Iwagoto’s society and politics, knew that a chance to serve the emperor was the greatest honor one could receive, and that turning him down was the most unforgivable of insults. Even if my refusal did not result in imprisonment or execution, our quest would end right here. If we wanted to find Master Jiro, I had to keep the farce going.

Though I had no idea what I was going to do.

“Certainly, Taiyo-san,” I told Morimasa, making Okame start and stare at me. “It would be an honor.”

“Yumeko-chan!” the ronin burst out, then seemed to catch himself. “Er...please excuse me,” he told Morimasa with a quick bow. “I’m her yojimbo, so it’s my job to worry about her. She can be rather reckless at times. Yumeko-chan,” he went on in a low voice, staring at me rather wide-eyed. “Are yousureyou can do this?” With the undertone ofwhat the hell are you doing?“If you mess up in front of the emperor, it affects us all.”

“Your yojimbo might have a point,” Reika said in a voice of resigned disapproval. “Though for this request, I don’t know what else you can do but accept.”

“Of course you must accept,” Daisuke broke in, looking both puzzled and slightly offended. “Meeting the emperor, performing for him and the entire court—there is no greater honor.”

“Exactly,” I told the ronin, and forced a smile. “You heard Daisuke-san. When will there ever be another chance to meet the emperor? Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”I hope.

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