language. He continued in English. “There has been one mark against your record, and that is a disappointment. However, considering your youth and the pressures of the market, I believe I understand the complete situation. Our failures often point directly at our weaknesses.”
Chris nodded.
“And if your greatest weakness is your loyalty, then you are to be commended upon choosing a remarkable fault for this age,” Tetsuo said with a slight smile. “A fault which I wish to exploit. It is time you... moved on, Parker-san. I realize that in your country, it is common for one in your position to begin a house of your own. I propose something different. An alliance, and a business proposition. Between my house, and the house of Sensei Anderson. Between myself, and you. Come to Japan, Parker-san. As a trainer in my house.” He signaled for more sake, and held up one finger toward Chris, who had taken a breath to speak. “I am not finished.”
Chris composed himself smoothly and waited as the sake was poured, allowing the girl to serve him some. When she was gone again, Tetsuo reached next to him on the floor and picked up a carved wooden box, which he placed on the table. As Chris stiffened in surprise, he pried the top of the box off and pushed it across the table so that Chris could see the contents. Even though there was no real reason to look, Chris did. The coil of dark metal was threaded with the stylized magnetic lock and identity cylinder that Tetsuo used on his personal slaves, and not the large orange tag that was used on trainees.
“Not only as a trainer,” Tetsuo added, settling back comfortably. “But as my personal slave. I wish to purchase you from Sensei Anderson.”
Chris reached for the sake, and drank it down like water.
e
“And then what happened?” Michael asked, when he finished giggling. The other people around him were wiping tears from their eyes and calming their own snickers.
“What could I do?” The speaker shrugged. She was a broad-faced, bright-eyed young Korean who called herself “just Kim!” “I bowed low, backed out of the room and went back later with a can of paint...” More laughter followed and she grinned.
Earlier that evening, Michael had pried himself free of the brooding spotters as soon as he could. After wandering aimlessly for almost an hour and considering turning in, he found a group of folks who were all his age and younger hanging out by the hot tubs furthest away from the ryokan. To his delight, they were almost all trainees themselves. He tossed off his clothes, cleansed himself quickly and thoroughly in the glorious outdoor area set up for it, and joined Kim and a quiet Canadian man named Benjamin, while others sat at the edge or lounged on the platform. Kim had turned out to be quite a storyteller—and very funny. Two translators knelt nearby—the Brazilian man’s bad English wasn’t quite as good as Michael’s bad Spanish sprinkled with bad Portuguese, and Kim’s French wasn’t as good as she had hoped it would be, although her English was fine, so Catherine, the Swiss woman who spoke only German, French and a little English had felt left out. Now, they all traded stories and jokes with the gentle murmuring of translation going on throughout it all.
“So what about your teacher, Michael?” Kim turned to him and he felt her toes nudge against him in the tub. “Does he make you do stupid things?”
“Don’t they all?” Michael said a bit too loudly. But beer, sake, and that incredible local rice brandy had made them all a little bold, and everyone laughed. He wanted to nudge her back—firmly—but stopped himself ruefully. He couldn’t explain that he often thought that Chris read his mind, and that speaking ill about him would almost certainly cost Michael whatever freedoms he had this week. “I want to be Ninon’s trainee,” he quickly said with a leer. Everyone laughed some more.
“So do I!” several of them said at once, and
Chris nodded.
“And if your greatest weakness is your loyalty, then you are to be commended upon choosing a remarkable fault for this age,” Tetsuo said with a slight smile. “A fault which I wish to exploit. It is time you... moved on, Parker-san. I realize that in your country, it is common for one in your position to begin a house of your own. I propose something different. An alliance, and a business proposition. Between my house, and the house of Sensei Anderson. Between myself, and you. Come to Japan, Parker-san. As a trainer in my house.” He signaled for more sake, and held up one finger toward Chris, who had taken a breath to speak. “I am not finished.”
Chris composed himself smoothly and waited as the sake was poured, allowing the girl to serve him some. When she was gone again, Tetsuo reached next to him on the floor and picked up a carved wooden box, which he placed on the table. As Chris stiffened in surprise, he pried the top of the box off and pushed it across the table so that Chris could see the contents. Even though there was no real reason to look, Chris did. The coil of dark metal was threaded with the stylized magnetic lock and identity cylinder that Tetsuo used on his personal slaves, and not the large orange tag that was used on trainees.
“Not only as a trainer,” Tetsuo added, settling back comfortably. “But as my personal slave. I wish to purchase you from Sensei Anderson.”
Chris reached for the sake, and drank it down like water.
e
“And then what happened?” Michael asked, when he finished giggling. The other people around him were wiping tears from their eyes and calming their own snickers.
“What could I do?” The speaker shrugged. She was a broad-faced, bright-eyed young Korean who called herself “just Kim!” “I bowed low, backed out of the room and went back later with a can of paint...” More laughter followed and she grinned.
Earlier that evening, Michael had pried himself free of the brooding spotters as soon as he could. After wandering aimlessly for almost an hour and considering turning in, he found a group of folks who were all his age and younger hanging out by the hot tubs furthest away from the ryokan. To his delight, they were almost all trainees themselves. He tossed off his clothes, cleansed himself quickly and thoroughly in the glorious outdoor area set up for it, and joined Kim and a quiet Canadian man named Benjamin, while others sat at the edge or lounged on the platform. Kim had turned out to be quite a storyteller—and very funny. Two translators knelt nearby—the Brazilian man’s bad English wasn’t quite as good as Michael’s bad Spanish sprinkled with bad Portuguese, and Kim’s French wasn’t as good as she had hoped it would be, although her English was fine, so Catherine, the Swiss woman who spoke only German, French and a little English had felt left out. Now, they all traded stories and jokes with the gentle murmuring of translation going on throughout it all.
“So what about your teacher, Michael?” Kim turned to him and he felt her toes nudge against him in the tub. “Does he make you do stupid things?”
“Don’t they all?” Michael said a bit too loudly. But beer, sake, and that incredible local rice brandy had made them all a little bold, and everyone laughed. He wanted to nudge her back—firmly—but stopped himself ruefully. He couldn’t explain that he often thought that Chris read his mind, and that speaking ill about him would almost certainly cost Michael whatever freedoms he had this week. “I want to be Ninon’s trainee,” he quickly said with a leer. Everyone laughed some more.
“So do I!” several of them said at once, and
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