Read Online The Golden Naginata by Jessica Amanda Salmonson - Free Book Online Page B

I’ll behead you without reservation. I think you are a danger to an important mission.”
    A wind blew from the window and the candle went out in the hall. A cloud passed before the moon. Tomoe’s sword was out of the sheath at once, prepared to decapitate this woman of sorcery. But something had crawled into the open window, and it bore a sword. In the darkness, Tomoe was a shadow herself, and one shadow fought another. She sensed that her opponent was far weaker; but whatever the thing was that was fighting her, it could apparently see without light. It’s better vision weighted the battle more evenly.
    â€œStop it,” said the woman who had not moved from the futon. The specter ceased fighting. “Leave at once,” she said; and the specter slunk out the window. Tomoe saw its outline for the shortest moment: a horned oni devil. She remembered seeing it before, across the garden’s pond earlier that evening. The sorceress sat very still and said to Tomoe, “Forgive my friend’s protectiveness. Despite what you have witnessed, please think well of me and sit down.”
    Tomoe sat.
    The sorceress reached toward her straw hat, which lay beside her walking staff near the futon mattress. As she donned the hat, she said, “Also pardon my eccentricity.” The veil attached to the front of the hat hid her face before she turned toward the window and faced Tomoe. The cloud parted from the moon, lighting the room and the sorceress.
    â€œDo you know that you are dangerous when you sleep?” asked Tomoe. “Your soul threatened a bonze halfway across the city. Also, everyone I passed in this district was affected by your slumber.”
    â€œI do recall a dream,” said the woman behind the veil. “In it, I went searching for a friend, a woman I knew long ago. I found her with a yamahoshi who had a long beard and wild hair and ticks. He told me that he was adverse to magic, but I knew he was a sorcerer. I rushed forth and killed him with my walking staff! Only, when his corpse had fallen, I saw that somehow I had killed my friend by accident.”
    â€œThat is an interesting dream,” said Tomoe. “You went looking for a friend and found me. You wanted to kill a yamahoshi priest, but threatened a novice instead. Fortunately, the part about the killing has no counterpart in the waking world.”
    â€œPerhaps that part of the dream is in the future,” said the fortuneteller.
    Tomoe said, “If that is so, then it is good I’ve come to kill you.”
    â€œIf I were killed, the oni would be upset.”
    â€œI don’t fear devils. I’ve fought stronger ones than yours.”
    â€œI did not mean you should be afraid. You should feel sorry for the oni’s sadness if I die.” The sorceress took up a flat dish containing leaves from the kaji tree, a tree associated with magic. She indicated a teapot full of water which was within Tomoe’s reach. “If you would grant a final wish before I’m killed,” said the sorceress, “let me tell your fortune. Pour water onto the kaji leaves and I will hold the saucer up so that stars reflect on the water. By the placement of the leaves and the stars, I can see your life tomorrow.”
    â€œI don’t believe in destiny,” said Tomoe. “There is only now.”
    â€œThat may be so,” said the occultist. “But ‘now’ has no beginning and no end. Those of us with vision can see other parts of ‘now.’ Unless you are afraid, grant my final wish and pour from the pot.”
    Tomoe did so. Then the occultist held the saucer of leaves and water up to reflect starlight. Tomoe sat between the woman and the window. Stars reflected in the fortuneteller’s eyes, which were all that showed of her face.
    â€œThe stars reflect red in this saucer,” she began. “That is unusual. It means you will fight many kinds of devils, human and