Read Online The Sword That Cut the Burning Grass by Dorothy Hoobler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dorothy Hoobler
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the scroll. He was doing something about it. But what?
Seikei decided not to worry about that right now. What he had to do was find the emperor and bring him back before Yabuta could. Unfortunately, the scroll gave no clues as to where the emperor was now.
Or did it? The shrine mentioned in it . . . Atsuta Shrine at Nagoya. If the emperor wanted to gain the power of the sword, might he have gone there?
Somehow, Seikei thought, the Squirrel didn’t seem like a person who wanted to gain power. Possession of a bowl of ginkgo porridge was enough power for him.
But of course, someone had killed the two monks. That certainly had not been the Squirrel, no matter what Yabuta believed. So if whoever did it knew about this scroll, maybe they were on the way to Nagoya, taking the emperor along. The Squirrel might have learned that not everyone was reluctant to force him to do things.
A flash of lightning streaked through the sky, followed a moment later by a clap of thunder. Susanoo would romp through Heaven tonight, thought Seikei.
11
AMATERASU APPEARS
T he storm came on swiftly, accompanied by a cold wind, a reminder that winter would soon be here. Shopkeepers rushed to lower the bamboo curtains in front of their stores to keep the rain from coming in. Seikei searched the nearby streets in vain for an inn. Either he was in the wrong part of the city, or the inns had filled up early and taken down their signs.
By now Seikei’s clothes were sopping wet. The wind chilled him through, and he began to shiver. In desperation he went up an alleyway and crawled into an empty barrel that was lying on its side. Here at least he was sheltered from the storm, and could sleep.
All night long, however, crashes of thunder and the howling wind awakened him. He dreamed that Susanoo, with the fierce face of a demon, was beating on the sides of the barrel. Seikei scrunched up, trying to collect as much warmth as possible.
When he awoke, his clothes were still damp, but now he felt warm. Uncomfortably so, and he ached all over. The only good thing was that the rain had stopped and the sun shone through the open end of the barrel.
Then a shadow fell across the sun, startling Seikei enough to make him look. A face was there, staring back at him from the center of the sun. A woman’s face. Amaterasu? He tried to speak her name, but only a croak escaped from his throat.
“What are you doing in there?” she asked.
Seikei attempted to smile, but wasn’t sure he succeeded. Amaterasu must be joking with him, for she knew everything that went on. Everything there was to know. . . .
The next time he awoke, he was inside, in a room. It was hot, but someone had put a quilt over him. He wanted to cool off. He was sweating. He tried to throw the quilt off, but it was too heavy.
Then Amaterasu appeared again. “Drink this,” she said, helping him sit up. The liquid in the cup she held to his lips was hot too, and at first he didn’t want it. But after he tasted a little, he realized it was good. It would help him grow strong. His mother had made him some tea like this when he was very little, so that he would get well and become strong. Strong enough to throw off the quilt.
He slept some more. Now it was dark again, but Susanoo had gone away and the heavens were peaceful. Seikei realized he no longer felt hot, but he was still weak. He remembered that Amaterasu had visited him and he wondered if that had been only a dream. It seemed important. He tried to think why. It had something to do with the scroll.
The scroll! He sat up suddenly and realized that someone had taken his clothes and, along with them, the scroll.
He started to think. Obviously whoever had found him had not simply desired to rob him. Otherwise he would not be lying under a quilt in a warm room. But where was he? He clapped his hands, thinking that would attract Amaterasu again.
The sound faded away in the darkness, and nothing happened. Seikei thought about getting up, but
Seikei decided not to worry about that right now. What he had to do was find the emperor and bring him back before Yabuta could. Unfortunately, the scroll gave no clues as to where the emperor was now.
Or did it? The shrine mentioned in it . . . Atsuta Shrine at Nagoya. If the emperor wanted to gain the power of the sword, might he have gone there?
Somehow, Seikei thought, the Squirrel didn’t seem like a person who wanted to gain power. Possession of a bowl of ginkgo porridge was enough power for him.
But of course, someone had killed the two monks. That certainly had not been the Squirrel, no matter what Yabuta believed. So if whoever did it knew about this scroll, maybe they were on the way to Nagoya, taking the emperor along. The Squirrel might have learned that not everyone was reluctant to force him to do things.
A flash of lightning streaked through the sky, followed a moment later by a clap of thunder. Susanoo would romp through Heaven tonight, thought Seikei.
11
AMATERASU APPEARS
T he storm came on swiftly, accompanied by a cold wind, a reminder that winter would soon be here. Shopkeepers rushed to lower the bamboo curtains in front of their stores to keep the rain from coming in. Seikei searched the nearby streets in vain for an inn. Either he was in the wrong part of the city, or the inns had filled up early and taken down their signs.
By now Seikei’s clothes were sopping wet. The wind chilled him through, and he began to shiver. In desperation he went up an alleyway and crawled into an empty barrel that was lying on its side. Here at least he was sheltered from the storm, and could sleep.
All night long, however, crashes of thunder and the howling wind awakened him. He dreamed that Susanoo, with the fierce face of a demon, was beating on the sides of the barrel. Seikei scrunched up, trying to collect as much warmth as possible.
When he awoke, his clothes were still damp, but now he felt warm. Uncomfortably so, and he ached all over. The only good thing was that the rain had stopped and the sun shone through the open end of the barrel.
Then a shadow fell across the sun, startling Seikei enough to make him look. A face was there, staring back at him from the center of the sun. A woman’s face. Amaterasu? He tried to speak her name, but only a croak escaped from his throat.
“What are you doing in there?” she asked.
Seikei attempted to smile, but wasn’t sure he succeeded. Amaterasu must be joking with him, for she knew everything that went on. Everything there was to know. . . .
The next time he awoke, he was inside, in a room. It was hot, but someone had put a quilt over him. He wanted to cool off. He was sweating. He tried to throw the quilt off, but it was too heavy.
Then Amaterasu appeared again. “Drink this,” she said, helping him sit up. The liquid in the cup she held to his lips was hot too, and at first he didn’t want it. But after he tasted a little, he realized it was good. It would help him grow strong. His mother had made him some tea like this when he was very little, so that he would get well and become strong. Strong enough to throw off the quilt.
He slept some more. Now it was dark again, but Susanoo had gone away and the heavens were peaceful. Seikei realized he no longer felt hot, but he was still weak. He remembered that Amaterasu had visited him and he wondered if that had been only a dream. It seemed important. He tried to think why. It had something to do with the scroll.
The scroll! He sat up suddenly and realized that someone had taken his clothes and, along with them, the scroll.
He started to think. Obviously whoever had found him had not simply desired to rob him. Otherwise he would not be lying under a quilt in a warm room. But where was he? He clapped his hands, thinking that would attract Amaterasu again.
The sound faded away in the darkness, and nothing happened. Seikei thought about getting up, but
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