Sura, Tonbo and Kuno. “I wish you the best of luck with your investigations, honoured priestess – honoured samurai. May the gods go with you.”
The old man departed. Kuno advanced to the table, and gave the samurai woman a profoundly respectful bow.
“ Greetings, lady. I am Deputy Asodo Kuno. These are my companions, the priestess Kitsune Sura, and her yojimbo, Tsunetomo Tonbo.”
The woman bowed in return. Her manner was military, and her voice deliberately gruff.
“I am Sano Moko, daughter of Lord Sano. Good evening.”
Sano Moko shot a scathing glance at Sura, who had happily invited herself to sit down at the table. One of the maids came racing over with a drink and pressed it into Sura’s hand. The fox drank it down with relish, and was happy to accept the bottle.
Sano Moko looked the fox up and down with a dire eye.
“ Yes. Please do sit…”
Kuno cleared his throat. He made the best of Sura’s rather extraordinary etiquette, and accepted the offer of a seat. His manner, as ever, was polished and polite.
“ We thank you, Sano san. Please forgive us for making a ripple of disturbance in your evening…”
He made a place for Chiri, then sat politely down. Tonbo sat beside the m. Sura was already flagging down the waitress once again, pointing eagerly to the bowls upon the woman’s tray.
“Are those kitsune noodles?”
“Yes, priestess!”
“Oooh – kitsune noodles all ‘round! And some of those cakey things! I was smelling those all the way over here.” The fox poured sakē all around. “Kampai!”
Sano Moko gave the fox a frosty look.
“Should a priestess be quite so devoted to her food?”
Sura lounged back and elegantly lifted up her glass.
“ The five colours make the eyes blind
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavours cloy the palate.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Goods hard to come-by tempt men to ruination.
Therefore the Sage takes care of the belly, not the eye.
Forgoing the one, he embraces the other.”
She suddenly saw the waitress passing by again. “Oooh – and plum wine! My sagacious belly demands plum wine!” Sura downed her sakē to make room for the wine. She nodded to Sano Moko. “So hey! You had some sort of news that you passed on to the local head-man?”
The woman coldly drank her sak ē.
“ It would be up to the head-man to decide whether such information should be shared with… travellers.”
Noodles arrived. Sura grabbed the first bowl, revelling in the delicious steam.
“Too bad – he’s dead! We’re investigating!” Sura watched Sano Moko slyly from a corner of her eye. “So as the person who gave him the information that led him to his death – what did you tell him?”
The samurai woman icily arranged her clothes. She refused more sak ē, and instead drank tea. She addressed herself to Kuno.
“Asodo san. I met the village head -man to relate my discovery of a body in the woods.” She set her tea aside. “He seemed extremely concerned by my tale.”
Tonbo made certain that Chiri had been serve d noodles: when Sura was eating, it was best to take care not to loose any errant fingers or toes. “Where was this body found, Sano san?”
The woman clearly found the memory distasteful.
“I came here through a narrow trail across the south eastern hills. My advice was that this route was far swifter than taking the river road. It is used only by a very few.” Sano Moko sipped at her tea and found it bitter. “Yesterday, I encountered a charcoal burner’s camp. The kiln was still smoking – but the camp itself was quite deserted. Equipment had been left lying under the open sky. There was a buzzing of flies, and a reek of decay.
“Upon searching, I located the body of a charcoal burner. He had been dead for perhaps one day, lying in a clearing in the sun. I did not interfere with the body, since such a thing is ritually unclean. I left all as it was, and reported the matter to the village head-man here
The old man departed. Kuno advanced to the table, and gave the samurai woman a profoundly respectful bow.
“ Greetings, lady. I am Deputy Asodo Kuno. These are my companions, the priestess Kitsune Sura, and her yojimbo, Tsunetomo Tonbo.”
The woman bowed in return. Her manner was military, and her voice deliberately gruff.
“I am Sano Moko, daughter of Lord Sano. Good evening.”
Sano Moko shot a scathing glance at Sura, who had happily invited herself to sit down at the table. One of the maids came racing over with a drink and pressed it into Sura’s hand. The fox drank it down with relish, and was happy to accept the bottle.
Sano Moko looked the fox up and down with a dire eye.
“ Yes. Please do sit…”
Kuno cleared his throat. He made the best of Sura’s rather extraordinary etiquette, and accepted the offer of a seat. His manner, as ever, was polished and polite.
“ We thank you, Sano san. Please forgive us for making a ripple of disturbance in your evening…”
He made a place for Chiri, then sat politely down. Tonbo sat beside the m. Sura was already flagging down the waitress once again, pointing eagerly to the bowls upon the woman’s tray.
“Are those kitsune noodles?”
“Yes, priestess!”
“Oooh – kitsune noodles all ‘round! And some of those cakey things! I was smelling those all the way over here.” The fox poured sakē all around. “Kampai!”
Sano Moko gave the fox a frosty look.
“Should a priestess be quite so devoted to her food?”
Sura lounged back and elegantly lifted up her glass.
“ The five colours make the eyes blind
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavours cloy the palate.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Goods hard to come-by tempt men to ruination.
Therefore the Sage takes care of the belly, not the eye.
Forgoing the one, he embraces the other.”
She suddenly saw the waitress passing by again. “Oooh – and plum wine! My sagacious belly demands plum wine!” Sura downed her sakē to make room for the wine. She nodded to Sano Moko. “So hey! You had some sort of news that you passed on to the local head-man?”
The woman coldly drank her sak ē.
“ It would be up to the head-man to decide whether such information should be shared with… travellers.”
Noodles arrived. Sura grabbed the first bowl, revelling in the delicious steam.
“Too bad – he’s dead! We’re investigating!” Sura watched Sano Moko slyly from a corner of her eye. “So as the person who gave him the information that led him to his death – what did you tell him?”
The samurai woman icily arranged her clothes. She refused more sak ē, and instead drank tea. She addressed herself to Kuno.
“Asodo san. I met the village head -man to relate my discovery of a body in the woods.” She set her tea aside. “He seemed extremely concerned by my tale.”
Tonbo made certain that Chiri had been serve d noodles: when Sura was eating, it was best to take care not to loose any errant fingers or toes. “Where was this body found, Sano san?”
The woman clearly found the memory distasteful.
“I came here through a narrow trail across the south eastern hills. My advice was that this route was far swifter than taking the river road. It is used only by a very few.” Sano Moko sipped at her tea and found it bitter. “Yesterday, I encountered a charcoal burner’s camp. The kiln was still smoking – but the camp itself was quite deserted. Equipment had been left lying under the open sky. There was a buzzing of flies, and a reek of decay.
“Upon searching, I located the body of a charcoal burner. He had been dead for perhaps one day, lying in a clearing in the sun. I did not interfere with the body, since such a thing is ritually unclean. I left all as it was, and reported the matter to the village head-man here
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