Mantis

by India Millar

  There were the faintest impressions still there. Footsteps, two sets, I thought. Somebody had run heavily across the gravel, not caring if they disturbed it. The foot trail led to the house shoji, and parallel prints went back again. I felt sick with fear as I glanced down and saw that the shoji was torn. Matsuo held his paw up and I nodded soberly.

  “You tore that trying to get back inside, didn’t you? How did they lure you into the garden, Matsuo? Did somebody come over the wall and make plenty of noise? Was that it? And of course, as soon as Niko let you out to investigate, whoever it was climbed back over the wall. And while you were occupied out here, another somebody slid the front shoji open and let themselves in. They must have been quick to get through the house and fasten you in the garden. Were there two of them? Or more than that?”

  Matsuo whined pitifully. I stroked his head gently, trying to reassure him it wasn’t his fault. It was all down to me. Somebody had come to my house, no doubt searching for me. When they had failed to find me, they had taken their revenge on my poor Niko. I clenched my teeth, fury and guilt making nausea rise in my throat.

  Who had been here? I forced my brain to function through the storm of emotion that tried to distract me. Lord Akafumu’s family? Had they somehow associated Kamakiri the oiran with Kamakiri the blind anma? No. Surely this had nothing to do with Akafumu. Hadn’t Akira told me the family was looking for Kamakiri the anma? And not Sato-san’s father either. To him, I was Jun the kagema. Anyway, he had not even known I had existed until a few days ago. Hara-san? Had he decided to take Niko to use as leverage to force me to give in to his demands? It was possible, but I doubted it. As far as he was aware, Niko was simply my maid, a no one. He could have no idea how very fond I was of my younger sister. No, not Hara.

  Hana, perhaps? Hana was said to know everything that went on in Edo. She hated me, and I guessed she would take an interest in anything I did. Akira may well have told her that I had resurrected myself as Kamakiri the oiran, if only to warn her to keep away from me.

  To make matters worse, her beloved Akira had scolded her about her treatment of me. And he also found me deeply attractive. Surely resentment and jealousy together were enough to make her want revenge?

  I wanted it to be Hana. She would be easily dealt with. All I had to do was go to Akira and tell him she had taken Niko from me. I was certain that he would side with me and ensure that Niko was returned at once, safe and sound. I relaxed. I would go to Akira immediately.

  My relief lasted only a brief moment. Matsuo was growling, deep in his throat, and pawing at Niko’s futon. I saw at once that it had been slept on, but not shaken out and remade. That was so unlike Niko, who liked everything neat and tidy. She would be annoyed that I had found it in such a state. A rush of affection for my younger sister at this small thing made me pull back the kakebuton to straighten it.

  Immediately, Matsuo darted forward and grabbed something in his teeth. The way he held his lips peeled back from it made me certain he found it distasteful. I held my hand out for it, and he dropped the item in my palm.

  A doran—a man’s tobacco pouch. The leather was soft from much use, feeling almost like human skin. It was ornamented with deer being hunted by dogs, the pattern much worn. I grimaced as I touched it. Hanging from it by a cord was an ivory kiseruzutsu, the pipe still inside.

  I closed my eyes, running my finger over the carving on the kiseruzutsu. I was sure I had seen this before, but my memory denied me. I shook it angrily as if I could make it speak by my action. But the memory of where I had seen it last still eluded me.

  I slid it into my obi. No matter. I would forget about it for the moment. The memory would come to me, all the sooner if I stopped worrying about it. I clicked my fingers at Matsuo and he was at my side at once.

  “Good boy,” I murmured. “Come on. We’re going to Jokan-Ji Temple to see Aisha. There’s still a chance that Niko might be there. I’d better check before I dash off on a fool’s errand to hone a bull’s horn.”

  I could not deny the evidence. Undoubtedly my house had been entered by strangers, but surely it was possible that my clever, courageous Niko might have eluded them? And if she had, she would have made straight for the safety of the temple.

  The kannushi seemed calm, as always. If my appearance surprised him, he gave no sign of it. Yet I sensed the agitation beneath his measured walk and polite bow. My gut tensed with renewed fear.

  “I am pleased to see you back safely, Keiko-san,” he said courteously. “Come and drink tea with me.”

  Matsuo and I followed him into his private apartment. Politeness demanded that I waited until tea was served and the first sip taken before I could speak. A few moments, but they took the toll of years on me.

  “Aisha, is Niko here?” I blurted the words with no courtesy at all. “I asked her to stay in the temple house, but she wasn’t there when I got back. When I found she wasn’t in Kamakiri the oiran’s house either, I was deeply worried. Have you seen her?”

  Aisha scratched his chin with a long fingernail. It sounded like dry sticks being rubbed.

  “No,” he said finally. “She isn’t here. We expected her yesterday for her lessons. She’s a good girl. She’s been here every day that you’ve been gone. When she didn’t arrive by yesterday afternoon, I sent one of my monks to the temple house to look for her. I was worried she might be ill. He said that he called out, and when there was no answer, he came back.”

  “The monk didn’t look inside the house?” I interrupted. Aisha shook his head and sighed heavily.

  “I am getting old, child. And I think my wits must be leaving me. My monk said everything seemed peaceful enough, so I decided that Niko-chan had just decided to play truant from her lessons. I thought she might have gone back to your house in the center of the Floating World to make sure all was well there. Besides, yesterday was a great festival, and I was taken up with preparations for it. Ah, what am I saying? I was at fault. I should have gone to both houses myself and looked inside. When Niko did not come to us again this morning, I decided that I would go and look for her myself. But obviously I am already too late. I am deeply sorry.”

  I stared at him in mute horror. I wanted to get to my feet and run out of the temple and start combing the streets for my younger sister. I had no idea where to start looking, but it didn’t matter. My body demanded that I do something. Now. I was just about to get to my feet when Aisha shook his head. Such was the authority of the kannushi that I sat back down abruptly.

  “No, child. That is not the way. You can do nothing until you know which direction you need to go in.”

  He held his hands out to me, palms up. I was perplexed. I heard what he said, but it gave me no comfort at all. Couldn’t he understand that I had to act? That every moment I stayed was time lost?

  Aisha stared at me silently. Slowly, I began to understand. He was right; I would waste my time running about with no idea where I should go, what I should do. At this moment, it was my mind that needed to be exercised, not my body. And Aisha was offering to help me. Together, our thoughts would be focused. He could help me gain the insight I needed.

  I placed my palms gently against his. Gradually, our surroundings faded. Aisha’s gaze held my eyes on his face. My breathing slowed, my heartbeat slackened to a murmur. Our minds joined, and I felt a sense of immense awe as I understood how much this old man had experienced. More than I could begin to comprehend.

  There was no sense of time passing, nor was there a sudden revelation. I began to sense that Niko was no longer in the Floating World. I sensed that she was terrified and frantic with worry. For a moment, fury savaged my meditation and I lost both my link with Aisha and Niko. I willed my spirit to be calm, and I found my inner serenity again.

  I opened my eyes and felt the kiseruzutsu pressing into my waist.

  I knew where I had seen it before. I knew who had taken Niko. I knew why she had been taken. My poor Niko, who was barely more than a child. A child I had promised t
o care for. I had failed her, and now it was my duty to find her, and it had to be quick.

  Aisha took his hands away from me and I felt an odd sensation as if I had suddenly lost something very precious. He had no need to speak. We both knew that I needed help. A different kind of help than Aisha could give me.

  “Thank you.” I bowed deeply to the old kannushi. “I’m sorry, but I must go.”

  “Of course., Aisha said at once. His face was ashen, so white I could see the blood pulsing softly through the veins in his forehead. I was grieved that I had brought such trouble on the old man. “Please, be very careful. Even with Akira at your side, you’ll face great danger.”

  “Yes. I know. But I have to get to Niko as soon as I possibly can.”

  I was almost out of the room before I realized that I had not told him where I was going. When I turned back to ask him how he knew, he seemed to have fallen asleep. I closed the shoji very carefully so I did not disturb his dreams. I hoped they would not be nightmares.

  I walked through the seething streets, blind and deaf to all those around me. Matsuo peeled back his lips from his teeth and snarled at a man who put his hand out to delay me. The man jumped back and hurled curses at both of us. I barely heard him. Somebody had dared to steal Niko from me. And that same somebody was going to suffer for it. This was nothing to do with the code of bushido. Even less was it a matter of my personal revenge. My younger sister had been taken. I had to find her before it was too late. And when I found her and had her safe at my side, I would show neither pity nor mercy to the monster I knew intended to destroy her to save his own wretched life.

  Tears ran down my face as I walked. They stung, and I was bitterly pleased to feel the pain. My heart felt as if it was bursting with fear and anger.

  I thrust my way blindly through the hampering crowd, ignoring the howls of protest as I used my staff to push anybody aside who got in my way. It seemed as if I would never reach Akira’s home.

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  About the Author

  India Millar started her career in heavy industry at British Gas and ended it in the rarefied atmosphere of the British Library. She now lives on Spain’s glorious Costa Blanca North in an entirely male dominated household comprised of her husband, a dog, and a cat. In addition to historical romances, India also writes popular guides to living in Spain under a different name.

  Website: www.indiamillar.co.uk

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