The House of the Lost on the Cape by Sachiko Kashiwaba

Author:Sachiko Kashiwaba
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Restless Books

CHAPTER NINE

Thoughts That Anyone Would Have

“So, do you think Agamé’s claws have been flying in from the sea, like in the story?” Yui gazed up at the shadows on the ceiling beyond the lamplight.

“Yoshii-san’s dog Chiro got wounded like our Kofuku, right?” Obāchan said. “Chiro lives inside Yoshii-san’s grounds, surrounded by a big hedge. Whatever it was that hurt Chiro cleared that hedge. It really does sound to me like Agamé’s claws flying in and seeking out living creatures.”

Hiyori shivered. She, too, felt that Agamé’s claws had targeted Kofuku. There had been nothing sharp on the road close to Kofuku, and there had been no signs of other animals nearby. His injury looked exactly like the work of creature-seeking claws that traveled through the air, struck, and then melted like ice.

“So, are you saying that the sea snake from the fourth cave is also going to appear on our beach?” Yui sat straight up in her futon.

“That is what worries me, yes,” Obāchan replied. She eased herself into a sitting position too. Hiyori was also sitting up.

“And, the snake swallows people alive?” Yui asked again. She probably couldn’t believe it. Even Hiyori had trouble believing in the snake.

“Well, we don’t know what form the snake will take,” Obāchan said. “Will it come back as the giant snake in the story? It might be simpler for us if it did come back as a sea snake! Many years have passed, and it could well have grown smarter and craftier in that time. We just have no idea how it will show up to do its mischief.

“One thing is certain, though,” she continued. “Agamé and the sea snake will always be attached to this stretch of shore. When they were pursued and somehow wound up here, they discovered a paradise where they could dwell in peace, just the two of them. They surely still think of it as their home and want it back, even now. No matter how I look at it, that’s the conclusion I draw.”

“A paradise …” Yui said. “This really is a beautiful place.” Unable to come up with other words, she sighed.

The round, calm bay, encircled by two capes like arms. The lush greenery. The views of Kitsunezaki from Fox Cub Cape had become precious to Hiyori, too.

“So, we don’t know what shape it will take, but I do worry that it will seek to do harm to this shore and everyone living on it,” Obāchan said. She looked at Kofuku, now breathing evenly in his sleep.

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