(eng) Paul Kidd - Spirit Hunters 04 by Shadow of the Oni

Author:Shadow of the Oni [Oni, Shadow of the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“Did you see the play?”

Kuno gave a grave nod of his head.

“Yes, Taijiri san. It was a masterpiece.”

Taijiri quirked one corner of his great, loose mouth into a smile.

“An old masterpiece. From an old master!”

Kuno bristled.

“Pure art endures!”

“But a pure artist does not.” Taijiri made a cryptic gesture with one hand. “Sonada san has written nothing of note for ten years! He has not even penned a letter for two years. There are no dreams there worth the tasting.”

Kuno turned and frowned back towards the theatre.

“The great master perhaps needs to replenish himself.”

“He will not do it.” Taijiri flicked a hand towards the theatre. “He lacks any understanding of real tools.”

Bifuuko and Daitanishi were sitting in a tree branch, keeping an eye on things. Both observed Taijiri with suspicion.

Chiri looked to the man in puzzlement.

“What tools should he understand, Taijiri san?”

Taijiri slid a sharp glance over Chiri. His eyes dark glittered.

“For those who have the will to win, writing can open the gates to immortality. But the will must never falter. To dismiss tools, to turn from opportunities, is to fall.” Taijiri arose.

“And in falling – oblivion.”

The man walked off down the road, towards a dark jetty filled with boats. He raised a hand in farewell.

“I received your gift, Chiri san.” The man twirled his hand, calling out as he idly wandered away. “Thank you for the mask…!”

The Spirit Hunters watched him go. Sura and the two elementals had developed a sharp dislike of Taijiri: Sura deciding he was the posing git who needed her sandal lodged up his backside. Kuno and Tonbo remained more impassive, while Chiri merely bit her lip and look depressed. The white rat was having great misgivings about the world of writing.

“Perhaps I am not cut out for these endeavours. I have no wish to crush my foes. I just wanted to make something… something beautiful.”

Kuno nodded to Chiri in great respect.

“I for one anticipate much pleasure from seeing your work.” He stood, ordering his robes with a graceful flick of his hand. “Come then. We have much to do tomorrow, and nothing is achieved by sitting here.”

It was time to find a decent dinner. The teahouse at the Isle of Tales had the advantage of being free – but it was sure to be crowded with intellectuals all discussing the play. Sura was in no mood to be reminded about kittens, cats or princesses. The fox turned to look at the city streets, then gestured off towards a side street with her chin.

“Food?”

Tonbo nodded. “Food.”

“The fox requires nourishment.” Sura shook herself, then took Chiri by the hand. “Come on. Let’s go find a noodle place that’s one hundred percent pretention free.” The fox gave a shrug. “We can just… relax for a while.”

Chiri linked arms with Sura.

“We can talk about the kitten if you would like.”

“No no!” The fox walked everyone onward, stiff backed and frozen faced. “Kittens no. Noodles yes. Don’t talk about kittens! I’m serious!”

They wandered on towards the scent of food, while behind them, the river glittered cold and dark.

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