Spider by India Millar

Author:India Millar [Millar, India]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Empress Publishing

Twenty

The spider spins her

Web for gain, not just to please

Our bedazzled gaze

“Masai-san, how good to see you! May I provide your usual table?”

The server in the teahouse bowed repeatedly. To Masai, not me. He was grinning widely. If he had been a dog, his tail would have wagged furiously.

“Good morning to you, Shiko. No, somewhere a little more secluded, I think.”

Shiko’s grin widened until I could see all that remained of his teeth. He glanced at me slyly and then darted off, still bent from the waist. Masai followed without glancing at me.

This was my chance. If I waited for a moment, until both men were at the other side of the teahouse, I could dart out. Unsure of what the day ahead held, I had dressed in neat, plain clothes this morning. I could mingle easily with the crowds and be lost before Masai could get into the street. I tensed, ready for flight, and then relaxed.

What was the point? Apart from Masai, I knew nobody in Kobe. Although I was still very wary of him, he was surely the only chance I had of making a start to find Yo. Even if this was some elaborate trap, there was a possibility that I could get some information out of him.

I watched the server fussing around Masai as he slid a shoji aside and stepped back. He was smirking, and I guessed what he was thinking.

“Very private, Masai-san. You will not be disturbed here.” Coins changed hands. I swept past the server with my kimono lifted very slightly, as if I suspected the highly polished floor was dirty. His eyes widened with astonishment as I glared at him icily.

“Shiko, tea. And a dish of wagashi for both of us.”

The tension was broken by Masai’s words. I seated myself comfortably and waited until the shoji slid closed before I spoke.

“So kind, Masai-san.” I spoke acidly, but my sarcasm had no effect at all on Masai. He smiled and sat back, looking me over with obvious interest. I returned his gaze boldly, ignoring him when he snickered with amusement, putting his hand to his mouth to hide a smile.

When I looked at Masai I saw a tall, rather slender man. His robes were very well cut, muted in color, and made of excellent silk. Fashionable rather than traditional, although certainly not in the best Edo style. There he would have been marked as a man from the countryside immediately. His hair was long and fastened casually into a knot at the back of the neck. Not samurai or noble, then. I raised my eyes to inspect his face and found he was smiling at me as if I had said something amusing. I ignored that and took a good look at him. A handsome man. He was well aware of his good looks and no doubt used them to his advantage. He appeared to be unarmed. As if he read my thoughts, he sat back, pointedly relaxed.

Our tea and wagashi arrived at that moment, and I decided there was no harm at all in making sure Shiko remembered me.

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