Firefly

by India Millar

“Try it,” he invited. “There’s no strength at all needed. It’s just a matter of finding exactly the right point where the life’s blood rushes to the heart and applying just the right pressure. A pinch as gentle as rubbing a particularly annoying itch is all that is needed to disable a man. But it must be right, and in exactly the right place. Too little, and all you will do is warn your opponent that you are up to something. Too much, and he will fall to the ground and never rise again.”

  He offered me his neck. I found the right place, but I was afraid of hurting him and my pinch was feeble. Riku-san threw me to the ground and waited patiently until I got to my feet again.

  “Try once more. A little more pressure this time.”

  The next time I was too fierce. I mewed with horror as he collapsed to the ground. I was sure I had killed my venerable sensei and kneeled beside him, my head on his chest, listening for a heartbeat. I was immensely relieved when he recovered enough to give me a clout around my ear.

  “Better.” He cleared his throat. “The pressure you need is between your two efforts. You must find the exact point yourself. I am an old man, and next time you may kill me without meaning to.”

  I remembered his instructions as I stroked Reo’s neck. I could feel his pulse hot and strong beneath my fingers. I hesitated, remembering Riku-san’s words. This technique is not honorable. No samurai would ever use it. Then Reo laughed, breathily, and all worries about honor and the code of bushido deserted me. This man had shown no honor to my sister—or me! He deserved no honor in return. I pinched his artery sharply through his well-fed neck and he slithered bonelessly to his knees. He stayed there, bent absurdly at the waist, his head almost touching the ground.

  “Reo-san.” I gave him a nudge with my foot to make sure he wasn’t faking. His body rocked, but he neither fell nor straightened. Excellent.

  His position made it a little awkward to take his robe and fundoshi off him. His undergarment was made of silk, not cotton. I might have expected it, but still it made me sneer. I picked up all his clothes and then gave his shoulder a hard push. Reo rocked back against the wall. If I had planned it, I could not have bettered his position. He ended up squatted on his heels, looking like a naked man who had been caught short and had had to take a shit, his arms held out for balance. It was so undignified, I giggled.

  “Reo-san,” I squatted down myself so that my lips were close to his ear. “I know you can hear me, so listen well. I am merciful. I could have killed you and gotten away with it. I have many names, and Jun is only one of them. Perhaps you believe me now when I tell you I am shinobi. This is the only warning I will give you. When you can move again, you will write to Emiko-san and apologize to her. You will be honest with her. You will tell her that she was only a whim on your behalf. That you had no intention of marrying her, not even of making her your number two wife. Oh, and you will write it yourself, not pay a calligrapher to do it for you. If you ever go near her again, I will know about it. If you ever visit Isamu again, I will know about it. And if I find out that you have disobeyed me, I will kill you without any hesitation at all.”

  There was a great deal more I wanted to say, but I held my tongue. I bundled up Reo’s clothes and walked away from him without looking back. How he would manage to get out of the Floating World and back to his home naked and without a coin to help him, I had no idea. I sincerely hoped it would be degrading in the extreme for him.

  It took only moments, and I was once again back in the restless crowds of the Floating World. I laid Reo’s robe and fundoshi and zori in the lap of a beggar wearing nothing but a threadbare loincloth. He was so disfigured with leprosy that his hands were fingerless and his nose and lips had crumbled to nothing. I realized he was blind as well when he croaked his thanks without raising his eyes to my face. I was about to put Reo’s coins in his begging bowl when I noticed a couple of drunks close by watching me with interest. Were they drunk enough to risk contact with the leper and steal the money from him? I rather thought they were and I passed on. At the next food seller I came to, I showered silver on to his tray.

  “Do you fear the gods, my friend?”

  He raised astonished eyes to my face. “I am Shinto, sir,” he managed to say at last. “All living things that are put on this earth are sacred to me.” He gestured at his tray, which contained noodles and vegetables, but no meat. “I try to live my life with respect for all.”

  I peered into his face and believed him.

  “You see that leper over there?” He nodded. “Feed him for as long as that silver lasts and you will please the gods greatly.”

  I glanced back as I walked away and was delighted to see the noodle seller moving toward the leper.

  I could feel Reo’s netsuke and purse as a lump in my obi. I did not want the koban; how could I ever enjoy spending money that had been tainted by him? The netsuke tempted me. It was very unusual and very beautiful. I reminded myself that it had been close to his body, and its beauty lessened. I paused, considering what I should do before I finally quit the Floating World. A voice spoke softly nearby.

  “Do you have need of my services? I can cure all bodily aches and pains.”

  An anma, one of the blind masseuses, had stopped close to me. I had been deep in my thoughts, but still, I was surprised I had not heard her approach.

  “Thank you,” I said courteously. “But I have no need of your services.”

  Instead of finding her way with a stick or being led by a child as anma usually were, this one was guided by a dog, a mongrel of many breeds that wagged her tail at me and thrust her nose in my hand. The anma shrugged and was about to move away when a thought came to me.

  “Anma, do you know a street where there was a fire recently? Quite close to here?”

  “I do. I was here the night it burned. If I recollect correctly, two houses are already being rebuilt and work is to start on a third very soon. It was said that the man who lived in one of the houses went to sleep with his pipe in his hand, and when it dropped, he set fire to not only his own house, but those on either side caught alight as well. Why are you interested? They’re in a back alley, and even when the houses are rebuilt, they will be cheap, working-men’s homes.”

  She seemed to be looking at me. Even though her eyes were white with the disease that had robbed her of her sight, I schooled my face to show no expression. Clearly, this woman relied on senses other than her vision; my voice had told her that I was no peasant. To find my own abilities reflected back at me was disturbing. I thought of Reo, crouching naked and incapable of movement or voice in his alley and felt a twinge of guilt.

  It is not honorable. It is not bushido. But it may save your life one day. I had used Riku-san’s technique carelessly, not to save my own life, but purely for revenge.

  “I was curious, that’s all.” I felt in my obi and took out Reo’s purse. I threw the purse away—the dog immediately ran to it and sniffed it, but finding it held no interest it came back to the anma’s side at once—but held the koban in my fingers. “I have no need of you, anma. But there is something that you could do for me.”

  She said nothing, just put her head on one side.

  “At the end of the alley, close to where the fire burned, you will find a man. I have no need for your massage, but I think he will welcome it.” I put the coin in her palm, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I would appreciate it if you would wait for a while before you go to find him. Say, until the revelries are at their very height and the streets are crowded?”

  In spite of my remorse, I swallowed laughter. If I had left Reo to come to his senses naturally, it might have taken hours. Although the Floating World never slept, I would prefer it if he staggered out of the alley when the crowds were at their thickest, rather than in the morning when there were relatively few people about to witness his shame. I examined my conscience and decided he deserved no more.

  “With great pleasure.” The koban disappeared into the sleeve of her robe. “That is a great
deal of money for a simple massage, lady.” I caught my breath; truly, this blind woman saw far more than those who had use of their eyes. “I can only hope that my customer merited whatever has caused him to need my services so urgently.”

  “Oh, he has,” I assured her. A thought struck me, and I added, “Does your dog take good care of you, anma?”

  “Indeed, she does, lady.” Her hand found the dog’s head unerringly. “You’re fortunate. She obviously likes you. Some of my customers seem to think they are buying more than a massage to ease their aches and pains. They have not been so lucky.”

  I smiled as I turned and was swallowed up by the crowds in the blink of an eye. Clearly, the anma and I understood each other perfectly. I was still smiling as I walked to the great gate. There was a great deal I had still to learn about the code of bushido, but I was pleased; I thought I had made a good beginning. Not only that, I had avenged my sister, and—I thought—turned her life away from the dark and to the light. Soji-san was a great disappointment to me, certainly. The man I had worshipped from afar for so very long had turned out to be deeply flawed, but I was still sure he would make Emiko an excellent husband. After all, she would go into the match with her eyes open, which was far more than could be said for most marriages. She must learn to take the bad with the good. It was just a shame she had been spoiled for so long.

  “Jun-san.” I was so absorbed in my pleasurable thoughts that I thought I imagined the soft voice calling my name. I hesitated for a pace and was about to move on when the voice came again. “Jun-san, over here.”

  I turned and my smile widened. Effet was standing well back in a deeply recessed doorway. She leaned forward and beckoned me to her.

  “Effet.” I lounged in the doorway, doing my best to copy Isamu’s iki slouch. “Surely you haven’t waited for me all evening? I’m deeply flattered, but I’m afraid I must be on my way.”

  “Oh, surely another few minutes wouldn’t hurt?” She pouted. Even though I knew perfectly well her sorrow was all pretense, I was flattered. She was looking at me in apparent approval, smiling as if she liked what she saw. Her gaze lingered on my obi, and her eyes widened with genuine interest. Reo’s netsuke. It still dangled from my obi. I was filled with wicked amusement. It was the only part of him I had not given away. Now, it could go to a good home.

  “Do you like my netsuke, Effet?” I asked. “Well, truth to tell, it wasn’t mine earlier in the evening. It was given to me by a…friend. I don’t really care for it. Would you like it as a souvenir of our brief meeting?”

  Her eyes were wide and greedy. I handed the netsuke to her and felt cleaner for its loss. She licked her lips and the coral disappeared into her wide sleeve.

  “You are most generous, Jun-san. Are you quite sure there is nothing I can give you in exchange?” I shook my head, and she leaned closer to me, putting her lips close to my ear. I waited indulgently for her whispered enticements. She said nothing, but pinched my ear lobe and stroked my face. Her fingers were very soft. This close, I could smell her scent. Something light and flowery, but at the same time very rich and feminine. It was delightful, and I inhaled the perfume with a lingering intake of breath. I had to smile; had I truly been a man, I would have found Effet irresistible.

  I relaxed for a moment, content to linger in her presence. Why not? I had achieved all I had come to the Floating World to do. The excitement was finally beginning to ebb from my body, and I realized I was exhausted.

  “I have a long ride in front of me, Effet,” I said gently. “I must leave you.”

  She made no effort to stop me as I turned. I had not left the shadow of the doorway when I collided with something as solid and unyielding as the mountain I had climbed with Isamu. I was plucked off my feet effortlessly. Whatever had hold of me tightened its grip, and I felt as if my ribs were being crushed into my lungs. I heard Effet’s voice from somewhere behind me, although I could not make out her words. I didn’t waste my time trying to answer her. My mind spun, trying to make sense of what was happening to me. My feet were dangling in space. My face was pressed into what felt like flesh, but flesh that was harder than anything that I had ever touched. Something was wrapped around my entire body, holding me firmly. I tried to wriggle. If it were possible to escape from this trap, then I would do so. Once free, I could think about fighting back. But not until then.

  My legs were free, and I could kick. I slammed my feet hard against my captor. When that had no apparent effect, I swung my lower body as far back as I could. It was only perhaps a hand span, but I reckoned it would be enough. If this was truly a man that had hold of me—and judging by his reek of hot flesh, he was—then there was a quick and, for me at least, easy way out of this situation. I slammed my knee crisply into where I reckoned his kintama should be. I expected his hold to be relaxed at once. When nothing happened, I tried again, a little higher. And then lower.

  I thought I had finally reached my target when the hold on me was relaxed very slightly. Not enough to allow me to get away, but enough for me to raise my head to see what manner of creature had captured me. A face as wide and full as the moon was looking down at me. Given that the owner of the face still seemed intent in squeezing the life out of me, it wore a curiously gentle expression. The vast moon head bent down to me and full lips smothered my mouth. Without any apparent evil intent, I felt the air being sucked out of my very lungs. My protests were lost in his mouth; I tried to breathe through my nose, but my whole face was squashed against his cheeks. I was being smothered by flesh. I went limp, hoping he would think I was already unconscious. When that didn’t work, I tried to kick his kintama again. My last thought before my body finally understood that I was about to die was one of great sadness that Yo would come back for me and I would be gone.

  Twenty-Two

  If my spirits are

  Sad, then the brightest summer

  Day is overcast

  The terrible pressure had lessened slightly, but my chest still hurt. With the pain came the knowledge that I was still alive. What use would a spirit have for pain? Instinctively, I wanted to move, to stretch each limb to see if anything was broken. But my training had been thorough. I lay still and kept my eyes closed, sensing my surroundings.

  I was lying on a comfortable futon. It smelled of nothing except crisp, clean linen, but the texture of the bedding was foreign to my skin. I parted my lips fractionally, smelling and tasting the air much as a snake does when it flicks its tongue. A faint odor of incense. Further away, the smell of cooking. A bird was singing outside. The wind was blowing lightly. And above all that, the sound of someone breathing close by me. A woman.

  “You might as well open your eyes. I know perfectly well that you’re awake.”

  I did as the voice instructed. There was no point pretending if she could read my reactions as keenly as that. Besides, I was intensely curious. The voice itself was familiar, but there was an edge to it that made it seem strange. I opened my eyes and sat up, relishing the chance to stretch. At the same time, my brain took stock of my situation instantly. I was still fully clothed apart from my zori, which were missing. I had never seen the room I was in before; it was quite large, but deeply gloomy. The feel of the air against my skin assured me it was daytime, and warm, but the sun was excluded from the room by very thick silken screens.

  I turned my head and blinked. Hana. She was staring at me intently. I hid my bewilderment and smiled at her.

  “Hana-san,” I said courteously. “I am in your debt. I have no idea what happened to me, but I was viciously assaulted. How did I get here? How long have I been here?”

  She inclined her head. I thought her lips quivered with amusement, and I tensed.

  “You are indeed in my debt, Jun-san.” She rolled the syllables around her mouth as if she was tasting them. “A nice enough name, but I don’t think it suits you.”

  I glanced casually around the room, giving myself time to think. There was no one else close by, I was sure of that. The
room had the usual shoji around it on three sides; the other wall appeared to be made of solid stone, without windows. No matter, it would be an easy thing to break through the silk and lattice screen walls if I had to. I could get out of here whenever I wanted. As I was indoors and Hana was with me, I assumed I was in the Green Teahouse and almost smiled; a few geisha would hardly be able to prevent me from leaving.

  “I thank you, Hana.” I patted my obi. Not surprisingly, my purse had gone. “I’ve obviously been robbed, I’m afraid. If you will wait until I can get home, I’ll be delighted to pay whatever you think is appropriate for rescuing me. Of course, no amount of money can repay you for saving my life. I’m forever in your debt.”

  I bowed my head deeply, using the polite movement to give me time to think. Something was very wrong here, but I had no idea what.

  “Such exquisite politeness!” Hana tittered. She was jeering at me, I could tell from her voice. The small hairs on the back of my neck prickled erect in warning. I began to get to my feet, and her voice lashed. “Sit down. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “And you think you can stop me?” I said coolly.

  “Of course I can.”

  I shook my head in real amusement. She had no idea of what I was capable of; I felt sorry for her.

  “Sit down, Keiko.” I froze for a second, my heart galloping with shock, and then I laughed. My voice sounded shrill, and I was annoyed with myself.

  “Keiko? Who’s Keiko? My name is Jun, you know that. Not that it matters. I’ll be on my way now.”

  “No. You will sit down,” she snapped. “You are not going anywhere at all. I know who you are, Keiko. I know you’re Isamu’s younger sister. And I know about that oaf Reo and what he did to your sister Emiko.”

  She watched me as I sat down slowly. I breathed deeply, relaxing my body. This was shockingly unexpected, but I decided quickly that it didn’t really matter. Both Reo and Isamu had told me that nothing happened in the Floating World without Hana knowing about it. I had doubted them at the time, but obviously, I was wrong.