“Wow, I never heard you wax poetic before.”
He laughed. “There is still a lot you don’t know about me.”
“Touché.’” Kenzo turned out to be the biggest mystery I needed to solve in Japan. A dull throbbing pain hit my ankle. “You mind if we sit down for a while? These boots are killing me. We must have walked four miles to get here.”
Kenzo pointed to a spot under a snow-white cherry tree. “This looks like a good spot. Not one grave anywhere nearby.”
I laughed. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
The petals formed a thick blanket on the ground. “Please rest your weary feet on my floral carpet, my lady.”
There he goes with the old-time language again. I curtsied. “Why, thank you, sir.”
As I settled into my blanket of petals, Kenzo reached into his leather jacket pocket and pulled out a Meiji bar. “Remember when we first met? I saw this at one of the vendors and had to get it for you.”
I took the candy bar from his outstretched hand and tried not to tear up. He actually remembered the first time we met. If only the whole paranormal world hadn’t been turned upside down since the moment we met, things would have gone differently between us.
I tore open the wrapper and bit off a big chuck. “Thanks, I really needed a chocolate fix.”
He laughed. “Why am I not surprised? Is there ever a time you don’t need a Meiji bar?”
I licked the rich chocolate off my lips. “Never.”
A loud rustling noise came from right above my head. My heart leapt in my chest. Had Death found me again? After all, we were sitting in a cemetery. I hesitantly looked up. “Kenzo, do you see something up in that tree?”
He scanned the branches closely. “No, but something definitely made that sound.” Kenzo pulled a strange electronic device out of his jacket pocket. It looked to be about the size of an iPod Nano. He held it up and moved it from one side of the tree to the other. “It’s nothing from the spirit world.”
I had wondered if the paranormal division of the PSIA had cool gadgets like in the Bond movies. “Do you think we should leave?”
He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. “No. I sense no danger.”
I knew it! Kenzo was a clairvoyant. Why hadn’t he warned me about Death? Then I remembered Death blocked people like Kenzo’s ability to see what he and his minions were doing.
The rustling sound moved closer and a shower of petals fell down on my head making me sneeze. “What the heck?”
I looked up to find a pair of large black eyes framed by a tiny bundle of grey and white fur. Yuki, the dwarf-flying squirrel, dangled down from a bloom covered branch. Using her fluffy tail, she launched herself up into the air and landed squarely in my lap.
“Look Kenzo, it’s Yuki! The ghost told me to keep a lookout for her.”
A squeak sounded as Yuki open her mouth. Then, in cartoonish high-pitched voice, she said, “I am going to come stay with you.”
Kenzo and I looked at each other and then I gazed down at the cute fluffy ball in my lap. “Am I having a chocolate induced hallucination, or did Yuki just speak…in English?”
“She did.” Kenzo laughed. “And she sounded just like your American cartoon, Alvin the Chipmunk.”
Chapter 7
Operation Sun Goddess
April 28th 11:00AM
Yuki scurried across the kitchen counter her little nails tapping out a staccato beat. “Stop that.” I pointed to the multi-level cat tree in the living room I bought for her. “Please go to your home…now!”
She flicked her tail in my face. “You are no fun.” Then she jumped off my shoulder and onto the brown-carpeted tree.
Ren snickered. “It is so amusing to watch you try to discipline a sacred creature like it’s your child.”
“Well, if she would stop acting like one.”
Ren placed her tea mug in the sink. “I’m off to work. You two behave yourselves. It’s a beautiful sunny day. You don’t have school, why don’t you take Yuki to the little park down the street so she can get some real tree time?”
Before I could make a snappy comeback, Ren disappeared out the door.
Living with a sacred squirrel sure had its ups and downs. These last three weeks took quite a bit of adjusting. But as I watched Yuki groom her tail as she sat on the cat tree, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Taking Ren’s suggestion to heart, I grabbed my backpack and lined the front pocket with Yuki’s favorite cashmere scarf, a reluctant donation from Ren. I went over to the kitchen and opened a bag of popcorn to take on the trip. A whooshing sound came through the air as Yuki launched herself right at me. “No. This is your treat for later.”
Crap. Ren was right. I did sound just like a parent. Yuki ignored my warning and snuck a few kernels out of the bag and scurried back to the cat tree. They disappeared into her mouth in seconds. She waved her little arms at me. “Can we not leave yet? Amaterasu will be signaling me soon.”
Besides having to learn to live with a talking flying squirrel in the house, I also had to get used to the strange language Yuki used when she spoke with her mistress. It sounded a bit like nails on a chalkboard mixed with a high-pitched drill. The first time I heard it I almost jumped out of my skin. “Okay. Let’s go after you speak with her.”
Yuki nodded her little head and dove into my hoodie sweatshirt pocket where she loved to sleep. I could feel her tiny claws as she scrunched around until she felt comfortable. Terrific. Now I had a front row seat to her conversation with Amaterasu. Luckily, my experience as a Girl Scout taught me to be prepared for any situation. So, I reached into my jeans pocket for my pair of industrial strength ear plugs. Placing them in my ears, all I could hear of their conversation was a high-pitched rhythmic sound not unlike a Chinese opera singer. I sat down and tried to concentrate on the book I started, Squirrels As Pets-A Survival Guide, when Yuki stuck her little head out from my hoodie pocket. “My mistress says hello and that she will see you soon.”
With Amaterasu’s message delivered, Yuki tucked her head back inside the pocket and continued her conversation. I put down the book and wondered if the Sun Goddess would appear to me here at the house, or somewhere else. Yuki abruptly stopped talking and any chance I would see the Sun Goddess today vanished. She came out of my pocket tail first. In a muffled voice she said, “Do you mind if we do not travel to the park?” Her little arms flew up to her face blocking a yawn. “I am tired.”
She jumped out of my pocket and dove into her cubby in the middle of the cat tree. I smiled knowingly. I’d learned from my trusty squirrel survival guide that Yuki needed at least fourteen hours of sleep every day. Usually fifteen as being up during the daylight drained a lot of her energy. Japanese dwarf squirrels were normally nocturnal. Of course, all bets were off when you were dealing with the divine version.
The door handle rattled, and Ren came storming into the entryway. “Oh, good, you’re still here. There’s been a change of plans.”
Ren handed me a set of train tickets and a map of Japan.
The tickets were for the Shinkansen to Kyoto. “What’s going on?”
Ren said nothing. Instead, she walked over to the living room and sat down in her favorite chair. With a flourish, she pulled her iPad out from between the cushions. “Sit down Erin, we will explain everything to you.”
I assumed when she said “we” she meant Kenzo. Sure enough, his face filled the iPad screen. I almost didn’t recognize him. His long rocker hair, tamed by some kind of hair product, clung to the collar of a white button-down shirt. I didn’t need to guess where he was sitting. By the looks of the drab beige walls, and the fact there were no windows, I knew he sat three stories underground deep in the bowels of the PSIA paranormal offices.
“So, Erin, has Ren filled you in on your first assignment?”
“Ah…no.”
He gave Ren a quick glance. “Well, the trip to Kyoto is mostly Chojo Gensho business, but I convinced your boss and landlord to let you
visit a few historic places in Western Japan while you were down there. It’s your spring break after all.”
Good thing whenever I saw his wife, I made a point to gush about what generous person she was to let me live in her amazing home. It seemed my praises bought me some major brownie points. “Fantastic. So where exactly am I going? And what is my assignment?”
Once again, I felt like I’d side-stepped into a TV show.
Ren chimed in. “First we are going to Kyoto to meet up with the Sun Goddess and to return Yuki to her. Then we are going to Miyajima Island to investigate one of the messages Brena received. And for fun, we are going to travel to Kyushu. I know how much you have longed to see more of Japan. The weather is much nicer there too. Similar to Hawaii.”
“Awesome, so what’s the assignment part? And how is Brena? Long time no see.” I still felt bad that I once had accused Brena of being Kenzo’s girlfriend.
“Brena’s great,” Kenzo said as he shifted in his chair. “Well, she’s had some scary encounters with one of Death’s minions, but she snagged some good intel, so it was worth it.”
Kenzo’s sex appeal just skyrocketed. His agent-speak made me quiver. Channeling my best Man of Letters lingo, I said, “Copy that. Sorry to hear Brena’s been attacked, too. What intel are we supposed to follow up on?”
“Let me tell her,” Ren said as she held the iPad a bit higher in her lap. “Brena received a message that something vital to the pending battle is located on Miyajima Island.”
“Great,” I said feeling this was going to be another shoe drop moment. “Does she have a map or something we can use?”
Ren hesitated a second before Kenzo cut in. “You.”
I glared at him. “What do you mean?”
“Once you are on the island you will instinctively know where it is.”
“There you go with the hidden powers thing. Half the time I can’t find what I did with my house keys.”
Ren chuckled. “That certainly is the truth.”
Kenzo didn’t join in on our joking. “Trust me. Once you meet Amaterasu, all will become clear.”
A loud buzzer sounded from behind Kenzo, which woke Yuki. She rubbed her little face and then scampered out of her cubby.
Kenzo glanced behind his shoulder. “Look guys, I’ve got to go. Good luck on the mission.”
At the sound of Kenzo’s voice, Yuki ran toward the iPad and put her little hands up to Kenzo’s nose. She made the cutest little chortling noises.
“It seems Yuki likes you.” I smirked. “Can she join the Harem?”
Kenzo laughed as well. “Sure. I don’t discriminate. All ladies are welcome.”
Yuki leapt off of the chair and into my lap. She turned and gazed longingly at Kenzo’s face on the screen.
Kenzo pushed back his chair. “I’m off. Say hello to Amaterasu for me. Tell her I’ll see her soon.”
I petted Yuki’s buttery soft fur as she formed a ball in my lap. “Don’t tell me. Kenzo has the Sun Goddess falling for him, too.”
Ren gave me a knowing smile. “Everyone succumbs to Kenzo’s charms.”
Kyoto Here We Come
April 29th 9:00AM
We stood at Shinjiku station getting ready to board the Shinkensen to Kyoto. Between the announcement speakers and the train pulling unto the track I knew Ren had made the right decision when she told Yuki to travel by herself to Kyoto. “So, after we meet with Amaterasu and I complete my mission, where are we going?”
“I thought I’d take you on a tour of the castles in Himeji and Kumamoto. I know you love historic architecture. The black castle in Kumamoto is my favorite.”
I had to admit I was surprised Ren remembered my rant about how I loved castles and after eight months, I hadn’t managed to see even one.
“Wow, you sure planned a full itinerary. I hope I can keep up. Where are we going to stay?”
“I picked two very nice ryokan inns. I want you to experience the real Japan.”
It sounded like Ren could give Kenzo some real competition in the tour guide department. “Fantastic.”
Ren edged her roller bag toward the first-class section of the train. “We’re going to sit in the green car?”
She gave me a mischievous grin. “Of course. We are going first class.” She pulled a purple credit card out of her wallet. “All expenses paid by the PSIA!”
“I like the ring of that.”
She laughed. “Well, we are going on official business after all. The meeting with the Sun Goddess is a top priority at headquarters.”
“I bet. It must be like an audience with the Emperor.”
“A much bigger deal. After all, we believe the Sun Goddess created Japan. The emperor’s family came second.”
The whole idea of meeting a deity seemed so unreal. Once again, I felt like I had been thrown into an episode of Supernatural. We placed our roller bags in the overhead bin and sat down in the most luxurious seats. The headrest had a little wing-like section that housed speakers. Ren showed me that inside the side compartment sat a fold out tray table. As the train pulled out of the station, I sat back enjoying the thick cushioning. The difference between first class and economy all began with the seats. Just like on airplanes. This trip was going to be so much nicer than the one I took to Fukoka to visit Tori’s parents.
Settling into my seat, I pushed the recliner button, sunk into the cushions, and relaxed for the first time in weeks. My eyes fluttered shut and I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
Hello Sun Goddess
April 29-5:00PM
Ren nudged me awake. “Erin, we’re in Kyoto. Get up. Our meeting is in twenty minutes.” Forcing my eyes open, I staggered over and pulled down my roller bag and followed behind Ren like a kid following a parent. As we stood outside the space age Kyoto train station, I realized the sun set long ago.
Ren could barely contain her excitement. “You are going to fall in love with the inn I picked. Every inch of it screams traditional Japan. The total opposite of this train station. “
The Kyoto station didn’t give you a clue that you were entering the ancient capital of Japan. The building looked like a modernist fantasy.
Ren hailed a cab. “But first we have to meet the woman that started it all.”
I leaned against my roller bag still half asleep. “Where?”
Ren waved a taxi over. “At Kinkakuji.”
“The Golden Pavilion? No way.” Could that be the reason I had been so drawn to Kawanasan’s painting?
Ren practically shoved me into the taxi. “We have to go. No one keeps her waiting.”
Ren instructed the taxi driver to drive as fast as he could. The driver questioned why we were going to Kinkakuji when it was closed. Ren just ignored him.
In no time, we stopped in front of the curb at the park. The driver went to take our bags out of the trunk, but Ren gave him the address of the ryokan and told him to drop them off there.
I looked at her dumbfounded. “How do you have everything so planned out ahead of time?”
She patted my shoulder like I was a little kid. “It’s my job.”
The taxi drove away, and Ren hopped the gate and raced down the main pathway. “Hurry.” She pointed to the white glow off in the distance. “She’s here!”
At first my feet wouldn’t move. This couldn’t be real. No one could just stroll into a park and meet a goddess. Something deep inside took over my body, and I raced down the main path until I stood in front of the pond that surrounded the Golden Pavilion. The gold cladding appeared to shimmer from within. “Amaterasu is inside!”
Ren nodded. I stared in disbelief at the pavilion that Kawanasan captured so perfectly in his painting. The upswept black tile roof made the pavilion look as if it could take flight along with the large gold phoenix bird ornament that crowned the top of the peaked second story.
A familiar tiny fur ball raced toward me—Yuki. In her sweet tiny voice, she said, “You must come quickly. There is not much time.”
Ren and I raced down the pathway around the pond and stood at the entrance of the pavilion. The white shoji doors opened, and the Sun Goddess floated out onto the veranda. She wore the same orange kimono I saw her in at the Love Hotel. Her black hair radiated out around her face just like the beams of the sun. She smiled when she saw me. In an ancient form of Japanese, I could all of a sudden miraculously understand, she said, “We finally meet in person. I must apologize that it took so long. Shinigami has made things difficult. He has thwarted me at every turn. That is why you must find the amulet on Miyajima Island. Without it I fear we will lose the battle I have tried so hard to thwart.”
The reality of her words hung over me like a weighted blanket. “I will do my best, Amaterasu.”
The light emanating out of her body grew so intense I closed my eyes. The heat she generated made my whole body break out in a sweat. My knees weakened and I did everything I could to keep from collapsing. Just when I thought I couldn’t stand any longer, the light vanished—and so did the Sun Goddess.
Island Bound
April 30th 7:00AM
I woke startled, from an intense dream that I couldn't quite remember. Scanning the traditional Japanese bedroom of the ryokan, my eyes landed on Ren’s smiling face. “Some night.”
I sat up in my futon bed. “I don’t remember a thing after the light grew so bright.”
Ren placed a red lacquered tray with a cup of tea by the futon bed and handed me a rice ball. “That’s understandable. Amaterasu’s power is so great it must have overwhelmed your body.”
I bit into the rice ball hoping it would calm my building nerves. “I feel like I put my finger in an electrical outlet. My skin is tingling.”
She laughed. “That is exactly how I felt after she touched me—a simply electrifying experience.
A half chuckle came out of my mouth full of rice. “Right. That’s one way of putting it. But how come I don’t feel like I have any new powers?” I looked deep into Ren’s dark brown eyes. “Why don’t I have x-ray vision or something? As hard as I concentrate, I can’t see your skull.”
Final Showdown Page 7
