Kenji smiled a faint smile. “So Lord Tadayuki truly believed the story of the dragon and the golden throne, despite his protestations?”
“If he could not have the lake, a throne of gold would make a fine substitute. How he thought he would deal with the dragon, I do not know. Nor does it matter. Whether there is a dragon in a chamber under the lake or not, Tadayuki’s men tunneled too shallow and compromised the lake itself. The uzumaki is growing, and it is about to get a lot bigger.”
As we watched, the truth of my words became more and more apparent. The whirlpool was growing by the moment, and the spin of the water was getting faster and faster. Now I could hear it, the rushing of water almost as if I stood on the shore of the ocean.
“So the kami was trying to warn us,” Kenji said.
“Or warn anyone with sense enough to pay attention.”
Now the whirlpool was as large as a man was tall, and then as two men, and the roar of rushing water was almost deafening. The apparition appeared again, standing on the water near the edge. She seemed a little sad.
“We weren’t able to stop the digging in time,” Kenji shouted above the din. “Likely she’s doomed. Once the lake drains completely, she’ll be gone, even if the lake eventually refills.”
“For her sake and Lord Tadayuki’s, I hope not. Let’s wait, but I suggest we move farther up the bank. The lake isn’t the only point of danger.”
Indeed, there were further rumblings beneath the earth as the maelstrom grew. Already the water level in the lake had dropped by the height of a man. There was one final crash, and the ground itself shook as if the dragon truly was breaking free.
“Ah. That will be the tunnel collapsing... if we are lucky.”
So it proved. The uzumaki likewise turned erratic and collapsed in on itself, then disappeared as the outflow from the lake ceased. I addressed the spirit directly.
“Your waterfall will renew the lake soon enough, now that the drain has been sealed.”
The apparition placed her hands together and bowed in our direction, a bow which we returned before she disappeared. Soon all was silent again, for a little while, before the chorus of crickets and frogs returned. I started along the shore toward Lord Hitoshi’s mansion, Kenji following closely behind.
“Lord Yamada, it’s all well and good to keep Lord Tadayuki’s involvement out of this, but what are we going to tell Lord Hitoshi? You think he won’t notice half of Lake Aoi is missing?”
“No doubt he will, and of course we must tell him something.”
“Such as?”
I smiled. “Well, I was rather leaning toward the dragon.”
© Copyright 2020 Richard Parks
Richard Parks - [BCS300 S02] Page 2
