"Pearlite, may I see you in my office?"

Akoya turned to find Aurite watching him with an expression that did not look at all encouraging. He tried not to let his dismay show on his face. Up until then, he'd been nearly relaxed. He'd found one of the many little gardens that dotted the heavenly city and had been sitting at the edge of a fountain, enjoying the feel of the wind blowing its cool spray on his skin and watching the colorful fish that swam there. He had finally exhausted the supply of potential suitors he was supposed to be meeting, which gave him some much-needed time by himself to sift through his thoughts. He didn't feel like talking to anyone just now. On the other hand, the last thing he wanted to do was offend Aurite. If Akoya pushed him too hard, and Aurite decided that he'd made a mistake in granting him immortality...

"Of course," he said, sliding gracefully off the fountain's edge. "I'd be happy to."

"No," said Aurite, "you wouldn't, but it still needs to be done."

There didn't seem to be any reply to that, so Akoya wisely kept his mouth shut and followed Aurite back to his office. At least he was getting the hang of this appearing-and-disappearing trick that the gods seemed so fond of using to get around. He had to admit, it was far more convenient than walking.

Once they arrived at the office, Aurite took his place behind his desk and removed a sheaf of papers from the many that were carefully organized in and around it.

"Now," he said, "I understand that by now you've had a chance to meet all your potential suitors. Is this correct?"

"It is," said Akoya warily.

"I thought so," said Aurite. "So, tell me, which of them have you decided on?"

Akoya's mind went blank. Aurite calmly took out a clean piece of paper, lifted a pen, and regarded him with calm expectancy.

"I... I need a bit more time to decide," said Akoya.

Aurite looked annoyed. "I warned you, we weren't going to play your games anymore. You aren't going to get out of choosing by stringing things along indefinitely."

"Well, of course I don't plan to string this out indefinitely," said Akoya, doing his best to sound affronted. "I would merely like to point out that you're asking me to choose someone to spend, not just a human lifetime with, but the rest of eternity. That is not a decision I can make lightly, and certainly not after only knowing someone for a few minutes. I don't want to marry someone who showed me their best face for an hour and then spend the rest of time dealing with less appealing qualities I didn't know about."

"A fair point, I grant you," said Aurite. "Very well."

Before Akoya had too much time to relax, Aurite took out the original sheaf of papers.

"Here is how we're going to do this," he said. "Today, you are going to go down this list, and you are going to cross out the names of everyone you are certain doesn't come up to your standards. In two weeks, we'll do this again, and we will continue doing this until you have either made up your mind or you have no further choices remaining. Are we clear?"

Akoya nodded. He wasn't altogether fond of the plan, but if it was that or make his final decision right now...

"Give me the list," he said.

He took the pen and the papers and sat down in one of Aurite's elegant but uncomfortable straight-backed chairs and began crossing off names. He was surprised how easy it turned out to be. In his mind, he'd already rejected most of them, so putting that decision down on paper wasn't so hard. Rejecting people was easy. It was deciding to accept someone that he had no experience with.

In the end, he handed back the much-reduced list to Aurite, who glanced over it and nodded. Apparently Akoya had whittled down the options enough to satisfy him.

"This will do," he said, sounding almost approving.

Akoya smiled slightly. See, he wanted to say, I'm not just putting things off. I'm making a real effort here.

"Am I free to leave, then?" was all he said.

"Feel free," said Aurite. "You've fulfilled what I've asked of you for now. Your time is now your own. As for the rest of the names on this list, you may spend as much or as little time with them as you wish. Just remember that I'll be asking you to eliminate more of them soon."

"Of course," said Akoya. "I'm sure I'll make up my mind before long."

Aurite didn't look entirely convinced by this, but he let it slide. Akoya didn't care. He had fulfilled his responsibilities, at least for the moment, and that meant he was free. He had at least two weeks to do whatever he wanted, with no one making claims on his time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a luxury.

He was still contemplating the possibilities of this good fortune when he stepped out in the hall and nearly walked into Io.

"Oh, excuse me," said Io. Then, "Akoya, what are you doing here?"

"Consulting with Aurite," said Akoya loftily, as if Aurite routinely consulted with him on matters of universal importance.

"I see," said Io. "Nothing wrong, I hope."

"No, no, everything is fine. Just a trifle that needed to be resolved."

"Well, that's good. Where are you off to now?"

Akoya considered how to answer that question. Up until that moment, he'd been thinking that he might go back to his rooms to amuse himself for a while, or perhaps return to his pleasant garden retreat. Either way, he'd been certain he would be avoiding everyone's company for as long as possible.

"I was thinking of going for a walk," he heard himself saying. "Perhaps you'd care to join me?"

"Well, I was going to ask Aurite some questions about something..." said Io slowly, "but that can wait a few minutes, if you really want my company."

"I wouldn't mind," said Akoya.

The two of them left the empty hallway and returned to the peaceful garden where Akoya had been enjoying the fountain not long ago. Io looked around with mild appreciation.

"You know, I never knew this was here," he said.

Akoya was surprised. "Surely you've had more time to explore here than I have."

"Oh, I have," said Io, "but that doesn't mean I've spent the time exploring. Actually, I rarely come to the Heavenly City anymore unless there's a meeting of the gods, or unless I'm visiting Ryuu."

He didn't go into any details, but Akoya had a guess what sorts of things visiting Ryuu would involve. He had a sudden vivid memory of the kiss Vesta had given him and pushed the thought firmly away.

"Why don't you visit more often?" he asked. "It's very pleasant here. Which isn't to say it isn't pleasant where you live, but..."

"Well, that is part of it - I have my own piece of the universe to take care of. It keeps me very busy," said Io. "And part of it, to tell you the truth, is that I don't always feel the most welcome here." He gave Akoya a measuring look. "To be honest, I'm a bit surprised you're willing to be seen in public with me."

Akoya tipped his head, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be? You're one of the rulers of the underworld. That's a prestigious position, isn't it?"

"Well, that's so," said Io, "but before I was given dominion over the Blessed Dead, I was the god of wealth. Most of the gods aren't particularly interested in money - they trade in favors around here. Ask most people you meet and they'll tell you that I'm materialistic, greedy, selfish, and generally crass."

"Then those people clearly have no taste," Akoya sniffed. "Your treasures are beautiful. It doesn't matter what they're worth here. If you take pleasure in having them, then you have a right to enjoy them."

Io smiled, looking genuinely pleased. "It's kind of you to say so."

"I'm only speaking sense," said Akoya.

"I take it this means you don't have any hard feelings for me killing you the first time we met," Io said.

Akoya found himself wondering if anyone had ever said anything like that to anybody. He laughed softly.

"Why should I?" he asked. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Even with all the... little complications that comes with it, I am still worlds better off for taking Aurite's offer than I would have been if I'd remained at home. I should be thanking you for delivering me from what my life was before."

"I'm glad to be of service," said Io. He smiled. "Usually I'm the one watching over people at the end of their lives. Giving someone a chance to start over is a new experience for me."

Akoya flashed a quick smile. "If it's any comfort, the candy was delicious."

Io laughed. "Was it? Well, perhaps next time we see each other, I'll bring some more - some with less dramatic consequences."

Akoya preened a little. Here he was on solid ground: people were offering to bring him presents. This was something he understood.

"Well, if you insist, I certainly won't try to stop you," he said. He hesitated before adding, "Aurite has said that I have no further obligations, so I have some free time. Perhaps I will visit you again, if the offer still stands?"

"It still stands," Io assured him. "I'll look forward to having you."

"I'll be around, then," said Akoya casually, "when I get some free time."

"Good," said Io. "So, what were you in there talking to Aurite about?"

"Nothing much," said Akoya. "He just wanted to know if I had definitely rejected any of my suitors."

"Have you?"

"A few."

Io gave him a considering look. "Are Ryuu and I still on the list?"

"I haven't ruled you out as possibilities yet," Akoya hedged.

Io smiled. "Then I suppose I had better make certain to have very good candy."

"You won't win me over so easily," said Akoya, smiling.

"It can't hurt," said Io. "And on that note, I'm afraid I still have business to take care of, and Aurite won't wait for me forever. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you."

"Thank you for joining me," Akoya answered, with more than his usual amount of sincerity.

In reply, Io gave him a little bow, and then the ground beneath his feet opened up, allowing him to sink smoothly out of sight. Akoya watched him go, feeling vaguely disappointed. Perhaps, he decided, it was because Io had been so clearly interested in going to do whatever it was he needed to talk to Aurite about, instead of waiting for Akoya to tire of him. That was not the sort of experience Akoya was used to having. Still, he reassured himself, Aurite was a very important god, and Io was by his own admission low in the pecking order. Perhaps he'd had no choice. Akoya decided he should be flattered that Io had spent as much time with him as he had. Next time, he decided, he would have to make it a point to visit when he could have Io's undivided attention.

And if he couldn't manage that, well, at least there would be candy to look forward to.

Akemi stood before the priest of Aurite, wringing her apron in her hands. The local priest was generally considered a good man, but priests of Aurite tended to be imposing even under the best of circumstances, and these were far from the best circumstances.

The priest was sitting at a little desk in his study, contemplating a box of candy.

"The truth is," he was saying, "that none of the candies in this box are poisoned."

"But that can't be right," Akemi insisted. "He was found dead with a half-eaten candy next to him. He was perfectly healthy up until then - he practically glowed."

"And there was nothing else he could have been eating?" the priest persisted. "No sign of any injury?"

"No, sir," she said.

"And he wasn't wearing or holding anything unusual? A scarf, a ring..."

"No, sir," she said, more firmly. "Master Gero was very particular about his clothes. He never wore anything he didn't pick out for himself. Even if someone had given him something, he wouldn't have worn it - said it would make it look like he was playing favorites."

"But gifts of sweets were acceptable?" the priest asked.

"Sometimes," she said. She frowned a little. "It's odd, though, now that you mention it."

The priest's gaze sharpened. "What's odd?"

"Well, he liked sweets, but he didn't eat them very often - said they were bad for his complexion," she said. "He'd already asked for tea and fruit to be sent up. I don't know why he'd asked for them if he was planning on eating candy instead."

"Interesting," the priest mused. "And there's no chance that he might have tampered with the sweets himself?"

"Oh, no, sir!" said Akemi, astonished at the idea. "He'd never do something like that."

"Are you quite certain?" the priest asked gently. "Sometimes a smiling face can hide an unhappy soul."

"I know. And I don't think he was a happy man," said Akemi bluntly. "But he was proud. He was so proud. I don't think he'd ever purposely hurt himself. Someone else, maybe, if he had a good enough reason, but he'd consider hurting himself a crime against nature."

"I see," said the priest. "Perhaps you're right, then. Perhaps this is something we should look into more closely."

Beckoning for Akemi to follow, he started towards the back of his study, where a small altar, a miniature version of the one that adorned the main temple, was set into the wall. At the center of the altar was a gilded statue of Aurite himself, seated regally in his throne, ready to pass judgment on the world. On either side of him were incense dishes, and in front of him a low tray where other offerings could be placed. The priest scooped a handful of candied red beans into the dish, then lit the sticks of incense, filling the air with sweet herbal-scented smoke. Akemi watched, fascinated. She had never been deeply involved with the gods - she made her offerings to the goddess of the hearth once a month and occasionally made offerings to Vesta whenever she was smitten with someone new, but she had never cared to probe the divine mysteries. Now she stood with wide eyes as the priest chanted and the smoke rose to gather around the ceiling and fill the room with shifting shadows. The only points of light in the room were the slowly dimming flames of the lamps and the gilded idol on the altar. It was growing brighter and brighter...

There was a flash, and Akemi cried out and shielded her eyes. Beside her, she heard the priest utter a soft oath. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and realized that someone new had arrived in the room. She couldn't see him clearly, surrounded as he was by smoke and golden light, but she had no doubt in her mind who she was seeing.

The priest was the first to collect himself.

"My lord," he said reverently, "you honor us with your presence."

"I know why you called upon me," Aurite replied, "and I felt that this was a matter that could be best dealt with in person. You want to know about the death of Akoya Gero, do you not?"

"If you'd be so kind as to tell us," the priest replied. "He was beloved here, and his admirers would like to know who to blame for his untimely demise."

"Understandable," said Aurite. "But you are mistaken. There is no one to be blamed here."

"I'm afraid I don't follow," said the priest.

"No one killed Akoya," said Aurite. "He knew the sweet was poisoned when he ate it, and he took it willingly and with full knowledge that he would die when he did."

"I don't believe it!" Akemi blurted. "He wouldn't kill himself! He wouldn't!"

The priests made shushing noises at her, but she ignored him. She was too annoyed by what this man was telling her. God or not, there was no way he was telling the truth. He didn't seem bothered by her outrage, though. She couldn't see his face, but she had the oddest feeling that he was... amused.

"I assure you that he did," said Aurite. "He has as many admirers among the immortals as he has on earth, so I chose to intercede with Fate on his behalf. Even as we speak, your young master is in the Heavenly City as one of the pantheon."

That made the priest and the maid both stare in surprise.

"He's a god?" she blurted.

Aurite nodded gravely. "Giving up his mortal existence was the price he paid for immortality, and he paid it gladly. Whatever becomes of him after this is not a matter for mortal justice."

"I see," said the priest, sounding faintly stunned. "Thank you for enlightening us. May I... may I tell the rest of the people what has happened?"

"You may," Aurite replied. "They need to know that there is a new god so they can begin giving him proper respect. Tell them to make preparations for the appearance of Pearlite, god of beauty."

The priest bowed. "It will be done."

"Very good," said Aurite.

The maid shook herself out of her daze. Well, of course her young master had joined the pantheon. He'd never been content with a human life.

"Is he happy?" she blurted.

She felt more than saw Aurite's gaze shifting towards her, taking her measure.

"Why that question, of all things?" he asked.

"Master Akoya - he was never a bad master," she stammered. "He wasn't a good man, but he wasn't a bad master. He had high standards but he wasn't cruel to us even when he could be." He had been distant, yes, never friendly, but many of her sisters and friends had worked with much worse men. Master Gero could cut you down with his sharp tongue if you didn't come up to his standards, but he never flew into violent rages, never beat his servants, never docked her wages for imaginary offenses, and never tried to put his hands on her or order her to his bed. He'd never objected to her having suitors. Whenever his clothes became worn or stained or just went out of fashion, he'd often give them to her to cut down and remake. He hadn't been a bad man, really. He'd been spoiled and self-absorbed, but not bad. She wrung her hands, unsure if she was making herself clear or not. "He was never happy before. I want to know if he's happy now."

"You're a loyal servant. I appreciate that," said Aurite thoughtfully. "I can't say what is in his heart, but I think he's better off now than he was before. Perhaps if you call on him, someday he'll tell you himself."

Then he vanished, leaving the room feeling suddenly dark and rather shabby, robbed of his illuminating presence. The maid blinked.

"Is it always like that?" she asked.

The priest smiled, reading the meaning behind her question. "Generally. Though I must say, it's very rare that a god chooses to manifest so overtly. I suppose news like this is enough to lure him out of hiding."

She chewed a thumbnail thoughtfully. "So Master Akoya is a god now. I'd like to see him again."

"Well," said the priest, "he's still going to need servants. Have you ever considered joining the priesthood?"

Akoya was in the habit of going for a walk in the evenings. Before, it had always been another way to keep himself fit, as well as a way to get some peace and quiet on his own terms. Now he didn't seem to need to worry about the former so much, but peace and quiet was still a desirable thing. When everything else around him was so strange, it was good to have a familiar ritual from home to cling to. Besides, the heavenly city by sunset was particularly stunning.

He had been exploring one of the city's many tree-shaded streets when he rounded a corner and found Ryuu and En sitting on a bench together. They were chatting in a companionable way that suggested long friendship. They didn't seem to have noticed Akoya yet. He paused, weighing his options. He'd been enjoying his solitude, but on the other hand, he liked Ryuu and En well enough. He hadn't had many friends in his lifetime, but he felt they came as close to that as anyone ever had. Eventually, curiosity won out, and he eased his way closer to see what they were talking about.

Ryuu brightened when he saw Akoya coming.

"Oh, hey!" he said. "Come on over. We were just talking about dream sequences."

Akoya blinked. "Beg pardon?"

"You know," said En. He stretched casually. "Sometimes someone knows what they want, but they don't want to admit it. So we give them dreams."

Ryuu nodded. "I've got a guy who's in love with a girl but won't admit it because his family's rich and he thinks she's not up to their standards. Then there's this other girl who hasn't figured out yet that she likes guys and girls, which would be okay - I mean, she'd figure it out eventually - but meanwhile that poor girl from the bakery is pining away for her, and I hate to see someone suffer when they don't have to."

"So we send them dreams," En concluded. He eased his way out of his seat. "I guess that means I'd better get started. You two probably want some time alone anyway."

"Well, I..." Akoya began, but he was already gone. Akoya looked at Ryuu. "Is he always like that?"

"Not usually," said Ryuu. He grinned. "But then, he doesn't usually intrude on someone's courtship, either."

"Oh, are we courting now?" asked Akoya archly.

"We could be," said Ryuu. "I'm not actually doing anything important at the moment. We could walk together."

Akoya hesitated for only a moment. "Very well."

Ryuu got up and fell into step alongside Akoya. They walked in silence for a moment, Ryuu apparently admiring the scenery while Akoya watched Ryuu out of the corner of his eye. Akoya wasn't quite certain, still, what Ryuu's real motivations were. It was hard to know where he stood with someone like that.

At length, Ryuu broke the silence.

"The flowers like you. Have you noticed?" he asked.

"What?" said Akoya, pulled from his thoughts.

"The flowers," Ryuu repeated. "They're all following you."

Akoya looked. Sure enough, every flower in the vicinity was turned towards him, as they might have turned towards the sun. He tried taking a few steps, and watched with interest as they all moved in concert to follow him.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

Ryuu shrugged. "Search me. If I were guessing, I'd say it means your full powers are still settling in."

"Is that something that happens?" Akoya asked, interested. He hadn't actually given a lot of thought to his powers, beyond the fact that he was going to live forever and that he could now get from one place to another simply by wishing for it.

"Sometimes," said Ryuu. "I mean, Io wasn't always a god of the dead. He was the god of wealth first, and got the underworld thing later when it got to be too big a job for just one person. You're the god of beauty now, but once you've gotten a little more used to yourself, you might find out you can do other things you didn't know about. This is all pretty new - I mean, we've never turned a human into a god before. I don't think anyone is really sure what you're going to turn out like."

"Interesting," Akoya murmured. He decided he was going to have to give that fact some serious consideration. If he had any powers, he wanted to know about them.

Ryuu grinned and reached out for the nearest flower, offering it to Akoya with a playful flourish. Akoya took it with his usual composure and tucked it behind one ear.

"So, you are courting me," he said. He peered coyly at Ryuu from behind his hair. "Does this mean you're going to kiss me again?"

He honestly wasn't sure what he wanted the answer to be. On the one hand, he'd lived his whole life being completely self-controlled, never letting himself care about anyone else or even being more than mildly attracted to anyone. It was unsettling to know how close he had come to losing control of himself. On the other hand, nothing had ever felt that good before, and he couldn't help wanting to try it again.

"Oh, no," said Ryuu teasingly. "I already told you - you only get one. I am a faithful husband."

Akoya raised an eyebrow. "So if we were married...?"

"Hey, who do you think you're talking to?" Ryuu answered, laughing. "I have only one job, and I never get tired of it."

He flashed that signal-flare smile again, the one that promised delights beyond imagining for anyone brave enough to ask. Akoya was uncomfortably aware of how easy it would be to say the simple handful of words it would take to make those pleasure his own. He caught his breath, started to speak...

There was a flash of gold light, and Akoya jumped backwards as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. Aurite materialized between Ryuu and Akoya and glanced back and forth between them with a faintly amused expression.

"Am I interrupting something important?" he asked.

"Of course not," said Ryuu. "I'm just finding out whether or not I'm getting married again any time soon. It's not like this won't affect the rest of my life or anything."

"Good," said Aurite, who was clearly not easily dissuaded by sarcasm. "I need to talk to you."

Ryuu looked surprised. "What do you need me for?"

"I have a particularly ardent worshiper, one Wario Hashida," said Aurite. "He's lonely, and he's been asking me to send him a partner. Unfortunately, he has rather high standards, and matchmaking is not my specialty. I need you to sort this out before the man begins losing faith."

"You'll owe me a favor," Ryuu pointed out.

"Understood," said Aurite. "So, will you?"

"Sure, sounds fun," said Ryuu.

"I don't care if it's fun or not," said Aurite. "I just want it done."

"No worries. You can count on me," Ryuu assured him.

"Excellent. Keep me posted, then," Aurite replied. He nodded politely to Ryuu, then Akoya, and vanished in a swirl of gold light.

Ryuu rubbed his hands together, looking altogether pleased with himself.

"This is going to be good," he said. "Aurite never owes me favors."

"Is that so important?" Akoya asked. He was eager to keep the conversation away from the previous topic. Going any further down that road would lead to him saying something he would immediately want to take back.

"Oh, sure," said Ryuu. "You'll get used to it before long. We gods don't worry much about money." He chuckled. "Well, except for Io. But most of us trade in favors. Aurite's a hotshot, so a favor from him is worth a lot. It's not every day I have something he wants."

"I suppose you had better do what he says, then," Akoya observed.

"Guess so," Ryuu agreed. "Hey, want to tag along?"

Akoya was taken aback. "Me?"

"Sure, why not?" Ryuu asked. "I mean, you're supposed to be deciding if you like me or not. You should see what it is I do all day. Even if you don't marry me, we might need to work together someday. I mean, it doesn't take a genius to see how love and beauty might be connected."

Akoya twirled a strand of hair around one finger as he considered. "Very well. It might be interesting."

Ryuu beamed. "All right! Let's go, then!"

He reached out and caught Akoya's wrist, and before Akoya could protest, the two of them had vanished in a swirl of sweet-smelling flames.

They reappeared in the middle of what appeared to be a woodworker's shop. Akoya looked around, sizing the place up. As a shop, it was incredibly tidy. The shelves were all perfectly aligned with each other, and their contents neatly placed to make perfectly symmetrical arrangements - a large bowl in the center, perhaps, with stacks of smaller objects arranged mirror style on either side. In fact, Akoya realized, the entire room was arranged so that if you stood in the center and looked at any of the walls, your view would show you a perfectly symmetrical arrangement of objects.

"Interesting place," he murmured. It was, he thought, aesthetically pleasing, in a mathematical sort of way. He could certainly believe that this man was an adherent of the god of order. "Is this where we were supposed to be?"

"This is the place," Ryuu agreed. He started briskly towards the back of the room, where a curtained doorway appeared to lead to the craftsman's workshop. Noises of creation were coming from just out of sight. Akoya followed uncertainly.

"Won't someone see us?" he asked.

"Nah," said Ryuu casually. "Humans never see us unless we want to be seen. Or heard, for that matter. For all this guy knows, we might as well not be here."

Well, that was reassuring. Akoya nodded his understanding and followed Ryuu into the workroom. It was nearly as tidy as the shop was. The piles of wood shavings and sawdust were inevitable, but all the unused tools were hanging neatly on their pegboards, and all the ongoing projects were arranged much the way the finished works were in the front room.

In the midst of all this sat the craftsman himself. He was not what Akoya had been expecting. He looked, in fact, quite ordinary - a bit on the tall and lean side, dull brownish hair, shaggy eyebrows over piercing blue eyes. His eyes were his only really good feature, Akoya thought. Just now, they were fixed intently on the pair of chopsticks he was shaping.

"Still not the same length," he muttered, and went back to whittling one down.

"Here he is," Ryuu announced. "Our leading man."

"He looks ordinary enough to me," Akoya opined. "Anyone ought to be good enough for him."

"You think so, huh?" said Ryuu. "You think you could charm him?"

"Of course I could," said Akoya. "Everyone I meet is charmed by me. I am irresistible."

"Well, let's try an experiment, then," said Ryuu.

He stared at the wall for a moment, as if he could see through it. Then he clucked and made a beckoning motion, as someone might call a dog. A moment later, there was a ringing from the shop door, and Wario Hashida jumped up to answer the call of commerce. Ryuu followed, bringing Akoya with him.

The customer turned out to be a young woman. She was quite pretty - even Akoya was willing to admit that. She had a great deal of golden hair that tumbled in artfully arranged ringlets over her shoulders. She had lovely blue-green eyes that peered out of a sweetly heart-shaped face. Her gown was clearly the latest fashion, and fitted perfectly over her curvaceous figure. To Akoya's discerning eye, her nose was a bit too turned-up at the tip, and her wrists were a bit too wide and bony, but those were minor flaws and easily overlooked. On the whole, she was more than good enough for a humble wood-carver. The man should have been charmed.

He was not. He was polite to her as she asked questions about her wares, but the minute she'd made her purchase and walked out again, he started back to his workshop without a second glance.

"He didn't notice her," Akoya said, feeling mildly offended. "He barely even looked at her. What's wrong with him?"

"Apparently he doesn't like people who are too pretty," said Ryuu.

Akoya stared at him. "That makes no sense."

"Well, he likes to look at them. Who doesn't?" Ryuu replied. "But he doesn't want to marry one. He doesn't like the idea of spending his whole life with someone who makes him feel like a wild boar in comparison." He looked thoughtful. "He doesn't want someone too ugly, either, though. They still have to be good-looking enough that he thinks they're attractive."

Akoya scowled. "So what does he want?"

"That's what we're here to find out," said Ryuu.

So for a while, they simply watched as various customers came in and out of the shop. Ryuu provided a running commentary on the woodworker's thoughts on everyone. The mayor's daughter was too frivolous. The priest was too serious. The baker was too fat, and the seamstress too thin. The gangly innkeeper was too tall, while the herbalist was too short. The blacksmith was too burly, and the candle maker was too frail. The perfumer was too dandified, the swineherd too sloppy. The bookbinder was too clever, and the stonemason was too dull.

"This is hopeless!" Akoya snapped, after the farrier (too hairy) and the fletcher (too bald) had been rejected. "He doesn't like anyone at all. There is absolutely no one good enough for him."

"Maybe," said Ryuu, "and maybe I have an ace up my sleeve. Let's try something."

"What have you got in mind?" Akoya asked.

Ryuu grinned. "A little matchmaking, what else? Come on!"

He caught Akoya's arm again, and again there was the flash of scented flame. When they reappeared, Akoya was nearly bowled over by the change in his surroundings. They had gone from the clean, sweet-smelling serenity of Hashida's shop to the tumult of... what? For a few seconds, Akoya wasn't even sure. There were people rushing about everywhere, talking, laughing, shouting, and rattling pots and pans to create an earsplitting din. The air was hot and steamy, full of the scent of cooking food. A kitchen. They were in a kitchen, and the number of people nearby suggested it was the kitchen of a restaurant. Cooks and servers darted around the two of them, apparently completely unaware that there were gods in their path. Ryuu tugged Akoya to a quieter corner of the kitchen, where a young man sat at a prep table, making something that resembled thick hollow noodles and looking very glum about it.

"Chikuwabu today, chikuwabu yesterday, and probably chikuwabu again tomorrow," he muttered. "I'm going to be making chikuwabu for the rest of my life."

"Here we go," said Ryuu. "Kazutake Chiku. Works at his family restaurant - cooks a little, cleans a little, runs errands, basically a Jack-of-all-trades. What do you think?"

Akoya looked at the young man. He seemed thoroughly unremarkable: brown hair, brown eyes, a forgettable round face, average height, average build, clothing that was neither particularly fine nor especially poor. If Akoya had ever seen such an utterly ordinary man before, he'd probably forgotten about it almost before he'd finished looking at him.

"I think you're out of your mind," said Akoya flatly.

"You think so, huh?" said Ryuu. He looked amused, which only made Akoya more annoyed.

"If this person were any more ordinary he'd be invisible," said Akoya. "Who could possibly want him?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" said Ryuu, clearly unflustered by Akoya's show of temper. "Why don't we find out?"

He ambled over to a nearby wall-mounted shelf, which held an assortment of pots and pans and other cooking implements. There was also a tray of spare chopsticks, waiting to be served up with customers' food. Ryuu inspected them for a moment, made an approving noise, and then began inspecting the shelf.

"What are you doing?" asked Akoya, curiosity overcoming his annoyance.

"Pretty steamy in here," said Ryuu. "That's the sort of thing that makes nails rust and wood rot. Be a shame if this whole shelf were to come crashing down..."

He reached out and gave one of the braces that held up the shelf a quick tap. There was a soft crunching noise, and the end of the shelf gave way, sending the entire tray of chopsticks crashing to the floor. A few of them broke on impact, but most of them retained their integrity for a few seconds before several heavy cooking pots fell on them and smashed them to splinters. A wail of dismay went up from the cooking staff.

"That's just what we didn't need!" a large woman complained. "Right in the middle of the lunch rush, too." She rounded on the young man at the prep table. "Kazutake! Stop what you're doing and go get us some more chopsticks, on the double!"

"Yes, Aunt," he said, bouncing up from his seat. He dashed for the back door.

Ryuu chased after him, looking entirely too pleased with himself. Akoya sauntered after him, taking his time out of sheer perversity. He was more than half convinced that Ryuu was playing some sort of joke on him, and he wasn't about to fall for it. He caught up with Ryuu a little further down the road, where the chikuwabu man had been slowed down by the crowds, and Ryuu had slowed to keep pace with him.

"This is a ridiculous idea," Akoya informed him.

"Your opinion is noted," said Ryuu cheerfully.

They were passing close to the woodworker's shop now. Kazutake didn't appear to notice it, but as they drew nearer, Ryuu leaned in to whisper into his ear, "I bet they have chopsticks in there."

Kazutake stopped walking to turn and stare speculatively at the shop.

"I bet they have chopsticks in there," he said aloud. He started towards the shop.

"That was cheating," said Akoya, as he followed Ryuu inside. The two of them passed easily through the front wall without bothering with niceties like using the door.

Ryuu grinned. "No, that's my job."

The bell over the door emitted a pleasant chime as Kazutake stepped into the shop.

"Coming!" called Wario from the back of the room. He emerged from his workroom, brushing sawdust from his clothes.

Ryuu grinned.

"I love this part," he confided.

He raised both his hands and kissed his palms, then blew a kiss to each of the young men in turn. Akoya could actually see them as two bright sparks that drifted across the room to settle over the men's hearts. They looked up, their eyes met, and for a moment they both froze. Akoya was amazed. If he'd been asked to select the two most ordinary men in the world, he felt he couldn't have gone too far wrong choosing these two, and yet they were staring at each other as if they'd both just seen something straight out of their wildest dreams.

It was the woodworker who broke the silence first.

"Can I, uh... can I help you?" he stammered.

Kazutake smiled at him. "Did you make all these things? They're amazing!"

"That's right," said Wario, cheeks coloring. "I'm Wario Hashida, the proprietor."

He held out a hand, and Kazutake reached out and shook it.

"Kazutake Chiku - I work at the restaurant up the road. I need some chopsticks - a lot of them," said Kazutake. "Can you help?"

"You're in luck," said Wario. "I just finished a big batch of them this morning."

He went back to his workshop and came back with a box of them, which he began counting out into piles on his counter.

"So, you work at a restaurant," he said. "Are you a cook?"

Kazutake shrugged. "Sort of. I do a little of everything - cooking, cleaning, waiting tables, running errands like this. I can turn my hand to just about anything, but I'm not especially good at anything."

He said this in a self-deprecating manner, but it didn't seem to have a negative effect on his new friend. On the contrary, the woodcarver's piercing eyes had gone soft and dreamy. Watching this unfold, Akoya experienced a flash of understanding at last. Wario wasn't looking for someone who was outstanding at anything, he was looking for balance, for symmetry, for someone who had a little bit of everything and not too much of anything.

"He is special," said Akoya softly. "He's extraordinarily ordinary..."

Ryuu grinned. "And nobody's ever noticed him before. As soon as this guy really starts trying to impress him, I can almost guarantee he'll fall like a ton of bricks."

Things certainly did seem to be progressing in that direction. The two young man had finished counting out the chopsticks and were working on agreeing on a price.

"How about this?" said Kazutake. "If you'll come down on the price a little, I'll throw in a free lunch - all the noodles you can eat."

Wario grinned. "It's a deal. Do you mind if I walk back with you? I can help you carry these."

"I'd like that," said Kazutake.

"Great," said Wario. "Just give me a minute to lock up..."

Ryuu turned to Akoya with a smile. "I think that takes care of that. Time to go tell Aurite he owes me."

Akoya nodded distractedly. He almost didn't notice when Ryuu caught his wrist again, and the two of them teleported back to the heavenly city. The two of them reappeared back where they'd started, standing in the middle of a flower-lined street. Ryuu released Akoya's arm and stepped back to regard him thoughtfully.

"So, how do you like my job?" he asked.

With perfect honesty, Akoya said, "It was interesting. You've given me a lot to think about."

To Be Continued...