Scene Nine

The Report

That Night

Ray is in his room that night after the evening meal. The door is closed and locked as it is every night. Ray is dressed in his black pants without a shirt on. His long black hair is out of its pony tail. Ray has removed his red headband from his forehead and has placed it on his dresser. Ray is also barefoot. He is pacing his room back and forth, deep in thought. The room is clean except for Ray's shirt that is on the floor by his bed. The bed is near the back wall of the room. There is a dark blue blanket folded at the foot of the bed, a white sheet is on it as well though. There is no sign of a pillow. Ray's dresser is by the locked door on the left side. Some of the drawers are pulled out from when Ray was looking for something. The dresser is made of black painted maple wood. There are a few items on the top of the dresser. There are four pictures; one of his brothers and sisters, one of his in-laws and their families, and finally a picture of his wife, Mariah. There is also a red brush and comb on the dresser top.

There is a small pile of German coins on the dresser as well. There is a desk on the right side of the room. It is made of blue painted oak wood. The chair to the desk is at the foot of Ray's bed with an open book on it, called 'The Way of the Ninja', a book written by Inumaru, some years before. On the desk are two coins, one gold and one silver coin. The gold coin is from Tatsumaru, it has a Dragon on the face of the coin and the silver coin is from Inumaru, it has a Dog on the face. Ray picks up both coins and examines both, and then he puts down the silver coin and uses the gold coin to contact Tatsumaru though telepathy.

"Tatsumaru, I have important information for you."

"I am listening."

"Well, Inumaru listened to his followers to find out who was murdered from both sides. When he found out that your Angel form was killed, Inumaru yelled at Sengoku and the others that had gone to Heaven to protect Angel Tatsumaru."

"I hope he yelled at them good."

"That is the problem, he did not."

"What do you mean?"

"When a member of the PureOnes fails a mission, he usually keeps yelling for days on end. And if one of them tries to talk to him he would yell at them some more and then storm away."

"And he did not do that I take it."

"No. He just yelled for a little while, and then he continued to ask who else was murdered."

"Who exactly was killed anyway?"

"Let me see Rosa Inaka, Lee Tenryu, Angel Tatsumaru, Yamaki Hiwatori, Kazuo Tomino, Goseki Umino, and Lai Bailong."

"I see. What else did he say?"

"He said that we would bury the dead mourn for them for a little while, and then replace them with new followers."

"So he does not mourn for them after they are buried?"

"Yeah, that is right."

"Uncle Ray, why did you decide to betray Inumaru and work for Tatsumaru instead?"

"Because I felt you have something I never thought you had."

"What is that, Uncle Ray?"

"Do you remember when you showed me my father's body after his death?"

"Yeah and what about it, Uncle Ray?"

"You told me you honored my father's life as well as the lives of the other ShadowHearts."

"Yeah, I remember, why?"

"Inumaru doesn't do that at all. All he does is say he is going to help his followers by vanquishing his evil twin brother, Tatsumaru, and he has tried that and failed like your father before him."

"Where are you going with this, Ray?"

"What I am saying is that Inumaru is the Evil One. Tatsumaru, I am saying that you are not truly evil. That you are destined for greatness."

"I am completely lost. What do you mean I am destined for greatness?"

"You are destined to rule the world with a good influence."

"But I am the Evil Brother! Inumaru is supposed—" Ray breaks the connection as someone knocks on the locked door. He looks out of the window briefly and then draws the curtain.

End of Scene Nine