To the Readers: Thank you for waiting on this chapter. I hope it is to
your liking. I haven't exactly been busy, but I have been working no
other writing projects here on ff.net. If you like Hot and Cold, be sure
to check them out!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 7 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sano stood against a wall of the Apothecary, hands shoved in his pockets, hat pulled low. Chewing on a toothpick, he absorbed the atmosphere of the darkened shop. Cedar incense smoke swirled and pooled in square strips of light that burst through the window. Wall cases displayed pre-packaged teas, jars of both dried and fresh flowers, fungi, fish and crustaceans. Larger dried goods hung in bundles from the ceiling, twirling randomly when they would catch an errant breeze. Behind the counter, Meg kept the jars of the more unusual and rare products such as pickled snakes, or extracts from various animal organs, as well as her books and files on customers.
Meg stood behind the counter, crushing a rather disturbing-looking dried mushroom with her mortar and pestle while looking down at the pages of a book. Occasionally, she would stop to momentarily rifle through a set of small bottles behind the counter, and pull out the tiniest pinch of some other substance, adding it to the brew. Sano watched the delicate dance of the herbalist's work with interest, wondering how long she had been in such a profession.
"So," he began, pulling one hand out of his pocket to pick up and examine a dried fish head, "Does this stuff really work?"
Meg looked up, still crushing her concoction with conviction. "Mmm. Perhaps you tell me, yourself, after you try it?"
"Did you go to school or something to learn this these things?" Sano asked, sniffing at the fish head and wrinkling his nose slightly.
"And you, did you go to school to become a private investigator, Mr. Giovanni?"
"Touche."
After a few more moments of silence, Sano shifted his weight impatiently and tried yet another question. "So. How long you been doing this?"
Meg stopped pounding the herbal concoction and stared at Sano. He watched one of her nails tap against the side of the mortar, producing a rapid click. "You ask far too many impertinent questions, but I suppose that is what makes you good at your profession, hm?"
'Why does this man rile me so easily? I am usually so good with defending myself verbally,' Meg thought, regarding the oblivious Italian across the room. 'Perhaps it is his mere persistence. Most men would have taken a hint and shut up by now. Hm. Perhaps another tactic is in order.'
"Strip."
The one word hung in the air like the word "fire" at a gunpoint execution. Meg studied Sano out of the corner of her eye hawkishly, looking for any indication of what emotions might play out at her command. But the Italian merely continued chewing on his toothpick working it slowly to the other side of his mouth, his eyes covered by the brim of his hat.
"Why, Miss Takani, I didn't know you felt that way," replied Sano finally, his voice dripping with sarcasm so thick it could clog a pipe.
It was such a perfect performance that Meg couldn't help but throw back her head and let out one of her patent laughs.
'That woman laughs at the strangest things,' Sano thought, finally moving his hands up to unbutton his shirt. 'She's either certifiable, or so repressed she can't tell seriousness from humor.'
Meg picked up a few strips of recently-boiled white cloth and headed towards the now-shirtless Italian. She motioned to a stool, and Sano sat, his back to her, the giant purple bruise on his shoulder and upper back exposed to the herbalist.
"It will feel cool."
Sano nodded as the woman poured a small bit of water into the powder she had ground and used her fingers to mix it into a paste. As she began to apply the tincture, she once again spoke.
"I have run this Apothecary since my father was killed. I believe that was, hm, about three years ago now. Kaoru and Yahiko's parents died the same month as my father, and that is how we met, strangely enough, in a cemetery. Their boarder, who used to run a flower shop here, had moved back east, and they needed a new tenant."
The tall man felt his shoulder muscle flinch a few times as Meg's expert fingers rubbed the soothing poultice into his bruised back,
"My father, also, had been an herbalist. But, the people who killed him burned most of his shop."
"He was murdered?"
"He was," Meg replied sadly, her clipped voice a bit uneven for once.
"Did they find the culprits?" Sano asked, eagerly, hoping justice had been served.
"No. But, it doesn't matter. They made it pretty clear who they were."
"Oh?"
"My mother's relatives," Meg replied, rubbing the goo into one of Sano's joints just a little bit -too- harshly, causing the tall man to utter an expletive not meant for feminine ears.
"My apologies, Mr. Giovanni."
Sensing that talking any more on the topic would bring both people in the room pain, Sano said, "Why don't we change the subject?"
"Indeed," Meg replied, as she began to cover her herbal concoction with strips of cloth. "Do tell me all about that interesting partner of yours."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kenshin looked around his room with a penetrating gaze. Simple. Clean. Functional. A single window that looked across the side-garden towards the next house over. A mattress, a blanket, and a rickety old wardrobe for storing his things. Not much more was needed in life, in the way of material possessions.
The ex-assassin listened to the sounds of the old Victorian, attempting to memorize them so he would know later which sounds were out of place. Old habits die hard. So, the young red-headed man placed his ear against the wall.
He heard the normal sounds of American houses. Creaks and groans, old piping and wood expanding in the heat. Wind chimes fluttered somewhere beyond the structure, tinkling only gently in the summer's lack of wind. And then he heard the most interesting noise, one coming from nearby. At first, it reminded him of shuriken, something small tearing through the air. But the resulting hit of the object only made a soft *thwip* noise.
*Thwip* *Thwip* *Thwip*
Kenshin finally discerned it was coming from the room across the hallway. Carefully, he slipped off his heavy American shoes and padded lithely into the hall. The door across from him was closed, but he could definitely hear the sound more clearly.
Timing his movements to the rhythm, sakabatou now at his side, Kenshin braced himself and then opened the door with supernatural speed.
Something went whizzing past his head, barely missing his ear, and stuck in the opposite wall. Kenshin rushed inside and found himself staring at a rather startled Kaoru sitting at a desk.
"Ken...Kenshin."
"Miss Kaoru...I...apologize...I heard..." The confused young man turned his head slowly to look at the door. A corkboard had been hung there, and several small squares of thick colored paper stuck out of it like a strange array of international flags. Kenshin looked behind him in the hallway, and found that the objects which had whizzed past his head were also squares of paper, which had now become lodged in the opposite doorpost.
Kenshin plucked one of the squares out of the corkboard and turned it over and over, examining it in his hand.
"I didn't mean to frighten you, Kenshin. I toss them while I read," Kaoru lifted a book off the desk slightly as if to prove her point, "Old habits die hard, I suppose."
"Old habits?" Kenshin ran his finger over the texture of the paper. Something seemed strange about the paper. It seemed too heavy, and the edges weren't smooth, but rough, as if they hadn't been cut by machinery.
"Yes. My father worked in the largest library here in San Francisco. He worked his way up from shelving books to being one of the top librarians, you see. A great accomplishment for a foreigner. But, then, he -was- fluent in many languages and had quite a compendium of degrees."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin replied, stepping quietly across the room to hand the small square of paper back to Kaoru.
"Well, you see, when I was a very young girl, even before I could read, he used to take me to work with him sometimes. To keep me quiet, he taught me how to toss old library cards and catalogue cards into a wastepaper basket from across the room. Made a game of it, you see."
Kenshin nodded, beginning to get the idea as he looked around the room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves sported books of every size and color. Besides Kaoru's desk, a nice oak table sat at the other end of the office, a few high-backed chairs nearby. The table itself, as well as the bookcases, also displayed a myriad of paper creations of all sorts, lovely displays of origami.
"After years and years of tossing cards, well, I have to admit, I can hit about anything. These are special ones. They are made not only with cotton fibers, but also metal shavings, so they stick in the corkboard easily," Kaoru explained as she took the card from Kenshin and held it up to a nearby electrical lamp so he could see the metal shavings.
"Very clever, Miss Kaoru!" He wasn't actually sure if it -was- clever, but Kenshin at least felt relieved to find out Miss Kaoru hadn't been in any danger. Besides, while he'd heard of ninja groups still existing, he hadn't actually ever run -into- any, amazingly enough. His father's stories of ninja exploits made him more than glad that he hadn't.
"You frightened me...bursting in here like that. You had a look on your face that..." Kaoru looked down at her book, chewing her bottom lip slightly as she searched for words, "...well...had me worried."
Kenshin felt suddenly rooted to the floor, his body oddly heavy. He tried shifting his weight to see if he could obtain leverage to get himself to move from the spot. Bushy red bangs fell in his face as he looked down at his hands and then away, staring at a cluster of books to his left so as not to catch Kaoru's eye. The very last thing he wanted to do was to make Kaoru feel unsafe in her own home. "I'm very sorry, I am. I hadn't meant to startle you, Miss Kaoru."
"Its alright, Kenshin. I think I understand. You've lived a life probably very different from what any of us could imagine. It may take some time before you find yourself at peace...even in a peaceful place."
Kenshin attempted a smile at her words, but decided to drop the smile almost immediately. He didn't wish to look frightening, and he knew that a forced smile caused him to either look stupid, or predatorial.
"Kenshin...I was wondering. Do you always carry that sword with you everywhere you go?"
Kenshin's fingers played across the hilt of the sword hanging at his side. Certainly, he couldn't remember a time he'd been without it since the death of his parents. But, even before then, the strange old sword had played a prominent part in his family's life. The sakabatou had been treated with such unquestionable and dutiful respect by his father, so much so that he almost felt the sword to be a wizened old ancestor. Of course, that had changed when he had joined the yakuza, becoming their foremost assassin and...
'Oh father, grandfather. How I have failed you. How I have failed to uphold all that you kept dear and sacred,' Kenshin thought as he removed his fingers from the sword's hilt, suddenly feeling quite unworthy to touch the sword which had once protected the whole of Japan.
"Yes. Yes, I keep it with me always, I do. I hope you will not...think poorly of me because of it." Kenshin tried hard to restrain the hopelessness in his voice while saying this. 'Perhaps Miss Kaoru worries that I am a coward who has to clutch his sword at every moment. Or worse, perhaps she is frightened that I am psychotic. But, I don't particularly sense fear in her. Just gentleness and compassion.'
"No. I do not think poorly of you, Kenshin. Just, please be careful. This isn't Japan. I know you know how to use that sword but, the rules of one world may not apply to the other."
"Yes, Miss Kaoru. I shall try to keep that in mind, I shall."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Tsubame-chan,
I hope this letter finds you in good health, my sister. I received your recent letter, and I am glad that you are finding life in the Shinomori household to be pleasant. Miss Misao can be quite bossy, yes, but she does have your best interests in mind. She is right. You must never, ever forget to take your leather medicine case with you, even if you are just walking across the street to the bakery.
I am still uncertain when I may be able to return. Yes, I do hope I can return before springtime, but you must not get your hopes up. Please do not worry about me, dear sister, everything will be fine for both of us, you will see.
San Francisco's heat wave has finally ended, though you wouldn't much notice if you lived here, as we haven't really had a good reprieve from the heat as of yet. Nonetheless, the summer in this country hasn't been too dreadful. Mr. Giovanni and I have fans in the office, and Miss Kaoru's house has many wonderful shade trees.
I am quite enjoying living with the Kamiya household. Miss Kaoru is quite a clever lady, except...really...when it comes to cooking. Her brother, Yahiko, may look Japanese, but he's pure American as far as I can tell. Tomorrow afternoon, supposedly, he's going to teach me the rules of baseball.
In the mornings, I usually leave before anyone in the house is awake. Best to escape Kaoru's cooking. My excuse is that I have to pick up Sano, save him rather, from his mother. But, really, you know me. I like to get my thoughts straight with a quiet walk in the morning.
Sano and I "work" in the mornings, though, work is a relative term when it comes to Giovanni-san. Besides, there isn't always much to be done, if we do not have a case...which we haven't for a while. Yahiko generally comes up to the office when it gets too hot outside to run around with his friends. I do not know if he will continue this practice when school starts again in fall, but he might.
Miss Kaoru's classes are often at odd times. Right now she teaches one in the early morning, for children, and one in the early evening, for adults. So, by the time I get back, she's teaching and doesn't seem to mind if I make dinner for the household. Yahiko and Miss Meg, of course, are ecstatic.
After dinner we usually all congregate on the porch. Miss Kaoru has given me an English textbook, but progress on that front is going slowly.
Anyway, I hope you like the sheet music I have included. It is from "Dreams Just Dreams" by Richard Howard, and Miss Kaoru says it was quite popular here a few years back. The music is for piano, but I am sure you can find a way to adapt it to violin.
Please write me soon. I miss you desperately and think about you every day, my dear sister.
Himura Kenshin
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"SANORETTI GIOVANNI!"
"Oh my god, how did she find me?" Sano asked, already hopping down off the Learning Center porch to find an appropriate patch of bushes in which to hide. "Kenshin, I have a feeling this is your fault."
"Oro?" Kenshin replied, looking up from the English textbook he had on his lap. He'd been sitting against a wall, trying desperately to comprehend a verb congregation when the ruckus began. Of course, it -was- his fault, but he wasn't about to tell Sano. Mrs. Giovanni had asked him how to find the Kamiya Learning Center earlier in the week, and he really couldn't have...in all politeness...told her to buzz off.
"Who's that?" Yahiko asked. He had been laying on his stomach on the porch railing, pouring over a comic book. Well, he read the comic book when he wasn't fighting with his sister. In her opinion 'That tripe you read will rot your brains and you ought to read a proper book before you become as dumber than a lamp post.'
"Its Mrs. Giovanni, it is!" Kenshin replied.
Kaoru and Meg looked at each other from the two rocking chairs on the porch, and burst out into giggles as Sano peeked over the bush, looking incredibly frightened.
"You mean, some kind woman actually deigned to give birth to your partner, Kenshin?" Meg asked, covering her smirk with a hand.
Kenshin nodded slightly as he stood and headed towards the gate.
"Oh me," Meg whispered, "And here all along I had been under the mistaken impression that he arrived directly from some lower level of hell."
"What was that?" Sano asked, shooting up out of the bushes just as his mother came into view. "Crap."
Kenshin ushered Mrs. Giovanni into the gate, found himself buried in the aging woman's embrace, and then suddenly alone as the Italian matron headed directly for her son. Grabbing Sano by the ear, she pulled him out of the bushes.
"Where have you been? You missed dinner! I've been worried sick."
"Oi ma, but Kenshin fed me. And as you can see, I'm perfectly Ok. I'm not out drinking or gambling or fighting or anything."
"True," Mrs. Giovanni said, seeming not at all convinced as her eyes narrowed to examine her son. "Though maybe you were out earlier drinking. Let me smell your breath."
"But ma...."
By now the entire porch had erupted in so much laughter as the Japanese contingent witnessed the family affairs of the Italians.
"He's been with me all day, Mrs. Giovanni, he has. Hasn't had anything to drink all day," Kenshin fibbed. Of course, his partner did have the usual beer or two with lunch, but nothing unusual. Trusting Kenshin, Mrs. Giovanni dropped her son's ear unceremoniously and let a smile once again grace her face.
"Oooo. You must be Kaoru, you pretty dear. The schoolteacher. Kenshin's told me all about you. Come here. Give an old lady a hug. Don't worry about your cooking, I'll help you with that. But, aren't you a lovely young thing. We'll be such good friends. And you must be Yahiko. Now you get down off that railing before you fall and hurt yourself. Oh, but aren't you a fine young man of the household. Strange, you remind me of Sano at his age. You're not a troublemaker, are you? No. I didn't think so. Here, have one of these brownies I brought. And you, you must be Miss Meg. Oh, so elegant, and such dainty hands. You really must tell me how you keep them from getting torn up in your gardening. Sano tells me I should ask you all about this rash I have here on my leg. Really, child, there is no need to scowl like that at my son, your precious little face will stick like that, you know."
By the time Mrs. Giovanni had finished making her own 'introductions', the entire porch had gone silent. Mostly because everyone, excluding Sano and Kenshin, were wondering if the woman ever actually needed to -breathe-. Plus, everyone seemed more than mildly confused as to whether Mrs. Giovanni had complemented them, or insulted them. But the matronly woman said everything with such friendly aplomb, that it seemed hard to think ill of her.
That is, it was silent until Yahiko put the brownie he had been handed into his mouth.
"Oh my god, this is -delicious-. May I have another?" Yahiko asked, getting off the railing like he had been told.
"Yes, yes, as long at its okay with your sister. Don't want to spoil your appetite. Brought a whole basket for all of you, they should still be nice and warm and gooey and..."
As Mrs. Giovanni lifted the cover off the basket of brownies and passed them around, Sano looked from his mother, to Yahiko and then back again. He cursed silently. How come everyone -else- could get away with taking the lord's name in vain and he got beaten over the head with a frying pan for it?
"Stop it, Sanoretti. Your head's liable to twist off your neck."
Meg took a brownie and elbowed Kaoru. So -this- is how you defeat the suave and dangerous detective.
"Mmm. Oh. These are good, Mrs. Giovanni," Kaoru conceded. "Thank you so much for bringing them over."
"Oh, its nothing. You know, with a layabout son like my own, never home, always out making mischief, I have just so much time on my hands to make these treats," Mrs. Giovanni sighed melodramatically to emphasize her point.
"Ma," Sano replied dryly, picking up a brownie before his mother could swat his hand away, "You work in a bakery."
"Well..." Mrs. Giovanni seemed finally stumped by that one, and sat down in the porch chair that Kaoru had brought for her. "I didn't come here to discuss my employment. I came here to find out how much trouble you'd been getting into. But, I suppose I shouldn't have worried, with Mr. Himura around. Kenshin's such a good boy, and he won't let you get into any trouble, will you Kenshin?"
Kenshin nodded forcibly, understanding the full implication of the woman's words. If Sano were to get in trouble, Kenshin would be answering to a force he couldn't exactly defeat with his sakabatou.
"Special delivery for Meg Takani!"
The group had been so busy making introductions and eating brownies that they hadn't noticed the delivery man who had pulled up in front of the gate on a motorbike. Meg stood and went to sign for the package, and returned with a sizeable box under her arm.
"Ooo. Is it your birthday, Meg?" Yahiko asked, attempting to poke at the package, wondering if it might contain more food.
Meg lifted the package out of the boy's grasp and set it on the railing. "No. I wasn't expecting anything."
"Well, Foxy, open it up and find out what it is. Don't keep us in susp...OW... Why'd you hit me, ma?"
"That's no way to address a lady."
Meg delicately removed the outer wrapping and pulled out a leather box slightly smaller than a standard briefcase. She fumbled with the brass clasps for a few moments trying to get them to unhitch, and then opened the box.
To a person, everyone gasped at the contents of the box. Inside, the leather case had been lined with plus red velvet which contained two indentations. A fine antique dueling pistol with the word "Carnegie' engraved on it sat in one indentation, and the other remained hollow, missing the accompanying pistol.
At that point, Meg Takani fainted into the arms of the person who had been standing directly behind her, Sanoretti Giovanni.
Kenshin was on his feet immediately. As Kaoru helped Sano put Meg into a porch chair, Mrs. Giovanni's hand fluttered at her own chest, asking where should could find some water for the poor girl.
"Hey Kenshin, look at this," Yahiko said, picking a small white card off the ground.
Kenshin tried to make out the words, but shook his head. "What's it say, Yahiko?"
Yahiko read the card wide-eyed. "It says: 'Meg Carnegie. You have one week to decide. You can shoot yourself with the gun that killed your father, or I can kill you with it's twin.'"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End chapter.
In our next episode: Kenshin and Sano are on the case as they delve into the mysterious past of Meg Takani...or is that -Carnegie-? Also, always feel free to suggest ideas for humorous vignettes. Please review!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 7 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sano stood against a wall of the Apothecary, hands shoved in his pockets, hat pulled low. Chewing on a toothpick, he absorbed the atmosphere of the darkened shop. Cedar incense smoke swirled and pooled in square strips of light that burst through the window. Wall cases displayed pre-packaged teas, jars of both dried and fresh flowers, fungi, fish and crustaceans. Larger dried goods hung in bundles from the ceiling, twirling randomly when they would catch an errant breeze. Behind the counter, Meg kept the jars of the more unusual and rare products such as pickled snakes, or extracts from various animal organs, as well as her books and files on customers.
Meg stood behind the counter, crushing a rather disturbing-looking dried mushroom with her mortar and pestle while looking down at the pages of a book. Occasionally, she would stop to momentarily rifle through a set of small bottles behind the counter, and pull out the tiniest pinch of some other substance, adding it to the brew. Sano watched the delicate dance of the herbalist's work with interest, wondering how long she had been in such a profession.
"So," he began, pulling one hand out of his pocket to pick up and examine a dried fish head, "Does this stuff really work?"
Meg looked up, still crushing her concoction with conviction. "Mmm. Perhaps you tell me, yourself, after you try it?"
"Did you go to school or something to learn this these things?" Sano asked, sniffing at the fish head and wrinkling his nose slightly.
"And you, did you go to school to become a private investigator, Mr. Giovanni?"
"Touche."
After a few more moments of silence, Sano shifted his weight impatiently and tried yet another question. "So. How long you been doing this?"
Meg stopped pounding the herbal concoction and stared at Sano. He watched one of her nails tap against the side of the mortar, producing a rapid click. "You ask far too many impertinent questions, but I suppose that is what makes you good at your profession, hm?"
'Why does this man rile me so easily? I am usually so good with defending myself verbally,' Meg thought, regarding the oblivious Italian across the room. 'Perhaps it is his mere persistence. Most men would have taken a hint and shut up by now. Hm. Perhaps another tactic is in order.'
"Strip."
The one word hung in the air like the word "fire" at a gunpoint execution. Meg studied Sano out of the corner of her eye hawkishly, looking for any indication of what emotions might play out at her command. But the Italian merely continued chewing on his toothpick working it slowly to the other side of his mouth, his eyes covered by the brim of his hat.
"Why, Miss Takani, I didn't know you felt that way," replied Sano finally, his voice dripping with sarcasm so thick it could clog a pipe.
It was such a perfect performance that Meg couldn't help but throw back her head and let out one of her patent laughs.
'That woman laughs at the strangest things,' Sano thought, finally moving his hands up to unbutton his shirt. 'She's either certifiable, or so repressed she can't tell seriousness from humor.'
Meg picked up a few strips of recently-boiled white cloth and headed towards the now-shirtless Italian. She motioned to a stool, and Sano sat, his back to her, the giant purple bruise on his shoulder and upper back exposed to the herbalist.
"It will feel cool."
Sano nodded as the woman poured a small bit of water into the powder she had ground and used her fingers to mix it into a paste. As she began to apply the tincture, she once again spoke.
"I have run this Apothecary since my father was killed. I believe that was, hm, about three years ago now. Kaoru and Yahiko's parents died the same month as my father, and that is how we met, strangely enough, in a cemetery. Their boarder, who used to run a flower shop here, had moved back east, and they needed a new tenant."
The tall man felt his shoulder muscle flinch a few times as Meg's expert fingers rubbed the soothing poultice into his bruised back,
"My father, also, had been an herbalist. But, the people who killed him burned most of his shop."
"He was murdered?"
"He was," Meg replied sadly, her clipped voice a bit uneven for once.
"Did they find the culprits?" Sano asked, eagerly, hoping justice had been served.
"No. But, it doesn't matter. They made it pretty clear who they were."
"Oh?"
"My mother's relatives," Meg replied, rubbing the goo into one of Sano's joints just a little bit -too- harshly, causing the tall man to utter an expletive not meant for feminine ears.
"My apologies, Mr. Giovanni."
Sensing that talking any more on the topic would bring both people in the room pain, Sano said, "Why don't we change the subject?"
"Indeed," Meg replied, as she began to cover her herbal concoction with strips of cloth. "Do tell me all about that interesting partner of yours."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kenshin looked around his room with a penetrating gaze. Simple. Clean. Functional. A single window that looked across the side-garden towards the next house over. A mattress, a blanket, and a rickety old wardrobe for storing his things. Not much more was needed in life, in the way of material possessions.
The ex-assassin listened to the sounds of the old Victorian, attempting to memorize them so he would know later which sounds were out of place. Old habits die hard. So, the young red-headed man placed his ear against the wall.
He heard the normal sounds of American houses. Creaks and groans, old piping and wood expanding in the heat. Wind chimes fluttered somewhere beyond the structure, tinkling only gently in the summer's lack of wind. And then he heard the most interesting noise, one coming from nearby. At first, it reminded him of shuriken, something small tearing through the air. But the resulting hit of the object only made a soft *thwip* noise.
*Thwip* *Thwip* *Thwip*
Kenshin finally discerned it was coming from the room across the hallway. Carefully, he slipped off his heavy American shoes and padded lithely into the hall. The door across from him was closed, but he could definitely hear the sound more clearly.
Timing his movements to the rhythm, sakabatou now at his side, Kenshin braced himself and then opened the door with supernatural speed.
Something went whizzing past his head, barely missing his ear, and stuck in the opposite wall. Kenshin rushed inside and found himself staring at a rather startled Kaoru sitting at a desk.
"Ken...Kenshin."
"Miss Kaoru...I...apologize...I heard..." The confused young man turned his head slowly to look at the door. A corkboard had been hung there, and several small squares of thick colored paper stuck out of it like a strange array of international flags. Kenshin looked behind him in the hallway, and found that the objects which had whizzed past his head were also squares of paper, which had now become lodged in the opposite doorpost.
Kenshin plucked one of the squares out of the corkboard and turned it over and over, examining it in his hand.
"I didn't mean to frighten you, Kenshin. I toss them while I read," Kaoru lifted a book off the desk slightly as if to prove her point, "Old habits die hard, I suppose."
"Old habits?" Kenshin ran his finger over the texture of the paper. Something seemed strange about the paper. It seemed too heavy, and the edges weren't smooth, but rough, as if they hadn't been cut by machinery.
"Yes. My father worked in the largest library here in San Francisco. He worked his way up from shelving books to being one of the top librarians, you see. A great accomplishment for a foreigner. But, then, he -was- fluent in many languages and had quite a compendium of degrees."
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin replied, stepping quietly across the room to hand the small square of paper back to Kaoru.
"Well, you see, when I was a very young girl, even before I could read, he used to take me to work with him sometimes. To keep me quiet, he taught me how to toss old library cards and catalogue cards into a wastepaper basket from across the room. Made a game of it, you see."
Kenshin nodded, beginning to get the idea as he looked around the room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves sported books of every size and color. Besides Kaoru's desk, a nice oak table sat at the other end of the office, a few high-backed chairs nearby. The table itself, as well as the bookcases, also displayed a myriad of paper creations of all sorts, lovely displays of origami.
"After years and years of tossing cards, well, I have to admit, I can hit about anything. These are special ones. They are made not only with cotton fibers, but also metal shavings, so they stick in the corkboard easily," Kaoru explained as she took the card from Kenshin and held it up to a nearby electrical lamp so he could see the metal shavings.
"Very clever, Miss Kaoru!" He wasn't actually sure if it -was- clever, but Kenshin at least felt relieved to find out Miss Kaoru hadn't been in any danger. Besides, while he'd heard of ninja groups still existing, he hadn't actually ever run -into- any, amazingly enough. His father's stories of ninja exploits made him more than glad that he hadn't.
"You frightened me...bursting in here like that. You had a look on your face that..." Kaoru looked down at her book, chewing her bottom lip slightly as she searched for words, "...well...had me worried."
Kenshin felt suddenly rooted to the floor, his body oddly heavy. He tried shifting his weight to see if he could obtain leverage to get himself to move from the spot. Bushy red bangs fell in his face as he looked down at his hands and then away, staring at a cluster of books to his left so as not to catch Kaoru's eye. The very last thing he wanted to do was to make Kaoru feel unsafe in her own home. "I'm very sorry, I am. I hadn't meant to startle you, Miss Kaoru."
"Its alright, Kenshin. I think I understand. You've lived a life probably very different from what any of us could imagine. It may take some time before you find yourself at peace...even in a peaceful place."
Kenshin attempted a smile at her words, but decided to drop the smile almost immediately. He didn't wish to look frightening, and he knew that a forced smile caused him to either look stupid, or predatorial.
"Kenshin...I was wondering. Do you always carry that sword with you everywhere you go?"
Kenshin's fingers played across the hilt of the sword hanging at his side. Certainly, he couldn't remember a time he'd been without it since the death of his parents. But, even before then, the strange old sword had played a prominent part in his family's life. The sakabatou had been treated with such unquestionable and dutiful respect by his father, so much so that he almost felt the sword to be a wizened old ancestor. Of course, that had changed when he had joined the yakuza, becoming their foremost assassin and...
'Oh father, grandfather. How I have failed you. How I have failed to uphold all that you kept dear and sacred,' Kenshin thought as he removed his fingers from the sword's hilt, suddenly feeling quite unworthy to touch the sword which had once protected the whole of Japan.
"Yes. Yes, I keep it with me always, I do. I hope you will not...think poorly of me because of it." Kenshin tried hard to restrain the hopelessness in his voice while saying this. 'Perhaps Miss Kaoru worries that I am a coward who has to clutch his sword at every moment. Or worse, perhaps she is frightened that I am psychotic. But, I don't particularly sense fear in her. Just gentleness and compassion.'
"No. I do not think poorly of you, Kenshin. Just, please be careful. This isn't Japan. I know you know how to use that sword but, the rules of one world may not apply to the other."
"Yes, Miss Kaoru. I shall try to keep that in mind, I shall."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Tsubame-chan,
I hope this letter finds you in good health, my sister. I received your recent letter, and I am glad that you are finding life in the Shinomori household to be pleasant. Miss Misao can be quite bossy, yes, but she does have your best interests in mind. She is right. You must never, ever forget to take your leather medicine case with you, even if you are just walking across the street to the bakery.
I am still uncertain when I may be able to return. Yes, I do hope I can return before springtime, but you must not get your hopes up. Please do not worry about me, dear sister, everything will be fine for both of us, you will see.
San Francisco's heat wave has finally ended, though you wouldn't much notice if you lived here, as we haven't really had a good reprieve from the heat as of yet. Nonetheless, the summer in this country hasn't been too dreadful. Mr. Giovanni and I have fans in the office, and Miss Kaoru's house has many wonderful shade trees.
I am quite enjoying living with the Kamiya household. Miss Kaoru is quite a clever lady, except...really...when it comes to cooking. Her brother, Yahiko, may look Japanese, but he's pure American as far as I can tell. Tomorrow afternoon, supposedly, he's going to teach me the rules of baseball.
In the mornings, I usually leave before anyone in the house is awake. Best to escape Kaoru's cooking. My excuse is that I have to pick up Sano, save him rather, from his mother. But, really, you know me. I like to get my thoughts straight with a quiet walk in the morning.
Sano and I "work" in the mornings, though, work is a relative term when it comes to Giovanni-san. Besides, there isn't always much to be done, if we do not have a case...which we haven't for a while. Yahiko generally comes up to the office when it gets too hot outside to run around with his friends. I do not know if he will continue this practice when school starts again in fall, but he might.
Miss Kaoru's classes are often at odd times. Right now she teaches one in the early morning, for children, and one in the early evening, for adults. So, by the time I get back, she's teaching and doesn't seem to mind if I make dinner for the household. Yahiko and Miss Meg, of course, are ecstatic.
After dinner we usually all congregate on the porch. Miss Kaoru has given me an English textbook, but progress on that front is going slowly.
Anyway, I hope you like the sheet music I have included. It is from "Dreams Just Dreams" by Richard Howard, and Miss Kaoru says it was quite popular here a few years back. The music is for piano, but I am sure you can find a way to adapt it to violin.
Please write me soon. I miss you desperately and think about you every day, my dear sister.
Himura Kenshin
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"SANORETTI GIOVANNI!"
"Oh my god, how did she find me?" Sano asked, already hopping down off the Learning Center porch to find an appropriate patch of bushes in which to hide. "Kenshin, I have a feeling this is your fault."
"Oro?" Kenshin replied, looking up from the English textbook he had on his lap. He'd been sitting against a wall, trying desperately to comprehend a verb congregation when the ruckus began. Of course, it -was- his fault, but he wasn't about to tell Sano. Mrs. Giovanni had asked him how to find the Kamiya Learning Center earlier in the week, and he really couldn't have...in all politeness...told her to buzz off.
"Who's that?" Yahiko asked. He had been laying on his stomach on the porch railing, pouring over a comic book. Well, he read the comic book when he wasn't fighting with his sister. In her opinion 'That tripe you read will rot your brains and you ought to read a proper book before you become as dumber than a lamp post.'
"Its Mrs. Giovanni, it is!" Kenshin replied.
Kaoru and Meg looked at each other from the two rocking chairs on the porch, and burst out into giggles as Sano peeked over the bush, looking incredibly frightened.
"You mean, some kind woman actually deigned to give birth to your partner, Kenshin?" Meg asked, covering her smirk with a hand.
Kenshin nodded slightly as he stood and headed towards the gate.
"Oh me," Meg whispered, "And here all along I had been under the mistaken impression that he arrived directly from some lower level of hell."
"What was that?" Sano asked, shooting up out of the bushes just as his mother came into view. "Crap."
Kenshin ushered Mrs. Giovanni into the gate, found himself buried in the aging woman's embrace, and then suddenly alone as the Italian matron headed directly for her son. Grabbing Sano by the ear, she pulled him out of the bushes.
"Where have you been? You missed dinner! I've been worried sick."
"Oi ma, but Kenshin fed me. And as you can see, I'm perfectly Ok. I'm not out drinking or gambling or fighting or anything."
"True," Mrs. Giovanni said, seeming not at all convinced as her eyes narrowed to examine her son. "Though maybe you were out earlier drinking. Let me smell your breath."
"But ma...."
By now the entire porch had erupted in so much laughter as the Japanese contingent witnessed the family affairs of the Italians.
"He's been with me all day, Mrs. Giovanni, he has. Hasn't had anything to drink all day," Kenshin fibbed. Of course, his partner did have the usual beer or two with lunch, but nothing unusual. Trusting Kenshin, Mrs. Giovanni dropped her son's ear unceremoniously and let a smile once again grace her face.
"Oooo. You must be Kaoru, you pretty dear. The schoolteacher. Kenshin's told me all about you. Come here. Give an old lady a hug. Don't worry about your cooking, I'll help you with that. But, aren't you a lovely young thing. We'll be such good friends. And you must be Yahiko. Now you get down off that railing before you fall and hurt yourself. Oh, but aren't you a fine young man of the household. Strange, you remind me of Sano at his age. You're not a troublemaker, are you? No. I didn't think so. Here, have one of these brownies I brought. And you, you must be Miss Meg. Oh, so elegant, and such dainty hands. You really must tell me how you keep them from getting torn up in your gardening. Sano tells me I should ask you all about this rash I have here on my leg. Really, child, there is no need to scowl like that at my son, your precious little face will stick like that, you know."
By the time Mrs. Giovanni had finished making her own 'introductions', the entire porch had gone silent. Mostly because everyone, excluding Sano and Kenshin, were wondering if the woman ever actually needed to -breathe-. Plus, everyone seemed more than mildly confused as to whether Mrs. Giovanni had complemented them, or insulted them. But the matronly woman said everything with such friendly aplomb, that it seemed hard to think ill of her.
That is, it was silent until Yahiko put the brownie he had been handed into his mouth.
"Oh my god, this is -delicious-. May I have another?" Yahiko asked, getting off the railing like he had been told.
"Yes, yes, as long at its okay with your sister. Don't want to spoil your appetite. Brought a whole basket for all of you, they should still be nice and warm and gooey and..."
As Mrs. Giovanni lifted the cover off the basket of brownies and passed them around, Sano looked from his mother, to Yahiko and then back again. He cursed silently. How come everyone -else- could get away with taking the lord's name in vain and he got beaten over the head with a frying pan for it?
"Stop it, Sanoretti. Your head's liable to twist off your neck."
Meg took a brownie and elbowed Kaoru. So -this- is how you defeat the suave and dangerous detective.
"Mmm. Oh. These are good, Mrs. Giovanni," Kaoru conceded. "Thank you so much for bringing them over."
"Oh, its nothing. You know, with a layabout son like my own, never home, always out making mischief, I have just so much time on my hands to make these treats," Mrs. Giovanni sighed melodramatically to emphasize her point.
"Ma," Sano replied dryly, picking up a brownie before his mother could swat his hand away, "You work in a bakery."
"Well..." Mrs. Giovanni seemed finally stumped by that one, and sat down in the porch chair that Kaoru had brought for her. "I didn't come here to discuss my employment. I came here to find out how much trouble you'd been getting into. But, I suppose I shouldn't have worried, with Mr. Himura around. Kenshin's such a good boy, and he won't let you get into any trouble, will you Kenshin?"
Kenshin nodded forcibly, understanding the full implication of the woman's words. If Sano were to get in trouble, Kenshin would be answering to a force he couldn't exactly defeat with his sakabatou.
"Special delivery for Meg Takani!"
The group had been so busy making introductions and eating brownies that they hadn't noticed the delivery man who had pulled up in front of the gate on a motorbike. Meg stood and went to sign for the package, and returned with a sizeable box under her arm.
"Ooo. Is it your birthday, Meg?" Yahiko asked, attempting to poke at the package, wondering if it might contain more food.
Meg lifted the package out of the boy's grasp and set it on the railing. "No. I wasn't expecting anything."
"Well, Foxy, open it up and find out what it is. Don't keep us in susp...OW... Why'd you hit me, ma?"
"That's no way to address a lady."
Meg delicately removed the outer wrapping and pulled out a leather box slightly smaller than a standard briefcase. She fumbled with the brass clasps for a few moments trying to get them to unhitch, and then opened the box.
To a person, everyone gasped at the contents of the box. Inside, the leather case had been lined with plus red velvet which contained two indentations. A fine antique dueling pistol with the word "Carnegie' engraved on it sat in one indentation, and the other remained hollow, missing the accompanying pistol.
At that point, Meg Takani fainted into the arms of the person who had been standing directly behind her, Sanoretti Giovanni.
Kenshin was on his feet immediately. As Kaoru helped Sano put Meg into a porch chair, Mrs. Giovanni's hand fluttered at her own chest, asking where should could find some water for the poor girl.
"Hey Kenshin, look at this," Yahiko said, picking a small white card off the ground.
Kenshin tried to make out the words, but shook his head. "What's it say, Yahiko?"
Yahiko read the card wide-eyed. "It says: 'Meg Carnegie. You have one week to decide. You can shoot yourself with the gun that killed your father, or I can kill you with it's twin.'"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End chapter.
In our next episode: Kenshin and Sano are on the case as they delve into the mysterious past of Meg Takani...or is that -Carnegie-? Also, always feel free to suggest ideas for humorous vignettes. Please review!