21

It was late in the evening when they all sat down on the couch in Integra's hotel room and pulled out the map scroll again. Robin pushed her bangs out of her eyes and read the next passage again.

"The Howling River... What does that mean?" she asked.

"That could mean anything," Nagira replied leaning back in his seat. "It could just be a big loud stretch of rapids."

"No," Integra said. "I think I know what it means. There are dogs at the end of the trail. The second checkpoint was a fox. Logically, 'howling' must refer to wolves."

"That's possible," Amon said, not giving an inch.

Integra noticed Nagira eyeing her. Nagira noticed Amon's disapproving scowl. But none of them noticed Robin watching all of them. When Walter walked into the room, Integra wasted no time calling him into the little kitchenette to give his report on the surveillance. Amon slipped into the bedroom to call the Higurashi shrine. If anyone would know about local wolf demons, they would. Robin kept her eyes on Nagira as he counted all the eastbound rivers he could see on his Honshu map. He didn't seem any different at all. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on with him. Finally, Robin leaned forward and spoke quietly.

"Is there something bothering you?"

Nagira was a little surprised and it took him a moment to answer.

"No... What makes you ask that?"

"It's just that you've been watching Sir Integra a lot these past couple of days."

"Yeah. So what?" he asked, taking out a cigarette.

"Are you in love with her?"

Nagira froze with his lighter still an inch away from his cigarette.

"You sure know how to be direct, don't you?" he said.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me. I was just curious."

"Don't be sorry," Nagira said smiling and lighting his cigarette. "I like it. That's how I know you're honest."

"So... Do you...?"

"I like her. I think she's interesting. And she's a hell of a lot more fun than Amon."

That was all he could say. The others came back into the room and they had to drop the subject.

22

Integra tried not to be distracted from the job at hand as Walter went off to his own room. But the news from the surveillance had been bad. Paladin Anderson had been sniffing around near Raven's Flat. That meant that he knew who was involved and where they were likely to show up. If he got wind of the trail they were following, how long could they outmaneuver him? The way Integra saw it, their only chance was to get to the swords before the Paladin did. Perhaps with magical weapons in hand they would be able to make a stand against him. Until then, it would be wise to carry a gun at all times.

"It looks like you were right," Nagira said.

The sound of his voice broke into Integra's thoughts and shocked her back into the moment.

"About what?" she asked.

"About the wolves. Weren't you listening?" Nagira said.

Integra was about to answer but Amon cut her off.

"There was a pack of wolf demons in the Kanto region back in the Feudal Era. They had a territory up in the mountains north of Tokyo. Apparently, the den was hidden behind a waterfall. That's our only lead. If we can find that waterfall, we'll have the right river and we can follow it down to the coast."

"But how are we going to do that?" Nagira asked. "There must be dozens of waterfalls up there."

"We have to narrow it down somehow," Robin said.

"Excuse me," Walter said, poking his head into the room. "I think perhaps I can help."

He disappeared from the doorway and reappeared a minute later with a small but thick book. Integra read the title out loud as Walter handed it over.

"Scenic Waterfalls of Japan? Where did you find this, Walter?"

"I bought it in London before we left. I thought we might get some touring in while we were here," Walter said.

"That's way too convenient," Nagira said, leaning closer to see.

"Our next checkpoint should be somewhere in here," Integra said. "And I'll find it myself tonight."

She threw a challenging look at Amon but he didn't object.

"I'll leave it to you then," he said almost dismissively.

Fine, Integra thought. She could take anything he could dish out.