The Nightly Arrangement
"Over here, Mushi master."
Ginko's head lifted and revolved search of the voice that called him. He had been chatting amicably with the two dozen shaggily clad, exhausted men. The group had devoted the entire morning to their exercise, as Ginko had ascertained, and were real enthusiasts of the swordplay sports. Sprawled out on the ground or leaning on their wooden katanas, they were glad to be away from the fish or the farm that occupied the majority of their lives.
"Mushi master, may we speak?"
Ginko found the speaker, standing tall and eyeing him confidently. As Ginko made his way towards the man, the others seemed to pipe down slightly, even stepping aside. The mushi master briefly wondered to whom they were showing such deference, but decided after a moment that he didn't care.
"Hi. I'm Ginko, as you may have heard," said the mushi master as he extended a hand. "I'm passing through and would like to stay around a bit, I suppose."
"Good, good," was the reply with a firm shake. "I'm Karashuni. I'd like your assistance with something."
"Sure. I'll help out if I can, but I don't make promises." The nearby men were listening in, and Ginko's tone of voice was interpreted as suggesting everything from indifference to incompetence.
"Oh come, no one is called a mushi master without reason," said Karashuni. "But let's talk in detail later. Would you meet me at my house this evening? I'm the residence at the north end of the village, uppermost house on the mountainside."
"Sure." Resuming his earlier thought, Ginko decided that it was definitely not himself that intimidated the others. Karashuni's force of voice and character had few peers.
"Stay at my place, if no one else has offered."
Ginko accepted.
----
This village was among the largest Ginko had visited in recent memory. Homes, shops, small warehouses and fields were spread out evenly on a web of dirt and stone roads for nearly two kilometres across. All the same, Ginko found Karashuni's home as described high on the northern mountain. This home was particularly large; the usual bamboo construction was complimented with massive timbers that allowed for a second and possibly a third floor, and each floor likely had twice the space of any other home Ginko had encountered of late. Somehow, Ginko wasn't surprised.
"Welcome," said a woman almost two decades Ginko's elder.
"Thank you. My name is Ginko. Karashuni invited me to stay…"
"Oh, good! I'm Shauni. Come on in," replied the woman, as she slid the door further open while extending her free hand into the home. "Children, we have a visitor," she called in a loud but gentle voice. Immediately, two young girls came from a small room to the side while an older boy nearly Ginko's age came down the stairs. A line was formed and introductions were made.
After the two younger girls had left, Ginko dropped his load in a corner of the main room and stood in silence. There was an awkward feeling as Ginko stood near the door, next to Shauni, with the older boy staring coldly at him. The two exchanged a few obligatory words without revealing much, not that Ginko had anything to hide. Sensing that the boy's animosity was here to stay, Ginko went ahead and spoke his mind.
"Your husband said he needed assistance with something."
"Oh, yes," said Shauni, as Ginko hoped this presumably private conversation would drive the observer away. "He's been… here, let's sit outside on the porch and talk."
Ginko followed the woman outside and sat down with her on the edge of the wooden planks, dangling feet hitting the stone foundation. Shauni sat down in like manner, in almost too young a fashion for a woman her age.
"Insomnia," she said.
"Oh? Could you be more specific?"
"He awakes from sleep much too early, and then he struggles to fall asleep again. Even if he does, he is roused to soon. He's perpetually exhausted, and it's beginning to take a toll on his health."
Ginko gazed over the town while musing, not returning her gaze. His breathy chuckle then broke the silence as he muttered, "Struggle to sleep. Struggle to sleep! Like covering your eyes to see."
Shauni frowned as she responded. "Young mushi master, you are not laughing at our plight." Her tone was that of a statement, yet didn't imply anything bad to Ginko. It was almost the sound of a plea.
"No, of course not. Don't take the wrong impression…"
"Shauni!" came a powerful voice from the bottom of a path down the mountain side. Karashuni stood waving, with another man standing almost as tall beside him. Somehow, Ginko immediately sensed that he was another mushi master.
Well, this is going to be an interesting night, thought Ginko.
"Karashuni," Shauni yelled back as she formed a funnel with her hands, "I'll get the guest room ready." She pivoted on her heels to attend to matters with a spring in her step that couldn't possibly deceive. "Oh, Ginko… excuse me a minute, would you? We'll all have plenty of time…"
"Go, go," said Ginko with a smile. Motivated by her sincerity, he divulged, "And just so you know, I knew someone who blindfolded themselves to improve their sight."
Shauni smiled at him with a bit of wonderment before turning back to go inside.