Chapter Two!! WOOHOO!
"Kamaji?", said Haku, tentatively, for we had just seen him openly curse his black soot ball workers. "I....There's someone here to see you...."
"Can't you see I'm working?? Tell them to go away and come back later."
"Uhh.... Kamaji-"
"What?!?!" the boiler-man replied. He span around, and dropped his jug when he saw me.
"Chihiro!?! My girl! How you've grown!"
"How are you, Kamaji? ", I replied, stepping closer to the boiler-man and bowing respectfully.
"Well, our dear friend Haku here has been working me to the bone-"
Haku opened his mouth to protest, but Kamaji continued before he could get a word out.
"Thank goodness for Lin, I appeal to her as much as possible. Oh, she's upstairs and will be angry if you don't visit her immediately, she will blame me. And I have work to attend to.", he said, observing me under bushy eyebrows.
We left the boiler-room through the side door, as Kamaji reminded us to visit soon.
As I walked through the halls , the people parted respectfully, inclining their heads to Haku. It was so opposite to my last visit, where it couldn't have been more obvious I was different if I had "HUMAN" tattooed on my forehead. I suppose that my previous experience with the spirit world gave me a sort of immunity- but it probably was just being with Haku.
I suddenly saw Lin, standing with a group of girls, her back facing me. Her mahogany hair waved past her hips, and she wore different clothes to the other workers. Her apricot uniform was embroidered with gold threat, and a long, gold band was tied loosely at her waist. As the laughter and chatter died away, Lin turned to see what the source of this was. Her brown eyes widened when she saw me, and her hand flew to her mouth.
"Chihiro!", she cried, and we wrapped each other in a large hug. The workers didn't know what to make of this, but Haku smiled benignly. A senior worker approached Haku and nodded respectfully.
"Mr. Kohaku, there is a problem with the Pebble spirit......" and Haku was lead away, his eyes apologetic.
"Come on", said Lin, "I'll take you to your room."
I was lead up to the ornamental guest suites. My room was in fact three rooms, a bedroom, bathroom and lounge area. Everything was tastefully decorated with art depicting the four elements. My bedroom ceiling was painted like ancient Japanese picture in the galleries in Tokyo, and the theme for this room was obviously water. A picture of a river faced the door, another or women running through torrents of rain on another. It was elegant and beautiful. Lin removed a similar outfit to hers from the ornate armoire, except it was a rich, deep blue in colour with silver embroidery. She left me alone to change and went to get us some food from the kitchens, but by the time she had returned I was already fast asleep on the bed.