8. From That Eternal Silence

Bankotsu was rarely lost for words, but in the light of recent events, his staring at her meekly was, perhaps, excusable. The woman had no business being here, she probably had no business existing, and she had absolutely no reason to help him. He wasn't listening because he trusted her, per se, he did it because he wanted answers. That and she wasn't the type to lure him into a dark alley just to murder him.

Kikyou didn't lead him anywhere, however, except behind her stand. 'Stay very still,' she said, and when he stood frozen, she came close to his left side. Bankotsu held his breath while the Miko leaned in. He was about to push her away when he felt her holding him in place. 'Stay,' she warned him again. Without hesitation, she tore a piece of fabric from her sleeve. 'This will hurt,' she whispered as she spat on it and rubbed it over his neck. It made his skin burn and he flinched away. 'Stay, I said.' Gritting his teeth, he let her do whatever she was doing. 'A man here is selling this,' she explained. 'For the right price, he will get someone desperate enough to … deliver it. It's a toxin from a demon. As dangerous a weapon as you can find. Is one of your friends after you?'

The obvious answer was Renkotsu. But something in Bankotsu, some part of him, struggled with that idea. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'Or … I don't want to. Are you sure it would have killed me?'

'Without a doubt. Even now you are not safe. You could be dead in three days.' She sighed and let the fabric drop when it started smouldering. 'I have been watching you since you left that demon's ship. What I don't understand is, why did you follow me here?'

That was outrageous. 'We didn't follow you, woman, we had no idea you're even alive. Such as it is. I live and breathe, while you … Or … hold on, you too?'

'Indeed.' She tilted her head. 'It was your grave that I first laid eyes on. You being here is a very strange coincidence.'

'You … were brought back at the eclipse? Wonderful. So far none of this has made any sense. Now, thanks to you, it's worse.' He frowned. 'Let me guess, you killed the actual owner of this stand to spy on us?'

'Why would I do that? He is simply … sleeping. Tell me, Bankotsu, how did you die? The first time, I mean.'

'Betrayal,' he said. 'We were becoming too dangerous and were hunted down and murdered.'

'Did anyone say anything? Did you say anything?'

'Yeah, but I … can't tell what. I only know that I'd just seen them hack poor Jakotsu's head off–after torturing him, no less–and Renkotsu and I screamed at them and someone screamed back. I … don't remember anything else.'

'Were you two the only ones left alive?'

'At that point, yes.' He swallowed. 'They made me watch. They made me watch how they killed them. One after the other. And I could do nothing.' He shook his head as if trying to get rid of an annoying fly. 'What does it matter? It's been … twenty years it was, I think?'

'Since the second time you died, yes, that I know for certain,' Kikyou said. 'Words are dangerous, Bankotsu. More dangerous than swords. And when they are spoken under the fear of death especially so. I believe you have been cursed–or have cursed yourselves. What I don't understand is … how does it extend to me?'

'That is preposterous.' He shook his head firmly. 'No way did some idiot bring us back to life by screaming in my face.'

'Don't be so sure. You'd need to know precisely what has been said.'

'Renkotsu might make a better guess than I. Maybe he remembers something.' Bankotsu frowned. He wished the stubborn man shared some of the stuff going on behind his forehead. But given what had happened a few moments ago, the only thing going on was apparently a deep desire to kill him. 'Except maybe he just wants me dead.'

'I believe one of them does.' She frowned. 'The man you were talking to … I don't know him, but to me, he seemed sincere.'

'The problem is that Renkotsu can be very convincing. He's hard to read, even for me. But he is the only one of us who might remember. I'm sure he does, his memory is absurd.' Bankotsu looked her up and down, sizing her up. 'Let's make a deal here,' he said. 'I'll try and wiggle out of him if he knows something, and you find out if someone tried to kill me and who.'

'Your task sounds a lot easier. You simply have to ask one man a question.'

'One he won't want to answer. I'm not trying to make friends with you, Kikyou. But I do think we can help each other here. The way I see it, you must be as curious as I am. Why you're alive, I mean. I doubt you can just accept it and live like nothing odd had happened.'

The ghost of a smile appeared on her face. 'Very well. You have yourself a deal. I will try to speak to your friends separately over the next two days. If even one of them wants you in the ground, you will know.' She lowered her voice, forcing him to move in. 'The day after tomorrow, you will be feverish. One day later, you will drift in and out of conscience. You will be incredibly vulnerable. I will come and make sure you get through this, if you trust me to do it. If someone wants to kill you, you will have no way to defend yourself.'

'Will I survive on my own? Assuming no-one takes a knife to my throat.'

'You may. You may not. But I can keep you breathing, Bankotsu. You seem to like it.'

He swallowed, his hand going to the irritated skin on his neck. For a moment he wondered if she had poisoned him herself, but that was unlikely. This wasn't how she worked. Or so he thought. 'I'll be on Riku's ship. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Jakotsu didn't do this to me.'

'I believe you.' She tipped her chin and tilted her head. 'Regardless. I will tempt all of them, suggest allying with them against you. If one of them agrees, I will see you when you are safe and deliver him to you. Until then, be on your guard. Let them know that you found the strange powder on you neck and washed it away, but keep me out of the conversation. Do you trust that demon, Riku?'

'Right now, I don't think I can trust anyone. But this isn't his doing. The people here like him a lot. My guess is, he's one of the good guys.'

Nodding, Kikyou wrote a few words on parchment and passed it to Bankotsu. 'Give him this. I am asking him to help me come and go without the others noticing when you need me. You will pretend you're close to death a day later. Take this.' She handed him a leaf, wrapped tightly and held together with a thick thread. 'Put a pinch of the powder inside it under your tongue the day after in the morning. It will make you feverish, but it will not harm you otherwise, and the effect is brief. Act helpless, Bankotsu, and when I deliver the conspirator, he will be at your mercy. If you have any.'

He laughed. 'Are you saying I should? If someone tried to murder me?' Despite the truce he and Renkotsu had agreed on, he couldn't imagine any of the others turning on him. None of them had done it before, so they had no reason to start now. Especially knowing that he wasn't going to force anyone to stay. He had made that clear enough.

Kikyou's expression was derisive when she replied. 'How many people have you murdered, I wonder?' She took a step away. 'Not that it matters now. If we both want answers, we have to work together. Maybe we will live longer if we do.'

'Are you on the run?'

'No.' She looked at the ground where the piece of cloth had dissolved into grey dust. 'But I shouldn't be here any more than you. What fate brought us back might return us to the grave as easily. If this is a curse, the next interesting celestial event could end us as if we had been nothing but a dream, unless we manage to break it first. No-one can fight fate alone. Not even you.'

'You're probably right about that.' He bowed to her and smiled. 'Thank you. I do not forget debts, Kikyou, of any kind, and it seems that I'll be deeply indebted to you.'

Her expression closed as she pulled the hood further down to hide her face again. 'I don't care for your credit, Bankotsu. I want my life, and you may be my key to it. Go now. I will see you when the time comes. Go!'