From gossip I picked up at the gambling house, Stone had deep connections to the less savory elements of Kyoto society. I worried about running into his bully-boys as I made my way to the Spring Palace, so I decided to avoid the direct route and take a more roundabout path. I would enter the city through Rashoumon, the great gate at the southern end of Suzaku Avenue, the enormous boulevard that divided the city into its eastern and western halves. Rashoumoun had once been a brilliant memorial to the glory of the capital city, but it had fallen into disrepair over the previous three centuries. These days, it had an evil reputation as a hangout for the dregs of society—outcasts, lepers, and fugitives. Whispered reports even spoke of an oni living among the ruins. I hoped Stone wouldn’t expect me to travel to the city from that direction. Maybe I could escape the notice of any watchers he had posted looking for me.

Traveling to Rashoumon meant a trip of nearly twice the length of the more direct route, but that didn’t bother me. It was better to walk a bit more than to risk a confrontation with Stone. As I walked, I thought about my times with Surei.

The first time I met her, I was seven and she was perhaps a year younger. An outbreak of smallpox had devastated the capital. As a child, I didn’t understand much of what was going on, but I remembered the air of the capital being thick with smoke from the thousands of funeral pyres. While riding with my father, I had seen the bodies of the poor—those without the means to for a funeral—stacked like cordwood along the banks of the Kamo River. The stench of rotting corpses was everywhere. The day previous, my mother had died. All the adults in the household were busy preparing for her funeral or treating the sick. I didn’t truly understand what was happening other than my mother had gone away for a long time, and so no one had any time to play with me.

I stalked around the outer edge of our estate, bokken in hand, pretending to hunt the oni causing all the deaths in the capital. Every so often, I slashed at a tall weed, striking at the imagined demon as I shouted my defiance. I snuck through the bushes near the walls separating our estate from the manor next door so as to catch the demon by surprise. Suddenly, I tripped over a young girl down on her hands and knees.

It angered me that I hadn’t seen her. I stood up and demanded, “What are you doing here? This is the estate of Minamoto no Yoriiyé. What right have you to trespass?”

She sat back on her haunches. “Don’t be silly. I live next-door.”

Somewhat mollified, I asked her, “Then what are you doing here?”

She stood and brushed some twigs off her robes. “I am gathering ingredients for a magic spell. My mother and little brother died, and my father won’t come out of his study. I am going to cast an incantation, travel to the country of the dead and bring them back,” she said with fierce determination. “Right now, I need to find some fox poop.”

I looked at her in astonishment. “You know magic?”

She drew herself up to her full height and said proudly, “Of course I know magic. I am Sugawara no Sureiko, great-great-granddaughter of Abé no Seimei, the most powerful sorcerer in the history of Japan. Magic is in my blood.” She relaxed a little, and her voice returned to normal. “Also, my father has lots of books just full of magic spells. When I learn how to read better, I will be a great onmyouji, just like my grandfather.”

Impressed despite myself, I told her, “My mother died, too. I’m Minamoto no Yoshimitsu. My great-grandfather was Minamoto no Yoshiiyé.”

It was her turn to be impressed. She looked at me wide-eyed. “Yoshiiyé? My grandfather and your grandfather hunted oni together. They defeated many demons.” She suddenly smiled. “This must be karma. We are destined to battle demons side-by-side. We will defeat great armies of them. Together, we will never lose.” She knelt on the ground and began rooting through the underbrush again. “When I travel to the country of the dead, you can come with me to get your mother. Help me with the ingredients for this spell.”

Suddenly, I was very happy I had tripped over her. “That’s great! What do you want me to do?”

“While I am looking for fox poop, you can pick those.” She pointed to a bunch of thorny weeds.

I knelt down and started yanking on the stubborn plants. I cut my hands several times before pulling them all up.

That first meeting set the tone for our entire relationship. She would come up with some wild scheme, and I would get talked into helping her, usually landing me in trouble or getting banged up in the process.

She never became a sorcerer—women weren’t allowed to study the arts of the onmyoudo. Her father’s “magic books” were just scrolls filled with the Chinese literature he loved, and both our mothers were dead, never to return.

In retrospect, even though she drove me crazy and occasionally took terrible advantage of me, it seemed to me that nothing had been the same since we parted. She added a spice to life I desperately missed. When she was around, even bad times weren’t so hard, and without her, even good times seemed lacking.

As I walked the roads to Kyoto, I imagined our reunion.

I slid open the door. Surei sat, talking with a man drinking a bowl of saké. I caught her eye, and she stopped speaking mid-sentence. She stood and walked over to me, her eyes never leaving my face. Moving as if in a dream, she slowly lifted her right hand and touched my cheek. “Yoshi,” she whispered, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes. “It has been so long. I thought I would never see you again.”

According to Mouse, Surei danced for the nobility. Perhaps she could help me find who betrayed my family. Bribes might not be needed after all. Surely this situation couldn’t have come about purely by chance. There had to be some greater purpose at work here.

The weather, which had started out hot and muggy, grew colder as the day wore on. By the time I approached Rashoumon, dark, looming clouds and intermittent sprinkles warned of an impending storm.

The great southern gate’s appearance lived up to its sinister reputation. Originally, it had been a grand structure three stories tall and wide as the nearby Kamo river. Three centuries of neglect left it a magnificent ruin. Whole sections of the roof had fallen in, and much of the interior was open to sky and sunlight. No one had made any serious attempts to repair it in decades. Abandoned corpses of the poor lay beside the road leading up to the gate.

Around the fallen building, groups of scantily-clad or totally naked children played. Others just sat in the dirt. Their hungry eyes followed me. At the sight of me and my naginata, several of the older urchins sprinted through the gate into the city.

There goes my hope of getting into Kyoto undetected. No doubt they are racing to tell Stone I am here. I had best get to the Spring Palace quickly before the messengers reach Stone.

Small groups of men in ragged clothes loitered about the ruins. Their pinched faces bespoke desperation and hardship.

I had a feeling that there would be trouble. Despite my hurry, I took the time to tie up the sleeves of my robe and fasten the legs of my hakama around my ankles. That way, they wouldn’t be in my way in case of a fight. Then, I removed the sheath from the blade of my naginata and stowed it in my bag.

I tried to project an attitude of confidence and purpose as I strode up the stairs to the gate. I wanted to convince everyone I was someone too dangerous to trifle with.

Most of the men were gathered in groups of two or three, the more fortunate ones nursing small earthenware jugs of cheap saké. A couple of the men stared at me, but they looked away when I glared back at them and scowled.

Well, they have decided I am not worth the risk, I congratulated myself.

As I passed inside the tunnel leading into the capital, I heard some whispered comments.

“… naginata, Stone is offering a three gold tael reward …”

“… can split the take. Food, saké …”

A quick glance over my shoulder showed a group of men following me. I increased my pace. I didn’t want them to jump me in the dark. The length of the naginata would make it difficult to fight in the tunnel’s confines.

When I was nearly through, a soft scuffing came from close behind me. I sprang forward out into the open street, landing on the edge of a huge puddle smelling strongly of urine. I whirled around to face my pursuers. Six men carrying crude weapons and pieces of fallen lumber confronted me.

There is no honor in fighting these impoverished, desperate men. I doubt they have much experience with real fighting. Stay calm, Yoshi, and you can still get out of this without a battle.

“Are you sure there are enough of you to take this naginata from me? With those little toys you’re carrying, you’ll have to get awfully close,” I taunted them, swinging the naginata in a large arc in front of me to emphasize my reach. “I’m very attached to it. It’s a family heirloom. If you can get it at all, I’ll make you pay a hefty price for it. How many of you are willing to die?”

The men looked at one another, tightened the grips on their weapons, and licked their lips nervously. The smallest man was holding a meat hook. Probably an eta, a member of the despised lower classes who slaughtered animals or handled corpses. A vicious scar ran from the right corner of his mouth, up his right cheek through his ruined right eye, all the way to his receding hairline.

He sneered at me, “Think you can take all of us at once, bushi? Not a chance.”

His attitude emboldened his fellows. They straightened up and spread out in a circle around me. I kept turning in place, trying to keep track of all of them.

I don’t have time for this. I have to get out of here before Stone shows up.

The eta’s single good eye flickered upwards. A sharp grinding noise sounded from above me. Instinctively, I leapt to the side. A large block of stone dropped from the ruin above me and landed where I’d been standing, right in the midst of the puddle. The impact splattered mud and urine everywhere, covering me.

Something inside me snapped. I had walked half a day, been chased by ghosts, and spent the night near-naked and freezing just to get a bath and clean clothes. In an instant, these idiots had ruined all my efforts.

I shoved the naginata at the throat of the one-eyed big mouth. He moved away, but ended up backed against the edge of the gate. I shoved the blade forward until the point broke the skin on his throat deep enough to draw blood.

I shouted, “You want this naginata?” I gave another prod with the blade. The trickle of blood became more pronounced. “Take it if you can!”

Quickly turning, I slammed the weighted haft end of the weapon into the stomach of a man who was trying to sneak up behind me. He doubled over in agony. I swapped ends and shoved the blade at his face, yelling, “How about you? You want it?”

My actions made an impression on them. They backed away from me, eyes wide and faces pale. They must have thought I was a madman.

With a bloodcurdling scream, I launched myself at the man standing between me and the road north into town. He yelped with fright and tripped over himself getting out of my way. I dashed past him up the street. A shout of chagrin sounded behind me, followed by the sound of running feet.

When the pursuit seemed about to overtake me, I stopped dead and whirled to face them again. I waved the naginata in an arc in front of me. The two men at the front of the mob had to spring backwards to avoid being disembowelled by my wild swings.

They stood there, looking to their leader. He seemed unsure of what to do.

Why don’t these idiots just give up? Will I have to kill some of them to get them to leave me alone?

I shouted once more, whirling my naginata above my head. They stumbled backward faster. Three of them turned and ran back into the dark ruin.

I screamed and jumped at three remaining men. Their nerve broke and they turned and sprinted after their fellows.

Throwing my head back, I waved my arms around while shouting another war cry. They disappeared into the ruined gate. Laughing I turned around. Eight men stood there with drawn tachi.

More enemies.

As I swung the blade of the naginata at the throat of the closest, I belatedly recognized the uniform of the city watch. With a savage twist of my arm, I changed the strike into a flourish, spinning the weapon over my head and then planting the butt next to my foot.

Attacking the city watch would not be wise.

The watchmen stood there, eyes narrowed and weapons at the ready. Clearly, they thought me a dangerous madman, and were primed to attack.

Shimatta. I have to calm them down, somehow.

I smiled broadly and bowed. “Good afternoon, officers.”

They exchanged glances. Their sergeant said, “Nice naginata work there. Are you one of those country bushi here to cause trouble?”

“I was simply defending myself against…” When I looked behind me to see if any of my attackers were visible, the road was empty. There was nothing but a few dirty urchins and lame beggars clustered around the gate. And a large stone lying in a puddle.

Turning back to the sergeant, I answered hotly. “I’m no country bushi.” My family had lived in Kyoto for generations. I was born and raised in the city. I was getting tired of accusations I was a backwoods yokel.

He snorted. “You’re most certainly a bushi and no one from the city would be dumb enough to come in through Rashoumon by themselves.”

I opened my mouth to explain, then stopped.

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It may not be the best idea to tell the city watch I’m trying to avoid people to whom I owe money.

Instead, I just glared at him.

“If you’re here to join up with Junior Retired Emperor Sutoku, you can just turn right around and head back out the gate. We don’t need any more of you ruffians here.”

Why would the Junior Retired Emperor need to hire country bushi?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I told them. “I’m here to visit the Dancer of the Scarlet Hyacinth.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another filthy urchin take off down the street.

At this rate, the whole city’s going to know I’m here.

The watchmen burst into laughter. I felt my cheeks burning.

“What’s so funny?” I demanded.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, the sergeant said, “You’d never get past the front gate of the Spring Palace.”

One of the other men said, “Oh, I don’t know. With that scar through his eyebrow and his broken nose, his looks will outshine all the dancing girls.” He sniffed the urine-laden air. “And his marvelous perfume will have all the nobles swooning.”

Another one called out, “And that ragged ponytail is absolutely the fashion this season in court.”

“All the nobles are wearing muddy rags for spring,” commented another.

If I decapitate the leader with the first strike, I should be able to take out at least three … which would leave only five of them to chop me to pieces.

I sighed.

From a side alley came the sound of running feet. Stone came racing around the corner, led by a dirty street urchin. Yamada and two other men followed at his heels.

Stone stopped in front of the watchmen. Gasping for breath, he said, “Excellent work, Sergeant! You caught the thief. Now, if I can just retrieve my property…”

I heard a low growling and realized I was making it. I gripped the naginata more tightly. “This weapon is an heirloom of my house, and this man Stone is trying to steal it from me.”

Stone straightened up and chuckled. “Sergeant, surely you can see how ridiculous it is for a homeless vagabond like this to claim to own a weapon like this? You can’t possibly take him seriously.”

The sergeant looked back and forth between us, frowning. Finally, he said, “You say this bushi stole the naginata from you?”

“Stone, what tales are you telling people now?” purred a soft feminine voice from the road behind us. Her words and accent marked her as a woman of high rank and gentle breeding. Everyone turned.

A stray shaft of sunlight lanced down through the dark clouds, catching the woman in its rays. She stood there, glowing like a beacon of light, a lantern in a dark room. She was breathtaking. Her hair, as long as she was tall, hung loose in a shimmering ebony cascade, streaming free in the wind. Her skin was flawless alabaster—she had no need for the white cosmetics used by most noblewomen. Her eyes were alight with intelligence and mischief.

She wore a rich, peach-colored jacket painted with a red flower pattern. Underneath, she wore four translucent robes in contrasting shades of red and yellow. A scarlet hakama provided the finishing touch to her ensemble. A glittering gold fan in her left hand modestly obscured her face below the eyes. We stared at her, entranced.

After a few moments, the sergeant pulled himself together and bowed. The rest of the watchmen followed his lead. He said, “How may we help you, Hyacinth-sama?”

That … is Surei? This is not the girl I remember. I’ve never seen her dressed like that or speaking like an imperial princess. Her family wasn’t nearly that high rank.

Her eyes crinkled with amusement. She glided forward, each step as graceful as a dance. She closed her fan and tapped Stone on the shoulder with it. “Is it not customary to take disputes over property to the magistrate, Stone?”

Stone swallowed hard, then looked to his men for backup. Reassured by their expressions, he pointed to me, “This man pledged his weapon against a loan. My men will swear to it.”

She turned, drawing the fan across his throat as she moved away. Stone looked ready to bolt. “Ah, then, of course, it is yours.”

What? What is she playing at now?

Stone, a slow smile spreading across his face, edged around her and started towards me with his hand outstretched for the naginata.

“Of course, you have a document pledging the naginata against the loan to show the magistrate, don’t you?” she continued, sweetly.

Stone froze, his smile fading.

I spoke up. “No, he doesn’t.”

Surei drew back slightly, eyes wide. “Really? Without a pledge against the debt, he will have until the New Year to pay it. Stone, what are you trying to do?”

Stone’s mouth opened and closed, but he didn’t say anything.

The sergeant rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and said slowly, “This is all well and good, Mistress, but we aren’t here about a naginata. This man was acting suspiciously, and we’re supposed to be keeping an eye out for bushi coming into the city to join Junior Retired Emperor Sutoku.”

Surei cast a flirtatious glance at the sergeant. “Oh, Sergeant, he is here to see me, not the Junior Retired Emperor.”

He seemed surprised. “To see you? Well…”

She glanced up at the threatening clouds. “Sergeant, it is cold, late, and will begin raining soon. I worry you and your men will take a chill if you stay out here in this weather. Allow me to suggest you return to your watch station. I have something to aid you against the cold and damp.”

She motioned with her left hand.

So fixated had I been on Surei I had completely missed her palanquin with bearers. Several other men were standing in the street behind her.

At her signal, four of them stepped forward, each carrying two jugs of saké. The markings identified it as being brewed at the Enryakuji monastery, top-quality saké good enough to serve at an imperial banquet. Surei’s men handed each of the city watchmen a jug.

I suppressed a chuckle. Surei was always good at manipulating people.

The sergeant turned to me and said, “You are fortunate this lady vouches for you. Make sure you don’t abuse her hospitality.”

Stopping only to obtain a couple of jugs of saké for himself, he gathered his men and headed back north into the capital.

During this entire time, Stone stood there, unmoving, with an expression of indecision and fear on his face.

Surei gave him a sharp look.

Stone swallowed hard, then turned and walked back to his three goons. Yamada pulled him aside, whispering angrily. He gesticulated and pointed back at me. Stone shook his head sharply and kept going.

Yamada glared at me. “This isn’t over, bushi.” Then, following Stone, he disappeared around a corner.

She turned to me and sighed. In a voice pitched only for my ears, she said, “Why is it, Yoshi, that you can’t even make it into town without getting attacked and almost arrested?”

Gone were the soft, seductive voice and perfect diction of the high-born lady. In its place was the familiar clipped speech and tone of perpetual exasperation I seemed to provoke in…

“Surei!” I exclaimed.

For the first time, I was wholly convinced it was her. Her earlier behavior and manner had been so different from what I remembered I hadn’t been sure.

“Of course it’s me,” she said, irritably. “Who else would be looking for you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen you act like this before.”

She gave a brief smile. “The customers like it.”

As we walked back to her palanquin, she said, in that same soft voice, “Don’t call me Surei. I am now known as the Dancer of the Scarlet Hyacinth.”

In a louder voice, she said, “Walk by my palanquin.” She waved her fan in the air. “But on the downwind side, please. We will speak when we get to the Spring Palace. It is only a short distance.”

She got into the litter, and we started off north, following the path taken by the watchmen.

We were on Suzaku Avenue, the main street of the capital, but this far south was a bad section of the city. This district flooded nearly every spring, so the better houses were long abandoned. The walls on the sides of the wide avenue were crumbled and decaying. Beyond them, I could see ramshackle huts and hungry eyes watching us. Farther away, the walls and houses had been pulled down and the land converted into rice paddies.

Surei’s two palanquin bearers were big men—they both looked like sumo wrestlers. The six guards who accompanied them all wore tachi and had the look of experienced fighters. This was a huge entourage for a simple dancer. More like what one would expect for a high ranking noblewoman. I had suspected Mouse was exaggerating her success, but if anything, he may have understated it.

“Why is Stone so afraid of you? And how is it you even know him?”

“Stone is under the mistaken impression I am actually a demon,” she said, a malicious smile in her voice. “Unfortunately, I had to deal with some less than savory people when I was starting out. A man can’t admit to being afraid of a woman, but only a fool challenges an oni.”

It was still difficult for me to reconcile the seductress in the palanquin with the hoyden I had known. Even as a child, she had shown little interest in feminine things like sewing or literary romances, although she had liked dressing up her dolls.

As we approached the Right Market, the city started to look better. The walls of the estates were in better repair and the trees planted along the street were still alive. The mud-filled potholes were fewer here.

We arrived at the Spring Palace ahead of the storm and stopped just inside the west gate. To the left was a large stable containing several oxen and ox-carts. Five palanquins were parked on the right.

Clearly, the Spring Palace’s clientele included some high-ranking people. Ahead of us lay a wide staircase leading up to a covered walkway between two large buildings.

Surei gracefully dismounted from the palanquin. “Welcome to my little saké house,” she said with a small smile as if making a private joke.

I looked around in admiration. I had expected something little better than Stone’s establishment. This was much grander than that.

How has she acquired a place like this?

The smell of cooking came from somewhere on the property, reminding me all I had eaten in days was a few itadori shoots snatched as I traveled.

I smiled at her. “Why don’t we get some food and you can tell me about it?”

My suggestion surprised her. “Well, I have to check on my guests, but I might be able to have dinner with you later this evening. However, I have a job we need to talk about first.”

Her statement confused me. I said, “A job? From your note, I got the impression you wanted to see me for more … personal reasons.”

She shook her head. “I sent the letter written that way so only you would recognize the sender. I’m sorry if it gave the wrong impression.”

She stopped for a moment, then continued. “I was looking for someone to perform a minor task for me. Then I heard you were back in Kyoto and having problems with Stone. Given our shared history and your skills, I thought you would be ideal for my purposes. I’d like you to do me a small favor, then, when you finish, I’ll buy up your debts with Stone and you can work for me to pay them off.”

I struggled to understand what she was saying. This was so different from my expectations I was more than a little lost.

Something she wants me to do?

“What skills are you referring to?”

“You’ve spent years wandering the country and know your way out among the provinces,” she said.

“How do you know…”

She gave me a knowing look and continued, “And you’re of noble birth. I need someone who can pass as an imperial official to travel to the provinces and investigate something for me. I don’t think it will be difficult, but you know how chancy travel outside the city can be.”

She flashed me a bright smile. “Your timing was perfect. There I was, looking for someone for this job, and then I heard about your presence in Kyoto. The more I thought about it, the more fortunate your appearance seemed. Surely this couldn’t have come about purely by chance. There had to be some greater purpose here at work.”

That’s all she wants?

She paused momentarily to assess my reaction, and then, no longer smiling, went on. “Also, I can always use a good yojimbo at the Spring Palace. You should be able to work off your debt, with interest, in about twenty-seven months.”

I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in response.

She clapped her hands and two young girls came running up. “We’ll talk more after you’ve had a bath.” She turned to the girls. “Take Yoshi and get him bathed.” She sniffed the air and then wrinkled her nose. “And burn his clothes,” she said, fluttering her fan.

A man in his early twenties dressed in fashionable robes of deep red silk, a color reserved for members of the imperial family, came walking by, accompanied by three friends.

When Surei saw him, she lit up like a lantern floating down the river to mark Obon, the festival of the dead. Bowing almost double, she snapped her fan open and modestly hid her face. Her voice went up in pitch and became soft and breathy. “Douka-shinnou! How good to see you again.”

“An imperial prince? The imperial family comes here?” I whispered to the girls.

They giggled as they escorted me away from Surei and the prince. “Oh, he is a younger son of a concubine from a minor family,” one whispered back.

“He is still a prince,” the other responded.

At Surei’s greeting, he turned and gave a huge smile when he recognized her. “Hyacinth-san. As always, it is a great pleasure.”

Surei had fully embraced her floral namesake. There were hyacinth plants everywhere around the saké house. The prince reached over and plucked a blooming flower from a nearby plant.

Holding it out in front of him, he declaimed:

Drinking saké, the setting sun took me by surprise.

Falling hyacinths catch the edges of my sleeves.

As he recited the last line, he wrapped one arm around Surei, enfolding her hand in his sleeve. He handed the flower to her. “A hyacinth for the Scarlet Hyacinth. But of the two, you are far the more lovely, my dear.”

As she accepted the hyacinth, Surei’s eyes behind the fan widened and she gave a sharp intake of breath. “Oh, Douka-shinnou, your poem was magnificent.” She turned her head away modestly. “But you flatter me.”

The girls each took me by an arm and tugged to get me to leave. I didn’t move. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—Surei sucking up to this imperial leech.

He gave her a huge smile. “Hardly. There is only one Scarlet Hyacinth, and no one can compare.”

She glanced back at him. “You have a deeply poetic soul. I could never think of words so fine.”

I coughed to cover my involuntary exclamation of surprise.

The prince gave a short laugh. “Alas, they are not my words. They are from the Chinese poet Tu Fu.”

I started to speak and then coughed again to cover it. The lines were from Li Po, not Tu Fu. I recalled an occasion when we were about thirteen. Surei was drilling me on my Chinese poetry. After the third time I misquoted the poem, she threw her hands up in the air. “Come on, Yoshi, you read about Li Po all the time. How hard can it be to remember his poems?” Then she quoted the poem she was trying to teach me.

“Drinking wine, night came on me unexpectedly.

Scattered blossoms fill the folds of my robe.

I stumble to my feet and step on the moon in a stream.

Birds rise around me, the others have gone.”

I admit that I waited with some satisfaction for Surei to correct the young fool and point out to him that he was quoting Li Po, but the correction never came. Instead, she leaned even more closely to him, raised the flower to her face and inhaled deeply. With an almost entranced expression, she said,

Roused by the fragrance

Of the falling hyacinth,

The vernal twilight’s

Colors fading to carmine

Only sharpen my longing.

“Brilliant,” he exclaimed. “It is wonderful to speak with a cultured woman such as yourself. The ladies-in-waiting at the court are pretty enough, but most of them wouldn’t recognize a poetic allusion if someone explained it to them, much less compose such an enchanting response.” His companions murmured their agreement.

“Come, let me get you and your friends a private room,” she said.

“Only if you will grace us with your presence,” the prince replied.

“I would be honored,” Surei answered, and the five of them walked off, deep in conversation.

I blinked my eyes. “Why didn’t she correct him? That wasn’t Tu Fu he was quoting, it was Li Po.”

One of the girls answered. “We don’t correct guests at the Spring Palace. It would be very rude.”

The girls took a renewed grip on my arms and guided me into the Spring Palace.