“We’re sorry for the intrusion,” the younger woman said, wondering if she and Taka could remove the bonds and free the prisoner.
“Not at all. As you may have already guessed, I don’t get many visitors.” The woman indicated her surroundings, still spooky and cloaked in shadow even though the front door was standing wide open.
“Here, here, you must be tired. Would you like some tea?”
The old woman turned to the table she’d been slumped against seconds earlier. There among the boxes, rusting tins, and bottles sat a teapot and three cups.
Chihiru knelt on the floor across from the old woman and took the offered beverage. Taka, after glancing at the sprinkle of stems and seeds and what might have been moss floating on top of the liquid, politely declined his and remained standing.
“Itadaki
