Chapter 6After morning meditation, the young priest sweeping the grounds at Yushima Tenjin Shrine was surprised to see a tall, young woman sitting alone, staring at the main building as the sun came up. The warmth of a cloudless day eased into the temple’s plum trees and the sun dried the curved slate roofs, the air crisp and fresh after the heavy rain.
When she noticed him watching her, she walked to the front gate where water trickled into a stone basin from a brass dragon spout. With a long-handled scoop, she poured water over her hands. She had entered the grounds hours earlier, but sat down without the ritual purification, content to be alone in the early morning quiet of the shrine.
The young priest glanced at her intermittently as he swept the dark brown, still-wet leaves with his
