Chapter 25: 24. Bath-house Shananigans

Paul hadn’t really looked at the temples onsen, or bathhouse before. Each guest house had it’s own private shower-room, as well as a tiny kitchen alcove. He didn’t mind using the communal kitchen block, but he was still British enough that taking a bath in public didn’t exactly appeal. So he’d only given the small wooden structure a cursory look before.

But, as he lazed against the side of the hot pool, he thought he might have been mistaken…

The onsen sat alongside one of the numerous streams that threaded their way down the mountain through the bamboo forest. What appeared to be a small wooden hut, was in fact only a fraction of it. The structure housed the changing rooms and cleansing showers one used before entering the actual communal pools. The showers were fed water from further upstream via a bamboo aqueduct, which empted out into a large cast iron water heater, situated outside the shower room. That in turn fed a set of bamboo pipes that emptied out by pulling on a cord.

Paul was sure Shoko had to have used some kitchen sink magic, because the water was already steaming hot when Inari led him in.

He was relieved to note that the onsen was divided, male and female. He hadn’t acclimatised culturally that far yet. He’d showered, sitting on a small wooden stool and then gently lowered himself into the stone tub full of steaming hot water.

The tubs were roofed over, but open on two sides, with a spectacular view of the tumbling mountain stream and the verdant bamboo forest on the opposite bank. Paul absently noted that the tub had been partly built from close-jointed stone blocks, fitted with such precision that they were water-tight despite there being no sign of mortar. These blocks formed a retaining wall around a hollow in the raw bed rock, deepening the pool until it was about waist height in places, although there was a knee height shelf running around the inside edge, allowing one to sit comfortably.

A short flight of three steps down from the roofed over terrace led to another natural pool, filled directly by water diverted from the stream… Paul shuddered slightly at the sight of that. The water in the stream-fed pool would be freezing.

He was drowsing off, lulled by the warmth and the sound of the stream, leaning with his arms on the side of the pool, when he felt the water lap against his back.

He paid it no heed, until he felt small delicate hands rubbing over his back. With a start he started to jump up, but his foot slipped and he went under, his yell turning into a gurgle.

Slim hands caught him under the arms and pulled him to the surface. Spluttering, blinking water from his eyes, he found himself looking into the concerned face of Inari.

His eyes flicked down, and then he firmly fixed them on her face.

“I say! Inari! I thought there was no mixed bathing allowed!”

“Normally, but since it’s just us and there’s no attendant... and I brought you a tray of food.”

“Ah… right. Thank you. And yet, for that you have to be naked and in the water with me?”

“Well my robes are dirty, and the air is rather cool this time of year.”

Paul looked doubtfully at the innocent expression on her delicate features… and then sighed.

“Oh, alright. I’m too tired to dispute the point. You know nothing’s going to happen.”

“I understand, all I was planning to do was feed you, pamper you, and then you are going to relax...”

Paul decided he was far too tired to object, he’d rather just lean back and allow himself to be pampered.

“Well, If this is your idea of an apology, Inari-sama… then you’re doing it right.”

“I have had some little practice...”

Paul chuckled and tried to relax… and keep his eyes firmly above Inari’s neck line.

Paul slowly awoke, he’d been dreaming about Kate; he remembered the taste of her lips and the feeling of her lying against him.

For a moment he was confused, somewhere between dream-filled sleep and awake… the sky above him was purple stained gold by the sunset. He could feel his head was resting on a soft pillow. He murmured her name, wondering where she was… and then memory, hated memory, flooded in and he was coldly awake. He gasped at the clutch of ice around his heart.

He squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the pain.

“Paul-san?”

Paul stilled, that had been Inari’s voice, from directly behind him. He had a sudden intuition.

“Inari-sama… if I turn round I’m going to discover that’s not a pillow my head is resting on, aren’t I?”

“Would you rather I let you drown in your sleep? Rather than rest your head on my shoulder.”

“Oh, I think I owe you an apology.”

Inari chuckled, a rather wicked sounding one.

“Of course, I make no mention of what your back is rubbing against.”

“Inari!”

“Oh, stop being so English! I’m wearing a towel, which one does not usually do in an onsen, but in deference to your squeamishness about nudity.”

Paul opened his mouth, then sighed.

“I’m being unreasonable aren’t I? Holding you to my standards.”

“A little. Civilisation is about compromise though, and you are new to Japan”

“Where as you’ve been around since before Japan was Japan.”

Inari shrugged, which Paul tried to ignore, then he sighed.

“Oh, what the hell… Lose the towel, Inari, if it makes you feel better. I need something to eat again anyway. I think I fell asleep before I was done.”

Paul pushed off from the stone side, swimming sedately across the short distance to where a tray of food rested by the waters edge. From behind him there was a rather soggy splat, as Inari got rid of the saturated towel.

Paul turned and lay against the side of the pool, his eyes closed, nibbling on the fruit he’d found. After a bit he lifted his head opening his eyes.

Inari was submerged almost to her chin…

“Hey Inari..”

“It was chilly when I stood up!”

Paul snickered.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“Hoi! No one said you could comment!”

Paul laughed, shaking his head. Inari mock scowled at him.

“You wait until you have to get out Paul-san… that fine staff of yours will become a chopstick!”

“Hoi! Now who’s commenting Inari-san!”

“Oh it’s alright for you! You’ve been asleep, I’ve been lying here... holding onto you... looking, and not daring to move at all!”

Paul raised an eyebrow.

“Inari-san, have you been leering at me in my sleep now?”

Inari blushed crimson..

“It’s been a hundred years Paul-san! You wouldn’t blame a woman for just looking, would you?!”

Paul eyed her with a speculative, and somewhat dangerous light in his eyes, and slowly stood up. Inari’s eyes went wide, her gaze darting up and down him… As he waded across the pool towards her she licked her lips, her breath speeding up.

“P..Paul-san.. what are...”

Paul bent, and scooped Inari up into his arms, causing her to squeak in surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him as he strode out of the pool…

It was only when he held her out over the lip of the small terrace that she began to show signs of alarm

“Paul-san, what are you doing?”

Inari looked down, and gasped.

“Paul no! You wouldn’t dare!”

“There’s not a lot I wouldn’t dare Inari...”

“Paul! Stop. I command you! Your goddess commands thee stop, Herald!”

Paul let go.

There was a brief scream that ended in tremendous splash, followed by an even louder scream as Inari came up for air after landing in the cold water pool.

Some while later, Inari sat in the hot water pool, as far across from Paul as she could get, glaring at him. Paul just leaned lazily against the side, still grinning slightly. Across the stream the fireflies were just beginning to twinkle in the darkness of the bamboo forest, as above them the first stars shone in the deep purple of the evening sky.

“I don’t think I like you any more Paul.”

“Pity that, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re rotten and mean and not at all what a Herald should be!”

“And yet, you chose me...”

“You deceived me! Acting like an English gentleman, when you’re a..a..”

“A blaggard, a cad, a scoundral and a brute?!”

“I don’t know what those first two are, but yes!”

“You’ll notice I never claimed to be a gentleman.”

“Oooo! You!”

“Inari, Inari… a word of advice. Don’t ever take me for granted… and don’t think you can command me.”

Inari stilled, and then sighed.

“In all seriousness Paul-san. I am so very sorry I said that.”

“It’s not the first time.”

“I... I know… I should not have done it then either.”

“Hmm… if I recall correctly, you claimed I was your Herald, but I never actually agreed. As I understand it, it takes the agreement of both parties for a contract, is that not so?”

“It is… and I said I am sorry.”

“Yes, I heard you. And you said it last time too.”

Inari winced.

“Paul-san…”

“Let me guess, you’re about to say something along the lines of old habits are hard to break?”

Inari sighed and nodded.

“You also seem to forget I’ve said before that I am uncomfortable with you trying to persuade me into your arms, yes?”

“I am sorry Paul-sama! Even I have limits and...”

“It’s been a long time. Yeah, I heard you. I suppose goddesses, especially beautiful ones, aren’t accustomed to hearing the word ‘no’ and not getting what, or who, they want.”

Inari sighed, wincing, and nodded sadly.

“You are right. I have been acting selfishly. I have become that which I despise most in men. I would understand if you wish not to be my Herald, even if you wish to leave us… I..I would be desolate, but I would not protest.”

Paul sighed, and swam over to her…

“Inari… there are many reasons why I should do just that.”

Inari stared down at the water blindly, and nodded. Paul shook his head, and leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her forehead, between the small red coma-shaped dots that marked her as a Kami.

“But I won’t do that.”

Inari looked up startled as Paul back-paddled a short distance, not taking his eyes off hers.

“Paul-san?”

“I think you’re not beyond learning how to behave as a friend, and frankly, I’d miss you more than I care to say.”

“Oh!”

Paul held up a hand, fore finger extended.

“But only as a friend. Those are my terms… take them or leave them.”

“You no longer wish to be my Herald?”

“Ahh no, not that. But… actually, you know, I don’t think I’ve quite grasped the boundaries of that? I think maybe we need to set some though. This habit of yours of commanding me when you’re pushed, for example. That I will not tolerate. I am not a servant.”

Inari nodded.

“Heralds have always been familiar spirits… lesser beings, sometimes even complete creations. I... do not know what it means to have a living human as one.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Ok, well, you screwed up twice, don’t let there be a third time please. Apart from anything else, every time you do it I have to fight an urge to turn you over my knee and spank you like a spoiled brat… and I don’t think that would be very dignified for either of us.”

“You wouldn’t da...”

Paul raised an eyebrow at Inari. Who abruptly shut her mouth, remembering that wasn’t a wise thing to say.

“Um… Yes, Paul-san.”

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“Good. Apart from that, I would actually like to continue to be your Herald, assuming you’re willing to have me too. Just… I’d prefer it if we were more equals than what seems to be the norm. That said… is there anything you’d like to add? I wouldn’t want it to be all about me.”

Inari nodded.

“Yes, there are one or two things Paul-san.”

“Ok.. fire away.”

“Please… don’t ever do what you did before, I..I can’t take being abandoned. Not again. I could feel myself losing hope, dying inside again. I would almost rather you... you shouted at me, even hit me, rather than that!”

Paul blinked, and the pulled Inari gently into his arms, holding her against him.

“Readily agreed. I shan’t leave you. I honestly didn’t realise it would hurt you that badly, although I should have. I can also promise you I will never hit you, that’s just not in my nature. I’ll need to think of some other coping mechanism now though. It’s always been my habit that if I’m upset or angry, I go for walk or go do something else... blacksmithing for example. Before that it was masonry, although I was terrible at that. But, I’ll try and learn something else that doesn’t involve going away or burying myself in some project.”

Inari lifted her head to stare into Paul’s eyes.

“Paul-san… I would not mind you taking a walk… if you would not mind me walking with you?”

“Umm… not sure if that would work. The idea is to change the context, to get away from what’s bothering me. If we’re having an argument, you coming with me defeats the purpose.”

“But, what if I’m in my fox form?”

“You can do that? I mean, I know you can do that, but can you do that now? I thought it would take more magic than you have right now?”

Inari shook her head.

“Not with that wondrous magical branch you have crafted. I might be able to do it only so many times a day, before it’s power is exhausted and it needs to be replenished… but it would be possible.”

“Oh… I see.”

Paul thought for moment, as Inari rested against his shoulder.

“Question… can you talk in that form?”

“Ha!”

“No, seriously, because if all that’s going to happen is that the argument would continue, then no, that won’t work.”

Inari shook her head.

“Oh! I see… No, I can’t, or rather I could, but it would take another spell for us to talk to each other. Also as a fox, the way I think changes, becomes more animal like. Foxes live in the moment, the past is irrelevant, the future hasn’t happened. They don’t have the same concerns either. Even if I could talk and understand human speech, I probably wouldn’t want to argue.”

“Ok… then that should work out alright. I mean if you can’t argue with me, and I’d feel damn silly arguing with a fox anyway come to think of it… then the occasional long walk together to clear our heads should work out ok.”

Inari nodded.

“I used to get changed and go for a run to clear my head. This is the same.”

Paul grinned.

“That sentence has completely different connotations than the one I’m used to, and yet it still means the same thing.”

Inari giggled, causing bits of her to bob against Paul. He shifted slightly, aware of a growing discomfort.

“Yes, I suppose it does… it still amazes me that modern women have special and separate clothes to go deliberately running in, and that they are so... revealing!”

“Yeah, well society has never been consistent, unless it was consistently contradictory.”

“Oh, yes. I mean, underwear? How is that different from swim wear, and why is one allowed to be seen and not the other?”

“Hmph, don’t ask me… but if we’re complaining about that. Why is nudity in the bath house ok, but elsewhere not? Or for that matter, one of the ancient holidays involves parading giant dicks around the streets with young girls riding them, commando, and the rest of the year you can’t even mention them or panties?”

“Commando?”

“Not wearing any pantsu under their skirts.”

“Oh… I suppose people are and always were, a bit strange. Although that one is because the god that came up with it was a pervert..”

“Seriously? That’s it!? The whole reason?”

“It’s the real reason, but not what he told his priests to tell his followers. I think his excuse was it was something to do with fertility.”

“I bet… and I bet the priests went along just so they could watch young girls flashing and getting all giggly.”

Inari nodded.

“I think it might have even been the idea of the head priest at the time… maybe. He was always trying to peer beneath the robes of young girls.”

“Yeah, I bet… dirty old men, both of them,”

“...and you’ve never been tempted to peek, if you had the chance?”

“Well… tempted, but I don’t. It’s skeevy and lacks style, and besides there’s the internet nowadays.”

“The internet?”

Paul looked at Inari’s puzzled expression, and sighed.

“Ohhh man... where do I start? Ok, think of it this way. Imagine if you can, that there was a way to ‘show off’ to people, without them finding out who you were, or you ever seeing them.”

“Oh, we had those. Certain houses would require everyone to wear masks...”

“Right, so you know how people behave when they’re effectively anonymous, right?”

Inari nodded, still evidently not seeing where this conversation was going.

“Ok, so the internet allows you to share pictures, video or moving pictures, sound and so on… all without knowing who’s looking, or them knowing who you are. So, how long do you think it was, before someone got nude?”

Inari laughed, bobbing up against Paul again.

“Not long! I know people… I would bet it wouldn’t even be minutes.”

“You’re not wrong. So, now there’s a truly staggering amount of pornography you can find on the internet. So much so that it tends to drown out what you’re actually looking for if you’re not careful. And of course, anyone can see it, if they know how to use a computer.”

“Umm, Paul-san… could you show me? So I don’t feel so.. frustrated...”

Paul raised an eyebrow.

“I have a ba-aa-ad feeling about this, but ok. Just remember, a lot of it is acting or fictional… and some of it isn’t. There is some truly awful, horrible and disturbing stuff out there...”

Inari nodded, and then blushing said in a small voice.

“Umm, could it be soon Paul-san… only… there is a rather impressive staff rubbing against my thigh which I am trying to ignore!”

Paul’s eyes went wide and he blushed, hastily backing away.

“Oh! I am so, so sorry Inari! I wasn’t, I mean it was a reflex and I... wasn’t paying attention!”

“I guessed that. Just that... a few minutes more and I might have... embarrassed myself.”

“Um… I think I’ll go and...do something else.. some place that’s not here.”

Inari nodded, her eyes not meeting his. Paul swam to the far side of the pool and grabbed his towel before getting out, his back to Inari.

He couldn’t help thinking she was wrong about the cold air though…

As he was heading for the changing room, Inari called out.

“Paul-san...”

“Yeah?”

“Your wife was a very lucky woman. In many ways.”

Paul chuckled, although not without some bitterness.

“So I’ve been told… but then, at the time I thought I was the lucky one!”

Once they were both dressed, and sitting by a table in a small pavilion sharing an evening meal, it was full dark outside. Paul couldn’t help thinking it was cosy, with the room lit by lantern light, even if the lanterns were lit by small balls of glowing heatless fox-fire, instead of candles.

“Paul-san… might I be permitted to ask a personal question?”

“Oddly formal of you Inari-san? But sure, ask, I might not answer however.”

Inari nodded slowly.

“When you woke up in the onsen, you said a woman’s name. Was that… your wife’s name?”

Paul nodded, not trusting his voice.

“Might I be permitted to know a little something about her?”

Paul frowned.

“Why do you want to know?”

Inari sighed.

“I… I would like to know about the woman who captured your heart so thoroughly that you would be faithful to her, even beyond death. She... she must have been a wonderful person.”

Paul sighed.

“She was… is… still, in a way.”

Inari looked puzzled at him. Paul shrugged.

“Ok… this might take some explaining. Neither K..Kate nor I were religious, but there were some things we both believed, or came to believe. She believed in reincarnation… passionately so. She even remembered details, that frankly even I’m at a loss to explain otherwise. She said, and I believed her, that some souls are just drawn to each other. That they meet time and time again… down throughout the ages, and that we were just such a pair.”

Inari nodded.

“It seems likely so, but as I have said, I have yet to meet, or at least recognise someone I knew.”

Paul shrugged.

“At the time, I believed her, in my darkest days I hoped that what she said was true. Now… now I’m not sure I know what to think, but it seems less impossible.”

“So… you vowed to be faithful, forever?”

Paul nodded.

“You’ll find I take oaths seriously.”

“I see… So, how did you two meet?”

Paul laughed.

“That’s actually a pretty funny story… see she was a photojournalist. She liked to travel as much as I did, but she was hopeless at staying out of trouble. So… we hooked up in India, in Kathmandu, since she wanted to get into Tibet and I knew how. But I also knew that you’d have to be crazy to try it, what with the Chinese border patrols at the time. However, Kate was insistent… anyway, getting in was bad enough, but getting out proved to nearly impossible. Thanks to her kicking a high-up Chinese official right in the nuts, because he was trying to get fresh with this Tibetan girl, and Miss ‘I’m-an-impartial-photographer-I only-record-events’ charged right in, leaping literally to her defence.”

Paul shook his head.

“First few months, she drove me crazy. She seemed to have the survival instinct of a lemming with a death wish, but gods she burned bright… I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with such a passion for life.”

Paul sighed.

“I guess it’s true what the say about the candle that burns twice as bright only lasts half as long.”

Inari reached over the table and rested her hand on his.

“Paul-san… how did.. she meet her end?”

Paul didn’t answer for a few minutes, struggling to contain his emotions. His voice cracked when he spoke.

“On her own terms, I think is probably the best way to describe it. We were half way up some nameless mountain pass between Pakistan and India, once again chasing a story… and she just... sat down. Said her hand was tingling and she felt a bit light-headed. So, we made camp early and… and she just... kept getting worse. We both knew what was wrong, she’d had a stroke or an embolism… probably as a result of the altitude. A one in a million chance, but..”

Paul drew in a deep breath.

“We both knew that there was no chance of getting to medical help in time… and sometime around midnight, she lost her sight. I… I think that’s when she made her choice. It gets cold there at night, lethally so, but she went out without her jacket, slipped out while I wasn’t looking and found a rock to sit on… and waited for the sunrise.”

Paul swiped at his eyes, and swallowed.

“I... found her there... in the morning. She... she was alive, but she was deep in hypothermia. Barely conscious. She roused a bit, and just asked me to sit with her, to describe the sunrise she couldn’t see. So… I did as she asked… and then… she went to sleep in my arms.”

Inari came around the table, and put her arms around Paul, holding him. Paul buried his face in her shoulder and shuddered…

“Oh Inari.. I wanted to die so much… I still do… at times. But she… she made me promise. To live, to have more adventures and to tell her all about them when we meet again. Bu...but it’s... so hard! It hurts, so much! Every time..I..think of her... I feel like I’m back on that mountainside, freezing in the thin air. I can’t breathe… and it’s cold. So... cold... and dark.”

Inari leaned back… and stared into Paul’s eyes. And then swore slightly. Paul jumped, shocked and surprised. He shook his head, feeling dizzy.

“Wh...what?”

“Paul-san… you’re haunted.”

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