Yamada Monogatori: The Emperor in Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page A

still looked puzzled. “I don’t understand. A proper ghost remains either where it died or haunts a place that holds some significance to it.”
    “Or a person,” I said.
    Kenji shrugged. “True, but it would need a compelling reason, like a lost love or a murder victim seeking revenge. What ghost would follow us?”
    “I’ve killed a lot of people,” I said, and it was true. One day, not too long before, I had given in to the impulse to sit myself down and count them all. This was a mistake. It was the closest I had come to drinking myself into a stupor in a long time.
    Kenji ignored that. “All of whom, as I recall, were trying to kill you at the time, and that doesn’t even consider those on the battlefield. In no instance was it murder, and thus there can be no justifiable grudge. I repeat my question—what ghost would follow us?”
    “I don’t know. Let’s go find out.” I rose from the veranda and Kenji followed my example. Together we crossed into the garden and found the path that the onibi appeared to be following.
    Kenji had a ward in his hand. “I could attempt an exorcism.”
    “The ghost is unlikely to sit still for that. Regardless, what if you succeeded? Then we’d never know.” Kenji shook his head and put the ward away. “We’re choosing curiosity over caution, and I hope we don’t regret it.”
    It was a cloudy night, and while the waning moon was still high in the sky, it was obscured and the ghost light was the most visible thing in the garden. We watched as the onibi floated along a well-marked path in the garden like a noble lady enjoying a stroll. Kenji and I moved as quickly as we dared, attempting to close the distance. I knew that the ghost flame could disappear in an instant. I also knew that, with all due respect to our stealth, sneaking up on a ghost was next to impossible unless its attention was entirely focused elsewhere. Here there was no such focus, no such intent. The onibi seemed to be in no particular hurry, and we were getting closer by the moment. I stopped, and it was a moment or two before Kenji noticed and turned back.
    “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
    “An onibi signals the presence of a ghost like a banner. This one not only doesn’t bother to conceal its presence but also wears a distinctive appearance, unlike a normal ghost light. This ghost, whoever it may be, wanted us to know it was following us.”
    “Another aspect to the mystery,” Kenji conceded, “Whoever this ghost is knows us . . . or me or you , depending. None of which alters the reality that we do not know them. And won’t, perhaps, if we don’t catch up to it. Until then, we are at a distinct disadvantage.”
    I agreed with everything Kenji said. Even so, it did nothing to allay the growing unease I felt. My instincts said it was a trap, even though, realistically, I couldn’t fathom what sort of trap it might be. A powerful ghost was certainly dangerous, but I had confidence in Kenji’s abilities, should the spirit prove hostile. Even so, I was afraid, and I didn’t understand why I was afraid. This worried me as much as the presence of the ghost.
    When Kenji moved forward again, I made myself do the same. The ghost light had moved some distance away from us after I stopped, but now we realized it had stopped as well. The path led to a garden pond and a small island, accessible by a moon bridge. The onibi hovered there at the highest part of the arch.
    Is it waiting for us ?
    We moved closer and were rewarded by a translucent outline, partly illuminated by the ghost light itself.
    “It’s a woman,” Kenji said, stating what was, at that moment, very obvious, but as yet we could discern no finer details of dress or appearance.
    There was a place along the path where it swept closer to the pond. Realizing we would have a much better view of the bridge and therefore the apparition from there, I forced myself to quicken my pace slightly. As we drew nearer, more details became