“Send in the next act!” an angry voice boomed in my head. It was like a trumpet blasting directly into my eardrums, and I instinctively clapped my hands over my ears. “I am bored, andhungry!”
“That doesnotsound good,” Raiden muttered as he and the crabs were shoved in after me. His expression was stoic as usual, but the thread of worry in his voice knotted my stomach. I turned back to the courtyard just in time to see the palace doors open. Out stepped another monkey clad in a deep redkimonocovered in flowers. He glanced around for a moment, features drawn and panicked, but as his eyes settled on us, relief washed over hisfeatures.
“You’ve arrived just in time!” he cried, rushing toward us in bounds that carried him across the distance in a few moments. He reached out, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward. “We have no time to waste. The king is very upset today because akyuubiburned two of his subjects to death. He is scouring the island for the evilyokaias wespeak.”
“How awful,” one of the crabs said as thekyuubichuckled inside my head. I could tell she wanted to come out and have some fun with these monkeys, and I had to rein her in. “Have they found any clues yet as to thekyuubi’swhereabouts?”
“No, and that’s only made him angrier.” The monkey swallowed hard and glanced at us. “You’d better get in before he starts throwing a tantrum. I hope you guys are good… for your ownsakes.”
14
With those ominouswords echoing in our ears, we were shoved inside the throne room. For about half a second, I was amazed at the splendor of it all. Monkeys carved from jade decorated the walls, and paintings framed with gold hung between them. The walls themselves were made of thick black stone that glinted in the light of the fireflies buzzingoverhead.
In the center was a massive coral throne decorated with gemstones every color of the rainbow. Unfortunately, that’s where the splendor ended, because sitting upon that throne was a monkey who was even more enormous than the ones outside. And when I say enormous, not the hulking, muscled, King Kong kind of ginormous. No, this guy was more like Jabba the Hutt, with rolls of belly fat cascading over his knees as he lounged on his cushion-piled throne. All around him, female monkeys dressed in lingerie prostrated themselves. One of them, dressed in a bright pink teddy, was actually lying on his giant belly, feeding him bits of peeledpersimmon.
The entire scene made my stomach roil, and it took everything in me to keep the look of revulsion off myface.
“You must be the dancers,” the monkey king cried, his jowls quivering as he spoke. His eyes darted between us, then settled on me. I watched him lick his lips as he looked me up and down, and I had to fight the urge torecoil.
“Yes, we are the famedkabukidancers Komorebi!” the lead crab said, stepping forward and gesturing at us with one hand. His brilliant emerald robes flourished around him with the motion, snapping in unseen wind as he shifted and swayed to unseen music. He spun to reveal his swords, but instead of drawing them, he brought one leg up in a delicate arc, holding it there for a moment before shifting in midair to his otherfoot.
As the lead crab started to settle back into a crouch, the monkey king sat up and roared. The whole room seemed to shake as he shoved the scantily clad monkey off his bulbous belly, sending her tumbling to theground.
“Yourkabukidance bores me!” he snapped, slashing through the air with one claw. Two monkeys appeared from either side of the center stage area. One of them grabbed the crab in mid-movement and jerked him roughly to the side. My mouth fell open in shock as the monkey king looked us over before pointing one stubby finger atRaiden.
“You entertain me!” He shook his head, making his fat cheeks flap around his face. “And no more of the dancingstuff.”
“Very well,” Raiden said. I could feel the waves of anger radiating off him, but he stepped forward calmly. As he did, I watched him sweep one of his stone tablets into the air and mouth something. Then he spun, so his back was to the monkey king, and raised his arms overhead. Light exploded from the tablet he’d palmed and bathed us in glowing blue. Raiden quickly palmed the spirit as it burst forth and slammed it into his chest. The female monkeys gasped as more tendrils of light wreathed him in blue, and he spun around on one leg while kicking his otherout.
“Prepare to be amazed,” Raiden said with a smirk. He held out a hand, palm up, toward the king, then snapped his fingers. A flurry of confetti shot out of his sleeve and flickered through the air. The king and his concubines looked up at the display, and while they were distracted, Raiden stepped forward and whipped a golden bandana from hispocket.
“My apologies,” he said, offering it to the king. “You seem to have gotten some there.” He pointed at the monkey king’s cheek, offering him thebandana.
“Oh, well, thank you,” the king said, glancing at the bandana before reaching to take it. But when he jerked it toward his face, it didn’t come away from Raiden’s grip. Instead, a blue scarf appeared on the end of it. The king pulled again, this time producing a greenscarf.
“What sorcery is this?” the king asked, taken aback and dropping the golden handkerchief in his hand. “Do you seek to make a fool ofme?”
“I wouldnever—”
Raiden was interrupted by the king lashing out, smacking him broadside across the face and batting him across the room like he was a rag doll. He hit the wall with a thwack and slid downit.
“No!” I screamed as horror sliced through me. I took a step toward Raiden, but the king glanced at me and licked hislips.
“You. Entertain me.” His eyes narrowed. “Do not fail me. This is your troupe’s last chance. Failure will not bepleasant.”
I swallowed, unsure of what to do. I wasn’t a magician, or a dancer, and I’d thought both the crab and Raiden’s acts had been pretty good. How the hell was I supposed to top that? By waiting tables forhim?
Excuse me?thekyuubi’svoice echoed irritably in my head.Have you forgotten mealready?
Oh. Right.Sorry,I said to her, a little sheepishly. In my moment of panic, I’d completely forgotten about the powerfulyokaiinside me.Are you up for some monkeybarbecue?
I could practically feel thekyuubiwrinkle her nose in disgust.Monkeys taste revolting,she said.I have something a bit more…sophisticated inmind.
Something in my head shifted, and suddenly thekyuubi’sentire plan was laid out in front of me. When I realized what she had in mind, a shiver of revulsion went through me…but the plan was pretty genius, and I didn’t have anything better inmind.
Put your big girl panties on, Aika,I told myself.Your mom’s life is on theline.
“Well?” the king asked, slapping his giant belly with one hand. “Are you going to do something, or do I just order the cook to prepare thestewpot?”
