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Akane's Tale:

    We had a very nice dinner with Natsuki and Mr. Smith.  We'd ended up
with Dorothy Waynewright and Shizuru coming as well, but they were also good
company.  Versailles Palace had a mixture of French and Italian food.  Very
rich, but good.

    "Do you get to see your family very often?" I asked Mr. Smith
curiously.  I know he is from the US.

    "Unfortunately, I am on bad terms with them and haven't talked to them
in a long time.  They weren't pleased with my choice of a lifestyle," he
said a little mournfully.

    "My father is dead," Dorothy said, sighing.  "And mother."

    "The same for me, Dorothy," Natsuki said compassionately.

    "I know the feeling," Kazuya said sympathetically.  "Akane and I are
both on the outs with our families.  My brother Jinnai is the only one we're
in contact with."

    "Now I feel left out because I actually have family," Shizuru said a
little teasingly.

    "I'm surprised your family didn't approve," Kazuya said to Mr. Smith.

    "They wanted me to be career military," Mr. Smith said.  "But I quickly
discovered that involved giving away too much of your discretion and being
used too often for purposes I couldn't approve of."

    I nodded.  "Good reasons to get out."  I ate some of my pasta.  The
alfredo sauce here is very good.

    Kazuya picked at his own; he'd gambled on something new, but it was too
hot for his tastes.  "I didn't want to have to fire people and ruin their
lives," he said.  "Being a baker means everyone walks away happy."

    "You're very good at it," Dorothy said.  "Norman has supplied us with
your wares for several times we had guests to good result."

    "Thank you," I said, smiling brightly.  "So why did you two come to
Japan?"

    "I was an exchange student and I liked it," Mr. Smith said.  "Also, it
got me out of the reach of my parents."

    "That's why we never went back to Tokyo," Kazuya said.  "You chose
wisely.  Osaka is a great city."

    Shizuru smiled.  "I grew up around Kyoto, but I like Osaka.  Of course,
you all stand out as outsiders to the locals, even now."  She has the local
accent and we don't.

    "I'm sure I would blend right in if only I could master the accent," Mr.
Smith said, deadpan.

    "Yes, of course," Dorothy said flatly.  "We could even form a
tsukkomi-boke act."

    "I think you already have," Shizuru teased and we all laughed.

    Natsuki very lightly tapped Shizuru on the head.  "Like us."

    We all laughed.

    I love spending time with the kids, but it was also wonderful to spend
some time with some interesting, intelligent adults too.  I hadn't expected
to find something in common with Natsuki's boyfriend and his assistant, but
it was nice to do so.  He is definitely different from the others.  I guess
she finally decided it was time to get serious.

    He and Shizuru seem to get on well, for which I am glad.  I know a fair
number of her past lovers fled due to Shizuru, one way or another.  I've
stayed out of it, of course.  I know better than to stick my head in lion's
mouths.  But I've observed it.

    "So what exactly does a Negotiator do, anyway?" Kazuya asked.

    "A combination of investigation and negotiation," Shizuru said.  "We try
to help the parties involved to come to terms.  Which unfortunately
sometimes means getting caught in the middle of corporate intrigues, crimes,
and so forth."

    "The basic rule of negotiating is to consider and respect the other
person's feelings, whether friend or foe," Mr. Smith said.

     "Which can sometimes be difficult if you're in the middle of a
firefight," Dorothy said.

    "Which is why I don't carry a gun; it's not my style," Roger said.
"Rule five."

    "Likewise," Shizuru said.

    "I don't have an absolute oath against it, but it's best not to go into
situations assuming you will be shooting," Mr. Smith said.  "Right now, I am
finishing up a case between a shipping company and its insurance by showing
clear evidence of piracy."

    "Piracy?" I said in surprise.  "Down around Thailand, you mean?"  I had
heard reports there is some kind of actual PIRATE CITY down there.

    "Oh, the business with the container ship where half of it showed up on
the shore and the other half is missing?" Kazuya asked, sounding curious.

    Shizuru and Natsuki looked curiously at Mr. Smith also.

    "The curious thing is that the last example of this was a good
twenty-three years ago near Fuuka City when a ferry was cut in half," Mr.
Smith said.  "However, whoever did this was not as good at cutting ships in
half as whoever did that."

    I suddenly felt very nervous.  Shizuru and Natsuki looked perfectly
calm, but I suspect if I could see a mirror I would look totally guilty.
Kazuya certainly did.  "Not as good?" he said weakly.

    "I took photographs of the sunken ship; it clearly took half a dozen
blows with a gigantic blade or something similar to do it.  Our current
theory is a combat mech, even if none of them come standard with a
sufficiently large blade.  Or have the strength to actually cut a cargo ship
open.  The blade had to have been heated in some manner, though how it could
be hot enough and not melt remains a technical issue."  He was looking
intently at Kazuya, who now looked even more guilty.

    Not that we had anything to do with this; I don't know if even my powers
could cut a cargo ship in half.  Without smashing it to bits in the
process.  It could be Mikoto and her sword, but why?  Wouldn't we have been
told something?

    Natsuki was frowning.  "What were the pirates after?"

    "The ship was supposedly carrying furniture from Africa," Mr. Smith
said.

    "Supposedly.  And in reality?" Shizuru said, now all business.

    "That's the question.  I got some information from a friend of Natsuki's
which seemed to indicate something called Project Janus was being
transported," Mr. Smith said.  "Possibly involving combat mechs."

    "Those terrible things," Kazuya said, scowling, which caused Mr. Smith
to frown in turn.

    "As in the Roman god Janus?  Whose temple doors opened in wartime and
closed in peace?" Shizuru asked, frowning herself now.

    "Two-faced Janus, yes," Mr. Smith said.  "Japan is one of the leading
producers and developers of combat mechs, though the JSDF and police only
use a relative few. The rest are exported to other countries.  And someone
is hiring and hiding experienced designers."

    "The gates of Janus have been shut in this country for a long time,"
Shizuru said.  "I hope it remains that way."

    "This could have some connection to the appearance of a mysterious mech
during the destruction of Tallin," Mr. Smith said.  "Matching no known
model."

    We suspect he's connected to that, but he doesn't seem to know about it,
I thought.  But if he isn't, who was?

    Shizuru was smiling an odd smile and I don't know why.  It rather
reminded me of a mother smiling at her child, but that made no sense at all.

    "I..." Natsuki began, then stopped and stuffed her mouth with food.

    "No doubt it was Racer X," Dorothy said, and we all laughed.

    "I met Shiho's current boyfriend," Shizuru said suddenly, surprising me.

    "Really?  Is he like all the others?" Kazuya asked, working on his
pasta.

    "Mostly," Shizuru said.  "However, this one has good manners.  Which I
would expect of a project manager."  She pointed her chopsticks at Kazuya.
"Apparently, he knows your family, Kazuya-kun."

    Kazuya blinked.  "He does?"

    "Robert Cooper works for Shell Solar, which is doing a project with
Kurauchi Electronics and some other Japanese companies and US Robots.  I had
to help settle a labor dispute," Shizuru said.  "He has a bunch of pictures
in his office of himself with various American and Japanese businessmen and
one of them was him shaking hands with a man who looked like a much older
version of you which turned out to be your father," she said.  "Very
handsome and dignified looking man.  Your father, that is."

    "Father tried hard to take care of himself," Kazuya said.  "I..."

    "Your father is doing well, I think," she said.  "If you want family
gossip, here is a copy of Mr. Cooper's card."  She passed it to Kazuya.  "He
seemed young to me to hold as much authority in the project as he does."
She shrugged.  "My negotiation was fairly successful, so I am content."

       Kazuya took the card, looking nervous.  He still loves his family,
for all the trouble we've had with them.  But at the same time...well, you
know.

    "Have any of you seen Blue Mountain Fever?" I asked.  I decided it was
time to steer the conversation to something comfortable.

    We soon got into an argument on the merits of the movie, and away from
uncomfortable waters.

************

Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything very large in Part 3 or 4 to use as
teasers because either they spoiled way too much or they involved people who
get introduced in 1 and 2.  ^^;;

So I will just put two very tiny teasers:


Part 3:  The Fire That Purifies the Night