Paul awoke to the sound of energetic hammering and sawing going on outside somewhere nearby. For a moment he couldn’t think where he was or what was happening, but then the events of the past couple of days came flooding back, and he sat bolt upright!

Scrambling to his feet he yanked open the door to the guest house… and stopped… frozen in surprise.

Someone had cut the wide grassy area in front of the temple, and on the open green there appeared to be a small army of semi-naked, very hairy little men building what looked to his eyes like a carnival side-show, with several rows of booths, trestle tables, and what was unmistakably a Ferris wheel under construction.

Paul blinked and shook his head, then stared again. Like one of those ambiguous pictures, where the black and white shapes are either a vase or two human faces looking at each other, the army of naked hairy dwarfs suddenly resolved itself to be a whole lot of racoon dogs, standing on their back legs.

Except, they weren’t quite. Their faces were more human than a racoon-dog, their front paws were more hand-like than paw, and their back legs were longer. As the last traces of sleep ebbed away, Paul realised he was looking at Tenuki, shape-shifting racoon dogs. Who were, apparently, part of the construction crew… or at least that’s how it looked, as they were wearing flannel shirts and yellow hard hats.

One of them noticed Paul standing there, and turned to yell over his shoulder at another.

“Hey boss! The English Lord is awake!”

The Tenuki addressed was wearing a bright white hard-hat, with the kenji for ‘BOSS’ painted on the front. He stood a few inches taller than the others as well, as he turned and waved at Paul.

“Hey, with you in a minute!”

Paul leaned against one of the veranda’s pillars, and as the boss Tenuki hurried up, Paul poured them both a cold drink from the a pitcher of lemonade and glasses that someone, probably Shoko, had left sitting in the shade.

“Hey Lord, sorry if we woke you!”

“That’s ok, guess I needed an early start anyway. Um, might I ask what you’re all doing…?”

“Oh yeah... setting up for the New Moon Festival. We’re putting up booths for the food and games you know.”

“Uh...huh. Ok... When did the potluck party become a Festival?”

“It was meant to be a party? I was told it was a festival, and you can’t have one of those without booths… Umm. That’s going to be a problem. Shoko-san’s been inviting everyone to the festival. And I dunno about anyone else, but I was looking forward to it! There used to be Festivals all the time here when I was just a cub, and us ‘Others’ would come. The temple’s neutral ground you know, no fighting allowed, so everyone puts aside all their disagreements.. um.. Are we ok to carry on or should I tell the clan to stop building?”

Paul sighed.

“Ok… so... it’s a Festival now. Carry on. I’m just going to have a word with a certain small kitsune.”

“Oh, hey Lord..”

Paul held up hand, forestalling the Boss Tenuki.

“Just call me Paul. I’m not a Lord.”

“Eh? I thought all English were lords or knights or something?”

“And I know some folks back home that think all Japanese are shoguns or ninjas… or perverts.”

“Ah! Huh. Well, you might be right on that last one with some of them. Anyway, we’ll keep building then, Paul-sama?”

“Yes. I’ll figure out the rest. Oh! Forgive my manners, I forgot to ask your name!”

“It’s ok. You’re still waking up, right?”

Paul grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeahhh… sorry. Brain isn’t firing on all cylinders yet, you know.”

“Ok, well, I’m the local clan leader. Boss Hirohido. You a coffee drinker or tea?”

“Pleasure to meet you sir, and coffee to wake up, tea to be social.”

“Huh! Sensible. Ok.”

The Tenuki drew himself up to his full height of four feet, and yelled over his shoulder.

“Hey, Sako! Bring our host some of that coffee will you! We woke the guy up, least we can do is finish the job!”

“Yes boss!”

Sako turned out to be a young and very earnest looking tenuki with a power-saw over one shoulder, and billy-can of coffee in the other hand. Paul took the offered enamelled tin mug of coffee as Boss Hirohido went back to supervising. The coffee proved to be strong enough Paul wondered that it hadn’t taken the enamel off the mug, as it seemed to be doing so to his teeth.

“Sako-san, huh?”

“Yes Lord..”

“Just Paul please.”

“Yes Paul-sama! Sako Hitaro, clan Ushi.. sir.. um..”

“Oh relax, I don’t bite. Snap a little maybe.”

The young Tenuki grinned, rubbing the back of his head.

“So, Sako-san, you all live on the mountain?”

“Oh no, only the Boss and his family live at the old place. The rest of us live all around. I’ve got an apartment in town, and cousin Yakio lives in Tokyo!”

“Umm..”

“We blend in using illusions. Like this. Hoi!”

The young man suddenly standing before Paul looked like humanised version of Sako. Paul blinked, and then grinned.

“Heyyy... looks like a certain anime was right after all.”

A wide grin split Sako’s roundly innocent face.

“Kinda… not saying anyone who had anything to with that, might be family… but you know...”

Sako grinned and pulled down one eyelid with a finger, which Paul knew was synonymous with a nod and a wink in other cultures.

“That would explain a lot… huh.. oh hey. Can you warn your Boss for me? There will be some deliveries coming soon, and a guy is coming over to check out the wiring.”

“Oh? Which firm?”

“Ah… Fukia electrical.”

“Oh! Lucky, they’re family!”

“Luck, yeah, maybe. I asked around saying I’d moved into the old temple, they were recommended.”

“Yup, that would do it… people know, you know, even if no-one says anything, or they used to. It’s been a while. Lots of new people have moved into the area. But any of the original villagers would know.”

Paul frowned..

“About that… how long has this temple been empty? The documents I got weren’t very clear.”

“Oh… about ten years, give or take a few months. But the Old Man was in a care home for a couple of those.”

“Ten… years. Wait a minute! Shoko-san is what, eight, nine?”

Sako threw his head back and laughed.

“Oh no... she’s a kitsune, they age differently. Shoko-san is nearly eighty, but she’s still only a child by the way they age. She won’t get her second tail and be an teenager until she’s over a hundred.”

“Huh… so to get a kitsune’s actual age, you multiply their apparent age by ten. Got it.”

“You got it Paul-sama! Although, no-one’s sure how long they live. Thousands of years. Inari herself, they say, is three or four thousand at least. But, she’s a Goddess now, so I guess maybe that doesn’t count, even if she was over a thousand when she became one.”

Paul sighed.

“Just when I think I’m getting used to it all... Oh well. Thanks Sako-san, keep up the good work.”

“You know it!”

Paul leaned back, sipping the coffee and letting himself wake up and adjust to his new reality. Once he’d finished the mug of caffeinated roofing tar, he went inside to dress and start the day, starting with finding out where Shoko was and what she was up to now.

It took Paul a little while to find her, but eventually he traced Shoko-san to the actual shrine itself, which was at the heart of the temple.

“Hey Shoko-san...”

Paul stopped, frozen in the doorway. The shrine wasn’t much bigger than a garden shed he’d had back at home, and that had been small… but somehow the inside now held what looked to be entire tea room, not much smaller than some ball-rooms. Shoko-san knelt by a low table with a tray of tea things in front of her. Across the table from her reclined a woman with long silver-white hair, more-or-less wearing a kimono. Paul blinked, and then realised that what he’d taken to be a fan behind her, was in fact a spread of tails…

Bowing, Paul spoke.

“Forgive the intrusion Inari-sama… I was not aware you were present. I shall...”

“Ah, such formality... come Paul-san, take tea with me.”

Paul raised his head to look at the Goddess, who smiled slightly at him.

“Or do I frighten you, human ?”

Paul straightened up, and looked the Goddess in the eyes, noting that for all their fire-like colour, there seemed to be a lack of life to them… in fact, she seemed… abstracted, unfocused.

“Frighten? No, but I was always told to be respectful to one’s elders.”

Inari laughed like a fox, a short yipping sound, as she hid her lips behind her fan.

“Such boldness, such fearlessness. I see Shoko-san wasn’t exaggerating when she said you bound a Yūrei without any trouble. Come sit next to me… it’s been a long while since I had young man to distract me.”

Paul raised an eyebrow, but went and sat tailor fashion at the table, to the right of the Goddess, guessing that was where Shoko-san meant for him to sit, from the look she gave him.

“So... Paul-san,” Inari almost purred. “Tell me about yourself...”

“Ah, well… what would like to know?”

“You’re unmarried, yes?”

Paul sighed. Somehow he’d known she’d lead with that. Keeping his eyes firmly above her neckline… which wasn’t easy admittedly, given the way she positioned herself, he answered.

“I’m a widower.”

“Ehh?! So young? So sad.”

“Please don’t. I’m not some tragic hero in a love story. I count myself lucky, we had an entire lifetime’s worth of love in the few years we had together.”

Inari sighed, clasping her hands in front of herself.

“Oh... how romantic… and they say the English are a cold people!”

“Umm. I think things have changed a bit since they said that… well, a little.”

“Ah, so how did...”

Paul interjected before Inari could continue with the inevitable questions, forcing him relive the day that his world had shattered. Making him face the awful back, pain-filled void in his life.

“Not to be rude, but could we change the subject please? It’s still rather recent, and I came here to get away from reminders.”

“Ohhhh! I apologise! I didn’t mean to cause you pain!”

“Please, think nothing of it. One becomes quite used to it after awhile. I dream of her, most nights, and every morning I wake up… and she’s not there. I miss her like I miss the sound of my own heartbeat, but I really am sick and tired of people reminding me. She wouldn’t want me to pine away, but rather get on with life and living you know. As she said, when I die and we meet again, she wants to hear about all the adventures I’ve had since... so I’d best have some damn good ones.”

Inari sighed, once again, and her eyes held genuine emotion as she reached out to clasp his hand. For a moment, they sat in silence, and then Inari spoke again as if nothing had happened.

“So… Shoko-san says you decided to hold a party to meet everyone?”

“Yes, about that. It seems to have become a festival somehow...”

Paul gave Shoko-san a hard look, and although she didn’t look up from the tea she was preparing, her ears flattened.

“Please, do not be too hard on her Paul-san.. Shoko was doing my biding.”

“Your… ok, forgive the impertinence, but what the heck?”

Inari trilled a small giggle.

“We always used to have festivals on the new Moon… the temple priests would listen to the complaints of the those spirit folk that live here, and dispense wisdom and justice. It seemed to me that perhaps, something familiar, and long missed, would help cement your place here.”

Paul stared at the giggling fox Goddess…

“Lady... That’s a terrible idea! I’m no font of wisdom!”

Inari pouted at him, and withdrew a long stemmed pipe from her sleeve. Kindling a spark of blue flame between her finger and thumb she lit whatever was in the small bowl and drew a deep breath then exhaled the sweet smelling smoke at Paul..

“I thought it was an excellent idea...and that is no way to talk to a Goddess!”

Paul studied her, and then coughed as he breathed in a wisp of the smoke.

“Wait...Is that…? That is opium, isn’t it?”

“What if it is? I need it. For the pain.”

Paul raised an eyebrow, and happened to catch Shoko’s glance as she looked up momentarily. He froze. Merry little Shoko’s eyes had been filled with worry, hurt, and fear.

Choosing his words carefully Paul asked.

“Pain? Something troubles you Lady Inari?”

“I’ve lived too long Paul-san… seen too much of life, and now I feel the magic slowly ebbing away. I’m glad you came… at least Shoko will have someone to look after her when I am gone.”

Paul glanced at Shoko… and his lips flattened to straight line.

In a quiet, clipped and level tone he asked Shoko.

“Shoko-san, could you go and check on the house please, make sure the Tenuki aren’t playing tricks on the delivery men.”

Shoko looked a question at Inari, who languidly waved her dismissal.

Paul waited until Shoko was safely outside the temple, and the reached over, plucked the long stemmed opium pipe from Inari’s listless fingers, and snapped it cleanly in two.

“Right. No more of that.”

“Ehh! How dare you..”

“NO. How dare you! You’ve already given up haven’t you? You’re just sitting around, numbing yourself with that poison, and waiting for death to take you in your sleep, aren’t you?!”

Inari leaned back. Paul hadn’t raised his voice at all, but he might as well been shouting at the top of his lungs, such was the force behind it. She drew in a breath to complain… and then stopped, arrested by the look Paul gave her. His eyes seemed like heated steel.

“How dare... I am a Goddess. You can’t talk to me..”

“Be. Silent.”

Inari shut her mouth with a snap, biting off her words. She could almost feel the pressure of his will, and the heat of his anger.

“Yes, you’re a Goddess and immortal, or so I gather. So where the hell do you get off giving up on living so easily? And to make matters worse, you talk like that, in front of Shoko. By all the Powers above and below, can you NOT see how that hurts her?! She’s your daughter and you’re just casually talking about dying and leaving her alone!”

“She’s hardly a child...”

“Bull. Shit.”

Inari gasped, then laughed, shakily.

“You are too bold. I could kill you with a thought.”

“And I’m the only current protector and guardian of this place. Do that and you’ll live just about long enough to see it torn down and turned into a smoking hole in the ground.”

Inari regarded him levelly, her eyes smouldering like hot coals now.

“Humpf, it won’t matter anyway. Once the magic leaves, none of the rest of us will survive long, and it’s ebbing away every day.”

“Ok. So why is it ebbing?”

Inari sat back and pouted, glaring at him sullenly.

“I don’t know, no-one knows. It’s always ebbed and flowed, but now it flickers and gutters, like a stub of a candle in a draft, burning ever lower.”

“Ok... well, where does it come from then?”

“Come from? It’s just there, like water rising in a spring.”

“Lousy analogy, since spring water does come from somewhere, namely underground aquifers… “

Paul’s voice trailed of as an idea struck him.

“Inari-sama, the magic, could it be linked somehow to the iron ore extraction?”

Inari shook her head.

“I wondered that, but it didn’t get better once they stopped mining.”

“Well, it wouldn’t, what’s gone is gone. But did it start to ebb more than flow when they started mining?”

Inari paused, her eyes going unfocused. For a moment Paul wondered if she’d gone off into an opium-induced fugue state. But she snapped out of it before he could say anything.

“It’s hard to say, it’s beginning is unclear… but... perhaps, yes.”

“Ok, so mining caused it, maybe, but for whatever reason it’s carried on getting worse. Like... mining started a leak, metaphorically, but unless that’s plugged it’s not going to get better.”

“And you intend to stop this leak, how?”

Paul shrugged.

“No idea, but the first step is to find out what’s going on. Have you even looked in the mine?”

“I can’t, that much iron would kill even me in my prime, and that was centuries past.”

Paul blinked, then face-palmed.

“Right, of course. Iron is supposed to be toxic to magical creatures, and I guess Goddesses count.”

“Not all of us shun iron… there are things that live in the old tunnels now. Things that shun the light of day instead.”

Paul nodded slowly…

“Of course there is, any idea what?”

“If you had asked me even ten years ago, I could’ve told you, but as I grow weak, my senses fail me, as does my magic. Now I can only guess. Demons of some sort certainly.”

“Ok... well… it would’ve been nice to know what I’ll be facing, specifically, but I’ll manage.”

“You intend to go down there?!”

“It beats sitting around waiting to die. Unlike you, I have no intention to go gently into the night, but to rage and rage again against the dark, lighting up death’s sky like a shooting star. To paraphrase a poem I rather like.”

Inari stared at Paul in silence for a moment, an expression of shocked surprise frozen on her face.

“Whoever called the English a passionless people, lied.”

Paul grinned slightly.

“We’re very good at faking being stoic, and I’ve had a lot of reasons to think about that topic lately.”

Inari sighed, shaking her head.

“Still, it is hopeless. I have tried my best already. What more can a mortal do that a goddess cannot?”

Paul snorted.

“That might have been true even as recently as a hundred years ago, but we’ve come a long way in our knowledge since than. I might not know much about how magic works, yet, but if I can set up an internet connection I have access to the sum total of human knowledge and advice from people around the world. If I can’t figure it out, I’ll bet someone, somewhere, knows how.”

Inari stared at him for a moment, then shook her head.

“Don’t… don’t do this. Please don’t give me hope… it’s too cruel, too painful when it’s gone.”

Paul studied her for a moment, then sighed, shaking his head.

“To my mind, it’s better to go down fighting. If you fight you may win, but if you give up, then you will definitely lose. When death comes for me, then he’ll have a heck of a fight on his hands... and to give up, to stop hoping… That’s as good as lying down and dying.”

“It’s not death I fear.”

“Then... what?”

Inari stared down into her lap, her small hands tightly clutching her robe.

“It’s... what happens before that. The fading and forgetting myself, the unbecoming loss of self control and memory.”

Paul blinked, trying to understand.

“Like… ageing, in humans? Your saying you’ll suffer something like dementia?”

“Something like. I am, like all Kami, a being of magic. As that fades, so do I. My spirit, my being.. will slowly fade, become indistinct. My awareness of myself will, corrode. Until all that is left is raw unfocused emotion, like the worst, lowest sort of Shiryō or dead spirit... and then I would become nothing but a faint, sad memory left in the ground and the stones of this shrine.”

Paul shuddered…

“Ok, so there are fates worse than death. I don’t blame you for wanting to avoid that. Are there.. other options?”

Inari nodded.

“One can chose to cross over into death early. If I expend all my remaining power in one glorious moment until nothing is left.”

“Huh, I guess they’re right, it is better to burn out than to fade away. Ok… well. I’ll make a bargain with you. Stop hiding, stop running away from life. Live now, fully in the now, while you can. And no more talk of dying. Do this and I will take a shot at fixing the root cause of the problem.”

“And when you fail?”

“If I fail… then I will help you depart in whatever way you wish. BUT only if it proves impossible to do anything about it.”

“I do not need your permission.”

“No, you don’t… but if you want to avoid hurting Shoko further, you’ll need my help won’t you?”

“If I die, Shoko will not continue to exist for much longer. Magic sustains her too.”

“Does she know that?”

Inari stilled, looking down into her lap, then slowly shook her head.

“No… and it’s… not certain. She is young, and still has her corporeal body. She is not purely magic and I... had thought that my last act, before I dwindled too far and forgot, would be to change her nature, to make her human. She would continue to live then, even when the magic dies.”

Paul nodded slowly.

“I see what you meant earlier, about someone to look after her once you’re gone… She’d need someone to look after her, since I assume she’d be a child, at least physically.”

“Yes… would you?”

“No need to even ask. Of course I would. I’m hoping that it won’t be necessary though.”

Inari smiled faintly, like the first touch of spring after winter.

“That, I have observed, is one enduring feature of humans. You continue to hope where hope seems impossible. You are stupidly stubborn that way.”

Paul shrugged, grinning.

“Well, it’s served us well so far. Here’s hoping it does again!”