Paul fidgeted nervously, tugging at the collar of his robe. Apparently, as Inari’s Herald he was required to wear formal robes during public meetings. A tradition that Inari insisted he observe now. Paul wasn’t sure how old the robes were, probably older than some countries he suspected. He felt more than a little self-conscious, clothed in what to his Western sense of taste, seemed rather too much like a dress.

Paul sighed, honestly, if he’d had his way, this meeting would’ve been more the ‘talking over pizza and beer’ level of formality. But Inari insisted and since she was the only one that could get everyone in the same place, at the same time, she got her way.

Apparently, not all of the Other’s got along with each other, and that was before the Oni were added to the mix. The Oni were fairly straightforward at least, they didn’t get along with anyone. Paul wasn’t sure what the basis of their animosity towards Other’s was, something to do with mutual defence agreements that were never honoured, but Lord Tatsuo was at least prepared to come along and glare at everyone while listening. Paul suspected that had lot to do with not angering Inari.

Tatsuo had also apparently decided that Yuri and Yuko were on permanent assignment to guard him. Paul wasn’t sure if that was to keep him safe, or keep everyone else safe from him, or so Tatsuo would have a couple spies shadowing him 24/7.

That had proven… interesting. Apparently the sisters had decided that at least one of them would be with him at all times. Which had made sleeping arrangements… difficult. They’d compromised on one of them sleeping in the same room, but not the same bed, while he slept, and the other guarding the door from the outside. Paul had also put his foot down regarding bathing and the toilet. They’d had to settle for being on the other side of a closed but unlocked door.

Still, Paul thought, Tatsuo did have a point. If anything fatal happened to him, the estate would be in legal limbo, and the developers could snap it up when it came up to auction, probably. Paul wasn’t sure what the probate laws were in Japan, but as soon as Boss Hirohido’s cousins finished getting a fibre link set up, he planned on researching the problem and setting up some sort of legal mechanism to prevent the place from falling into the wrong hands.

If only he had some idea of who were ‘the wrong hands’ !

Paul sighed, he was fretting; it was a bad habit of his when he was nervous, and didn’t help his anxiety at public speaking. Inari was handling the ‘meet & greet’ part of the business, welcoming the various Clan Lords, heads of Family and what-evers, smoothing ruffled feathers and making sure everyone was seated a tolerable distance from whomever they had a current feud with. There was a truce in place, and the temple was supposedly neutral ground as well, but Inari didn’t for one second think that meant everyone would honour it unless it was enforced. Some of them had feuds going back centuries or more.

Turned out, the Oni were rather useful for that. They could stand guard around the meeting ground, and it didn’t matter if everyone disliked them. Paul glanced to either side of himself: Inari had found Kimono’s for Yuri and Yuko which were rather incongruously pretty, if one ignored the swords at their hips. It looked odd, but it was a sight better than the maids uniforms that Shoko had suggested. That idea had been just a bit too weird, and Paul suspected she’d been hoping to embarrass the pair, which had back-fired rather since Yuko at least had seem rather, flustered, but enthusiastic, about the idea. Paul had squashed it though, much to her disappointment.

The meeting was convening just after sunset, so Aimi-chan was in attendance. Paul had asked her to discretely keep an eye on Shoko-san. Partly for her protection, partly to keep her out of mischief. The two of them were happily ensconced with a dvd player and a pile of films he’d rented for them. Paul smiled at that memory, it had turned out Aimi-chan didn’t like horror films while Shoko did. Paul supposed they’d brought back memories she’d rather forget for Aimi-chan. Although he had no idea why Shoko was fascinated by them, in particular the old ‘Hammer House of Horror’ black and white films.

Paul wasn’t a big fan of the horror genre really, but he admired the older films simply because, with little or no budget for special effects, they focused on quality writing instead. Well, ‘quality’ for low budget films anyway.

A tug on his sleeve from Yuri brought Paul back to the present. Inari was ‘summoning’ him, which was his cue. Carefully he stepped out, moving slowly to avoid treading on the hem of his robe. It wasn’t the largest group he’d appeared before: there was somewhere between a dozen to two dozen individuals sitting at low tables arrayed in two rows down the long axis of the main temple’s hall.

Paul walked up between the twin rows of tables, greeting each individual by name, and placing a folder in front of them. Once he reached the end of the tables, he bowed to Inari.

“With your permission Goddess, I’d like to begin the more business part of this meeting.”

Inari inclined her head, and in a low lilting voice murmured her permission. Paul bowed again, and turned to face the guests.

“Honoured guests, please forgive this one if my speech is blunt and lacking the usual courtly niceties as I am new to this role, and Inari-sama did not pick me for my polished manners. I will come to the point. I have established what the source of magic is, how it works, and why it is failing.”

A surprised ripple of whispered conversation rustled around the hall, like fallen leaves in autumn. One be-tusked individual, a boar-spirit form the nearby forest, spoke up.

“What proof do you have of this!”

Paul inclined his head towards the personage.

“Lord Sura, if you will look at section one of the folder I placed in front of you, you will see a complete accounting of my findings regarding the origin of the magical spring located under this mountain.”

The assembly more-or-less as one opened and started to glance through the folders. Paul gave them a minute, then spoke.

“To summarise the information contained in these documents, which you may read at your convenience, the source of magic lies in the earthquake fault-line running under the mountain. Inside that, certain crystals are subjected to pressure, which produces electrical energy. That electrical energy is converted to raw magical energy, mana as Inari has told me it is called, in the presence of other specific crystals. This process I have managed to duplicate in my workshop, allowing me to convert normal mains power, into mana.”

One of the dryads spoke up, in a voice like the wind through the trees.

“You spoke of the well spring failing?”

“Yes, with the Tenuki clan’s assistance, I was able to map the magical energies for the surrounding countryside which confirmed a hypothesis I’d formulated. Ground water permeates through the fault-line carrying dissolved minerals. These crystallise out, replacing crystals that crack and wear down. The ground water also carries particulates away, that contain a mana charge. Hence why certain springs have trace amounts of magic imbued in them. However, the problem is that humans have been digging wells, pumping out water from the ground aquifer and generally messing about with the local hydrological cycle. In short, there’s less water seeping into the cracks in the rock, and that means less new crystals growing to replace those that wear down. Resulting in a slow loss of mana production.”

The hall echoed to two dozen or more voices expressing their dismay at this piece of news. Lord Tatsuo was the first to stand up from where he was sitting behind his sister.

“How do we stop this destruction Paul-sama?”

“The short answer is, we don’t. We can’t. The damage is done and is likely irrevocable.”

There was silence for moment, as Paul took a breath and plunged on.

“However, we don’t need it any more. As I have said, I’ve managed to replicate the process, and even with the prototype convertor, I have a device that can generate more mana than the natural process. I have already determined it’s possible to impart a mana charge to objects, so I can build a system to infuse water with magical energy for those that need it.”

The hall echoed to the buzz of voices as people leafed through the folders, comparing and pointing out snippets to their neighbours. Within minutes the volume rose to a babbling crescendo, which Inari allowed to go on for a few heartbeats, before tapping her fingers against her fan, which rang like a tambourine.

“Esteemed guests, I am aware this is radical news, but please allow my Herald to speak on.”

Paul inclined his head in her direction.

“Thank you Inari-sama. I have arranged demonstrations for those that wish to see what I speak of in action, but for now it is suffice to say that we can maintain this mountain’s magical field, and with work we can expand the area it encompasses, as well as increasing the energy density, ah, that is to say, restoring the amount of magic present to historical levels. In short, from a magical standpoint, our future is assured. However, that only addresses one of the threats to our home.”

Paul paused, and this time silence dominated the hall. He swallowed against a dry throat and continued.

“If you will turn your attention to section two of the folder, you will see I have given a break down of what I know about the legal threat to the mountain. Which, I am sorry to admit, is so far very little. I plan to address that matter starting tomorrow, having made sure that I won’t be defending a dry well, so to speak.”

One of the assembled lords, Paul didn’t see which one, spoke up.

“If we have magic, why do we need to bother with this legal nonsense!?”

Paul shook his head.

“My Lords, please don’t underestimate this threat. If, as I suspect, the people behind this have the collaboration of local government, and they know about the existence of magic, then we have to assume they have taken the measure of our strength and feel confident that should it come to a fight, they will win. Granted we might surprise them with these new developments, but it would be foolish of us to assume our superiority. Plus, even if we did manage to win any possible battle, we could well lose the war. To this point, may I draw your attention to section three?”

The hall echoed to the rustle of pages turning rapidly, and Paul hid a smile. It had been said before his works were page turners, but this was a long way from being his usual field.

Before he could speak, Tatsuo spoke up.

“Lord Paul-sama.. you say here that you wish to bring in more Others?”

“Ah, yes, although that’s getting ahead of ourselves, but in essence I’m planning to make use of the endangered species laws to ensure our legal protection, as part of a larger plan to pull back a number of Other species from extinction. In essence, this mountain will become the hub for a larger sanctuary effort, using mana generators located in strategic locations, to create corridors of magical energy for Others to use to get around. You see, our mapping efforts have confirmed that underground waterways act as conduits for mana. I believe they’re referred to as Dragon Tracks or pathways, so placing smaller generators and water infusers in key locations will create a network of mana energy. This means instead of being fragmented and isolated populations of Others who are dependent on magic for survival, which are also the more rarer sorts, they can get out and about, meet one another, and eventually one hopes, have more children.”

The boar-spirit spoke up again.

“Hrumph, how far do you intend to extend this network?”

“That is a very good question. I’m planning on extending our mapping efforts, and building a corridor to any other natural sources out there. I’m assuming if there are any more populations of Others out there, that’s where they will be. And we’ll expand out from there, in whatever direction seems most logical. But to answer your unspoken question, the plan is to eventually extend it to encompass the whole of Japan, if possible. And I hope, in time, to beyond these shores.”

This time the quality of silence filling the hall was more shocked than anything. Paul spoke into it, his voice ringing.

“My lords, do not be mistaken about this. What is happening to us here, is no different from what others have faced, are facing and will face in the near future. I’ve talked to the Oni and they have told me of what fate falls to those who pit themselves against modern society, expecting them to behave as they have always done. It ends with your clan, your family, backed into a hole with no way out, expecting to die. With despair so deep that giving your children poison to make sure their deaths are swift and painless, is the better option to being captured alive.”

Paul paused, taking a breath as the assembled worthies glanced at the Oni, then plunged on.

“As I see it, none of us have an option here. We stand together, we evolve and adapt to the modern world, while keeping as much of what is good about the past as possible… or we will stand alone and die, forgotten and unmourned. Wiped out as an inconvenient hold-over from the past, who got in the way of modern development. I know I am new here, and human, but if you are wondering about my commitment to this cause, then wonder no more. For the first time in my life I have found a home, and have been welcomed by your community. I would die to defend this place, and to ensure it has a future. I would also caution against standing in the way, if anyone is thinking that they do not want any kind of change to happen. Because to do so would endanger all of us, and that will not be allowed.”

Later Paul would think, had this been an anime, there would’ve been applause or the various Lords would’ve stood up and pledged their support with someone offering their axe or something. Alas, this being reality, the first thing everyone did... was start arguing.

Paul sighed. He hadn’t honestly thought that a single rousing speech would be enough to convince everyone, but he had at least hoped for a few. Tatsuo looked the least doubtful, and he could be described as dubious, at best. His younger sister Princess Jiao was the most obviously enthusiastic supporter present, but given her age, no-one was paying her much heed.

Paul glanced at Inari, while fielding questions being lobbed at him like grenades. She smiled serenely at him, projecting a confidence that Paul was not feeling. But as the spate of questions, and arguments wore on, he found himself listening to what people were not saying.

No-one was disputing his discoveries, nor at least his assertion that the mountain should become a sanctuary. Mostly they seemed to be arguing about the particulars of who was to be considered ‘worth’ saving. A notion that Paul found distasteful, as if some lives were intrinsically more valuable than others. Not that anyone was outright saying that. Instead arguing about space, and the ability to feed everyone. Paul wondered just how old some of the assemblage was, they seemed to be thinking of it like a medieval siege.

Reaching the limit of his patience Paul picked up a wine cup, drained it, then threw it to the floor. The shattering sound rang across the arguments like a pistol shot.

“Enough bickering! Gods above! To listen to you all arguing one would think this was the twelfth century, not the twenty first, and we were preparing our castle for a siege! You argue there’s only so much room and land to feed everyone. Have you never heard of shops, of online ordering? I’ve already told you we can expand the reach of the magical field. Hell, given enough power we could probably raise an island or two from the sea bed! That’s what Gods used to do, right? But your objections seem to have more to do with deciding who you think ought to be saved, and who should choose this, not how much room we have. Tell me, who would you trust to make those decisions? Who among your peers would you give the power to choose who lives and who dies? Who would you trust to let you in?”

The hall was silent.. Paul sighed and shook his head.

“No, either we save everyone, or no one. I will not permit my discoveries to be used as a way of discriminating between people. I’ll burn my notes and take a hammer to the machine before that happens.”

The boar-spirit, who seemed to be the unspoken spokesman for the ‘selection committee’ appealed to Inari.

“Inari-kami, discipline your Herald. It is not his place to tell us what to do!”

“Lord Sura, it is not your place to tell me what to do either. Paul-sama speaks from his heart, and his voice is as mine. We are in accord. No-one has ever been turned away from my door, nor will they be. But if you find that you cannot bring yourself to share this sanctuary, then by all means, you will be permitted to leave it with our blessings. We will even provide you with the means to establish your own demesnes, should you choose, and how you rule over them will be entirely up to you.”

Lord Sura regarded Inari, his small dark eyes filled with deep suspicion apparent even from under his craggy brows.

“You would give us this thing, this artificial well-spring of magic? At what cost? Under what conditions?”

“No cost Lord Sura. No conditions. If you choose to set up your own sanctuary in your forest home, you may have one freely given.”

Lord Sura frowned so hard his brows almost met his prominent snout-like nose.

“You really think I’d believe such an obvious lie? Ha! I see your ploy Inari! You seek to trick me, to get rid of me and my kin. No I’ll not take your bait. I will be a part of your sanctuary, and when it fails because you let in anyone and everyone, then I will take great delight in saying I told you so.”

“Ah Lord Sura, nothing gets past you. Very well then, may I count upon your support?”

“You certainly can! In fact, hear me everyone! I, Lord Sura of the Inoshishi Clan, promise my support will be unstinting and without hesitation. Whatever you ask from me, you shall have! So when this fools venture fails, no-one can say it was MY fault!”

Within seconds, a dozen more Lord jumped to their feet, pledging unconditional support, leaving Paul blinking and wondering what had just happened.

Some time later, and at least two rounds of drinks down, the meeting had become more of a celebration than anything. Paul found himself, a small shallow bowl of sake in hand, sitting at Inari’s right hand, one step down from her on her dais.

Leaning backwards slightly, and looking up, Paul quietly asked.

“Is Lord Sura that much of fool, or did you put some kind of spell on him Inari?”

Inari glanced sharply at Paul, then shrugged slightly.

“Neither Paul-sama. It’s his nature to immediately oppose anything he didn’t think of himself, but he is wise enough to realise his mistake after he did so. I just gave him the means to agree with me while saving face by appearing to disagree.”

“That hurts my head to think about. Still, deftly handled Inari.”

“Thank you my Herald, I have had some small practice at this.”

Paul made a small undignified snorting sound of laughter.

“Just a little, yes… like only a few thousand years. You know, when we need to negotiate with the government, I’ll stand back and let you deal with them. I know when I’m outclassed.”

“You anticipate that will be necessary?”

“You don’t?”

“No. I agree, we will need to do that at some point. I am not surprised you thought that far ahead either. Tell me, this notion of raising islands from the seabed, could it be done?”

Paul shrugged.

“Honestly, I don’t know enough to answer that. There are legends of gods and goddesses shaping the world like it was soft clay. But who knows if those are true or not. I’ve only just begun to scratch at the surface of this whole new world of magic, and already I can tell it seems to bend the laws of reality. It obeys a linear inverse decay rule, when by all rights it should be an inverse square law. I think that has something to do with geometry of higher dimensions, but darned if I know, or anyone does really. It also seems to violate the law of conservation of energy, but again, that could just be there’s a big chunk of whatever system it is we’re not seeing. So, if you ask if it’s possible, I’d have to say potentially yes. I kind of hope so. It would sure solve a big tangle of legal problems if we could just create a homeland out in international waters.”

“I agree Paul-sama, as much as I would like to co-exist with humans, it might not be possible. But I would be loath to leave this home behind.”

“Inari, if you can create islands, don’t you think you could move mountains too?”

Inari blinked, and then giggled musically, her laughter trilling flute like.

“Oh Paul-sama, you do not lack for imagination! Yes, of course! There are even stories of Amaterasu, and her brothers, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi, working together to create a mountain that flew! Of course, they are also said to have created these very islands.”

“I wonder if they left an instruction manual or something? It’d be nice if they did.”

Inari laughed, then abruptly sobered.

“Amaterasu might still exist to ask though. She is, was, powerful and as you said, this mountain is surely not the only well-spring of magic. It’s said her home temple contained one.”

Paul nodded slowly.

“That makes sense, actually. I’d think the early temples would be built around places where ground water bright magic to the surface. But, I thought your home temple was Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto?”

Inari shook her head.

“No, that is my main temple, but humans chose that location for it. This where I was born, my oldest shrine.”

“Huh. Somehow I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Perhaps those early shrines, built over magic sources, are where the gods and goddesses came into being. Belief unconsciously shaping the raw mana over the years into the likeness of the subject of worship.”

“Are you saying I was created by my worshippers belief?”

“I’m saying it’s not impossible, but then that would beg the question of what shaped those beliefs in the first place? It’s a chicken and egg sort of paradox, and unless you remember, I don’t think it’s answerable either.”

Inari shook her head.

“No, either I’ve always existed, or my memories don’t go far enough back. I only dimly recall being able to take on mortal form as I wished before... before I ascended to divine status, I think. I was powerful even then, a living goddess among Kitsune. But I clearly recall this was my home. That’s why I retreated here when the magic began to die.”

Paul frowned, thinking.

“Hmm… you know that gives me an idea. If we could find proof this place was that old, and had been where your worship started, that would make it a site of great archaeological and cultural significance. Which would pretty much guarantee it’s safety from development.”

“You think so? I hadn’t observed that modern society values the past much.”

Paul shook his head.

“Yeah, society went through a phase of that, clearing the way for the new, but the past few years people have realised that without their roots, it’s a hollow existence. There’s a strong social movement to preserve what’s left, and recreate what was destroyed if possible. If we can establish that this place has that much importance, we would have a powerful argument on our side. Heck, we might even...”

Paul paused, struck by a sudden thought. Inari was silent, waiting for him to finish thinking. After a moment Paul shook his head.

“Inari-sama… I am an idiot.”

“Far from it, but what makes you think that?”

“We are going about this all wrong. Look, people are fascinated by a romanticised image of the past, one that includes magic and creatures straight out of myths and legends. They create films, build theme parks all so they can experience a past that never was, or so they think. Yet, here we are, we have the real thing! If we can set up a sanctuary, then the best way to protect it… is by not being a secret any more. We could create a place straight out of the old stories, where magic was actually and truly real, where we hid nothing, so there were no secrets to use against us. Because that’s the leverage the government and the unscrupulous developers have over the Others. The fear of being uncovered, of being revealed to the public gaze.”

Inari frowned.

“But... would the humans not hate what is different, would they not fear us?”

Paul shook his head.

“No, not if it’s managed right. That’s all about P.R, public relations, and marketing. Things I understand somewhat. I know people who are very good at making sure the public sees things the way you want them to. With the right firm, we could sell the idea to the public, and that would be our greatest weapon. The sort of people who’d destroy this place are like cockroaches. They fear the light. They do their dirty deeds in the shadows, and if you turn the light of public scrutiny on them, they scurry away.”

“You think we should, ‘go public’... Paul-sama?”

“Not immediately, but yes. I do. It would have to be done carefully to avoid frightening people, but it could be done and if it was done well, we’d be untouchable. Well and truly secure.”

Inari nodded thoughtfully at first, then decisively.

“Very well then my Herald. That is what we shall do. But it would be best if we don’t mention it just yet. I think the Lords would not take it so well as they did the idea of a sanctuary.”

Paul swept his gaze over the assembled Others, and nodded slowly.

“Point well taken Inari. Let’s play this one close. This was a hard enough sell as it was. It’ll take some time to bring them around to the idea of going public. If it’s even possible. But I truly think it will be necessary, possibly before we establish a sanctuary network.”

Paul grinned slightly.

“Although, if we do it right, we’ll have towns lining up and competing with each other for the privilege of hosting one.”

“You think so?”

“I know so, just think of the tourist trade alone!”

Inari’s wide eyed surprise and dawning delight at the vista her imagination called up, had Paul laughing until his sides ached.