Kodachi glanced up at him and gave a bemused smile before snipping the flower stem in her hand. "It is a simple set back, Oshima."
"What?! How can you just continue your ikebana at a time like this?!"
"Because panicking at this point is something that we can ill afford."
"Well, it's nice to see that someone can find a way to stay calm," commented Oshima, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"That is the point my dear friend. Or did you forget why you came to work for a beautiful, intelligent and young woman?
"That's true... but..."
"'But' nothing. What is needed at this moment is rational thought. What do we know as of this moment?"
Her large underling frowned in thought. "According to what we've found out from those of our men we've managed to contact, a swordsman of no small skill broke into the den and attacked those inside. He beat everyone in there, and left without stealing anything or killing anyone."
"Interesting... Did he say what he wanted?"
"Something about the 'Foxes'."
That made the dark haired woman's eyes narrow, but she showed little change otherwise. "Was there a description of this... man?"
"He was tall, brown haired, wearing blue... And they said that he kept on making speeches while fighting."
"His name?"
"Tatewakei..."
"Kuno."
"Hey, that's it. How'd you know?"
"I have... heard of this fool before. He knew the ones that the Foxes slayed and has set himself upon the task of punishing them."
"He's been at this for that long? He's got to be damned stubborn or a complete and utter fool," Kodachi told her subordinate.
"Both, I would say."
"Then we should kill him before he could get to be a bigger problem than he already is."
"He will be left alive."
"What? Why?"
Slipping her prepared blossom into the vase of similar ones before her, Kodachi gave a small laugh. "Because he is useful. A flower in and of itself does not do much, but if properly placed and arranged, then it creates a great beauty."
"I'm not sure that I follow what you mean."
"It is really quite simple. We plant false leads and clues as to where he might find the Foxes. Only they will direct the follower to some of our competitors and enemies. Once he tracks where we wish, he will be attacking those whom we wish to rid ourselves of."
"Which he will do for us."
"Exactly," Kodachi told him, as she rose gracefully from her seat and picked up her vase, "He gets rid of them one way or another, and we keep him away from our operations. Or we can just having him running all over the country. All without having to spend much money."
"I guess that's why they call you the 'Black Widow', eh? No one gets out of your web."
"And with each weaving, I grow closer to creating a perfect arrangement," she replied, placing her vase full of flowers near a window while:
(Posted Tue, 05 Aug 2003 01:58)
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