Page 8 of Between Ghosts and Gods

The cat’s chest puffed up with pride. “Leave it to me! I have lots of hiding spots.”

Kasu turned back to Arun. “I’ll be back tonight, so you’d better keep your end of the bargain.”

She hoped the gods could see how hard she was working; it was going to be a long day.

Chapter Six Kasu

Time in Ghost City did not pass the way it did in the mortal realm. There was no sun or moon: only a few hours when the reddish haze that covered the city was lighter, and a few hours when the shadows were so thick that you could hardly see your hand in front of your face.

As the darkness grew deeper and the shadows extended their reach, Camellia House prepared to close for the day. Once Kasu had polished her counter one last time and packed away the gambling tiles, she was ready to head into the city to find the mask she had promised Arun.

From a distance, the crimson glow of a thousand red lanterns made the city’s streets look as though they were on fire. They hung from the eaves of houses and shops, dangling along wires strung between rooftops, and placed at the entrances of alleyways to light the narrow spaces.

Kasu had never enjoyed wandering around the city. Whenever she had a spare moment away from work, which wasn’t often, she preferred to spend it in the dormitory, meditating, exercising or else in quiet contemplation of the Heavenly Principles. The rest of Ghost City was too crowded, too noisy and too dirty for her liking. Towering pagodas impaled the sky. Wooden buildings crowded close to one another, all sharp angles and rigid lines, with shop signs hanging from balconies, cluttering up the view.

Today, the ghosts were more restless than usual. Rumours of this stolen reincarnation wheel had spread through the streets faster than wildfire. Kasu had to bob and weave through the crowd to avoid being trampled.

Ghosts whispered behind their sleeves as she passed. “One of the waitresses at the High Moon disappeared last week. Do you think she was reborn?”

“I bet the wheel’s in the Pale Lady’s domain. There’s something going on in the western quarter – mark my words!”

Such baseless speculation. Didn’t anyone have anything better to do? Kasu had never understood why so many ghosts found such idle gossip so enjoyable – surely it was time better spent contemplating on the Heavenly Principles.

A rickshaw pulled by a fiery headless horse dashed past, almost running her down. She staggered back, tumbling into two demons exiting the teahouse behind her.

“Hey!” One of the demons reached for the front of her clothes. Before he could seize her, a dark shape emerged behind him.

“Kasuuuuu.”

Ruo slipped out of the shadows like a hunter on the prowl. Their smile was sharper than knives. They were a lot smaller than the pair of demons, but the cat’s glowing eyes and shadowy body were enough to send them scrambling away. “You’re going to meet the Sage of Ten Paces, aren’t you? For that mask? Can I come too? Are we going to have some fun?”

Kasu eyed Ruo cautiously. No one knew where the cat had come from, exactly. Like a noisy sparrow nesting in your rafters or a fox that has dug its den at the bottom of your garden, they had simply appeared at Camellia House one day and never left.

You look interesting. If you ever need me, call my name. I’ll come if I think you’re doing something fun, Ruo had told her when they’d first met, and ever since then everyone at Camellia House had decided that the cat was now Kasu’s problem.

A problem Kasu was happy to deal with. Taking on responsibilities outside of her usual duties showed diligence and leadership. The heavens would surely approve.

“You can come as long as you’re polite.” Though they were not exactly friends, Kasu was not opposed to the idea of Ruo tagging along. She had heard a lot about the Sage of a Thousand Faces, but she had never actually met him in person and, to be quite honest, the thought of doing so was making her insides squirm. She wasn’t sure how she would even begin to approach such an old and powerful demon, let alone ask him for a favour.

“Are you sure we can’t just eat the human?”

“No eating him, please. You made a deal with both of us.”

Arun might smell like fresh bread and burnt sugar and everything sweet and delicious, but that was no reason to partake in human flesh. The Heavenly Principles were extremely clear about that.

“Yes, yes, I remember. The human said he would make me the ruler of his kingdom and you were going to feed me and brush my magnificent fur for the rest of eternity.”

“I don’t think that was… Actually, never mind.” Kasu sighed and pushed her way through the crowd of ghosts and demons filling the cobbled streets.

Every other day, the layout of the city changed, creating a confusing maze of battered roads and snaking alleyways that you had to navigate by gut instinct alone. Kasu left Camellia House so rarely she had not bothered to remember the few landmarks that didn’t change with every shift.

“Where is Bone Alley? I know the Sage lives there.” She clicked her tongue in annoyance. The throng of beings blocking her view didn’t help. The ox demons were at least six feet tall and broad enough to obstruct the narrow alleyways. Sludge demons towered over her as she ducked beneath their dripping arms, while blue ghost-fires zipped about, casting strange, pale shadows in the shape of children. Dying ghosts, their bodies so transparent Kasu could see through their stomachs, beseeched her for gold. Kasu tossed a few coins their way and hurried on.

“I know the way. I never get lost in the streets.” Ruo gave an airy sniff.

“Lead the way, then.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ruo disappeared and then reappeared five feet further down the street. It was like a magic trick – each time Kasu blinked, Ruo vanished only to pop up out of thin air a few steps ahead.