Ben’s smile lasted a moment more, and then his mouth drooped down into a frown, and his brow softened until he looked just as worried and confused as she felt.

“What did the monk tell you?”

Leda sighed, and grabbed the hanko that had fallen onto the tatami next to her futon. “He gave me this.”

Ben took the hanko from her, looking at it with reverence, reading the kanji on the bottom. “Kami?”

“You can read that?” It was a very old kanji, in a style not used in the Edo Period.

“What does it do?” He handed the hanko back to her.

“I must go south, follow the ships. The monk says this can... make other spirits talk to me. They can help me...” She tucked it into the sle...

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