Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Certain Clarity ❯ 11 ( Chapter 11 )

Title: A Certain Clarity (11/30)

Author: Franzi Dickson

E-mail: fdickson@ix.netcom.com

Archive: The SxSAS Archive, fanfiction.net and others (eventually). If you want it on your site, just ask.

Rating: NC-17 for wet dreams, sex, drugs, violence and other badness.

Warnings: m/m sex, lemon, assorted bad things in this part and future ones

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. I'm just doing bad things with them. Don't sue me.

He was not in a good mood. Not only had he spent the morning doing tedious paperwork, but he'd had to do it in a hurry too. He'd overslept again, so badly so that he'd skipped breakfast, and again he'd had one of the dreams. What was wrong with him? The ahou was fine. Well… Perhaps not fine; he was probably furious at Saitou right now, hating him for his cowardly words. He'd think Saitou had finally sold out to the damned meiji government, and he'd never forgive him for it, but he was safe and that was the really important thing. Saitou was on his way to the herb shop and the ahou wasn't. And here it was. Time to face the old hag again. He steeled himself and entered.

The old woman was perched behind the counter as before, watching the nervous, pale assistant sweep the floor. He wondered what she did to the girl to make her like that. If the first was a raccoon and the second a fox… he couldn't think of an appropriate animal; perhaps some sort of glowing phosphorescent mold or some other unpleasant pale thing of the night. Really! He shouldn't be getting so carried away.

He leaned on the end of the counter. "I'm sorry to bother you again, ma'am. I was hoping you could give me a little more help."

"Ah yes, the fates have decreed that we should meet again."

Not this nonsense!

"I have thought about your case since yesterday."

That was more like it.

"You love one who is impossible, yes?"

Oh hell! "Love is rather a strong word, isn't it ma'am. I don't care for it myself."

"A beauty?" She cackled.

Saitou thought privately that she would be very surprised if she could see the 'beauty' in question.

"An innocent? You are too old perhaps or too cold?" Her voice descended into a spooky whisper. "But I tell you: your love is not unrequited! The spirits have told me so!"

The spirits evidently hadn't been around to see the expression on his so called 'beloved's' face when that sort of subject was brought up. Besides, he had more important things to do than moon about over some ahou who couldn't even take care of himself.

"You do not believe in my power, perhaps? I can show you the truth." She smiled delightedly. "I have just the thing."

The assistant stopped her sweeping.

He feigned a little good-natured chuckle. "I am but a simple policeman; exotic love potions are a little above me, and I am afraid you are mistaken about my feelings."

"Love potion? No, no! My less talented colleagues might give you something to add fire to the blood, but this is foolishness. You burn cold not hot; I will give you something cold."

He desperately hoped he would not have to listen to a lecture on the superstitious and archaic principles of alchemy.

"It is not a love potion, but a clarity potion: one that brings truth!"

He sighed. Love potion, 'clarity potion'; it was all so much superstitious nonsense.

"Truly, the height of my achievements; the proportions alone take a lifetime to perfect, and the making of it…"

The assistant dropped her broom with a clatter and darted towards the counter.

"Is something wrong miss?" He moved to intercept her, startling her badly.

She let out a terrified squeak as she dodged him, only to crash into the shelves behind them. "Oh no!" She clutched futilely at the jars raining about her.

As he had suspected, they bounced harmlessly on the carpet and rolled away, not a single one breaking. He had wondered before why the proprietress would go to the expense of putting it there. He sureptitiously pocketed the jar of green powder.

"Oh dear; I am sorry. I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. Please accept my sincere apologies." He bowed deeply to the aged hag.

She sniffed. "It was the silly child's own fault. What is important is the truth! Wait here and I will have her fetch your potion."

The assistant was hurriedly restocking the shelves.

He had to get out of there before she noticed anything missing. "I am really very sorry, but I must go now. I will return another day."

"No! It must be now!" Her voice was imperious.

"I fear this humble policeman is not worthy of your services." He backed towards the door.

"It is rare that I would offer this, and I only do so in deference to your gift. You must accept it!"

He was beginning to be annoyed. "Pardon me, but I really must leave now." He bowed one last time on his way out the door.

"Wait!"

But he was already on his way, striding purposefully away from the shop and the mad old hag. 'Clarity potion' indeed. He was perfectly capable of finding the truth of his case without the help of her wall full of specimens. The only good thing to come out of the day was the serendipity of the shop assistant's reaction. He wasn't sure why she had bolted, but it had certainly been more convenient and less forced than any of his other methods of stealing the jar. Still, that was slim consolation for the general annoyance of his day. He was indignant and tired. He wondered if he should have gotten up at all. No, he was overreacting to it all. Perhaps he was only hungry. He would eat something before visiting the lady doctor. There should be some noodle-shops on the way to her clinic.

He did not notice the shop assistant, pale and trembling as ever, creeping after him.

"Getting angry only makes him worse."

Yeah, he knew that, but when confronted with that blatant lie about his career, he just couldn't help it. Sano knew the truth. He thinks I'm an idiot, too pathetic to even help. Maybe he's right: maybe I'd just get in the way, but how could he have said those things. He'd managed to convince himself that Saitou wasn't mad about the warehouse thing, that he hadn't been accusing Sano of almost getting him killed. After all, he didn't have to push Sano out of the way like that, but… He'd always been rude before, but never so cold, never resorting to such obvious falsehoods. Why would he lie? Sano knew what he was covering up. Bloody bastard! He didn't even respect me enough to tell me he hates me. He thought maybe after all the things that had happened… but no.

"Maybe if you talked to him…"

No, whatever Katsu said, talking wasn't going to do him any good.

"This is an important investigation… I won't have you screwing it up for me!"

Yeah, he got the message all right. Stay away from me. Well, that at least he could do. His damn leads hadn't led anywhere anyway. I know where I'm not wanted. He wouldn't burden him anymore… Come to think of it, where had Katsu gotten to?

They were eating in today. Sano would much rather have been out in the bustle of the street, but Katsu had insisted.

"I have something to tell you. I want privacy."

At least the food was pretty good. He wondered how Katsu was affording his new life, considering he'd given up art. Maybe he hadn't better ask.

The other man slid the door open. "Ok, I've checked and there isn't anyone else around." He closed it behind him.

"Ok, you've got your privacy, now spill it; what's going on?"

"I sniffed around that cult some more."

"And?" He wished he could sound more enthusiastic for his friend, but…

"Well, they may say they're into peace and love and all that, but they're actually running seances for rich bereaved weirdoes. Very hush hush. You have to pay a ton just to get in."

"Seances?"

"Yeah, contacting dead people and all that. My landlady actually paid to go to one: really crazy stuff. They burnt this weird smelling incense, and get this; they offered some of their 'most honored guests' (that means the really rich ones) some sort of drink to 'aid them in seeing the spirit world' and later they even suggested that they join up, and you know what that means."

"They're so drugged out they leave everything to the cult, right?"

"More than that; they go stay at the headquarters. I don't know where *that* is, but it's supposed to be outside of the city; remote, isolated."

"And they've all lost family, so there's less people here to look for them."

"Exactly."

"Shit." That was sounding suspiciously like Saitou's case. He had to tell him. "I'm going to talk to Saitou."

Katsu looked at him. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Look, I know he hates having me around, but if the cult really is dangerous, he should know. I mean, he's been investigating them too, and…"

"Just stay calm, ok? He can't get to you if you don't let him. He'll respect you if you stand up for yourself."

Yeah, right, not in this lifetime. With that morose thought, he left Katsu to his dinner and headed towards the police station.