Here are Parts 9-10 of "That Which Lingers"

Parts 00-23 of "That Which Lingers" are located at:
    http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra/TWL.html
 
As always, C&C is greatly appreciated!   ^_^

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    THAT WHICH LINGERS:  A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
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        Part 9:  REGRESSION
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    Sano gaped at Yahiko.  "Your... father!?"
    
    The boy nodded silently as he continued to stare at the corpse that
was no longer there... or perhaps it had never really been there to
begin with.

    "But... I mean... how can you possibly know what your father looked
like?  You were just a baby when Kenshin was... in Kyoto."

    In a dull voice, Yahiko said, "My mother used to draw pictures of my
father for me.  She had a gift for that sort of thing... but being an
artist didn't pay enough to fed both herself and a child... so she took
up work as a... pleasure woman."

    After a long silence, Sano said very quietly, "So... what are you
going to do about it?"

    Yahiko laughed bitterly.  "What can I do?  Tell Kenshin?"

    "I suppose you could...."
    
    His shoulders shook as he said angrily, "My father's been dead for
over 10 years!  Nothing's going to bring him back.  And... he died
honorably, fighting for what he thought was right... just like Kenshin
did.  Besides... we don't even know if any of this is real!  Who the
hell knows what's going on!?  And I can't go up to Kenshin and just ask
him if he really killed my father!"

    "Why not?"
    
    Yahiko glared at him.  "Come on, Sano!  How did you think the
Battousai got his reputation?  How many people do you think he killed in
Kyoto?  A hundred?  Two hundred?  More than that!?  How could he
possibly know all their names?  Do you think he'd remember all those
faces!?"

    Sano thought, (I don't know.  Maybe HE would....)
    
    The boy stared at the shinai dangling loosely in his hands and
whispered, "I was just a baby when my father died.  Kenshin... Kenshin's
been more of a father to me than a man I know only from my mother's
stories and pictures.  I don't want... I don't want to lose that over
something that might be just some big fat lie!"

    "You think someone might be jerking us around?"  Sano's thought
drifted back to last night's dream.  If it WAS a trick, it seemed pretty
pointless.  He hated Saitoh's guts already.  That dream didn't change
things for him... well, not much.  

    (I know that Saitoh's one hell of a cold-blooded killer -- he
probably enjoys it! -- but mercilessly tracking down and slaughtering a
helpless woman... that was entirely different from killing a man who can
fight back.)   Sano gave Yahiko a speculative look.  (Do you really
think it's a trick... or are you desperate to believe it didn't happen?)
    
    Yahiko slowly got to his feet.  He mumbled, "I guess we should get
back."
    
    Sano reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder. "Are you going
to tell Kenshin and the others anything?"

    "....I guess so.  It could be important.  But Sano...."
    
    "Yeah?"
    
    "Don't tell Kenshin about... the stuff about my father, okay?"
    
    "....Sure."
    
    As they trudged back to the clinic, Yahiko thought about one of the
very few personal items he had managed to keep over the last several
years as an orphan.  It was lying back in his room at the Kamiya dojo
and wasn't much... just a single sheet of paper....

    ....his mother's last and best picture of his father.

-----------------------------------

    Although Aoshi spoke with a perfectly straight face, Kenshin thought
he caught a definite undercurrent of... wry humor?... in his voice.  

    (I don't know what happened to him, but somehow... it's like
something's come to life inside him.)

    Misao gave Aoshi a wide-eyed stare.  He looked rather pale and she
could see faint but definite signs of pain around the eyes and the
mouth.  However, he seemed to be fairly good shape, all things
considered.  She reached out and put her hand on his forehead.  

    (He's not feverish, thank goodness!)

    Aoshi's eyes widened slightly as he caught of glimpse of Kenshin's
hair, but all he said was, "What's going on?"

    Kenshin replied as he gazed worriedly at Kaoru.  "Saitoh brought up
the possibility that the black sword was poisoned."

    Kaoru added in tired voice, "She got... a little scared."

    Slowly turning red with acute embarrassment, Misao slid off of Aoshi
and sat on the edge of his bed.  "Okay... I admit it.  I overreacted a
bit."

    Tokio murmured, "I really don't think the sword's poisoned.  As you
can see for yourself, Shinomori-san is recovering quite nicely."

    Misao glared at Saitoh and yelled, "You... you bastard!  You
DELIBERATELY said that just to make me panic, didn't you!?"

    He looked bored.  "Don't flatter yourself, girl.  It was a perfectly
valid possibility."

    "You... YOU...!!!"  She tensed as if ready to pounce on the
policeman.

    Kenshin quickly stepped in front of Misao and said, "Maa maa!  Take
it easy."  He knew that Saitoh would not hesitate to hit and possibly
hurt Misao if she tried to attack him.  And if that happened, Aoshi
would most likely get involved....

    (Poor girl.  Misao's always been excitable, but with all the things
happening since yesterday -- especially her nearly fatal attack Aoshi --
it's no wonder her emotions are running a bit wild.  And Saitoh
certainly isn't helping matters.)

    The faintly malicious smile on Saitoh's face told Kenshin that the
policeman was enjoying the little sideshow immensely.

    A low groan from the neighboring bed broke the tension.  They all
turned to see Megumi sitting up and rubbing the back of her head.

    "Owwww...."

    Kenshin quickly walked over and said, "Megumi-dono, how are you
feeling?"

    "What... what happened?  I've got such a headache....  Oh, no. 
Don't tell me I drank too much sake!"

    As Kaoru chuckled, Saitoh approached Megumi's bed and gave her a
cold, malevolent stare.  "I suppose you don't remember a thing about
trying to skewer my wife, hm?"

    "Eh!?"

    "How convenient," Saitoh drawled.

    "Megumi-dono, what's the last thing you remember?"

    "Hmmm.  I went to check on Shinomori....  That's about it.  What
happened?"

    Kenshin sighed quietly.  "Do you remember that black katana that
Misao used to attack Aoshi?"  When she nodded slowly, he said, "Well,
you tried your best to use it to kill Tokio-dono."

    "I WHAT!?  That's... that's impossible!  I may know how to handle a
scalpel and a kitchen knife, but what do I know about swords!?"  But
even as she said this, Megumi eyed Saitoh nervously.  Something told her
that he was not about the matter slide so quite so easily.

    Saitoh murmured in venomous tones, "At the most basic level, there's
not that much to know.  A sword has a sharp edge and a sharp tip, just
like a knife or scalpel.  I'm sure it wasn't hard for an intelligent
woman like yourself to figure out the rest."

    Kenshin said sharply, "But this situation was very much different,
as you well know, Saitoh."  Turning back to Megumi, he quietly said, "It
seems what happened to Misao also happened to you.  When you picked up
that sword, your behavior changed radically and you tried to kill the
first person you saw."

    Tokio murmured, "That's not entirely correct, Kenshin-san.  I don't
think I was her true intended victim.  You see, just before she attacked
me, Megumi said that she couldn't decide who should be first... Sano or
you."

    "Then... then Misao was... right?  That sword's cursed?" the doctor
whispered.

    Kenshin nodded slowly.  "Superstitious as it may sound, there
appears to be something about that blade which drives people to murder."

    "The preferred target appears to be people with close emotional
relationships to the sword's user.  But it seems that anyone nearby will
do."  The policeman eyed the securely wrapped bundle slung over
Kenshin's shoulder.  "Call it a curse if you like, but whatever it is,
it seems to be the only explanation why Mr. Honami murdered his entire
family for no apparent reason.  And it probably explains this whole
series of murders that have occurred in Tokyo recently."

    "You think that this sword is the common link?" whispered Misao.  "I
can see how someone who's been... possessed... might slaughter his whole
family... but you said yourself that the different murdered families
weren't connected to each other in any way."

    "Moron, what does that have to do with it?" Saitoh gave the girl a
contemptuous stare.

    Kaoru coughed and said, "Misao, there's something about the sword
that... that seems to attract people.  All you have to do is see it and
you...."

    "....you get this crazy impulse to pick it up," the ninja girl
whispered softly.  "So that's it....  After a cluster of murders, the
sword somehow gets dropped or lost, then the next passerby...."

    "The next person who sees it can't resist picking it up.  And the
cycle repeats itself," said the red-haired swordsman.

    "That's... that's HIDEOUS!  It's like some sort of a plague!"
    
    Kenshin murmured, "A plague of madness...."

    Aoshi quietly added, "That's not the worst of it.  Not only does it
drive its victim into a homicidal rage, it also gives the user both the
skill and physical ability to kill with deadly efficiency."  He glanced
at Misao.  "When you attacked me, you were fast... nearly as fast at
Himura-san and perhaps even stronger.  You're hurting, aren't you?"

    Misao blinked.  "Yes.  I'm really, really sore all over."

    Kenshin nodded in agreement and said, "Probably because you... or
rather, the sword was forcing your body well beyond its normal physical
limits.  Thankfully, you're young and in superb physical shape, Misao. 
Otherwise, you could have torn your own body apart or burst your heart
from all that exertion."

    Megumi whispered, "Is that why I feel so exhausted?"

    "Yes, Megumi-dono.  Unlike Misao, who's been training continuously
since she was quite young, you aren't in such good physical condition. 
Fortunately, you weren't fighting nearly as long as she was."

    "Himura, what are we going to do!?" the ninja girl said anxiously.
    
    Saitoh calmly said, "The preferred option is to destroy the sword. 
If that's not feasible, it may be necessary to find a secure place to
hide it." 

    Misao gave the policeman an intensely suspicious stare.  "I don't
get this.  I'd think that you, of all people, wouldn't believe in
superstitious stuff like curses and possession!"

    "That's basically irrelevant.  I deal with facts and the fact is
that the sword Himura's carting around has already driven you, the
fox-lady, and most likely Mr. Homani to mass murder or attempted murder.
 You may be incredibly stupid, temperamental, and scatterbrained, but
you're not a raving killer."

    "I'm WHAT!?" she shrieked.  Fortunately, Aoshi managed to grab a
hold of Misao before she managed to jump off the bed in an attempt to
attack Saitoh.

    The front door to the clinic slid open as Sano and Yahiko stumbled
in.  They both looked very grim and very upset.  

    Kenshin worriedly said, "What happened to you?"  He cocked his head
slightly as he noticed Yahiko giving him an intense, searching stare. 
"Yahiko?  Are you all right?"

    He reached out to touch the boy's shoulder.  Yahiko flinched
slightly, then relaxed.  

    Misao said, "You guys look like you've seen a ghost!"
    
    "Maybe we did...," mumbled Sano.
    
    "Huh?"
    
    Sano glanced at Yahiko.  After the boy slowly nodded, Sano told them
exactly what happened on the way back from the dojo.  As he promised,
the only thing the fighter left out was the identity of the dead squad
leader.  He finished up by saying, "One minute, there's all these bodies
lying in the street.  The next second... poof!  Not a trace."

    Kenshin was looking very somber himself.  "You... saw me?"  
    
    Yahiko felt Kenshin begin to withdraw within himself as he started
to lift his hand off the boy's shoulder.  Yohiko suddenly reached up
with his own hand to keep Kenshin's hand where it was.  The swordsman
stared at him in confusion, but the boy refused to meet those haunted
violet eyes.
    
    Kaoru protested, "It can't be Kenshin!  He never left the clinic for
a moment!"
    
    Sano looked his friend straight in the eye.  "Listen, Jo-chan.  I'm
not saying that Kenshin was actually there.  But I know what I saw.  You
couldn't mistake the hair or the scars.  It was you, Kenshin... or to be
precise, it was the Hitokiri Battousai."  He caught Misao and Aoshi
exchanging looks.

    Misao quietly said, "Himura... you asked me earlier how I knew you
wore your hair up in Kyoto, right?"

    There was a long pause, then Kenshin very quietly said, "Yes?"
    
    The ninja girl fiddled nervously with the end of her braid.  "Last
night... I dreamed I was in Kyoto back then... during the Bakamatsu no
Douran.  I saw the Battousai fighting a squad of Shinsengumi."

    As Kenshin's violet eyes widened in shock, Kaoru struggled to sit
up.  She said, "Misao, are you SURE?  I mean... you were dreaming,
right?"

    Aoshi quietly said, "Quite sure.  I had nearly the exact same
dream."  He glanced at Megumi.  "And Dr. Takani was in my dream too, if
only for a moment."

    Megumi gasped as she abruptly recalled her semi-nightmares of the
previous night.  "You saw me?  I remember now....  I ran into you."

    "And you ran away."

    Misao stared at Aoshi.  "You... you mean you had the same dream as I
did?  The EXACT same dream?  Then... then the things I told you... and
you told me...."

    Aoshi calmly cut her off by saying, "I remember everything we
discussed, Misao... everything."

    The ninja girl inexplicably began to blush all over. 
"Aoshi-sama...."

    Saitoh drawled, "This is all very interesting.  But there's more
important matters to deal with...."

    Sano suddenly said, "Saitoh, have you ever killed a woman?"
    
    "Why would you ask such a stupid question like that?"
    
    "Just give me a straight answer, damn it!"
    
    With his hand still on Yahiko's shoulder, Kenshin said softly,
"Sano...."
    
    The policemen stared down at the fighter.  In a cynical voice, he
said, "You're a naive fool if you think that greed, corruption, and evil
are the sole providence of men.  And it is the unexpected or unsuspected
persons who often do the most damage."

    As Sano gave him a blatantly skeptical stare, Saitoh gave him an
evil little smile and said, "Just ask Himura Battousai.  He knows that
from first-hand experience."

    All eyes turned to Kenshin who slowly removed his hand from Yahiko's
shoulder.  He stared at Saitoh with no particular expression as his
other hand casually came to rest on the hilt of his sakabatou.

    Sano sharply said, "I'm not asking Kenshin.  I'm asking YOU."
    
    "And I gave you an answer, you fool."
    
    Kenshin thought, (Yes, Sano.  He answered your question.  Can you
understand?  Back then, it didn't matter who it was... man or woman...
adult or child... if anyone interfered with what we perceived to be our
duty... they died.  For Saitoh, that duty was 'Aku Soku Zan'... 'Kill
Evil Instantly'.  For myself, it was defending the lives of the members
of the Ishin Shishi by whatever means necessary.)

    Sano stared at the two men standing in front of him.  Saitoh, the
relentless hunter with the cold, amber eyes... Kenshin, the resolute
protector with warm, violet eyes still haunted by past darkness....

    (There will never be men like that again....)

    Tokio said, "I hope you won't mind waiting a little bit longer for
your food.  Megumi and I are going to check on Shinomori-san's and
Kaoru's injuries.  As soon as that's done, I'll cook lunch for
everyone."

    Megumi managed to get out of bed without too much trouble and said,
"I'm sure you've done an excellent job of taking care of them,
Tokio-san, while I was... was...."  

    Tokio gave the doctor's shoulder a reassuring pat.  "Whatever
happened had nothing to do with you.  It wasn't your fault."

    The others left the wardroom, leaving Tokio and Megumi to quietly
confer over Kaoru. As they waited in the main room of the clinic, Yahiko
and Misao wrestled with their own private thoughts.  Saitoh lurked in
the background, but said nothing as Kenshin took the opportunity to tell
Sano about Megumi's recovery, the various dreams about Kyoto, and
finally their theories about the black sword.  

    "What's the big deal?  How hard can it be to get rid of that damned
sword?  Or hide it so no one will find it again?" complained Sano.
    
    Saitoh glanced at Kenshin.  "Do you want to tell the chicken-brain
or shall I?"

    "Saitoh...." growled Sano.

    Kenshin said, "It may be too late for such an easy solution."
    
    "What?"
    
    "We were recognized."

     The fighter growled, "I still don't get it!"  Saitoh snorted
audibly.
    
    "Sano, when we were confronting Megumi last night, do you remember
what she said?"

    "Uh... I wasn't really paying that much attention...."

    "She said, 'Battousai... and Saitoh....  Both of you... I've found
you, at last!'"
     
    "You mean... somehow you think this curse has somehow latched itself
onto you.  You and Saitoh?"
    
    "It's a possibility.  All these dreams of Kyoto -- during both night
and day, sleeping and awake -- they only started after that fight with
Megumi... after we were recognized and named."

    "Oh shit...." Sano groaned.  "But... how about you guys?  Did either
you have strange dreams last night?"

    Kenshin said, "I didn't... at least, none that I remember."

    Saitoh made a careless negative gesture.

    "Man, this gets weirder and weirder."

-----------------------------------

    When Tokio finally reemerged from the wardroom, Misao and Sano
barraged her with questions about Kaoru and Aoshi.  Kenshin was much too
polite to join in, but he was obviously worried about Kaoru's condition.
 Saitoh's wife serenely waited for the storm to subside before replying.

    "Misao, Aoshi seems to be improving steadily.  All he really needs
is rest."  She turned to Kenshin.  "Megumi took a look at Kaoru's
injury.  The cut's healing very well and there aren't any signs of
infection."

    Kenshin stared at her.  "Then why is she so weak?  If her wound
isn't infected and if there doesn't appear to be anything like poison on
that sword, what's wrong...."

    Tokio gave him a sympathetic look.  "I'm sorry.  I just don't know.
She's physically exhausted.  It's like something's wearing her down."

    As she went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, Kenshin followed her. 
"Tokio-dono, we all greatly appreciate your help, especially with so
many of us being injured... but perhaps it would be best for you to go
home.  I don't want to get you any further involved in this trouble. 
Besides, what about Eiji?  I saw him running out of the clinic yesterday
afternoon."

    Tokio calmly drained the greens and started slicing them briskly. 
"Please don't worry about Eiji.  He's very independent for his age and
my maid can take care of his meals for several days.  And if you will
pardon me for saying so, I think it would be best if I stayed away from
Eiji until this matter is settled."

    "Don't concern yourself with my wife, Battousai.  Worry about your
own woman," Saitoh said as he walked into the kitchen.

    "She could be in danger if she stays, Saitoh!"

    The policeman shrugged.  "Tokio knows the risks.  If she wants to
stay, she stays."  

    She gave Kenshin a warm smile.  "Besides, Kenshin-san, I would feel
very badly about deserting Kaoru, Megumi, and the others at the moment. 
Don't worry about me.  You just concentrate on whatever needs to be
done."
    
    As he watched Tokio cooking with the same serene competence that she
displayed in everything she did, Kenshin thought, (Yes, she understands
the risks and her husband all too well.  Tokio's fully prepared to allow
her husband to do whatever he feels is necessary, regardless of the cost
to her... death, if need be.  She refuses to be a liability to him.)

    (But she's not the sort of woman to sit by helplessly and let things
happen to her, either.  Her husband trusts her to take care of herself. 
She will not fail that trust.  Saitoh Tokio will defend herself -- and
what she considers as hers -- to the utmost of her considerable
ability... just like the way she did when she confronted a murderous,
sword-wielding Megumi with nothing more than a metal basin....)

-----------------------------------

[the present, the Aoiya restaurant in Kyoto]

    Omasu burst into the kitchen with her arms full of groceries.  

    Her fellow female Oniwabanshuu glared at her and yelled, "Where have
you been!?  We've got to get all this food ready for the dinner
crowd...." 

    "You'll never believe what someone just told me in the marketplace!"

    Okon muttered, "What are you babbling about?  Start washing that
cabbage!"

    "Okay, okay!"

    "All right, what's the big news?"

    "Ghosts!"

    "Wha... ghosts!?  Oh, come on!"

    "It's true!  Last night, apparently dozens of different people saw
ghosts walking in the streets of Kyoto!"

    "What?  That's ridiculous!"

    "It's true!  And get this!  Old Mogumi-san down the street SWORE she
saw a procession of Shinsengumi appear out of nowhere and disappear just
as suddenly!"

    "Shinsengumi!?  What the...?  The old woman must be going senile!"

    Omasu went on breathlessly, "And there were stories about people
hearing the sound of clashing swords and screaming outside their houses,
but whenever they looked, the streets were empty!  And that's not all!"

    "There's more?" was Okon's skeptical reply.

    Omasu pouted.  "Yes, there is.  They say that people are still
seeing these ghosts, even though it's daytime!"  

    Her friend glanced out the window at the dark gloomy sky which was
filled with roiling black clouds.

    "With weather like this, there's not much difference between night
and day...."

    The door to the kitchen suddenly opened.  They all turned and froze
when they saw Okina standing in the doorway.  For a horrified instant,
they thought that the old man had suffered some sort of seizure or
stroke.  He looked incredibly pale and he was mumbling incoherently.

    Omasu ran up to him and said, "What's wrong!?"

    "I... I saw him...."

    "Who?" asked a bewildered Okon.

    "My... my old friend... Ichishino....  I saw him in the garden
drinking tea...."

    "So!?" both women shouted.

    Okina sat down abruptly on the floor and yelled back, "But he's been
DEAD for the past 12 years!"

-----------------------------------

    Elsewhere in Kyoto, in an old rickety house that was once an
expensive mansion, an old woman cackled madly to herself and mumbled
something about time folding back on itself.  

-----------------------------------

[the present, Tokyo]

    Lunch turned out to be a rather subdued affair.  Despite the
excellent food, it seemed that only Saitoh had much of an appetite. 
After the meal was cleared away, everyone sat around the table staring
at the bundle that contained the black sword.  Despite protests from
both Misao and Kenshin, Aoshi and Kaoru insisted on joining the
discussion.

    "Now what?" Misao muttered.

    Saitoh calmly drank his tea and said, "Don't look at me.  I'm hardly
an expert in this area."

    Tokio gracefully poured her husband another cup.  "Then perhaps you
should consult an expert."

    They all turned to stare at her.  "Do you know of such a person?"
said Kenshin.

    "I know of a few priests and scholars in Tokyo who have some
knowledge of the occult.  If they can't help you, then they should be
able to direct you to a more knowledgeable person."

    "How do you know people like that?" Misao asked in amazement.

    Tokio smiled, "I collect old stories and folklore.  I've met many
different people during my research.  Hopefully some of them will be
able to help you deal with this sword."

    Kenshin quietly began to unwrap the sword.  "I think I remember
seeing a family crest somewhere on the hilt.  That might give us some
clues...."

    Sano watched him uneasily.  "You WILL be careful with that thing,
won't you?"

    Kenshin smiled quietly.  "Believe me, Sano.  I'm not eager to do
this, but we need to know...."

    Suddenly, the room darkened and the temperature plummeted.  In an
instant, the warm, homely clinic vanished.  Everyone found themselves
standing in a cold, deserted street.

    Misao ran over to Aoshi's side and huddled against him for warmth. 
"Brrrr!  What's going on!?"

    Saitoh looked around and muttered, "It's Kyoto."

    Sano groaned.  "No, not Kyoto again!  Why does everything keep going
back to Kyoto, of all places!?  Kenshin...."  When he didn't get a
response, he turned and said, "Kenshin?"

    The red-haired swordsman was staring at a group of three men walking
down the street in their direction.  The group consisted of a plump,
elderly man and two samurai.  One of the samurai was large and massively
built while the other was slim and almost painfully young.  The large
samurai carried a package in one hand while the smaller one carried a
lantern.  Oblivious to the presence of the others, the three mean idly
chatted about the young man's fiancee.

    Kaoru heard Kenshin utter a soft gasp.

    Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared behind the three men and said in
a cold, detached voice, "Apparently you are Kyoto administrator Jubee
Shigekura.  Nothing personal, however, I wish to take your lives."

    The large samurai dropped his package and went for his sword. 
"Who're you..."

    "Choshu Ishinshishi... Himura Battousai," as a red-haired young man
-- a teenager really -- stepped out of the shadows.   

    Kaoru stared in astonishment.  (He's... he's so YOUNG!)
    
    The next few seconds passed in a blur of flashing steel and blood. 
The young Battousai cut down the old man and the large samurai with a
single stroke apiece, then he closed with the smaller samurai.  There
was a brief exchange of blows as the Battousai's badly outmatched
opponent somehow managed to fend off the assassin's blade.  A final
exchange of slashes... then the young man collapsed, nearly disemboweled
by the Battousai's brutally precise sword stroke... but the red-haired
assassin had not escaped unscathed.

    There were gasps from the stunned observers as they watched blood
trickle from a long cut on the Battousai's left cheek.  He briefly
touched his wound and stared at the blood on his fingers.  The Battousai
then silently turned and plunged his sword into the back of the young,
mortally wounded samurai as he crawled along the ground in a last futile
attempt to escape the clutches of death.

    The Battousai cast the blood off his sword, sheathed it, and walked
away.  But the young killer stopped suddenly, then turned to look behind
him.  Impossible as it might seem, the Battousai was undeniably aware of
Kenshin's presence.  Cold golden eyes gazed into stunned violet eyes as
the two Himuras stared at each other across the bridge of years. 

    (I know you.  You are me.  I am you.) 

    The Battousai finally turned away and disappeared into the murky
darkness, leaving the watchers alone in a cold Kyoto street with three
dead men.

    Kenshin slowly sank to his knees in the blood-covered street as he
slowly reached up to touch the cross scar on his face.

    "Kiyosato Akira...," he whispered.  And with that name there always
came another.  "Tomoe...."

    The scene in front of them wavered like a mirage, then vanished.

    They found themselves back in the main room of Dr. Genzai's clinic. 
Kenshin was still on his knees and still motionless.  But this time, the
vision... or illusion... or dream... did not vanish without a trace.  

    Kenshin's hakama were unmistakably stained with fresh blood....

    ....and still more blood trickled steadily between his fingers from
one half of the cross scar on his face... a scar that had not bled for
nearly 14 years.

    Sometime during the past few moments, people gravitated to others
for reassurance.  Yahiko hovered anxiously near Kaoru.  Misao quietly
clung to Aoshi who put a comforting hand on her shoulder, while Megumi
leaned against Sano for support.

    "Kenshin?" Kaoru whispered. 

    The red-haired swordsman rose to his feet, still graceful even in
his dazed state, and slowly walked outside the clinic.  As the blood
continued to seep from his scar, Kenshin sank down on the porch and
stared vacantly at the yard, its stone walls and modest vegetation
seemingly awash in blood from the reddish light of the setting sun. 

    As the others stared wordlessly after Kenshin, Tokio put her hand on
her husband's arm and murmured, "Hajime-san...."

    Surprisingly, Saitoh wasn't watching Kenshin.  Instead, he was
looking up at the spectacular reds and purples of the evening sky. 
There was a faint tone of bemusement in Saitoh's voice as he absently
replied, "Isn't it a trifle forward for a respectable young lady like
yourself to be on a first name basis with a man she's only known for a
few days?"

    There was a long... a very long... silence as everyone -- except for
Kenshin -- slowly turned to stare at Saitoh.

    Tokio's eyes went wide with astonishment, but she managed to answer
with an unbelievable amount of composure, given the circumstances.

    "Hajime... it's been 15 years since we first met in Kyoto... and
we've been married for over EIGHT of them...."

-----------------------------------
(end of part 9)

**********************************************************************

    Q:  What's worse than a hitokiri losing his mind?
    A:  Two of them!  ::maniacal laughter::

======================================================================
    THAT WHICH LINGERS:  A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
======================================================================
        Part 10:  CONSOLATION
======================================================================

    Tokio's eyes went wide with astonishment, but she managed to answer
with an unbelievable amount of composure, given the circumstances.

    "Hajime... it's been nearly 15 years since we first met in Kyoto...
and we've been married for over EIGHT of them...."

    Saitoh froze, then turned very slowly to look at his wife.

    Sano frantically thought, (Oh shit, oh shit, OH SHIT!!!  Not only
does Kenshin look like he's totally out of it, but Saitoh... SAITOH, of
all people... is losing it, too!)

    At that moment, Sano almost wished he WAS a chickenhead, like Saitoh
kept calling him.  That would give him a perfectly good excuse to run
around in circles screaming in mindless panic.  He had hoped and prayed
for the day that he would see Saitoh Hajime REALLY shaken up.  He got
his wish... sort of.

    For a brief instant, Saitoh gave Tokio a blank, disbelieving stare,
then he winced slightly and rubbed his forehead with his hand, as if
trying to massage away a mild headache.  

    It didn't look like much of a reaction, but to Sano and the others,
those little gestures of discomfort were the equivalent of an ordinary
person going into hysterics.

    (I think that's probably about as close as the cold-blooded
bastard's ever going get to expressing REAL panic,) thought Sano.

    Saitoh suddenly shook his head sharply, dropped his hand to his
side, and gazed steadily at Tokio with an expression that was a fairly
close approximation to his usual cynical and faintly malicious demeanor.

    Misao's head kept swivelling back and forth between a nearly
catatonic Kenshin sitting outside and Saitoh, who continued to stare at
his wife with a faint frown on his face.  As for Tokio, she seemed
unruffled by her husband's narrow-eyed scrutiny.

    "Wha... wha... WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON!?!?" Misao flung up her hand
and wailed.
    
    Even the usually inscrutable Aoshi looked dumbfounded.
    
-----------------------------------

    Tokio discretely guided her husband to a stool in the neighboring
room, then stood in front of him, shielding Saitoh from view.  While he
had managed to regain most of his usual composure, Tokio knew better
than anyone else just how unnerved he was by the whole incident.  

    "Hajime?" she murmured, lightly resting a hand on his shoulder.

    He didn't answer immediately, then finally said, "Tokio."

    "Yes, I'm here."

    "What happened?"

    "I think you had an abrupt memory lapse."
    
    "How so?"
    
    With a rueful little smile, Tokio murmured, "You asked me why a
respectable young lady like myself was calling you by your first name
after only a few day's acquaintance."

    "I WHAT?"  He blinked, then started to swear furiously under his
breath.

    With her body blocking the view of casual observers, she gently
caressed his face with her fingers.  Saitoh reached up and touched her
hand, his fingers lingering on hers for a brief instant.

    Gazing into his amber eyes and noting the faintly appalled
expression in them, she said, "Are you all right now?" 
    
    "I think so.  Damn."  

    Saitoh Hajime did not consider himself a fanciful person, but
somehow he knew that there was no way he could possibly forget Tokio...
his awareness of her seemed indelibly imprinted, not in the mind, but in
some other, much more profound part of him.  That part would always
remember her....

    No, he hadn't forgotten Tokio herself... but for an instant, he HAD
forgotten so many details about his wife.

    (How could I have suddenly forgotten almost everything that's
happened between us?)

    Saitoh muttered, "And I called you a 'respectable young lady'?"  

    (That's going a LONG way back in the past....)

    When he had first met her, Saitoh HAD thought of Tokio as a typical,
modest daughter of a wealthy, highly respected samurai family... but
that was a decade and a half ago. 

    He would never forget the day he first saw her, standing in the
garden of her senile old uncle's home.  Saitoh had only been 20 years
old, but already a leader of the Shinsengumi... she was a 15 year old
girl, charming but rather innocent and sheltered... or so it seemed at
the time.  He had learned better soon enough....
    
    If the times had been different, he probably would have started
courting her on the spot.  But the country was at war and he was
Shinsengumi... he had no time or energy to spare for anything except his
duty.  He saw her again on several occasions over the next year or so. 
And then there was that night 13 years ago when she had saved his life
for the first time....

    He uttered a sharp bark of laughter.  "A young lady you might have
been, but 'respectable'?  Not nearly."

    With a faint gleam of amusement in her eyes, Tokio murmured, "My
family is perfectly respectable.  You said so yourself."
    
    "Until I found out what your grandmother and that pack of old
crones...."

    "If you're referring to my esteemed, elderly female relatives...,"
she corrected mildly.
    
    "....pack of old crones were teaching you and your younger cousins."
 Saitoh snorted.  What a shock THAT had been....

    Tokio said primly, "It's only proper that a young lady be able to
defend herself and the honor of her husband and family."

    "Defend herself, yes.  But your family's standards of what
constitutes 'self-defense' are extreme, to say the least."

    His wife placidly shrugged.

    Saitoh scowled.  These things and so many others... where had nearly
15 years of his memories gone... if only for a brief instant?   
    
-----------------------------------

    Misao stared out the door at the setting sun.  "Aoshi-sama....  It
was barely noon when this... vision... started...."

    "Yes."
    
    "And now the sun's almost completely set...."
    
    "I know," he replied quietly.
    
    "But... what we saw... it couldn't have taken Himura more than a few
minutes to kill those men!"  She stared anxiously at him.

    "Time's a highly subjective thing, Misao.  You should know that by
now."

    She eyed the partially unwrapped black sword with loathing.  (We
can't just leave it like that....)  She took few steps toward the table.
 As she reached out, Aoshi grabbed her shoulder with the speed of a
striking viper. 

    "What are you doing?"

    "I'm going to wrap it up again.  Maybe it'll prevent this... vision
or illusion thing from happening again.  Besides, I can't STAND looking
at it any more."

    "But Misao, if you touch it...."  

    Seeing the faint but distinct signs of concern on Aoshi's face, she
gripped his hand with her good hand.  "Don't worry, Aoshi-sama.  I'll be
really careful.  The thing makes my skin crawl... but someone has to do
it."

    He stared down at her and saw both the tightly controlled fear and
the resolve on her face.  He glanced at the blade.  It was a beautiful
piece of craftsmanship, but he found the weapon undeniably repulsive. 
It seemed to drain every bit of the rapidly fading sunlight from the
room....

    Quietly, he said, "You only have one working hand.  I'll help you."

    They both cautiously approached the table, almost as if the sword
was a dangerous beast capable of turning on them in an instant.

    (Maybe it can...,) he thought uneasily.

    As they gingerly gathered up the edges of the blanket, Aoshi took
the opportunity to take a good look at the sword hilt.

    "Take a look at this hilt ornament.  You see the same animal design
in the tsuba."

    Misao peered closely at the hilt, then at the guard, taking great
care not to touch the weapon.  "It... it looks like a dog in a weird
pose, but I don't recognize it.  Do you think it's some sort of family
crest?"

    "Perhaps, perhaps not.  It's a clue, at least."

    As they quickly shrouded the sword under multiple layers of blanket
and tied the bundle tight, Misao muttered, "I... I suppose we could...
remove the hilt and take a look at the sword's tang for any
inscriptions."  She looked absolutely nauseated by the idea of handling
that ominous black sword so much.

     Aoshi didn't look at all happy with the idea, either.  "That's the
obvious thing to do, but we should discuss it with the others first."

    Misao glanced around the clinic.  She was probably the only person
who could see Tokio quietly talking to Saitoh in one of the clinic's
back rooms.  The ninja girl blinked in surprise as she watched Saitoh's
wife gently brush her fingers against his face.  The policeman's
response seemed even more amazing to her.  

    (He's actually... HOLDING... her hand.)

    It was only the most fleeting exchange of touches -- easily missed
in the blink of an eye -- but Misao was astonished by the feelings of
reassurance and intimacy those two simple gestures represented.  

    (So little... but they can mean so much...,) the ninja girl mused. 

-----------------------------------
    
    "Kenshin."  

    He didn't seem to hear the soft female voice calling his name, but
merely continued to stare at the slowly fading sunlight illuminating the
yard.  

    (Strange... the light... instead of fading, it's turning into a
darker shade of red... just another shade of blood....)

    There was a brief pause, the rasping sound of a door sliding closed,
then someone touched his shoulder.

    "Kenshin."

    He abruptly snapped out of his trance of painful memories.  Kenshin
slowly glanced up and said, "Kaoru-dono...."

    Pale, yet slightly flushed with fever, she stood in front of him
with a look of intense concern on her face.  She held out her hand to
him.

    Unthinkingly, he reached out to take her hand, then froze as he
realized that his own hand was covered in blood.

    (NO!  I can't get her dirty....)
    
    She could see the flash of sorrow and horror in his violet eyes. 
Before he could pull away, Kaoru quickly knelt down on the porch and
grasped his bloodied fingers, holding them tightly.

    "No, Kenshin... don't.  It's all right.  It's just a little
blood....  There's nothing wrong with it.  It's your own blood,
Kenshin...."

    With her other hand, she reached out to touch the still bleeding
scar on his face.  He flinched away slightly from her fingers.

    "Kaoru-dono... I...," he whispered in tones of near despair.

    She bit her lip, then slowly said, "What we saw... was that... how
you got this?"  Her fingers lightly brushed along the scar running
parallel to his jaw.

    He nodded tensely.
    
    "Then... it's blood honorably shed, isn't it?  You did... what you
did because you thought it was necessary and right.  You didn't do it
because you enjoyed it or for your own gain."

    He whispered, "Sometimes... I don't know what's worse... to kill
with joy... or to kill without feeling...."

    Kaoru stared at him helplessly.  Kenshin usually looked as if he was
at most only in his early twenties... just a few years older than
herself.  But it was times like this when she really felt the difference
in their ages... and experience.  

    He had been through terrible things... there was so much about his
life that she didn't know and that she couldn't understand.  Losing her
parents, struggling to keep the family dojo alive,... all these
struggles seemed almost trivial when compared to Kenshin's battle to
keep his own soul alive through unspeakable bloodshed and violence...
and so much of it committed by his own hands.

    Kenshin gasped sharply as he glanced down and saw Kaoru's hands now
covered in reddish smears.  He tried to pull his hands free, but she
clung to them with surprising determination.  Unable to face the sight
any longer, Kenshin finally turned his head away.

    Kaoru stared down at her bloodstained hands.  She could feel his
blood, warm and sticky on her fingers... and a gradual understanding
began to grow within her.  She could only guess at what his thoughts
might be, but she abruptly realized that in those smears of blood, she
saw something that he had forgotten... or long since dismissed as
unimportant.

    "Kenshin....  Kenshin, please look at me."
    
    He resisted at first, then reluctantly glanced at her, bracing
himself for what he might... what he probably would see....  Describing
what he had done as the Hitokiri Battousai was one thing.  But no matter
how carefully chosen... no matter how eloquently spoken... words could
never convey the true horror of those days and nights in Kyoto all those
years ago.

    But now she had experienced it for herself through her own senses...
witnessed his victims' fear with her own eyes... heard their dying
screams and moans with her own ears... smelled the blood and entrails
lying in the street....

    "Kenshin...  I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that when you see
this blood on both our hands, you're probably thinking of stains that
will never go away... sins that must be atoned for." 

    His hands, slender yet incredibly strong, twitched in her grasp, but
she swiftly continued speaking.

    "But when I see this blood, I see something else.  You talk about
the blood you shed... all the people you killed.  But... but you never
talk about the blood YOU lost... the times you were hurt....  What about
your pain, Kenshin?"

    He stared at her with wide, violet eyes.  
    
    "I....  Kaoru-dono...."
    
    She held up their clasped hands between them.  "That's what this
blood means to me.  Your pain and only that.  There's no need to hide it
from me, so please don't... go... away again...."

    Before he could speak, she shook her head sharply.  "I don't mean
physically, Kenshin.  I mean... in your heart... your mind... your
soul....  I can see it.  I can see you withdrawing... pulling away."  A
faint, accusatory tone crept into her voice.

    Kenshin hung his head, unable to counter her charges.  They were
perfectly true.

    "Don't leave us again....  Don't leave ME again....  I... I want us
to be together...." she whispered in a slightly choked voice.

    He looked up and gave her a wistful, yet beautiful smile.  
    
    "I won't, Kaoru-dono.  And... so do I."

-----------------------------------

    (Go, Jo-chan!) Sano silently cheered as he watched Kaoru step
outside to speak to Kenshin, closing the door behind her. 

    Although no one inside the clinic could actually hear the quiet
conversation between Kenshin and Kaoru, through some trick of the light,
they could all SEE it.  The silhouettes against the transluscent paper
of the closed door were slightly blurred around the edges, but they
still showed every little movement... every little touch... in almost
uncanny detail, just like an elegant shadow puppet show.

-----------------------------------

    To Misao, the shadowy movements of Kenshin and Kaoru seemed to be
eerily similar to what she saw going on between Saitoh and Tokio.  And
just like Saitoh and Tokio, the only physical contact between the two
people on the porch was the fleeting touch of fingers and the holding of
hands.

    She could only hear the blurred murmur of voices -- mostly Kaoru's
-- but Misao didn't need the exact words.  Somehow she understood what
they were saying just from their body language.

    ....Kaoru extending her hand to Kenshin....

    ....Kenshin tentatively reaching to take her hand....
    ....his abrupt flinch and retreat....

    ....Kaoru sinking to her knees and holding his hand....
    ....Kaoru slowly touching his face....
       
    ....Kenshin constantly looking away, staring downward,... pulling
back from her....

    ....Kaoru always reaching out to him, leaning forward,... drawing
him back to her....

    Finally... Kaoru holding up their clasped hands between them as the
two of them leaned toward each other.  And they stayed that way as the
last of the sunlight vanished and the outlines of their shadows slowly
faded.

    Misao sniffled and felt her throat tightening as she watched the
silent conversation between Kenshin's and Kaoru's bodies -- a graceful,
almost unbearably poignant dance.  Hastily wiping at the tears in her
eyes, she groped for the closest piece of cloth -- which happened to be
the sleeve of Aoshi's bedrobe -- and loudly blew her nose.

    Realizing what she had done only after the fact, she turned bright
red and stammered, "Aoshi-... Aoshi-sama...."

    He gazed at her with no particular expression on his face.  But as
she stared up into his eyes, Misao saw the imperfectly hidden signs of
old pain and regrets... of lingering memories of his own personal
darkness only just recently left behind.

    She wondered, (Have I been expecting the wrong thing from him?  I've
been trying to get Aoshi to blurt out his feelings for all the world to
see... but what if he can't?)  Her thoughts drifted to their dream
conversation of the night before, then she put it together with she had
just seen between Kenshin and Kaoru.

    (Is that really it?  You somehow feel unworthy and besmirched, so
you don't want to contaminate me?  Is that why you refuse to let the
slightest bit of caring and emotion show?)  

    Something abruptly boiled over in Misao.  Without any warning, she
suddenly grabbed the collar of Aoshi's bedrobe and yanked his head down
to her level.  Hissing softly in his ear, she said, "Is that why you
waited until you were nearly at death's door for me to tell me that you
cared about me, huh?"

    "Misao...?"  He gave her a faintly bewildered stare.

    Keeping her voice low, she snarled, "That's the ONLY reason you
bothered to actually say it out loud to me, right?  You didn't expect to
survive, did you?  You fully expected to bleed to death right on top of
their graves, didn't you?"

    Aoshi eyed her with the same startled stare that a person might
bestow upon a cute little rabbit suddenly gone rabid.

    "Well, you DID survive and you DID tell me and I'm not about to let
you go crawling back behind your walls, got it?" Misao growled angrily
into his ear.

-----------------------------------

    Throughout the entire conversation between Kenshin and Kaoru, the
others had tensely watched the shadows moving on the paper walls, afraid
to utter a sound.  Now they all heaved a silent sigh of relief as
Kenshin and Kaoru seemed to come to some sort of happy resolution.

    Sano glanced over at Misao whispering into Aoshi's ear and wondered
at the nervous, almost hunted expression that suddenly appeared on the
man's face.

    (What the hell is that girl telling him?)

    Then Sano thought he heard Saitoh utter a sharp laugh.  He walked
over to the back room and asked Tokio, "Is he okay?"

    She turned and gave him a slight smile.  "I think things are under
control for the moment."

    Sano gave Tokio a curious look as she calmly stood between Sano and
her husband.  Kenshin had talked about her strength of will and her
determination.  He didn't doubt that Kenshin was probably right.  It
made perfect sense on an intellectual level.  Of course Saitoh wouldn't
marry someone who couldn't take care of herself.  

    But when he was actually looking at her... well, that was a
completely different story.  As a tall, wiry man with a lean, austere,
positively cruel face, Saitoh LOOKED dangerous.  Any sensible person
would be wary of a person like that.  

    On the other hand, Tokio was a slim woman of medium height, graceful
and exceedingly beautiful in a quiet, understated way.  She looked
fragile, delicate,... and about as harmless as you could get.  

    (A she-wolf?  Nah, she looks more like a doe.  Which makes you
wonder how she manages to avoid getting all chewed up from living with
Saitoh all these years.)  And as for sleeping with that man.... (Ewww...
I'm NOT even going to go there....)

    As Sano puzzled over Tokio, Saitoh stood up and gave the fighter an
icy 'if-you-say-the-wrong-thing-I'll-kill-you-on-the-spot' sort of
stare.  

    Sano wasn't about to say a damn thing at the moment.  This wasn't a
joking matter.  In fact, the current situation was about as unfunny as
it could get.  But before the fighter could say anything, there was a
loud pounding on the outer gate of the clinic compound.
    
    Saitoh rudely brushed Sano out of the way and flung open the front
door.  He smirked slightly as he stared down at the two startled people
still holding hands on the porch.  Without the slightest remorse for
interrupting the intimate moment between Kenshin and Kaoru, he stalked
right between them -- forcing Kenshin to let go of Kaoru's hand -- on
his way to the front gate.

    Sano snarled, "Why that insensitive, cold-hearted, unfeeling,
heartless bastard...."  His voice abruptly trailed off as he realized
that Tokio was standing right next to him with a mildly curious look in
her eyes and a gentle smile on her face.  Sano felt his face going
bright red with embarassment.

    In the meantime, Megumi quietly drifted to Kaoru's side and handed
her a clean, damp cloth.  Kaoru accepted it with a quick nod of thanks
and gently began to wipe the blood from Kenshin's hand and cheek.

-----------------------------------

    "Inspector Fujita!"
    
    Saitoh curtly replied, "Yes?"
    
    The policeman waiting outside the gateway gasped, "Sir, an urgent
message!  I'm supposed to await your answer," and handed over a piece of
paper.

    Saitoh's eyes narrowed as he read through the note.  Refolding it
with abrupt movements, he sharply asked the waiting officer, "Are you
aware of the contents of this message?"
    
    "Not exactly, sir... but Headquarters is in a quiet uproar about it.
 It seems impossible, but with so many reports from unrelated
sources...."

    "Any reports of similar incidents here in Tokyo?"
    
    "Here, sir?  Not that I know of."

    "Very well, I'll be at headquarters at dawn.  Arrange for a carriage
and boat passage to Osaka."

    "Yes sir!  Uh... for how many, sir?"
    
    Saitoh glanced back at the clinic.  "Actually, make arrangements for
a party of eight to ten.  And post an officer outside."

    "Yes, sir!"

    As Saitoh returned to the clinic, Sano said, "Oy!  What's with the
sour face?"
    
    Saitoh gave him a particularly nasty look.  "It seems that there
certain... sightings... in Kyoto."

    "Sightings?  What the hell do you mean by that?"  By this time,
Saitoh had attracted everyone's attention.

    The policeman smiled slowly.  The sight made a chill go down Sano's
spine.  

    "It seems that there've been multiple, credible reports of
Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi forces suddenly appearing in the streets of
Kyoto last night."

    Kenshin jerked his head up.  "WHAT!?"
    
    "They seem to appear, then disappear without a trace.  My superiors
have apparently decided that they want me in Kyoto to personally
investigate these... occurrences."

    Tokio walked up to her husband and murmured, "Hajime-san...."
    
    He glanced briefly at his wife and said flatly, "You, too."
    
    Tokio nodded obediently as Misao asked, "Why do they want YOU?"

    Kenshin abruptly stood up, his cheek still bleeding, although very
slightly.

    "Misao, it's because he's one of the very few of the Shinsengumi
still alive.  The government isn't sure whether this is just some
elaborate hoax or something... more mysterious."

    "You think it's related to what just happened to us?"  Kaoru
awkwardly rose to her feet, then staggered slightly.
    
    "Kaoru-dono!"  Kenshin swiftly grabbed her to keep her from falling
on her face.
    
-----------------------------------

    It seemed that the effort of trying to reach Kenshin and to bring
him back had drained the last of Kaoru's strength.  She didn't protest
as he picked her up and put her in bed.  He hovered anxiously nearby as
Megumi checked Kaoru's temper, then gave Tokio a worried look.

    "What's wrong, Megumi-dono?" Kenshin asked.
    
    "Her fever's gone up.  Not much," she hastily added, "but it is a
bit worrisome.  Really, she should have stayed in bed today.  All this
activity is just draining her strength unnecessarily."
    
    As Kaoru tossed her head fretfully on the pillow, Tokio pulled the
ribbon from Kaoru's hair, then loosely braided the silky black strands
to keep them out of the way.

    Kaoru mumbled her thanks and curled up under the covers.  She was
suddenly so tired, she could barely keep her eyes open and her mind
seemed eerily disconnected from her aching body.

-----------------------------------

    As Kenshin and Megumi hastily helped Kaoru to bed, Misao and the
others all turned to stare at Saitoh.  He stared back at them, neither
confirming or denying anything.

    There was another knock at the door.  Recognizing the visitor, Misao
was out the door in a flash.  There was a quick exchange of words, then
she returned holding a piece of paper.

    Aoshi frowned slightly, "Isn't that...?"
    
    "Yup."  She hastily opened the message and started reading.  They
all watched in alarm as she went very, very pale.

    "Misao?" Aoshi asked sharply.
    
    "It's from Jiya...."  She numbly handed it to Aoshi.

    Sano, Kenshin, and the others crowded around Aoshi, but couldn't
decipher the coded message.  He read it through once... then read it
again... then read it yet another time.

    Finally, Sano snapped, "What does it say!?"
    
    Aoshi looked at Saitoh and answered in a soft whisper.
    
    "The ghosts of the dead are walking in Kyoto."

-----------------------------------
(end of part 10)


--------------------------------------------
madamhydra@aol.com         /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E

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