Year of the Crow, Second Month, Day 7. Postscript.

 I did not have time to go to the library. Just as I had finished my last note, Ichi - The Lady Purple Twilight came to insist that I join her for a game of Go. I am not very good at it despite my love of strategy and almost always lose, but I told her that if she would forgive me for being a poor opponent, I would be delighted to come and play. I expected to go to the Main House but apparently, The Lady Purple Lightning has a small tea house at the edge of the grounds which she likes to use for social activities such as Go and card games and such. 

It is oddly decorated - hung with some pieces of art which are incredibly tasteful and which look like the work of one of the early ink drawing Masters although I am not expert enough to say that with any certainty. Entirely in black, white and red, the paintings are an odd companion to the rest of the room which is furnished with huge, soft cushions and draped with warm fabrics in bold, jewel shades of every hue. In addition to the jarring shock of the colours, there are various floral arrangements around the room - some in the traditional style and some in a style I have never seen before. Stranger yet are the shelves which have been put up around the room and which are covered in what must be hundreds of tiny ornaments; mostly of animals. I have never enjoyed clutter and the thought of spending much time in there at all makes me itch.

I tried to distract myself from the assault on my eyes by concentrating on the paintings. I should love to know if they are original Kenzos but of course, it would be staggeringly rude to ask, so I shall not. They are beautiful paintings though; I found myself quite envious of them. There is a particularly arresting portrait of a crane against a striking background of a bold, red sun. I cannot say why I am so affected by it but the simplicity and the contrast are just breathtaking.

We did not play much Go at all. Rather, I suspect the game was a ruse so that Ic - The Lady Purple Lightning could interrogate me about my reasons for being in Purple Lightning. She did it ever so delicately, of course and were I anybody else, I doubt I would even have noticed that it was happening. I felt reticent and disinclined to tell her anything much so I simply said that Father had suggested I would be welcome at the House and once I had made the decision to run away from home, it seemed logical to try and come here. 

I am not at all sure that The Lady Purple Lightning is convinced but she is far, far too polite to say so out loud. I expect I will find myself the subject of her questions again very soon. I can see that I will have to bide my time before asking any significant questions of my own; I have no doubt that The Lady Purple Lightning will discover what I seek before I have even finished framing my own questions...