Page 7
Panel 1
Pauline is talking to Houjou.
Pauline: Inu-san, do you know what an Oreo is?
Houjou: Um . . . Baltimore baseball team?
Pauline: Baltimore . . . ? No, dear, I think that’s the Orioles.
Panel 2
Pauline looms over Houjou, who is backed up flat against the wall.
Pauline: An Oreo is a person of African descent whose soul is that of a white person. Named for the cookie! Are you familiar with the Oreo cookie, Inu-san?
Houjou: Um . . .
Pauline: It’s chocolate on the outside and white on the inside!
Houjou: Indeed?
Panel 3
Pauline has her hand over her heart. Houjou looks up at her.
Pauline: Inu-san, I am a hard-boiled egg!
Panel 4
Pauline smiles down at Houjou, who has not moved a muscle.
Panel 5
Pauline leans into Houjou’s face, looking menacing. Houjou cowers.
Pauline: White on the outside and yellow on the inside! So don’t worry about being the only Japanese person here.
Houjou: Actually, my wife is here, too. And Dr. Fujimoto from Chemistry and Dr. Surihito from History, and their spouses.
Panel 6
Pauline looks ferocious, eyes bulging.
Pauline: Oh, my goodness! That lovely little girl is your wife? Was this an arranged marriage? You people still do that, don’t you? You’re awfully young to be married!
Houjou: I’m 26.
Pauline: And here I was thinking you weren’t old enough for that glass of wine! You should have demanded they serve sockey.
Houjou: Actually, this is rather a pleasant beaujolais.
Page 8
Panel 1
Wide view of the room: mostly university types in funky-casual academic clothing, lots of beards, turtlenecks, natural fibers. The room is something of an art gallery. Pauline has cornered Houjou next to the only nude painting we can see. At the opposite end of the picture, Kagome, elegantly dressed with hair in an upswept style, holding a wineglass, is surrounded by several attentive men. Pauline glares at her over one shoulder.
Pauline: So that’s your wife over there? She’s a real little oriental doll, isn’t she? Look at them. Men are so predictable.
Panel 2
Close-up of Pauline, smiling menacingly.
Pauline: I mean Western men, of course. Your dissertation was fascinating. I’d never heard of Lord Inu Yasha before. Would you like to know a little secret?
Panel 3
Side view of Pauline and Houjou.
Houjou: Not if it will compromise you.
Pauline: I’m self-publishing a book to introduce Western children to third world countries. I’d love to include some stories about Lord Inu Yasha and Lady Kagohm.
Houjou: Kagome. I don’t think Japan counts as third world.
Pauline: Is that how you say it? Kagomey. I’ll remember that.
Panel 4
Pauline and Houjou look at Kagome (offscreen). The nude painting is behind them.
Pauline: That’s your little wife talking to my significant other? My, she’s just precious. What’s her name?
Houjou: Kagome.
Panel 5
Pauline and Houjou look at a very elegantly beautiful Kagome, in the foreground.
Pauline: Oh, my! The two of you are also Inu Yasha and Kagomey? What a coincidence!
Houjou: Yes, we often laugh about it.
Pauline: And what should I know about Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagomey?
Houjou: Well, each was the other’s protector. If Lord Inuyasha had needed rescuing, Lady Kagome would have been right there.
Page 9
Panel 1
Close-up of Pauline, scowling, in the foreground, while Houjou lifts two fingers in a Hi sign behind her.
Pauline: How long have you and your Kagomey been married?
Houjou: About a year and a half. Maybe I can catch her eye . . .
Pauline: May I assume we’re talking about a marriage in name only?
Houjou: Lord Inu Yasha and Lady Kagome? They weren’t married until the very end—exchanged vows as he was dying. So I guess you could say . . .
Panel 2
Pauline looms over Houjou, her pushed-up bosom almost in his face. Houjou is starting to look angry. Overlaid is a full-length view of Kagome, in a cocktail dress slit well up on the thigh revealing very long legs in high-heeled sandals.
Pauline: I meant you, Inu-san. You and your little arranged bride. I think a blossoming young man like you longs for a real woman, not a naïve, insipid little girl . . .
Panel 3
Close-up of Houjou, with an angry, almost impish expression—we saw Auley push him to this point in Book 3.
Houjou: Actually, the most interesting thing about Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome is that, while they weren’t married, they, as I think you say in English, "went at it" constantly.
Panel 4
Pauline looks taken aback. Houjou has assumed his wide-eyed "Houjou-kun" expression.
Pauline: "Went at it"?
Houjou: Oh, yes, every chance they got. Kill a daemon, go at it, kill another daemon, go at it again. Two, three times a day. In our culture, this way we celebrate a victory. You don’t know this because Western culture suppresses it. I hope you can bring the truth to the children of America.
Panel 5
Close-up view of the two. Pauline looks shocked. Houjou is all innocence.
Houjou: Of course, Lord Inuyasha was a dog daemon. So—always doggy style. They would kill the daemon, take the fragment of Shikon no Tama, Lady Kagome would bend over . . . All Japanese children learn this true story from the cradle. We believe in being honest to our children.
Panel 6
Pauline has turned away and is talking earnestly to a dark-skinned man in African-style clothing. Kagome stands next to Houjou.
Pauline: See, I consider myself to be a fig newton . . . white on the outside, . . .
Kagome: My, you certainly were having an intense conversation with that woman. What were you talking about?
Houjou: Nothing much. Japanese history, mostly.
Page 10
Panel 1
Legend: Tokyo 2009
Houjou’s office. Houjou still kneels by Kagome’s chair, but he has moved forward so that they are face to face, nearly embracing. Kagome looks serious but calm.
Kagome: You’re an idiot. And you’re trying to make me laugh so I’ll stop being scared.
Houjou: I want both of us to stop being scared.
Kagome: I love you. I want this American guy to leave us alone. I want him to be lying about Toukijin.
Houjou: He’s lying about Toukijin.
Panel 2
Full-length view of the two. Houjou, still kneeling, has his hand on Kagome’s arm. He looks concerned.
Houjou: Are you OK?
Kagome: I’m pregnant, and nauseous, and angry, and scared. You already knew about those kids outside Wack Donald’s, didn’t you?
Panel 3
Profile view of Kagome, in foreground. In the background, Houjou is pulling some kind of long rectangular carrying case from behind the office door.
Houjou: My cop cousin Tetsuo phoned about it. Just wanted to be sure I had possession of Tetsusaiga . . .
Panel 4
Close-up view of Houjou, who has opened the case. Tetsusaiga is inside.
Houjou: Which I did, and still do. We did, in fact, discuss the kenatsu, how it could produce those autopsy results.
Panel 5
Close-up view of Houjou, holding up Tetsusaiga in front of his face.
Houjou: We were both pleased to know Tetsusaiga couldn’t be involved. Honestly, I never even thought of Toukijin . . .
Panel 6
View of the two. Kagome looks unhappy. Houjou, holding Tetsusaiga, looks determined.
Houjou: . . . Which may not even be missing. We’re not going to worry . . . not until we know.
Panel 7
Close-up profile of Houjou, looking at Tetsusaiga.
Houjou: *Sigh* (I don’t want this . . . not now . . . )
Page 11
Panel 1
Legend: Elsewhere in Tokyo
Auley stands outside a low, modern-looking building with dark double doors. There are signs in what I sure hope is something like Japanese, as well as in English. An English sign says "Musashi Museum." Below it is a number-punch lock. On the door is a Closed sign. Auley looks irritated. A young man is coming around the corner.
Auley: ok, mr. jaken. i made contact with your employer’s brother . . . If your so-called employer really exists and if that Houjou really is his brother . . . But how come your damn museum’s never open?
Panel 2
View of Auley pointing at the young man. The guy is punk-looking: hair very short at the sides, moussed up at the top—not quite spiked or mohawked. His hair seems to be basically light, but streaked in several colors. His right eyebrow is pierced, and there are four hoop earrings up the side of his right ear. In later pictures we see a single long dangling earring in his other ear.
Auley: Excuse me, sir. Do you speak English? Do you live around here? Is this place ever open?
Panel 3
Close-up of the two face to face. The Weird Guy looks somewhat bewildered.
Auley: Sir? Do you speak English? Is this museum ever open?
Panel 4
View of the two, with the museum doors in the background. The Weird Guy looks over toward the doors with their "Closed" sign.
Panel 5
Close-up of the two face to face.
Weird Guy: She carozu.
Auley: Yes, I understand it’s closed. Is it ever open? I’d like to look inside.
Panel 6
Close-up of the two face to face.
Weird Guy: She carozu.
Auley: How about Japanese? You speak Japanese? Is bladder ever this home?
Page 12
Panel 1
Close-up of the two face to face.
Weird Guy: She carozu.
Auley: Yes, but has she—it—ever been . . . never mind.
Panel 2
Close-up of Auley, looking serious. In the background, the Weird Guy stares after him.
Auley: Sigh. Time to report to my beloved sister . . . that things are not going well. Hope nobody else is dead. I have a bad feeling about all this . . .
Panel 3
View from behind Weird Guy of Auley walking away and Weird Guy watching him.
Panel 4
Close-up of the Weird Guy. He holds some kind of small device in his right hand.
Weird Guy: Jeez Louise, what an idiot.
Panel 5
Long view of the Weird Guy at the door of the museum, punching buttons on the numeric lock.
Panel 6
Closer view of the Weird Guy. He is holding the little black instrument up to the door. It looks like some kind of meter.
Panel 7
Close-up of the weird guy. He holds the meter in his left hand and is pushing the museum door open with his right.