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Then how the devil did anyone get in?

She lifted the heavy knocker and banged it into the rusted metal plate

The door creaked open and an older Japanese man stood in the doorway He bowed to her "Welcome, Amery Black"

"How’d you knoho I a"

"Oh"

He gestured for her to come inside

"Thank you" Amery stepped onto the ive , but are you Master Daichi?"

The h "No Master Daichi doesn’t answer the door since he prefers no visitors I ahted with visitors Especially beautiful ones"

Aood"

"I spend lish speakers than Daichi"

"It shows, Mr Yasuji"

"Not Mr Yasuji Just Yasuji"

"Okay" She handed Yasuji the platter "These are chocolate chip muffins"

"Thank you Would you like tea?"

Tea? Crap Protocol for a for she hadn’t studied Since Ronin loathed tea she assumed it wouldn’t be a possibility "Ah, sure But I don’t want you to go to any trouble"

He smiled "Do you share Ronin’s dislike of tea?"

"No, sir"

"Then I will prepare it for us"

Left alone in the foyer, she wasn’t sure if she should follow Offering to help him would be an insult Wouldn’t it?

Maybe not

Yasuji didn’t seeestured for her to be seated at the low table in the corner After she’d settled on the cushion on her knees, Yasuji brought over the tea service He poured the pale brown liquid into two delicate teacups

"This is wonderful Such an unexpected treat"

"For me also We have few visitors this time of year" He slipped three small squares--a lemon bar, a date-filled pastry, and aone toward her "The older Daichi gets, thefor the right word "Troll?"