Chapter 103

The train started shrieking again as it pulled into the terminus.

"You have a place to stay?" Yuta's companion asked.

"The Inn of the Golden Phoenix," Yuta replied.

"Fancy!" The man in the bowler hat looked impressed.

"Is it? My conference sponsor arranged it. But I don't know where it is!"

The train ground to a halt. The two men picked up their luggage and exited the car. The platform was covered with people milling about, heading in different directions, meeting family, friends or retainers, arranging baggage on porters' handcarts. Yuta breathed the city air. The taint of human activity filled it. Yuta found it exciting; it felt good to be in the center of the nation.

"See over there?" the man from the train said. "There's a line of jinrikishas. Just join the queue. The driver will know."

"Thank you very much for your help," Yuta told the man, giving a small bow.