Strange Light Afar Read Online Free

reflection to be another toad. They are also very territorial, and so will stare at their own reflection, hoping to intimidate the strange invader away from their swamp. The reflection, of course, will stare back.”
    A murmur of soft laughter rippled across the crowd. Times like this I had to be careful not to betray a smile. No one takes a smiling peddler seriously.
    â€œThis will unnerve the poor toad, but any well-bred toad will neither run nor hide. It will bravely try to stare down its new adversary. Of course, the more frighteningly it scowls, its reflection does the same. Have pity on the toad, my friends, for it will keep at this for hours, and after a while it will begin to perspire. The sweat will collect in the basin beneath it to be later gathered in these earthenware jars.
    â€œYes, it’s not every day I come across such merchandise, my friends. You’re fortunate I happened to be in Nagasaki just as a ship from Kara arrived with this precious cargo.”
    â€œSo, what’s it for?” someone asked.
    â€œWhat’s it for?” I feigned astonishment. “Why, it will cure any ills, heal any wound. Except for maybe a broken heart, eh, young woman?”
    A pretty young thing blushed and hid her face behind her hand.
    And now I had to truly earn my money.
    â€œBut I see from your faces that you’re skeptical. Very well. I will risk my own flesh in order to prove the effectiveness of Oil of Toad. I do this not for the money, but out of the sincere belief that it can improve your lives. I have the word of some of the most respected doctors of Kara.”
    I fished a kitchen knife from my trunk and lifted it above my head for all to see. Then, rolling up my sleeve, I drew its edge across my forearm.
    The blood came immediately. The pain came later and, just for a second, I may even have regretted my greed. But a few gasps erupted in the sea of stupefied faces, and I was as entrapped as they were by my own brashness.
    â€œNot to worry, friends! The wound will close in the blink of an eye as I apply the Oil of Toad like so. Hmm. Perhaps a bit more will do it. Remember that using this miraculous elixir from Kara will also greatly reduce the risk of infection. Huh. Perhaps if I use the whole jar.”
    The demonstration had worked like a charm when the old farmer showed it to me before selling me his entire batch. But now my blood was flowing freely and, before long, so was the laughter. My kimono turned a dark, wet crimson as panic set in. I opened another jar, then another. I swear the stuff only made the bleeding worse.
    â€œNot to worry. Not to worry,” I said, wearing a moronic smile. Once or twice I thought I would pass out, as I scrounged through my trunk for a bandage.
    They just kept laughing. My stomach was in my throat, and my short, shallow breaths came faster and faster. All that laughter, from somewhere so far away. I kept smiling and wrapped my arm with a towel, which was immediately soaked.
    â€œSomeone get me a doctor!”
    They carried me to a house by the river, on the secluded outskirts of town, where the doctor stitched my arm. The heartless ghoul took all my goods and even my trunk as payment. He took one smell of the Oil of Toad and poured all of it in the river.
    I was left with nothing. No money and no merchandise.
    So you see, I deserved better.
    Night had fallen like a strange, dark curtain on the woods surrounding the house. It hadn’t stopped the festivities, though. I could still hear the music and laughter in the distance when I took my leave from the home of the greedy doctor. He was gleefully taking stock of my things as I left.
    My bandaged arm still hurt. I tried to find my way back into town, hoping to find the old noodle vendor, who might share a bit more of his wine.
    I decided the surest path was to follow the river, which I knew cut the town in half. The moon hid among tree branches, in and out of clouds. Pillars of light appeared,