Epilogue

	The Black Moon had disappeared and the sun itself was about to disappear into night. Ryu stood watching it alone on the cliff from where he had seen the temple. He left the traitor and it alone back there. He wanted nothing to do with them. Then he heard them walking behind him. "Go away," he said, not giving them the courtesy to address them face to face. Irene stood to his side and his son to her side, holding her hand. "I love you," she said. The words had no meaning to Ryu anymore. He kept silent. "What about him? What about your son?" Ryu looked at him again. Ryu shivered. It was exactly how he looked at that time. It shivered, in turn, at the cold night air.

"It looked at me so affectionately, if it weren't a demon, I would swear it's a human boy."
"You know that's not true."
"But it is. And it's all because I mixed blood with an outsider." It was a lie, Ryu knew, but he said it to hurt her.
Irene thought for a moment. "What will we do? Where will we go?"
Ryu took some money out of a small pouch and threw it at the ground by Irene's feet. "Use that. Clothe it, and go back to the States."
"He is NOT an 'it,' he's your son!!!"
"It's your son. I never want to see or hear from you for the rest of my life."
"Why alienate him if it's me you hate?"
"Because it reminds me of you."
"From the photos you showed me, he should remind you of yourself."
"You betrayed me. You should commit seppuku." 
"Ryu, I love..."

	The sun was gone now, and Irene stopped talking. Ryu broke the silence.
"Look, Irene." His voice sounded sweet, but she knew it was full of malice.
"Look at the new night sky. I watched the sunset twice with you and the sunrise twice. I will never watch either with you again."
Ryu walked away. At another time, he would ruefully lament at he was right.