Spirited Away II: Return to the Spirit Realm

Chapter 15

No-Face dropped his knitting aimlessly back on his lap and looked out the window. The weather matched his feelings - restlessness and worry, and above all, desperation.

Solid twenty-four hours passed since Zeniba returned from the Imperial Palace and left to her "dire business", as she put it; and not once did she come out. What Zeniba was doing for twenty-four hours was beyond the shadowy spirit.

Well, he thought, whatever it is, I hope she finishes it and comes soon.

Then, as if the very universe read the mind of a lowly shadowy spirit, the door sprang open and Zeniba stepped in. "No-Face, dear! Are you okay?"

No-Face looked up sharply and, offering the witch a reassuring nod, grunted.

Zeniba sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for leaving like that, but I did have some dire business to attend to. And I was tired." She walked over to the stove and put the kettle to brew. "This will take a large pot of tea to get things straight."

No-Face cocked his head to his side, inquiringly.

"There's a lot of things going on, actually," Zeniba said, putting the dishes out on the table. She smiled. "And I'd like your advice on a couple of things. You are such a help to me, dear."

No-Face beamed. He viewed himself as a previously selfish monster who did not deserve the luck to have an angelic human for a friend and to live in the household of the kind witch. It was more than he could ever ask for! And, to think that not only did Zeniba herself viewed him as a help but also wanted his advice made him feel very grand indeed.

In practically no time at all, the tea was ready and No-Face found himself seated at the table with a teacup in his hand. Zeniba drummed her fingers absentmindedly against the smooth surface of the table. "Do you want me to answer your questions first or for me to tell you what happened?"

No-Face looked up. This definitely wasn't the first way Zeniba surprised him - whether it was by her small remarks, or how she sometimes seemed to read his mind. Well, living in a house of a witch always brought its own surprises, No-Face presumed and he grunted.

"Okay." Zeniba took a large sip of her tea and put the cup down with a thoughtful frown. "The Lady was extremely generous to us, I must say. She led us to a comfortable room - with some tea - and, after we all got comfortable, I was able to tell Her Highness what I needed to tell ..."

And Zeniba went on and on, talking for nearly an hour, giving her explanation in the most detailed way she could muster. She left no secrets from No-Face, with the exception that she, not once, mentioned what was it that she needed to tell the Lady. No-Face mentally shrugged it off, thinking that perhaps it was a delicate topic of the Royal Family; but he did make a careful mental note how Zeniba's eyes sparkled with nostalgia - oh, and was it regret, too? - when she said, "I was able to tell Her Highness what I needed to tell..."

By the time the clock chimed the tenth hour in the evening, Zeniba finished talking. No-Face just stared blankly at the witch, his brain slowly registering the new - and puzzling - information.

"Of course, what I told you must be kept a secret," Zeniba said sternly, bringing her finger to her lips. "You understand, don't you?"

No-Face nodded.

"Good. So ... what are your questions you wanted to ask me?"

No-Face, who was drinking his tea at the moment, looked at Zeniba over the brim of his cup. She spoke so freely and calmly, it was as if she never related her recent nerve-wracking experiences. Shrugging, No-Face grunted.

"How Chihiro found out...?" Zeniba tensed. "I don't know. I ... that's something I'll have to ask her."

No-Face looked down at his tea-cup uneasily as he felt his heart pound nervously in his chest.