The Bridge To Nihon (BOOK ONE)

Chapter 20 - The Talareduh Continues

Sofia followed Kaido and Mica onto the stage. As she looked at the excited audience that was greeting them with heckles and applause, she felt like she was wrapped inside a different person as if she had been swallowed whole. She was still herself, but she was disguised to the outside world, and that made her feel different. It made her feel new.

As the last part of her transformation - all of it real, none of it imaginary as with Kaido and Mica - Mica had padded the inner soles of her shoes with wool, to alter her gait.

"Believe me," Mica had told her, Sofia's expression betraying her scepticism. "Such little things sometimes have a bigger effect than the flashiest paint or clothes. It's all in the movement, and the mind follows the body."

This turned out to be true. Sofia felt as if she was treading on an uneven, unsteady surface, and in trying to keep her balance, she gradually forgot about her new appearance and held herself much straighter than usually.

In transforming Sofia, Mica had performed a kind of miracle. She had sat her down, not listening to her many objections. Which was good, because Sofia had no idea what she wanted. She had never spent much thought on her appearance, but suddenly, it had become a defining factor. It was all happening too quickly, and, though daunted and distrusting, she preferred to let Mica work.

And work, Mica had done. For someone who didn't need any tools or aids for herself, she carried a surprising amount of appliances. "For practice," she had said when Sofia asked. "It's all in the imagination, but the imagination needs constant feeding." She had cackled. "It is the hungriest of beasts."

Sofia had laughed cautiously. She wasn't sure what Mica meant by this. It sounded joyous and threatening at the same time. But the woman had smiled at her in the mirror, and the way she had been brushing her hair, carefully untangling the knots, had felt nice and soothing, and very unused to.

Mica had first tried to attach additional hair in other colors but then decided that it would take too much time. She had gathered all of Sofia's hair and clamped it together on top of her head in one straight line down the middle. She had attached the colored strands of hair and tresses until they flowed down Sofia's sides like a cloak. It was quite heavy, but Mica said she would get used to it, which Sofia wasn't so sure about.

Then Mica had chosen a simple matte dark blue cloth and employed Kaido to turn it into a floor-length dress, which he did with surprising adeptness and a nostalgic smile on his face. He had remained mostly silent during the whole procedure, unable to take his eyes off Sofia and then looking away with an almost pained expression.

Mica had covered Sofia's face in white paint until she had a ghostly look, and the same with her neck and hands, advising her several times to be very careful not to smudge the dress. Then she had drawn a thick line down the middle of Sofia's face, over her forehead, nose and chin like an extension of the parting of her spectacular hairdo.

When she had finished, Mica had been smart enough not to ask Sofia what she thought about her new appearance, and Kaido hadn't commented on it either. Instead, Mica had pressed both hands lightly on Sofia's shoulders. A nice, soothing warmth spread from her fingers.

"You look lovely," she had said. Before Sofia could say anything in reply, Mica had turned away, and Kaido had said, quite matter-of-factly,

"It's time to get outside, or the crowds will tear this place down." They both laughed like the seasoned performers they were, unfazed by everything since they had seen and lived it all. "Are you coming, Sofia?" Kaido had called over his shoulder. As if it was no big deal to step onto a stage.