The Children of Nihon (BOOK TWO)

Chapter 5 - The Mask Makers

The walls in the gallery were lined with masks. Empty lifeless faces, and yet there was something so elaborate and vivid about them that made Sofia feel like they might start moving, talking, even laughing. It was an eerie feeling, frightening almost, but it was also a fascinating sight, impossible to look away.

There were eyes that bulged forward, as if threatening an opponent, or in crazed laughter, or in fear. Others were empty slits, for the real eyes of the wearer to peek through. Some were simply drawn on, as if in an afterthought by the artist, filling a space that might draw too much focus if left blank.

Mouths were spiked with teeth, laughing or biting, some with tongues lolling from them. Others were closed, the lips fleshy or slim, smiling or mourning. Sometimes both at the same time. Many of the mouths were rigid, not made for movement, but some had been furnished with loose jaws, as if they were on the brink of starting to chatter away.

Sofia stopped in front of one of them. 

The mask's outlines were stark green, its cheeks were highlighted with white circles that gave it a jolly, healthy look. The eyes were open, transparent. Somewhat lifeless, but as if that could change in an instant. As with the servants before, the nose was growing into the forehead and split into two elevations on top of the eye sockets. 

But it was the mouth that had caught Sofia's attention. It was soft and malleable, as if it could be moved and stretched in every direction.

"A beautiful example," one of the three brothers said.

Sofia tore around. The rest of the party had moved on, only Orì was hanging back, waiting for Sofia without letting the others get away, as if she was the bridge between them.

Or, Sofia thought, as if she has been tasked to keep an eye on me.

But she hadn't noticed one of the brothers staying back too.

"It looks as if it has something to say," Sofia said, then felt stupid for saying that.

"You're right. It is a Singing Mask," the brother said to her. He looked at her with a kind and sad expression. "My name is Ionne. Mother said that your name is Sofia."

It sounded somewhat like a question.

"It is."

He smiled, which, strangely, only increased the sadness in his face.

"So, there was one true thing tonight."

Sofia didn't know what to reply to that. She felt Orì's eyes on her.

"Did you make it?" she asked therefore. "The Singing Mask?"

That idea seemed to delight him. He chuckled.

"Hah, no, I didn't. Many of these, yes. But you picked one of the finest examples. It was made centuries ago, by one of our ancestors. Her fingers made the wood come alive."

"And it was used for singing?"

"It was. It was custom-made for a famous singer called Dee-Lee. She wore it to enhance her range." He pointed at the outlines of the mouth. "You see how soft this is? It can bend and stretch in ways that even a real mouth cannot. Of course, she was a fabulous singer in her own right, but wearing this singing mask made her reach new heights."

Sofia felt conflicted. She didn't want to offend Ionne, but there was only one thought in her mind.

"Isn't that -, cheating?"

He laughed, not angry at all.

"Not if you know how to do it right. There is not a singing mask in all the worlds that would make me able to carry a tune. And using the mask requires a lot of skill. You should think of it like an instrument. After all, it is not cheating when you play the violin. Dee-Lee would sing in the mask for hours and hours. The most beautiful sounds you can imagine."