The room was dimly lit with a single lamp and furnished with two sets of bedding and a small table. It was also very small, seven paces on one side by six paces on the other, numbers Hiruma Aki had arrived at by pacing around the room repeatedly. Hiruma Akio watched her brother out of the corner of her eye as she picked up a sheet of paper and began to crease it with practiced, steady motions. "For the love of Hida," she said, "can't you stop that?" "Of what?" Akio asked. "Nothing," Aki said. He toyed with the crab, refusing to meet her eyes. "Nothing," Aki said, still looking away from her. Noon