InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Egypt Bound ❯ A Close Call ( Chapter 14 )

Chp. 14 A Close Call

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, while Inuyasha and Kagome were away…

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Do you think it was a good idea to let those two alone after what happened this morning, my lord?” Miroku asked, as he dabbed at his chin with a napkin. Sesshomaru finished chewing his food before he answered.

“I think a little aggravation will do him some good. He needs to be taken down a few pegs and she's just the woman to do it.” Miroku leaned in and placed his chin in his hand.

“So, this wouldn't have to do with the inheritance money, would it?” Miroku grinned like the Cheshire cat.

“He'll receive his share when I deem it necessary. He does have one strike against him though…” Sesshomaru trailed off.

“And what is that?”

“He has yet to find a wife that's suitable. Admit it Miroku, the bachelor's life becomes repetitive after so many years…and you two aren't getting any younger either.” Sesshomaru explained with his trademark stoic conviction.

“Sesshomaru, how can you say such things? You're a bachelor yourself!” Miroku countered. Sesshomaru let out a chuckle.

“Not for much longer my friend…I intend to wed when I finish this investigation, I assure you. You have to consider Miroku, that I have been much more settled down than either you or Inuyasha have—-I have a ward to consider---and I manage my late father's estate, not to mention a seat in Parliament. So, inadvertently, I can say those things.” Sesshomaru sat back in his seat, looking as pleased as punch. Miroku had to admit he was right, however he reasoned it. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to worry about Inuyasha and his love affair with his work. It seemed to him, that Inuyasha was burying himself with work not so much to complete it, but to avoid being lonely. Miroku secretly hoped that this mission to Luxor might force his friend out of his antisocial mentality. Not that work wasn't important, oh no, work was important—especially now when they stumbled on this windfall of an opportunity—but he felt that maybe having someone other than Inuyasha nurse his horrid hangovers wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. Besides, that Sango girl was every bit as beautiful as Kagome, and he was almost willing to bet that that lovely bum wasn't due to a bustle. `Maybe I'll test that theory out…when she comes back,' he thought to himself. Suddenly, a funny thought occurred to him.

“My lord, you aren't proposing that you purposely placed Kagome on the dahabeeyah with us so that Inuyasha would---“

“Precisely. I would like to kill two birds with one stone…although I might require your assistance and discretion on the matter. But remember, this mission is not a honeymoon—the safety of the girls and their artifact is paramount. And we must ensure that that area we have a firman on has not been looted.” Sesshomaru said with the utmost sincerity. “Can I trust you to keep the inheritance a secret until the proper time comes?”

“As sure as the grave. My lips are sealed.” Miroku affirmed.

“Oh, and one other thing, you all will be sailing by the end of the week, so in the meantime, could you and Inuyasha show the young ladies what Cairo and Giza have to offer?”

“I will try. He's been itching to get back to the site, and we still have that room to clear. Just for the hell of it, we should probably show them Saqqara as well, you know, to make the necessary arrangements with Selim and the crew.” Miroku suggested.

“They will be compensated for their work in your absence. Make no mistake about that. I will set up proper security around the site tomorrow. Believe me, Naraku will have no room to squirm in Cairo nor in London when I get done with him.” Sesshomaru assured.

“I sure hope so. This cleaning up business is getting old. We want a site that isn't some thieves' leftovers for once.” Miroku remarked sarcastically.

“If the site in Luxor is still intact, then you shall get your wish. I'm going up to enjoy a good cigar, care to join me?” Sesshomaru asked as he rose from his chair. Sango was nearing the table, which Miroku had noticed.

“No, I think I'll stay for dessert, “ he responded dreamily eyeing Sango.

“If anything should happen in my absence, I will be in my suite. You can alert my butler,” Sesshomaru said before walking away.

“Will do!” Miroku affirmed, making a mock salute. Sango was picking up the dishes from Kagome and Sesshomaru's side of the table, and felt someone's gaze burning through her. By default she knew whom the leering eyes belonged to. Still, she had to maintain her position as a maid, which did not allow time for idle conversation and starry-eyed stares. She motioned for one of the busboys to come over and help her load the dishes onto a kitchen-bound cart. As she crossed over to the other side to clear the remaining dishes, she felt a hand close over hers. Her eyes traveled up the length of the owner's arm and finally up to his inky eyes. He smiled at her.

“I had been hoping to catch you alone, “ he said with a sultry tone, “ I'm afraid I wasn't much of a gentleman at the train station, but I couldn't take my eyes off of you.” The pink that filtered into Sango's cheeks quickly turned into red as she felt something touching her rear. She swatted the hand off of her behind.

“ Seems like you can't be a gentleman here either! And if you touch me again I'll give you something to look at! You lecher!” She exclaimed.

“But Miss Forth, we will be spending an awful lot of time together, and I just wanted to become better acquainted with you—it's about a two week trip to Luxor, “ he said in the same tone as before.

“Well you can start by not manhandling me… just because I'm a maid doesn't make me a prostitute, for Gods' sake!” she shot back. Miroku was taken aback by that statement; he had never considered her to be a loose woman, not at all. He just had to test his hypothesis, which turned out to be mostly true…he'd have to test it again later to make sure he was correct. He smirked at the thought.

“Are you quite finished? I `aven't got all night, I `ave things to do,” Sango said as she tapped her foot expectantly.

“ I could never be finished with you, Miss Forth, “ he sighed dreamily. Just as she was walking past him, he grabbed onto her skirt.

“What the—Mr. Hendsler are you daft? Get your grubby hands off o' me skirt!”

“ I just remembered something—tell your mistress that we will be touring Saqqara and Giza starting early tomorrow morning, and to make sure that she has a pair of shoes she doesn't mind getting dusty.” His hand had inched its way up to her bottom by the end of his sentence. Sango, whose eyes narrowed and jaw clenched, selected a serving spoon from one of the dishes and bopped Miroku on the head with it. His hand went to his now aching head to feel the damage, and as he winced at the pain the silver had wrought him, he smiled in accomplishment. He proved himself right after all.

 

 

 

Kagome lumbered towards the hotel, leaving a very confused Inuyasha in her wake. She couldn't believe what had just happened to her; a man she was perfectly content to classify as an enemy had kissed her! Not just once, but twice! What made it worse was that he seemed to enjoy it! She slowed her pace and let her thoughts wander. `Then again, I kinda enjoyed it too…' she blushed at the thought. `That still doesn't change the fact that he's an arrogant bastard! How dare he call me out! But his kiss was so…full of passion—more than Sesshomaru's. He can't hate me too bad if he kisses me of his own free will, can he?If only he wasn't so bloody full of himself, ugh!' She stopped as she heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the very person she was trying to avoid—Inuyasha.

“Keh! Haven't you gone inside yet wench?” he jeered.

“Oh leave me alone you brute! Haven't you caused enough trouble for one night?” she spat back, crossing her arms over her chest. The air had grown chillier since she had been outside.

“Me cause trouble? I'm not the one who couldn't shut up!” his cheeks grew hot at the thought of how he silenced her.

“Well, you could've at least not done that!”

“What the hell could I have done then? Huh? You tell me! I had to hear what was being said on the other side of the hedges and you, being the vicious wench you are, would've bit my fingers straight off if I'd put a hand over that trap of yers!” Inuyasha said adamantly. Upon hearing that, Kagome felt about two inches tall. She turned her gaze towards the fountain.

“Oh, I'm sorry you think that. And here was I thinking that you enjoyed it… what a fool I am!” she mumbled to herself. He heard every word and suddenly felt sorry about how he'd acted—only a little bit. She spoke again. “ What did you hear?”

“Someone's voice I haven't heard in a long time—someone I had hoped that I'd never hear again.” He sighed.

“Who was it?” she asked. He stiffened at the question. Certainly, he wasn't going to wallow in his past in front of a girl he barely knew.

“Don't worry about it, doesn't concern you anyway,” he replied gruffily. Kagome let out a deep sigh.

“Well, I suppose I'll be heading up now. Good night Mr. Tomuri, “ she said, her voice sorrowful.

“Call me Inuyasha. I hate formalities.” He responded.

“Okay then, Inuyasha. Good—“

“I'll walk you up there.” He muttered.

“You'll what?” she exclaimed.

“I said I'll walk you up there wench. `Least I could do, “ he repeated. Kagome hadn't expected this kind of treatment from him. But then again, today had been full of a lot of developments she hadn't expected…

“Fine. I'm on the third floor.”

“I know.”

“How did you—wait, nevermind.” Her cheeks darkened, remembering the balcony incident earlier. The two of them made their way up the steps and into the Moorish Hall, where they found Miroku's hand on the bum of a very pissed Sango.

Inuyasha shook his head. “Stupid bastard never learns, “ he said resignedly.

“That kind rarely does, “ Kagome commented, finding the scene before them rather comical.

 

 

 

 

 

The two walked side-by-side as they ascended the Nubian staircase, absorbed in thought. Kagome's mind ran over the events of the day, repeating the infamous incident in the garden a countless number of times. Inuyasha was trying to concentrate on what he had heard, and if he heard correctly; of course the fact that the kissing episode kept derailing his train of thought didn't help matters much. He followed Kagome down the third-floor hallway, to room number 316. She put the room key in the lock and fiddled with it until the door creaked open and she heard a peculiar sound issuing from the suite-----someone was crying. Kagome nudged the door open and froze.

“Oh…my…God! Someone was here!” she gasped in absolute shock as she surveyed the extent of the damage; trunks overturned, their contents sprawled all over the floor, drawers ripped out of dressers, ripped pillow casings and feathers scattered everywhere, bedclothes in a heap on the floor---in short, the room looked as if Genghis Khan had pillaged it. She walked cautiously into the ransacked room, Inuyasha followed behind her, closing the door. The crying sound became louder as she rounded the four-poster bed and saw Sango pitifully rocking back and forth, holding a box to her chest as she sobbed. Kagome flew to her side and hugged her.

“What happened Sango? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Kagome asked. Sango continued to sob. Inuyasha spoke up.

“Did they get the scarab?” he asked in harried tone.

“N-no. I got it. B-but they were close,” Sango stuttered, her tears staining her cheeks.

“How close?” Kagome inquired as she rubbed Sango's back in circles to soothe her.

“Th-they left a note. It's on the vanity, “ Sango pointed to the table near the window. Inuyasha went over and examined it. The note was scribbled on a piece of brown wrapping paper in pencil; the interlocutor's penmanship was hideous—a clue that the note was probably an afterthought. Kagome let go of Sango for just a moment to find a washcloth so she could wipe Sango's face. After she accomplished that, she turned to Inuyasha.

“What does it say?”

“It mentions a time and a place; it looks like a shop in the Khan el Khalili called Bassam's Antikas. It says that you must hand over the mask at this time, and if you run away, he will hunt you down and skin you alive! Rather gruesome fellow, isn't he?” Inuyasha commented dryly.

“He'll do it too! He never stops until he gets what he wants! No matter who gets in his way!” Sango cried. Kagome held Sango around the shoulders and stared down at the black lacquer box in Sango's lap. Inuyasha noticed it too. He and Kagome looked at each other and knew what the other was thinking---that box had to be opened.

“Sango dear, why don't you open that box and let us see what's inside? Is it the scarab?” Kagome asked sweetly. Sango's fingers reluctantly went to the clasp and paused. She glared at Inuyasha and looked around the room.

“Is it safe?You close the door?” She asked, her voice whisper-like.

“Yes, it's safe. No one's coming. Inuyasha won't let anyone in, will you Inuyasha?” Kagome assured her. Inuyasha nodded in response, his eyes glued on the box. Sango lifted the latch and tenderly pried the lid open to reveal a large carnelian scarab, with gold inlay on the legs and around the base, where the inscription was. Inuyasha's eyes went wide with awe. Never had he seen a piece like this. The blood-red carnelian stone was polished to the point of near translucence. He had to examine it more closely. He slowly made his way over to Sango and Kagome, who seemed to be just as shocked as he was. He cupped his hands as he kneeled in front of Sango and asked ever so meekly, “May I hold it?” Sango gingerly placed the artifact in his hands and Inuyasha traced his fingers along the carefully crafted grooves made several lifetimes ago. He turned the scarab over and observed the script on the other side. On the golden-edged base, he noticed that something may have been attached to it, like a broad collar for instance. He ran his fingers along the lines of text, his lips moving silently in tandem. The girls focused on his odd behavior. After another few minutes or so, he stopped, mouth wide open.

“What is it? Tell us what it says!” Kagome insisted.

“Even if I told you, I can scarcely believe it myself—it's impossible!” Inuyasha replied cautiously.

“Well, go on,” Kagome urged. Sango sat up on her knees to listen. Inuyasha took a deep breath and read.

 

 

“ O heart which I had from my mother, O heart which I had upon earth, do not rise up against me as a witness in the presence of the Lord of Things; do not speak against me concerning what I have done, do not bring up anything against me in the presence of the Great God, Lord of the West. Hail to you my heart! Hail to you my heart! Hail to you my entrails! Hail to you gods who are at the head of those who wear the sidelock, who lean on their staffs! May you say what is good to Re, may you make me to flourish, may powers be bestowed when I go forth, having been interred among the great ones who long endure upon earth. Not dying in the West, but becoming a spirit in it. Commemorated in the name of the Golden Horus, The Great Bull, Nebmaatre, the Golden Truth of Re, in his thirty-seventh year of jubilee for the Osiris Maketaten.”

 

 

“I can't believe this! I can't fucking believe this! No wonder he usurped the tomb! Jesus Christ this is amazing!” Inuyasha exclaimed in awe. The two girls were confused.

“What's so amazing about it?” Kagome asked. Inuyasha took his eyes off of the prize for just a moment and looked at Kagome.

“This scarab, if you must know, has an inscription on it that not only proves that it was stolen, but dates the piece to the end of Pharaoh Amenotep III's reign, right before the religion changed in his son's reign. The person this scarab was commissioned for was a young princess, one of Akhenaten's daughters, who died very young while Amenhotep was alive. It also goes to show that Naraku is a bloody fool and doesn't know an antiquity's worth if it bit him in the arse,” Inuyasha explained. Sango let out a nervous sigh.

“So this means that my father left me the most valuable piece? Surely he must have known what it was if he only took that and the burial mask,” Sango inquired.

“He must have…smart guy your father was. So he forged several antiquities for Naraku?” Inuyasha asked as he moved to place the scarab back in the box. After the latch was secured he sat on his haunches, awaiting Sango's answer.

“Yeah, `e did. I don't know where they was all from, but I knew that he did it for a long time—was one o' the best in `is craft, me mum said.” Kagome wanted to pay attention to the conversation, but something caught her eye—a curtain flapping in the breeze. She rose to shut the French-style balcony door.

“He left through the balcony, “ Kagome remarked softly. Inuyasha and Sango swiveled to face her.

“What did you just say? He did what?” Inuyasha demanded.

“Left through the balcony.” Kagome repeated.

“I'm surprised you didn't notice that from the get-go! The thief obviously left through the balcony door because he'd be caught otherwise!” Inuyasha said sarcastically.

“But doesn't the balcony door lead to the gardens?” she countered.

“What the hell do the gardens have to do with this?” Inuyasha shot back.

“ Don't tell me you forget what you heard on the other side of the hedges! Remember? Before you told me to—“

“Of course I remember goddammit!” Inuyasha shot back, his cheeks glowing pink as he recalled the event in question.

“What did you hear, hmm?” Kagome's eyes narrowed as she stared down Inuyasha. He broke her gaze and suddenly focused on the floor. He didn't want the girls to be more paranoid than they already were. He wouldn't tell them yet, but Sesshomaru and Miroku had to know—and they had to know quickly.

“Well? We're waiting…” Kagome crossed her arms.

“It wasn't anything important, I just recognized the voice is all, “ he played it off as if it were a natural exchange between two people. He stood up and scratched his head, which was spinning from the realization that somehow, he'd gotten in over his head this time. He took a few steps toward the door when Kagome's hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Tell Sesshomaru what happened—our lives depend on it! Give him this [she stuffs the crude note in his hand] and tell him what you saw—“ Kagome pleaded.

“I know what to do—don't worry, you two will be fine. This was just a warning, so you'd know Naraku meant business—he wouldn't dare do anything too drastic in such a public place—it's not his style. Get some sleep, `cause I have a feeling that you'll need every ounce of your energy for tomorrow.” Inuyasha assured them. He undid Kagome's grip on his arm and was nearly out the door when…

“Inuyasha!” Sango called out.

“What now?”

“Thanks for your help. All these years and I never knew why that stone was so important to me Da. Thanks a lot.” Sango mustered up a weak smile on her tear-ridden face. Inuyasha was struck by the words of gratitude and stammered back a “you're welcome” before shutting the door.

 

 

 

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He sauntered down the hall to Sesshomaru's suite and knocked heavily on the door. He was met by Sesshomaru's speck of a butler, Jaken.

“What are you doing here this late? Lord Sesshomaru doesn't wish to be bothered!”

“Oh I'm sure he'll want to be bothered about this! Let me in dammit!” Inuyasha gritted his teeth. He hated that little bugger that Sesshomaru employed; he was so damn annoying and had a serious attitude when it came to Inuyasha.

“Lord Sesshomaru is far too busy to care about your trivial matters!” Jaken said with an upturned nose.

“Who in the hell said this is trivial? This is pretty fucking important! You better let me in before I pound you into next---“ Inuyasha pushed up his sleeves.

“Let him in Jaken,” a droll voice sounded from inside. Jaken reluctantly let Inuyasha pass; they exchanged sneers as he approached the high-backed chair where Sesshomaru sat. Inuyasha could see the small billows of cigar smoke waft into the air.

Sesshomaru extended a hand towards the chair in front of him.

“Do sit down Inuyasha. Now what was so urgent that you had to disturb me so late at night?”

“Kagome's room was ransacked by Naraku's thugs. They were looking for the burial mask and nearly found the scarab. The bastards left no stone unturned—it was a mess,” Inuyasha explained as he took a seat. Sesshomaru leaned forward in his chair.

“Is she alright? Is Sango?” he asked earnestly.

“Yeah, they're fine, but their luggage ain't. Crap was tossed from one end to the other. Thank God that the scarab wasn't found!”

“Yes, indeed. Did you—“

“Yeah I saw it. It's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and is worth a helluva lot more than that burial mask Naraku thinks they've got. I couldn't believe it when I saw it—it must've came from the pharaoh's jewelers themselves!” Inuyasha exclaimed.

“And what drove you to that conclusion?” Sesshomaru asked as he let out a puff from his cigar.

“The piece was inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead-- the heart spell. It was commissioned during the end of Amenhotep III's reign, during the transition period when Akhenaten was said to be co-ruler; the scarab was to guard the heart of Akhenaten's young daughter, Meketaten, who died before Akhenaten got full kingship priviledges. That's how I know it came from the royal workshops.” Inuyasha stated proudly. Sesshomaru ashed his cigar, appearing as indifferent as possible; in truth, he was giddy with the knowledge that he may have trumped Naraku for once, but the giddiness subsided when Inuyasha put the written threat before him.

“Kagome found this on her vanity table—whoever trashed the place decided to leave us this sweet lil' calling card, nice touch huh?” Inuyasha remarked sarcastically.

“What the devil is this? A threat? Bloody hell! Under no circumstances are Kagome and her maid to go to the Khan el-Khalili!” Sesshomaru raised his voice, something that Inuyasha had the rare occasion of witnessing only one other time in his life.

“Why the hell are you telling me this? I'm not her damn babysitter! I thought you were going to do the bloody Cook's tour! The only part I'm responsible for is on the dahabeeyah!” Inuyasha protested vehemently. Sesshomaru shook his head and let out a deep sigh.

“Inuyasha, this situation has become a little too dangerous too fast, and I need to count on you to keep Kagome, her maid, and the artifact out of harm's way until this investigation has mounted enough evidence to indict Naraku. I will compensate you and Miroku for your time and effort---rest assured. Your crew will report exclusively to me and the site at Saqqara will be under the strictest of security, so you will be able to devote your attention to the task at hand…”

“B-b-but my work! My research! I can't even take that with me?” Inuyasha pleaded.

“Unless you have a death wish for your notes, I wouldn't suggest it. Who knows what Naraku's next stunt may be?” Inuyasha scowled. All of his blood, sweat, and tears went into his work, and now that he was essentially stripped of it—what would he do? Hopefully the site in Luxor would offer something to sate his addiction to his work. His eyes wandered the room, seeking solace from Sesshomaru and his fake nonchalance, when he finally rested on the balcony door, which reminded him of what he had heard in the garden. He cleared his throat.

“Sesshomaru, did you happen to see anyone in the garden besides me and Kagome? Anyone at all?” he asked.

Why, of course. There were several people wandering about, why do you ask?”

“Because I heard two people talking on the opposite side of the fence---about Kagome and the scarab.” This immediately sparked Sesshomaru's interest. He urged Inuyasha to continue.

“Who was it? A male? Female? Both? What did they say?”

“If you'd let me finish, I was just about to tell you it was a woman and a man. She was saying something about not finding what she was looking for, and he scolded her about it and told her that he received information about the whereabouts and that whoever was holding the prize would be severly punished, and the one with her would serve nicely for him. I couldn't make the rest out except for the drop-point that was put on that crappy note you've got there—whoever wrote that thing didn't have it planned out beforehand, otherwise it'd be neater. The note says that if the girls don't go to the Khan el Khalili, they will be hunted down and skinned! The sick bastard!” Inuyasha conjectured. `So the fool left a clue for me, how thoughtful! No doubt the Khan is crawling with his mercenaries…” Sesshomaru thought to himself.

“Well, all the more reason to make sure Kagome and Sango never leave yours nor Miroku's sight, hmmm? Why don't you show the girls the site in Saqqara, maybe the pyramids at Giza if you have time? That should at least throw Naraku off their track for a day or so, don't you agree?” Sesshomaru gave Inuyasha a stern look.

“Keh!” was Inuyasha's gruff reply as he rose from his seat. There wasn't much he could do at this point: Sesshomaru had him backed into a corner, demanding that he play the hero—or else he could kiss his archaeological career goodbye—it was a tragic situation indeed for Inuyasha. As Inuyasha tried to make his way towards the door, Sesshomaru called out to him (a/n: poor guy! He can't even get out the door before someone stops him!).

“Inuyasha?” Inuyasha let out a sigh of annoyance and turned around to face Sesshomaru once again.

“Whaddya want now? Can't a man leave in peace?” Inuyasha groaned.

“Do try to get along with Kagome, will you? She's a lovely girl when you get to know her…it might prove to be an opportunity to fine-tune those horrid social skills of yours. The boys at Oxford were quite miffed when you brushed them all off after that last lecture series you gave---it was quite a sad state of affairs really….”

“Can we not get so condescending Lord Sesshomaru? Let's face the facts:their feigned interest in Egyptology was sadder than my brush-off. Bunch of spoiled little brats if you ask me!” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“You still haven't given me your word on whether you will be amiable towards Kagome or not! Well?” Sesshomaru asked, a small smirk crept across his lips.

“I can stand the wench if she doesn't get in my face all of the time,” Inuyasha said haughtily. Sesshomaru stifled a small chuckle.

“You forget, that she will be `in your face' as you call it, all the time. All Naraku needs is a spare second of neglect to make his move, no matter where you'll be. You can choose to make this as hellish as you want, Inuyasha---but if I hear that Kagome or Sango are being mistreated, your funding goes, bye-bye. Do I make myself clear?” Sesshomaru said seriously.

“Yeah, I'll try—but don't expect me to lay out the red carpet for her! I don't have time to waste on stupid broads who hold up my work! I'm not a goddamned nanny you know!”

“Yes Inuyasha, I am quite aware of that. Just think of this as a small favor in the name of scientific inquiry—when this is over and done with, you can go back to life as usual and you won't have to worry about any money for your digs. Have we a deal?” Inuyasha let that last part sink in---` So if I put up with the wench for maybe a month or so, me and Miroku can keep the site and not have to worry about any dough…hmmm…if I can deal with the snobs and the academic elite I sure as hell can stomach her presence. Not too bad…'

“ Fine. I'll be `nice' to the wench and her maid. Hell, as long as I can keep the dig and the firman, I'll be nice to whoever you want,” Inuyasha answered cockily.

“Glad that we see eye-to-eye on this one. Good night, tomorrow's going to be a long day. Just remember to meet with me as soon as you return---I may have some news about what our friend Naraku's been planning.” Inuyasha nodded and left the suite. He was not looking forward to the next day—at least that's what he was telling himself. Sesshomaru allowed himself a contented smile. `This should be interesting…'