Upstairs in the inn, Noriko checked the rooms to see that the bedding was laid out properly for the inn's guests. Bedding was customarily laid out in the evenings and taken up in the mornings to make room for daytime activities. Noriko's own bedding took up almost all the floor space in what was, during the day, her office. Many guests were already in their rooms, talking or playing games. Several had gathered in one room to make music. She cast a gimlet gaze over each room, making ...