"Tell me again what happened. Leave out no detail."
"Your will, Lord.
"I purified myself before the rise of the sun, dressed in my finest vestments, and made obeisance at the outer door. I entered, locked the door behind me, and performed obeisance again. Then I cleansed myself again. I unlocked the inner door and entered. I performed obeisance and cleansed myself again. I spoke the words to the family kami and then explained that Master Nobuyasu was gravely ill but he felt that I was ready and thus had granted me leave to perform the ceremony in his stead. I said that I would leave immediately if this was unacceptable to the Great Ones and to please grant me a sign if it were the case. The lamp never so much as flickered, My Lord! I swear it."
"You swear it? And your word is worth what? You failed your duty to the treasures of Clan Hagoromo! Our history is impoverished for your carelessness and stupidity!" Ritsuo found himself out of his chair and on his feet, killing intent flooding the room and driving Uryū to his knees in full dogeza. The already-terrified middle-aged chūnin was groveling, pleading for his life and sobbing.
Ritsuo forced himself to control his breathing and his temper. He wrestled his killing intent back into its box and sat down again.
"Continue. Leave out no detail."
"Yes, My Lord. The kami having given no sign, I moved around the room, performing the full purification ritual at each corner and each center. I started at the southwest corner, the one farthest from the door, as is specified in the ancestral texts. I made obeisance before refilling the reservoir on the Ancestral Flame. I unboxed the new lampshade and set the box aside reverently. I cleansed the inside and outside of the shade with the sacred brush, and then I changed it out for the shade already on the Flame so that the family kami would have new patterns of light and shadow to amuse them. I said the prayer, tapped the gong, and sprinkled a drop of water. Then I moved to the center of the east wall, made obeisance, said the prayer, and sprinkled a drop of water. I moved to the northeast corner and made obeisance, and that is when the Ancestral Flame erupted.
"Sacred oil splashed everywhere and the very air seemed to ignite. The oil soaked my vestments and I was ablaze. My hair scorched and burned but I slapped it out with my sleeve as I ran out the door. It was only then that I realized what had happened. I opened the door to go back and attempt to salvage some of the Treasures, but the fire was too hot. I am so, so sorry, My Lord."
