Shimazura lowered himself to the tatami mat, folding his legs beneath him so he was sitting formally. The sound of a shamisen being gently plucked came drifting across the courtyard garden. Shimazura closed his eyes, allowing the music to wash over him.

"What do you think?" Saigo, his host, asked him.

"It is very pleasing." Shimazura opened his eyes and bowed his head towards the samurai lord. "I am humbled to be invited here, to experience this."

Saigo laughed. "It has been hard-earned. It would tear my soul if I was to lose it." The lord's face hardened momentarily, then returned to its usual neutral expression. "Would you care for some refreshment?" Saigo did not wait for an answer; instead he clapped his hands to summon a servant bearing a tray. "Tea?"

"Thank you."

The servant placed two bowls of steaming tea between the samurai, alongside a pair of delicately coloured okashi. Shimazura glanced towards Saigo.

"Please. Drink." Saigo gestured at the bowl in front of Shimazura, who did as the noble bid. He raised the bowl to his lips and drank deeply from it. The tea was scalding hot, with an acrid, smoky taste.

"What do you think, Shimazura-san?"

Shimazura put the bowl down. "It has a strong taste - somewhat bitter."

"Indeed." The ghost of a smile played around Saigo's lips. "I think it is an appropriate blend for a day such as this. It reminds us that even as we sit here amongst the trappings of harmony, we may still be troubled by the worries of existence."

Shimazura pondered his host's words in silence, the took another sip of tea from the bowl. "Appropriate," he said in agreement.

"But." Saigo raised his index finger. "But we have it in our power to create a new blend of tea - one that may be more pleasant on our palates. Then we could drink and know that all was right both on Earth and in Heaven. Surely that would be better?"

Shimazura drained the tea from his bowl, then bit into the okashi. The sweetness of the confection chased the bitter taste from his tongue. He allowed the remnants of the okashi to slowly dissolve.

Saigo bent forward and picked up the bowl of tea that had been placed in front of him. But, instead of drinking from it himself, he raised the bowl and offered it to Saigo. A wisp of fragrant steam rose from the tea, blending with the scents that filled the air around the courtyard. "Shimazura-san. Will you not join me in enjoying this new blend of tea?"