*Koi-san bobs to the surface of his pond, mouth gaping in approval. Hisako Onada, kneeling on the unfinished pine floor skirting the waters, leans forward, offering the strip of beef jerky. "It's from Jim-san," she whispers. "From Tex-ass." Koi-san accepts the morsel gracefully, dipping below the black waters with a faint ripple. A lily shivers. Cypress trees sigh in the garden. In Denton, Jim receives the sub-conscious message of thanks, and is momentarily kind to an undergraduate*