Summary

In Chapter 18, Aritomo and Ling walked to the Temple of Clouds. The climb was brutal and Ling was disappointed when they arrived at a group of buildings falling into disrepair. Aritomo pointed out the face of a rock and when the sun appeared from being some clouds, Ling saw that the rock was covered with shimmering butterflies that began to fly away in small groups. When they flew through a rainbow, their colors seemed even more vibrant. Ling saw a nun of undetermined age. It was obvious that the nuns recognized Aritomo. He told Ling the story of a thief who was sent to hell, then given a chance to escape but wound up back in hell. He then said he wanted to know about Ling's time in the prison camp.

Chapter 19 reverts to Ling's story of her life before the Japanese invasion...