Over by a particularly splendid group of trees, near an ornamental pond, stood the group that Tomoko had been hoping to see. They were geisha, half a dozen of them in their heavily embroidered robes and perfect make-up, hair piled high on their heads. A few younger girls, dressed less elaborately but still very richly, attended them, along with older women in darker, servants' clothes. The women held parasols above their heads, protecting them from the few rays of sun that sneaked through the branches, and stopping the blossoms from falling into their lacquered hair. One of the younger girls had dressed in a dramatic dark purple kimono, and the pale blossoms that fell onto the skirt looked rather magnificent, a fact which did not seem to escape her for a moment. It was strange to see these beautiful, rare women out in the park, framed by the gnarled trees, with the hems of their layered kimono getting damp in the grass despite their high wooden geta, three or four times as high as Tomoko's more practical pair. Some of them looked lost outside, but others, despite their superb posture and perfect clothes, were obviously enjoying the excursion, chatting to each other quietly and pointing out features of the park with the subtle and oddly identical gestures of trained dancers.