She appears to be telling the truth.<br/><br/>"It is not her you want." said Whisper, his voice low and trembling. "I am the one it is after. I swear though, I didn't know. I only wanted to make enough .." He pauses, licking his lips nervously then starts again.<br/><br/>“It all began last evening. With the festival coming, I was preparing my shop - buying items which would make a profit. I'm a merchant, just a merchant." He sighs nervously. “I followed the Cranes to the warehouse district.  I knew they had contacts, and I wanted in on the deal. I just wanted to make a little koku, for ...” his voice trails off, and he looks at Suruko for a moment.<br/><br/>“I was going to buy her contract, you see.” He looks down at the floor. “The masks which the Scorpions sold me seemed of tremendous quality - they didn't know what they had! I was going to make a fortune. And I did. But then, the Oni came. I heard about it when it attacked Doji Juzo. I thought it was coincidence. But then the Unicorns, and Sanefusa’s warehouse ... now I’m the only one left. The only one who bought those cursed masks. Have you seen them? Worth ten times the price I paid for them. Ten times, and I only got<br/>three when I sold them again ... but you know how Crabs can bargain."<br/><br/>“I know a little about Oni, from my days in the Hida lands, and I knew the sword that Daidoji Anitano had brought back from the Shadowlands was enchanted. It may be the only thing in the city which can kill the Oni. ”