“My movements at Court are somewhat constrained,” Lady Snow said. “Please continue.”
“I thought you wanted to speak of other things?” I asked.
“I do. Yet I have an urge to believe that, one day, whoever or whatever killed Kei-chan will be discovered and punished. Foolish of me, perhaps, but there it is. Lord Yamada, I do not ask that you betray confidences or tell secrets to one such as myself, but the nature of my profession does allow me a freedom of travel about the city that many other women do not have. Perhaps I can be of use to you when we return to the capital.”
While I still wanted to strangle Kenji for his loose talk, I had to admit Lady Snow had a point. Nor could I see any harm in telling what little we knew. We were far from the only ones who knew it. Lady Snow listened attentively to everything I said, and when I was done, she appeared very thoughtful.
“But there would be no reason,” she said aloud. I didn’t think she was talking to me.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Kei was still a child, even by the standards of the Court. She had no lovers, no jealous rivals.”
I frowned. “Well, yes, but I don’t understand what this has to do with the matter. We already know Kei was not attacked by a human being. Such was impossible. The only common factor is this dark spiritual energy that I mentioned before. Unless we sort out what the thing is, we have no way of fighting it.”
“I don’t know anything about clouds and such, but of course it’s possible. What I’m saying is there was no reason. Kei-chan had no enemies,” Lady Snow repeated.
Now both Kenji and I were staring at her. Nidai, for his part, merely looked confused as if he had come across three gods discussing one of the finer points of spiritual refinement and karmic debt.
One of us had to ask, so I was the first. “How could a person strike unseen? Are you talking about magic? While I certainly am no expert on Yin Yang or other magical forms, an associate of mine is, and there was nothing about the attacks he recognized.” That had been one of my earlier suspicions, especially considering the persistent rumors about a link between Lord Sentaro and Chinese magic. While I admitted the possibility that Yu had lied to me, there didn’t seem much point to doing so. Especially since Kanemore would have richly rewarded him for solving the murders.
“I certainly was not speaking of magic. Who would need such a thing anyway? If someone wished Kei ill, they would more likely strike the same way the Lady of Rokuji did.”
Now we were all staring at her, even Nidai. Kenji and I exchanged glances, but I simply shrugged and let Kenji be the one to ask the obvious question.
“Who is the Lady of Rokuji?” Kenji asked. “The Sixth Ward of the city contains quite a few noblewomen. A few are of my personal acquaintance.”
Now it was Lady Snow’s turn to stare at us as if Kenji and I had grown an extra head each. Then she suddenly bowed low and started to shake uncontrollably. Nidai rushed to her side, apparently thinking my first thought that Lady Snow had been seized with some sort of fit and needed help. The truth, once it finally revealed itself, was a little more puzzling. She was laughing.
At us.
Nidai sat back on his heels, frowning. I merely waited for Lady Snow to compose herself. I was not used to being laughed at and could not say that I cared for it, but at the moment I was far more curious about what had caused Lady Snow’s uncharacteristic merriment.
“We said something humorous?” I said, as if it were an actual question.
Lady Snow finally managed to raise herself off the grass. There were tears in her eyes and her nose was running. All in all, she did not look her best. Even so, the laughter made her look years younger. Nidai produced a cloth that could not have been any too clean, but Lady Snow did not question. She merely blew her nose and wiped the tears away.
“Forgive . . . forgive me, gentlemen, I just realized.” Whatever she just realized set off another laughing fit—of shorter duration this time. The cloth was scarcely needed. When she looked up again, she managed to keep her composure. “Again I must apologize. It’s just that it never occurred to me you didn’t know, didn’t recognize . . . ”
“The Lady of Rokuji? As Kenji pointed out, there are many such.”
“No, sirs, there is only one. A person,” she said, “from Genji Monogatari.”
For a few moments all I could do was blink like an owl surprised in daylight. Of course I had heard of the story of Genji; it had been written about fifty years earlier by a lady of the Court known as Murasaki. As it was the height of bad manners to record a lady’s name directly, lest it be linked to rumor and gossip, her actual name was obscure. Doubtless there were one or two souls still on the earth who knew her true identity. Still, The Tale of Genji was just one of several yarns of romance and courtly intrigue much favored by the women—and some men—of the Court and upper classes, though in my opinion it had the added disadvantage of being the longest.
Lady Snow glanced from one of us to the other. “Neither of you has read it?”
“Such things aren’t generally available in a temple,” Kenji said, “and would be frowned upon in any case.”
While I certainly couldn’t claim Kenji’s excuse, I didn’t feel I needed one. “I tried to read it, once, before I left the Court,” I said. “A . . . friend recommended it to me.”
A part truth; Princess Teiko had recommended it to me. I had quit after the early chapters, unable to understand why anyone could possibly find enough of interest to keep them going page after page of little but Genji’s shining attributes and romantic adventures. It was the one and only occasion I had reason to question either Teiko’s judgment or taste. She had simply smiled when I told her, as if my failure in this matter was a foregone conclusion. While from that moment forward I had rather suspected that perhaps I had missed something in the tale, I was never so curious as to try the scrolls again and doubt I would have done so even had they fallen into my lap.
“The Lady of Rokuji was one of Genji’s lovers,” Lady Snow said.
“Most of the women in that book were Genji’s lovers, from what little I know. Or, if not, it was not for lack of his trying,” I said dryly.
Lady Snow merely sighed at the interruption and continued. “The Lady of Rokuji was different. Unable to reconcile herself to Genji’s eventual disinterest, she turned her jealousy and her vengeful spirit on two of Genji’s other women: his official wife Aoi and one of his mistresses, Lady Yugao—especially after an insult in which the Lady of Rokuji’s carriage was forced from its spot by a procession in favor of one of the other women. She killed both of her rivals.”
“Killed? How?”
“As I said: her vengeful spirit. This apparition was spotted on at least one occasion by Genji himself, who mistook the creature for someone else.”
Kenji frowned. “You’re saying the lady’s spirit attacked these other two women even though she was still alive?”
“Certainly,” said Lady Snow. “The details of the matter are all there. Though in fairness to the Lady of Rokuji, she didn’t actually mean to harm anyone. Part of the tragedy was that she struck without intent and without realizing what she was doing; her emotions simply got out of her control. So when an unseen attacker killed Taira no Kei, I assumed it was something similar. Yet there was no Lady of Rokuji, at least so far as Kei-chan was concerned; she didn’t have an enemy in the world. That’s why the idea makes no sense.”
“Not to be difficult, Lady Snow, but does it make no sense because it’s just a story?” I asked. “It didn’t actually happen.”
Lady Snow frowned at me. “Are you so certain? The story was written nearly fifty years ago. How do you know Lady Murasaki was not describing an actual incident? It’s not as if the concept of the ikiryo did not exist before she wrote of it.”
That was true enough, and in fairness now that she mentioned the word I had heard of such a thing as an ikiryo, though I had no personal experience with one and didn’t know anyone who ha
d. Also, I had never in all my time, before or after Court, come across any incident where this was alleged to have actually occurred, and if Lady Snow was correct, Kei had no enemies anyway. There was no reason for an ikiryo to have attacked her.
No reason at all. At least, not for Kei . . .
For several long moments I don’t think I took a breath, and when I did it came out as a sort of hard gasp that made everyone look at me. I had often said there was a little voice inside my head that told me when I was being an ass, though I didn’t always listen or understand. I listened to that little voice now and understood what it told me, and knew it for truth. I was an ass, and one of truly epic proportion. I hoped it was not too late to stop being so.
“Everyone please get some sleep. Tomorrow we’re going to get an early start.”
At first Lady Snow misunderstood. “At most it will take a half day tomorrow to reach Nara. I’ll arrange rooms for us, and we can proceed with our business the day after. There’s no need for haste.”
“On the contrary, there is a need for a great deal of haste, Lady Snow. We’re not going on to Nara tomorrow. We’re going back to the capital.”
I hated the stricken look in Lady Snow’s eyes and the desperation I saw there. I hated even more that I was the one to put those things there. But I had no choice.
“But . . . you promised,” she said, in a small voice like a child’s.
“I promised to go with you to Nara, and I still intend to do so,” I said. “But right now I must return to Kyoto. It is, unfortunately, imperative. I would let you continue to Nara and meet you there later, but Kenji will be returning as well, and despite your obvious skills, I cannot allow you to travel unescorted.”
“It would not be the first time,” Lady Snow said, resigned. “But no matter, I will return with you. But can you at least tell me why we are going back now?”
I wanted to embrace her and tell her she may have just given me the key to solving her friend’s death and preventing worse, but I could not do that, not before I knew. I did tell her the truth, so far as I understood it.
“I cannot tell you why, because I am sure of nothing as of yet, and I will not slander where I have no proof. Yet if I am correct, there is not a day to lose.”
A single tear glistened on her left cheek, but others did not join it. She met my gaze squarely. “Well then. I will ask no more. Good night, gentlemen. Nidai, please walk with me for a moment.”
We did not hear whatever she had to tell Nidai, but he listened very solemnly as they walked together. When they were out of earshot, Kenji turned to me.
“What is this all about? That ikiryo business?”
“I think it might be,” I said.
“Are you saying all those people were murdered by the spirit of a spiteful woman? That this is what the dark cloud is?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I don’t understand why we’re going back now.”
“We’re going back now because any later may be too late. It may already be too late. But maybe there’s a chance.”
“To do what?”
“To stop it. To stop the killing, the monks, Lord Sentaro, everything. But first I need to ask you something: how many of your brother priests remain in the city?”
Kenji pretended to yawn. “A few.”
“I suspect there are more than a few. Can you make contact with them?”
Now Kenji’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps so, given enough time and reason. Why?”
“Because we need their help.”
Kenji grunted. “After what they’ve been through? I’m not sure they’d be willing.”
“Then you must persuade them. Use some of that charm of yours I hear so many rumors about, but never see. Unless you and your brother priests want to remain in hiding from Enryaku-ji for the rest of your lives?”
“Since you put it in those terms, I’ll see—Yamada, look out!”
The last bit came out in a shout. I had never been subject to the military discipline of someone like Kanemore, but let it never be said that I could not obey an order, especially from someone obviously fearful for my life. I threw myself forward and heard the whisper of a blade through the air inches from my right ear. There was a whooshing sound and the thud of wood on flesh. I heard Kenji howl and then curse, and then the whoosh and thud came again.
Thought failed me. I did not remember I had laid my sword to my left, but apparently my body did, and on such things a person’s entire world may turn. I rolled left and came up with the blade just as Lady Snow slashed at me again. I barely blocked the blow with the scabbard, and before she could press her attack I had my blade drawn. She stepped back, her eyes wild and her hair streaming out in a sudden breeze like the flow of a dark river.
“Kenji?”
“Here, Yamada-san.”
Kenji came limping back into my field of vision, holding Nidai’s staff in one hand and a squirming Nidai in the other. The boy tried to strike Kenji again with his bare fists and the priest shook him hard.
“Try that again and I’ll have your scrotum for a purse!”
I pointed my sword squarely at Lady Snow. She turned the dagger in her hand to trail the blade down her forearm, and turned to the side to present the least amount of target. Whoever had taught her to fight had done it well; it was classic defense for dagger against a sword. Of course, the best defense was not to put oneself in that situation in the first place.
“Kiyoshi taught you that, didn’t he? He sought the bushi path, as did Kanemore. I think they trained together at times. Did you watch them?” She just glared at me, and I continued, “Lady Snow, I’ve seen your handiwork before. If you attack me again, I’ll have to kill you. Please believe I will do so.”
Lady Snow abandoned her stance and faced me squarely. My blade was inches from her breast. For a moment I believed she was actually considering impaling herself on my sword. Then the moment passed, and sighing she threw the dagger aside and kneeled in front of me, head bowed.
I glanced at Kenji again. He was favoring his left leg and arm. “Are you hurt?”
“Quite,” Kenji said ruefully. “Much is bruised but nothing’s broken. Not that young Master Nidai here wasn’t doing his best.”
“We’ll attend to him later. There’s some rope in my bundle. Tie him up for now.”
“Please don’t hurt him,” Lady Snow said. “He was only following my instructions. I’m responsible.”
“Are you?”
I kept my voice hard, my face cold. I wanted to scream, but oh, no, I couldn’t react and do all the stupid things I wanted to do now. I had to keep my head clear, no matter what happened next. I understood that, and I kept my screams silent.
Lady Snow glanced up at me, then back down at the ground. She was weeping, but whether in frustration, sadness or rage I did not want to guess. She bared her neck as if awaiting execution.
“Do it,” she said. “I am ready. But please, let Nidai go.”
“Perhaps you are ready,” I said, “but I am not. And for now Master Nidai remains where he is. What happens to him rather depends on you now. Please explain yourself.”
“It was all a lie,” she said. “Everything. There are no documents at Nara. I made a fool of you, and then I tried to kill you. That is all you need to know.”
I put my sword away, but not before I had secured Lady Snow’s dagger and subjected her to the indignity of a search. When I was certain she was carrying no other weapons, I took another length of rope from Kenji.
“Lady Snow, it is for me to decide what I need to know. Prepare yourself for a very uncomfortable night. Tomorrow we’re turning back to the capital as I said we would.”
When I had her secured, I took a closer look at Kenji’s injuries. They were obviously painful enough but not, as he correctly judged, serious.
“The little demon was aiming at my head,” he muttered. “The only reason he missed was I was dodging at the time. He got several good whacks before I got the staff
away from him.”
“I appreciate your restraint. Lady Snow is correct in one regard—he was simply doing what she told him to do.”
“My sense of justice tells me he should be beaten half to death. Or maybe the rest of the way.”
“Mercy, Kenji. He’s just a boy.”
Kenji scowled. “Yamada, sometimes I think you’re more a priest than I am.”
“Lady Snow is more of a priest than you are. Even so, we’re going to need your priest’s training when we get back to Kyoto.”
Kenji tried to ease himself into a more comfortable position. Lady Snow’s tears had dried. She merely kneeled there, bound, her expression resigned. Later I would adjust the ropes so she could lean against a tree, but for now she could stay as she was.
Kenji sighed. “Do you have any idea why she attacked us?”
“She’s refusing to say at present, but I believe it was because we were turning back.”
“Why would she care whether or not we went to Nara if there was nothing there?”
I grunted. “Obviously because someone wanted us out of the capital. Or rather, they wanted me out.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” I said, which was the truth. I did not know. But I suspected a great deal.
Part Six
The inazuma
at harvest breaks the dark sky.
In a heartbeat shows
What was hidden and secret.
Awaiting now the lightning.
Kenji was wearing my spare clothes again when our little procession passed back through the Demon Gate. We took that route rather than the much closer Rasha Gate to avoid a lengthy progress through the city, which would attract far more attention than I wanted. As it was, Lady Snow and Nidai’s hands were bound, and we got several stares and some muttering but no interference. That was fortunate, for I was in not in a gentle mood.
We took the closest street to the eastern gate of the Imperial Compound, where five Taira stood watch.
I was addressed as “Lord Yamada” more out of courtesy than fact, but when I marched up to the gate detachment I played the part to the hilt and in full voice of command. I recognized one man as the bushi in charge, and handed the end of the rope attached to Lady Snow’s wrists to him. For a moment he could only stare at it.
To Break the Demon Gate Page 21