by I. J. Parker
Akitada smiled. “Really? ABuddhist priest? I see. You have a gentleman’s education and are a verytalented young man, Sergeant.”
Kaoru flushed more deeply. “Ido not lie either, sir,” he snapped.
“No, I can see that.” Akitadapaused a moment. Having enjoyed Kaoru’s discomfiture, he decided he hadtormented the young man enough. “Perhaps you would not mind drawing me a planof the manor. I am particularly interested to know if there is access by meansother than the main gate.”
Kaoru brightened. “There is oneway, sir. A hidden door and secret passage. But it will admit only a few men.”He reached for Akitada’s ink cake, poured a few drops of water in the dish andbegan to rub ink. “It’s in the northeast wall and leads to a narrow passageinside the wall. You come out in one of the closed galleries. Its purpose is toallow the lord and his family to escape, or to send out messengers if the manoris under siege.” Pulling over some paper with one hand, he dipped a brush intothe ink and began to sketch rapidly. “Here, sir. That’s where the exit is.”
Akitada bent over the plan andnodded. “Hmm. It could be just what we need. What about guards?”
“I doubt many know about it.Besides, only one man at a time can use it. There is a movable panel that canbe barred from inside.” Kaoru paused and then asked hesitantly, “Will you haveto tell many people about this, sir?”
“Don’t worry, your secret issafe. Only Tora and Hitomaro will know.”
Kaoru stared at him, butAkitada kept his face impassive. After a moment, Kaoru said, “I take it theyare to go in and then open the main gate for Takesuke’s men? I don’t think thatwill work, sir. The secret passage may not be guarded, but it is a long wayfrom the gate, and they do not know their way about. Please allow me toaccompany them.”
Akitada thought about it andnodded. “You may be right, and I suppose you are the only man for the job atthat.”
The other man blinked but saidnothing.
“Very well,” Akitada said,folding up the plan. “The four of us then.”
“Surely not you, sir? Whatabout Genba?”
“Genba has great strength andcourage, but he has never learned to use a sword. Besides, someone has to stayhere.”
“But what if something goeswrong . . . the place is crawling with warriors. Think of your lady.”
Akitada had looked in on Tamakoduring the night and watched her sleeping peacefully. The thought that theymight not meet again, and worse, that his decision would destroy her also,perhaps as soon as the following day, had sickened him. Now he glared at Kaoruand snapped, “I’m going.” Seeing Kaoru’s dismay, he added more calmly, “We willneed something to distract the soldiers’ attention.”
They sank into a glum silence.
“I think I have an idea,” Kaorusuddenly said, “but it will mean withdrawing the siege troops a little.”
“That can be arranged. Go on.”
“My grandmother is a miko,a medium who foretells the future by going to sleep and letting the gods speakthrough her. You know what I mean?”
Akitada nodded, but his heartsank. Hitomaro’s madwoman from the outcast village. He had little respect forsuch practices, and in this case their lives would depend on Kaoru’s senilegrandmother.
Kaoru saw his expression andsaid, “My grandmother is well known at the manor. She used to serve as a lady’smaid there many years ago when she was a young girl, and she still has friendsamong the servants.”
“Surely Uesugi will not admither at the present time.”
“On the contrary. He willwelcome her because he is superstitious. If Takesuke withdraws and she shows up,he will ask for a prediction about his chances.”
“Ah.” Akitada considered it,then shook his head. “No, I cannot permit it. It would put your grandmotherinto extreme danger.”
“She won’t stay long. Besides,they will be afraid to harm her.”
“But how will she be able tocreate a disturbance, yet leave before the alarm is given?”
“She will have help. She willonly tell Uesugi his future and leave a message with one of the servants.Koreburo will take care of everything else. He could set a small fire perhaps?”
Akitada considered the drawingagain and nodded slowly. “Yes, it might work. A small conflagration with muchsmoke, easily put out. Just here, I think. Where the southern gallery makes aturn.” He pointed, then looked up. “Did you say Koreburo? Isn’t that the oldman who used to play go with Hideo?”
Kaoru nodded. “He will be eagerto help. He blames Makio and Kaibara for Hideo’s death.”
“Does he indeed? He did not sayso to me.”
Kaoru shrugged. “He’s a strangeold fellow, but he could have picked up something from the other servants. Inany case, he can be trusted.”
Akitada gave the other man along look, then nodded. “Very well. I will give detailed instructions toTakesuke before we meet. Meanwhile, you can make your arrangements.”
Kaoru rose and bowed. “Youhonor me with your confidence, sir. Allow me.” He stepped to the shutters andthrew them open, letting in a gust of cold air. There was a full moon, fitfullyrevealed by dark clouds, but in the east the darkness grew faintly lighter. “Itwill be dawn in an hour. If I leave for my village immediately and carry mygrandmother part of the way to Takata on my horse, Koreburo should be readybefore the noon rice. Shall we meet below the manor at the start of the hour ofthe horse?”
“Yes.” Akitada came and lookedat the driving clouds. “When will the great snow start? I have been expectingit for weeks.”
“Perhaps today, perhaps later.”Kaoru spoke with the indifference of a local man. “The snows will come in theirown time.” He smiled suddenly. “It will still be possible to send the news tothe capital that we have taken Takata.”
Akitada raised his brows butsaid only, “We will need a signal from inside the manor.”
“When all is ready, Koreburowill give the cry of the snow goose. If that is all, sir, I shall be on my way.”
After Kaoru had gone, Akitadastood for a few more moments at the open shutters. The idea of war was foreignto him. This day would decide life or death for many. Uesugi, Takesuke, andKaoru, perhaps even the fate of an emperor along with that of an old servantwho risked his life for the memory of a dead friend. His own also, and that ofTamako and their unborn child. There were no more choices, no options ofescape. He had accepted this charge and offered up the lives of his family andhis friends along with his own. Tamako’s warning about the letter to thecapital came to his mind. Uesugi was not his only worry. Did any man have theright to gamble with the lives of others?
He sighed, hating this harshnorthern land with its superstitions, its violence, its people’s predilectionfor secrets and plots.
There was a scratching at thedoor. He called, “Enter!” and closed the shutters. Oyoshi came in hesitantly.
“Do I disturb you, sir?”
“No. You are very welcome.”Afraid that his fears and self-doubts were written large on his face, Akitadawas effusive, inviting Oyoshi to sit and pouring him a cup of tea.
Oyoshi looked strained, butAkitada’s fussing seemed to reassure him. “I have waited anxiously to speak toyou since we found Mrs. Omeya’s body,” he said after a sip of tea. “You havebeen very busy, and this has been my first opportunity. How are things going,sir?”
“I will leave for Takata latertoday,” said Akitada, “to settle the Uesugi matter.”
“Oh, dear. Forgive me. I havechosen a bad time. Let me be brief then. I wish to resign my office as yourcoroner.”
“But why?” Akitada’s heartsank. He had expected something, but he pretended surprised shock.
Oyoshi smiled a little. “Thereis no need to spare my feelings, sir. Even before Mrs. Omeya’s death, I feltthat you regretted my appointment. I made a foolish mistake with the mutilatedbody, and that certainly proved me incompetent. Since then, I’m afraid, therehave been more serious suspicions. I won’t embarrass you or myself by askingwhat they are, but I wanted to tell y
ou that I will leave as soon as you havefound a replacement.”
Akitada sighed. “My friend,” hesaid, “and I hope I may still call you that-I have made many mistakes since Iarrived. Perhaps some of my mistakes have cost lives and will cost more. Notthe least of my mistakes was to doubt you. I should have known that a man whowould risk his life to perform an illegal exhumation at my request would not atthe same time plot against me.” He bowed to Oyoshi. “I apologize humbly for myfoolishness.”
The doctor became so agitatedthat he spilled his tea. “Oh, no,” he cried. “Please don’t. You were quiteright to suspect everyone, and who more than myself? What could you know aboutme, who had hidden his past from everyone? What should you think when I gavethe wrong testimony in court? Why should you trust me when I was soconveniently on the premises when Mrs. Omeya was killed? You did quite rightand have behaved with the greatest justice and patience towards me.”
“You will stay then?”
Oyoshi did not answer rightaway. He put down his teacup and wiped his fingers. “There is another thing. Ikilled someone,” he said softly. “I had a very bad moment when Tora saidsomething about murderous doctors and looked at me in a very knowing way. May Itell you about it?”
Akitada said quickly, “There isno need. I am quite satisfied.”
“Allow me, sir. Many years ago,in another province, I served as personal physician to … a powerful man. Icaused my patient’s death after I discovered that my wife had spent more timein his bed than in mine. It was wrong to love her more than my duty.” He brokeoff and raised a hand to hide his face in shame.
“You were not found out?”
Oyoshi lowered his hand andsmiled bleakly. “No. He was ill and I attended him. Once I was a very goodphysician. I could have saved his life, but I let him die. Afterwards Idivorced my wife and left the area. I spent the next ten years traveling,working at fairs and treating the poor, earning a few coppers as a barber nowand then to buy medicines. For another fifteen years after that I tried thereligious life. I entered a monastery, but in the end the guilt would not leaveme and it grated on my ears to be called a holy man. So I took to the roadagain and ended up here, where I hoped to end my life in obscurity.” He gave ahollow laugh and shook his head.
Akitada was relieved. “Legallyyou are not guilty of murder,” he said. “This will not prevent you from servingas coroner.”
“I must confess to yet anotheroffense,” Oyoshi said sadly. “When I saw you at Takata, ill, outnumbered,outmanipulated, and surrounded by forces you seemed neither by background norby personality equipped to handle, you seemed lost. Then, when you asked me toserve as your coroner, I formed the somewhat confused idea of throwing in mylot with you. Circumstances favored this, and the more I learned about you, themore convinced I became that joining your downfall would be my personalatonement. I planned to end my life with you and thus make amends for my past.But I was quite wrong. You have fought the evil in this province successfullyand you will prevail, while I must continue to bear my guilt.”
For a moment Akitada was sotaken aback by this that he did not know whether to laugh or be angry. Then heremembered the coming battle and said, “I suppose both my arrogance and myignorance, obvious to everyone but me, blinded me to the local problems in thebeginning. You were not wrong about me. I have little to be proud of, and had Iknown how badly I would bungle, I would have fled in panic. Let us hope thatsome good may still come of our most foolish actions. I want you to stay.”
Oyoshi brushed at his eyes. “Ifyou truly wish it, sir,” he murmured. He rose awkwardly and stumbled from theroom.
¦
Heavygray clouds swirled above and sleet stung their faces. Below them, the forestenclosing the frozen fields looked funereal, like a black stole draped across apallid hempen gown. It was past midday. Hours ago, Akitada and Takesuke hadridden up to the Takata gate and demanded Makio’s surrender. A hail of arrowshad been their answer. After that, Takesuke had withdrawn his troops, andAkitada, along with Hitomaro and Tora, had gone to meet Kaoru.
The four would make the dangerousattempt to get inside the fortified manor. They wore straw rain capes overlight armor and waited hidden among trees where they could see part of the roadleading up to the manor. A quarter of the hour passed before the old womanappeared, walking slowly and leaning on the arm of a girl.
“Isn’t that your sister?”Hitomaro asked Kaoru. “Why risk her life?”
“My cousin. She usually goesalong and I could not stop her.”
They waited again, nervouslynow, until the two women returned. The girl loosened the shawl around her headand let it blow in the wind for a moment before she retied it.
“Good girl! All is ready,” saidKaoru, adding grimly, “Let’s hope we do our part as well.”
Akitada looked up at the sky togauge the time. There was no sun. The icy wind pushed angry gray clouds beforeit, clouds so low that they hid the snowy tops of the distant mountains. Wispsof cloud drifted across the dark roofs of Takata manor- shredded silk gauzefrom a mourner’s train.
They left the trees at a runand dashed across the road. Up the hill, still at a run, they kept mostly to agully, a jagged scar which ran up the barren hillside. The gully gave them somecover, but then they were in the open again and close enough to the manor thata single archer on one of the galleries could pick them off one by one, likerunning deer.
As they ran uphill, the lowclouds finally released the first heavy drops. They congealed into sleet in thecold wind and stung their faces. Akitada clasped his heavy sword to his side soit would not get between his legs and trip him. His armor was also heavy andcumbersome, and the rain-soaked straw cape flapped wetly against him. Hisbreath soon came in hoarse gasps, his chest hurt, and his leg muscles ached,but he was ashamed to fall back behind the others. When they reached the steepoutcropping under the eastern wall, he sagged against the rock, drenched insweat despite the bitter cold.
They huddled there for alittle, in a blind spot where an overhanging gallery hid them from watchingeyes above, and waited for the signal. The icy wind cut through the straw coatsand turned the metal scales of their armor into ice against their wet bodies.Akitada’s teeth chattered from cold and nerves.
Below the land stretched away,empty sere fields traversed by the darker line of the road. They had come fromthe forest to the north and followed a path so narrow and overgrown that onlyKaoru had known how to find it. He had kept an eye on the ramparts above them,but they had seen no watchers. Takesuke and his men were on the other side,below the approach to the manor’s gate, and that was where Uesugi expected theattack to come from.
Here immense slabs of rock roseto an outer wall and to the black timbers of a gallery jutting into the stormygray sky above them. Dry shrubs and stunted trees grew from cracks in therocks. Kaoru moved along the path to one of the slabs of rock and felt it. Hegrunted and gave a push, and Akitada saw a crack widen into a thin blackfissure.
Like the tomb entrance, Akitadathought with a shiver. He said aloud, “What about the signal?”
Kaoru nodded. “We wait a littlelonger, but there isn’t much time left.”
So they stood, shivering in thesleeting rain with their sword grips freezing to their perspiring palms,wondering if Koreburo had been caught. Akitada heard distant drumbeats carriedon the wind in snatches. Takesuke was following instructions and exercising histroops. Akitada wished himself a common foot soldier, trotting briskly andunencumbered by heavy armor to the command of an officer. He was impatient toget this over with, to confront what lay in wait behind the stone door. Action,any kind of action, was preferable to this agonizing process of congealing inthe freezing blasts.
When it finally came, that cryof the snow goose, once, and quickly again, they exchanged glances, then tossedoff their straw wraps and gripped their swords more tightly. Kaoru and Toratogether pushed the stone aside. A dark and narrow stone stairway ascendedinside.
Suddenly, before Kaoru couldtake the lead, Hitomaro pushed past Akitada
and disappeared into the darkness.Tora muttered a curse, and Akitada drew his sword and went after Hitomaro intothe murky shaft leading upward. Hitomaro’s rapid steps sounded ahead, but itwas too dark to see. What was the fool doing? At any moment he might run intodanger and give them away. More steps shuffled behind, but Akitada was bent oncatching up with Hitomaro.
The climb through a tight blackspace, only occasionally lit by air holes in the outer walls, seemed to lastforever. The steps twisted, turned, and switched back. Akitada’s sword onceclattered against the wall and he caught it. Someone behind him slipped andcursed softly. Sweat trickled down Akitada’s temples, and his fingers crampedaround the sword hilt. He tried to listen, but his breathing and the bloodpounding in his ears muffled all other sounds. If Hitomaro had encountered aguard, he was already a dead man. And so were they all.
Then he caught a faint whiff ofburning oil. Wood scraped on wood and, as he turned a corner, faint light camethrough a grate just large enough for a man to get through. Hitomaro coweredthere, a hulking black shadow, until Akitada saw his face flushed by the lightas he removed the grate and slipped through the opening.
“Come, sir,” he said softly,holding out a hand to Akitada. “It’s safe.”
“That was a very foolish trick,”Akitada hissed angrily. “You might have ruined everything by rushing ahead whenKaoru knows the way.”
Hitomaro’s face wasexpressionless. “Sorry, sir.”
Akitada climbed out into anempty enclosed gallery. The corridor was a little over a hundred feet long, itsnarrow shutters closed tight against the weather, and the dim space lit at eachend by large metal oil lamps attached to beams. It was silent and deserted, butthey could hear men shouting outside. No doubt Uesugi’s warriors were gettingready for Takesuke’s attack.
The other two joined them.Akitada said, “Very well. Let’s see about finding Uesugi and opening that gate.”It sounded ridiculously simple to his ears and, standing there in the enemy’sstronghold, he half believed it would be.