Governor Nagai had profited from the smuggling and let his minions suffer the consequences. Since all the witnesses to his involvement were dead and no other evidence existed, Sano had been unable to induce Supreme Judge Takeda to prosecute Nagai. The only possible threat to him was Kiyoshi, who might know more about the smuggling operation than he’d told his father. But Nagai had bought the young man’s silence by restoring his protégé status. With this “connection,” Kiyoshi and his new in-laws would prosper. The corrupt governor was safe.
“Yes. Well.” Governor Nagai’s eyes narrowed as he perceived the cut Sano had dealt him, but his manner remained affable, befitting a public appearance. “I’m honored by your praise of my hands—which will continue to control this administration for the foreseeable future.” And there’s nothing you can do about it, said his smirk.
With veiled mutual antagonism, they exchanged bows. As Sano climbed into the ferry, he said, “When I reach Edo, the shogun will hear about everything that happened.”
Nagai chuckled. “I am sure he will. But perhaps you may wonder what happened to the smugglers’ loot. As we speak, it is on its way to Chamberlain Yanagisawa. He will no doubt appreciate my generous tribute.” With a triumphant smile, he turned and led away his entourage.
While the ferryman rowed Sano toward the ship, he gazed after Governor Nagai with grudging admiration. Trust the politically astute governor to protect himself! The lavish gift would improve his standing with Chamberlain Yanagisawa, who would in turn thwart any actions Sano took against Nagai. While Sano had brought a murderer to justice, closed down the smuggling ring, and saved himself and Hirata, he’d lost the final round of the battle. But the loss was yet another valuable lesson, which revealed new challenges in his vow to defend his homeland.
As a police detective, and later as the shogun’s sōsakan, he’d approached every investigation like a soldier riding into battle. He’d thrown body and soul into a one-man crusade against corruption—a force as dangerous to Japan as any external threat. But one man couldn’t purge the Tokugawa regime of evil any more than he could single-handedly repel a military invasion. To win, Sano must abandon the role of the lone soldier who would inevitably fall before the enemy host. He must become a general, marshalling allies and troops, building the power and influence he needed to defeat men like Governor Nagai. And it would be his ongoing challenge to understand his own motives. He must labor to align them with what was right and good; to differentiate the selfish impulses from the honorable; to minimize casualties in his search for truth and justice.
The ferry drew up to the ship, whose bold banners fluttered above the curved wooden hull and ornate lacquer-and-gilt cabin. Sailors dropped a ladder for Sano to climb; Hirata helped him onto the deck. At the captain’s orders, the crew raised anchor. The sail billowed, and the ship moved down the harbor channel toward the open sea. Sano and Hirata stood in the stern, watching Nagasaki’s docks, houses, and hills recede.
“I’ve never been so glad to leave a place,” Hirata said fervently. He waved to the cheering crowd on shore. “I’d rather be seasick all the way home than stay here another moment.”
“I agree,” Sano said, though not only because of their bad experiences. Nagasaki, the trouble zone where Japan met the outside world, also represented the junction between his past and future. In leaving the city, he also left behind his political innocence, his mistakes, and his isolation for new allegiances and myriad new opportunities for success.
“What do you suppose has happened in Edo while we’ve been gone?” Hirata mused.
Sano smiled. “Your guess is as good as mine. But I do know that things will be different when I—” his eyes met Hirata’s “—I mean, when we get back.”
To Marty Rowland
ALSO BY LAURA JOH ROWLAND
Shinjū
Bundori
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LAURA JOH ROWLAND, the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, is the author of Shinjū and Bundori. She lives with her husband and three cats in New Orleans. The Way of the Traitor is her third novel.
The Way of the Traitor Page 32