The Heavenward Path

by Kara Dalkey

  I gasped and fell back against the floor cushions. Blessed Amida, what is the meaning of this vision? I wondered. How can I- And then it struck me, all at once, what it meant and what I must do. I jumped up and ran to where Dento sat, chanting his prayers.

  ATTACHMENT

  A spiny seed has stuck itself onto my sleeve. Where should I take it?

  "Dento!" I cried.

  He looked up from the pile of herbs he was burning in a brazier. "Yes? Mitsuko-san, what is it?"

  "I think I have the answer. I know what I can do to avoid Lord Emma-O's judgment. But I need your help."

  "Do you? Please tell me how I can assist you."

  "I have just had a vision. I saw the woman dancing with sakaki branches again. But when I saw her face, it was me!"

  "Was it?" said Dento. "And what do you think this means?"

  "Please, Dento-san." I flung myself to the floor prostrate before him. "Please take me as your acolyte. Make me an ubasoku, as you are!"

  "Well," Dento murmured, fingering his wispy white beard. "Well, this is an interesting turn to things."

  "You told me the women of my clan, when we were Nakatomi, could become ubasoku. You said you thought I, perhaps, had the same abilities they did. Won't you please teach me?"

  "I… I would be honored to have so noble an acolyte to teach, Mitsuko-san. But I confess I do not see how this will help you in your troubles with Lord Emma-O."

  "The Judge of the Dead told me that as punishment for my trespassing, he would have to end my life. But an ubasoku, just like any other monk or nun, must cut all ties to his previous life, neh? He must change his name, and cut his hair, and live separate from human activity, neh? Is that not like dying?"

  "Well, yes, in a manner of speaking-"

  "Then, perhaps, I can bargain with Lord Emma-O. Perhaps he will accept an ending to my present existence. Fujiwara no Mitsuko will no longer be, and I shall become a new person, completely different from what I ever was. Do you think he might accept this?"

  "Bargain with the Judge of the Dead?" whispered Dento in wonderment. "Avoiding your trouble by becoming someone else? What has made you capable of such unusual thoughts, Mitsuko-san?"

  "Please do not think ill of me for this," I said. "But Goranu has been teaching me Tengu-Do. It is he-and a rice cake girl named Suzume-who has prepared me for such thinking."

  "Indeed?" sighed Dento. "How extraordinary. It must be fated that you become an ubasoku. For I will tell you something very few people know. Many ubasoku receive training from tengu. That is where we get some of our… unusual abilities. Even I had such training, long ago."

  I sat up. "You did?" So that is how he knew the tengu teaching that there is always a way around trouble. "But I thought you were suspicious of tengu, and you did not even recognize Goranu when you first met him."

  Dento smiled. "It is always wise for a mortal to be wary of tengu, particularly a monk like me. They are always up to tricks, no matter how friendly they seem. I had never seen your friend Goranu before. I only got to know one of them well: my tengu-sensei, whose name was Kuroihane."

  "Kuroihane! I have met him."

  "Have you? I see him at a distance in the forest from time to time, but we have not spoken in many years."

  "But if tengu hate monks and monks are suspicious of tengu, how can this association be?"

  Dento crushed an aromatic leaf between his fingers and let the crumbs fall into the brazier. "An agreement was made long ago when the first ubasoku came to these mountains. The tengu permitted the ubasoku to remain if the ubasoku promised not to drive out or try to preach to the tengu. In return, the tengu would share some of their knowledge and keep away monks and priests of competing sects. It has not always been successful, for the tengu cannot help what they are, but there is a sort of peace between us."

  I thought this over for some moments. "Then, my friendship with Goranu is no barrier to my becoming your acolyte?"

  "Not at all. But you must consider well," said Dento with a frown, "the consequences of your actions. You will not be marrying Prince Komakai, and therefore your family, the Fujiwara, may lose prestige."

  "I am aware of this," I said softly, "but that would be true if Lord Emma-O takes my life, as well. It cannot be helped. Perhaps as an ubasoku I can use my powers and prayers to prevent greater misfortune from falling on my family."

  Dento nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, this is possible. I am glad you have given it thought. Well, then. What must we do? I have not yet presented myself to Lord Chomigoto's shrine, so we may have a little time to prepare. It was Jizo-bosatsu who was your advocate to Lord Emma-O, you said? How did this happen?"

  "He was summoned for me by the saintly spirits beyond the Great River. Is there a temple nearby at which I might ask the monks to send prayers to Jizo-bosatsu?"

  Dento scratched his wispy beard. "There is no Buddhist temple within miles of here, Mitsuko-san. However, I know a place not far away where there are many stone images of bosatsu. I believe his is among them. Perhaps if I do an offering and invocation there, we might get Jizo's attention."

  I fidgeted with my hands. "Then I suppose that is what we must do. We should leave right away, neh?"

  "No, no, Mitsuko-san. Travel at night through a haunted forest? That is hardly sensible. No, we must wait until morning. Have patience, Mitsuko-san. Lord Emma-O can surely wait a few hours more, and so can you." It was clear Dento would not change his mind. I had no choice but to trust him.

  When Sotoko returned from calming her horse, I told her nothing about my decision. I said only that I was tired and was ready to sleep. She led me to a room where I could curl up on a soft reed mat. It took me a while to get to sleep, for I feared being pounced on by Lord Emma-O's demons. But eventually I drifted off to slumber, with no dreams, and was woken up at dawn by Sotoko shaking my shoulder.

  She gave me warm broth and rice for breakfast, and told me Dento was already awake and meditating in the garden. "So what will you do now?" she asked as I ate. "Do you still plan to somehow repair the shrine?"

  I did not know what I dare reveal-surely, Tsubushima no Riko did not want the shame of his clan talked about, or for me to frighten Sotoko with tales of a ghost nearby or to worry her with my plans to become an ubasoku. So I merely shrugged and said, "I must think about it."

  "Since it is no longer a simple matter, can you not let Papa worry about it and return home?"

  "No, I cannot return home yet."

  "Couldn't your magical tengu build a new shrine for you?" Sotoko asked with a frown.

  "They have the power, but they wouldn't. They told me they will have nothing to do with shrines."

  "What good are they, then? They are ugly and mean, and they use their magic only for tricks. I cannot understand why Father permits you to associate with them."

  I wanted to explain but dared not let her know my feelings about Goranu. She would doubtless be horrified. "They helped our family escape from Lord Tsubushima's castle, remember?"

  Sotoko looked away. "Yes, I suppose there is that. So. What are you going to do?" she persisted. "Are you going to fly on a tengu back to Heian Kyo?"

  "Ummm…" I found I could not tell her about my decision to become an ubasoku. What if she tried to stop me? What would she tell our father? It hurt to have to avoid the truth so much with her. "Dento and I are going to a nearby stone bosatsu to, umm, pray for inspiration on the matter."

  Sotoko's frown deepened. "By yourselves? I can have my two guardsmen accompany you. They are not very smart, but they might frighten away any bears or brigands."

  "No!" I said, too quickly. "I mean, we are not going far. You should not trouble your household on our account."

  Sotoko looked down at the floor, her mouth set in a thin line. "Mitsu-chan. If you are in some sort of trouble, I wish you would confide in me. That is what family is for, neh? I would give you whatever assistance I can."

  "Soto-chan," I began, but my voice caught in my throat. It was very hard to
keep from bursting into tears. "If there was anything-anything you could help with, I would tell you."

  "I see" was all she replied.

  Just then, Dento walked in. "Ho, you are awake now, Lady Mitsuko! Very good. Are you ready for our walk?"

  I stood, guiltily glad for the excuse to leave Sotoko's company. "I am, Dento-san." I bowed and smiled.

  "Then let us be on our way."

  Sotoko saw us to the gate in silence, still upset that I was keeping secrets from her. I did not know what to say to reassure her, so I simply tried to appear as calm and happy as I could.

  Dento and I walked up the road, northward toward Lord Tsubushima's castle, for a ways. Then Dento pointed out a small path branching off to our left into the forest, and we took it. I had a difficult time keeping up with him, for Dento was used to walking great distances nearly every day, whereas I had only recently had to walk much at all. I was huffing and puffing so much, I did not try to converse with him. But once we entered the forest, he slowed down a bit, and I could catch my breath. And I could ask him about something important.

  "Dento-san, since you were trained by them, you must know a lot about tengu, neh?"

  "I know some things. Although, by now, perhaps you know more than I do. Why?"

  "Well, it seems… I have a servant who has become… quite taken with the tengu. She wants to stay with them and… and possibly even marry one of them. But… I have heard that such a thing is forbidden."

  Dento began to laugh, and I could no longer doubt that he had been trained by tengu. "Ho, ho, ho, you are right, and for good reason! You have a foolish servant indeed. Tengu and mortals are quite different creatures. Any offspring from such a marriage would be very strange, and quite miserable, I am sure. Such a child would have powers that would frighten any mortal community, yet it would not be able to do all the things a tengu can do. Such a creature would be unwelcome in either world. And then there are the theological matters to consider-far too confusing. No, it is wise that the tengu stay as apart from us as they do. You should discourage this servant, if you can. Her hopes are quite ridiculous."

  "I see," I said, feeling quite discouraged myself. My hopes of the evening before seemed to vanish like smoke. Was Goranu simply foolish, too? But what was the point of even thinking about it?

  Hopes and plum blossoms,

  so delightful to hold

  but oh, how fragile…

  I noticed that Dento gave me one wondering glance over his shoulder, but he said nothing more.

  As we walked, clouds gathered in the sky. At first there were only a few. But they billowed larger and darker. For a while, I thought it was only my mood that made the weather seem angry and unsettled. But the clouds continued to gather overhead until the sky grew so black that I feared a great storm was upon us. Yet, though a chill storm wind blew, no rain fell, and there was no dampness in the air. I began to feel uneasy. "Dento… these clouds…"

  "Yes. The mountains can produce strange storms, yet this does not seem natural. No matter, we are almost there."

  After a few minutes more of walking, a clearing opened up before us. But it was not a pleasant meadow or mountain lake. It was an area of nearly bare earth-only scraggly weeds growing over it. Large stones stuck out of the ground like bits of dragon bone. "What is this place?"

  "It is where the village that Tsubushima's ancestors destroyed once stood. I do not, as a rule, come here, for it is an ill-aspected place."

  "Lord Chomigoto's village? We are not near his tomb, are we?"

  "Not near, no. But we are not far. Other ubasoku have tried to offer prayers here in the past and put up images of bosatsu in hopes that the sight of saintly ones might ease the suffering of the unquiet dead."

  "Unquiet dead," I whispered, pulling my kimonos tighter around me. Something tugged at my sleeves and hair, but when I turned I saw nothing. Only wisps of white out of the corners of my eyes. "Dento-"

  "Let us hurry. Over here."

  I followed him, trying to calm myself. Had I not stood before the Lord of Death? What had I to fear from spirits? Spirits had helped me when I stood at the River, even summoning Jizo for me. But those had been saintly souls, not tormented wraiths unable to leave this world. Stories of ghosts possessing the bodies of the living came to mind, spirits who could freeze one's blood just by looking at one. I hurried up to Dento, who was kneeling by some fallen stones.

  I knelt down beside him as he picked up one of the stones. It was a crude statue of Jizo, very simplified. Dento placed it on a flat rock and began to lay out little braziers.

  The wind plucked at my kimonos again, and I turned to look behind me. Pale faces of women and children, but distorted, mouths open and eyes wide, stared back at me. "Dento!" I whispered urgently, "There are ghosts-"

  "Pay them no mind!" he said. "I must concentrate on the summoning. Give me some strands of your hair."

  "My hair?"

  "You will be cutting much of it when you become my acolyte, neh? What are a few strands to you now?" Dento pulled from his brown pouch a short, sharp knife and cut a few strands of my hair. He blew on the tiny coals in the brazier and laid the hair across them. The smell this produced was not pleasant.

  Dull thunder rumbled in the sky, but I did not turn around.

  Dento threw some sandalwood chips into the brazier as well, changing the scent, though not making it sweeter. Then, clasping his hands together, he rocked back and forth, chanting as the saintly souls had done, "Jizo, Jizo, Jizo, Jizo-"

  I did not know whether I should join in, but I did to distract myself from the pale presences behind me. My spine felt cold, as if someone were trickling ice water down my back.

  A golden glow appeared around the crude statuette. Although the stone image did not change, a voice spoke out of the air above it. "Who is it who so urgently summons me, in so dire a place?"

  "Jizo!" I cried.

  "I pray on behalf of one you have helped before, O Holy One," said Dento, bowing until his forehead touched the ground.

  "Ah!" the voice continued. "Fujiwara no Mitsuko. I had not expected to speak with you again so soon. What would you ask of me?"

  "Jizo-bosatsu," I said, "I have unintentionally fulfilled the terms of my sentence. My tengu friends have replenished Lord Chomigoto's tomb with the treasure of the dragon Kai-Lung. And the one who summoned you is the last descendant of Chomigoto-sama's worshipers."

  "Ah. Ah. Who would have guessed that such extraordinary friends could do such harm? But that is tengu for you, neh? I am so sorry for you, Mitsuko-san. I did what I could."

  "You are blameless, Jizo-bosatsu. But, if you please, there is one more thing you may do for me. I have an offer to make to Lord Emma-O regarding my crime of trespassing in his realm."

  "An offer? You must understand, Mitsuko-san, that O-sama takes his justice seriously. He is not to be trifled with."

  I pulled my kimonos closer around me as the wind began to blow harder. "I understand. I am serious, I promise you."

  "It must be equal to what he had intended, which is to take your life from you."

  I felt thoroughly cold, inside and outside. "Just so. Would he be satisfied if Fujiwara no Mitsuko ceased to exist? If I become the acolyte of this ubasoku who summoned you, change my name, and cut all ties to my former existence?"

  "Ah. I see. That is an interesting solution. Indeed, it may. I would have to argue it carefully… yes. I will present your offer to O-sama. But if he agrees, you must be prepared to make this change soon."

  "I am ready to do so, as soon as I hear he has accepted it."

  "Good. Your willingness to quickly comply should make him think better of your offer. I will go to him this very moment. I will let you know what he decides."

  "Thank you, Jizo-bosatsu!" I bowed low to the little statue.

  There was no further reply, and the golden glow disappeared from around the statue.

  I stood and realized that the presence of the bosatsu had kept the ghosts at bay. But n
ow they reappeared-a white face baring long teeth was suddenly right in front of me. Something touched my arm, and painful cold seeped into my skin, turning to ice in my bones. I feared the spirit was going to slip inside me like a knife and possess me.

  "Be gone!" said the ghost.

  "Leave this place!" said another.

  "Never return!" said yet a third.

  "Dento!" I screamed, unable to move.

  The old monk left his brazier and came up beside me. He blew some powder at the ghosts. "By the kami of this forest," he cried at them, "I command you to disperse!"

  The ghosts jerked back a short distance but did not flee. "Heed us!" said the first one. "Do not remain!"

  Lightning crackled overhead. I do not think it was normal lightning, for I have never seen bolts such a color of green before. My long hair stood on end and whipped about me as though it were alive.

  Dento grabbed my sleeve and pulled me toward the forest path. "There is more than ghosts in this. I have never seen such a storm before."

  I found I could move again, and I gladly ran with Dento away from the clearing and its unhappy spirits. "What do you think might be causing this? Did our summoning of Jizo make it worse?"

  "Surely not. But I wonder if Lord Chomigoto is up to something."

  "The tengu said all he could do was command the winds, bring bad dreams, and curse people."

  "The tengu may not know everything."

  We ran and ran down the forest path, the boughs of the pines thrashing at us as though the trees meant to knock us down. Fortunately the path led downhill, or I am sure I would have collapsed from exhaustion. Dento kept looking to the south and west where Lord Chomigoto's tomb lay, as if expecting to see proof of his fears. I hoped the tengu of the forest were somewhere safe. I hoped Dento and I would be somewhere safe soon. The wind was terrifying and now and then pushed me from the path into the grasping boughs of the pines. However, no rain fell upon us, and the lightning did not strike near us.