The Jade Lioness

by Christina Courtenay

  ‘Make the child crawl underneath you,’ Temperance instructed. ‘You can hold her with one arm. Go on, you can do it.’

  With some more urging from the others, and a slight push in the right direction, the woman managed to do as she was told. She reached the safety of Temperance’s roof within a short space of time. The others followed quickly, scrambling across on their hands and knees, while trying not to look down into the abyss beneath them. As the last woman began to crawl, the door slipped a little and she screamed, but one of the others helped Temperance steady it on their side and the woman made it at last.

  ‘Inside, please, quickly,’ Temperance ordered, feeling guilty for telling everyone what to do in such an imperious fashion, but knowing instinctively that they were all too scared to think for themselves at that moment. ‘Hurry, let’s go downstairs before this house catches fire too.’ The ladies needed no further bidding and everyone dragged themselves across the windowsill and began to descend. Two of them were sobbing with relief now while the child whimpered, still shocked.

  Temperance grabbed her wide-brimmed hat and followed them after one last glance through the window at the roaring inferno that was now the neighbouring house. She shuddered. It had been a close call and they weren’t safe yet; the flames could come their way. When they all trooped into the street, she went to stand behind the others, as far away from the light as possible, trying to stay hidden. The woman with the small child sought her out, however, and whispered hoarsely, ‘Thank you, thank you so much. You saved my life and that of my child. I will always be in your debt.’

  Temperance shook her head. ‘I just did what had to be done. Anyone would have done the same. I’m glad you’re safe.’

  The woman bowed low to her and smiled, albeit somewhat tremulously. ‘I’m Kei and if you ever need my help with anything, you only have to ask.’ She bowed again and Temperance bowed back.

  ‘It was nothing. Really.’

  Kei leaned closer and whispered, ‘And I won’t tell anyone about you, I swear.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Temperance felt a chill of fear snake down her back.

  ‘I saw your eyes in the light from the fire. I know you’re … not one of us. But don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul and I’ll make sure the others don’t either.’

  Temperance realised she had forgotten to keep her eyes lowered in the heat of the moment and could only be grateful to Kei for her promise.

  ‘Thank you, you’re very kind. I’m, er, not staying very long. Hopefully I should go back to my family soon, but until then, I have to stay hidden.’

  ‘I understand. Don’t fret, we’ll keep your secret.’

  It was a long night and Temperance was bone weary by the time all the fires had been put out and she was able to go back inside. The people fighting the fires had managed to stop it from spreading into Hasuko’s house, so Temperance went back to their little room just before dawn. She’d huddled behind Kei and her friends for most of the night and was grateful to escape to the attic where no one could see her.

  Kazuo came back some time later, too exhausted to say anything other than that he was fine. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and Temperance snuggled down next to him, grateful that he was unharmed. As he was so deeply asleep, she allowed herself to put one arm around his waist and her cheek against his back. She breathed in the scent of him, which was now mingled with the stench of smoke and soot, and thanked God for keeping Kazuo alive, at least for now.

  ‘Gai-jin-san, I may have some information for you.’

  Haag had just entered the brothel he normally frequented in the Yoshiwara pleasure district, followed by an interpreter he’d taken to using. It made talking to people here so much easier and meant he didn’t have to tax his brain with trying out his very limited vocabulary. The man was uncomfortable with having Haag roam the streets of Edo, since it was forbidden, but the promise of a large bribe upon their return to Nagasaki had persuaded him that perhaps it wasn’t such a terrible thing after all.

  The brothel was one of the seedier ones in a tiny back street, but Haag didn’t care. A whore was a whore as far as he was concerned, and from what he’d seen the expensive establishments just charged extra for a lot of unnecessary things like entertainers, raconteurs and hangers-on. He had no need for any of that.

  ‘Information? Really? What have you heard?’

  The owner of the establishment held out his hand in a none too subtle reminder. Swallowing a sigh of annoyance, Haag delved into his pocket and pulled out a few coins. The owner made a little face, but accepted them nonetheless. Just as well, since it was all Haag had brought.

  ‘There’s a rumour going round that a strange lady with pale eyes was seen in this area last night after the earthquake.’

  ‘Here, in Yoshiwara?’ Haag could hardly believe his luck. At last, a sighting of Temperance, for surely it couldn’t be anyone else? There were no other foreign women in Japan as far as he knew.

  ‘Yes, apparently.’ The owner shrugged. ‘I don’t know exactly where though. It’s a large place.’

  That was true. Haag reckoned there had to be at least a thousand people living in the pleasure district, if not more. ‘Are you sure you can’t be more specific?’ he asked. ‘Which street was she seen in?’

  Again, a shrug. ‘No idea. My informant didn’t say.’

  ‘Well, can you let me speak to him, please? Maybe he’ll tell me.’

  ‘No, he’s gone. Left yesterday.’

  Haag swore softly, but tried to stay calm. ‘Very well, thank you. I appreciate you telling me this much, at least.’

  He’d have to roam these streets until he found her, which was a damned nuisance, but how hard could it be? She’d stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.

  Kazuo slept all day and didn’t stir until early evening, when the rumblings of his stomach woke him and reminded him how late it was. He had a quick bath to rid himself of all the various odours and dirt that had adhered to him the night before, then bid Temperance goodbye after a hasty meal.

  ‘I must go and see about hiring a horse and buying some equipment,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can, then perhaps we can go out together one last time before I leave.’

  Temperance nodded and smiled, but he noticed that the smile didn’t reach her lovely eyes. He sighed inwardly. He knew it would be hard for her to be left behind here for so long, but there really was no way he could take her with him. It would be impossible.

  Thoughts of what was to come and worry about how Temperance would fare in his absence, as well as a lingering tiredness from the long night of helping to fight the fires, made him careless. He forgot to pay attention to where he was going. Consequently, he walked into a man who was coming round a corner with a group of others and only looked up when one of them roughly grabbed his arm.

  ‘Well, look who it is,’ the man sneered. ‘The fugitive. Just the man Lord Tanaka wanted to speak to.’

  Kazuo blinked and realised that he’d had the misfortune to bump into some of the men he had worked with briefly at Tanaka’s estate. They surrounded him eagerly and as he took in the triumphant glances and smirks, his stomach plummeted.

  He was in big trouble.

  Acting with lightning speed, he managed to free himself from the iron grip of the man holding him, then feinted to the left before ducking to the right to try and escape. They were too fast and too many for him, however, and within seconds he was held in a secure grip once more.

  ‘You’re not going anywhere until his lordship has had a word with you,’ one of the men said and guffawed. The others joined in and the sound of their mirth made Kazuo’s insides tighten. He had no illusions as to how Tanaka conducted interviews with people reluctant to speak to him. And one who was suspected of having spirited away his new concubine wasn’t likely to receive a fair hearing by any means. He gritted his teeth as he was dragged away towards an even more lavish residence than the one he’d visited the day before.
r />   Just as the group turned the corner to return the way they had come, Kazuo caught sight of Hasuko. She was standing in a nearby doorway watching him, having obviously been out on some errand. One hand was covering her mouth to hide her astonishment, but she quickly schooled her features into an expression of indifference and turned away. He looked away immediately as well, so as not to cast any suspicion on her, but he knew that she’d seen him. He wondered if there was anything she could do to help, but doubted it. If he came out of this ordeal alive, then perhaps she could be of assistance, but for the moment all he could do was pray to the gods to give him fortitude and courage.

  He would need both in the hours ahead.

  Chapter Twenty

  ‘Temi-san, I must speak with you immediately.’

  Temperance was woken from a half-slumber by the urgent knocking on the door, which had already been replaced by one of Hasuko’s efficient servants. She went to slide it open and looked out at the worried face of her hostess.

  ‘Come in, please. What’s the matter?’ Dread took hold of her and twisted her insides. She knew by the expression on the woman’s face that Hasuko was the bearer of bad news.

  ‘It’s Kazuo-san. He has been taken.’

  ‘Taken? By whom? I didn’t think anyone knew he was here.’

  ‘He was captured by Lord Tanaka’s men. It was pure coincidence, I believe. I saw him coming along the street and he was deep in thought. Somehow he bumped into a group of people and one of them recognised him. He tried to escape, of course, but there were too many of them and they took him away. I didn’t dare interfere. It wouldn’t have done any good anyway.’

  Temperance felt cold all over and shivered violently. ‘Oh, Hasuko-san, this is a disaster,’ she whispered. ‘What dreadful bad luck. You’re sure they were Tanaka’s men?’

  ‘Yes, they were all wearing the same clothing with his clan motif. It is very distinctive, I would recognise it anywhere. I’m sorry.’ Hasuko hesitated for a moment. ‘He is the man you escaped from, isn’t he? Kazuo-san mentioned it.’

  ‘Yes, and Kazuo will be blamed. They will torture him until he confesses and then you and I will be in danger too. You must leave, Hasuko-san. Have you anywhere else to go for a while?’

  ‘Don’t worry about me. I have friends who will help me. It is you who must go. Kazuo prepared me for this possibility and it’s all arranged. I know a man with a boat who is willing to take you all the way back to Nagasaki. It will be expensive as well as dangerous, and Kazuo had hoped to avoid this, but we have no choice now. You must hurry and pack your belongings then I will take you to the harbour myself. The fewer people who know about this, the better.’

  ‘But what about Kazuo? We can’t just leave him at Tanaka’s mercy! In fact, I don’t believe he has any.’ The thought of what Tanaka might even now be doing to Kazuo made Temperance feel physically sick.

  ‘I will ask my friends. Perhaps there is some way of helping him, but it was his wish that you be taken to safety first.’

  ‘No, I won’t go. I can’t. There must be something I can do.’

  Hasuko put a hand on her arm and squeezed gently. ‘It is noble of you, but you are a foreigner and at risk yourself. What could you possibly do?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’ll think of something.’

  Hasuko shook her head sadly and sighed. ‘I really think you would help him more by following his orders.’

  Temperance wasn’t listening though, but bit her lip, deep in thought. Her brain felt paralysed with fear, but she forced it to work, trying desperately to come up with a plan. Thinking out loud, she said, ‘We must rescue him somehow. Tanaka has hundreds of men working for him, guarding his house and grounds. How could we get in? Some ruse? Poison the guards?’

  ‘You’re sure you don’t wish to leave?’ Hasuko regarded her with her head to one side. ‘I am offering you a means of going back to your family. Is that not what you wanted?’

  ‘Yesterday, yes, but not now. I’m sorry, Hasuko-san, but my mind is made up. I simply can’t leave Kazuo to his fate. He saved me, now I have to do the same for him.’ She didn’t add that the mere thought of leaving him, let alone in the clutches of an evil man like Tanaka, was intolerable.

  ‘Very well then, let me think.’ Hasuko paced the floor of the little chamber, even though she could only take a few steps in each direction. ‘Are you squeamish? I mean, could you kill a man if you had to? For Kazuo’s sake.’

  Temperance nodded. ‘My cousin trained me. I can wield a sword and a dagger. I’ll do whatever is necessary to free him.’

  ‘Good. Then I must find a beautiful girl who is willing to go with you. You should both dress in the finest kimono in order to dazzle the guards. You can say that you have been sent for by Lord Tanaka himself, but as soon as you are past the guards, you must let the girl go on her way while you search for Kazuo. He will no doubt be kept well away from the main residence. Can you do that?’

  ‘Yes, I think so. What will happen to her though, the girl? I don’t want anyone to be hurt unnecessarily.’

  ‘No, she can always say that she had received a summons, but that perhaps the owner of the establishment where she works got the message wrong. I don’t think they’ll connect her arrival with Kazuo’s disappearance until it’s too late, provided you can free him of course.’ The older woman shook her head, frowning. ‘If only there was some way of distracting his guards, the ones closest to him I mean. You can’t just walk up to them and stab them. Besides, they are bound to be extra vigilant.’

  Temperance thought for a moment, then an idea occurred to her. ‘Yuki onna,’ she said triumphantly.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘I can pretend to be a snow ghost and try to scare them.’ After Ryo had called her those names, Temperance had asked some of the girls at The Weeping Willow what he meant. She’d been told that a yuki onna was the ghost of someone who had frozen to death and they were invariably pale and white, just like her, including the hair. Impersonating one shouldn’t be too difficult. ‘People are so superstitious, especially at night. And if I’m dressed all in white with my hair loose and lots of rice powder on my face, they might think for a moment that I’m a ghost. That will give me the element of surprise and enough time to despatch them quietly.’

  Hasuko nodded, a smile beginning to curve her mouth. ‘Yes, it might work. I can’t think of anything better, in any case. I will ask around and see if anyone has a pure white kimono we can borrow.’

  ‘Who will you send with me? It will have to be someone truly stunning so that the guards believe she has been sent for by Tanaka.’

  ‘I will ask Kei-san next door. She told me what you did last night and that she is indebted to you. She will do anything to help you, she said.’

  ‘But she has a child. I wouldn’t want her to put herself in danger for my sake.’ Temperance remembered the way Kei had lovingly cradled her daughter once they were safe. ‘Isn’t there anyone else?’

  ‘No one I would trust with your secret, and besides, Kei-san is truly lovely. I wish she was one of my girls.’

  ‘Yes, you’re right. I just hope she won’t be hurt in any way.’

  ‘I’ll make sure she is careful. Now, let’s put our plan into action. You must come downstairs for a bath so that your hair is extra shiny, while I find a suitable garment for you. Just wait here a moment, please.’

  ‘Very well. But Hasuko-san? What if we’re too late?’ Temperance didn’t really want to contemplate such a thing, but she knew that Tanaka was ruthless in the extreme and Kazuo might be fighting for his life at this very moment, if he was even still alive.

  Hasuko took a deep breath. ‘We mustn’t think of that. We will do our best, the rest is up to the gods.’

  Kazuo was beginning to think that all the gods, as well as his numerous ancestors, had deserted him completely and left him to the mercy of a man who simply enjoyed inflicting pain on others. As yet another blow struck his already swollen cheekbone, he grunt
ed with the pain of it and tried to focus on the man in front of him through eyelids that would barely open any more.

  ‘Stop lying to me. You were seen sneaking about near the women’s quarters and you just “happened” to leave on the same day that my latest acquisition fled my protection. It seems like far too much of a coincidence to me.’

  ‘But, my lord,’ Kazuo mumbled through bleeding lips, ‘I never saw the lady, I swear. Begging your pardon, sir, but what would I want with a foreign woman?’ He daren’t go as far as to call her ugly, since Tanaka had obviously found her attractive just like he did himself, but his tone implied as much and Tanaka hit him again.

  ‘That’s what I want to know, insolent oaf. You must have wanted her for something, although like as not you left her lifeless body lying in a ditch somewhere after you used her as you wished.’

  ‘I never!’ Kazuo knew his protests were falling on deaf ears and racked his brain to come up with something more plausible.

  Just then, however, a messenger arrived and went over to whisper something to Tanaka. The latter nodded and, sending Kazuo a look that boded ill, strode off towards the door.

  ‘We will continue this later. The Shogun requires my presence on an urgent matter. I would suggest you spend the rest of the evening thinking up a better story, for tonight you will tell me the truth.’

  In a final act of frustration and evil, he turned back briefly and slashed in Kazuo’s direction with his sword, causing a lightning streak of pain to shoot up Kazuo’s thigh as a gash opened up, instantly welling blood.

  ‘Imbecile!’ Tanaka added a string of swear words, then left without a backward glance.

  The two men who had been holding Kazuo upright during the beating suddenly let go and he sank to the floor, his legs floppy and unable to bear him. The men left, slamming the door shut behind them, and Kazuo dragged himself over to a dirty mattress in the corner of the room. Taking a deep breath, he ripped off a piece of his tunic with his teeth to try to bind the wound in his thigh. He knew he had to stem the blood flow quickly or he would become even weaker than he already was.