“This is why I consider it to be a mystery. These attacks make no sense. Even in barbarian terms they are without purpose. They have taken very little plunder and no women though they have had opportunities. Yet I seem to be the only one who thinks the barbarians are acting in an unusual manner. It is said, though not to my face, that my odd ideas are the result of my youth. So you see, you may have wasted your time listening to the babblings of a child.” Komawara laughed nervously.
“And what do those who are not hampered by youth say?”
“They say the barbarians become weaker and more cowardly every year and that soon they will be afraid to even cross our borders. The men of Seh believe that their prowess as warriors has the barbarians cowering in fear.”
“Ah. And from your position of relative inexperience, what do you recommend?”
“So far we have not taken a single captive. The barbarians are too cautious. I recommend a quick sortie into their lands with the express purpose of taking prisoners. I have often found that when two men speak from their hearts, much can be learned. But no doubt this is an immature view that I will soon grow out of.”
“I, for one, value the opinions of the young. They are not informed by long experience, but they are also not the result of mere habit. I shall consider your words with great care, Lord Komawara, I thank you.”
“It is my duty, Lord Governor. I am honored that you have listened.”
“Now tell me, what is it that brings you to the capital when Seh is in such danger?”
“Unlike most of my neighbors, my lands are well guarded and fortified. My father believed in spending more on defense than on trade, yeh? In this way he was a bit old-fashioned. The result of his belief is that, though the Komawara are not poor, we have not the position we once had. To my everlasting shame, my father sold part of the family fief before he died. It is my hope to buy this land back and to restore the good name the Komawara once had.”
“Everyone knows the name of Komawara to be ancient and respected. I’m sure you will have even greater honors under the new dynasty.”
“I hope you are correct, Lord Shonto.”
So, Shonto thought, this is what the young one desires—a return to former power. It was an old story and Shonto had heard it many times before. Most of the secondary Houses in the Empire had the same dream, though in many cases the former power was mythical. But not so with the Komawara. They had once been the true rulers of the north—and long before the Imperial Governors had been created. At times the Komawara had even rivaled the Imperial family in military strength. More than one Komawara daughter had been a bride to an Emperor—but that had been long ago; their power and influence had waned in the early days of the Hanama.
During the two hundred years that sea trade had developed, the House of Komawara had slowly declined as had all the clans that clung to the past. The old Komawara had seen the error of his ways, and before his death had sold some of his fief to raise capital for his heir to start trade. This had been a great sacrifice on the part of the old lord, one which had saved his son from the stigma of having sold family lands.
Virtually all the old noble families had made the transformation to merchant families, yet they still clung to the fiefs as they always had because to lose them was to become merely merchants. The past was gone, but the habits remained—the merchants were traditionally disdained. This, of course, didn’t stop most peers from having their own vassal-merchants whose positions and rewards went far beyond those of other servants. Occasionally vassal-merchants gained real power in Houses with weak rulers—some even began trading for themselves or bought their freedom from their lords. The latter was a new development that had been illegal in the past and some thought it should be illegal again.
“Lord Komawara, tomorrow my vassal-merchant Tanaka will arrive with my new Spiritual Advisor. My merchant is a man of some skill in the world of trade, perhaps our Houses could enter into a venture that would be of mutual benefit. I would be pleased if you could share a midday meal with us tomorrow, if that would be convenient.”
“The honor would be mine, Lord Shonto.” The young man’s face betrayed his surprise and pleasure.
He will learn, Lord Shonto thought. “Good. Come along and meet Lady Okara and my daughter, Lady Nishima.”
In the colorless moonlight they found the two women with Kitsura, drinking wine and giggling. Kitsura fanned herself furiously as the men approached, as if that would take the blush off her face.
“Allow me to introduce my friend from Seh, Lord Komawara,” said Shonto, giving the youth much more importance than his age and status deserved.
“We wondered where you had disappeared to, Uncle. The speculation, in fact, has completely occupied us,” Nishima said, sipping her wine casually. Kitsura covered her mouth with her fan.
“Yes, I can see how it would,” Shonto said. “Lord Komawara has been advising me as to the present situation in Seh, and we have been discussing other business.”
Kitsura composed herself and fixed the young lord with a cool eye. “Lord Shonto is shrewd beyond compare in affairs of state. You must be wise beyond your years, Lord Komawara, to offer him advice.” She smiled her disarming smile.
Be nimble, Shonto thought. She will not hesitate to find you wanting. A woman in her position does not need to reserve judgment.
Komawara shrugged. “One does not go to the gii master expecting to equal him, Lady Kitsura, it is enough to simply learn. I have only presumed to provide Lord Shonto with some small measure of information that I believe to be accurate. The conclusions that Lord Shonto draws will, undoubtedly, be very instructive.”
Lady Kitsura raised her fine eyebrows, the look of the skeptic.
“What brings you to the capital?” Lady Okara asked pleasantly, turning the conversation abruptly—a comment on Lady Kitsura’s behavior.
Lord Shonto smiled. Thank you, Oka-sum, he thought. I don’t wish to offend Lord Komawara. I must have all the allies in Seh that I can. Even this boy may prove to be important. Who can tell? Only a fool discards an ally unnecessarily, no matter how insignificant.
More wine was served and the conversation returned to its earlier gaiety. Lord Komawara proved able to hold his own in conversation, both in knowledge and wit, giving Nishima hope that the court in Seh would not be of as little interest as she had imagined. She had never traveled to the outer provinces and, like most residents of the capital, felt that even the wealthiest peers of the outer regions must be dreadfully parochial.
For their part, the peoples of the outer provinces, especially in the north with their history of barbarian wars, felt that the residents of the inner provinces were decadent and soft. To their lasting satisfaction there seemed to be some evidence in history to support this thesis. Virtually all of the long-reigning Imperial dynasties were founded by families from the outer provinces. The Hanama were a case in point, coming from Chou, in the far west, where they had long been influential.
Shonto’s fief lay on the edge of the “civilized” inner provinces along the central sea coast, so he was claimed by both southerners and northerners alike—a state of affairs he did much to promote. His was a good fief of moderate size in the Empire’s temperate belt. The land was exceptionally fertile and, because it was bounded by mountains and the Fuga River, easily protected. The Shonto House had long prospered in these lands and their capital was known as a center of culture and learning.
An aide from the Emperor’s staff interrupted their conversation, bowing low to Lord Shonto. “The Emperor wishes to know if he may have the honor of your company—all of you.”
“Of course,” Lord Shonto answered. “When should we attend him?”
“Now would be convenient, Sire.”
“Certainly. Please tell the Emperor that we are honored by his request.”
The aide made his way through the crowd, Lord Shonto and his party in tow.
He needs me, Shonto thought, he knows that. Putting a hand on the unfam
iliar sword hilt, Shonto tugged to see how tightly it sat in the scabbard. It slid with ease.
They joined the throng surrounding the Emperor’s dais while the Son of Heaven spoke pleasantly to a man and woman kneeling before him. The courtiers followed the conversation closely, laughing politely at the appropriate times or nodding their heads in silent agreement, their sensitivity to their master’s requirements sharpened by a lifetime of study. The Emperor gestured to the audience mat before him, and nodded to Shonto and his companions. All of them knelt and touched their heads to the mat.
“I am pleased you accepted my invitation so quickly,” the Emperor said, and then before anyone could respond he gestured to the dais. “Lord Shonto, Lady Okara, please join me. We must make room for these fine young players and their companion.”
There was more bowing and polite exchange, for to be seated on the same level as the Emperor was almost unheard of. Servants hurried forward with fine silk cushions for the Emperor’s guests.
“I hope, Lady Okara, that you felt tonight’s performance was an acceptable translation of your work?”
“Far more than acceptable, Sire, inspired I would say. I do not feel worthy of such praise.”
“Ah, but it is never for an artist to judge her own worth, that is for those of us of lesser talent. Is that not so, Lord Shonto?”
“Talent comes in a myriad of forms, Sire. To be able to recognize great art is a talent all its own, I think.”
“You see, Lady Okara, it is the role of the Shonto family to teach the Yamaku appreciation of art. Do not protest, Lord Shonto! Your father once taught mine a most unforgettable lesson in poetics and now his son offers me instruction in the appreciation of art. I bow to you, Lord Shonto. You are right that a talent is needed to recognize great art. Perhaps I should create an office of Aesthetic Judgment to which I would appoint Lord Shonto, for the betterment of the Empire.” There was general laughter and nodding of heads. Shonto tried to maintain an outward calm, not sure where this was leading.
The Emperor seemed to remain genial. “It is fortunate that in my Empire there are many people with this talent Lord Shonto mentions, for everyone recognizes the beauty of your art, Lady Okara. So you see when Lord Shonto corrected me a moment ago, he also complimented me and everyone in the Empire simultaneously. What am I to do with one so clever?”
The courtiers nodded agreement, apparently vastly amused by the Emperor’s logic.
“I will have to give this great thought,” the Emperor said, contemplating Shonto. He turned again to Lady Okara. “For too long now the Yamaku have been neglecting their responsibilities to the artists in our Empire. A culture is only as great as its existing arts, don’t you agree, Lady Okara?”
“Wholeheartedly, Sire.”
“This very night I intend to begin to rectify my family’s neglect of our responsibilities toward the artists of Wa. Those of us who can should support the cause. Don’t you agree, Lord Shonto?”
“Absolutely, Sire,” he answered, reserve obvious in his voice. What is this about, Shonto asked himself? He had a growing fear that whatever the Emperor planned, the entire evening had been staged for this one purpose. But where did Oka-sum fit into this? It was out of the question that she would conspire with the Emperor against him. Or was it? His mind raced. Every faculty was in full operation trying to provide him with a single clue that would allow him to sidestep the Emperor’s thrust when it came.
“Lady Okara, perhaps with your assistance I will be able to help the worthy artists of our land. I propose an Imperial Patronage, a generous patronage, I might add. I want to encourage our best artists to take on a talented young apprentice. Lady Okara, I would be honored if you would be the first to accept.” He smiled warmly.
The artist tried to hide her shock. “The honor, Sire…is mine. It…I accept, certainly, but I don’t feel worthy! I feel there are others more deserving.”
“Ah, Lady Okara. As our friend, Lord Shonto, has said, perhaps I have a talent for recognizing great art. Let me be the judge in this matter. Do you accept?”
“I do, Sire. I thank you.” She bowed low. Applause broke out at Lady Okara’s acceptance.
“Now we must find you a worthy apprentice—one of whom you approve, of course.” The Emperor paused as if deep in thought. Too late, Shonto realized what lay ahead.
“Lady Nishima,” the Emperor said, addressing Shonto’s startled daughter, “if it is mutually acceptable to both you and Lady Okara, I name you to be the first apprentice of the Imperial Patronage.” The Emperor smiled broadly, pleased with himself. The courtiers masked their shock at the Emperor’s bad manners.
It was unheard of to put anyone in a position where they must accept or reject another in public. All such arrangements were traditionally done in private, through a third party, so that no one would lose face in the event of a refusal or rejection. All eyes were turned to the two women to see how they would resolve such a dilemma.
Lady Nishima, despite her youth, had the benefit of a lifetime of Shonto’s training. She responded at once. “Sire, this is a dream come true. I will immediately gather together some of my work and send it to Lady Okara so that she may make a decision in this matter. And to be fair, Sire, perhaps other artists should be given the same opportunity? An artist of Lady Okara’s importance should not expend her efforts for any but the most deserving. I’m sure all would agree.” The entire speech was delivered in a most humble tone, the Lady Nishima’s gaze cast down.
The Emperor’s face contorted in annoyance—he was not used to having his wishes thwarted. He regained control almost immediately.
“Lady Nishima, your fairness is a credit to you, but you must allow me to be the judge. It is my talent to recognize art and artists, yeh? Lady Okara, I ask you to accept Lady Nishima as your apprentice. Her talent, I must tell you, is beyond question.”
Shonto watched with a sense of helplessness—the struggle was entirely in the hands of his daughter and Lady Okara and he could only pray to Botahara for assistance.
Nishima was to be a hostage. That was what the Emperor desired, to keep her in the capital, isolated from Shonto and his army. She was a prize. The Fanisan blood and the Shonto name and power. Which son did he want her for? Would it be the heir? Yes, Shonto thought, that would make the most sense, but there were also reasons to wed her to the least powerful son—an attempt to nullify Shonto. Which son would be heir?
Lady Okara swallowed in a dry throat, visibly shaken at suddenly finding herself cast into the center of the Emperor’s designs. Court intrigue was the one thing she had avoided all her life.
“I trust your judgment totally, Sire. I would be honored to give Lady Nishima the benefit of my limited expertise, whenever it would be convenient to her.” This was her only card and she cast it out, desperately hoping Nishima would pick it up.
“It was my intention,” the Emperor said, “to invest the patronage on an annual basis, starting immediately. I trust that will be convenient.”
“Excuse me, Sire. I don’t wish to sound ungrateful,” Lady Nishima said in her quiet way, “but I am now torn between my duty and this dream you have offered me. My father and liege-lord is about to undertake a serious campaign on the Emperor’s behalf. It is my duty to Lord Shonto—and to you, my Emperor—to give the head of my House every assistance possible. As my father has no wife to run his household, I am more necessary than a daughter would normally be.” She looked up suddenly, meeting the Emperor’s gaze. “I have always been taught that duty takes precedence, it is our way. I do not know how to resolve this problem.”
The Emperor was unable to hide his frustration. He looked around, struggling with his rage, looking for someone to vent his considerable temper on. He was being outmaneuvered by a mere girl. He hadn’t expected her to hesitate for even a second—he had been assured that the bait was perfect.
“Lord Shonto, certainly there are members of your personal staff who can carry out Lady Nishima’s duties for you. Not as
well, no doubt,” he hurried to add, “but can’t you live without her for a while?”
“No sacrifice is too great, Sire.” Shonto answered without a second’s hesitation, much to his daughter’s dismay. “A warrior can live without everything but weapons, if need be. I can certainly survive if my household is less efficient than I am used to it being.”
The Emperor smiled broadly. “It is settled, then. The arts shall flourish again as they did in the time of the Mori!”
There was loud applause. Several of the wealthiest lords present, inspired by the Emperor’s example, offered to invest patronages of their own. If there had been any aspiring artists in attendance they would, no doubt, have found themselves suddenly able to live in a manner they had never dreamed possible.
Having accomplished his immediate purpose, the Emperor turned his attention to Lady Kitsura with whom he spoke in a most flirtatious manner, forgetting himself completely. This was the Emperor at his social best, entirely engaging, and Lady Kitsura was equally charming and many times more attractive. Lord Shonto watched the play between them with great interest. Twice he politely tried to draw Lord Komawara into the conversation, but the Emperor brushed these attempts aside as if he hadn’t noticed. Shonto noted the young lord’s neck becoming increasingly red, though his face remained calm, a slight smile crossing his face now and then at a remark or quick response.
The autumn moon had moved far into the western sky by the time the party began to break up. The Dance of Five Hundred Couples had been performed on the lawn, the long-sleeved kimonos creating the illusion of water flowing in the moonlight. Poems had been composed and recited. Assignations arranged, plots hatched, betrayals conceived, and large quantities of food and wine consumed. For those not singled out by the Emperor, it had been a most satisfying event.
The Initiate Brother Duology Page 9