by I. J. Parker
As it turned out, praising dinner was easy. The carp, when presented fried along with white rice was delicious. they sat together, eating, commenting on the food, exchanging tales of fishing and watching the fireflies gradually adding their starlike points of fire to the night. Replete and warmed by the wine, they relaxed as the clear waters of the river moved darkly past on their way to the sea. Akitada could not remember a more wonderful entertainment and said so.
The dwarf looked surprised. "And you a great lord, even if you go around in poor clothes and pretend to be like everyone else?"
Akitada looked up at the sky. "At this moment I envy you, Junichiro. Your life seems perfect to me here beside the river ... my belly filled with good wine and delicious carp ... under the stars that dance like the fireflies." He felt pleasantly drowsy.
Junichiro chuckled. "The wine is good. Have some more, master."
Akitada did. At some point he must have dozed off. When he awoke, he was leaning against the wall of the shed and the dwarf had placed a quilt over him. Junichiro lay beside him, curled up in another quilt, small and delenseless as a child. Akitada felt a great surge of tenderness for the little man. Then he closed his eyes again and went back to sleep.
28 The Funeral
Tora was exercising his guard troops in the main courtyard of the tribunal when he noted some excitement at the gate. Since the sun had not yet risen and a vague gray light merely gave a hint of the coming day, he could not make out the cause of it.
Giving the command to stand at ease, he strode over to see what was going on. The guards were arguing with some pitiful beggar, it seemed. Then he looked more closely. The bedraggled figure in black rags with another rag tied around his head was Saburo.
"What happened?" he called out and ran to him. The gate guards stood aside, looking blank. Saburo swayed.
"He says he's the tribunal secretary," one of the gate guards said with a guffaw. "He must be mad."
Saburo said nothing and swayed again.
Tora caught him before he fell. The gate guards stopped laughing. One of them asked uneasily, "Do you know him, lieutenant?"
"Shut up and help me get him inside," Tora snapped.
Somehow they managed to support the wet and shivering Saburo up the stairs and into his office where one of the clerks had already arrived and stared openmouthed.
"Get some wine!" Tora told him as they lowered Saburo onto a cushion. Tora turned to the soldiers. "Thanks. Return to your duties and tell the others that drill is over for today."
Then he had a good look at Saburo, noted that he had a swollen eye and was clutching his right arm to his chest. He peeled Saburo's fingers off gently. The right wrist and hand were badly swollen.
And covered with dried blood.
He did not see any other injury and asked, "Where are you wounded, brother?"
Saburo thought about it, shook his head, and held up his wrist again.
"There's blood. And why can't you speak?" Saburo moved his lips, then croaked, "Parched." The wine arrived, and Saburo drank two cups, one right after the other. Since he was normally not much of a drinker, Tora watched this with a frown. He glanced at the clerk who still stood by, goggle-eyed. "Get back to work," he said. "I'll take the secretary to his quarters." When the clerk was gone, he asked, "Well?" "Blood's Hozo's. Killed the animall" Saburo covered his face with his good hand. "Too late, but I killed him."
Tora put an arm around Saburo and raised him to his feet. "Come along, brother. You need a bath and a rest."
Saburo managed a brief smile. "Thanks, Tora." Tora busied himself helping Saburo into the bath. He was relieved to see no fresh wounds, though the torture scars Saburo bore on all parts of his body were sickening enough. He refrained from asking questions as he washed his friend's body. Not until Saburo was to his neck in the bath, did he point to the swollen wrist. "Broken?" he asked.
Saburo grimaced and looked at it. One by one he moved his fingers. "Maybe not. But it's useless. How am I going to do my work?"
Tora chuckled. "You tell the clerks to do it. What are they for? Feel like talking about it now?"
Saburo closed his eyes. "I'm trying to forget," he muttered.
"What? If you killed this Hozo, I expect he deserved it."
"Oh, yes. He deserved that and the worst the devils in hell can dish out."
"Really?"
Saburo opened his eyes. "Think of our little lady Yasuko. When I found him he was raping a little girl
her age. She was screaming, and her mother cowered outside the door pleading with the bastard."
Tora expelled a breath. "Dear gods! Weren't there enough grown women around?"
"He liked them young and weak. Liked to hear them scream."
"Well," said Tora after a moment, "I'm glad you killed him."
"I was too late. If I'd hurried more ... Tora, I'm too old for my work. I was useless."
"You were not useless. You killed him so he couldn't do it to another child."
Saburo said nothing.
After a while, Tora asked, "Did you find out anything while you were there?"
"Not really. After I cut open Hozo's belly, he made a lot of noise and I had to run for my life."
"Can't be helped. We'll find another way to check out their storehouses. I still think Kitagawa is in the piracy business."
"Oh," said Saburo, "You'd better wait a day. "They were getting ready to bury someone. And now they have Hozo dead, too, Though I doubt they'll make such preparations for him. 'The other person must have been someone of importance. 'They were building a big bier with a decorated box and fine curtains on it."
"Maybe someone in Kitagawa's family. Never mind. You're going to spend the rest of the day in bed."
==
With Saburo settled in his room, Tora got on his horse and took the road to Kitagawa's manor. He was a little late for the funeral procession. The bier and the mourners were already disappearing into the forest beyond the manor.
Tora followed, suddenly suspicious, but he found soon enough that the woods had concealed a private cemetery. There the small group of people stood around some men who were digging a new grave. In front of the mourners stood Kitagawa, dressed in hemp like the rest.
It looked very much as if the betto was the chief mourner. Perhaps his mother or father was being; laid to rest. In the country, they still buried their dead.
Tora had seen enough. He turned his horse around and returned to Komachi.
All seemed quiet in town, and even more so in the harbor. There were few boats left, though the ferry still took on passengers. Tora glanced up at the sky. It was a hazy blue, but the sun shone brightly. It was another hot day. He wished the elusive storm would come already. 'The heat had been constant, and it was time for it to break. He decided to spend the rest of his day inspecting the governor's residence to make sure it could withstand rain gusts and high winds. The gardens, he thought, would be improved if a few trees bit the dust.
When he returned to the tribunal, he was told that lieutenant Mori had arrived and was speaking to Secretary Kuruda.
Irritated that Saburo's rest had been disturbed by the hateful police chief; Tora hurried to Saburo's office. He found Saburo and his visitor in the small private study beyond the large room where clerks and scribes were busy with their chores.
Tora gave Saburo a searching look. He looked a lit - tle better, but his eye was turning black and blue and he held his right hand tucked inside his robe.
"The lieutenant was kind enough to commiserate with me on my fall from the horse," Saburo said.
Mori gave Tora a crooked smile. "I'm happy to see that you have escaped injury, Lieutenant Sashima," he said. "I was beginning to think that Mikawa was not good for your health."
It sounded like a threat.
"What brings you, Mori?" Tora said though clenched teeth.
"Well, as I was telling Secretary Kuruda the other day, there have been certain complaints. I'm investigating them."
Tora sat down. "Do these complaints involve the tribunal?"
"Oh, you might say that. The complaints are about the tribunal. More specifically they concern you and the secretary."
Tora raised his brows to Saburo who said nothing. Tora wished he knew if this was about Saburo's exploits during the night. If it was about the man Saburo had killed, he wanted to know what Saburo had told Mori. He cleared his throat. "You'd better be more specific, Mori."
"One of our most respected citizens, the Fujiwara Betto Kitagawa, has charged you with harassing him and insulting Lord Shigeie. It appears that you questioned him about pirates and implied that Lord Shigeie was behind the pirate activities along the coast here and to the north."
Tora turned to Saburo. "Did we mention the coast north of here?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"There you are, Mori. Though now you mention it, it's an interesting concept. What do you think, Saburo?"
"Very interesting."
Mori exploded. "How dare you make such accusations? If this starts any rumors, we'll all be in deep trouble. Lord Shigeie is immensely wealthy and powerful, and the court will not tolerate such insults to a man of his rank and importance. You will apologize to Kitagawa." He paused and smirked. "Perhaps Secretary Kuruda can compose the letter if you find it too difficult. And you will both stay away from the property."
Tora was lunging at Mori, but Saburo caught his sleeve. "No, Tom. The lieutenant misspoke. He forgot for a moment where the authority lies in Mikawa. Lieutenant, you are addressing two officials of the Mikawa tribunal. You cannot tell us what to do. We, on the other hand, can tell you to mind your manners."
Mori was on his feet. He sputtered, "The governor isn't here. I've warned you before. You have no authority without him. You've been acting on your own and without orders. We'll see who is right. I'm reporting this matter to the capital."
Tora's hands were clenched, but Saburo held on to his sleeve. When Mori was gone, he released Tora and said, "He will make trouble, Brother."
29 Minamoto Returns
Akitada woke just before dawn. Junichiro was already up, busying himself in the half light with tidying up after their feast. Akitada had a surprisingly clear head after drinking all that wine the night before. He sat up and stretched, yawned, and said, "Good Morning."
Junichiro evidently had assumed the role of servant again, for he bowed quite deeply and answered, "Good morning, my lord."
Akitada rose. "Here, let me help you with that," he said, taking hold of the large bamboo cage that had held the carp. The dwarf was struggling to get it over the side of the railing and back into the river.
"Thanks, but it isn't your place to help me."
"I thought we'd become friends, not master and servant."
The dwarf gave him an uneasy look. "That was only for a little while last night. You honored me, master." "Nonsense, you saved my life. I can't treat you as a servant." It occurred to him that Tora had also saved his life, and yet Tora would always serve him. But Tora had a manner, a very disrespectful manner at times, that allowed Akitada to forget the gulf that separated them. He sighed. "Will you at least allow me to treat you to your morning meal?"
This he was apparently allowed to do, and they set out for town more companionably.
"What are your plans, Junichiro?" Akitada asked. "To go back to the brothel. This time of day they may not notice the hanging about. I'll ask about Murata and also about the prowlers."
"Excellent. I thought I'd talk to the curio dealer who bought the amulet."
They returned to the same noodle vendor they had patronized before. The dwarf sniffed the air. "Hey, Haruki! What's that in the soup today? Mrs. Osumi is missing her cat."
That got a laugh from a few people and a threatening fist from the vendor until he saw Akitada behind the dwarf. Chuckling, lhe cried, "For you, I saved its tail."
More laughter and they were handed two bowls of noodle soup with vegetables. They moved aside and stood under a tree, slurping down the noodles and
drinking the broth, when Akitada nearly dropped his bowl.
Lord Minanoto was riding past on a handsome horse. He was wearing a fine silk robe and a court hat with the rank ribbons designating the third lower rank. "Look!" Akitada said to Junichiro.
Junichiro looked. "Ah, so he's back. What will you do?"
Akitada was so angry he could barely speak. Eventually he snarled, "Nothing. He's a coward who wasn't worth my ellort."
"Hmm. I like him. He's been good to me."
"I told you what he did. An honorable man would not have abandoned a young woman in such distress." "Well. He's back. Maybe he's found a way to help." "I doubt it." Akitada returned his empty bowl to the vendor. "Let's get started. We'll meet again for our evening rice. My treat this time. Where do you want to eat? Pick the best place in town. After your meal last night, it's the least I can do."
"In that case, master, I've always wanted to eat at The Kingfisher. I hear they have fried abalone that people dream about." His face tell. "But I doubt they'll let me in."
"They'll let you in, or I'll make them very sorry," Akitada growled.
They parted company, and Akitada started looking for the curio shop. This proved more difficult than he had anticipated as there were a number of these. It was the third shop that he found the man who lead bought the amulet from the monk.
The shop was crammed to the rafters with shelves holding all sorts of things that travelers might wish to take home with them. All shapes and sizes of ceramic bowls, cups, pitchers, and flasks jostled wood carvings of Amaterasu and her three treasures. Small painted screens showed red torn among towering trees, small lacquered boxes held writing implements in case one had forgotten one's own, and everywhere there were amulets of every kind and even prayer beads.
Akitada asked his question of a small bald man who puttered among his treasures next to his money box. "Shockingl" the shopkeeper said, eyeing Akitada hopefully. "The police got him, I hear. You'd think those priests would keep their monks under control. Instead they throw the bad ones out and let them roam the streets and highways, raping and murdering decent people. Can I show you something to take home as a memento of Ise?"
"Perhaps another time. I met the poor young girl before she died and am trying to understand how such a thing could happen here."
The shopkeeper looked at Akitada's black ramie robe,' now distinctly worse for wear and both dirty and wrinkled. Evidently he decided the customer was a total loss, for he said, "I must tend to my business," and started drifting away.
Akitada wished he had his usual clothes, but the situation could not be helped. He said quickly, "The monk claims he found the amulet Is that what he told you?"
The shopkeeper snorted. "A lie. He came here straight from that wine shop across the street. I watched him coming this way and was ready for him. I thought he planned to steal something, you see. But then he reeled in and he had this piece of jade in his hand. Well, I could see it might bring a few coppers and I wanted to get rid of him. So I paid him twenty coppers and he reeled right back to the wine shop to drink some more." He paused to glower in that direction and added, "I got robbed anyway. I'm out twenty coppers and the police got the jade piece."
The amulet had been worth many times the amount he claimed to have paid the monk, but Akitada did not enlighten him. He thanked the man and crossed the street It was still too early for the true drinkers to fill the establishment, but there were one or two men sitting about, staring morosely into their sake cups. Only a waitress was looking after the place and she came eagerly to serve another guest
"Welcome, your honor," she intoned, bowing quite deeply. "What is your pleasure?" The question was accompanied by such a languid look that Akitada half wondered if he had erred into a brothel. She was a buxom, healthy-looking girl and no doubt had many admirers among the late night customers.
"A flask of your best," Akitada told her. "And then a few moments of your time."
&nb
sp; She giggled and gave him a sideways look. "With pleasure, your honor," she fluted and swished away with a wiggle of her hips and the tiny steps of the courtesans.
Akitada sighed. He was a happily married man these days ... not that he was tempted.
She returned with more wiggles and some rouge on her lips, knelt beside him and poured the wine into a cup which she offered him with both hands.
He drank. The wine was passable.
She asked, "Are you pleased?" in a seductive murmur and leaned a little closer.
"The wine is good, but I have another matter on my mind."
She blushed a little and looked over her shoulders at the two silent guests. "We aren't supposed to," she said, "but things are very quiet. My room is just down the hall in the back."
He had phrased his interest too ambiguously and said with a smile, "I'm deeply flattered, but it's too early for such pleasures. I wondered if you remembered the monk who was arrested by the police."
She forgave him with a charming little pout. "We're very busy at night," she murmured. No doubt this was his put-down for having refused her offer. "I didn't pay much attention, especially when the fight started. He came in, bought the cheapest wine we had and sat in a corner over there. I forgot all about him, but after things were quiet again, he called for more wine. I told the police about it."
Akitada thought about this and saw little useful information in it. "What was he doing during the fight?" "I wouldn't know. They were starting to break things and I was shouting for help. My boss came and threw the worst troublemakers out. He told that awful Inabe never to come back. That one's been bothering me every time he was here."
"Inabe?'You mean the man who is married to the owner of the River Palace?"
"Yes, him. If you ask me, I'd rather be married to that dwarf than to a man who sleeps with every whore in town."
"What was the fight about?"