by I. J. Parker
She shook her head. "No idea. One moment they're sitting there drinking and talking, and the next, Inabe has this other guy by the neck and they're rolling around on the floor. That's when their friends got into it and started throwing stuff. It was awful. Anyway, I'm glad Inabe's gone for good."
Akitada thanked her, paid for his wine, and left. Now that he was no longer pretending to be a lowlevel provincial official he felt he should get some new clothes. After a moment's consideration, he headed back to Mrs. Akechi's shop. Mrs. Akechi was not there this time. An assistant told him she had left on an errand.
It was as well. He preferred dealing with this pleasant saleswoman who showed him readily some suitable silks and promised that their experienced needlewoman could sew him a new pair of trousers, a robe, and a hunting jacket by the next day. He chose a silver gray figured fabric, paid for the silk, and left.
His next visit was to the Golden Dragon. No doubt the innkeeper had wondered why he had not slept in his room the night before. When he walked in, the man's face lit up with real pleasure so that Akitada "
thought for a moment that he had really been worried about his guest. But it turned out to be something else. "Oh, sir," he cried, "I'm very glad to see you. Lord Minamoto was here a little while ago, asking for you. I didn't know what to tell him. He left a note for you. He asked for writing utensils and wrote it right here. I had to apologize for the poor quality of the paper and the brush. He said it didn't matter." He extended a folded piece of paper with both hands and a bow.
Akitada sighed and opened the paper so quickly that he tore it. 'The innkeeper sucked in his breath at such irreverent behavior.
Minamoto had written, "Please come to see me. I have something to tell you, but keep it to yourself." He had signed it "Sadamu."
Akitada chewed his lip. He really wanted nothing more to do with Minamoto, but with the present lack of progress he could not afford to pass up on anything, no matter how unlikely.
He thanked the innkeeper and then, on second thought, asked, "Do you happen to know a ship owner called Murata? He is a wealthy man who stays at the River Palace when he visits. I would have expected him to stay here instead."
"Mr. Murata used to stay here, but this summer he decided he preferred the competition. It's nothing we did. I thought at first they had a pretty maid, but I hear he's still visiting the Peach Bower. They say his favorite is Precious Butterfly, a remarkable beauty, but expensive. I can't account for his moving to the River Palace.
It's not.like him at all." He shook his head at such odd behavior. -
"Oh well, perhaps the ,just wanted a change of surroundings."
The innkeeper pursed his lips. "Hmm. Not unless the River Palace has changed."
30 The Ransom
Renting another horse, Akitada rode to Minamoto's lodge. He hoped to settle the matter of his former pupil once and for all. As soon as the spoiled young lord revealed what was so urgent, he would tell him in no uncertain terms that he wished to have nothing else to do with him.
The gate was opened rather more promptly this time, and the gatekeeper had sobered up, though his manner suggested that he was paying for his excesses.
He took Akitada's horse and said, "He's inside. You know the way, I expect."
Akitada knew the way and gave the door a sharp rap. Minamoto opened immediately, his face lit by a broad
smile. "There you are, Sugawara. Good of you to come so promptly. Wait till you hear. But come in, come in! Some wine? Please sit down. The woman at the River Palace sent me to the Golden Dragon. I described you and the innkeeper let me write a note."
Akitada said nothing to this effusive greeting. He walked in but did not sit down. A look around showed that the room had been tidied somewhat but, given the gatekeeper's condition, its cleanliness and order left something to be desired. It was almost as if this highranking nobleman was the old man's subordinate.
But such considerations were pointless. Akitada stood and said coldly, "No, thank you. I shall not stay long enough. Say what is on your mind, and I'll be gone."
Lord Minamoto almost dropped the wine flask he was holding. He gaped at Akitada. "What's wrong? Has something happened?"
"You know well enough what is wrong. I have no time to waste waiting on spoiled lordlings when a young woman is in danger. Say your piece."
Minamoto set down the flask. The smile was gone and his face was flushed. He came closer and said, "She will be back safely in a short time. I could not spare her what must be a frightening experience, and for that I'm truly sorry, but I have done my best to bring her back unharmed."
It was Akitada's turn to be astonished. "What do you mean? Where is she? Who has her?"
"I don't know where she is or who has her, but I have been in communication with her abductors. They have demanded gold for her return. Tossed a rock over the fence with a note tied to it. I went home to raise the money and have now paid it. I repeat: she will be back soon. I have promised not to reveal the agreement to anyone, so I count on your discretion."
Akitada located a cushion and went to sit down. "Pour that wine, and then explain what you have been up to," he said.
Minamoto brought the flask and two cups, placing them on the floor beside Akitada and getting another cushion. Akitada inspected the cups. They looked reasonably clean, but he wiped them on his sleeve anyway. "Your gatekeeper is a drunken sot and the rudest servant I have ever encountered."
Minamoto sat down and poured the wine. "He is old and has been with my family for a long time. The service he has done in the past entitles him to such lib erties. I can forgive rudeness when I owe a man a debt of gratitude."
This last was said so pointedly that Akitada reddened. "There are some acts that are unpardonable and a decent man should not tolerate them."
He saw the young man's fists clench for a moment, then relax again. "Let us keep to more important things," he said. "As I told you, I received a communication not long after you were here. It was unsigned and informed me that Princess Takahime was staying in a safe place, was well, and would be treated with all the care and courtesy due to her. She would be allowed to return to me if I paid a certain sum for her release and kept the transaction absolutely secret. I left immediately for home to raise the money and bring it hack with me. It has now been paid. It was still dark when I left it in the designated spot and came back here. By midday, someone threw another rock over the fence. This was tied to it." He took a much crumpled piece of paper from inside his robe and handed it to Akitada.
Still dazed with disbelief, Akitada looked at the message. It read "Much obliged. To give is to receive.'" The brush strokes were firm, the characters correct, and the use of the quote spoke to a certain level of education. He tunied the paper over, but found nothing else written on it. "Where did you leave the money?"
"There is a small shrine called Tanoe. People rarely visit it. I was to leave it under the water basin."
The Tanoe shrine again. Akitada recalled sitting on the rim of that basin waiting for Lady Ayako. The stone basin lead been supported by some large stones underneath but they left spaces where one could easily hide a package.
He sighed. "How much money was involved?"
"It wasn't all money. That would have been too heavy to carry, not to mention that such a sum could not be raised quickly. There were one hundred pieces of gold, ten gold bars, and receipts for one hundred bales of rice."
It was all enormous sum. Akitada shook his head. "You could command such wealth so quickly?" Minamoto grimaced. "I sold my land. That took care of the rice receipts and the gold bars. The rest I had in reserve."
"Dear heavens! You sold your land? How did you accomplish that?"
"Someone always wants good rice land. Local gentry aiming for higher things. Even that upstart Sukemichi is buying a house in the capital."
"So you retumed with an enormous fortune and you left it between some stones in the forest.'"
"'That was what I was told to d
o."
Akitada shook his head again. This title was either all example of extreme foolishness or Minamoto was lying. He felt as if he were walking on quicksand.
He got to his feet. "I'll have a look where you left the Money."
Minamoto gave him all uncertain look. "No need to check. The note said they got it. She'll be returned here any moment."
"Do you have any proof that these people have the princess?
Minainoto shook his head. "But they must have her. Where else could she be?"
"If they have her, there's no guarantee they will return her. Besides, whoever has her may not be the same person who sent the demand. That may be someone else who knew what happened and decided to benefit from the knowledge."
Mlnanloto looked stricken. He said, "It had occurred to me that there was a risk, but I had no choice. Takahiime was in trouble because of me." He covered his face. "I would give my life to bring her back."
Akitada almost forgave him at that moment. Or at least he forgave him for this initial carelessness and neglect. But he reminded himself that Minamoto had taken advantage of a naive young girl who had fallen in love with him.
He banished the fleeting thought from his mind that he himself had succumbed to Yukiko's determined pursuit. That had been altogether different. He had fallen in love and taken Yukiko to wife. This had never been an option for Minamoto. And of course he still had grave doubts that he could trust Minamoto's words. The tale of raising such unheard wealth in a short time and disposing of it under a stone basin in the woods seemed too far-fetched even for someone with imperial blood in his veins.
"I want to see for myself where you left the ransom," he said again.
"I cannot leave in case they bring her."
"I doubt they'll bring her, but your gatekeeper seems reasonably sober again. He can make the princess welcome." Such an encounter was too ridiculous to contemplate, but Akitada was not naive enough to believe it would happen.
"Why do you doubt it? I paid a great amount of money."
"For one thing, you probably have been watched. You asked me here to tell me this story when you were bound to secrecy. This may well have cancelled the deal."
Minamoto's eyes widened. "Surely not. Why should it? Nobody knows I told you." He added in a rush, "I couldn't let you think I'd run away when I could see how disgusted you were with me. I wanted you to know that I was not completely without honor."
Akitada grunted. "That was not my point. If someone saw you go to my inn, that someone also may have seen me come here."
"But it should not matter. Nobody knows who you are."
"I'm afraid that's no longer true. By now a number of people know my true identity, including the innkeeper of the Golden Dragon."
"Oh." The young man had paled. "I didn't know. Perhaps you'd better leave alone. I'll get a message to you when Takahime is safe."
"I'll leave in a moment, though it's probably too late. What do you plan to do when it is all over?"
Minamoto looked down at his hands. "I don't know. We cannot marry. I was hoping to convince her to return to her duties."
"I see." The princess would hardly be flattered by her lover's suggestion. Perhaps she would become so angry that she lost all interest in him.
One could always hope.
But there was still no proof she was alive.
31 The Shed in the Forest
The sun was setting when Akitada left Minamoto's hunting lodge. Time seemed to be passing much too fast for all that needed to be done. He turned the horse in the direction of the Tanoe shrine and hoped there would be enough light. At least he was becoming familiar with all the roads and paths between the shrines, the town, and the various dwellings.
At the shrine, he dismounted and checked the area of the water basin very carefully. There was nothing under it, but he thought he could make out traces of something heavy having been pulled out. There were too many footprints near the water basin to offer anything else. He sighed. Minamoto's story seemed to be true.
After a moment's consideration, he decided to check something else. He got back on the horse and followed the path to the road. If he was not mistaken, this was the road he mid Junichiro had found after escaping from the shed. The shed must be somewhere near it, and probably there was a path to it. The prowlers needed some way to move their goods in and out, and that would take a cart. He did not think there were enough members in the gang to carry the goods on their backs.
All he had to do was to find a track branching of the road and follow it to see where it led. Surely that would not take long. He glanced at the sky. The pink of the sunset was rapidly fading, but he had a horse this time. He glanced at his surroundings, trying to remember what the terrain had been like the night they had seen the high constable's soldiers passing, and then turned right.
He found the first path almost immediately, but it crossed the road. taking the one to the left, he spurred his horse forward. The path climbed slightly, then leveled off as it entered a valley. The trees closed in, and Akitada began to question the wisdom of his undertaking. But there were cart tracks, and they were fresh. There was also evidence that horses had come this way recently. Even if the shed was not on this path, something else of interest might lie this way.
But the shed was there. It lay in an opening in the forest, and just enough light remained for Akitada to see. He dismounted, and approached. He saw that the bodies of the prowlers had been removed.
Of course, there could be any number of sheds in this forest, but he began to recognize things. The doorway was very familiar, and as he looked around, he could visualize again what he had seen from it when he had staggered out. Still, he had been very preoccupied at the time. He listened, then walked to the doorway and peered inside.
It was too dark to make out much and he entered. Yes, this was it. It was the right size, and over there was the charred dirt from the fire and on the other side were the loose boards and the opening Junichiro had used to cut his bonds. He saw neither the piles of supplies, nor the rope that had bound him.
But h did see an oil lamp with the Ilint beside it. He picked it up, struck a spark, and lit it. Then the began a careful inspection of the shed.
The blood stain where Michiko had been tortured and killed was gone. The entire dirt floor looked as though it had been swept. Gone also were the hook where she had been suspended and the whip they had flogged her with. But the bench was still here, though it had been moved.
Who had done all this? The police were supposed to remove the bodies and might have done so in the meantime, but would they have cleaned up the place?
He recalled the wheel tracks and the number of horses that had passed recently on this track. The police constables would have been on foot and have removed the bodies and the goods on litters. Why then the large number of horses?
Suddenly Akitada recalled the soldiers who had passed on the road that night. The chief constable's men.
But it was nearly dark by now, and he might be in considerable danger. If the prowlers returned, his position and rank would not protect him. It was time to leave.
He doused the light and was leaving the shed when he heard his horse whickering. He hurried to it.
Too late.
Hoof beats approached and metal clinked against metal: the sounds of armed men.
There were ten of them and a commanding officer. They carried torches and immediately surrounded him. They wore full armor, even helmets, and they looked threatening.
The man in command glared down at him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he barked. Akitada had left his papers at the inn. Worse, his clothes were so dirty and wrinkled by now that he must look more like a vagrant than a person in a decent way of life. But there was nothing for it.
"Sugawara Akitada," he said with as much dignity as he could muster. "I was held prisoner here by some prowlers who used this as their headquarters and came to see if the police had cleaned up the place. And who are you?"
The soldiers muttered. Their commander frowned. "We serve the high constable of Ise province and are clearing the local roads of highway men and other riffraff. Did you say your name is Sugawara? Are you a slave belonging to the Sugawara family? Because you don't look like a retainer."
The situation was as funny as it was uncomfortable. This was the first time he had been called a slave. "No," he said, making an effort to regain his seriousness. "I am Lord Sugawara. Not a slave or a retainer, but the head of my clan. Don't let these clothes confuse you. I had reason to wear a disguise."
"A disguise!" The commander snorted. His soldiers roared with laughter until the commander shouted, "Quiet!"The laughter ceased. "Arrest him!"
Akitada cried, "No. Wait!"
But five of the soldiers dismounted, their swords drawn, and surrounded him. They disarmed him and tied his hands behind his back.
They were not gentle, and Akitada's wrists had not healed yet. He protested. They became really rough. When he was bound, he asked the commander, "Where are you going to take me?"
The high constable's bad reputation with the police lieutenant did not encourage him to think the matter could be cleared up easily. Being carried off to the provincial capital to be thrown into jail would mean that he would linger there for days, maybe weeks, before he could be properly identified and released. And by then the story would be so embarrassing that it would impact his career in the government. Arrested for vagrancy in a province that was not his own? It smacked not only of incompetence as a governor but suggested a degree of mental imbalance that would make him unsuitable for high office. His only hope was to make them believe who he was.
He tried his best to explain and was finally told to shut up and get on his horse. Getting on a horse with your hands tied behind your back was not possible. He attempted it anyway. His rented horse shied away and he fell flat on his face. The soldiers had another good laugh. The impact bruised his face and caused his nose to bleed, and the officer finally told them to give him a hand.