The last samurai knelt. There was no one left to second him. He too was young. His fingers trembled and fear consumed him. Twice he had done his duty to his comrades, twice cut cleanly, honorably, saving them the trial of pain and the shame of fear. And once he had waited for his dearest friend to die as a samurai should die, self-immolated in pride-filled silence, then again cut cleanly with perfect skill. He had never killed before.
His eyes focused on his own knife. He bared his stomach and prayed for his lover's courage. Tears were gathering but he willed his face into a frozen, smiling mask. He unwound his sash and partially wrapped the blade. Then, because the youth had done his duty well, Naga signaled to his lieutenant.
This samurai came forward and bowed, introducing himself formally. "Osaragi Nampo, Captain of Lord Toranaga's Ninth Legion. I would be honored to act as your second."
"Ikomo Tadeo, First Officer, vassal of Lord Ishido," the youth replied. "Thank you. I would be honored to accept you as my second."
His death was quick, painless, and honorable.
The heads were collected. Later Jozen shrieked into life again. His frantic hands tried helplessly to remake his belly.
They left him to the dogs that had come up from the village.
At the Hour of the Horse, eleven o'clock in the morning, ten days after the death of Jozen and all his men, a convoy of three galleys rounded the headland at Anjiro. They were crammed with troops. Toranaga came ashore. Beside him was Buntaro.
"First I wish to see an attack exercise, Yabu-san, with the original five hundred," Toranaga said. "At once."
"Could it be tomorrow? That would give me time to prepare," Yabu said affably, but inwardly he was furious at the suddenness of Toranaga's arrival and incensed with his spies for not forewarning him. He had had barely enough time to hurry to the shore with a guard of honor. "You must be tired-"
"I'm not tired, thank you," Toranaga said, intentionally brusque. "I don't need 'defenders' or an elaborate setting or screams or pretended deaths. You forget, old friend, I've acted in enough Nōh plays and staged enough to be able to use my imagination. I'm not a
They were on the beach beside the wharf. Toranaga was surrounded by elite guards, and more were pouring off the moored galley. Another thousand heavily armed samurai were crammed into the two galleys that waited just offshore. It was a warm day, the sky cloudless, with a light surf and heat haze on the horizon.
"Igurashi, see to it!" Yabu bottled his rage. Since the first message he had sent concerning Jozen's arrival eleven days ago, there had been the merest trickle of noncommittal reports from "Yedo from his own espionage network, and nothing but sporadic and infuriatingly inconclusive replies from Toranaga to his ever more urgent signals: "Your message received and under serious study." "Shocked by your news about my son. Please wait for further instructions." Then, four days ago: "Those responsible for Jozen's death will be punished. They are to remain at their posts but to continue under arrest until I can consult with Lord Ishido." And yesterday, the bombshell: "Today I received the new Council of Regents' formal invitation to the Osaka Flower-Viewing Ceremony. When do you plan to leave? Advise immediately."
"Surely that doesn't mean Toranaga's actually going?" Yabu had asked, baffled.
"He's forcing you to commit yourself," Igurashi had replied. "Whatever you say traps you."
"I agree," Omi had said.
"Why aren't we getting news from Yedo? What's happened to our spies?"
"It's almost as though Toranaga's put a blanket over the whole Kwanto," Omi had told him. "Perhaps he knows who your spies are!"
"Today's the tenth day, Sire," Igurashi had reminded Yabu. "Everything's ready for your departure to Osaka. Do you want to leave or not?"
Now, here on the beach, Yabu blessed his guardian
"About your final message, Toranaga-sama, the one that arrived yesterday," he said. "You're surely not going to Osaka?"
"Are you?"
"I acknowledge you as leader. Of course, I've been waiting for your decision."
"My decision is easy, Yabu-sama. But yours is hard. If you go, the Regents will certainly chop you for destroying Jozen and his men. And Ishido is really very angry-and rightly so.
"I didn't do it, Lord Toranaga. Jozen's destruction-however merited-was against my orders."
