Shōgun полностью

"Iyé," he said gently, shaking his head. He held her hand, then slipped an arm under her shoulders. Obediently she nestled against him, understanding at once. Her perfume mingled with the fragrance of the sheets and futons. So clean, he thought, everything's so incredibly clean.

What was it Rodrigues had said? 'The Japans're heaven on earth, Ingeles, if you know where to look,' or 'This is paradise, Ingeles.' I don't remember. I only know it's not there, across the sea, where I thought it was. It's not there.

Heaven on earth is here.

The courier galloped down the road in darkness toward the sleeping village. The sky was tinged with dawn and the night fishing boats that had been netting near the shoals were just coming in. He had ridden without rest from Mishima over the mountain passes and bad roads, commandeering fresh horses wherever he could.

His horse pounded through the village streets-covert eyes watching him now-across the square and up the road to the fortress. His standard carried Toranaga's cipher and he knew the current password. Nevertheless he was challenged and identified four times before he was allowed entrance and audience with the officer of the watch.

"Urgent dispatches from Mishima, Naga-san, from Lord Hiro-matsu."

Naga took the scroll and hurried inside. At the heavily guarded shoji he stopped. "Father?"

"Yes?"

Naga slid back the door and waited. Toranaga's sword slipped back into its scabbard. One of the guards brought an oil lamp.

Toranaga sat up in his mosquito net and broke the seal. Two weeks ago he had ordered Hiro-matsu with an elite regiment secretly to Mishima, the castle city on the Tokaidō Road that guarded the entrance to the pass leading across the mountains to the cities of Atami and Odawara on the east coast of Izu. Atami was the gateway to Odawara to the north. Odawara was the key to the defense of the whole Kwanto.

Hiro-matsu wrote: "Sire, your half brother, Zataki, Lord of Shinano, arrived here today from Osaka asking for safe conduct to see you at Anjiro. He travels formally with a hundred samurai and bearers, under the cipher of the 'new' Council of Regents. I regret to tell you the Lady Kiritsubo's news is correct. Zataki's turned traitor and is openly flaunting his allegiance to Ishido. What she did not know is that Zataki is now a Regent in place of Lord Sugiyama. He showed me his official appointment, correctly signed by Ishido, Kiyama, Onoshi, and Ito. It was all I could do to restrain my men at his arrogance and obey your orders to let any messenger from Ishido pass. I wanted to kill this dung eater myself. Traveling with him is the barbarian priest, Tsukku-san, who arrived by sea at the port of Numazu, coming from Nagasaki. He asked permission to visit you so I sent him with the same party. I've sent two hundred of my men to escort them. They'll arrive within two days at Anjiro. When do you return to Yedo? Spies say Jikkyu's mobilizing secretly and news comes from Yedo that the northern clans are ready to throw in with Ishido now that Zataki's Shinano is against you. I beg you to leave Anjiro at once-retreat by sea. Let Zataki follow you to Yedo, where we can deal with him properly."

Toranaga slammed his fist against the floor.

"Naga-san. Fetch Buntaro-san, Yabu-san, and Omi-san here at once."

They arrived very quickly. Toranaga read them the message. "We'd better cancel all training. Send the Musket Regiment, every man, into the mountains. We don't want any security leaks now."

Omi said, "Please excuse me, Sire, but you might consider intercepting the party over the mountains. Say at Yokosé. Invite Lord Zataki"-he chose the title carefully-"to take the waters at one of the nearby spas, but have the meeting at Yokosé. Then, after he's delivered his message, he and all his men can be turned back, escorted to the frontier, or destroyed, just as you wish."

"I don't know Yokosé."

Yabu said importantly, "It's beautiful, almost in the center of Izu, Sire, over the mountains in a valley cleft. It's beside the river Kano. The Kano flows north, eventually through Mishima and Numazo to the sea, neh? Yokosé's at a crossroads-the roads go north-south and east-west. Yes, Yokosé'd be a good place to meet, Sire. Shuzenji Spa's nearby-very hot, very good-one of our best. You should visit it, Sire. I think Omi-san's made a good suggestion."

"Could we defend it easily?"

Omi said quickly, "Yes, Sire. There's a bridge. The land falls steeply from the mountains. Any attackers would have to fight up a snaking road. Both passes can be held with few men. You could never be ambushed. We have more than enough men to defend you and butcher ten times their number-if need be."

"We butcher them whatever happens, neh?" Buntaro said with contempt. "But better there than here. Sire, please let me make the place safe. Five hundred archers, no musketeers-all horsemen. Added to the men my father sent, we'll have more than enough."