Shōgun полностью

"Thank you, Yabu-san, but the Lady Toda commands here. You are senior officer. I would be honored to be second to you. If you will permit it."

Yabu said balefully, "It's permitted, Captain. I know very well who commands us here. Your name, please?"

"Sumiyori Tabito."

"Wasn't the first Gray 'Sumiyori' also?"

"Yes, Yabu-san. He was my cousin."

"When you are ready, Captain Sumiyori, please call a meeting of all officers."

"Certainly, Sire. With her permission."

Both men looked away as a lady hobbled into the forecourt. She was elderly and samurai and leaned painfully on a cane. Her hair was white but her back was straight and she went over to Kiritsubo, her maid holding a sunshade over her.

"Ah, Kiritsubo-san," she said formally. "I am Maeda Etsu, Lord Maeda's mother, and I share the Lady Toda's views. With her permission I would like to have the honor of waiting with her."

"Please sit down, you're welcome," Kiri said. A maid brought another cushion and both maids helped the old lady to sit.

"Ah, that's better-so much better," Lady Etsu said, biting back a groan of pain. "It's my joints, they get worse every day. Ah, that's a relief. Thank you."

"Would you like cha?"

"First cha, then saké, Kiritsubo-san. Lots of saké. Such excitement's thirsty work, neh?"

Other samurai women were detaching themselves from the crowds that were leaving and they came back through the ranks of the Grays into the pleasing shade. A few hesitated and three changed their minds, but soon there were fourteen ladies on the veranda and two had brought children with them.

"Please excuse me, but I am Achiko, Kiyama Nagamasa's wife, and I want to go home too," a young girl was saying timidly, holding her little son's hand. "I want to go home to my husband. May I beg permission to wait too, please?"

"But Lord Kiyama will be furious with you, Lady, if you stay here."

"Oh, so sorry, Kiritsubo-san, but Grandfather hardly knows me. I'm only wife to a very minor grandson. I'm sure he won't care and I haven't seen my husband for months and I don't care either what they say. Our Lady's right, neh?"

"Quite right, Achiko-san," old Lady Etsu said, firmly taking charge. "Of course you're welcome, child. Come and sit by me. What's your son's name? What a fine boy you've got."

The ladies chorused their agreement and another boy who was four piped up plaintively, "Please, I'm a fine boy too, neh?" Someone laughed and all the ladies joined in.

"You are indeed," Lady Etsu said and laughed again.

Kiri wiped away a tear. "There, that's better, I was getting far too serious, neh?" She chuckled. "Ah, Ladies, I'm so honored to be allowed to greet you in her name. You must all be starving, and you're so right, Lady Etsu, this is all thirsty work!" She sent maids for food and drink and introduced those ladies who needed introducing, admiring a fine kimono here or a special parasol there. Soon they were all chattering and happy and fluttering like so many parakeets.

"How can a man understand women?" Sumiyori said blankly.

"Impossible!" Yabu agreed.

"One moment they're frightened and in tears and the next… When I saw the Lady Mariko pick up Yoshinaka's sword, I thought I'd die with pride."

"Yes. Pity that last Gray was so good. I'd like to have seen her kill. She'd have killed a lesser man."

Sumiyori rubbed his beard where the drying sweat irritated him. "What would you have done if you'd been him?"

"I would have killed her then charged the Browns. Too much blood there. It was all I could do not to slaughter all the Grays near me on the battlement."

"It's good to kill sometimes. Very good. Sometimes it's very special and then it's better than a lusting woman."

There was a burst of laughter from the ladies as the two little boys started strutting up and down importantly, their scarlet kimonos dancing. "It's good to have children here again. I thank all gods mine are at Yedo."

"Yes." Yabu was looking at the women speculatively.

"I was wondering the same," Sumiyori said quietly.

"What's your answer?"

"There's only one now. If Ishido lets us go, fine. If Lady Mariko's seppuku is wasted, then-then we'll help those ladies into the Void and begin the killing. They won't want to live."

Yabu said, "Some may want to."

"You can decide that later, Yabu-san. It would benefit our Master if they all commit seppuku here. And the children."

"Yes."

"Afterward we'll man the walls and then open the gates at dawn. We'll fight till noon. That'll be enough. Then those who are left will come back inside and set fire to this part of the castle. If I'm alive then I'd be honored if you'd be my second."

"Of course."

Sumiyori grinned. "This's going to blow the realm apart, neh? All this killing and her seppuku. It'll spread like fire-it'll eat up Osaka, neh? You think that'll delay the Exalted? Would that be our Master's plan?"