Shōgun полностью

“That’s always ready. But he hasn’t got the Fruit for it. That will need leadership and skill. Once he had it, not now. Now he’s a shadow of the Minowara he was. I was shocked at how he looked. So sorry, I made a mistake. I should have gone with Ishido.”

“I think you chose correctly.”

“What?”

“First have your bath, then I think I have a present for you.”

“What present?”

“Your brother Mizuno is coming after the evening meal.”

“That’s a present?” Yabu bristled. “What would I want with that fool?”

“Special information or wisdom, even from a fool, can be just as valuable as from a counselor, neh? Sometimes more so.”

“What information?”

“First your bath. And food. You’ll need a cool head tonight, Yabu-chan.”

Yabu would have pressed her but the bath tempted him, and in truth, he was filled with a pleasing lassitude he had not felt in many a day. Part of it was due to Toranaga’s deference this morning, part to the generals’ deference over the last few days. But most of it was due to the killing, the ripple of joy that had rushed from sword to arm to head. Ah, to kill so cleanly, man to man—in front of men—that’s a joy given to so few, so rarely. Rare enough to be appreciated and savored.

So he left his wife and relaxed further into his joy. He allowed hands to tend his body and then, refreshed and renewed, he went to a veranda room. The last rays of sunset bedecked the sky. The moon was low, crescent, and thin. One of his personal maids served his evening meal delicately. He ate sparingly and in silence. A little soup and fish and pickled vegetables.

The girl smiled invitingly. “Shall I turn down the futons now, Sire?”

Yabu shook his head. “Later. First tell my wife I wish to see her.”

Yuriko arrived, wearing a neat but old kimono.

“So desu ka?”

“Your brother’s waiting. We should see him alone. See him first, Sire, then we’ll talk, you and I—also alone. Please be patient, neh?”

Kasigi Mizuno, Yabu’s younger brother and Omi’s father, was a small man with bulbous eyes, high forehead, and thin hair. His swords did not seem to suit him and he could barely handle them. Even with bow and arrow he was not much better.

Mizuno bowed and complimented Yabu on his skill this afternoon, for the news of the exploit had quickly spread around the castle, further enhancing Yabu’s reputation as a fighter. Then, anxious to please, he came to the point. “I received a coded letter today from my son, Sire. The Lady Yuriko thought I’d better give it to you personally.” He handed the scroll to Yabu, with the decoding. The message from Omi read: “Father, please tell Lord Yabu quickly and privately: first Lord Buntaro came to Mishima, secretly via Takato. One of his men let this slip during a drunken evening that I’d arranged in their honor. Second: During this secret visit at Takato, which lasted three days, Buntaro saw Lord Zataki twice and the Lady, Zataki’s mother, three times. Third: Before Lord Hiro-matsu left Mishima he told his new consort, the Lady Oko, not to worry because ‘while I’m alive Lord Toranaga will never leave the Kwanto.’ Fourth: that . . .”

Yabu looked up. “How can Omi-san possibly know what Iron Fist said privately to his consort? We don’t have spies in his house.”

“We have now, Sire. Please read on.”

“Fourth: that Hiro-matsu is resolved to commit treason, if necessary, and will confine Toranaga in Yedo, if necessary, and will order Crimson Sky over Toranaga’s refusal with or without Lord Sudara’s assent, if necessary. Fifth: that these are truths that can be believed. Lady Oko’s personal maid is the daughter of my wife’s foster mother and was introduced into the Lady Oko’s service here at Mishima when, regrettably, her own maid curiously acquired a wasting malaise. Sixth: Buntaro-san is like a madman, brooding and angry—today he challenged and slaughtered a samurai purposelessly, cursing the name of the Anjin-san. Last: Spies report that Ikawa Jikkyu has massed ten thousand men in Suruga, ready to sweep across our borders. Please give Lord Yabu my greetings. . . .” The rest of the message was inconsequential.

“Jikkyu, eh! Must I go to my death with that devil unrevenged!”

“Please be patient, Sire,” Yuriko said. “Tell him, Mizuno-san.”

“Sire,” the little man began. “For months we’ve tried to put your plan into effect, the one you suggested when the barbarian first arrived. You remember, with all those silver coins, you mentioned that a hundred or even five hundred in the hands of the right cook would eliminate Ikawa Jikkyu once and for all.” Mizuno’s eyes seemed to grow even more froglike. “It seems that Mura, headman of Anjiro, has a cousin who has a cousin whose brother now is the best cook in Suruga. I heard today he’s been accepted into Jikkyu’s household. He’s been given two hundred on account and the whole price is five hun—”

“We haven’t got that money! Impossible! How can I raise five hundred—I’m so in debt now I can’t even raise one hundred!”