Shōgun полностью

“Yes. Even so I beg for his life. In return—in return perhaps I can be of great help.”

“How?”

“Is my favor granted, Father? Before God?”

“I cannot grant such a favor. It’s not mine to give or to withhold. You cannot barter with God.”

Mariko hesitated, kneeling on the hard earth before him. Then she bowed and began to get up. “Very well. Then please excuse—”

Alvito said, “I will put the request before the Father-Visitor.”

“That’s not enough, Father, please excuse me.”

“I will put it before him and beg him in God’s name to consider your petition.”

“If what I tell you is very valuable, will you, before God, swear that you will do everything in your power, everything to succor him and guard him, providing it is not directly against the Church?”

“Yes. If it is not against the Church.”

“And, so sorry, you agree to put my request before the Father-Visitor?”

“Before God, yes.”

“Thank you, Father. Listen then. . . .” She told him her reasoning about Toranaga and the hoax.

Suddenly everything was falling into place for Alvito. “You’re right, you must be right! God forgive me, how could I have been so stupid?”

“Please listen again, Father, here are more facts.” She whispered the secrets about Zataki and Onoshi.

“It’s not possible!”

“There’s also a rumor that Lord Onoshi plans to poison Lord Kiyama.”

“Impossible!”

“Please excuse me, very possible. They’re ancient enemies.”

“Who told you all this, Maria?”

“The rumor is that Onoshi will poison Lord Kiyama during the Feast of the Blessed Saint Bernard this year,” Mariko said tiredly, deliberately not answering the question. “Onoshi’s son will be the new lord of all Kiyama’s lands. General Ishido has agreed to this, providing my Master has already gone into the Great Void.”

“Proof, Mariko-san? Where’s the proof?”

“So sorry, I have none. But Lord Harima’s party to the knowledge.”

“How do you know this? How does Harima know? You say he’s part of the plot?”

“No, Father. Just party to the secret.”

“Impossible! Onoshi’s too close-mouthed and much too clever. If he’d planned that, no one would ever know. You must be mistaken. Who gave you this information?”

“I cannot tell you, so sorry, please excuse me. But I believe it to be true.”

Alvito let his mind rush over the possibilities. And then: “Uraga! Uraga was Onoshi’s confessor! Oh, Mother of God, Uraga broke the sanctity of the confessional and told his liege lord. . . .”

“Perhaps this secret’s not true, Father. But I believe it to be true. Only God knows the real truth, neh?”

Mariko had not put her veils aside and Alvito could see nothing of her face. Above, dawn was spreading over the sky. He looked seaward. Now he could see the two ships on the horizon heading southwest, the galley’s oars dipping in unison, the wind fair and the sea calm. His chest hurt and his head echoed with the enormity of what he had been told. He prayed for help and tried to sort fact from fancy. In his heart he knew the secrets were true and her reasoning flawless.

“You’re saying that Lord Toranaga will outmaneuver Ishido—that he’ll win?”

“No, Father. No one will win, but without your help Lord Toranaga will lose. Lord Zataki’s not to be trusted. Zataki must always be a major threat to my Lord. Zataki will know this and that all Toranaga’s promises are empty because Toranaga must try to eliminate him eventually. If I were Zataki I’d destroy Sudara and the Lady Genjiko and all their children the moment they gave themselves into my hands, and at once I’d move against Toranaga’s northern defenses. I’d hurl my legions against the north, which would pull Ishido, Ikawa Jikkyu, and all the others out of their stupid lethargy. Toranaga can be eaten up too easily, Father.”

Alvito waited a moment, then he said, “Lift your veils, Maria.”

He saw that her face was stark. “Why have you told me all this?”

“To save the Anjin-san’s life.”

“You commit treason for him, Maria? You, Toda Mariko-noh-Buntaro, daughter of the General Lord Akechi Jinsai, you commit treason because of a foreigner? You ask me to believe that?”

“No, so sorry, also—also to protect the Church. First to protect the Church, Father. . . . I don’t know what to do. I thought you might. . . . Lord Toranaga is the Church’s only hope. Perhaps you can somehow help him . . . to protect the Church. Lord Toranaga must have help now, he’s a good and wise man and the Church will prosper with him. I know Ishido’s the real enemy.”

“Most Christian daimyos believe Toranaga will obliterate the Church and the Heir if ever he conquers Ishido and gets power.”

“He may, but I doubt it. He will treat the Church fairly. He always has. Ishido is violently anti-Christian. So is the Lady Ochiba.”

“All the great Christians are against Toranaga.”

“Ishido’s a peasant. Toranaga-sama is fair and wise and wants trade.”

“There has to be trade, whoever rules.”