Страница 2 из 58
Captain Okata — police chief of Hakata city
Lieutenant Maeda — his successor
Mori Kiyomi — tribunal secretary
Koji — tribunal servant
Persons Co
Nakamura — mayor of Hakata
Hayashi — Chief of the merchant’s guild
Feng — Chinese merchant, chief of the Chinese settlement
Kuroda — shrine priest
Mitsui — doll maker
Mei — his Chinese wife, also a doll maker
Atsuko — their daughter, the shrine priest’s wife
Hiroshi — their son, a laborer
Kuroki — a scribe
Yoko — his wife
Mrs. Kimura — a widow who grows bonsai
Naoko and Kichiro — two homeless children
Fragrant Orchid — a ranking courtesan
Umeko — a small girl; her attendant and trainee
Shigeno — a convict
Ling — a Chinese servant of Feng
Masashi — Feng’s store clerk
The winds of spring
Scattered the blossoms
As I dreamed of you.
Now I waken
To a broken heart.
(Saigyo)
1
THE PARTING GIFT
“What a hell hole!” Oil lamp held high, he surveyed the nearly empty room one last time. “May the next governor choke on it!”
His art collection was gone, and so were his carved and lacquered desk and the jade writing set. He had packed up all his treasures. Now the room contained little but a few mats and cushions and the ordinary desk that had been in storage. Let his successor gather his own wealth.
Outside, a horse whi
As if they weren’t greedy bastards all.
But they knew that he knew their venal sins, and that would protect him and get him another good assignment. He smiled. The hard work had paid off. Life was finally begi
He was surprised to see only two riders waiting with his horse. He recognized them and asked, “Where are the others?”
“Gone ahead. You took your time.”
He swung himself into the saddle. “Just bidding farewell to this pest hole. Well, let’s go. The ship’s captain is eager to leave before dawn.”
“One more brief stop,” said the smaller of the two men. “You’ll give me the pleasure to accept a farewell cup and a gift at my house, I hope?”
It was the least the fellow could do after all he’d done for him, he thought, but his resentment melted a little. “How very kind of you but not at all necessary.”
The other man laughed softly. “You have been generous to my family. We do not forget our friends.”
His house was on the way. Why not spare a little time for a last cup of wine and a gift? Surely the present would be well worth it. Yes, the fellow had become very rich through him. At least as rich as he. A man like that owed acknowledgment to his betters. “Just a brief stop then,” he replied.
They veered off the main road, passed through some deserted streets, and entered a dark compound. The smell of cooking hung in the air, and he wrinkled his nose. “Why is it so dark?” he asked looking around.
“I’ve sent everyone away to make sure we’re undisturbed. Your Excellency ca
“You may be right. Very considerate of you, but it’s u
They dismounted.
He followed the owner of the house. The large man, a servant, walked softly behind. But his host did not lead the way to the main house. He turned off to the side and took him to a service yard.
“What’s this? Are we going to the stables or the kitchen?”
His host chuckled. So did the servant behind him. “To the stables,” said his host.
He must be giving me a horse. Most likely a magnificent animal, but there was the inconvenience of transporting the animal all the way back. He slowed down. “Look,” he started, but they were already at the stables, and his host swung wide the door. The warm smell of horse flesh met his nose. He had guessed correctly.
“Come in and see,” said his host, taking his arm. “Your surprise is waiting. And such a surprise! I can’t wait to see your face.”
The servant pressed him forward as his master tugged. He gave a little laugh and submitted.
It was an ordinary stable and contained only three horses. By the uncertain light of the lantern near the door, they looked common. He had seen better looking post horses. He stopped again.
“Come,” he said, irritated, “if this is a joke, I’m getting very tired of it.”
Behind him the stable door slammed shut, and he heard the sound of the bar being shoved across.
Surprised, he turned. The servant, ugly brute that he was, stood there, his arms folded across his chest and a nasty grin in his face. He felt a twinge of uneasiness, then anger. Swinging back to his host, he demanded, “Open this door immediately. I’m leaving.”
“No, you’re not,” said the servant and chuckled.
His host was not smiling. He looked at him coldly. “Unfortunately,” he said in his soft voice, “I ca
An icy fear gripped him. This could not be happening. Where were his people? What could he do? Bluster? Threaten? Plead? Offer the man a deal?
He blustered. “How dare you? I’m an imperial official. You ca
“We’re restraining him?” The servant laughed again. “That’s one way of putting it.”
His master smiled a little at this. “They have gone on board. Someone sent them a message that you’d found a faster boat and would travel ahead. As for being missed in the capital … I doubt you’ll truly be missed.”
“You fear I will tell our secrets? Why should I inform on you? You have nothing to fear from me. We’ve always got along well together.”
The servant laughed again.
He decided to buy his way out of this unpleasantness. “Look,” he said more calmly, “You and I have always worked well together. I have no interest in talking about our business. We’ve both done well by it. And I can still do much for you in the future. I’m grateful and I’d be willing to share some of my future profits to prove my good will.”
The other man’s mouth twitched a little. “Tempting, but I’m a simple man. I like to make sure. Promises are like the wind. You can’t rely on them. On the other hand, I know you’ve hidden part of your gold somewhere to collect later. That I’d like to have. Where is it?”
His fury rose again. How did this common creature threaten him? “You heard wrong,” he snapped.
“Ling!”
The servant stepped in front of him. To his horror, he saw a thin sharp blade in the man’s hand. “No!” he gasped.
Too late. The blade had struck and taken off his topknot. The servant held it up and sniggered before tossing it under a horse’s hooves.
He backed away until he was hard against the barred gate. His right hand fumbled for the bar.
The servant was quicker. Again the blade flashed before he could twist away. A sharp pain stabbed his face, and then hot blood poured into his mouth as he screamed.
“Where?” asked the other man again. This time his voice was harsher. “Speak or he’ll slice you up alive like a pig.”