“But how could it be the sameman?” Tora asked, astonished. “The one at the inn was old. He had gray hair.”
Oyoshi said, “Someone shavedhis head. That can change a man’s appearance amazingly.”
“It explains why you didn’trecognize him, Doctor,” Hitomaro said. “Besides, his face is pretty muchdestroyed.”
Oyoshi shook his head. “It iskind of you to make excuses for an old man, but in my profession we do notconsider a patient’s looks but the symptoms of his disease. Those I should haverecognized.”
“Come,” said Akitada, touchinghis arm. “I have had enough of this … this self-recrimination from all ofyou.” He pointed to the four bodies stretched on the floor, almost filling thesmall room. “Look at them! The nameless guest from the inn. The old servantHideo. The thug Koichi. And now Kaibara. If you add Sato, the innkeeper, wehave five unsolved cases. And a missing child. Why should you blame yourselvesfor minor mistakes, when I have failed so grossly and completely in my duty?”For a moment he swayed on his feet, and Tora put out an arm to steady him.
“You should not be up, sir,”scolded Oyoshi. “Come, back to your room with you. I insist on bed rest untiltomorrow.”
Akitada protested in vain. Theywalked him to his office, where Tora and Hitomaro spread some bedding andbrought him tea.
Akitada drank it meekly andsmiled. “I must be thankful that Seimei is too sick himself to concoct one ofhis vile brews,” he joked feebly.
“I look forward to meeting him,”said Oyoshi. “I may have just the medicine to make him better.” He sat downnext to Akitada and felt his forehead. “As for you, you’re slightly warm, butthat may be due to exertion. Rest is essential. You must avoid overheatingyourself. By the way, you may be certain now that the man from the inn was notmurdered. He was dying when I saw him. Even if Mrs. Sato threw him into thestreet after my visit, she could not properly be held responsible for hisdeath.”
“Yes.” Akitada chewed on hislower lip. “I admit that’s a disappointment. The woman is detestable. However,though she may not be responsible for his death, she knows something about theconspiracy and who mutilated the dead man. Let her try to talk her way out ofthat!” He glanced at Tora and Hitomaro, who were hovering nearby. “Sit down,both of you. It’s time for a council of war.”
When they had gathered around,Akitada said, “Hamaya, Seimei, and I have drawn up the documents appointing mehigh constable. Notices will be posted all over the city. This step will allowme to assume command over the garrison and declare a state of emergency ifnecessary. It may also convince the people that Uesugi power can be broken. I checkedthe law carefully and studied similar cases and believe the action is unusualbut perfectly legal. The circumstances certainly make it necessary. We aretrying to foil a conspiracy against imperial authority in this province.”
Hitomaro grunted. “That’s wherethat judge fits in, sir. Remember his talk about a new ruler? And Chobei is upto his neck in the plot of the mutilated corpse. I saw his face when we foundthe body at the gate. He’s working for Hisamatsu now, a man who has a wholelibrary of Chinese texts and could have written the note that was pinned to thedead man. And that reminds me.” He reached into his sleeve and pulled out apiece of paper. “I helped myself to a sample when I was in Hisamatsu’s house.”
Akitada took it and nodded. “Itlooks like the same paper. Have Hamaya compare it later. From what you told meabout Hisamatsu it seems likely he wrote this, but he does not strike me as thesort of man who could organize a conspiracy of the complexity and seriousnessof this one. There is more than a touch of madness here.”
The possibility of an uprisingagainst the emperor was frightening. Without military support, they, werehelpless to avert it. One thing seemed certain to Akitada: When he failed inhis duties, he did so spectacularly. Freshly assigned to a post which hadseemed an open door to rapid promotion, he was about to lose the province tothe enemy. Unless they fled, they would also lose their lives, of course, butthere was no point in dwelling on that detail.
Hiding his fears, he said, “Much depends on Captain Takesuke, of course, and on Uesugi himself. And let’s not forget Sunada. I wonder what that rascal’s part is in all of this, and what asmall-time crook like Koichi wanted from him. A pity Kaibara is dead. He wouldhave had answers. Who shot him? And why? His killer may have saved my life, butwhat if that was not his real purpose?” He frowned. “I wish there weren’t somany pieces missing. Do you know what this situation reminds me of? The shellmatching game my sisters used to play. I feel that it’s my play and I don’tknow which piece to turn over.”
Tora and Hitomaro looked blank,but Oyoshi nodded. “A very good comparison, sir.” He explained, “The shells areplain on the outside but hide pictures on the inside. For each picture there isa matching one in only one other shell. The object is to find the match. Well,sir, we have just matched our first shell by identifying the mutilated corpse.Will you let the other players know?”
“Yes, perhaps that is thelogical next move. There will be a court hearing later. Tora, go tell Hamaya tomake the arrangements.”
“But you are wounded,”protested Hitomaro.
Akitada refrained from pointingout that his shoulder was a small matter compared to their all beingslaughtered by the Uesugi. “Never mind,” he said. “I shall rest till then. I’mperfectly capable of conducting a brief hearing. Tell Kaoru to have Mrs. Satobrought in.”
Oyoshi poured some tea andadded one of his powders. Stirring, he said, “This should dull the pain alittle and let you rest.”
Akitada smiled his thanks,swallowed the draft, and closed his eyes as the others stole from the room.
The crowd in the hall was smaller and more subdued than last time, and they watchedhim intently. Akitada saw them through a haze. What Oyoshi had given him forthe pain unfortunately made him see and hear everyone as if from a greatdistance. He also felt flushed and uncomfortably warm.
He began the session byannouncing his new status. When the crowd began to buzz, he rapped his batonsharply, calling for the prisoners and the witnesses in the Sato case.
Kaoru knelt and reported thatMrs. Sato had claimed to be too ill to appear.
Akitada shifted irritably andwinced. “Arrest her,” he said. The crowd whispered like wind rustling throughdry grasses. He pulled himself together. “We will start with the fishmonger’scase.”
When two constables dragged inGoto, a new wave of excitement rippled through the onlookers. Goto was inchains but drew courage from them.
“This person,” he cried when hefaced Akitada, “wishes to complain about the cruel treatment he’s received. I’man honest citizen and pay my taxes, but I was beaten and chained, and thenthrown in jail like a criminal. Me, a poor shopkeeper who’s never been introuble with the law! Meanwhile my brother’s body lies someplace, cut topieces, without a proper burial, and his killer is smiling while I suffer. Isthat justice?”
The crowd buzzed their support.One of the constables kicked Goto in the back of the legs, shouting, “Kneel!”
Goto fell to his knees with aloud wail. The crowd became noisy.
“Silence!” Akitada shouted,rapping his baton again. He felt unaccountably weak and languid. He looked forKaoru and saw that constables moved among the people to control them. Graduallyit became quiet. Akitada turned his attention back to the fishmonger. “Statethe case against this man, Sergeant.”
Kaoro announced, “This man iscalled Goto and is a fishmonger in this city. He stands accused of having liedto this tribunal and of having falsely accused one Kimura of murder.”
“What? I never lied …” Goto’s outraged protest died with a kick from his guard.
Kaoru continued impassively, “Hei dentified a body found outside the tribunal gate three days ago as that of his brother Ogai, a soldier absent without leave from the local garrison.”