Okano wailed, “Where will Okanogo? What will he do? He has no friends in the whole wide world. Okano will killhimself!”
“Holy heavens,” cried Akitada. “Stopthat nonsense at once. Umehara, can’t you explain to him that he is a free man,cleared of all charges, and that he will receive some money for his suffering?Why, in heaven’s name is he carrying on like this?”
Umehara began to weep also. “Heunderstands,” he sobbed. “It’s all very well for Takagi.” He wiped hisstreaming face and nose on his sleeve. “Takagi wants to go home to his village.But Okano and me …”-he sniffed-”… we’ve got nobody and … we’ve never beenas happy as we’ve been here. We don’t want to leave your jail, sir.”
Akitada was taken aback. Aftera moment, he said in a choking voice, “Well, if you are sure, I’ll put in agood word for you with the sergeant.”
** * *
TWENTY
THE WAY OF WAR
T
wohours before sunrise Akitada still sat at his desk, staring now at thefeathered arrow, now at the shell-matching game. The tea in his cup had longsince been drunk and the brazier was filled with ashes. It had grown cold, buthe felt neither the chill nor thirst or tiredness.
All night he had turned over inhis mind the problem of the impregnable manor. Hamaya had searched the archivesfor information about its construction but found nothing of interest. Akitada’smemory from his visits discouraged hope. The natural defenses were just toogood. Each time, he had approached the mountaintop manor by its main gate-wasthere another access?-and found it could be defended against an army by ahandful of bowmen on the watchtower above. A battering ram was out of thequestion, and so were ladders. The rocky hillside, topped with walls, was toohigh and steep to be climbed against defending archers.
Of course, a bonfire laidagainst the wooden main gate would eventually consume it, but at what cost tothose carrying and stacking the faggots and bundles of wood? Still, some covermight be constructed for them.
Even then, the big problem remained:When the gate was breached, the narrow entrance would only allow a small numberof soldiers at a time to penetrate to the interior courts, and each of thosewas separately walled and defended. Uesugi had more than enough men to holdTakesuke off. Too many would die in such a gamble.
Akitada took up the arrow andfingered it thoughtfully. There was someone who might know a way.
He heard a sound in thearchives outside his office, and clapped his hands.
Hamaya stuck his head in. “YourExcellency is up already?”
Akitada did not bother tocorrect him. “Send for Sergeant Kaoru. And get someone to bring more coals andsome hot tea.”
Kaoru was prompt. It had been awhile since he had had occasion to come to Akitada’s office. When he sat down,he saw the arrow and flinched. His eyes flew to Akitada’s face.
“One of yours?” Akitada asked,watching him.
“What? Oh.” He shook his head.
“It is the arrow that shotKaibara. It occurred to me that it might have been you who shot him. Hitomarotold me of your skill with the bow.”
Kaoru blinked. “No, sir, notme, though I wish it had been. You remember I was here at the tribunal thatnight.”
“Ah, yes. Do you have any ideawho might have done it?”
Silence. A servant enteredquietly, bringing a fresh brazier of coals and a steaming pot of tea. Akitadawaited until he was gone. Then he said, “Come! You recognized the arrow. Whoseis it?”
Kaoru was pale now, but heanswered in a steady voice. “It belongs to a dead man, sir. That arrow is partof a set of contest arrows used by the late Lord of Takata’s elder brother.”
“Ah. I was sure I had seen somelike it in the Uesugi armory. It suggests that one of Uesugi’s own people shotKaibara.”
“No!”
Akitada raised his brows. “No?How else could this arrow get out of the armory?”
Kaoru looked at it as ifmesmerized. “The servants attach magic powers to … to these arrows and …there is much coming and going of servants at Takata. No doubt someone took itfrom the armory.”
“No doubt,” Akitada said dryly.“You seem well informed about the household. Have you spent much time there?”
A flush slowly rose on theother man’s face. “I did not steal the arrow, sir,” he said stiffly.
Akitada smiled. “Of course not,”he said affably. “I ask because I had hoped for information about the manor. Wewill move on Takata and demand Uesugi’s surrender today.”
“You will?” Relief gave way toexcitement. “Then the rumors are true. He will refuse to surrender and you willhave to attack the manor. May I join you, sir?”
Akitada felt depressed by theother man’s eagerness. “The bloodshed will be terrible. You would almostcertainly be killed. Besides, you are needed here.”
Kaoru bit his lip. His eyessearched Akitada’s face. Finally he said, “I could be of use. I know the manorvery well, having carried wood there all my life, ever since I was a small boyand went with my father.” He added, almost as an afterthought, “He was awoodcutter also.”
“A woodcutter, eh?” Akitadastudied the other man. “Tell me,” he asked casually, “where did you learn toread and write Chinese characters?”
“Chinese characters? I don’t…oh, you mean the jail records. I know just a few, for brevity.”
Akitada nodded. “Quite correctand appropriate for official documents. Our native tongue is more useful for poetryand the ladies’ romances. However, few people are adept at Chinese, especiallyat legal terminology, and I would guess your style is as good as Hamaya’s.Where did you learn it?”
Kaoru fidgeted. “A Buddhistpriest taught me when I was young,” he finally said.
Akitada smiled. “Really? ABuddhist priest? I see. You have a gentleman’s education and are a verytalented young man, Sergeant.”
Kaoru flushed more deeply. “Ido not lie either, sir,” he snapped.
“No, I can see that.” Akitadapaused a moment. Having enjoyed Kaoru’s discomfiture, he decided he hadtormented the young man enough. “Perhaps you would not mind drawing me a planof the manor. I am particularly interested to know if there is access by meansother than the main gate.”
Kaoru brightened. “There is oneway, sir. A hidden door and secret passage. But it will admit only a few men.”He reached for Akitada’s ink cake, poured a few drops of water in the dish andbegan to rub ink. “It’s in the northeast wall and leads to a narrow passageinside the wall. You come out in one of the closed galleries. Its purpose is toallow the lord and his family to escape, or to send out messengers if the manoris under siege.” Pulling over some paper with one hand, he dipped a brush intothe ink and began to sketch rapidly. “Here, sir. That’s where the exit is.”
Akitada bent over the plan andnodded. “Hmm. It could be just what we need. What about guards?”
“I doubt many know about it.Besides, only one man at a time can use it. There is a movable panel that canbe barred from inside.” Kaoru paused and then asked hesitantly, “Will you haveto tell many people about this, sir?”
“Don’t worry, your secret issafe. Only Tora and Hitomaro will know.”
Kaoru stared at him, butAkitada kept his face impassive. After a moment, Kaoru said, “I take it theyare to go in and then open the main gate for Takesuke’s men? I don’t think thatwill work, sir. The secret passage may not be guarded, but it is a long wayfrom the gate, and they do not know their way about. Please allow me toaccompany them.”
Akitada thought about it andnodded. “You may be right, and I suppose you are the only man for the job atthat.”
The other man blinked but saidnothing.
“Very well,” Akitada said,folding up the plan. “The four of us then.”
“Surely not you, sir? Whatabout Genba?”
“Genba has great strength andcourage, but he has never learned to use a sword. Besides, someone has to stayhere.”
“But what if something goeswrong . . . the place is crawling with warriors. Think of your lady.”