“He said he had several attempts on his life,” Kaze continued. “At least one was because of his wife. Were the other attempts because of Yuchan, too?”
“We live in a violent age,” Ando said vaguely, “so who can tell what is the cause of crazy actions?” She picked up the tray. “Please excuse me, Samurai, because I must deliver this tray to the Master’s wife.” Ando gave a perfunctory bow and left, holding the tray.
Kaze stood watching her. All Japanese households have secrets. He wondered what were the secrets of this household that caused its inhabitants to remain so closemouthed.
CHAPTER 22
Too proud to cook rice.
Aspire to momentous acts.
Dignity of youth.
Kaze arrived at the temple and found Elder Grandma’s grandson, Nagatoki, alone, tending camp. He was watching a kettle of rice boiling on the fire, waiting for the proper moment to put the heavy wooden cover on the pot to let the rice steam. He seemed embarrassed that Kaze had caught him engaging in such a domestic duty, as if it diminished him as a warrior in the older man’s eyes. Kaze took the cover out of the young man’s hands and placed it on the pot.
“You’re letting too much water boil away,” Kaze remarked casually. “When you’re on a campaign in war, knowing how to feed your men is a critical skill. Hungry men can’t fight.”
Having rice-making characterized as a martial art seemed to ease Nagatoki’s embarrassment.
Kaze had come to tell Elder Grandma that he had made no progress in finding information about Mototane. Finding time on his hands, however, he thought of the Japanese proverb chiri tsumotte, yama to naru-dust amassed will make a mountain. He decided to talk to Nagatoki to see if he could learn more details about Mototane.
“I would like to talk to you about Mototane,” Kaze said.
“Have you found him?” A touch of excitement entered the young man’s voice.
“No, and I’m not likely to unless I learn more about him and his character. What can you tell me about him?”
“Well, he’s my cousin.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, my older cousin.” Nagatoki inhaled sharply, making a hissing sound that indicated he was a bit flustered by Kaze’s questions.
“Relax. This is not an inquisition. I just want to know more about him as a man, to see if that provides me with any clues about where he is.”
“Well, he was a superb swordsman. Not as good as you, Samurai-san, but still excellent. I admired him for his skill.”
“Did he have any weaknesses?”
“Weaknesses?”
“Women. Drink. Something that would cause him to abandon his duties.”
Nagatoki seemed horrified that Kaze would suggest that his older cousin, whom he obviously idolized, could have a human fault. “Oh, no, Samurai-san! Mototane would never have such vices! Elder Grandma would have never allowed that.”
That was something that Kaze could certainly believe. He decided to steer the conversation back to safer ground, to draw out information more gradually.
“You say he was a good fencer?”
“Excellent! Very strong and fearless. Not too many men could hold their own against him in the dojo”
“And what do you think happened to him? Why isn’t he here?”
Nagatoki bit his lip. Hesitantly, he said, “I can think of no reason he isn’t here, unless he’s dead. Still, I don’t like to think…” Nagatoki hung his head, and tears formed on his face. He savagely poked at the rice fire with a small branch. The fire crackled, and a small cloud of red sparks swirled into the air, forming a miniature universe of short-lived suns that flickered into black ash in moments.
Kaze pretended he didn’t see Nagatoki’s emotion. Instead he said, “If you follow the path of the warrior, death is always a possibility. But if you think of it, death is the final result of all life. If Mototane is dead, he will come back in another life. From your description of him, his next life will certainly be one of honor and possibility. A man so honorable should have no fear of death. It would be sad if such a promising life ended so soon, but all time is relative, and a short, honorable life is preferable to a long, miserable life.”
Nagatoki said nothing, but Kaze’s words seemed to comfort him. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Nagatoki said, “Thank you for letting me have your bed at that teahouse. It was, it was … well, it was my first time.” It was a reference to their first meeting, when Kaze let Nagatoki swap beds with him because Kaze was trying to avoid an amorous maid.
Kaze laughed.
Nagatoki looked startled, then looked at Kaze’s face and blushed. Soon, however, he realized the ronin was not laughing at him, and Nagatoki started laughing too. His melancholy over the possible fate of Mototane was dispersed by the shared secret he had with this strange ronin.
“What is the cause of all this merriment?” Elder Grandma asked as she entered the abandoned temple.
Kaze looked at Nagatoki and said, “Just talk of important military maneuvers and the victories that result.” Nagatoki giggled.
Elder Grandma scowled. She didn’t like to be excluded. “Have you any news of Mototane?” she said gruffly, trying to regain command of the situation.
“No, Elder Grandma, I’m afraid I don’t.”
Elder Grandma pursed her lips, clearly displeased. Kaze knew he had tried his best to this point, so her displeasure had no effect on him. It would only be meaningful if he had not done his best.
“Has Hishigawa told you anything?”
“That presents a hard problem,” he said. “Getting Hishigawa to trust me will be difficult. I know he wants me to work for him, but that won’t release the lock on his tongue. I’ll have to wait and see if there’s something I can do to gain his confidence. In the meantime, I can try to contact Yuchan for you. The Jade Palace is guarded, but it’s hardly a fortress. I think I can sneak in to see her. She seems to be living in absolute splendor and luxury, so perhaps she’s happy with the current situation. If she is, you’re wasting your time trying to rescue someone who doesn’t want to be rescued.”
Kaze waited in the boughs of a tree, watching the Jade Palace. The moon was high in the sky; its pale light made observation of the island and the structure on it easy. Kaze had just about decided it was time to enter the water and swim to the island when he saw someone walk out on the veranda that encircled the building. Enomoto.
A building guarded by a sleepy sentry was a simple matter, but a building with Enomoto inside was another proposition. Enomoto was no fool, and it would be infinitely more dangerous to go to the island with him on it.
Kaze didn’t understand Enomoto. He was obviously a quality swordsman and made of somewhat the same cloth as Kaze himself. Yet Enomoto could offer his sword and loyalty to a man like Hishigawa. Kaze could not imagine what would make a master fencer work for a man like Hishigawa.
Kaze heard a rustling below him. A figure was making its way through the villa grounds, moving toward the lake and the palace. Kaze gave a small sigh of exasperation because he was sure it was Elder Grandma or one of the other two doing some reconnoitering on their own. The villa was still not tightly guarded, but that would change if it were discovered that intruders were entering.
As Kaze watched the figure, his exasperation turned to interest. In the moonlight he could see it was not one of the trio. Fascinating. He glanced back at the palace and saw Enomoto returning inside.
The figure was a bit late, and he knew the Boss would chastise him for it. They were supposed to meet at the hour of the rat, but now it was almost the hour of the ox. He had been winning big at dice and kept staying to play just one more round. Finally, despite his winning streak, he realized he would never be able to make the appointed time, and he tore himself from the game. Now he was nervous and a bit frightened at what the Boss would say or do about his tardiness.