"Make sure the wall is sound or our plan will collapse," Akitada said dryly, as he counted the copper coins on a string before handing it to Tora.
Tora grinned and tucked the coppers in his sash. He headed towards the door, with Seimei following more slowly, when Akitada remembered something else. "Seimei," he called, "while you are checking the names on the list, try to find out how the late Prince Yoakira left his estate and who will benefit from his death."
Seimei turned. "Oh, sir! You must stop this nonsense about the prince's death. It's not reasonable and… not really your affair. Besides it is most unwise. Think of the people involved! If word gets out about what you suspect, they will destroy you." He flushed. "I beg your pardon for speaking bluntly."
Tora's eyes were bright with curiosity. "What are you talking about?"
Seimei muttered, "The master thinks the prince was murdered."
"Truly?" Tora sounded thrilled. "That's a lot better than demons devouring him. You wouldn't believe the stories people are telling about that. Horrible!" He shuddered.
Akitada smiled. Tora was notoriously nervous about supernatural events. "They can't be any more ridiculous than the pious tale of a miraculous transfiguration," he said dryly, adding, "By the way, don't mention any of this to my mother or sisters. Perhaps you had better take care of your household duties before leaving, Tora."
Tora made short shrift of his chores by relegating most of them to the kitchen help and sauntered into the university shortly after the start of classes. From many halls came the sounds of young voices reciting answers or the dry tones of professors lecturing. The streets, courtyards, and most other buildings were silent and empty.
Tora saw few promising sources of information until he strolled into the courtyard of the administration hall. Here he came face to face with one of the clerks, a short, middle-aged man, dressed shabbily in an old gray robe and faded black cap, who carried a wine jar and was accompanied by a gangly youth in a dirty student's robe who was gingerly balancing a stack of three steaming bowls. When the clerk saw Tora, he stopped in his tracks, a guilty look on his face. The gangly youngster stumbled and almost dropped his food.
Tora noted with interest the clerk's florid complexion and decided to try his luck. "Having a second breakfast?" he remarked with a grin. "Lucky fellow! Getting paid a good salary for doing nothing and fed well on top of that! I see you have a good appetite when the food is free."
The man bristled. "It's not free! And what's it to you?" he blustered, but he cast an uneasy eye on Tora's neat blue robe and small black cap.
Tora drew himself up. "Nothing whatsoever, my man. I want to ask directions and, since there doesn't seem to be anybody else about, you'll do. I'm the new Professor Sugawara's assistant. Can you direct me to his office?"
"Oh! I do beg your pardon, sir." The clerk bowed deeply, a sudden movement which brought his hip in collision with the gaping youth and upset the stack of bowls, one of which tumbled to the ground, spilling a savory-smelling stew of vegetables. The clerk immediately turned and cuffed the youngster's ear. The unfortunate lad blinked and almost dropped the other two bowls, but Tora caught them in time, handing them to the clerk, while the young man crouched, cleaning up the spilled food.
"Oh, dear!" cried the clerk. "Thank you kindly. I cannot imagine why I pay this clumsy oaf for his services. My soft heart always gets me in trouble. Well, sir, you go out that gate," he pointed, "then turn right and cross the next street, and you will find the law school in the last courtyard to the south. And please forgive my rudeness. I should have recognized a learned gentleman immediately. The name is Nakatoshi, administrative clerk, at your service." He bowed again.
"Not at all, my dear fellow," smiled Tora, basking in his new role. "My name is Kinto. As you see, I am earning my daily bowl of rice just like you, and if it comes to that, I am sure you people have your own skills, or you wouldn't be in charge of a bunch of learned professors." He slapped the man's shoulder and laughed at this witticism.
Clutching the teetering bowls and the wine jar tightly to his chest, the clerk smiled thinly. "You are very understanding, sir. Great care is required to keep track of everybody here. We have almost four hundred students; hard work for only three clerks. My colleagues and I find that by mid-morning a bit of sustenance does wonders for the concentration. Thank heaven, the staff kitchen is next door and not at all bad."
Tora, who had sniffed the aroma of the stew appreciatively, said, "It smells delicious! Positively gives a man an appetite. Please don't let me keep you from enjoying your snack."
"Thank you." The clerk hesitated, then said, "Perhaps you might like to join us and sample the food? The cooking in the staff kitchen is vastly superior to that done for the students."
"A pleasure, my dear Nakatoshi, on condition that you allow me to replace the spilled portion and pay for my share." Tora clinked the string of coppers in his sleeve.
Nakatoshi expressed himself deeply honored, reluctantly accepted the money from Tora, and dispatched the youngster for more food. Leading the way into the hall, he took Tora to a dusty cubicle where two elderly clerks shuffled about among tall shelves filled with papers and boxes. Both were pale, bent, and nearsighted from their work, but cheered up at the unexpected company. Nakatoshi introduced Tora, who immediately engaged his hosts in conversation about the terrible working conditions at the university and the general poverty of its staff.
When the student returned with the rest of the food, Nakatoshi told him severely, "It's a good thing you did not spill anything else. I would have taken it out of your wages if this gentleman had not made it good."
"Thank you for your kindness," the student told Tora politely.
Tora thought that, on closer inspection, there was something very much like a rabbit about his protruding front teeth and the long ears, but his voice was pleasant and his speech courteous.
"You can go sweep the hall for the rest of the hour," Nakatoshi ordered, and the youth nodded and left.
"I hear that the grandson of Prince Yoakira is a student," Tora remarked after a few bites.
Nakatoshi looked uneasy. "Well," he said, "we are not really supposed to talk about it, but seeing that you are going to be a member of the university, I suppose it's all right. Yes, the boy was left here the very evening after the miracle. His fees were paid by his uncle, Lord Sakanoue, a very grand person, far above people like you and me. I had the honor of making the arrangements and took the young lord to his quarters. He looked very pale and was trembling. I was worried that he might be suffering from some illness and started to ask him questions, but he got quite haughty and told me to mind my own business. That's the nobility for you! Already the great lord, and no more than ten years old!"
"A child of such august rank in a place like this!" muttered one of the old men through a mouthful of rice. "It's no wonder he looked ill when he saw the dormitories. I expect they send his food in from the outside, or he would be dead by now."
Tora chewed a bit of bean curd and smacked his lips. "This is very tasty. I'm glad I ran into you fellows. Are things really so bad for the students?"
The three clerks exchanged glances and grunted. "They treat animals better than they do students here," muttered Nakatoshi. "Of course that means we get some cheap help." He jerked his head towards the hall, where they could hear the sounds of energetic sweeping.
The other old man suddenly joined the conversation. "How can they house and feed them better on what the government allows us? I can remember when the university got twice as much every year, plus extra gifts from grateful parents. Nowadays we all starve, students, staff and faculty alike."