“Then what’s troubling you?”
“Nothing!” he shouted, his temper cracking under the strain. “Don’t fuss over me!”
Enju said, “Father, we’re so worried about you. We want to help. You must tell us what the problem is.”
“I can’t,” Lord Mori said. But he’d never been able to keep secrets from these two people that he loved most in the world. He broke down and sobbed as he told them about Lady Reiko and Chamberlain Sano’s proposition.
Their eyes glazed with horrified shock. Lord Mori felt even worse because he’d shifted his troubles to them, and what could they do? “Either I stand by Lord Matsudaira and we’re ruined, or I break my vow, ally with Chamberlain Sano, and violate my honor. Whatever I do, I’m damned.”
“You must uphold your honor,” Lady Mori said although her voice was hushed by her fear of losing everything. “Tell Lady Reiko that you’ll not turn on your master.”
“Yes,” Enju said bravely. “It’s your duty as a samurai.”
Lord Mori beheld his family through the tears that blurred his eyes.
“But Chamberlain Sano will punish you along with me. I can’t let him hurt you.”
“It’s our duty to uphold your honor,” Lady Mori said.
“Come what may,” Enju said.
Their willingness to suffer for his sake moved Lord Mori to a fresh bout of weeping. They put their arms around him. The three of them embraced as they shared a vision of themselves and three centuries of Mori clan tradition crushed into dust.
“Merciful gods save us,” Lord Mori whispered. “There must be some other way!”
During that sleepless night, inspiration came to Lord Mori.
He saw how to remain true to his honor and thwart Chamberlain Sano without ill consequences. Hope bloomed amid despair.
The next evening he went to a rundown teahouse far from Edo Castle. He sat alone, clutching a cup of sake. In the dim, lamp-lit room, a few commoners drank and played cards with the proprietor; they ignored him. He peered anxiously outside at the street, visible beneath the curtains that hung across the entrance. Had anyone followed him here? Rain drizzled on the deserted neighborhood. Chamberlain Sano had spies everywhere. They could smell treachery as keenly as a dog scents blood. Lord Mori fidgeted and waited.
A samurai rode on horseback up the street. He dismounted outside the teahouse. As he entered, he shook raindrops off his cloak and removed his wicker hat. He glanced around the room, then knelt opposite Lord Mori.
“A fine night to be out,” he said.
“Er, yes.” Lord Mori had made discreet inquiries through a trusted friend, who’d arranged this meeting, but his nerves tensed tighter nonetheless. He studied his companion, a fellow of indeterminate age, nondescript appearance, and weary, bland expression. In a crowd, Lord Mori wouldn’t have given him a second look. Perhaps that was an advantage for a spy in the metsuke, the government intelligence service.
The proprietor came over to them; the spy ordered sake. They drank. The card game grew noisy as the players shouted bets and exchanged good-natured insults. The spy said, “You have something to tell me?”
Lord Mori nodded, but hesitated. His heart raced; he trembled with apprehension. “First you must promise that no one will ever know we spoke. You must never tell anyone where you got the information that I am about to relate.”
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” The spy smiled. “This meeting never happened.”
Reassured, Lord Mori described Lady Reiko’s visit, proposition, and threats.
“That’s very interesting.” The spy looked impressed in spite of himself. Lord Mori sensed excitement under his blandness. “Many thanks for coming forward.” He rose to go.
“Wait.” Lord Mori clutched at his sleeve. “What are you going to do with my information? Will you pass it on to Lord Matsudaira?”
“Of course,” said the spy.
“And he’ll stop Chamberlain Sano from seizing power?” Lord Mori said eagerly.
“Yes, indeed.”
“Will he do it before Chamberlain Sano can punish me for not agreeing to help him take over the country?”
The spy smiled. “Chamberlain Sano will be crushed like an insect before he makes a single move. Don’t worry.”
Lord Mori rushed home to tell his wife and son what had happened. They all celebrated.
“You’ve saved us!” Lady Mori wept for joy as she hugged him.
“Father, you’re so clever,” Enju said with admiration.
“Yes, I am, if I do say so myself,” Lord Mori said proudly.
He’d never before felt such blissful relief. That night he slept well. In the morning he ate a good meal and caught up on work he’d neglected while fretting about Lady Reiko and Chamberlain Sano. He looked forward to hearing the news that Lord Matsudaira had banished or executed them.
That night he’d retired to his private chambers, put on his dressing gown, and was ready to climb into bed, when he heard knocking at the door. He opened it and found Lady Reiko standing on the veranda.
“What are you doing here?” Although Lord Mori wasn’t afraid of her anymore, he was surprised to see her.
She smiled her mischievous smile. “I told you I would come back.” Rain saturated the air and dripped from the trees in the dark, sodden garden, but she looked as immaculately groomed and beautiful as ever. “And here I am.”
“How did you get to my private chambers?” His guards shouldn’t have let her come.
“Oh, I have ways of getting wherever I want to go,” Lady Reiko said. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
How arrogant she was! How her husband’s power allowed her to impose on everybody! But soon she would learn her lesson. Lord Mori didn’t have to put up with her rudeness anymore. “I was just about to go to bed.” His first impulse was to throw her out of his estate, but then he thought what a pleasure it would be to watch her thinking she had him under her thumb, not knowing what lay in store for her.
“But we can have a drink first,” Lord Mori said.
Brimming with vindictive glee, he led Reiko to his sitting room. He bustled around, setting out cups, fetching his best sake, enjoying himself while acting nervous. Let her think him desperate to placate her. As they knelt and drank, he could hardly contain his mirth.
“Toda Ikkyu sends you his regards,” she said.
The name jolted Lord Mori. “Who?”
“Your friend the metsuke spy,” Reiko said. “The one you met at the teahouse yesterday.”
Lord Mori felt a chill creep into his bones. She knew about the meeting! He was too upset to pretend he didn’t know what she meant, to deny any contact with Toda. “What-how…?”
Reiko laughed. “You thought that if you reported my husband and me to Toda, he would go to Lord Matsudaira, who would protect you from us. Well, the trick is on you. Toda brought your story straight to my husband. He’s my husband’s spy, not Lord Matsudaira’s.”
Such horror dawned on Lord Mori that the liquor he’d drunk curdled into bile in his stomach. He thought he would vomit.
Anger, contempt, and malicious humor glinted in Reiko’s eyes. “You fool! You thought you could beat us. You should have joined us instead. But you’ve lost your chance. Now we know you can’t be trusted. Now you’ll pay.”
Lord Mori shrank from her in terror. He looked around, expecting to see Chamberlain Sano’s troops invading his estate. He tried to call his guards, but only a squeak came from his mouth. His throat felt choked up, swollen inside. His heart pounded so hard and loud that it felt like thunder reverberating through him. He realized he was suffering from more than just fright. Struck by panic, he lurched to his feet. Dizziness sent him reeling around the room. What was happening to him?
Reiko’s laughter echoed strangely in his ears. Her image wavered before him. “I put poison in your cup,” she said in a voice that sounded remote, distorted into an eerie drone. As he gasped and clutched his throat, she said, “But it won’t kill you. I’ll do the honors myself.”