Akitada’s jaw sagged. “What?” He took a breath. “Who is Tokuzo?”
“He runs a brothel in the quarter, sir. He’s an evil man. Even Hanae says so.”
“Hanae’s also involved, eh? What about Cook and my wife’s maid? Does my entire household carry on a secret life outside my home?”
Genba flushed and bowed his head. “No, sir. Just me,” he mumbled.
Akitada stared at him. “What do you mean?” He was astonished by the notion that placid, ordinary Genba had been leading a secret life. Only the big man’s obvious misery stopped him from smiling at the thought.
“There is… someone, sir.” Genba’ big fists were kneading his huge knees. “A woman, I mean. I… her name’s Ohiro. And… and…”
A woman! Genba, in his comfortable middle years-he was in his mid-forties-, had fallen in love. He seemed ashamed to talk about it, though. Akitada cut the stammering short, and said in a hearty tone, “But this is excellent news, Genba. I’m very happy for you. Will you bring your bride here? We’ll have to find you better quarters.”
Genba’s eyes filled with tears. “Sir, she works in the Willow Quarter.” He looked down.
“Oh.”
A painful silence fell in which the big Genba seemed to shrink into himself.
When they spoke again, it was at the same time, and both stopped again. Genba gave Akitada a look like a beaten dog. Akitada bit his lip. He owed Genba a great deal. Genba had been loyal and would have died for his master many times over.
“Well,” he said, “we cannot always make our hearts obey our heads. I assume she will give up her profession?”
“Oh, yes.” Genba’s fists started their kneading again. “We’ve been saving, both of us, to buy her out, but we didn’t have enough and now her owner has been murdered.” He paused. “That’s really how the trouble started, sir. Tora, Saburo, and I went to talk to Tokuzo, but the police were there already, and they wanted to arrest me because one of Tokuzo’s bullies told them I threatened Tokuzo the night before. Tora talked them out of it.”
Akitada’s brows knitted during this tale. His first reaction was irritation that his retainers seemed to have the extremely bad taste of seeking out disreputable females and hanging about in brothels. And now Saburo seemed to have fallen into the same habit. But he suppressed his anger. Perhaps he would not have done so with Tora (in fact, he had been very blunt when Tora had married Hanae), but Tora was better able to take a tongue lashing. Genba suffered from the conviction that Akitada considered him a big useless, greedy lout and merely tolerated his presence in the household.
“Tell me about Ohiro,” Akitada suggested. “If she has captured your devotion, she must be remarkable.”
Genba was so astonished he gaped at his master for a moment. Then his face lit up, and he said fervently, “She’s not like anyone I’ve ever known, sir. She’s sweet and loving and very, very brave. You’d have to be brave to live through the hell that happened to her.” Leaning forward a little, he looked at Akitada earnestly. “Sir, she lost her parents when she was young. Her uncle and his wife took her in. But her uncle started raping her when she was ten, and when his wife found out, she sold Ohiro to Tokuzo. Tokuzo’s raped her regularly and he beats her, but she never complains. And sir, she’s very pretty and could have any man, but she loves me.” This brought the tears to his eyes again. He sniffed. “I love her. I’ve promised to take care of her forever.”
Akitada gave an inward shudder at the tale. He wanted to point out that nothing is forever, and that such women would say anything to get a man to buy out their contract, and if this Ohiro was really so very pretty, she would leave Genba the moment she had her freedom. He said none of those things, however. He asked, “How much money do you need?”
Genba told him. “I know it’s too much. We thought we’d wait and save some more, but now that Tokuzo’s dead, she’ll be sold again.”
Akitada looked outside at his garden, saw that the sun was already high, and got up. “Find out who the heir is. Then arrange to buy her out. I’ll give you the money. As for Saburo, I’m sure he’ll show up. He knows how to handle himself. Now I must go to work.”
Genba was on his knees again, knocking his head against the floor. “Thank you, sir. I’ll pay the money back, I promise. If you have extra work, I’ll do it gladly. Or, if you permit it, I could find some work outside after I have done the chores here. And Ohiro is a hard worker, too.”
Akitada headed out the door. “Nonsense, Genba. You’re family.”
After taking care of some urgent ministry paperwork, Akitada went in search of the minister.
Fujiwara Kaneie had just arrived and stood at the open door overlooking his private courtyard, hands clasped behind his back. He was watching a pair of swallows building a nest under the eaves.
When he heard Akitada, he turned. “Oh, there you are. How are things going for your friend Kosehira?”
“Very kind of you to ask, sir.” Akitada hesitated a moment, then said, “I’m in a quandary. In this situation, taking sides will surely affect a person’s career. I’m not concerned on my own behalf but on yours, sir. Had you not better remain in ignorance of the matter?”
The minister chuckled. “I’m quite safe, but it’s nice of you to be concerned. No, speak freely… unless you’re afraid I’ll carry tales.”
There was always that danger, even though Kaneie was not particularly close to the regent and his brothers and was, in any case, an honorable man. “It’s not that, sir, though there are some confidences I cannot divulge. Very well, then. The prince is under house arrest. He will not make any effort to defend himself. He says he doesn’t care and will take the tonsure soon. Surely those words should satisfy his enemies?”
The minister pursed his lips. “He still has his supporters, and many a retired emperor has ruled from his monastery. No, in Atsuhira’s case I don’t think they’d be satisfied.”
“Ah. That is difficult indeed.”
“But you’re only concerned about your friend Kosehira. Can’t you clear him and leave Atsuhira alone?”
“No, sir. There were letters. They had no relation to the plot, but Kosehira has destroyed them. Since it was known they had corresponded recently and he would not produce them, it looks very suspicious.”
“But why did he destroy them if they were harmless?”
Good question. Akitada could not reveal the affair with Lady Masako to Kaneie. He said, “Why keep them? Surely you and I live with too much paperwork all day long to keep our private correspondence also.”
Kaneie nodded. “Yes, I see. Awkward. What are your plans?”
“I want to speak to people who can clear either Kosehira or the prince. A large task, but perhaps I’ll find the right person quickly.”
“If you don’t stay away too long, I can spare you. A few days won’t matter. And, Akitada, keep me informed.”
“Of course, sir. Thank you.”
Akitada returned to his office where he took some time to clear pending matters and write out precise instructions for his clerk and those who were working on current cases. Then he left the ministry.
His next stop was to look in on a friend. Nakatoshi worked in the Ministry of Ceremonial. He had once been Akitada’s clerk and was a most able and loyal young man, who had deservedly risen in the government and now occupied the same position in the Ministry of Ceremonial as the one Akitada held in the Ministry of Justice. They had become friends over the years, and occasionally visited each other.
Nakatoshi greeted him with a cheerful, “Working on something new?”
Akitada sat down and accepted a cup of wine. “I suppose I’ve troubled you so often in the past that you no longer expect just a friendly visit. You’re quite right, as it happens. The problem concerns my friend Kosehira. You’ve met, I think?”