“You’re doing something that will get you killed in real combat with multiple attackers,” Hirata told Masahiro.
“What?” Masahiro puffed and grunted as he fought.
“While you strike or defend yourself against one of us, you take your attention off the other,” Hirata said. “You have to stay aware of all your opponents at the same time.”
Masahiro lunged at Hirata and took a gentle hit on the shoulder from Sano. “How?”
“Have you been practicing the breathing and meditation techniques I taught you?”
“Well…”
“I know you think they’re boring,” Hirata said. “I thought so, too, at first. But they’re essential to training your mind, which is your most important weapon.”
As Sano ducked wild swings from Masahiro, he reflected that one of the few benefits of his demotion was having Hirata under the same roof, available to practice with Masahiro. Although Masahiro had his own martial arts tutor, Hirata could teach the boy valuable lessons. Sano was thankful, yet sad to realize that he couldn’t teach Masahiro everything he needed to know. But it was inevitable that Masahiro would grow up and others besides his parents would shape his world. And Sano feared that it would happen sooner than he’d thought, too soon.
“All right, I’ll practice breathing and meditation,” Masahiro said, “but in the meantime, what should I do if I’m up against multiple attackers?”
“The experts say…” Hirata gracefully parried. “You should run.”
Combat dissolved into laughter. Sano watched Masahiro trot into the house. He thought of Oishi, who’d led Chikara into a dangerous vendetta. He thought of Yanagisawa, who’d made Yoritomo into his own image. Sano hoped he could do better by Masahiro than Oishi and Yanagisawa had done by their sons.
“What’s the plan for today?” Hirata asked as he and Sano entered the house.
“Before we go over that, there’s something I have to ask you,” Sano said. “If I have to leave Edo, promise me that you’ll take care of Masahiro, Akiko, and Reiko.”
“It won’t come to that,” Hirata protested in dismay.
“If it does, I need you to protect them while I’m gone.” Sano hated to think he would fail to steer the forty-seven ronin affair to a good outcome, but he felt as if he were trying to drive a cart pulled by runaway horses hurtling toward a cliff’s edge. He had to prepare for the worst.
“If you go, I go with you.”
“No. You’ll stay. Promise.” He emphasized, “That’s an order.”
“All right,” Hirata said.
Sano could see Hirata balancing between his relief that he would get to stay with his own family and dread that he might have to honor his promise. They were both sobered by the idea that although their master-retainer bond would continue despite a separation, they might never see each other again.
“Today I’ll investigate Lord Asano’s attack on Kira,” Sano said, glad to return to immediate concerns. “I should be able to get a clearer picture of it than I did of the other events leading up to the vendetta.”
“How is that?”
“There was a witness.”
“I remember now,” Hirata said, walking down the corridor alongside Sano. “A man named Kajikawa Yosobei. A keeper of the castle, isn’t he?”
“Yes. A supervisor over the women’s quarters. Unlike the other people we’ve questioned so far, he has no personal stake in the case.”
“Better yet-an impartial witness.”
“Since the two people involved in the attack are dead and can’t speak, I’ll see what Kajikawa can tell me about the incident,” Sano said.
“What would you like me to do today?”
Sano thought a moment, then said, “We’ve been treating this murder investigation differently from others we’ve conducted.”
“Because we already know who the culprits are,” Hirata agreed.
“But our strategy hasn’t led us to the truth about the vendetta. So let’s look on the case as a regular murder investigation, in which we don’t know who killed the victim or why.”
“Good idea,” Hirata said.
“With that as the premise,” Sano said, “where would you start fresh?”
“With the victim.”
“That’s right. I want you to look into Kira’s background.”
* * *
Reiko couldn’t wait to embark on the big adventure of the day-taking Okaru to see Oishi. She was eager to meet the famous ronin leader, and she hoped she would learn something that would help Sano’s investigation and safeguard her family.
She and Chiyo went to Okaru’s room and found Okaru snuggled in bed, fast asleep. The breakfast tray that Reiko had sent her an hour ago sat beside her, untouched.
“I thought she was in a hurry to see Oishi,” Chiyo said, her voice crisp with disapproval.
Reiko knew she should be annoyed by Okaru’s laziness, for it would delay a crucial part of the investigation, but Okaru looked as sweet as a child. “She’s tired after everything that’s happened.”
“She was up awfully late,” Chiyo said. “I heard her chattering with the maids. It sounded as if they were having a party.”
Reiko had had to get up and tell them to be quiet, so they wouldn’t waken Sano or the children. But she said, “It was her first night here. It’s all right that she had a little fun.”
“If you don’t mind, then I don’t,” Chiyo said. “But her servant makes me uneasy. I saw her prowling around the house. I think she’d gone out somewhere.”
Reiko felt uneasy around Goza, too, but she didn’t say so. “We’ll let Okaru sleep.” Eager for action, she headed down the corridor.
Chiyo followed. “There’s no point in visiting Oishi without her. What shall we do instead?”
“I just realized that there’s another character in the drama surrounding the forty-seven ronin,” Reiko said.
“Who is it?”
“Lord Asano’s wife. My husband mentioned that Oishi put her in a convent after the house of Asano was dissolved. I expect she’s still there. I’d like to visit her. She may have information that could be helpful.”
“That’s a good idea.” Chiyo hesitated. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay home.”
Reiko suspected that Chiyo wanted to make sure that Okaru didn’t cause any trouble. “Very well.” Maybe Chiyo would get to know the girl and like her better.
Masahiro met Reiko at the door. Reiko said, “I’m going to visit Lady Asano. Would you like to come?”
“Yes, but I can’t,” Masahiro said. “I just got a message from the shogun. He wants me.”
Reiko felt the usual chill that came over her when the shogun called for her son. “Will you be all right?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes, I can take care of myself.”
“Remember what your father told you.”
“Try not to attract the shogun’s attention, stay in the background, I know,” Masahiro said. “Don’t worry, Mother.”
All Reiko could do was utter a silent prayer for his safekeeping and say, “Be good.”
* * *
After he’d bathed, dressed, and breakfasted, Sano went to the section of the palace that was used for government business. It was like a beehive, honeycombed with crowded offices. He squeezed past clerks who hurried along the narrow corridors with stacks of scrolls in their hands. Although the regime had been built on blood spilled during civil wars, it now ran on those cylinders of wood and paper, like a cart on wheels. Sano wandered around for a while before he found the lair occupied by the keepers of the castle.
The keepers ensured that the buildings and furnishings were maintained, that the servants did their jobs. They knew every corner of the castle’s labyrinthine structure. Without them, life at court would grind to a halt. Their office was a warren of desks and cabinets, the walls plastered with schedules, charts, and duty rosters. The keepers smoked pipes, consulted, and argued. Sano said loudly, “Where is Kajikawa Yosobei?”