“But, Mama-”
Midori crouched in front of Taeko, put her hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.” Taeko gazed into her mother’s eyes, which were filled with worry, frustration, and love. “I know how bad things are. I’m not trying to ignore it. But I will not let you chase around the city and put yourself in danger.” She hugged Taeko fiercely. “I’ve lost your father. I’m not losing you!”
* * *
At the palace the wake for Yoshisato began. The reception chamber was crowded with government officials, court ladies, daimyo, and prominent merchants. They waited in line to offer condolences to the shogun, who sat weeping on the dais. Beside him was Yoshisato’s coffin, an oblong wooden box wrapped in white cloth, mounted on a stand. An altar in front of the coffin held lit candles, smoking incense burners, a wooden tablet with Yoshisato’s name written on it, and a painted portrait of Yoshisato. Below the dais, priests dressed in saffron robes and brocade stoles knelt, beating drums and chanting prayers.
Yanagisawa and Lady Someko walked toward the palace. She leaned on his arm, stumbled, and sobbed. When he’d told her that Yoshisato was dead, she’d screamed and fallen on the floor. That had been more than eight hours ago. She’d been crying ever since. Yanagisawa couldn’t bear her grief on top of his own. He forced himself not to rage at her. She was Yoshisato’s mother and deserved sympathy. She also required careful handling.
Her maids had dressed her and put on her makeup, but her hair was already messy from her clawing at it. Tears had already streaked her white face powder and red cheek rouge, which stained her dark gray kimono. As she and Yanagisawa entered the reception chamber, she sobbed louder. Everyone turned to stare.
“Be quiet!” he whispered.
Many people stood in a line that led to the shogun on the dais but more loitered by the walls. Yanagisawa knew they were waiting for him, to see his reaction to Yoshisato’s death. Lady Someko blubbered, heedless of their attention.
“Pull yourself together,” Yanagisawa ordered as he led her toward the dais.
The crowd parted to let them pass. Yanagisawa saw the coffin. His eyes burned, but the tears didn’t spill. His knees wobbled, but he marched forward. Yoritomo’s death had knocked him flat. Yanagisawa was even more devastated by Yoshisato’s, but he would not fall into a pit of mourning, not shut himself away from the world. When Yoritomo had died, he must have sensed that he could fall apart and make a comeback later. This time he knew that if he let grief carry him away, there would be no returning. This time he must stay strong enough to gain power over the regime and avenge both his dead sons.
Lady Someko broke away from him, ran, and flung herself on the coffin, shrieking, “Yoshisato! Yoshisato!”
The shogun gaped fearfully at her. Yanagisawa grabbed her arm. “Don’t,” he said in a low, stern voice.
“I want to see him! You wouldn’t let me see him!”
“I already explained to you-his body was too badly burned.”
“I have to see him!” Lady Someko tore at the coffin’s white cloth wrappings, exposing the plain wood underneath.
“Stop that!” Yanagisawa struggled to restrain her.
The shogun scooted away from them. Murmurs of discomfort swept through the room. Lady Someko heaved up the lid of the coffin. She exclaimed in disappointment and outrage. The coffin was empty. No one had been able to identify which of the four corpses belonged to Yoshisato. All had been so fragile that they’d crumbled when taken from the ruins; all reeked of smoke and charred meat. Yanagisawa had ordered that no remains should be inside the coffin during the wake; they would be put in before the funeral, which would take place in two days, then cremated, and all the ashes buried in the Tokugawa clan tomb.
Lady Someko wrenched free of Yanagisawa. She clawed the bottom of the coffin, as if digging for Yoshisato.
“Get her out of here!” the shogun ordered.
Yanagisawa hoisted Lady Someko over his shoulder. As he carried her from the room, she screamed and pounded his back. He was panting by the time he got her outside. He carried her past the sentries at the door and down the path. Furious at her because she was making everything harder, he also felt sorry for her. He’d only known Yoshisato for five months. She’d loved him for seventeen years.
“I can’t carry you any farther.” Yanagisawa set Lady Someko on her feet. “You’ll have to walk home.”
She collapsed onto the grass beside the path. She cried so hard she began to choke.
Officials strode along the path, heading for the wake or leaving it. They gawked at Lady Someko. Losing his patience, Yanagisawa said, “Get up! Do you want the whole world to see you like this?”
“I don’t care who sees me! My baby is gone. Nothing else matters!”
“Well, I care. For Yoshisato’s sake, show a little dignity!”
“Don’t you criticize me, you bastard! It’s your fault he’s dead!”
“How is it my fault?” Yanagisawa demanded.
“If you’d left him alone, if you’d never introduced him to the shogun, he wouldn’t have been inside the heir’s residence when it caught fire. He would be alive!”
She was right. Yanagisawa felt a sickening guilt, which fueled his anger at her. “Face the facts, woman: Sano set the fire. He’s to blame for Yoshisato’s death.”
“Oh, yes, you told me.” Scorn showed in Lady Someko’s drenched eyes. “But I don’t believe you. You tell so many lies. Like the one about Yoshisato being the shogun’s son.”
“Keep your voice down!” Alarmed, Yanagisawa saw two officials coming up the path.
“Why does it matter if the world finds out that you made up the astronomer’s story and that you’re Yoshisato’s real father?” She was doing what Yanagisawa had feared-exposing their deception. Grief had driven her mad.
“Because it was part of a plot to trick the shogun,” Yanagisawa whispered furiously. “That makes it treason. And treason is punishable by death.”
“Well, the plot didn’t work, did it?” Lady Someko laughed through her sobs. “Yoshisato won’t inherit the dictatorship. And unless you can trick the shogun into thinking he’s the father of one of your other sons, then you’ll never rule Japan.”
The officials were dangerously close. “Shut up before you get us both killed!” Yanagisawa lunged at her and clamped his hand over her mouth.
She squealed, clawed at his hand, and kicked. The officials stared as they passed. Yanagisawa hauled Lady Someko to her feet. She bit his palm. He cursed and let go.
“I don’t care what happens to me!” She alternated sobs with wild laughter. “Now that Yoshisato is gone, I have nothing to live for. I’ll gladly die if I can take you with me!”
Yanagisawa glanced at his bitten hand as he dragged her toward the gate. Blood oozed from deep tooth marks. She hated him enough to sacrifice her own life to deprive him of his. “Fine, punish me, but wait until I’ve punished Sano. In your mind I may be guilty of a million crimes, but it’s Sano who burned Yoshisato to a crisp while he slept.”
Lady Someko moaned at his brutal description of Yoshisato’s death. “You are guilty!” Her voice was hoarse from screaming. “Guilty of killing my baby. Guilty of making me go along with your scheme to rule Japan. But that’s not all. You killed the shogun’s daughter!”
A spear of dread pierced Yanagisawa. He’d forgotten about Tsuruhime. The shogun probably had, too. But eventually the ado about Yoshisato would dwindle and somebody was bound to remind the shogun that his daughter, too, had been murdered. Yanagisawa would fall under suspicion again, and although Sano wouldn’t be around to persecute him, other enemies would. Yanagisawa needed to shore up his defenses, and one of the weaknesses in it was Lady Someko. He had to shut her up.
“Oh, come, now.” He mustered a gentle, joking manner. “You’re just out to blame me for every evil under the sun. I didn’t kill the shogun’s daughter.”
They reached the guesthouse. He towed her through the door into her chamber. When he let her go, she faced him, her eyes glittering with vindictive malice. “Don’t try to fool me. Before Tsuruhime got smallpox, you knew she was pregnant. You knew that if she lived to give birth, and she had a son, it could have ruined your plans for Yoshisato to be the next shogun.”