Island of Exiles (24 page)

He glanced up at the sun: at least an hour until sunset.

Returning to shore, he put on his robe and boots again, found a dry and comfortable spot among the grass and buttercups, and lay down for a nap.

When he awoke, the shadows had thickened and gnats had left behind itching spots on his face and hands. The sun was almost gone, and the sky had changed to a soft lavender. Akitada got up and stretched, disturbing a large ibis fishing in the shallows. It thrashed away through the reeds with a clatter, its curving red beak and pink flight feathers bright against the large white body, then took flight over the open water, followed by the scolding ducks.

Waterfowl presented an unforeseen problem. Ducks in particular always set up a loud clamor when disturbed. But he would have to risk that. He decided to do some more exploring first.

This time he not only removed his boots and robe, but his pants and loincloth also, and waded naked into the muddy water, sloshing along, his bare feet sinking deep into the mud and feeling their way among sharp bits of debris and reed stubble.

When he emerged from the reeds, the water was chest-high and the bottom of the lake smoother and less soft. Some fishermen were a long way out in the middle of the lake. They would hardly see a swimmer at that distance, and as soon as the sun was gone, they would be making for home.

He swam about a little, the water cool against his hot and itchy skin, and felt quite cheerful and optimistic about his plan.

Above, seagulls dipped and dove, their wingtips flashing gold in the last rays of the sun, their cries remote and mournful. He had a good view of the shoreline and saw that he would have to rely on the reeds to hide him.

And there they came, small figures moving down the hillside from Sakamoto’s villa, a servant running ahead carrying a gleaming lantern. It was time.

Akitada swam back to his hiding place to rest a little and eat his rice dumpling. He did not want his empty stomach giving him away with inappropriate rumblings later.

Then he set out, cutting boldly across the small bay, swimming smoothly. The sun had disappeared behind Mount Kimpoku, and the land lay in shadow while the sky still blazed a fiery red, turning the surface of the lake the color of blood. The fishermen were headed home to their families, and up ahead, lit eerily by lanterns, waited the pavilion where an imperial prince had died of poison.

He caught glimpses of the seated men and saw servants popping up and disappearing as they brought food, knelt to serve, and then left again. The closer he got, the more chance there was that someone would glance his way and notice the head of a swimmer bobbing in the lake. And this time he would not be able to talk himself out of it with Kumo.

When he was within a hundred feet, he turned back toward the reeds and slipped into their protection. Progress became slow and difficult. Akitada moved in a crouch, using channels left by

fishermen whenever possible. Once he froze after raising an egret.

It flew off, awkwardly flapping its huge wings until it was air-borne and soared like a silver ghost across the darkening sky.

Abruptly the reeds stopped, and an open channel of water stretched between him and the pavilion. Someone had cleared away the water grasses to make sure no boats could approach the pavilion unseen. Such precautions made his undertaking seem all the more vital.

Up in the pavilion, in the yellow light of lanterns hanging from the eaves, he could see the four men. They sat facing each other and were eating and talking quietly.

Kumo, the only one who wore his hair loose, had his back to Akitada. Next to Kumo sat the gray-haired, round-shouldered Sakamoto. Another old man, probably Taira, with white hair and improbably black brows, looking bent with age and scrawny as an old crow in his black robe, sat across from Sakamoto. The fourth man must be Nakatomi. He was partially hidden by Kumo’s broad back, but wore a rich robe of patterned blue brocade. Whoever he was, fortune had treated him well.

But Akitada could not remain forever in the shelter of the reeds. He did not relish the idea of crossing open water, but decided that, being in the light, the four men would not notice a lone swimmer in the dark lake. This conviction was almost immediately put to the test when Kumo got up and stepped to the balustrade. Akitada sank down, keeping his face half sub-merged. But Kumo merely emptied the dregs from his wine cup and returned to the others.

Moving slowly and smoothly so he would not make any noisy splashes, Akitada half swam, half crawled through the shallow water, keeping his face down so that his dark hair would blend with the water.

When he was close enough to hear them, the water no longer covered him completely and he had to hurry. Slithering across the mud on his belly, he scraped his skin painfully on stubble, but he kept his face down until he reached cover.

He had almost made it when there was a shout above, and he stopped. Naked and defenseless, he lay in the mud, imagining an arrow in his back, though it was not likely that any of the four was armed. But nothing happened, and after a moment he peered up. The surly servant was running up the steps, and Sakamoto asked for more wine.

With a sigh of relief, Akitada crawled into the darkness under the pavilion and waited for his heart to stop pounding and his eyes to adjust. A few straggling weeds grew on the muddy bank he crouched on. If he raised himself to his knees, he could touch the boards above his head. Wide cracks between the boards let light fall through in slender ribbons which undu-lated on the waves slapping softly against the timbers and creeping up the shore. He could hear the conversation of the men above as perfectly as if he were sitting beside them.

The supporting beams-there were eight of them-rested on large flat rocks covered with slimy moss. The three outer-most supports disappeared into the lake water. Beyond was the lake and darkness.

Someone-he did not recognize the voice-was saying in a peevish tone, “You should really maintain your property better, Taro. These boards creak alarmingly every time that fat servant steps on them.”

Sakamoto sounded humble and apologetic. “I had no intention of ever using this place again after the tragedy. But the present emergency-”

There was a snort of derision.

Kumo cut in, “We all agreed that this meeting needs the privacy which only this pavilion affords.” Akitada smiled to himself and brushed off a mosquito with muddy fingers. More of the pesky insects hovered in the thin beams of light, and he considered slipping back into the water.

Someone moved above, and a thin cloud of dust descended. He looked up, wondering how strong the old floor was.

They had fallen silent after Kumo’s words. Someone belched loudly.

Then the first speaker-he guessed it was Taira-spoke again.

“I personally saw no need for all this fuss,” he said, his voice tight and bitter and the tone accusatory. “The worst possible thing you could do was to draw attention to us at this juncture. The trial is next week, and I see no reason why it should not go the way we expect. Tomo will make certain; won’t you, Tomo?” Tomo? Oh, yes. Nakatomi, the physician.

“I shall testify to nothing but the truth,” a sharp, slightly nasal voice responded.

Someone muttered something.

“Yes, Tomo,” drawled Kumo, “provided you can confine yourself to the cause of death.”

“What else would a physician be asked about? I am not a witness or a suspect. I was not here at the time, as you recall.”

“Suspect?” cried Sakamoto. “You think we are suspects? Dear heaven, has it come to that? Oh, why did this have to happen?”

“Stop that foolish whining,” snapped Taira.

“What if the judge asks Nakatomi about the prince’s health?

What will we do then?” Sakamoto’s voice was tense and worried. “He was his personal physician, after all.”

“The only thing I worry about is a case of nerves like yours,” Taira reproved him. “Such loss of self-control could ruin us all.” There was a gasp, then Sakamoto’s trembling voice: “Forgive me, my lord. You know you can count on me. It’s just that this was not in the plan.”

Below, Akitada let out a soft sigh. So there had been a plan.

Perhaps there still was one. But the prince’s death had not been part of their scheme. What had happened?

Kumo said abruptly, “There is no need to quarrel among ourselves. It strikes me, though, that Shunsei is not here, and
him
I do worry about. He is emotional and not very bright. And he is a witness who will testify at the trial.” Taira said, “Shunsei is not here because he is no part of this and knows nothing for the reasons you have just stated. However, I have had a talk with him about his testimony.” Two people spoke up at once. Akitada could not make out their words.

Then Taira spoke slowly and clearly, as if to foolish children.

“No. Shunsei is completely loyal to the prince, whom he worships even more assiduously than the Buddha. I made it clear to him that revealing any part of the prince’s private life would destroy his memory. The fellow wept and swore by all that’s holy that he would never besmirch the name of his beloved.” Nakatomi laughed. He said something about splitting the peach to find the Buddha, but Kumo warned, “Careful! Here comes more wine.”

There was a short silence. Akitada heard the pavilion stairs groaning and creaking. Then heavy slapping steps crossed above. Apparently the fat barefooted youth had arrived to refill the wine flasks. He looked up at the black-stained boards above his head, and saw them bending. More clouds of dust descended. The thought crossed Akitada’s mind that he might be crushed underneath the combined weight of the pavilion, the four conspirators, and the fat servant.

What happened was not quite that bad, but bad enough.

Sakamoto cried, “Watch out, you oaf!” Next there was a heavy thump, and a sharp cracking sound, then a tearing and splintering. One of the wide boards split and a fat naked leg descended to the accompaniment of a terrific squeal of pain. Akitada stared at a dirty foot, dangling and twitching inches from his face. Above, all hell broke loose. Men shouted, dishes clattered, more steps caused more dust and splinters to descend. And the fat servant still wailed. He wailed steadily for more than a minute before he settled down to moaning and sobbing.

Akitada withdrew to a corner near the outer edge of the pavilion.

Upstairs, the other servant joined the fracas and shouted at the unfortunate fat youth to get his leg out of the hole. Akitada could see that the dangling limb was bleeding slightly. The fat upper thigh was held in place by a large splinter which threatened to penetrate more deeply if the leg was pulled upward. The youth explained his predicament amid loud groans and sobs.

“Well, go down there and free him,” snapped Kumo.

The other servant protested shrilly that he could not swim.

The lakeside balustrade creaked, and Kumo pointed out that the water was quite shallow. Kumo, and perhaps the others, were scanning the surrounding lake and shore. Akitada was trapped under the pavilion, and the surly servant was about to join him.

Discovery was imminent. Keeping close to the corner support, Akitada let his body slip into the water until only his head protruded.

Sounds from the stairs suggested that some of the guests were abandoning the pavilion for safer ground from which to watch the rescue operation. Next came the telltale squelching as the servant approached through the mud from the lake side. He had to bend to squeeze under the pavilion. Akitada could see him only as a darker blob against the faintly lit grayness outside.

The man muttered under his breath, then called out, “Where the devil are you? I can’t see a thing.” The fat leg wiggled, and a pained voice cried, “Here. Be careful! It hurts dreadfully.”

The older man found the leg and gave it an exploratory push upward, which resulted in an earsplitting scream. The rescuer abandoned the leg and splashed back to the edge of the pavilion.

“Got to cut it off,” he shouted to someone on top. “I’ll need a knife and a saw.”

The unfortunate youth above started babbling wildly that he did not want it cut off. A lengthy discussion followed, succeeded by a tense wait during which the older servant could be heard slapping mosquitoes and muttering imprecations against gluttony and stupidity. Above, the soft sobbing and moaning continued. And Akitada waited tensely.

In time someone passed tools to the resentful rescuer below.

He returned to the twitching leg and proceeded to saw and cut the boards, while the fat youth squealed and pleaded. Sakamoto added his own shouts from a safe distance, encouraging one servant while telling the other what a useless fool he was to destroy his master’s property.

The time crawled for Akitada, but eventually the squealing above and cursing below stopped. The leg was free, and someone, Kumo presumably, hauled the youth out of the hole. The ill-tempered servant departed, still muttering, and silence fell.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Akitada emerged from under the pavilion. He listened and looked about. When all seemed clear, he quickly swam back into the reeds and from there to where he had left his clothes. As he dried himself with his loincloth and dressed again, the nervous tension of the past hour melted and he started shaking with laughter.

It was a while before he calmed down and realized that, for all its farcical humor, the fat youth’s accident had spoiled his perfect chance to get the answers he had come for.

The following morning brought more surprises, the most disturbing of which was the disappearance of Genzo.

As instructed, Akitada had risen early. Nobody else seemed to be awake yet. After carrying wood and water into the kitchen and washing at the well, he went to the stable to saddle their horses.