The Heike Story (27 page)

Soon after the ex-Emperor left the Willow-Spring Palace, a band of armed warriors arrived there and took possession of it. Asatori, the caretaker, watched them, dismayed. Their horses fouled the white-sanded courtyard, and soldiers made free with the Palace, stalking roughshod through the great halls and chambers, looting the storehouses for food, and even breaking into the women's quarters, from which came the frightened screams of the occupants. When, however, the soldiers, shouting coarsely, stripped to bathe in the Willow Spring, and drank from the well-bucket, Asatori could no longer contain himself.

"Sirs—if you please, you will not use this spring."

What's this? What do you mean by that, you wretch?" they bellowed, taking no more notice of him than if he were a scarecrow.

"This is the Willow Spring, which is only for his majesty's use. There is a well over there—and a stream. I beg you not to come here."

"And who are you to give orders?"

"I am the caretaker of the Willow Spring."

"Caretaker? Oh, so you watch this spring, eh?"

"It is my task to care for this spring and keep its waters clean. I guard this spring with my life."

The soldiers roared with laughter at Asatori's reply.

"Nonsense! Enough rain falls in the capital to fill your spring. I dare say his majesty doesn't drink so much as the Great Dragon and dry up this spring!"

"You are rude fellows. Who are you and who let you come here to make such disorder?"

"Disorder? Who is disorderly? We were sent here to guard the Palace. Our orders are from the Minister of the Left. Go ask the Minister himself."

"Do you mean Yorinaga, the Minister?"

"Yorinaga or whatever's his name—that's neither here nor there, nor any business of ours. When the war starts there'll be no Palace or Willow Spring, for that matter. Here's our chance to turn out the storehouses and fill our bellies!"

Asatori reluctantly turned away. The sunlight glinting on their halberds and swords made him tremble. This was no time to argue with these churlish soldiers, who would fall on him without hesitation. There was nothing he could do except watch them from afar. Soon he saw one of the warriors climb a tree and shade his eyes, staring intently into the grounds of the Takamatsu Palace, a short distance away. Something he saw caused the soldier to scramble down in haste and three soldiers to leap to their horses and gallop off.

Asatori leaned back against the trunk of the giant willow, full of anxious thoughts for his master, the ex-Emperor. If war broke out, what had he, Asatori, a humble caretaker, to give but his loyalty—his life? There was nothing he could do but stay and guard the spring.

A summer breeze played among the long fringes of the willow; a green thread tossed gently to and fro, caressing Asatori's cheek.

"There are not enough soldiers, not even enough for his majesty's protection," Councilor Shinzei remarked to the Regent,

Only the night before, there had been great excitement and indignation when Lady Bifukumon's ladies-in-waiting had screamed at discovering an owl-like figure hunched in the top of a large hazel tree outside the window of their boudoir. Guards had come running at the outcry and shot down with their strong-bows some poor wretch—a young priest who confessed to watching the ladies at their toilette.

"Something must be done," Shinzei said. "It is in times like this that the warriors are most apt to be hatching plots. Is it not about time to have those captains whom his late majesty recommended set up here for our greater safety?"

The Regent did not reply at once. "It may be necessary. . . ." If he seemed to hesitate, it was because his brother Yorinaga was known to be one of Sutoku's supporters, and the Regent knew he must soon declare on which side he stood. Then he continued: "Councilor Shinzei, which captains do you suggest as bodyguards to the Emperor?"

"That—that was decided by his late majesty shortly before his decease. A list was drawn up and approved by him."

"I was not told that such a list had been made."

"It most certainly exists."

"When? Who has it now?"

"While his majesty was alive it was entrusted to the Captain of the Bodyguard of the Left and Fujiwara Mitsunaga. Following his majesty's decease, the document was given to Korekata, Captain of the Right, for safekeeping. I had intended to have Lady Bifukumon herself see it when the mourning period was over. His late majesty's wishes must be carried out exactly. Shall I suggest an audience with the Emperor?"

Tadamichi did not demur. "As I have said before, I have no objections whatever."

"The captain shall be told, as well as Lady Bifukumon."

On the fifth day after the Cloistered Emperor's death, Lady Bifukumon and the Emperor's advisers met to discuss the contents of the will. Though not so intended, the meeting was in fact a war council. Fearing a warriors' revolt after his death, Toba had taken the precaution of drawing up a list of ten Genji and Heike captains as bodyguards to the new Emperor and Lady Bifukumon. Yoshitomo of the Genji, Tameyoshi's son, had been named chief of the ten captains.

One name, however, was conspicuously missing from the roll.

"Why has Lord Aki, Kiyomori of the Heike, been omitted?" Shinzei interposed evenly, his eyes turned expectantly on Lady Bifukumon. "Tadamori of the Heike was a familiar figure at the Court. His widow, Kiyomori's stepmother, Lady Ariko of Harima, I understand was once wet-nurse to the Crown Prince. His late majesty, I am sure, did not forget this."

Kiyomori was not entirely unknown to Lady Bifukumon, who had often heard Lady Kii speak of him, and she quickly replied: "True, I was with his late majesty when he drew up this list. I was consulted on this same matter on another occasion, and his majesty seemed to feel that Kiyomori was to be trusted, but he also feared that Kiyomori's stepmother might enlist his sympathies on behalf of Prince Shigebito. That was why Kiyomori's name was omitted. He did say, however, that if Kiyomori had no commitments elsewhere, he should be appointed when the need arose. Yes—now I remember distinctly that those were his words."

Shinzei seized on Lady Bifukumon's words to conclude: "We have no reason to believe that Kiyomori is committed elsewhere. We must also remember that after the Gion affair, Yorinaga made himself Kiyomori's bitterest foe. There were slandering tales, too, which made even his majesty turn against Kiyomori for a time. It would be a great pity now to omit Kiyomori deliberately. And you, sir?" Shinzei said, motioning to Tadamichi. "What is your opinion?"

"At no time have I had any objections to Lord Aki. I bear him no ill will, neither do I wish to see him ignored."

"Shall we, then, include him—Kiyomori?"

"It appears advisable."

Another name was added to the roster of bodyguards for the Emperor Goshirakawa. All eleven captains were the heads of influential families, maintaining levies from their manorial estates. On the following day, the 8th of July, troops began arriving at Anrakuju-in Temple in such numbers that the grounds overflowed with soldiers. First to appear was Yoshitomo of the Genji and his soldiers, followed by the other captains and their men-at-arms. Last to arrive was a young warrior on horseback, and his contingent of two hundred horsemen. At the registering-office he announced his identity in a clear ringing voice:

"This is I—second son of Lord Aki, Kiyomori of the Heike— Motomori of Aki, officer of the Fourth Rank, aged seventeen. My father received the imperial summons; mustering orders have gone out to all vassals in his domains and to those who have ancient ties with our house. He will arrive later with his troops. I have come in advance in his stead."

Those who turned to look saw a clear-eyed lad in leather armor dyed a deep blue and stippled in a fine pattern of saffron. He carried a full quiver of black-feathered arrows, and wore the cap of his rank; a helmet was slung at his back.

An exclamation of surprise escaped from some elderly warriors: "Oh! Is it possible that Kiyomori already has such a fine son?" Motomori's bearing reminded them not only of Kiyomori himself, but of the grandfather, Tadamori, and of the swift passing of the years.

THE RED BANNER OF THE HEIKE

Rokuhara, where Kiyomori had come to live so many years ago, was no longer an isolated settlement on the edge of Kyoto, but a small town swarming with the Heike clan. Kiyomori's eldest son, Shigemori, who had come here as a child, was now eighteen. The lonely waste of field and swamps, across which an occasional funeral and priests passed on their way to Toribeno and the Kiyomizu Temple, had undergone a startling change after the Gojo Bridge was built. The marshland had been drained and the narrow twisting paths had given way to tree-lined roads. Wattled walls sprang up to enclose large dwelling-houses with great curving roofs; massive gates were interspersed among small houses that crowded one another in ever-increasing numbers. The larger residences, outcrops of Kiyomori's mansion, were occupied by members of his family and their retainers. A two-storied gate to admit horsemen led to Kiyomori's new and spacious mansion, whose grounds sloped down to the Kamo River. Ridge upon ridge extended out from the main roof until the central building was lost in a maze of roofs.

For two days warriors had been arriving on horseback from Kiyomori's distant fiefs and crowding the estate. Later arrivals were forced to bivouac in the open under the trees along the river, and still more troops kept rolling in like a tide. Many had come by forced marches or by riding day and night.

From Rokuhara, Motomori and his soldiers could be seen following the course of the river in a southerly direction; wild shouts and cheers were heard as the red banner of the Heike floated above him and the heads of the slowly vanishing horsemen.

"What's that—the shouting?" Kiyomori turned to ask those about him.

"The honorable Motomori is now passing along the opposite bank of the river on his way to Uji."

"Ah, so that's it," Kiyomori replied shortly. Seven men were with him: Tokitada, his brother-in-law, now an under-secretary at the Court; his brother Tsunemori; Mokunosukй, his old retainer, and one of his sons; and three clansmen from Isй.

"... A total of six hundred." Tokitada had just finished reading the list of warriors who had already arrived. "I expect there will be more by tomorrow morning at the latest, but so far six hundred and eighty-eight are accounted for."

Kiyomori asked Tokitada to read off the list of volunteers once more. The large room where they sat had wide corridors crossing one another on all four sides. One of Tokiko's serving-girls waited hesitantly in sight of the room and peered at the group anxiously.

"My lord," she 6nally ventured, "my mistress has sent me in great haste—"

"What does she want?" Kiyomori demanded impatiently.

"The honorable Motomori is passing along the river now and my lady begs you to watch him."

"What's this?"

"My lady wishes you to see him starting out on his first campaign."

"I have no time for such things. Tell the mistress that Motomori has not started on any cherry-viewing jaunt."

"Yes, my lord."

"Tell her to prepare herself with tears and weeping for that time when they send home his head."

The serving-girl fled as though she had been rebuked, and vanished down a passageway, suppressing her sobs.

Kiyomori's eyes followed the disappearing figure, and remarked dryly: "They don't know, these women—the savagery of war—they've never seen it. There's enough fighting going on all the time to the west and east, but it hasn't happened here for centuries. None of you know what war is. You're getting your first taste of it, and it won't be easy for any of us here."

A heavy silence met Kiyomori's words, for each man had been secretly thinking of the eagerness he felt for the coming conflict, when Kiyomori's remark suddenly reminded them of the grimness of war—the clashing of arms, the fighting, the flames, the greed for honors. What were they but the empty dreams of fools? Better was it for them to think once more of their wives, their children, and of the useless regrets that would follow.

A young serving-lad sat beside Kiyomori keeping the air gently in motion with a large fan. Kiyomori sat cross-legged on a kneeling-cushion. The heat bothered him. He had taken off his armor and thrown it down in front of him. He sat in his white under-tunic; the collar of the tunic was open and from time to time he exposed his chest to the cooling movements of the fan.

If there were some who regarded the captain's rough and ready ways as virile, there were others who looked at them askance—and Tokiko was one of them. Kiyomori could almost hear her saying: "Really, that's just why the courtiers misunderstand you, and Tameyoshi of the Genji and Yoshitomo say you're rude. With all our sons at the Court now, it's about time you stopped behaving like that Heita of Isй who used to loiter in the market-place!" Only his wife and stepmother dared to remonstrate with him, and Kiyomori, usually gentle and compliant with them as he was apt to be with most women, would listen to Tokiko submissively and promise to mend his ways. But it was doubtful that he took her rebukes quite seriously, for as soon as she was out of sight, he forgot his promises, and there were reasons that he should.