The Initiate Brother Duology (37 page)

“The Senji, perhaps. The Minikama.”

“The Sadaku,” offered another.

“The Black Tiger,” Kamu said, and his face twisted as though he had known a sudden premonition.

“Jaku Katta could never sit on the Dragon Throne.” Shonto protested. “It is not possible, he has not the blood….” Shonto stopped in mid-sentence and turned to a guard. “Prepare our fastest boat to return to the capital. Immediately! Call for my secretary. No. Bring me brush and paper.”

Kamu bowed again. “Lord Shonto, such an action will only alert our enemies. ‘While they do not suspect that we know their secret design, we are strong,’” he added, quoting the gii master, Soto.

“But Lady Nishima must know,” Shonto protested. “If what you say is true, she is in grave danger. Jaku must not use her to seize the Throne. In all probability he will fail, and Lady Nishima will pay for that failure.” A daughter of the blood, Shonto thought, a great prize for the bold man. He cursed himself now for keeping his true thoughts concerning the incident in the garden from Lady Nishima. It was overly cautious of him.

“But Sire,” Lord Komawara said, speaking for the first time, “you must fall before Jaku could act and, for the moment, that cannot happen.”

“What Lord Komawara says is wisdom, Sire,” Shuyun said quietly. “Lady Nishima’s safety can be assured most effectively by Lord Shonto escaping from this situation.”

Shonto nodded. “But if I fall, Jaku will raise my allies against his own Emperor.” The lord closed his eyes. “Jaku, who it appears so recently saved my life—for which my allies, not to mention my own daughter, are no doubt grateful. I have underestimated him entirely.” Shonto banged his fist on his armrest. “Is this truly possible?”

“It appears very possible, Sire,” Kamu said evenly. “And even if it is someone other than Jaku Katta who moves the pieces, the game would seem to be the same.”

“Then I bow to your counsel,” Shonto said, nodding to the assembled group. “I will send an encoded message by the Imperial carriers, addressed to a friend. It will reach Lady Nishima in less than three days. I will not fall before then.” He searched the faces before him. “But now we must find a way to extract ourselves from this situation.” Shonto looked around the room as though the walls were the cliffs of Denji Gorge. He waited, but no one spoke.

Kamu’s quote from the gii master took Shonto back to the house by the lake, back to the peace and the quiet conversation.

“We must draw them from their keep,” Shonto said, quietly. “We must offer them a sacrifice.”

“Sire?” Kamu leaned forward.

“It is obvious. Our forces are small, while their positions are strong. To draw them from their castles we must offer them a sacrifice they cannot refuse.”

“But what?” Kamu asked.

“Each other,”
Shuyun said with finality.

Shonto smiled for the first time since entering the room. “Of course.” He gripped his armrest. “We shall offer to deliver the Hajiwara to their mortal enemies, the Butto. And we shall offer to deliver the Butto into the hands of the Hajiwara. Each House may also believe that they will gain an advantage over the Shonto, who are trapped and helpless at the bottom of Denji Gorge. Thus, they eliminate their rivals and capture the Shonto for those for whom they act as agents—if that is indeed their game.

“Two things become apparent. Our offers must be flawless and entirely believable. And we must find a way out of the gorge. Shuyun, how were the Sects in these temples taken?”

“They were starved, Sire.”

“An admirable tactic, but one we don’t have time for.”

“We must scale the figures to the windows, Lord Shonto,” Shuyun said. “There is no other possibility.”

“How do you propose this be done?”

Shuyun bowed quickly, and Shonto suspected he had entered a meditative trance, like the one he had seen at the home of Myochin Ekun. “I have taken the liberty of examining the figures on the cliff, without going close enough to arouse suspicion. The lower section, ten times the height of a man, is impassable, so we must find a way to raise a man above it. Once on the figures, there seem to be cracks and areas of broken stone. It is possible that they could be scaled to one of the lower openings. All must be done in stealth, the guards must be subdued without a sound. If it is accomplished as I have said, it would allow access to the plain inside the Hajiwara defenses.” Shuyun bowed.

The generals exchanged glances and the senior member, Hojo Masakada, was silently selected as their spokesman. “Sire, it is a bold plan, and one which should receive consideration, but it has some weaknesses. The cliff must be scaled in the dark, which would be very nearly impossible. And if
the climbers are detected, any other plans we have would be rendered useless—the Hajiwara will only be caught off guard once. The plan we select must not have so weak a link. And also, there is the matter of the cliff itself; who among us has the skill to climb such a face?”

“I would climb it, General,” Shuyun said.

“Not alone, Brother,” Lord Komawara said. “I would climb with you.”

“Your courage is to be commended, Brother, Lord Komawara—and never to be doubted. But the danger of your failure is not confined to yourselves. All would fall with you.”

Looking out at the faces before him, Shonto saw resistance, resistance to this new advisor. It will not do, the lord thought. They fear to look less skilled than this new one, this boy-man.

Shonto turned to his Spiritual Advisor. “Could you climb this cliff, Brother?”

The monk answered so quietly that all present leaned forward to hear his words. “I am Botahist trained,” he said.

“Yes,” Shonto said, nodding, “I have seen.”

He turned back to his generals and spoke quickly. “We must draw the Hajiwara from their defenses and then they must find the Shonto army behind them. We need the cooperation of the Butto—this I’m sure we can achieve. But we must find a way out of Denji Gorge.”

Shonto rose suddenly, a guard rushing to take up his sword. “I will hear your alternatives to Brother Shuyun’s suggestion when I return.”

The screen closed behind Lord Shonto and the room returned to perfect silence. The lamps swayed. Water lapped the hull.

T
HE MANSION OF Butto Joda sat upon a hill looking west across the slopes that swept down to Denji Gorge. It was not coincidental that this situation also provided a perfect view of the lands of the Hajiwara. The fortifications surrounding the mansion were designed and built to be the strongest and most modern defenses possible, yet aesthetics had not been ignored entirely. The palisades and towers were of the finest local material and constructed in the sweeping style of the Mori period.

Kamu mounted the steps to the high tower, accompanied by Butto guards. Much negotiation had preceded this meeting with Butto Joda, the younger son of Lord Butto Taga, for Kamu had insisted that the meeting take place in privacy, away from the prying eyes of Joda’s older brother.

A day had been lost in these arrangements, and Kamu knew he had no more time to lose. The bait must be offered and the Butto must take it without delay. Outwardly, Kamu maintained the serenity one would expect from a warrior who had seen many battles, yet this was a serenity that did not come from within. So much depended on this meeting—everything, in fact.

At the top of the stairway, guards flanked large painted screens depicting the Butto armies in victory over their rivals. The guards bowed low, showing respect to the representative of the great Lord Shonto Motoru, but also honoring the famous warrior, Tenge Kamu.

The screens slid aside, revealing Lord Butto Joda, sitting on a dais at the end of an audience chamber of modest proportion. Entering the room,
Kamu knelt and bowed respectfully. The lord nodded, and Kamu was again surprised by his youthful appearance. Even Lord Komawara seemed older than this pup, yet Butto Joda was not to be taken lightly. For three years, he had directed the battles against the Hajiwara, and the Hajiwara House was headed by a man twice his age.

“It is an honor to receive you again so soon, Kamu-sum. I have looked forward to this private discussion with great anticipation. Tell me, has your lord’s condition improved?”

“I thank you for your words, as does my lord’s House. Lord Shonto recovers quickly and sends his regrets that he cannot meet with you in person. It was his wish that he could pay his respects to his old friend, your honored father. May I enquire after his well-being?”

“The Lord Butto will be most pleased to hear of your kind concern. He grows stronger and I hope he will soon take his place in our councils again—a place I hold by his wish, until his recovery.” Polite enquiry followed polite enquiry until the host deemed it proper to discuss other matters. “Is there some issue that Lord Shonto has instructed you to convey to my father? If there is, I would be pleased to be the bearer of such information.”

“You are most perceptive, Lord Butto, for indeed my lord wishes to ask the boon of advice in a matter which he deems most sensitive”

“Please, Kamu-sum, it would be our honor to comply, though it is difficult for me to imagine a lord as famed for wisdom as Lord Shonto requiring our humble counsel. Please go on.”

“As I have said, it is a matter of great sensitivity, and Lord Shonto would not speak of it if it were not of present importance.” Kamu stopped as if what he was about to say was terribly embarrassing to him. “The problem my lord wishes your opinion on has arisen in his dealings with your close neighbors, the House of Hajiwara.”

“Ah,” the youthful lord said as though he were surprised but understood.

“I am not sure how best to explain this, Lord Butto, I don’t wish my words to reflect badly upon a family you have, no doubt, been associated with for generations.”

“I understand, Kamu-sum, but the Shonto are also our friends, please…speak as though you were in your own chambers.”

Kamu bowed in thanks. “I am honored that you think of the Shonto as your friends, for so Lord Shonto regards the Butto.” Kamu smiled warmly at the boy before him. Oh, he is bright, the warrior thought. No more than
eighteen years old, and listen to the way he speaks! In ten years he will be a force to be reckoned with. “It has become apparent, in our short time here, that the Hajiwara have arrogated onto themselves powers that are the strict and exclusive domain of our revered Emperor. I hardly need to describe these to you, Lord Butto, for it is obvious that the Hajiwara control, for their own benefit, the traffic of the Imperial Waterway. As a representative of the Throne, Lord Shonto is most concerned by this situation.”

The young lord nodded as Kamu spoke, a look of grave concern on his face. “For this very reason, and others also, my own House has been at odds with the Hajiwara for some length of time. In fact, I will tell you as one friend to another, this is only the most recent of a long history of such actions by the Hajiwara.”

“Ah, Lord Butto, do you then share Lord Shonto’s concern for this situation?”

“I hesitate to speak for my esteemed father, but I think I may say that this situation has been an insult to many Houses in this province that are loyal to the Son of Heaven, rather than to their own profit.”

“What of the governor, then?”

Butta Joda laughed aloud. “Pardon my outburst, Kamu-sum. As you no doubt are aware, the Governor of Itsa Province is Lord Hajiwara’s son-in-law, and loyal to the intentions of his wife’s father.” He said this with a trace of bitterness.

“I would not say this elsewhere, Lord Butto, but the Emperor has not paid close enough attention to your difficulties in Itsa.”

The young lord nodded, but said nothing.

Kamu hesitated before speaking again. “It seems that a representative of the Throne should deal with this problem, and soon.” He watched Butto’s expression carefully as he said this.

The youth did not hesitate. “How could this be done, Kamu-sum?”

Yes, the old warrior thought, he is interested, but is he brave enough? “It is the opinion of some members of Lord Shonto’s council that the actions of the Hajiwara are outside of the laws of Wa and therefore subject to sanction. As the governor of the province, the Imperial representative has broken his oath of duty to allow his wife’s family to disregard the edicts that govern the canal, it may be necessary for another to enforce those laws in his place.”

“What you say is wise, Kamu-sum, but the governor is still, despite all, the representative of the Throne. To oppose him is to defy the Emperor.”

“This is true, Lord Butto, but it is not necessary to oppose the governor. To do his proper duty for him, that is what I suggest. I would also suggest that another Imperial representative could take the initiative in this, thus making it clear to the Son of Heaven that this was not merely a jealousy between rival Houses.”

“What you say would, no doubt, be of interest to my father, but before I approach him with your words, I cannot help but wonder where such a willing representative of the Throne could be found. The only person in Itsa with such a title is Lord Shonto, and is his fleet not trapped in the Denji Gorge by the very family we discuss?”