Gloria Oliver (36 page)

Though she stated all this in a neutral tone, he couldn’t help but wonder at the depths of pain she must be hiding inside.

“Kirin-san, is there any hope you can get me in to see Lord Asano?” He already knew the answer, but felt obliged to ask.

“Before, when Tsuyu had been ignorant of your mission, there’d been a small chance, but now…”

He nodded, accepting the inevitable.

“Toshiro-san, since it’s hopeless, I beg you to consider leaving before it is too late. Tsuyu does not control everything, no matter how much he’d like to think so. He has to watch what he does or all will discover his evil. We can make sure you leave here alive.” Himiko’s face was calm, her tone level; but her eyes pleaded with him to say yes.

He looked away, more tempted by the offer than he wanted her to know. He was saved from giving an answer by a soft rap at the door. Kirin stood to answer it, using his body to block the view into the room. He spoke to whoever was there for a moment and then closed the door.

“Lady, your retinue has become most concerned over your absence. Word has come they are preparing to inform Lord Tsuyu of it.”

“I’m sorry, Toshiro-san,” Himiko said quietly, “but it seems I’ve run out of time. If you would return to your room in an hour, I shall meet with you there for our daily walk.”

“I will be there, Himiko-sama.” He bowed where he sat as she graced him with a smile. She rose to her feet and in one fluid motion dropped out of her outer kimono. Kirin returned from a small hidden closet in the room and held out a servant’s kimono for her. After putting it on, she swept up her long hair and slipped it under an unimpressive wig. She then wiped away what little make-up she wore to look as bland as possible, working especially hard to remove the aristocratic dots that looked like a second set of eyebrows on her forehead.

Toshi watched in rapt amazement. With a grin, Himiko turned toward him so he could fully view her transformation. Though she was still herself, if he hadn’t known her so well he would have thought her a servant, especially when she cast down her eyes and acted demure. He realized Miko had been right all along—people did see what they expected.

Kirin folded Himiko’s outer kimono and handed it to her waiting arms. “Thank you, Kirin-san. Until we meet again, Toshiro-san.” She bowed very low in their direction and then left the room.

“Does she do that often?” Toshi asked.

Kirin gave him a knowing grin. “Only when necessary. Though it has been a game of hers for a number of years.”

With Yuko’s and Kirin’s help, Toshi got dressed but left his bandaged shoulder exposed. The old lady from the night before showed up to check on him and then allowed them to help him stand. Kirin assigned one of the four men in the room to guard him and Yuko when they were ready to return to his room.

Though he’d been told the room and hallway were put back in order, he was still amazed to find no sign of the struggle. If his shoulder hadn’t been there to constantly remind him, he would have doubted the reality of the battle he’d survived.

With a small sigh, he sat down by the open doors to the garden. He stared out at the green lushness, feeling a little tired. He cradled his arm, trying to ease the growing discomfort in his shoulder. He also pulled the rewrapped kettle beside him where he could keep it in sight.

There was no hope—he knew that now. If he stayed, he wouldn’t receive an audience with Lord Asano and would most likely die waiting. Yet, if he left, it would be unlikely Tsuyu would just let him walk away.

Lord Asaka might protect him if he asked, but he would never be able to bring himself to do it. Just facing his lord to tell him he’d failed would require more courage than he had. It would be better to die trying than live his life with the shame of failure. Though his own fate seemed certain, still, he wished he could find some way to help Himiko out of hers.

“Toshiro-san.”

He looked up and found the object of his thoughts gaily waving to him. Making sure to grab the kettle, he stood, a sad smile on his lips. If only there were a way out for both of them.

He walked out onto the porch only to find himself the center of attention.

“Toshiro-san, your shoulder! Have you been injured?” Himiko’s voice was aghast.

He stared wide-eyed into her shocked face. Her retinue stood around her, whispering as they stared at him. With a start, he suddenly realized what she was doing. The only problem was how was he going to explain it. Trying to buy himself a few seconds, he stared at the ground as he joined her.

“Actually, Himiko-sama, this is nothing but proof of my own foolishness,” he said. “I heard strange sounds in my room last night and had laid out my blade so I might be ready if anything untoward happened.” He turned away from them, knowing the embarrassment that would soon be his at the lie. “I fell asleep while waiting and accidentally rolled over onto the exposed blade.”

Ill-concealed laughter bubbled up behind him. He smiled as he heard Himiko’s unforced laugh join the others.

“Oh, please forgive me, Toshiro-san! It is so rude of us to laugh, but it was such an unexpected reason,”

she explained. “We’ve never heard of a samurai attacking himself before.”

A fresh wave of giggles erupted. He let his shoulders slump, trying to appear ashamed and embarrassed.

As it was, he didn’t have to pretend much. His cheeks colored, though he knew quite well nothing he’d said was true.

“We’re so sorry, Toshiro-san. Come, let us take our walk before our rudeness scares you away.”

Himiko appeared at his side and hooked her arm in his. She turned him toward the path, always keeping his back to her servants. Soon, they’d left their giggles behind.

“That was masterful,” she exclaimed in a low voice. “Not only did you come up with a plausible explanation, but now, due to your horrible embarrassment, they will let us be for a while.”

He turned his face away, knowing his “masterful stroke” had only been sheer luck and desperation.

“Have you thought about my offer though, Toshiro-san?” she asked him. “I know there would be danger outside the castle as well as in it, but your chances for survival would be better out there. I can make sure you’re supplied with everything you’d need.”

He sighed. “I appreciate what you’re offering me, but I can’t accept it. I can’t face my lord with the fact I’ve failed.” He tried to look at her to see if she understood, but Himiko had turned her face away.

“There must be something I can do to help you,” she insisted. “I don’t wish to see you sent to your next life before your time.”

He stared at his feet, troubled by the blooming joy he felt at her obvious concern for him. “You shouldn’t give up on me so easily. I’m sure between the two of us we can come up with something.”

His words were filled with a confidence he didn’t feel, but he hoped she would believe them.

“Himiko-sama, does your father ever leave his rooms? Is there a place where I might intercept him? Or some place where I might gain his notice in some way?”

Himiko walked in silence for so long he thought she might never answer.

“Tsuyu has his men constantly guarding my father and watching his guards. All the servants who serve Tsuyu and my father are known to the guards in that section of the castle as well,” she finally answered.

“Every room is checked before he is allowed to enter. It might not be possible to see him without an approved appointment.”

“I see.” He looked away, realizing this wouldn’t be easy, if even possible. Still, it did seem like something he might try. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell her. He had already involved her too much in his troubles when she had so many of her own. “Maybe we might still come up with something later.”

Himiko didn’t look at him. “I will do all I can to think of a way.”

They followed their usual routine for the next few hours. Toshi discovered he tired easily and decided it might be an excuse he could use to leave Himiko for a time and try out his own plan.

“Himiko-sama, would it offend you greatly if I returned to my own room for a while? I must admit, I am not feeling quite myself today.”

She looked at him, a hint of alarm in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I had not meant to impose on you so much.

Yes, please, go rest. I’ll check on you later this afternoon.”

“I’d like that, Himiko-sama.” He felt a little guilty at the subterfuge.

Once he returned to his room, he found Yuko. He rested for a short while and then decided to move on with his idea. He tried not to think about how little chance it might actually have of working.

“Yuko-san, would you take me to Asano-sama’s audience chamber—or, at least, tell me how to get there?”

She stared at him, a look of confusion on her face. “They will not let us through. You do not have an appointment.”

“Can we at least go by there?” he asked.

Yuko nodded, her confusion still obvious. “If that is what you wish, sir.”

He followed her out of the room, bringing the wrapped kettle. They left the guests’ area to go to a broad main hall. After a long walk, the hall intercepted another even wider. The walls he could see beyond it were heavily embroidered and covered with gold flakes. In the middle was a large set of thick wooden sliding doors. Every three feet, a guard stood, gazing outwards. They wore the Asano crest—except for every fourth man, who wore Tsuyu’s. Asano’s men stood rigid, staring about them, one eye on the hallway and another on Tsuyu’s men. Tsuyu’s men were doing the same with Asano’s. The tension about them was almost palpable. He wondered how they could stand it day after day.

As he watched, a woman walked by carrying a tray. She shuffled rapidly to the wooden doors and was stopped by the guards. Asano’s men as well as Tsuyu’s carefully scrutinized the woman and even checked the covered dishes on her tray. His heart sank. Though he’d not yet thought too deeply on this score, one of the ideas in the back of his mind had been to try and pass himself off as one of the servants.

Himiko seemed to be quite adept at the skill; and, with Yuko’s help, he’d thought he’d have a chance to get away with it. But not only did it look like he couldn’t approach the room without being challenged—it looked like it would do no good to try using a disguise as well.

Slightly disheartened, he hurried on with Yuko, already noticing he’d inadvertently attracted the attention of a couple of the guards for lingering too long at the intersection.

“Can you take me by the lord’s living quarters now?” He asked this once they were well away from the audience chamber.

“As you wish.”

Asano’s private chambers were located on the second floor of the east side of the castle.

“Yuko-san, are these the stairs Asano-sama would use to go to his rooms?” he asked hopefully. There’d be little the guards could say if he hung around a common stairwell then, as Asano came by, somehow attempted to get his attention.

“No, Kazete-sama, they are not,” Yuko informed him with a slight shake of the head. “Beyond the audience chamber Asano-sama has his own private set of stairs that lead to a small hallway that will take him to his rooms. The way is heavily guarded and no one but those authorized may go through there.”

He nodded. Yet another possibility proved worthless. Still, he wasn’t done. “And his rooms are in this direction?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll go on alone from here, then,” he said. “Thank you for your help.”

Yuko hesitated. “Are you sure you should be doing this? It is not my place to point out such things, but this may not be a wise course.”

“Thank you for telling me. I promise I’ll be careful.” He had to try, whether it was a wise thing or not.

He left Yuko behind, staring uncertainly after him.

Toshi walked quietly in the direction of Asano’s rooms, not entirely sure what he planned. Himiko had told him each room was searched before Asano was allowed inside. Still, if he could find one Asano was sure to try to enter and he could remain undiscovered until Asano came, surely, he could make enough of a fuss that Asano would overhear. And then, if he said enough of the right things, the lord might grant him an audience right then and there.

Even as he thought of it, the plan seemed risky, at best; but, at the moment, it was all he had.

He knew he was getting close to his goal when the quality of the walls improved, the amount of decorations multiplied in their intricacy and incense scented the air. He slowed down, looking about for any prospective places to hide, hoping he could find what he needed before anyone caught him walking about.

A strange birdcall suddenly whispered from the floor. He thought it almost sounded like a nightingale.

Confused, he looked down and realized it came from his own feet where he stepped on the boards. He stopped in shock. He’d heard of this, though at the time he hadn’t put much stock in it. These were nightingale floorboards, created with a strange ingenious contraption that made a sound resembling a nightingale when they were stepped on. It was supposed to deter ninja trying to sneak in to assassinate lords in the night.

If a ninja couldn’t cross this strange flooring quietly, what chance had he? He wouldn’t be able to sneak anywhere in this area. As if to prove his conclusion right, a guard rushed into the hallway from around the corner.

“Stand right there, do not move!”

He did as he was told, relieved only a little that the guard wore Asano’s symbol rather than Tsuyu’s. Still, all his plans had one by one crumbled to nothing. What was he supposed to do now? Toshi tried not to think about it, this problem being more pressing at the moment.

“What are you doing here?” the guard asked, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“I’m—I’m sorry. I think I am lost. I was trying to find the appointment office.”

The man studied him up and down, weighing his response. “It’s not here. Go back the way you came and go to the next floor. Someone there will show you the way. You should not be wondering the halls alone.”

He bowed deeply. “My sincerest apologies. I will do as you say.” He turned to go.

“Wait!”