Shogun (148 page)

She told him as it had happened.

“Why would Lord Toranaga give him his ship, money, vassals, and freedom?”

“My Master never told me, Sire.”

“Please give me your opinion.”

“So that he can loose the Anjin-san against his enemies,” Mariko said at once, then added without apology, “Since you ask me, in this case the Anjin-san’s particular enemies are the same as my Lord’s: the Portuguese, the Holy Fathers prompting the Portuguese, and the Lords Harima, Onoshi, and yourself, Sire.”

“Why should the Anjin-san consider us his special enemies?”

“Nagasaki, trade, and your coastal control of Kyushu, Sire. And because you are the chief Catholic
daimyos.”

“The Church isn’t Lord Toranaga’s enemy. Nor the Holy Fathers.”

“So sorry, but I think Lord Toranaga believes the Holy Fathers support the Lord General Ishido, as you do.”

“I support the Heir. I’m against your Master because he does not and he will ruin our Church.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not true. Sire, my Master’s so superior to the Lord General. You’ve fought twenty more times as his ally than against him, you know he can be trusted. Why side with his avowed enemy? Lord Toranaga’s always wanted trade, and he’s simply not anti-Christian like the Lord General and the Lady Ochiba.”

“Please excuse me, Mariko-san, but before God, I believe Lord Toranaga secretly detests our Christian Faith, secretly loathes our Church, and secretly is committed to destroying the succession and obliterating the Heir and the Lady Ochiba. His lodestone is the Shōgunate—only that! He secretly wants to be Shōgun, is planning to become Shōgun, and everything is pointed to that sole end.”

“Before God, Sire, I do not believe it.”

“I know—but that doesn’t make you right.” He watched her a moment, then said, “By your own admission this Anjin-san and his ship are very dangerous to the Church,
neh?
The Rodrigues agrees with you that if the Anjin-san caught the Black Ship at sea it would be very bad.”

“Yes, I believe that too, Sire.”

“That would hurt our Mother Church very much,
neh?”

“Yes.”

“But you still won’t help the Church against this man?”

“He is not against the Church, Sire, not really against the Fathers,
though he distrusts them. He’s only against the enemies of his Queen. And the Black Ship is his goal—for profit.”

“But he opposes the True Faith and is therefore a heretic.
Neh?”

“Yes. But I don’t believe everything we’ve been told by the Fathers is true. And much has never been told to us. Tsukku-san admitted many things. My liege Lord ordered me to become the Anjin-san’s confidant and friend, to teach him our language and customs, to learn from him what could be of value to us. And I’ve found—”

“You mean valuable to Toranaga.
Neh?”

“Sire, obedience to a liege lord is the pinnacle of a samurai’s life. Isn’t obedience what you require from all your vassals?”

“Yes. But heresy is terrible and it seems you are allied with the barbarian against your Church and infected by him. I pray God will open your eyes, Mariko-san, before you lose your own salvation. Now, last, the Father-Visitor said you have some private information for me.”

“Sire?” This was completely unexpected.

“He said there was a message from the Tsukku-san a few days ago. A special messenger from Yedo. You have some information about—about my allies.”

“I asked to see the Father-Visitor tomorrow morning.”

“Yes. He told me. Well?”

“Please excuse me, after I’ve seen him tomorrow, I—”

“Not tomorrow, now! The Father-Visitor said it had to do with Lord Onoshi and concerned the Church and you were to tell me at once. Before God that’s what he said. Have things come to such a filthy pass that you won’t even trust me?”

“So sorry. I made an agreement with the Tsukku-san. He asked me to speak openly to the Father-Visitor, that’s all, Sire.”

“The Father-Visitor said you were to tell me now.”

Mariko realized she had no alternative. The die was cast. She told him about the plot against his life. All that she knew. He, too, scoffed at the rumor until she told him exactly where the information had come from.

“
His confessor?
Him?”

“Yes. So sorry.”

“I regret Uraga’s dead,” Kiyama said, even more mortified that the night attack on the Anjin-san had been such a fiasco—as the other ambush had been—and now had killed the one man who could prove his enemy Onoshi was a traitor. “Uraga will burn in hellfire forever
for that sacrilege. Terrible what he did. He deserves excommunication and hellfire, but even so, he did me a service by telling it—if it’s
true.”
Kiyama looked at her, an old man suddenly, “I can’t believe Onoshi would do that. Or that Lord Harima would be a party to it.”

“Yes. Could you—could you ask Lord Harima if it’s true?”

“Yes, but he’d never reveal something like that. I wouldn’t, would you? So sad,
neh?
So terrible are the ways of man.”

“Yes.”

“I will not believe it, Mariko-san. Uraga’s dead so we can never get proof. I will take precautions but … but I cannot believe it.”

“Yes. One thought, Sire. Isn’t it very strange, the Lord General putting a guard on the Anjin-san?”

“Why strange?”

“Why protect him? When he detests him? Very strange,
neh?
Could it be that now the Lord General also sees the Anjin-san as a possible weapon against the Catholic
daimyos?”

“I don’t follow you.”

“If, God forbid, you died, Sire, Lord Onoshi becomes supreme in Kyushu,
neh?
What could the Lord General do to curb Onoshi? Nothing—except, perhaps, use the Anjin-san.”

“It’s possible,” Kiyama said slowly.

“There’s only one reason to protect the Anjin-san—to use him. Where? Only against the Portuguese—and thus the Kyushu Christian
daimyos. Neh?”

“It’s possible.”

“I believe the Anjin-san’s as valuable to you as to Onoshi or Ishido or my Master. Alive. His knowledge is enormous. Only knowledge can protect us from barbarians, even Portuguese.”

Kiyama said scornfully, “We can crush them, expel them any time we like. They’re gnats on a horse, nothing more.”

“If the Holy Mother Church conquers and all the land becomes Christian as we pray it will, what then? Will
our
laws survive? Will
bushido
survive? Against the Commandments? I suggest it won’t—like elsewhere in the Catholic world—not when the Holy Fathers are supreme, not unless we are prepared.”

He did not answer her.

Then she said, “Sire, I beg you, ask the Anjin-san what has happened elsewhere in the world.”

“I will not. I think he’s bewitched you, Mariko-san. I believe the Holy Fathers. I think your Anjin-san is taught by Satan, and I beg
you to realize his heresy has already infected you. Three times you used ‘Catholic’ when you meant Christian. Doesn’t that imply you agree with him there are two Faiths, two equally true versions of the True Faith? Isn’t your threat tonight a knife in the belly of the Heir? And against the interests of the Church?” He got up. “Thank you for your information. Go with God.”

Mariko took a small, thin, sealed scroll of paper from her sleeve. “Lord Toranaga asked me to give you this.”

Kiyama looked at the unbroken seal. “Do you know what’s in it, Mariko-san?”

“Yes. I was ordered to destroy it and pass on the message verbally if I was intercepted.”

Kiyama broke the seal. The message reiterated Toranaga’s wish for peace between them, his complete support of the Heir and the succession, and briefly gave the information about Onoshi. It ended, “I don’t have proof about Lord Onoshi but Uraga-noh-Tadamasa will have that and, deliberately, he has been made available to you in Osaka for questioning if you wish. However I do have proof that Ishido has also betrayed the secret agreement between you and him giving the Kwanto to your descendants, once I am dead. The Kwanto has been secretly promised to my brother, Zataki, in return for betraying me, as he has already done. Please excuse me, old comrade, but you have been betrayed too. Once I am dead, you and your line will be isolated and destroyed, as will the whole Christian Church. I beg you to reconsider. Soon you will have proof of my sincerity.”

Kiyama reread the message and she watched him as she had been ordered. ‘Watch him so carefully, Mariko-san,’ Toranaga had told her. ‘I’m not sure of his agreement with Ishido about the Kwanto. Spies have reported it but I’m not sure. You’ll know from what he does—or doesn’t do—if you give him the message at the right time.’

She had seen Kiyama react. So that’s also true, she thought.

The old
daimyo
looked up and said flatly, “And you are the proof of his sincerity,
neh?
The burnt offering, the sacrificial lamb?”

“No, Sire.”

“I don’t believe you. And I don’t believe him. The Onoshi treason, perhaps. But the rest … Lord Toranaga’s just up to his old tricks of mixing half-truths and honey and poison. I’m afraid it’s you who’ve been betrayed, Mariko-san.”

“We’ll leave at noon.”

“No, Mariko-san.” Lady Sazuko was almost in tears.

“Yes,” Kiri said. “Yes, we’ll leave as you say.”

“But they’ll stop us,” the young girl burst out. “It’s all so useless.”

“No,” Mariko told her, “you’re wrong, Sazuko-chan, it’s very necessary.”

Kiri said, “Mariko-san’s right. We have orders.” She suggested details of their leaving. “We could easily be ready by dawn if you want.”

“Noon is when we should leave. That’s what
he
said, Kiri-chan,” Mariko replied.

“We’ll need very few things,
neh?”

“Yes.”

Sazuko said, “Very few! So sorry, but it’s all so silly, they’ll stop us!”

“Perhaps they won’t, child,” Kiri said. “Mariko says they’ll let us go. Lord Toranaga thinks they’ll let us go. So presume that they will. Go and rest. Go on. I must talk to Mariko-san.”

The girl went away, greatly troubled.

Kiri folded her hands. “Yes, Mariko-san?”

“I’m sending a cipher by carrier pigeon telling Lord Toranaga what happened tonight. It will go at first light. Ishido’s men will certainly try to destroy the rest of my carrier birds tomorrow if there’s trouble and I can’t bring them here. Is there any message you want to send at once?”

“Yes. I’ll write it now. What do you think’s going to happen?”

“Lord Toranaga’s sure they’ll let us go, if I’m strong.”

“I don’t agree. And, please excuse me, I don’t think you put much faith in the attempt either.”

“You’re wrong. Oh, of course they may stop us tomorrow and if they do there’ll be the most terrible quarrel and threats but they’ll all mean nothing.” Mariko laughed. “Oh, such threats, Kiri-san, and they’ll go on all day and all night. But at noon the next day we’ll be allowed to go.”

Kiri shook her head. “If we’re allowed to escape, every other
hostage in Osaka will leave too. Ishido will be weakened badly and he’ll lose face. He can’t afford that.”

“Yes.” Mariko was very satisfied. “Even so, he’s trapped.”

Kiri watched her. “In eighteen days our Master’ll be here,
neh?
He must be here.”

“Yes.”

“So sorry, then why is it so important for us to leave at once?”

“He thinks it important enough, Kiri-san. Enough to order it.”

“Ah, then he has a plan?”

“Doesn’t he always have many plans?”

“Once the Exalted One agreed to be present, then our Master was trapped,
neh?
”

“Yes.”

Kiri glanced at the shoji door. It was closed. She leaned forward and said softly, “Then why did he ask me secretly to put that thought into the Lady Ochiba’s head?”

Mariko’s confidence began to fade. “He told you to do that?”

“Yes. From Yokosé, after he’d seen Lord Zataki for the first time. Why did he spring the trap himself?”

“I don’t know.”

Kiri bit her lips. “I wish I knew. We’ll soon know, but I don’t think you’re telling me everything you know, Mariko-chan.”

Mariko began to bridle but Kiri touched her, again cautioning her to silence, and whispered. “His dispatch to me told me to trust you completely so let’s say no more than that. I do trust you, Mariko-chan, but that doesn’t stop my mind from working.
Neh?”

“Please excuse me.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Kiri said in a normal voice. “Yes, standing up like that to Ishido and all of them. I wish I had your courage.”

“It is easy for me. Our Master said we were to leave.”

“It’s very dangerous, what we do, I think. Even so, how can I help?”

“Give me your support.”

“You have that. You’ve always had that.”

“I’ll stay here with you till dawn, Kiri. But first I have to talk to the Anjin-san.”

“Yes. I’d better go with you.”

The two women left Kiri’s apartments, an escort of Browns with them, passing other Browns who bowed, clearly enormously proud of Mariko. Kiri led down corridors, across the expanse of the great
audience room, and into the corridor beyond. Browns were on guard here, and Grays. When they saw Mariko, all bowed, Browns and Grays equally honoring her. Both Kiri and Mariko were taken aback to find Grays in their domain. They hid their discomfiture and said nothing.

Kiri motioned at a door.

“Anjin-san?” Mariko called out.

“
Hai?”
The door opened. Blackthorne stood there. Behind him in the room were two more Grays. “Hello, Mariko-san.”

“Hello.” Mariko glanced at the Grays. “I have to talk to the Anjin-san privately.”

“Please talk to him, Lady,” their captain said with great deference. “Unfortunately we are ordered by Lord Ishido personally on pain of immediate death not to leave him alone.”

Yoshinaka, tonight’s officer-of-the-watch, strode up. “Excuse me, Lady Toda, I had to agree to these twenty guards for the Anjin-san. It was Lord Ishido’s personal request. So sorry.”

“As Lord Ishido is only concerned with the Anjin-san’s safety, they’re welcome,” she said, not at all pleased inside.

Yoshinaka said to the captain of the Grays, “I will be responsible for him while the Lady Toda’s with him. You can wait outside.”