The Heike Story (43 page)

The two men proudly unloaded twenty-five baskets, each one containing a pair of foot-long bream carefully packed in bamboo leaves.

The Nose soon appeared. "Good work, good work!" he exclaimed, his eyes starting from his head at this magnificent sight. "Here—what's happened to the sea-bass? The most important thing of all—"

"Eh, the bass? Master, you didn't order but one, did you?"

"That's right—the main thing. Without it, the fifty bream wouldn't matter at all."

"Right here, right here, and a most handsome one, sir. Here it is in a special basket all by itself."

As soon as the two men left, the Nose gave Shika instructions for repacking the fish at once as gifts. The fish, resting in baskets lined with fresh bamboo leaves and sprays of evergreen and red berries, were loaded onto a litter.

Bamboku's wife, turned out in her best, proceeded in an easterly direction accompanied by Shika and four domestics bearing two litters—one piled with the baskets of fish and the other with rolls of silk and flasks of Chinese wine tastefully arranged on it—all carefully concealed under coverings of oiled paper. To all appearances, they might have been delivering gifts for a wedding. As they crossed the Gojo Bridge, they found themselves on the outskirts of Rokuhara. Tomorrow being the 4th of December, the date of Kiyomori's departure for Kumano, the streets were choked with more horses, carriages, and people than usual.

The Nose's wife made her way round a corner toward the wing in which the mistress of Rokuhara lived. West of the kitchen gate was the women's entrance, where the guard, with whom Umeno seemed to be on friendly terms, with a smile of recognition, allowed her to pass in. Umeno disappeared beyond the trees round the main entrance of Lady Harima's house.

After some time Umeno reappeared and at the gate stopped for a few words with the guard.

"And how did he take it, Umeno?" the Nose inquired eagerly on his wife's return.

"Ah, you should have seen how pleased he was—and her ladyship!"

"So you did get to see the mistress?''

"Not only that—all the things were laid out and admired repeatedly."

"So much for the other things, but did he say nothing of the bass?"

"They were quite curious as to how you knew that the bass was a symbol of good luck to their house, and its arrival on the eve of Lord Harima's departure, they said, was most propitious—a thoughtful gift for which they had nothing but compliments. I was quite carried away by their pleasure at it."

"You weren't by any chance led to say anything you ought not?"

"Oh, no, not a word about that ..." faltered Umeno, to whom the meaning of her visit and the implications of her husband's risky venture became clear.

The Nose had a sharp eye for profits, an instinct for smelling out the favorable elements of a situation, so when Tsunemunй let him into the secret of the courtiers' plot, the Nose approved of it at once. Was he not after all a man of business, who from a menial post at Court had in a short time become a merchant of considerable means? And if he appeared willing to risk much on his patron's venture, he was, after all, neither such a simpleton nor so disinterested as to risk his life and entire wealth on the scheming of a few aristocrats. As the Nose saw it, another upheaval like the last one was inevitable, and it was to his advantage to place his stakes on both sides. Courtiers or warriors—whatever the outcome for the contending parties, the Nose was a merchant and must look to his gains.

The Nose took both his wife and his chief clerk into his confidence. If he had agreed on the one hand to assist Tsunemunй, neither did he neglect to send Kiyomori an artfully selected farewell gift.

For several years the center of the capital's activities had shifted noticeably toward the gate at Fifth Avenue, and it was commonly said that the increasing prosperity of the Heike at Rokuhara accounted for this. Rokuhara, on the other side of the river, lay in full view of the gate, and Tsunemunй shrewdly hazarded that the Nose's house would least excite suspicion.

No sooner was it known that Kiyomori would leave the capital for Kumano than the conspirators began to make haste with their preparations. They made Bamboku's house their headquarters, where final plans were drawn up for assembling arms and troops.

A cold drizzle set in on the night of the 7th. Bales of charcoal and empty straw sacks lay heaped round the rear entrance of the Nose's house. Figures in straw mantles and wide hats or disguised in priests' robes hurried after one another into the merchant's house. Some visitors tethered their horses to the willow trees by the entrance, and others, alighting from ox-carriages, were quickly escorted within by attendants with umbrellas.

This was the last of the secret meetings called by the leaders of the conspiracy; in addition to those who met regularly at Nobuyori's villa, Yoshitomo of the Genji and another influential Genji clansman, Yorimasa, also appeared. Yorimasa, yielding to Yoshitomo's persuasions, had finally consented to come.

Yorimasa, a warrior in his early fifties, was considerably older than Yoshitomo, and the oldest by far of any who were present tonight.

"There is not one among us who regrets having you as our ally," Nobuyori said in greeting, to which Korekata added:

"Your coming encourages us immeasurably, so much so that we feel sure of our success."

Yorimasa's presence undoubtedly gave the courtiers much-needed encouragement, for not only was he one of the ten captains named by the late Emperor Toba as guards to the throne, but as the head of the depot for military supplies he could not be lightly ignored, and it was no small matter to have won him over.

Yorimasa, a silent man, remained somewhat aloof, offering little to the heated discussions between Nobuyori and Korekata. The rain had ceased and a sharp wind was blowing when the conspirators finally emerged from Bamboku's house and dispersed one by one into the night.

On the following day, the 8th of December, life in the capital went on as usual. Toward midnight of the 9th, however, a muffled thundering like the sound of galloping horses echoed along the streets between Fourth and Sixth avenues. Before long, shadowy figures on horseback converged on the Cloister Palace on Third Avenue and surrounded it. At each of the Palace gates, weapons clanged and horses neighed. Swords and halberds glinted in the starlight; something dour and savage permeated the frost-laden night.

A group separated itself from the company of six hundred horsemen, drew up before the main gate, and a harsh voice, piercing as a winter blast, cried out:

"Is anyone there? Open the gates—this is the Vice-Councilor, Nobuyori! Urgent business calls me away from the capital. I must have audience with his majesty immediately!"

Hardly had the voice ceased when a tumult broke out as the soldiers began hammering at the gates. There were shouts to break down the doors, but the figure on horseback motioned for silence. Still no answer came from within. Only the wind whining between the white skeleton branches replied.

The ex-Emperor Goshirakawa was still awake, whiling away the night with Shinzei's two sons and other courtiers, with mimes and dances, accompanied by the court musicians. When the noise of hurrying feet and confused sounds were heard along the corridors, the company grew pale. Their first thought was of fire. It was less than a month since one of the palaces on the riverfront had burned down and a princess who was to perform at the New Year dances had died in the flames.

Fear immobilized the company when a court official burst into the room announcing, breathlessly: "The Vice-Councilor is here, unaccompanied by torch-bearers and surrounded by armed men! He demands an audience of your majesty. He comes completely armed and to say farewell. He offers no reason for coming like this. There is shouting and a great commotion at the gates. Listen!"

With this the messenger slid back a door. A cold rush of air extinguished the candles and threw the room into blackness.

"Will your majesty grant him an audience?"

"Lights—give me lights!"

On hearing that it was Nobuyori, the ex-Emperor Goshirakawa sprang to his feet and sped down an icy corridor.

Lights were soon kindled and followed the flying figure through the Palace to the South Room. There the doors were thrown open. In the candlelight Goshirakawa made out a figure on horseback, who addressed him, saying:

"Your most gracious majesty, I have just heard a rumor that Councilor Shinzei has brought false charges against me and is sending his troops to arrest me; I have therefore decided to escape east with some of my soldiers and to go into hiding for a time. I have come to take leave of you."

Startled by this announcement from one of his favorites, the ex-Emperor asked: "Who has been spreading these baseless rumors? They are only malicious tales, Nobuyori, and you are being deceived."

"No, there can be no mistake about the rumor."

"But I've not been told anything. . . ."

"Then what does his majesty think of it?"

"I shall see the Emperor himself and make sure that these charges against you are silenced. But, Nobuyori—armed to the teeth?"

"Permit me, then, your majesty, to accompany you to the Court. Here, bring round the carriage."

"What do you mean by these orders, Nobuyori?" Goshirakawa broke in angrily, but before he could utter another word, soldiers hurried up to the carriage porch, seized him, and bore him off to a conveyance. Councilor Moronaka waited beside the vehicle. Dazed and enraged by the rough handling, Goshirakawa refused to enter the carriage and turned on the general.

"You, Moronaka, what do you mean by coming here—and armed?"

The Councilor drew back, faltering. "It is only for the time being, your majesty. Do not be anxious. We shall return with you here shortly."

While he stammered out his excuses, some soldiers hurried forward with a weeping princess, Goshirakawa's younger sister. The ex-Emperor's anger gave way to apprehension when he saw her. Without further protest he let himself be thrust into the carriage after her.

A sharp order was given: "At the signal for the carriage to start, set fire to all the gates! See that Shinzei's sons don't escape. Spare no one who resists!"

The carriage jerked forward and rolled through one of the Palace gates, which in the next instant burst into flame. Whips cracked across the back of the straining bull as the large wheels bumped and creaked over the frozen road. Yoshitomo and Nobuyori and their mounted soldiers kept pace with the beast, which, crazed by the clanking arms and the sound of galloping hoofs, broke into a wild run until the carriage approached the South Gate of the Imperial Palace.

"North—to the North Gate!"

The disorderly cavalcade thundered along the Palace walls, swung sharply round to the north, and poured into the Palace grounds, coming to a halt between the outer and inner gates near the Palace Archives.

Yoshitomo and Nobuyori conferred briefly:

"We had better keep them in there until the uproar in the city dies down."

Goshirakawa and his sister were led to the Archives and there locked in. Their guards were ordered to keep watch over the prisoners until further orders were issued.

The Emperor Nijo, meanwhile, was rudely awakened by armed soldiers and quickly led off, terrified, to a building on the north side of the Palace and imprisoned there.

Now that the Emperor and the ex-Emperor were out of the way, and the Genji soldiers in complete control of the Guard Office, all that remained for the conspirators to do was to deal with Shinzei and Kiyomori.

As Yoshitomo of the Genji, the Vice-Councilor, and their men rode away from the Archives and rounded the Palace enclosure on the east, they saw the Cloister Palace in flames. The whole sky was on fire. Choking smoke billowed skyward and showered down burning cinders, between which the winter stars trembled, an unearthly blue. Nobuyori's horse reared suddenly as a company of soldiers galloped toward them waving javelins and halberds.

Nobuyori cried out involuntarily: "The enemy!—Genji or Heike?"

Yoshitomo laughed as he drew up behind.

"They must be our men, but it would not surprise me if they turned out to be Heike."

The company advanced toward Nobuyori and Yoshitomo with an exultant shout, drew up before them, and related what had taken place at the Cloister Palace. They had captured and beheaded two of the ex-Emperor's advisers, they said, as a soldier held out a sword on which were thrust two heads. Nobuyori averted his eyes with a shudder, but Yoshitomo leaned forward and examined them closely.