The Tengu's Game of Go (22 page)

Shika recognized the voice and at the same time felt the bow on his back shudder and heard a whisper.

“It is our old master.”

The response came from Jato's direction. “Now we're in trouble.”

“He'll be angry, won't he?”

“He'll be furious.”

Shika dismounted and went to Sesshin. “Master,” he said. “It is I, Shikanoko.”

Sesshin turned toward his voice. “Is that really you, my boy? It's taken you long enough to get here. And why have you brought those rascals with you? They should be at Matsutani.”

“There's nothing left there,” said Hidarisama.

“Was I talking to you? Silence!”

“It all burned down,” Migisama muttered.

“Silence, I said. I will deal with you later.”

“I hope to find somewhere for them at Ryusonji,” Shika said.

“Good idea. They'll have to behave then.” Sesshin began to hum and then resumed the song he had been singing before,

At the temple of Ryusonji

Where the dragon child dwells

With his father, Kiyoyori …

He broke off to say, “You know Kiyoyori dwells there now, too?”

“I suppose his work on earth was complete.” Shikanoko thought with wonder and regret of Tan, who had shared his life for so many years. “I miss him.”

“He must have had some dragon spirit in him,” Sesshin remarked. “Somehow I failed to notice that while he was alive, though I knew he was an exceptional man. I perceive much more clearly now I am blind. This young man is your son?”

“Yes, his name is Takeyoshi.”

“I can tell you have a kind heart,” Sesshin said to Take. “Try not to make as many mistakes as your father.”

“He is not cursed with the powers of sorcery,” Shika replied. “He will be a warrior, I hope.”

“Even monkeys fall from trees,” Sesshin said. “Even warriors make mistakes. And your powers have blessed you as much as they have cursed you. Your biggest mistake was not getting rid of those imps, while you had the chance.”

“We would never have rescued Yoshimori without their help,” Shika said with assumed mildness.

“Well, it's too late now. They are in the world and you will have to live with that.”

They reached the gate, which was guarded by one of Kiku's men, who had a powerfully muscled upper body and only one leg. Shika had seen him in action and knew he hopped faster than most men could run.

Sesshin sniffed the air rudely. “I smell one of their men here. You may find you want to deal with that as soon as possible.”

Shika was surprised and a little disconcerted to see Kiku's man here at the temple's gate. He had not known the Crippled Army had taken over Ryusonji. He felt a moment of disquiet that Kiku might know enough of sorcery to tap into the sacred power of the temple and gain access to the same supernatural skills as the Prince Abbot.

The guard recognized him and made a clumsy bow.

“You will find Master Kikuta inside, lord.”

I must order
Master Kikuta
back to Kitakami
, Shika thought.
I cannot have him here.

As they walked through the first courtyard Sesshin said, “Aritomo's men broke my lute. I wonder if there is another one lying around. I miss playing. I discovered music late in life, but it became my greatest pleasure. I used to sit just over there, facing the garden and the lake. I sang to the dragon child. I like to think it pleased him and consoled him.”

“You should have Genzo,” Take said. “That's the imperial lute that Lady Hina hid for years.”

“Yes, I know all about Genzo, but I think a lute that is not enchanted would suit me better.”

Shika looked over at the lake, now brimming with water, and saw Hina.

Leaving Take to accompany Sesshin to the temple, he walked toward her. At the sound of his footsteps, she turned her head.

Frost lay on the ground and etched the bare branches of the maples and the edge of the lake. It had grown much colder.
I should put my arms around her and warm her
, he thought. Instead he bowed formally.

“Lady Hina.”

She smiled slightly. “I come to this place frequently. I feel very close to my father and my brother here.”

“Will you stay in the capital?”

She looked at him steadily for a few moments and then said quietly, “I don't know where else to go. I am not sure what place there is for a woman with my past.”

“You are Lord Kiyoyori's daughter. Nothing can change that. You are the heir to his estates.”

“I cannot live at Matsutani. It has too many unhappy memories. I will give the estates to the Emperor and he can bestow them where he wishes.”

“He will not wish to bestow them anywhere,” Shika said bitterly, “as he does not wish to be emperor.”

“Unless you are brought up with the knowledge from childhood it must be unbearable,” she replied. “But what else can he do? He cannot run away and live with the monkeys again. And if he did, what would it all have been for?” She gestured at the temple and the lake. “All the sacrifices, all the deaths?”

He could think of nothing to say.

Hina looked at him with concern. “What brings you here? Was it to talk to Master Kikuta? He seems to have settled in here.”

“I did not know that until now.”

“Does it alarm you?” she said astutely.

“A little.”

“You should beware of him,” she said.

“I know he has become very powerful.” Shikanoko sighed. “I must talk to him, but first I have a small ceremony to perform. The guardian spirits from Matsutani are still in my weapons. I would leave them there—at least I could keep an eye on them and control them, and I am grateful for how they saved our lives on the riverbank—but my sword, Jato, is now my son's, and it is too much for him. I met Master Sesshin on the way here and he agrees they should be placed somewhere safe here. They will have to obey him.”

“Sesshin?” Hina looked past him to the temple. “I have the eyes here with me. I did not know what to do with them.”

“Give them back to him,” Shika said.

“Yes, that seems right.” She called out, “Ibara, would you mind bringing the bamboo box to me?”

Ibara came out of the shadow of the cloister. She bowed her head to Shika as she passed him and murmured, “Lord.”

He hardly recognized her. The woman's clothes she wore seemed to shrink her physically, softened her features, made her submissive, turned her into a servant.

Have we all imprisoned ourselves, become captives of the roles we have to assume?

“Sesshin is on the veranda with Take,” he said to Hina, following her as she walked swiftly to the others.

She knelt and touched her brow to the ground. “Master, it is I, Hina.”

“Hina? Kiyoyori's child? The little girl who tried to be a healer? Well, well, what a surprise! Though I shouldn't say that, because, really, it is no surprise at all. It all turns out the way it is meant to be.”

“I have brought your eyes,” Hina said, taking his hands and placing them around the bamboo box. “And I want to thank you for the Kudzu Vine Treasure Store.”

“You managed to read it? I thought you would. Though why I should have thought that, I don't know, as no one else has ever managed it, apart from me.” His fingers fumbled with the lid. He opened it and the eyes looked out as bright and lustrous as ever.

None of them said anything for a few moments, silenced by what the eyes showed them, the brief and fragile nature of their lives, the futility of all their striving.

But Shika saw something more. He saw his own heart, his love and need for Hina, and he knew she saw her love for him, too.

“Well,” Sesshin said. “It's taken you long enough to realize it, my boy, but it's been your destiny ever since you rode into Matsutani on that bad-tempered brown mare.”

He closed the box. “I don't need these. As I said, I see more clearly without them. I will put them where they can make sure those rascals behave themselves.” He reached out to Hina and Shikanoko, as though he would join their hands, but he was interrupted by a voice calling down the cloisters.

“Shikanoko! You are here at last!”

Kiku hurried eagerly toward them. “Welcome! Come inside, let me get you something to eat and drink.” His eyes fell on Sesshin. “Who is this old man?”

“This is Master Sesshin,” Shika said. “One of your fathers, as it happens.”

A shadow passed over Kiku's face. “I remember now. We freed him, and in return he told you to kill us.”

“He didn't mean it, and he's sorry now,” Shika said.

“I did mean it and I'm not sorry,” Sesshin said. “But I accept your existence now and I'll try to work around it.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” Kiku said. “All the same, I don't think I want you here. Get moving, get out.”

When Sesshin did not stand up, Kiku called, “Tsunetomo! Throw him out!”

“He is a great sorcerer,” Shika said. “He goes where he wants to go, and stays where he wants to stay.”

“Does he want to go to Paradise?” Tsunetomo appeared with drawn sword.

“Ha-ha!” Sesshin rocked with laughter. “I'd be very grateful if you could send me there.”

“He cannot be killed,” Shika explained.

“Really?” Kiku put out a hand to restrain Tsunetomo, who seemed eager to test Shika's claim. “That's interesting. You may stay then, as long as you don't get in my way.”

“Kiku,” Shika said, “it is not for you to decide at Ryusonji who stays and who leaves. I want you to go back to Kitakami. You have carved out a place for yourself there; no one is going to challenge you on that or take it from you. You must leave the capital with all your men before the end of the month.”

Kiku stared at him. “I like it here. This is a place of great power. I can use that.”

“I will not allow Ryusonji to become a center of sorcery again. That is over. From now on, it will be a place of worship, nothing more.”

“Any power I gain here, from the dragon child or whatever other source, would be at your service. We would all work for you, as we have done till now. You could achieve anything you wanted with our help.” Kiku's voice had a faint note of pleading to it now. There was something incongruous to it, as though he were still a child, which of course, in human terms, he was, just an adolescent, not much older than Take. The thought touched Shika deeply. He had brought them up as his sons; he still felt a responsibility for Kiku, and for Mu and Kuro, who had now come silently along the veranda to stand at their brother's side.

“I am truly grateful to you all,” he said. “Our lives have been entwined for years, ever since you were born, and there are strong bonds between us. But I do not want you in the capital, least of all at Ryusonji, certainly not with Gessho's skull. My order stands: leave before the end of the month.”

“We are your sons,” Kiku said stubbornly. “Look, I have brought back the carving. I saw it on the werehawk's leg and knew it was a message from you. I came at once with all my men. We saved your life, we saved the Emperor.”

“I told you,” Mu interrupted. “He has a human son. He will never need you, or love you, in that way. Let's go back to Kitakami. The Tribe, your tribe, can flourish and be strong there.”

Kiku's gaze turned to Take, who was still kneeling beside Sesshin, the sword Jato lying next to him on the boards. He let the carving fall from his fingers, stepped toward him, and dropped to one knee, staring intently into his face.

“Let me see what a human son looks like,” he whispered.

Take tried to cry out, then his eyes began to roll back in his head. Faster than the snake that was forged within it, Jato rose and thrust itself into the space between them, breaking the Kikuta gaze.

Kiku grasped the sword with both hands, trying to push it away, but it resisted him. Blood began to seep from his palms.

Take came half-awake and made a grab for the hilt. “Let go!”

Kiku made no response, concentrating on dominating the sword. Shika could feel the power he possessed, emanating from him, the power that came from the skull, the sorcery and wisdom of the Old People. Shika had not realized Kiku was so strong. His heart quailed momentarily. He was not ready for yet another challenge. “Master,” he whispered, “do something.”

“I gave all my power to you, remember?” Sesshin said cheerfully. “It's up to you now.”

Almost without thinking, Shika opened the seven-layered bag and took out the mask. He looked across at Kiku. Their eyes met. Jato hovered motionless.

“You don't want to use it, do you?” Kiku said. “So give it to me.” He twisted the sword and it struggled from Take's grasp. Kiku took it, the blood seeping from the horizontal cuts across both palms. “Give it to me or your human son dies.”

“Don't give it to him,” Hina cried.

Shika put the mask to his face and felt it cleave to him. He feared it might be for the last time, that Kiku's power would be greater than his, and he would never be able to remove the mask again. He saw years of loneliness and grief stretching away before him. But then he realized that it was more powerful than ever, that those years in the Darkwood had refined and honed it, as they had him.
Anything is possible to me
, he thought with wonder and awe. He said silently,
Put the sword down!
And then aloud, “Hidarisama! Come here!”

Kiku's face twisted in pain, as he lost the struggle with the sword and relinquished it with an anguished cry, staring in shock at the bloody lines on his hands.

Jato, which had been about to plunge into Take's throat, flew from Kiku's hand to Shika's.

“You will obey me,” he said, and Kiku bowed his head. His eyes glistened with tears though he did not let them fall.