Shogun_ A Novel of Japan - James Clavell [487]
“Oh, please don’t concern yourself. I’m not tired.”
“But you must be. You’ll stay at your house?”
“Yes. That’s where the General Lord Ishido’s pass permits me to go.” Mariko smiled wryly. “His welcome was flowery!”
Kiri scowled. “I doubt if he’d be welcome even in hell.”
“Oh? So sorry, what now?”
“Nothing more than before. I know he ordered the Lord Sugiyama murders and tortures though I’ve no proof. Last week one of Lord Oda’s consorts tried to sneak out with her children, disguised as a street cleaner. Sentries shot them ‘by mistake.’”
“How terrible!”
“Of course, great ‘apologies’! Ishido claims security is all important. There was a trumped-up assassination attempt on the Heir—that’s his excuse.”
“Why don’t the ladies leave openly?”
“The Council has ordered wives and families to wait for their husbands, who must return for the Ceremony. The great Lord General feels ‘the responsibility of their safety too gravely to allow them to wander.’ The castle’s locked tighter than an old oyster.”
“So is the outside, Kiri-san. There are many more barriers than before on the Tokaidō, and Ishido’s security’s very strong within fifty ri. Patrols everywhere.”
“Everyone’s frightened of him, except us and our few samurai, and we’re no more trouble to him than a pimple on a dragon’s rump.”
“Even our doctors?”
“Them too. Yes, they still advise us not to travel, even if it were permitted, which it will never be.”
“Is the Lady Sazuko fit—is the baby fit, Kiri-san?”
“Yes, you can see that for yourself. And so am I.” Kiri sighed, the strain showing now, and Mariko noticed there was much more gray in her hair than before. “Nothing’s changed since I wrote to Lord Toranaga at Anjiro. We’re hostages and we’ll stay hostages with all the rest until The Day. Then there’ll be a resolution.”
“Now that His Imperial Highness is arriving … that makes everything final, neh?”
“Yes. It would seem so. Go and rest, Mariko-chan, but eat with us tonight. Then we can talk, neh? Oh, by the way, one piece of news for you. Your famous barbarian hatamoto—bless him for saving our Master, we heard about that—he docked safely this morning, with Kasigi Yabu-san.”
“Oh! I was so worried about them. They left the day before I did by sea. We were also caught in part of the tai-fun, near Nagoya, but it wasn’t that bad for us. I was afraid at sea…. Oh, that’s a relief.”
“It wasn’t too bad here except for the fires. Many thousands of homes burned but barely two thousand dead. We heard today that the main force of the storm hit Kyushu, on the east coast, and part of Shikoku. Tens of thousands died. No one yet knows the full extent of the damage.”
“But the harvest?” Mariko asked quickly.
“Much of it’s flattened here—fields upon fields. The farmers hope that it will recover but who knows? If there’s no damage to the Kwanto during the season, their rice may have to support the whole Empire this year and next.”
“It would be far better if Lord Toranaga controlled such a harvest than Ishido. Neh?”
“Yes. But, so sorry, nineteen days is not time enough to take in a harvest, with all the prayers in the world.”
Mariko finished her saké. “Yes.”
Kiri said, “If their ship left the day before you, you must have hurried.”
“I thought it best not to dawdle, Kiri-chan. It’s no pleasure for me to travel.”
“And Buntaro-san? He’s well?”
“Yes. He’s in charge of Mishima and all the border at the moment. I saw him briefly coming here. Do you know where Kasigi Yabusama’s staying? I have a message for him.”
“In one of the guest houses. I’ll find out which and send you word at once.” Kiri accepted more wine. “Thank you, Mariko-chan. I heard the Anjin-san’s still on the galley.”
“He’s a very interesting man, Kiri-san. He’s become more than a little useful to our Master.”
“I heard that. I want to hear everything about him and the earth-quake and all your news. Oh yes, there