Shogun_ A Novel of Japan - James Clavell [584]
Toranaga smiled. “Treachery’s a weapon of war, neh?”
“Yes. But not of a samurai.”
Yabu was indignant. “So sorry, Lord Hiro-matsu, but I presume you mean no insult?”
“He meant no insult. Did you, Hiro-matsu-san?” Toranaga said.
“No, Sire,” the old general replied. “Please excuse me.”
“Poison, treachery, betrayal, assassination have always been weapons of war, old friend,” Toranaga said. “Jikkyu was an enemy and a fool. Five hundred koku for the southern route is nothing! Yabu-sama has served me well. Here and at Osaka. Neh, Yabu-san?”
“I always try to serve you loyally, Sire.”
“Yes, so please explain why you killed Captain Sumiyori before the ninja attack,” Toranaga said.
Yabu’s face did not change. He was wearing his Yoshitomo sword, his hand as usual loose on the hilt. “Who says that? Who accuses me of that, Sire?”
Toranaga pointed at the pack of Browns forty paces away. “That man! Please come here, Kosami-san.” The youthful samurai dismounted, limped forward and bowed.
Yabu glared at him. “Who are you, fellow?”
“Sokura Kosami of the Tenth Legion, attached to the Lady Kirit-subo’s bodyguard at Osaka, Sire,” the youth said. “You put me on guard outside your quarters—and Sumiyori-san’s—the night of the ninja attack.”
“I don’t remember you. You dare to say I killed Sumiyori?”
The youth wavered. Toranaga said, “Tell him!”
Kosami said in a rush, “I just had time before the ninja fell on us, Sire, to open the door and shout a warning to Sumiyori-san but he never moved, so sorry. Sire.” He turned to Toranaga, quailing under their collective gaze. “He’d—he was a light sleeper, Sire, and it was only an instant after … that’s all, Sire.”
“Did you go into the room? Did you shake him?” Yabu pressed.
“No, Sire, oh no. Sire, the ninja came so quickly we retreated at once and counterattacked as soon as we could, it was as I said….”
Yabu looked at Toranaga. “Sumiyori-san had been on duty for two days. He was exhausted—we all were. What does that prove?” he asked all of them.
“Nothing,” Toranaga agreed, still cordial. “But later, Kosami-san, you went back to the room. Neh?”
“Yes, Sire, Sumiyori-san was still lying in the futons as I’d last seen him and … and the room wasn’t disturbed, not at all, Sire, and he’d been knifed, Sire, knifed in the back once. I thought it was ninja at the time and nothing more about it until Omi-sama questioned me.”
“Ah!” Yabu turned his eyes on his nephew, his total hara centered on his betrayer, measuring the distance between them. “So you questioned him?”
“Yes, Sire,” Omi replied. “Lord Toranaga asked me to recheck all the stories. This was one strangeness I felt should be brought to our Master’s attention.”
“One strangeness? There’s another?”
“Following Lord Toranaga’s orders, I questioned the servants who survived the attack, Sire. There were two. So sorry, but they both said you went through their quarters with one samurai and returned shortly afterward alone, shouting ‘Ninja!’ Then they—”
“They rushed us and killed the poor fellow with a spear and a sword and almost overran me. I had to retreat to give the alarm.” Yabu turned to Toranaga, carefully putting his feet in a better attack position. “I’ve already told you this, Sire, both personally and in my written report. What have servants to do with me?”
“Well, Omi-san?” Toranaga asked.
“So sorry, Yabu-sama,” Omi said, “but both saw you open the bolts of a secret door in the dungeon and heard you say to the ninja, ‘I am Kasigi Yabu.’ This alone gave them time to hide from the massacre.”
Yabu’s hand moved a fraction. Instantly Sudara leapt in front of Toranaga to protect him and in the same moment Hiro-matsu’s sword was flashing at Yabu’s neck.
“Hold!” Toranaga ordered.
Hiro-matsu’s sword stopped, his control miraculous. Yabu had made no overt motion. He stared at them, then laughed insolently. “Am I a filthy ronin who’d attack his liege lord? This is Kasigi Yabu, Lord of Izu, Suruga, and Totomi. Neh?” He looked directly at Toranaga. “What am I accused of, Sire? Helping ninja? Ridiculous!