Shōgun

“Oh, how clever of you, Lord, to know that. Oh, thank you for telling me.” Mariko bowed and appeared to brush away a tear and added, “May I please say that I feel so protected now—your strength . . . If it hadn’t been for you, Lord Kasigi, I think I would have fainted.”

“Stupid to attack Ishido in front of everyone,” Yabu said, slightly mollified.

“Yes. You’re right. It’s such a pity all our leaders aren’t as strong and as clever as you, Sire, then Lord Toranaga wouldn’t be in such trouble.”

“I agree. But you’ve still put us into a latrine up to our noses.”

“Please excuse me. Yes, it’s all my fault.” Mariko pretended to hold back tears bravely. She looked down and whispered, “Thank you, Sire, for accepting my apologies. You’re so generous.”

Yabu nodded, believing the praise merited, her servility necessary, and himself peerless. She apologized again, and soothed and cajoled him. Soon he was pliant. “May I please explain my stupidity to the Anjin-san? Perhaps he can suggest a way out of . . .” She let her words fade away penitently.

“Yes. Very well.”

Mariko bowed her grateful thanks, turned to Blackthorne, and spoke in Portuguese. “Please listen, Anjin-san, listen and don’t ask questions for the moment. So sorry, but first I had to calm this ill-tempered bastard—is that how you say it?” Quickly she told him what had been said, and why Ochiba had hurried off.

“That’s bad,” he said, his gaze searching her. “Neh?”

“Yes. Lord Yabu asks for your counsel. What should be done to overcome the mess my stupidity’s put you both into?”

“What stupidity?” Blackthorne was watching her and her disquiet increased. She looked down at the mats. He spoke directly to Yabu. “Don’t know yet, Sire. Now understand—now think.”

Yabu replied sourly, “What’s there to think about? We’re locked in.”

Mariko translated without looking up.

“That’s true, isn’t it, Mariko-san?” Blackthorne said. “That’s always been true.”

“Yes, so sorry.”

He turned away to stare into the night. Flares were placed in brackets on the stone walls that surrounded the front garden. Light flickered off the leaves and plants that had been watered for just that purpose. Westward was the iron-banded gate, guarded by a few Browns.

“Thou,” she heard him say, without turning back. “I must speak with thee in private.”

“Thou. Yes and I to thee,” she replied, keeping her face from Yabu, also not trusting herself. “Tonight I will find thee.” She looked up at Yabu. “The Anjin-san agrees with you, Sire, about my stupidity, so sorry.”

“But what’s the good of that now?”

“Anjin-san,” she said, her voice matter-of-fact, “later tonight I’m going to Kiritsubo-san. I know where your quarters are. I’ll find you.”

“Yes. Thank you.” He still kept his back to her.

“Yabu-sama,” she said humbly, “tonight I’m going to Kiritsubo-san. She’s wise—perhaps she’ll have a solution.”

“There’s only one solution,” Yabu said with a finality that unnerved her, his eyes coals. “Tomorrow you will apologize. And you will stay.”

Kiyama arrived punctually. Saruji was with him and her heart sank.

When the formal greetings were completed, Kiyama said gravely, “Now, please explain why, Mariko-chan.”

“There’s no war, Sire. We shouldn’t be confined—nor treated as hostages—so I can go as I please.”

“You don’t have to be at war to have hostages. You know that. The Lady Ochiba was hostage in Yedo against your master’s safety here and no one was at war. Lord Sudara and his family are hostage with his brother today, and they’re not at war. Neh?”

She kept her eyes lowered.

“There are many here who are hostages against the dutiful obedience of their lords to the Council of Regents, the legal rulers of the realm. That’s wise. It’s an ordinary custom. Neh?”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Good. Now please tell me the real reason.”

“Sire?”

Kiyama said testily. “Don’t play games with me! I’m no peasant either! I want to know why you did what you did tonight.”

Mariko raised her eyes. “So sorry, but the Lord General simply annoyed me with his arrogance, Sire. I do have orders. There’s no harm in taking Kiri and Lady Sazuko away for a few days to meet our Master.”

“You know very well that’s impossible. Lord Toranaga must know that as well.”

“So sorry, but my Master gave me orders. A samurai doesn’t question his lord’s orders.”

“Yes. But I question them because they’re nonsense. Your master doesn’t deal in nonsense, or make mistakes. And I insist I have the right to question you as well.”

“Please excuse me, Sire, there’s nothing to discuss.”

“But there is. There’s Saruji to discuss. Also the fact that I’ve known you all your life, have honored you all your life. Hiro-matsu-sama is my oldest living friend and your father was a cherished friend and an honored ally of mine, until the last fourteen days of his life.”

“A samurai doesn’t question the orders of a liege lord.”

“Now you can do only one of two things, Mariko-chan. You apologize and stay, or you try to leave. If you try to leave you will be stopped.”

“Yes. I understand.”