Shogun

"I agree. Even so, on the twenty-second day, the Exalted and the Imperial Regalia will be here." The Imperial Regalia, without which no succession was valid, were the Three Sacred Treasures, considered divine, that all believed had been brought to earth by the god Ninigi-noh-Mikoto and passed on by him personally to his grandson; Jimmu Tenno, the first human Emperor, and by him personally to his successor down to the present holder, the Emperor Go-Nijo: the Sword, the Jewel, and the Mirror. The Sacred Sword and the Jewel always traveled in state with the Emperor whenever he had to stay overnight away from the palace; the Mirror was kept within the inner sanctuary at the great Shinto shrine of Ise. The Sword, the Mirror, and the Jewel belonged to the Son of Heaven. They were divine symbols of legitimate authority, of his divinity, that when he was on the move, the divine throne moved with him. And thus that with him went all power.

Yabu croaked, "It's almost impossible to believe that preparations for his arrival could be made in time."

"Oh, the Lord General Ishido, on behalf of the Regents, petitioned the Exalted the moment he first heard from Lord Zataki at Yokose that Lord Toranaga had agreed, equally astonishingly, to come to Osaka and bow to the inevitable. Only the great honor that your master does the Regents prompted them to petition the Son of Heaven to grace the occasion with the Presence." Again the dry cough. "Please excuse me, you would perhaps give me your formal acceptance in writing as soon as is convenient?"

"May I do it at once?" Yabu asked, feeling very weak.

"I'm sure the Regents would appreciate that."

Feebly Yabu sent for writing materials. Nineteen kept pounding in his brain. Nineteen days! Toranaga can delay only nineteen days and then he must be here too. Time enough for me to get to Nagasaki and safely back to Osaka, but not time enough to launch the seaborne attack on the Black Ship and take it, so not time enough to pressure Harima, Kiyama, or Onoshi, or the Christian priests, therefore not time enough to launch Crimson Sky, therefore Toranaga's whole scheme is just another illusion ... oh oh oh!

Toranaga's failed. I should have known that he would. The answer to my dilemma is clear: Either I blindly trust Toranaga to squeeze out of this net and I help the Anjin-san as planned to get the men to take the Black Ship even more rapidly, or I've got to go to Ishido and tell him everything I know and try to batter for my life and for Izu.

Which?

Paper and brush and ink arrived. Yabu put his anguish aside for a moment and concentrated on writing as perfectly and beautifully as he could. It was unthinkable to reply to the Presence with a cluttered mind. When he had finished his acceptance, he had made the critical decision: He would follow Yuriko's advice completely. At once the weight tumbled off his wa and he felt greatly cleansed. He signed his name with an arrogant flourish.

How to be Toranaga's best vassal? So simple: Remove Ishido from this earth.

How to do that, yet leave enough time to escape?

Then he heard Ogaki say, "Tomorrow you are invited to a formal reception given by the General Lord Ishido to honor the birthday of the Lady Ochiba."

Still travel-worn, Mariko embraced Kiri first, then hugged the Lady Sazuko, admired the baby, and hugged Kiri again. Personal maids fussed and bustled around them, bringing cha and sake and taking away the trays again, hurrying in and out with cushions and sweet-smelling herbs, opening and closing the shojis overlooking the inner garden in their section of Osaka Castle, waving fans, chattering, and weeping also.

At length Kiri clapped her hands, dismissed the maids, and groped heavily for her special cushion, overcome with excitement and happiness. She was very flushed. Hastily Mariko and the Lady Sazuko fanned her and ministered to her, and only after three large cups of sake was she able to catch her breath again.

"Oh, that's better," she said. "Yes, thank you child, yes, I'll have some more! Oh, Mariko-chan, you're really here?"

"Yes, yes. Really here, Kiri-san."

Sazuko, looking much younger than her seventeen years, said, "Oh, we've been so worried with only rumors and-"

"Yes, nothing but rumors, Mariko-chan," Kiri interrupted. "Oh, there's so much I want to know, I feel faint."

"Poor Kiri-san, here, have some sakd," Sazuko said solicitously. "Perhaps you should loosen your obi and-"

"I'm perfectly all right now! Please don't fuss, child." Kiri exhaled and folded her hands over her ample stomach. "Oh Mariko-san, it's so good to see a friendly face again from outside Osaka Castle."