Shogun

Such public rudeness to a guest was very bad. Blackthorne's eyes flashed to Lady Ochiba for an instant and he discerned surprise in her too. So he gambled. "Ah, Lord General, you are most very right. Barbarian always same madness. But, so sorry, now I am samurai - hatamoto - this great, so very great honor to me. I am no longer barbarian." He used his quarterdeck voice which carried without shouting and filled all the corners of the room. "Now I understand samurai manners - and little bushido. And wa. I am no longer barbarian, please excuse. Neh?" He spoke the last word as a challenge, unafraid. He knew that Japanese understood masculinity and pride, and honored them.

Ishido laughed. "So, samurai Anjin-san," he said, jovial now. "Yes, I accept your apology. Rumors about your courage are true. Good, very good. I should apologize also. Terrible that filthy ronin could do such a thing, you understand? Attack in night?"

"Yes, I understand, Sire. Very bad. Four men dead. One of my, three Grays."

"Listen, bad, very bad. Don't worry, Anjin-san. No more." Thoughtfully Ishido glanced at the room. Everyone understood him very clearly. "Now I order guards. Understand? Very careful guards. No more assassin attacks. None. You very carefully guarded now. Quite safe in castle."

"Thank you. So sorry for trouble."

"No trouble. You important, neh? You samurai. You have special samurai place with Lord Toranaga. I don't forget - never fear."

Blackthorne thanked Ishido again and turned to the Lady Ochiba. "Highness, in my land we has Queen - have Queen. Please excuse my bad Japanese .... Yes, my land rule by Queen. In my land we have custom always must give lady birthday gift. Even Queen." From the pocket in his sleeve he took out the pink camellia blossom that he had cut off a tree in the garden. He laid it in front of her, fearful he was overreaching himself. "Please excuse me if not good manners to give."

She looked at the flower. Five hundred people waited breathlessly to see how she would respond to the daring and the gallantry of the barbarian - and the trap he had, perhaps, unwittingly placed her in.

"I am not a Queen, Anjin-san," she said slowly. "Only the mother of the Heir and widow of the Lord Taiko. I cannot accept your gift as a Queen for I am not a Queen, could never be a Queen, do not pretend to be a Queen, and do not wish to be a Queen." Then she smiled at the room and said to everyone, "But as a lady on her birthday, perhaps I may have your permission to accept the Anjin-san's gift?"

The room burst into applause. Blackthorne bowed and thanked her, having understood only that the gift was accepted. When the crowd was silent again, Lady Ochiba called out, "Mariko-san, your pupil does you credit, neh?"

Mariko was coming through the guests, a youth beside her. Near them he recognized Kiritsubo and the Lady Sazuko. He saw the youth smile at a young girl then, self-consciously, catch up with Mariko. "Good evening, Lady Toda," Blackthorne said, then added dangerously in Latin, intoxicated by his success, "The evening is more beautiful because of thy presence."

"Thank you, Anjin-san," she replied in Japanese, her cheeks coloring. She walked up to the platform, but the youth stayed within the circle of onlookers. Mariko bowed to Ochiba. "I have done little, Ochiba-sama. It's all the Anjin-san's work and the word book that the Christian Fathers gave him."

"Ah yes, the word book!" Ochiba made Blackthorne show it to her and, with Mariko's help, explain it elaborately. She was fascinated. So was Ishido. "We must get copies, Lord General. Please order them to give us a hundred of the books. With these, our young men could soon learn barbarian, neh?"

"Yes. It's a good idea, Lady. The sooner we have our own interpreters, the better." Ishido laughed. "Let Christians break their own monopoly, neh?"

An iron-gray samurai in his sixties who stood in the front of the guests said, "Christians own no monopoly, Lord General. We ask the Christian Fathers - in fact we insist that they be interpreters and negotiators because they're the only ones who can talk to both sides and are trusted by both sides. Lord Goroda began the custom, neh? And then the Taiko continued it."

"Of course, Lord Kiyama, I meant no disrespect to daimyos or samurai who have become Christian. I referred only to the monopoly of the Christian priests," Ishido said. "It would be better for us if our people and not foreign priests - any priests for that mattercontrolled our trade with China."

Kiyama said, "There's never been a case of fraud, Lord General. Prices are fair, the trade is easy and efficient, and the Fathers control their own people. Without the Southern Barbarians there's no silk, no China trade. Without the Fathers we could have much trouble. Very much trouble, so sorry. Please excuse me for mentioning it."