cried, “Listen to me, whoever you are!”
Even from a distance, in the dim light, Reiko could see that terror and hatred twisted Yugao’s features. Her gaze frantically explored the darkness, seeking her foes. “We won’t let you take us. Get out of here or you’ll be sorry!”
“Our orders from Chamberlain Sano are to bring in the fugitives alive or dead,” Hirata said. “Here’s our chance at one of them.” The soldiers had already drawn their bows; they pointed their arrows at Yugao. “Fire as soon as you’ve got a good shot.”
Even though Reiko knew Yugao was a murderess who deserved to die, she winced at the prospect of the spilling of a young woman’s blood. And if Yugao died, she would take her secrets to the grave.
Yugao paused. Three bows twanged. Three arrows hissed across the darkness. They thumped against the veranda railing and the wooden wall of the mansion. Yugao shrieked. She flung up her arms to protect her head, ducking and turning from side to side, trying to see who was firing at her. The archers shot more arrows. She howled, fell flat, and Reiko thought she’d been hit. But then Yugao was scuttling fast on hands and knees toward the door. She crawled into the mansion, and the door shut behind her, pelted by another volley of arrows.
The archers lowered their bows and muttered curses. Hirata shook his head. Reiko was torn between disappointment that Yugao had escaped and relief that another life had not ended in violence.
Yugao shouted through the door, “You can’t kill me! If you even try-” She stepped outside, holding Tama in front of her, pressed against her body like a shield. “-I’ll kill her!”
Tama stood rigid, her round doll’s face a mask of terror. Her hands clutched the arm that Yugao held locked across her chest. Horror seized Reiko as Yugao waved a knife whose blade gleamed in the lantern light. The soldiers took aim again.
“No!” Reiko whispered. Panic launched her to her feet.
The soldiers looked to Hirata for orders. One said, “If we shoot at Yugao, we’ll hit the other girl instead.”
A heartbeat passed, then Hirata said, “Hold your fire. I’ll talk to her.”
As Reiko exhaled in relief, Hirata stepped out from the woods. He limped along the trail toward the mansion. “Yugao!” he called.
She whirled in the direction of his voice, turning Tama with her. Her hostile gaze searched the darkness and she shouted, “Who are you?”
“I’m the shogun’s sosakan-sama,” Hirata said.
“Stop right where you are. Or she dies!”
Yugao jerked the blade to Tama’s neck. Tama screamed. Reiko gasped; her hand flew to her own throat. Hirata froze on the trail halfway to the stairs.
“All right,” he said in a falsely calm tone. “I’ll stay here-if you let Tama go and come with me peacefully.”
“No!” Yugao’s voice shrilled higher with alarm. “Go away, or I’ll cut her throat, I swear!”
“Killing her won’t do you any good,” Hirata said. “The house is surrounded by soldiers.”
“Call them off!” Yugao ordered.
“I can’t,” Hirata said. “Surrendering is your only chance to live.”
“I’ll never surrender! Never!”
“Then just let Tama go,” Hirata said. Reiko could hear that his patience was running out. “If you do, we won’t hurt you. I promise.”
“Liar! I don’t believe you!” Yugao shrieked.
Anxious to help, Reiko spoke softly to Hirata: “Tell her that Tama is her friend. Tama doesn’t deserve to die.”
Hirata called out the words to Yugao. She shouted back, “Tama’s not my friend anymore. She told the police where I was.” Her voice was bitter with anger and resentment. “She’s the reason you’re here.”
“I didn’t,” Tama cried, sobbing as she strained away from the knife. “You must believe me!”
“Yes, you did.” Yugao held tight to Tama. Cruelty twisted her face. “You’re a traitor. You should be punished!”
Reiko lost all hope that Hirata could talk sense into Yugao or save Tama. Yugao was beyond reason. Even though she’d promised Sano she wouldn’t interfere, Reiko couldn’t stand by and do nothing. She ran out of the woods, up the trail, in front of Hirata.
“Yugao!” she called even as she regretted breaking her word to Sano.
“What are you doing?” Hirata said in dismay. “Go back!”
He tugged at her arm. She shook him off. “Please let me try.” Her gaze met Yugao’s across the darkness.
“Well, if it isn’t Lady Reiko,” Yugao said. “Did you come to watch the fun? Haven’t you anything better to do?”
“Tama didn’t bring the army to you,” Reiko said. “Don’t blame her. It was me. I followed her here.”
“You.” The word gushed, like a sac of venom bursting, from Yugao. “I should have known. All the while you were pretending you wanted to help me, you were plotting to bring me down.”
“I did want to help you,” Reiko said. She spoke in her most earnest, persuasive manner. Yugao had never trusted her, but Tama’s life depended on her winning the woman’s trust now. “I still do.”
Yugao shook her head in contemptuous disbelief. “Then prove it. Get those soldiers out of here.”
“All right,” Reiko said, even though she could do no such thing. “But first you have to let Tama go.” She paced forward until she reached the foot of the stairs. Hirata and her guards followed. She extended a hand to Yugao.
“Stop!” Yugao clamped her arm tighter around Tama, who squealed and wept. She said, “You must think I’m really stupid.” She puffed air out her mouth in disgust. “Well, I know that the moment I let Tama go, they’ll rush up here and kill me. She’s my only protection.”
Reiko knew Yugao was right, but she said, “They won’t kill you. Not if you cooperate. Let Tama go.”
“Shut up! Get lost, or I’ll cut her right now!”
Yugao drew the blade across Tama’s throat. A thin line of blood welled. Tama squealed louder, her eyes shut tight, her hands clawing at Yugao’s arm. Despair sickened Reiko. Hirata said, “It’s no use. She’s not going to give up. And I can’t let her force us to back off. I’m sending the team after her.”
“Wait,” Reiko pleaded, although she knew Hirata’s decision was justified. Tama was a mere female commoner whose death might be a small price to pay for the capture of a murderess and an assassin; yet Reiko couldn’t forsake the sweet, innocent girl. Information from Tama had led Sano to the Ghost’s identity. Reiko owed her better than to sacrifice her to the hunt for Kobori. “Give me one more chance.”
“Just one more,” Hirata reluctantly agreed.
Reiko called to Yugao, “I don’t think you’re stupid. I know you’re smart enough to understand that holding Tama hostage won’t protect your lover. My husband is out here, and he’s determined to catch Kobori. He’ll gladly sacrifice Tama to get to him. So let her go.” She drew a deep breath and spoke the only words that might save Tama: “Take me in her place.”
“What?” Hirata exclaimed. He stared at Reiko.
Suspicion drew Yugao’s eyebrows together in a frown. “Why would I want you?”
“Because if you have me, the soldiers won’t touch you,” Reiko said. “I’m their master’s wife. If they should kill me while trying to arrest you or your lover, they’ll be in big trouble.”
Yugao considered the proposal for a mere instant, then said, “All right.” She apparently believed Reiko’s logic even though she didn’t trust Reiko. “You come up here. Then I’ll let Tama go.”
As Reiko stepped forward, Hirata said in a furious whisper, “You can’t do this!”
“I must.” Reiko paused and turned to him. Keeping her voice low so that Yugao wouldn’t hear, she said, “Yugao is my responsibility to capture. If she kills again, the blood will be on my hands.”
“It’ll be your own blood!” Hirata gazed at her as if she’d gone mad. “She’ll kill you!”
“No, she won’t,” Reiko said. “I can handle her.” She’d faced down crazed murderers in the past and survived. Confidence braced Reiko against the dread that flowed, cold and daunting, through her veins. The dagger strapped to her arm gave her courage as she put her foot on the stairs.
“Stop,” Yugao said. “Lift your skirts. Put your arms up. I want to make sure you’re not carrying any weapons. Turn around.”
Reiko had underestimated Yugao’s intelligence. After a moment’s hesitation, she obeyed while clutching the hems of her sleeves, trying to conceal the dagger.
