‘You took my family, and now I’ll take yours… and you get to watch.’ With a cruel smile, he looked down at the squirming child in his arms.
Akitada saw the knuckles of the hand that held the knife whiten. ‘Wait,’ he cried. ‘Your quarrel is with me. Let them go.’
Takeo nodded at Akitada’s sword. ‘You think I’m stupid? A knife against a sword? You nobles are all alike. You think we’re nothing. You think we have no brains or courage or fighting skill.’
‘Then show me your courage. I’ll throw away my sword and take you and your knife on bare-handed, and I’ll still win,’ Akitada boasted.
The youth hesitated. Akitada saw the temptation in his eyes and held his breath. Except for the baby’s hiccuping whimpers, the room had gone still.
Takeo measured him. ‘Throw it out into the garden.’
‘First you let them go.’
‘No.’
Tamako got to her feet and took the few steps to Takeo, her hands outstretched for her child.
Akitada walked to the door of the pavilion. ‘Well?’ he asked. ‘Are you an honorable man?’
Takeo sneered, ‘Are you?’
There was nothing to be gained by arguing any longer. Akitada flung the sword away as far as he could. At the same moment, Tamako snatched the baby and rushed to him. He stepped aside to let her pass, and she ran into the garden.
They were alone now, he and the youth with the wicked-looking blade. Akitada moved to block the doorway and saw Takeo’s face. Yes, he had just been tricked. Letting Tamako escape meant that she would give the alarm. He would have to be quick.
The cries of ‘fire’ and the sound of the gong still sounded in the distance. He heard the frightened sounds of horses. Tora and Genba had their hands full fighting the fire.
Takeo came with a shout, the hand with the knife raised, his eyes on Akitada’s throat.
Akitada could not move aside. His family was in the garden. He had no choice but to meet his attacker and knock the knife aside.
But the youth was agile and ready for the maneuver. He danced sideways, lowering the knife. When he came again, he slashed upward towards Akitada’s belly. Akitada reacted almost too late. As it was, the knife cut neatly through his sash. It dropped to the floor, and his robe swung open in front, hampering his movements. But it also gave him an idea. He pivoted, swinging the robe wide and forcing Takeo back. Akitada now had enough space to slip the robe off and use it like a whip to lash out at his foe.
Takeo laughed at this move and skipped nimbly aside. When he rushed him again, Akitada caught the slashing blade in the folds of his robe. A swift kick and a jerk of the robe, and Takeo sprawled disarmed on the floorboards.
As Akitada snatched up the knife, a woman’s voice shouted outside. His heart skipped. He turned to look, saw a reddish glow of flames from the stable roof, and had his feet pulled from under him.
The back of Akitada’s head hit the floor and the world turned black. He felt Takeo’s weight on his chest and his hands on his throat. He could not breathe. Struggling for air, he bucked and rolled, found the knife still in his hand and shoved it hard into his attacker.
The hands around his throat went slack. Akitada pushed Takeo off. They got to their feet together, Akitada coughing and Takeo bent over with both hands pressed against his belly, his face pale in the flickering fire light. Dazed, Akitada looked at the bloody blade in his hand and then back at the youth. Takeo had not moved, but now his knees slowly buckled. The expression on his face changed to surprise. On his knees, he vomited a stream of blood. He tried to stagger up again, but fell and rolled, his body going into spasms. He vomited again – a great fountain of blood all over Tamako’s polished floor – and then lay still.
Akitada paused only to make sure he was dead, then ran outside, shouting, ‘Tamako?’
‘Here.’ She came from underneath the veranda, holding the child. Her eyes were anxious. ‘Are you hurt?’
‘No.’ She had stayed close, he thought, when every instinct should have driven her away. The baby was quiet now, and a new fear seized him. ‘The child?’
‘She was only frightened.’
He suddenly felt like laughing out. ‘So was I,’ he said and took them both tenderly in his arms.
For a moment, Tamako allowed it, then she said, ‘Akitada, the fire. Hanae and Yuki.’
He released her and took her hand. ‘I’m sure they’re fine. Come. I cannot leave you here.’ He looked around and found his sword, and they walked together towards the fire.
Tora’s house and the stables were fully aflame. In the firelight and smoke, shadows moved eerily about the buildings.
‘The horses,’ Tamako moaned.
‘Genba will have got them out,’ Akitada said and hoped he was right.
At that moment, a figure rushed at him. They collided, gasping, and moved apart. In the red light of the flames, Akitada saw the youth Tojiro with a cudgel in his hand. He pushed Tamako behind him and raised his sword.
ANOTHER CONFESSION
‘ Don’t, sir,’ Tojiro gasped, stepping back. ‘I tried to help.’
Akitada said, ‘With a cudgel in your hand?’
Tojiro looked at his hand and flung the cudgel into the shrubbery. ‘I was afraid the others would try to make trouble.’
‘Trouble?’ It was a ridiculous word to use in view of the murderous attack by Takeo and within sight of the hissing flames that the gang had set. Akitada took a step forward and held out his left hand. ‘Take off your belt.’
Tojiro looked puzzled for a moment, then saw Akitada’s belt-less robe and undid his own, holding it out to Akitada. ‘Please make use of it, sir.’
Akitada took it. ‘Turn around and put your hands behind your back.’
‘Why? What are you going to do? I swear I didn’t mean any harm. I came to help and- Didn’t you get my note?’
Akitada raised the point of his sword towards the youth’s neck. ‘Turn!’
Tojiro obeyed. Akitada passed his sword to Tamako and used the belt to tie Tojiro’s hands. ‘You’ll be handed over to the police,’ he said. ‘I’m thoroughly fed up with your antics.’
When Tojiro turned around, there were tears in his eyes. He said softly, ‘Yes, sir. I expected it. But I didn’t come to set a fire. I came to tell you that it was I who killed my father.’
For a moment Akitada doubted he had heard right. Another confession? And why would this youth confess to murder, but not to setting fires?
There was no time to consider the implications now. He took back his sword from Tamako, then grasped Tojiro’s arm roughly and pulled him along towards the courtyard. He had no idea what he would find there and was prepared to shed more blood if any of their attackers remained.
But peace had returned, even if order was still elusive. Red-coated policemen and neighbors’ servants who had come to help put the fire out milled about. Akitada’s two horses were tied up to the well.
Seimei saw them first and came to meet them. ‘Are you all right, sir? And My Lady and the little one?’ he asked anxiously with a glance at the bound Tojiro. ‘Did he attack you?’
‘We’re unhurt. I caught this one on the way here. The other one is dead. He attacked my wife and child.’
Seimei and Tojiro gasped. Seimei said, ‘It is a miracle everyone escaped. What monsters the young have turned into.’ He glared at Tojiro with such disgust that the young man paled.
Tamako asked, ‘Is everyone else safe? Hanae and Yuki?’
‘Yes. Well, Trouble got singed pretty badly when he bit one of the gang and was beaten back with a burning torch. Hanae is in the main house with Yuki, tending to the dog’s wounds. I’m afraid the stable and Tora’s place are
