close to nature. In this mountainous area, the river rushed and gurgled through picturesque gorges. Tora wondered why a man would want to live in a place where the river and the wind made such a din that you could not hear yourself talk.
The faint moonlight played on the swaying branches of the willow by the gate, but the buildings lay darkly under their cedar-bark roofs. Tora suddenly felt, with absolute certainty, that Hanae was not here.
He pounded on the gate anyway, and this time someone came quickly. A faint light glimmered above the tall fence and a voice called out, ‘Just a moment, Master Ishikawa. We’d given you up already.’ Before Tora could reply, the gate opened. A stout, middle-aged man stood there, holding a lantern, a welcoming grin on his broad, bearded face.
The grin changed to a scowl. ‘What do you want?’ the man growled.
Tora was too tired for small talk. ‘I’m looking for my wife, Hanae. Lord Sadanori sent for her, and she hasn’t returned to the capital.’
The servant made a rumbling sound in his throat that Tora took for laughter because the man’s belly shook. ‘You mean you walked all the way from the capital in the middle of the night to fetch your woman home?’ the fat man asked, grinning.
Tora put his hand on his sword. ‘It’s not funny. Send for her this instant.’
The servant stopped grinning. ‘Don’t threaten me. You’ve wasted your time. She’s not here. Go home. Maybe she’ll come back.’
Tora whipped out his sword and put its tip under the bearded man’s chin. The other man backed away, his eyes bulging and his mouth half open in surprise, and Tora followed. When they were well inside the courtyard, he lowered the sword. ‘Now will you do as I say?’
The man gasped, ‘You’re crazy. What do you think you’re doing? If I call for help, they’ll cut you to pieces.’
Tora raised his sword again and bared his teeth. ‘Call then!’
The stout man’s eyes rolled in panic. ‘I tell you, she’s not here. There’s nobody here but Her Ladyship and two maids. Lord Sadanori lives in the capital.’
‘Then my wife’s with your mistress. She came about a job as a nurse.’
‘Nurse? She lied to you. Lord Sadanori’s mother has no need for a nurse.’
Tora stared at him. ‘Only his mother lives here? Is that the truth?’
‘Yes, I swear it. His ladies are in the capital.’
Slowly, Tora lowered his sword. ‘My wife said she was to go to Uji. Lord Sadanori sent a sedan chair for her. Where could she have gone?’
‘Well, she’s not here,’ the servant said resentfully. ‘Now will you go away and leave us alone?’
‘No, I’ve come too far. I’ll have some answers first. And since you don’t seem to have any, I’ll speak to your lady.’
‘You can’t. She doesn’t see strangers, and it’s the middle of the night. She’s asleep.’
‘Go wake her.’ Tora raised his sword.
The servant muttered something, then said, ‘All right. Wait here.’
Tora went to sit on the steps that led to the main hall. He was exhausted and glad that the servant had not put up a fight. Apparently, he was the only male in residence. It was clear that Hanae had been taken somewhere in the capital. The whole story had been a pack of lies. Hanae had been abducted, and he was already too late. Tora clenched his fists in helpless misery.
By the time the servant returned, Tora had worked himself into a fury against the Sadanori family. The fact that Sadanori’s mother was willing to speak to him in the middle of the night did not settle his temper. Seething, he followed the servant along a covered gallery to a pavilion that perched like a bird on a ledge above the rushing and tumbling river. The servant knocked at the door, waited to hear a woman’s voice call out, and entered, Tora on his heels.
The room faced the river gorge. Its doors were wide open to the night air and the sound of the rushing waters. A tall candle flickered in the air current. Lady Sadanori was in her sixties and still very handsome in a haughty way. She sat in the middle of the room, voluminous gowns draped around her. Her long hair was streaked with silver and perfectly tidy, and her large eyes were fixed on her visitor. A maid had apparently put away her bedding and now knelt in the background. Strange shadows moved over walls covered with paintings of the landscape outside.
Having taken Tora’s measure, the lady said, ‘Seijiro claims you have come here for your wife?’ Because of the sound of the water, she had to raise her voice.
Barely remembering his manners, Tora bowed and said loudly, ‘Yes. My name is Tora. My wife Hanae was to become a nurse to Lord Sadanori’s expected child. She was taken from our home this morning in a sedan chair to travel here and be introduced to his household. Since she has not returned, I have come to take her back.’
There was a long silence. The old lady studied him and bit her lower lip. Finally, she said, ‘There must be some mistake. She is not here.’
‘If I have come to the wrong house,’ Tora said, ‘if there is another place in Uji where she might have gone, I’m sorry to have disturbed you, but ask that you direct me. Hanae is pregnant, and I worry about her.’
‘Pregnant.’ He almost did not catch the word. She closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded and said more loudly, ‘That does you credit, young man. Who exactly are you? Where do you work?’
Tora no longer worked for anyone, but that was not likely to impress this great lady, so he said, ‘I’m a retainer to Lord Sugawara.’
‘Sugawara Akitada?’ Her eyes sharpened and she compressed her lips. ‘I think you must have been given the wrong information, Tora. There is no one here but myself, and I have had no visitors in weeks. My son does not have another house in Uji. And lastly, none of his wives is with child. Could you have mistaken the name of the family?’
Tora looked at her and around the room. She seemed honest. Could Hanae have been confused? He decided not. Hanae was a level-headed girl. He said, ‘No, My Lady. Hanae was very certain about it. I questioned her because I worried for her safety’ He paused and added an explanation for his concern. ‘Hanae is very beautiful and well-known as a dancer and singer in the capital’
The lady’s expression changed, closed, looked weary. ‘I have no information for you,’ she said curtly and turned away to look into the darkness outside. Tora followed her glance, but saw nothing apart from the trees tossing in the wind, the night sky, and the black abyss of thundering waters. He suddenly felt sick.
The servant plucked at Tora’s sleeve. Sadanori’s mother did not acknowledge Tora’s bow, and he left without thanking her.
Outside, he stopped the servant, who was hustling him towards the gate to get rid of him as quickly as possible. ‘Where is your master’s house in the capital?’
‘In the Sanjo quarter, between Muromachi and Karasuma Streets. Everybody knows that.’ The servant was becoming defiant again.
Tora snapped, ‘Not me.’ Then he put his real worry in words. ‘What about other houses? Manors? Farms? Hunting lodges?… Places where he keeps his paramours?’
The servant chuckled richly. ‘Ah, you finally caught on. It won’t do you any good running after her. Take my word for it, she’s made her choice. If she’s as beautiful as you say, she’s long since tasted His Lordship’s favors – if you know what I mean.’
Tora hauled back and put his fist into the leering face with such force that the heavy man’s feet left the ground and he flew across the courtyard. Then he let himself out.
Hoof beats approached as he stepped from the gateway, and two horsemen appeared out of the darkness. They stopped when they saw Tora coming from the gate, sucking his lacerated knuckles.
‘Who are you?’ asked the taller man.
‘None of your business. Get out of my way,’ snarled Tora.
The man moved his horse to bar his way. His companion approached also. ‘Seijiro,’ shouted the tall man.
The fat servant came staggering out through the gate. He was holding his mouth. ‘Master Ishikawa,’ he mumbled, looking up at the taller man. ‘Thank heaven. This man pushed his way in and forced Her Ladyship to see him. Then he beat me when he didn’t get what he came for.’ He took his hand from his face and spat out some
