“That’s a really strange story,”Genba said when he caught up. He got no answer, and chuckled. “Your mind’s onother things. You’re looking at girls again. I bet you’ve got a girlfriend.”
Hitomaro turned on him. “Whatbusiness of yours is my private life?”
“Sorry, brother. I meantnothing by it.” Genba’s eyes were large with shock and hurt. He muttered, “MaybeI’d better go.”
Hitomaro slowly unclenched hisfists. “No. It was nothing. Forget it.”
But Genba’s cheerful face hadturned grave. “Hito, this isn’t like you. Are you in some kind of trouble? We’vebeen through too much together for you to act this way. Either you let me help,or we part company here and now.”
Hitomaro stopped. He bit hislip. “The trouble is someone else’s. I have promised not to tell.” He paused. “Couldyou lend me some silver without asking what it’s for?”
Genba’s eyebrows shot up. “Silver?When you’ve been putting away every copper cash toward a piece of land. You’vesaved twenty bars of silver already.”
“I… it’s all gone. Please don’task.” Hitomaro made a helpless gesture.
“I have fifteen bars. They’reyours.”
“Thanks, brother. I swear, I’llpay you back as soon as I can.”
“Keep it. I don’t need it. If Iwin the contest, and I think I will, there’s a prize of ten bars of silver anda new silk robe in it for me. Come, now that your problem’s been solved, let’scelebrate in that eating place over there. They make a very fine fish stew.”
This time Hitomaro did notargue. They found a couple of empty spaces on a bench outside, ordered wine andtwo bowls of stew, and watched the passersby.
But before their food arrived,a commotion caused a general rush up the street. A woman screamed. Someoneshouted for constables.
Hitomaro was on his feet. Genbaheaved himself up, casting a despairing look toward the waitress who was comingwith their order, and followed.
Hitomaro plunged into the pressof people. Genba made his way by simply lifting people out of his path until hecaught up with Hitomaro.
In an open space in the centerof the market street, a tall well-dressed man was bending over the body of ayoung beggar. The crowd watched the scene, transfixed. A woman sobbedhysterically, but the rest looked merely shocked or curious. The well-dressedman wiped the blade of a slender knife on the man’s rags, then straightened up.Looking about him with a frown, he tucked the knife into his sash. He was avery handsome man, yet Hitomaro felt an instant surge of hatred.
Genba made a growling noise inthe back of his throat and moved forward, but Hitomaro held him back. “No,brother,” he said in a low voice. “Stay out of this! If I’m not much mistaken,this is no ordinary brawl.”
Hitomaro pushed aside thepeople in front of him and went to the body. Getting on one knee, he checkedthe victim. The beggar had been stabbed once in the chest and was quite dead. “Whathappened here?” he asked, getting to his feet.
The handsome gentleman raisedhis brows. “Who are you?” He took a paper tissue from his sleeve and wiped hisfingers.
“Lieutenant Hitomaro,provincial tribunal. Who are you? And what happened?” Hitomaro gestured to theinert figure on the ground. “Did you kill him?”
“Ah, Lieutenant,” said theelegant stranger. “So many questions. It is difficult to guess your rankwithout your uniform. Yes, I’m afraid I had to kill the villain. A drunken loutwho attacked me. I’m Sunada.”
The name rang a bell, andHitomaro gave him a sharp glance before bending over the body again. The deadman had the look of a ruffian and had been knifed through the heart.Straightening up, Hitomaro extended his hand. “The weapon?”
Sunada sighed but handed over adully gleaming blade with a beautifully made silver handle. Hitomaro ran histhumb over the blade. “A dangerous toy,” he commented, tucking the knife intohis own sash. “Yours or his?”
Sunada snorted. “Don’t beridiculous, man! Does he look like someone who can afford a fine blade likethat?”
“Then the victim was unarmed?”
“How should I know? And if hewas, so what?”
“I’m wondering why you stabbedan unarmed person.”
Sunada rolled his eyes. “Oh,you would try the patience of the Buddha himself! Look here, Lieutenant-if youare a lieutenant-I told you, he attacked me. I simply defended myself. Now geton with your duties. Have someone take the body away and write up your report.I’ll put my seal to it, and be on my way. I am already late for an importantmeeting. In case it is of interest, the governor has asked for my support withthe local business leaders. He will not thank you if you delay me.”
Hitomaro shook his head. “Sorry,sir. There are regulations. It will take more time than that.”
Sunada snapped, “It is urgent.We are trying to find ways to avert open rebellion in this city. Clearly youpeople at the tribunal are unable to handle anything.”
Hitomaro smiled through grittedteeth. “There are rules to be followed in a case of violent death. Andquestions to be answered. For example, why and how did this man attack you?”
“Dear heaven, what athickheaded fellow! I’m a rich man, and Koichi’s poor, as any idiot can see.”Sunada clenched his fists in anger and turned to the crowd. “Tell him,” hecried. “You all saw it, didn’t you?”
The crowd began to inch away.Some people shook their heads.
“You there!” Sunada pointed toa tall laborer. “Come here and tell this officer what happened.”
The laborer shuffled closer,bowing many times to both Sunada and Hitomaro. “It is true what Mr. Sunadasays,” he said humbly and attempted to slink back.
“Wait.” Hitomaro stopped him. “What’syour name?”
With an anxious glance atSunada, the man muttered, “Rikio. A fisherman, sir, from Wild Swan village.”
“All right. What did you see?”
The fisherman pointed at thebody. “I saw him. Koichi. He was in front of Mr. Sunada. He looked angry. Hishands were waving, and he cursed. Koichi is a very bad person. A jailbird.”
“Did he hit Mr. Sunada? Put hishands around Mr. Sunada’s throat? Throw stones? What did he do? What did hesay?”
The fisherman looked at Sunadaand twisted his hands together. “He may have been hitting. I couldn’t hear thewords.”
At this point, another man inthe dark brown ramie robe of a well-to-do merchant pushed through the crowd.After bowing to Sunada, he said to Hitomaro, “I am Tsuchiya, sake wholesaler. Ilive in the big house over there and saw everything from my upstairs window.Poor Mr. Sunada here was just walking along, when this dirty person stepped inhis way. Mr. Sunada was trying to pass, speaking calmly, but the man wasshouting and raising his arms. I myself thought he was mad and would kill Mr.Sunada. Thank heavens Mr. Sunada was quick. A great blessing to us all! What aloss Mr. Sunada’s death would have been to this city! I will gladly testify toMr. Sunada’s total innocence and to his excellent reputation in this province.”
Hitomaro regarded the sakemerchant dubiously. Turning back to Sunada, he said, “What is your trade?”
Sunada flushed angrily. “Everybodyknows I buy and sell rice and other goods here and in other provinces. Mywarehouses are in Flying Goose village near the harbor, and I keep a fleet ofsailing ships at anchor there. Now are you satisfied that I’m an honestcitizen?”
Hitomaro ignored the question. “Didyou know the victim?”
“I don’t keep company withcriminals.”
“If you have never seen the manbefore, how did you know his name? Koichi, I believe, you called him?”
“Of course I had seen him andknew he was called Koichi. Everyone in this town knew him as a dangerouscriminal.”
“Ah! Have you ever beenattacked by him before?”
“No, but as you saw, I alwayscarry a weapon.”
Hitomaro nodded. “Very well.The rest can wait till later. You and your witnesses will follow me to thetribunal.” He looked about, saw two brawny bearers mingling with the crowd andwhistled to them. Before he
