Shogun

them even to consider giving away five hundred.?.?.?. “Worth every grain, you say? I can hardly believe that.”

“To the right man, Sire. I believe that. But I could not judge who would be the right man.”

There was a knock on the shoji.

“Yes?”

“The Anjin-san’s at the main gate, Sire.”

“Bring him here.”

“Yes, Sire.”

Toranaga fanned himself. He had been watching Mariko covertly and had seen the momentary light in her face. He had deliberately not warned her that he had sent for him.

What to do? Everything that is planned still applies. But now I need Buntaro and the Anjin-san and Omi-san more than ever. And Mariko, very much.

“Good morning, Toranaga-sama.”

He returned Blackthorne’s bow and noted the sudden warmth when the man saw Mariko. There were formal greetings and replies, then he said, “Mariko-san, tell him that he is to leave with me at dawn. You also. You will continue on to Osaka.”

A chill went through her. “Yes, Sire.”

“I go Osaka, Toranaga-sama?” Blackthorne asked.

“No, Anjin-san. Mariko-san, tell him I’m going to the Shuzenji Spa for a day or two. You both will accompany me there. You’ll go on to Osaka. He will journey with you to the border, then go on to Yedo alone.”

He watched them narrowly as Blackthorne spoke to her, rapidly and urgently.

“So sorry, Toranaga-sama, but the Anjin-san humbly asks if he could borrow me for a few more days. He says, please excuse me, that my presence with him would greatly speed up the matter of his ship. Then, if it pleases you, he would immediately take one of your coastal ships and ferry me to Osaka, going on to Nagasaki himself. He suggests this might save time.”

“I haven’t decided anything about his ship, yet. Or about a crew. He may not need to go to Nagasaki. Make that very clear. No, nothing is decided. But I’ll consider the request about you. You’ll get my decision tomorrow. You can go now.?.?.?. Oh yes, lastly, Mariko-san, tell him that I want his genealogy. He can write it down and you’ll translate it, affirming its correctness.”

“Yes, Sire. Do you want it at once?”

“No. When he arrives at Yedo will be time enough.”

Mariko explained to Blackthorne.

“Why does he want that?” he asked.

Mariko stared at him. “Of course all samurai have to have their births and deaths recorded, Anjin-san, as well as their fiefs and land grants. How else can a liege lord keep everything balanced? Isn’t it the same in your country? Here, by law, all our citizens are in official records, even eta: births, deaths, marriages. Every hamlet or village or city street has its official scroll. How else can you be sure where and to whom you belong?”

“We don’t write it down. Not always. And not officially. Everyone’s recorded? Everyone?”

“Oh yes, even eta, Anjin-san. It’s important, neh? Then no one can pretend to be what he is not, wrongdoers can be caught more easily, and men and women or parents can’t cheat in marriage, neh?”

Blackthorne put that aside for later consideration and played another card in the game he had joined with Toranaga that he hoped would lead to the death of the Black Ship.

Mariko listened attentively, questioned him a moment, then turned to Toranaga. “Sire, the Anjin-san thanks you for your favor and your many gifts. He asks if you would honor him by choosing his two hundred vassals for him. He says your guidance in this would be worth anything.”

“Is it worth a thousand koku?” Toranaga asked at once. He saw her surprise and the Anjin-san’s. I’m glad you’re still transparent, Anjin-san, for all your veneer of civilization, he thought. If I were a gambling person, I’d wager that that wasn’t your idea—to ask for my guidance.

“Hai,” he heard Blackthorne say firmly.

“Good,” he replied crisply. “Since the Anjin-san’s so generous, I’ll accept his offer. One thousand koku. That will help some other needy samurai. Tell him his men will be waiting for him in Yedo. I’ll see you at dawn tomorrow, Anjin-san.”

“Yes. Thank you, Toranaga-sama.”

“Mariko-san, consult with the Lady Kasigi at once. Since you approved the amount I imagine she’ll agree to your arrangement however hideous it seems, though I’d suppose she’ll need until dawn tomorrow to give such a ridiculous sum her full consideration. Send some menial to order the Gyoko woman here at sunset. She can bring the courtesan with her. Kiku-san can sing while we talk, neh?”

He dismissed them, delighted to have saved fifteen hundred koku. People are so extravagant, he thought benignly.

“Will that leave me enough to get a crew?” Blackthorne asked.

“Oh, yes, Anjin-san. But he hasn’t agreed to allow you to go to Nagasaki yet,” Mariko said. “Five hundred koku would be more than enough to live on for a year, and the other five hundred will give you about one hundred and eighty koban in gold to buy seamen. That’s a very great deal of money.”

Fujiko lifted herself painfully and spoke to Mariko.

“Your consort says that you shouldn’t worry, Anjin-san. She can give you letters of credit to certain moneylenders who will advance you all that you’ll need. She’ll arrange everything.”

“Yes, but haven’t I got to pay all my retainers? How do I pay for a house, Fujiko-san, my household?”

Mariko was shocked. “Please, so sorry, but this is of course not your worry. Your consort has told you that she will take care of everything. She—”

Fujiko interrupted and the two women spoke together for a moment.

“Ah so desu, Fujiko-san!” Mariko turned back to Blackthorne. “She says you must not waste time thinking about it. She begs you please to spend your time worrying only about Lord Toranaga’s problems. She has money of her own which she can draw upon, should it be necessary.”

Blackthorne blinked. “She’ll lend me her own money?”

“Oh, no, Anjin-san, of course she’ll give it to you, if you need it, Anjin-san. Don’t forget your problem’s only this year,” Mariko explained. “Next year you’re rich, Anjin-san. As to your retainers, for one year they’ll get two koku each. Don’t forget Toranaga-sama’s giving you all their arms and horses, and two koku’s enough to feed them and their horses and families. And don’t forget, too, you gave Lord Toranaga half your year’s income to ensure that they would be chosen by him personally. That’s a tremendous honor, Anjin-san.”

“You think so?”

“Oh certainly. Fujiko-san agrees wholeheartedly. You were most shrewd to think of that.”

“Thank you.” Blackthorne allowed a little of his pleasure to show. You’re getting your wits back again and you’re beginning to think like them, he told himself happily. Yes, that was clever to co-opt Toranaga. Now you’ll get the best men possible, and you could never have done it alone. What’s a thousand koku against the Black Ship? So yet another of the things Mariko had said was true: that one of Toranaga’s weaknesses was that he was a miser. Of course, she had not said so directly, only that Toranaga made all his incredible wealth go further than any daimyo in the kingdom. This clue, added to his own observations—that Toranaga’s clothes were as simple as his food, and his style of living little different from that of an ordinary samurai—had given him another key to unlock Toranaga.

Thank God for Mariko and old Friar Domingo!

Blackthorne’s memory took him back to the jail and he thought how close he had been to death then, and how close he was to death now, even with all his honors. What Toranaga gives, he can take away. You think he’s your friend, but if he’ll assassinate a wife and murder a favorite son, how would you value his friendship or your life? I don’t, Blackthorne told himself, renewing his pledge. That’s karma. I can do nothing about karma and I’ve been living near death all my life, so nothing’s new. I yield to karma in all its beauty. I accept karma in all its majesty. I trust karma to get me through the next six months. Then, by this time next year, I’ll be