She reached forward and touched the knife and straightened it. Then she gazed once more through the gateway to the far end of the avenue but it was as still and as empty as it had ever been. She looked back at the knife.
"Kasigi Yabu-sama!"
"Yes, Toda-sama?"
"It seems Lord Kiyama has declined to a.s.sist me. Please, I would be honored if you would be my second."
"It is my honor," Yabu said. He bowed and got to his feet and stood behind her, to her left. His sword sang as it slid from its scabbard. He set his feet firmly and with two hands raised the sword. "I am ready, Lady," he said.
"Please wait until I have made the second cut."
Her eyes were on the knife. With her right hand she made the sign of the cross over her breast, then leaned forward and took up the knife without trembling and touched it to her lips as though to taste the polished steel. Then she changed her grip and held the knife firmly with her right hand under the left side of her throat. At that moment flares rounded the far end of the avenue. A retinue approached. Ishido was at their head.
She did not move the knife.
Yabu was still a coiled spring, concentrated on the mark. "Lady," he said, "do you wait or are you continuing? I wish to be perfect for you."
Mariko forced herself back from the brink. "I-we wait ... we ... I ..." Her hand lowered the knife. It was shaking now. As slowly, Yabu released himself. His sword hissed back into the scabbard and he wiped his hands on his sides.
Ishido stood at the gateway. "It"s not sunset yet, Lady. The sun"s still on the horizon. Are you so keen to die?"
"No, Lord General. Just to obey my Lord...." She held her hands together to stop their shaking.
A rumble of anger went through the Browns at Ishido"s arrogant rudeness and Yabu readied to leap at him, but stopped as Ishido said loudly, "The Lady Ochiba begged the Regents on behalf of the Heir to make an exception in your case. We agreed to her request. Here are permits for you to leave at dawn tomorrow." He shoved them into the hands of Sumiyori, who was nearby.
"Sire?" Mariko said, without understanding, her voice threadbare.
"You are free to leave. At dawn."
"And-and Kiritsubo-san and the Lady Sazuko?"
"Isn"t that also part of your "duty?" Their permits are there also."
Mariko tried to concentrate. "And ... and her son?"
"Him too, Lady," Ishido"s scornful laugh echoed. "And all your men."
Yabu stammered, "Everyone has safe conducts?"
"Yes, Kasigi Yabu-san," Ishido said. "You"re senior officer, neh? neh? Please go at once to my secretary. He is completing all your pa.s.ses, though why honored guests would wish to leave I don"t know. It"s hardly worth it for seventeen days. Please go at once to my secretary. He is completing all your pa.s.ses, though why honored guests would wish to leave I don"t know. It"s hardly worth it for seventeen days. Neh?" Neh?"
"And me, Lord General?" old Lady Etsu asked weakly, daring to test the totality of Mariko"s victory, her heart racing and painful. "May-may I please leave also?"
"Of course, Lady Maeda. Why should we keep anyone against her will? Are we jailers? Of course not! If the Heir"s welcome is so offensive that you wish to leave, then leave, though how you intend to travel four hundred ri ri home and another four hundred home and another four hundred ri ri here in seventeen days I don"t understand." here in seventeen days I don"t understand."
"Please ex-excuse me, the-the Heir"s welcome isn"t offen-"
Ishido interrupted icily. "If you wish to leave, apply for a permit in the normal way. It"ll take a day or so but we"ll see you safely on your way." He addressed the others: "Any ladies may apply, any samurai. I"ve said before, it"s stupid to leave for seventeen days, it"s insulting to flout the Heir"s welcome, the Lady Ochiba"s welcome, and the Regents" welcome ..."-his ruthless gaze went back to Mariko-"or to pressure them with threats of seppuku, which for a lady should be done in private and not as an arrogant public spectacle. Neh? Neh? I don"t seek the death of women, only enemies of the Heir, but if women are openly his enemy, then I"ll soon spit on their corpses too." I don"t seek the death of women, only enemies of the Heir, but if women are openly his enemy, then I"ll soon spit on their corpses too."
Ishido turned on his heel, shouted an order at the Grays, and walked off. At once captains echoed the order and all the Grays began to form up and move off from the gateway, except for a token few who stayed in honor of the Browns.
"Lady," Yabu said huskily, wiping his damp hands again, a bitter vomit taste in his mouth from the lack of fulfillment, "Lady, it"s over now. You"ve ... you"ve won. You"ve won."
"Yes-yes," she said. Her strengthless hands sought the knots of the white cord. Chimmoko went forward and undid the knots and took away the white blanket, then stepped away from the crimson square. Everyone watched Mariko, waiting to see if she could walk away.
Mariko was trying to grope to her feet. She failed. She tried a second time. Again she failed. Impulsively Kiri moved to help her but Yabu shook his head and said, "No, it"s her privilege," so Kiri sat back, hardly breathing.
Blackthorne, beside the gates, was still turmoiled by his boundless joy at her reprieve and he remembered how his own will had been stretched that night of his near-seppuku, when he had had to get up as a man and walk home as a man unsupported, and became samurai. And he watched her, despising the need for this courage, yet understanding it, even honoring it.
He saw her hands go to the crimson again, and again she pushed and this time Mariko forced herself upright. She wavered and almost fell, then her feet moved and slowly she tottered across the crimson and reeled helplessly toward the main door. Blackthorne decided that she had done enough, had endured enough, had proved enough, so he came forward and caught her in his arms and lifted her up just as her mind left her.
For a moment he stood there in the arena alone, proud that he was alone and that he he had decided. She lay like a broken doll in his arms. Then he carried her inside and no one moved or barred his path. had decided. She lay like a broken doll in his arms. Then he carried her inside and no one moved or barred his path.
CHAPTER 57.
The attack on the Browns" stronghold began in the darkest reaches of the night, two or three hours before dawn. The first wave of ten ninja ninja-the infamous Stealthy Ones-came over the roofs of the battlements opposite, now unguarded by Grays. They threw cloth-covered grappling hooks on ropes over to the other roof and swung across the chasm like so many spiders. They wore tight-fitting clothes of black and black tabi and black masks. Their hands and faces were also blackened. These men were lightly armed with chain knives and shuriken-small, star-shaped, needle-sharp, poison-tipped throwing barbs and discs that were the size of a man"s palm. On their backs were slung haversacks and short thin poles.
Ninja were mercenaries. They were artists in stealth, specialists in the disreputable-in espionage, infiltration, and sudden death. were mercenaries. They were artists in stealth, specialists in the disreputable-in espionage, infiltration, and sudden death.
The ten men landed noiselessly. They re-coiled the grapples, and four of them hooked the grapples again onto a projection and immediately swung downward to a veranda twenty feet below. Once they had reached it, as noiselessly, their comrades unhooked the grapples, dropped them down, and moved across the tiles to infiltrate another area.
A tile cracked under one man"s foot and they all froze. In the forecourt, three stories and sixty feet below, Sumiyori stopped on his rounds and looked up. His eyes squinted into the darkness. He waited without moving, his mouth open a fraction to improve his hearing, his eyes sweeping slowly. The roof with the ninja ninja was in shadow, the moon faint, the stars heavy in the thick humid air. The men stayed absolutely still, even their breathing controlled and imperceptible, seemingly as inanimate as the tiles upon which they stood. was in shadow, the moon faint, the stars heavy in the thick humid air. The men stayed absolutely still, even their breathing controlled and imperceptible, seemingly as inanimate as the tiles upon which they stood.
Sumiyori made another circuit with his eyes and with his ears, and then another, and, still not sure, he walked out into the forecourt to see more clearly. Now the four ninja ninja on the veranda were also within his field of vision but they were as motionless as the others and he did not notice them either. on the veranda were also within his field of vision but they were as motionless as the others and he did not notice them either.
"Hey," he called to the guards on the gateway, the doors tight barred now, "you see anything-hear anything?"
"No, Captain," the alert sentries said. "The roof tiles are always chattering, shifting a bit-it"s the damp or the heat, perhaps."
Sumiyori said to one of them, "Go up there and have a look. Better still, tell the top-floor guards to make a search just in case."
The soldier hurried off. Sumiyori stared up again, then half shrugged and, rea.s.sured, continued his patrol. The other samurai went back to their posts, watching outward.
On the rooftop and on the veranda the ninja ninja waited in their frozen positions. Not even their eyes moved. They were schooled to remain immobile for hours if need be-just one part of their perpetual training. Then the leader motioned to them and at once they again moved to the attack. Their grapples and ropes took them quietly to another veranda where they could slide through the narrow windows in the granite walls. Below this top floor, all other windows-defense positions for bowmen-were so narrow that they could not be entered from outside. At another signal the two groups entered simultaneously. waited in their frozen positions. Not even their eyes moved. They were schooled to remain immobile for hours if need be-just one part of their perpetual training. Then the leader motioned to them and at once they again moved to the attack. Their grapples and ropes took them quietly to another veranda where they could slide through the narrow windows in the granite walls. Below this top floor, all other windows-defense positions for bowmen-were so narrow that they could not be entered from outside. At another signal the two groups entered simultaneously.
Both rooms were in darkness, with ten Browns sleeping in neat lines. They were put to death quickly and almost noiselessly, a single knife thrust in the throat for most, the raiders" trained senses taking them unerringly to their targets, and in moments the last of the Browns was thrashing desperately, his warning shout garroted just as it had begun. Then, the rooms secured, the doors secured, the leader took out a flint and tinder and lit a candle and carried it, cupped carefully, to the window and signaled three times into the night. Behind him his men were making doubly sure that every Brown was quite dead. The leader repeated the signal, then came away from the window and motioned with his hand, speaking to them in sign language with his fingers.
At once the raiders undid their haversacks and readied their attack weapons-short, sickle-shaped, double-edged knives with a chain attached to the haft, weighted at the end of the chain, and shuriken and throwing knives. At another order, selected men unsheathed the short poles. These were telescoped spears and blow pipes that sprang into full length with startling speed. And as each man completed his preparations he knelt, settled himself facing the door, and, seemingly without conscious effort, became totally motionless. Now the last man was ready. The leader blew out the candle.
When the city bells toned the middle of the Hour of the Tiger-four of the clock, an hour before dawn-the second wave of ninja ninja infiltrated. Twenty slid silently out of a large, disused culvert that once had serviced the rivulets of the garden. All these men wore swords. Like so many shadows, they swarmed into position among the shrubs and bushes, became motionless and almost invisible. At the same time another group of twenty came up from the ground by ropes and grapples to attack the battlement that overlooked the forecourt and garden. infiltrated. Twenty slid silently out of a large, disused culvert that once had serviced the rivulets of the garden. All these men wore swords. Like so many shadows, they swarmed into position among the shrubs and bushes, became motionless and almost invisible. At the same time another group of twenty came up from the ground by ropes and grapples to attack the battlement that overlooked the forecourt and garden.
Two Browns were on the battlements, carefully watching the empty roofs across the avenue. Then one of the Browns glanced around and saw the grapples behind them and he began to point in alarm. His comrade opened his mouth to shout a warning when the first ninja ninja made the embrasure and, with a whipping snap of his wrist, sent a barbed shuriken whirling into this samurai"s face and mouth, hideously strangling the shout, and hurled himself forward at the other samurai, his outstretched hand now a lethal weapon, the thumb and forefinger extended, and he stabbed for the jugular. The impact paralyzed the samurai, another vicious blow broke his neck with a dry crack, and the made the embrasure and, with a whipping snap of his wrist, sent a barbed shuriken whirling into this samurai"s face and mouth, hideously strangling the shout, and hurled himself forward at the other samurai, his outstretched hand now a lethal weapon, the thumb and forefinger extended, and he stabbed for the jugular. The impact paralyzed the samurai, another vicious blow broke his neck with a dry crack, and the ninja ninja jumped at the first agonized samurai, who was clawing at the barbs embedded deeply in his mouth and face, the poison already working. jumped at the first agonized samurai, who was clawing at the barbs embedded deeply in his mouth and face, the poison already working.
With a final supreme effort, the dying samurai ripped out his short stabbing sword and struck. His blow sliced deep and the ninja ninja gasped but this did not stop the rush and his hand slammed into the Brown"s throat, snapping the man"s head back and dislocating his spine. The samurai was dead on his feet. gasped but this did not stop the rush and his hand slammed into the Brown"s throat, snapping the man"s head back and dislocating his spine. The samurai was dead on his feet.
The ninja ninja was bleeding badly but he made no sound and still held onto the dead Brown, lowering him carefully to the stone flags, sinking to his knees beside him. All the was bleeding badly but he made no sound and still held onto the dead Brown, lowering him carefully to the stone flags, sinking to his knees beside him. All the ninja ninja had climbed up the ropes now and stood on the battlement. They bypa.s.sed their wounded comrade until the battlement was secured. The wounded man was still on his knees beside the dead Browns, holding his side. The leader examined the wound. Blood was spurting in a steady stream. He shook his head and spoke with his fingers and the man nodded and dragged himself painfully to a corner, the blood leaving a wide trail. He made himself comfortable, leaning against the stone, and took out a shuriken. He scratched the back of one hand several times with the poison barbs, then found his stiletto, put the point at the base of his throat and, two-handed, with all his strength, he thrust upward. had climbed up the ropes now and stood on the battlement. They bypa.s.sed their wounded comrade until the battlement was secured. The wounded man was still on his knees beside the dead Browns, holding his side. The leader examined the wound. Blood was spurting in a steady stream. He shook his head and spoke with his fingers and the man nodded and dragged himself painfully to a corner, the blood leaving a wide trail. He made himself comfortable, leaning against the stone, and took out a shuriken. He scratched the back of one hand several times with the poison barbs, then found his stiletto, put the point at the base of his throat and, two-handed, with all his strength, he thrust upward.
The leader made sure this man was dead then went back to the fortified door that led inside. He opened it cautiously. At that moment they heard footsteps approaching and at once melted back into ambush position.
In the corridor of this, the west wing, Sumiyori was approaching with ten Browns. He dropped two off near the battlement door and, not stopping, walked on. These two reliefs went out on to the battlement as Sumiyori turned the far corner and went down a flight of circular steps. At the bottom was another checkpoint and the two tired samurai bowed and were replaced.
"Pick up the others and go back to your quarters. You"ll be wakened at dawn," Sumiyori said.
"Yes, Captain."
The two samurai walked back up the steps, glad to be off duty. Sumiyori continued on down the next corridor, replacing sentries. At length he stopped outside a door and knocked, the last two guards with him.
"Yabu-san?"
"Yes?" The voice was sleepy.
"So sorry, it"s the change of the guard."
"Ah, thank you. Please come in."
Sumiyori opened the door but warily stayed on the threshold. Yabu was touseled, propped in the coverlets on one elbow, his other hand on his sword. When he was sure it was Sumiyori he relaxed and yawned. "Anything new, Captain?"
Sumiyori relaxed also and shook his head, came in and closed the door. The room was large and neat and another bed of futons was laid and turned back invitingly. Arrow slit windows overlooked the avenue and city, a sheer drop of thirty feet below. "Everything"s quiet. She"s She"s sleeping now.... At least her maid, Chimmoko, said she was." He went to the low bureau where an oil lamp spluttered and poured himself cold cha from a pot. Beside it was their pa.s.s, formally stamped, that Yabu had brought back from Ishido"s office. sleeping now.... At least her maid, Chimmoko, said she was." He went to the low bureau where an oil lamp spluttered and poured himself cold cha from a pot. Beside it was their pa.s.s, formally stamped, that Yabu had brought back from Ishido"s office.
Yabu yawned again and stretched luxuriously. "The Anjin-san?"
"He was awake the last time I checked. That was at midnight. He asked me not to check again until just before dawn-something about his customs. I didn"t understand clearly everything he said, but there"s no harm, there"s a very tight security everywhere, neh? neh? Kiritsubo-san and the other ladies are quiet, though she"s been up, Kiritsubo-san, most of the night." Kiritsubo-san and the other ladies are quiet, though she"s been up, Kiritsubo-san, most of the night."
Yabu got out of bed. He wore only a loincloth. "Doing what?"
"Just sitting at a window, staring out. Nothing to see out there. I suggested she"d better get some sleep. She thanked me politely and agreed and stayed where she was. Women, neh?" neh?"
Yabu flexed his shoulders and elbows and scratched vigorously to get his blood flowing. He began to dress. "She should rest. She"s got a long way to go today."
Sumiyori set the cup down. "I think it"s all a trick."
"What?"
"I don"t think Ishido means it."
"We have signed permits. There they are. Every man"s listed. You checked the names. How can he go back on a public commitment to us or to Lady Toda? Impossible, neh?" neh?"
"I don"t know. Your pardon, Yabu-san, but I still think it"s a trick."
Yabu knotted his sash slowly. "What kind of trick?"
"We"ll be ambushed."
"Outside the castle?"
Sumiyori nodded. "Yes, that"s what I think."
"He wouldn"t dare."
"He"ll dare. He"ll ambush us or delay us. I can"t see him letting her her go, or Lady Kiritsubo, or Lady Sazuko or the babe. Even old Lady Etsu and the others." go, or Lady Kiritsubo, or Lady Sazuko or the babe. Even old Lady Etsu and the others."
"No, you"re wrong."
Sumiyori shook his head sadly. "I think it would"ve been better if she"d cut deep and you"d struck. This way nothing"s resolved."
Yabu picked up his swords and stuck them in his belt. Yes, he was thinking, I agree with you. Nothing"s resolved and she failed in her duty. You know it, I know it, and so does Ishido. Disgraceful! If she"d cut, then we would have all lived forever. As it is now ... she came back from the brink and dishonored us and dishonored herself. Shigata ga hai, neh? Shigata ga hai, neh? Stupid woman! Stupid woman!
But to Sumiyori he said, "I think you"re wrong. She conquered Ishido. Lady Toda won. Ishido won"t dare to ambush us. Go to sleep, I"ll wake you at dawn."
Again Sumiyori shook his head. "No, thank you, Yabu-san, I think I"ll go the rounds again." He went to a window and peered out. "Something"s not right."
"Everything"s fine. Get some-wait a moment! What was that? Did you hear something?"
Yabu came up to Sumiyori and pretended to search the darkness, listening intently, and then, without warning, he whipped out his short sword and with the same flashing, spontaneous movement, buried the blade into Sumiyori"s back, clapping his other hand over the man"s mouth to stop the shriek. The captain died instantly. Yabu held him carefully at arm"s length with immense strength so that none of the blood stained him, and carried the body over to the futons, arranging it in a sleeping position. Then he pulled out his sword and began to clean it, furious that Sumiyori"s intuition had forced the unplanned killing. Even so, Yabu thought, I can"t have him prowling around now.
Earlier, when Yabu was returning from Ishido"s office with their safe conduct pa.s.s, he had been waylaid privately by a samurai he had never seen before.
"Your co-operation"s invited, Yabu-san."
"To what and by whom?"
"By someone you made an offer to yesterday."
"What offer?"
"In return for safe conducts for you and the Anjin-san, you"d see she she was disarmed during the ambush on your journey.... Please don"t touch your sword, Yabu-san, there are four archers waiting for an invitation!" was disarmed during the ambush on your journey.... Please don"t touch your sword, Yabu-san, there are four archers waiting for an invitation!"
"How dare you challenge me? What ambush?" he had bluffed, feeling weak at the knees, for there was no doubt now that the man was Ishido"s intermediary. Yesterday afternoon he had made the secret offer through his own intermediaries, in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the wreckage Mariko had caused to his plans for the Black Ship and the future. At the time he had known that it was a wild idea. It would have been difficult, if not impossible, to disarm her and stay alive, therefore fraught with danger to both sides, and when Ishido, through intermediaries, had turned it down he was not surprised.
"I know nothing of any ambush," he had bl.u.s.tered, wishing that Yuriko were there to help him out of the mora.s.s.
"Even so, you"re invited to one, though not the way you planned it."
"Who are you?"
"In return you get Izu, the barbarian and his ship-the moment the chief enemy"s head is in the dust. Providing, of course, she"s captured alive and you stay in Osaka until the day the day and swear allegiance." and swear allegiance."
"Whose head?" Yabu had said, trying to get his brain working, realizing only now that Ishido had used the request for him to fetch the safe conducts merely as a ruse so the secret offer could be made safely and negotiated.
"Is it yes or no?" the samurai asked.
"Who are you and what are you talking about?" He had held up the scroll. "Here"s Lord Ishido"s safe conduct. Not even the Lord General can cancel these after what"s happened."